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Chemistry: scaling 2026, assessment & grade cut-offs
official VTAC & VCAA data · 2026 forecastA raw study score of 40 in Chemistry scaled to 44.0 in the 2025 VTAC report, and is forecast to scale to about 43.9 in 2026. Chemistry scales up: a raw score is worth more than its face value; at a raw 40 its scaling has risen by 1.0 points since 2022. The 2025 mean study score was 33.6.
Chemistry scaling: raw to scaled study scoreOfficial VTAC scaling reports 2022–2025, plus the 2026 forecast (a recency-weighted blend of the last six reports).
| Raw study score | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 forecast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50.0 | 50.0 | 50.0 | 50.0 | 50.0 |
| 45 | 47.0 | 47.0 | 47.0 | 47.0 | 47.0 |
| 40 | 43.0 | 44.0 | 44.0 | 44.0 | 43.9 |
| 35 | 39.0 | 39.0 | 39.0 | 39.0 | 39.0 |
| 30 | 34.0 | 34.0 | 34.0 | 34.0 | 34.0 |
| 25 | 28.0 | 28.0 | 28.0 | 28.0 | 28.0 |
| 20 | 23.0 | 22.0 | 23.0 | 22.0 | 22.3 |
Scaled scores between VTAC's published anchor points are interpolated. See every subject's scaling curve and the method and accuracy.
How Chemistry is assessedDefault weights from the VCAA study design; the calculator lets you edit them.
| Assessment | Type | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 3 SACs | school-assessed | 20% |
| Unit 4 SACs | school-assessed | 30% |
| End-of-year exam | external | 50% |
Chemistry grade cut-offs 2026: forecastThe lowest mark each grade starts at, forecast from the last three years' official VCAA cut-offs. Typical error is shown as "likely ±".
Coursework Unit 3 school-assessed · out of 80 · forecast state average 67%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 74 | 68 | 63 | 57 | 50 | 44 | 37 | 31 | 11 | 8 |
| likely ± | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 1.4 |
| 2025 actual | 74 | 68 | 62 | 56 | 49 | 43 | 37 | 31 | 11 | 8 |
| 2024 actual | 74 | 69 | 64 | 58 | 51 | 45 | 38 | 31 | 11 | 8 |
Coursework Unit 4 school-assessed · out of 120 · forecast state average 71%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 107 | 96 | 85 | 75 | 67 | 59 | 48 | 33 | 24 | 12 |
| likely ± | 1.3 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 2.0 |
| 2025 actual | 107 | 96 | 85 | 75 | 67 | 59 | 49 | 36 | 24 | 12 |
| 2024 actual | 107 | 96 | 85 | 76 | 68 | 58 | 47 | 28 | 24 | 12 |
Written Examination external · out of 240 · forecast state average 51%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 189 | 170 | 152 | 132 | 108 | 86 | 65 | 49 | 32 | 24 |
| likely ± | 7.4 | 8.4 | 9.4 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9.8 | 7.4 | 4.3 |
| 2025 actual | 187 | 168 | 150 | 130 | 106 | 85 | 65 | 49 | 32 | 24 |
| 2024 actual | 191 | 173 | 155 | 135 | 111 | 90 | 67 | 50 | 33 | 24 |
| 2023 actual | 191 | 173 | 155 | 133 | 108 | 84 | 61 | 45 | 29 | 22 |
Cut-offs change every year with how hard the assessment is, so a harder paper can move every grade together. See the full 2025 grade distribution for Chemistry →
About Chemistry
Structure and bonding, organic chemistry, equilibrium and analysis — the classic pre-med rigour test.
- Prerequisite for medicine, biomed, pharmacy and much of science
- Scales up reliably (30 → ~34)
- Strongest signal subject for health/science selection
Typical time commitment: 6–8 hours a week outside class.
The exam punishes vague answers — learn the VCAA marking language.
Chemistry questions
What does a study score of 40 in Chemistry scale to?
In the 2025 VTAC scaling report a raw 40 in Chemistry scaled to 44.0. ATARtools forecasts about 43.9 for 2026, from a recency-weighted blend of the last six reports. Treat it as a guide: VTAC publishes the real 2026 numbers in December.
Is Chemistry scaled up or down?
Chemistry scales up: a raw score is worth more than its face value. In 2025 a raw 30 scaled to 34.0, a raw 40 to 44.0 and a raw 45 to 47.0. For 2026 the forecast is 34.0, 43.9 and 47.0. At a raw 40, scaling has risen by 1.0 points since 2022.
What mark do I need for an A+ in the Chemistry Written Examination?
We forecast the 2026 A+ cut-off at about 189 out of 240 (likely ±7.4 marks) and an A from about 170. For reference the A+ cut-off was 187 in 2025, 191 in 2024 and 191 in 2023. The forecast is the recency-weighted average of the last three years' official cut-offs.
How is Chemistry assessed?
Unit 3 SACs (20%), Unit 4 SACs (30%), End-of-year exam (50%). School-assessed marks are statistically moderated against the external exam results, then the study score is scaled by VTAC for the ATAR.