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English: scaling 2026, assessment & grade cut-offs
official VTAC & VCAA data · 2026 forecastA raw study score of 40 in English scaled to 39.0 in the 2025 VTAC report, and is forecast to scale to about 39.0 in 2026. English scales close to the raw score; at a raw 40 its scaling has stayed about the same since 2022. The 2025 mean study score was 28.2.
English 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 | 45.0 | 45.0 | 45.0 | 45.0 | 45.0 |
| 40 | 39.0 | 39.0 | 39.0 | 39.0 | 39.0 |
| 35 | 34.0 | 34.0 | 33.0 | 33.0 | 33.2 |
| 30 | 28.0 | 28.0 | 28.0 | 28.0 | 28.0 |
| 25 | 22.0 | 22.0 | 22.0 | 22.0 | 22.0 |
| 20 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 17.0 |
Scaled scores between VTAC's published anchor points are interpolated. See every subject's scaling curve and the method and accuracy.
How English 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% |
English 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 66%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 84 | 75 | 68 | 61 | 53 | 44 | 31 | 20 | 15 | 10 |
| likely ± | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.7 |
| 2025 actual | 84 | 75 | 68 | 61 | 54 | 45 | 32 | 23 | 17 | 10 |
| 2024 actual | 83 | 74 | 67 | 60 | 52 | 43 | 31 | 16 | 13 | 10 |
| 2023 actual | 83 | 74 | 67 | 60 | 52 | 43 | 29 | 16 | 13 | 10 |
Coursework Unit 4 school-assessed · out of 100 · forecast state average 67%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 84 | 74 | 66 | 60 | 54 | 47 | 35 | 23 | 18 | 10 |
| likely ± | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.7 |
| 2025 actual | 84 | 74 | 66 | 60 | 54 | 47 | 35 | 23 | 17 | 10 |
| 2024 actual | 84 | 74 | 66 | 60 | 54 | 47 | 34 | 23 | 20 | 10 |
| 2023 actual | 86 | 76 | 68 | 62 | 56 | 49 | 36 | 23 | 20 | 10 |
Written Examination external · out of 60 · forecast state average 55%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 45 | 40 | 36 | 32 | 28 | 24 | 19 | 10 | 6 | 3 |
| likely ± | 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 1.1 |
| 2025 actual | 45 | 40 | 36 | 32 | 28 | 24 | 18 | 9 | 6 | 3 |
| 2024 actual | 44 | 40 | 36 | 32 | 28 | 24 | 19 | 10 | 6 | 3 |
| 2023 actual | 46 | 41 | 37 | 33 | 29 | 25 | 20 | 12 | 6 | 3 |
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 English →
About English
Analytical and comparative essay writing on set texts, argument analysis and crafting your own writing. The most common way to meet the English requirement of the ATAR.
- Compulsory group: at least one English study must sit in your primary four
- Largest cohort in the state — plenty of resources and tutors
- Skills transfer to every essay-based subject
Typical time commitment: 4–6 hours a week outside class.
Scales near-neutral; consistency across all three GAs matters more than one brilliant essay.
English questions
What does a study score of 40 in English scale to?
In the 2025 VTAC scaling report a raw 40 in English scaled to 39.0. ATARtools forecasts about 39.0 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 English scaled up or down?
English scales close to the raw score. In 2025 a raw 30 scaled to 28.0, a raw 40 to 39.0 and a raw 45 to 45.0. For 2026 the forecast is 28.0, 39.0 and 45.0. At a raw 40, scaling has stayed about the same since 2022.
What mark do I need for an A+ in the English Written Examination?
We forecast the 2026 A+ cut-off at about 45 out of 60 (likely ±1.9 marks) and an A from about 40. For reference the A+ cut-off was 45 in 2025, 44 in 2024 and 46 in 2023. The forecast is the recency-weighted average of the last three years' official cut-offs.
How is English 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.