ATARtools › Subjects › Economics
Economics: scaling 2026, assessment & grade cut-offs
official VTAC & VCAA data · 2026 forecastA raw study score of 40 in Economics scaled to 42.0 in the 2025 VTAC report, and is forecast to scale to about 41.9 in 2026. Economics scales up: a raw score is worth more than its face value; at a raw 40 its scaling has stayed about the same since 2022. The 2025 mean study score was 31.2.
Economics 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 | 46.0 | 46.0 | 46.0 | 46.0 | 46.0 |
| 40 | 42.0 | 41.0 | 42.0 | 42.0 | 41.9 |
| 35 | 37.0 | 36.0 | 37.0 | 37.0 | 36.9 |
| 30 | 32.0 | 31.0 | 32.0 | 31.0 | 31.4 |
| 25 | 26.0 | 26.0 | 26.0 | 26.0 | 26.0 |
| 20 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 20.0 | 20.5 |
Scaled scores between VTAC's published anchor points are interpolated. See every subject's scaling curve and the method and accuracy.
How Economics is assessedDefault weights from the VCAA study design; the calculator lets you edit them.
| Assessment | Type | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 3 SACs | school-assessed | 25% |
| Unit 4 SACs | school-assessed | 25% |
| End-of-year exam | external | 50% |
Economics 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 100 · forecast state average 68%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 91 | 82 | 73 | 64 | 56 | 48 | 40 | 31 | 15 | 9 |
| likely ± | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.7 |
| 2025 actual | 90 | 81 | 72 | 64 | 56 | 48 | 40 | 30 | 13 | 10 |
| 2024 actual | 92 | 84 | 75 | 66 | 57 | 49 | 41 | 32 | 20 | 10 |
| 2023 actual | 90 | 80 | 70 | 61 | 53 | 46 | 40 | 32 | 10 | 5 |
Coursework Unit 4 school-assessed · out of 100 · forecast state average 69%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 91 | 82 | 74 | 66 | 57 | 48 | 39 | 26 | 13 | 9 |
| likely ± | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.7 |
| 2025 actual | 91 | 82 | 74 | 66 | 58 | 49 | 39 | 26 | 13 | 10 |
| 2024 actual | 90 | 82 | 74 | 66 | 57 | 47 | 38 | 27 | 13 | 10 |
| 2023 actual | 91 | 81 | 72 | 63 | 56 | 48 | 39 | 26 | 13 | 6 |
Written Examination external · out of 160 · forecast state average 59%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 142 | 131 | 119 | 105 | 87 | 69 | 52 | 37 | 24 | 13 |
| likely ± | 5.0 | 5.6 | 6.2 | 6.7 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 6.6 | 5.0 | 2.9 |
| 2025 actual | 141 | 130 | 117 | 103 | 86 | 69 | 52 | 36 | 23 | 13 |
| 2024 actual | 146 | 136 | 126 | 113 | 95 | 75 | 58 | 42 | 29 | 16 |
| 2023 actual | 139 | 126 | 112 | 96 | 76 | 59 | 43 | 30 | 19 | 10 |
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 Economics →
About Economics
Micro and macroeconomics: markets, living standards, inflation, and policy — argued with data.
- Scales up (30 → ~31)
- Ideal for commerce/finance ambitions
- Current-affairs flavour keeps content fresh
Typical time commitment: 4–5 hours a week outside class.
Economics questions
What does a study score of 40 in Economics scale to?
In the 2025 VTAC scaling report a raw 40 in Economics scaled to 42.0. ATARtools forecasts about 41.9 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 Economics scaled up or down?
Economics scales up: a raw score is worth more than its face value. In 2025 a raw 30 scaled to 31.0, a raw 40 to 42.0 and a raw 45 to 46.0. For 2026 the forecast is 31.4, 41.9 and 46.0. At a raw 40, scaling has stayed about the same since 2022.
What mark do I need for an A+ in the Economics Written Examination?
We forecast the 2026 A+ cut-off at about 142 out of 160 (likely ±5.0 marks) and an A from about 131. For reference the A+ cut-off was 141 in 2025, 146 in 2024 and 139 in 2023. The forecast is the recency-weighted average of the last three years' official cut-offs.
How is Economics assessed?
Unit 3 SACs (25%), Unit 4 SACs (25%), 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.