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English as an Additional Language: scaling 2026, assessment & grade cut-offs
official VTAC & VCAA data · 2026 forecastA raw study score of 40 in English as an Additional Language scaled to 40.0 in the 2025 VTAC report, and is forecast to scale to about 40.0 in 2026. English as an Additional Language 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 27.3.
Calculate your English as an Additional Language study score and ATAR →
English as an Additional Language 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 | 40.0 | 40.0 | 40.0 | 40.0 | 40.0 |
| 35 | 34.0 | 34.0 | 34.0 | 33.0 | 33.5 |
| 30 | 28.0 | 28.0 | 27.0 | 27.0 | 27.2 |
| 25 | 22.0 | 22.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.2 |
| 20 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 15.0 | 15.5 |
Scaled scores between VTAC's published anchor points are interpolated. See every subject's scaling curve and the method and accuracy.
How English as an Additional Language 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 as an Additional Language 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 65%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 88 | 79 | 72 | 64 | 58 | 51 | 44 | 36 | 19 | 10 |
| likely ± | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.7 |
| 2025 actual | 88 | 79 | 71 | 64 | 58 | 51 | 44 | 37 | 21 | 10 |
| 2024 actual | 87 | 79 | 72 | 64 | 58 | 51 | 45 | 38 | 18 | 10 |
| 2023 actual | 89 | 81 | 73 | 65 | 57 | 49 | 39 | 30 | 14 | 9 |
Coursework Unit 4 school-assessed · out of 100 · forecast state average 64%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 88 | 79 | 72 | 65 | 58 | 53 | 48 | 41 | 28 | 11 |
| likely ± | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.7 |
| 2025 actual | 87 | 78 | 71 | 64 | 58 | 53 | 48 | 41 | 29 | 10 |
| 2024 actual | 88 | 79 | 72 | 64 | 57 | 52 | 47 | 41 | 28 | 10 |
| 2023 actual | 92 | 85 | 78 | 71 | 63 | 57 | 51 | 43 | 27 | 15 |
Written Examination external · out of 60 · forecast state average 52%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 45 | 41 | 37 | 33 | 29 | 26 | 22 | 18 | 13 | 6 |
| likely ± | 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 1.1 |
| 2025 actual | 46 | 41 | 37 | 33 | 29 | 25 | 21 | 17 | 12 | 6 |
| 2024 actual | 44 | 40 | 37 | 34 | 30 | 27 | 24 | 20 | 15 | 6 |
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 as an Additional Language →
About English as an Additional Language
English for students who have been in an English-speaking education system for a limited time — same essay and analysis core with EAL-specific texts and listening tasks.
- Satisfies the English requirement
- Assessment recognises language background
- Higher-scaling than mainstream English in most years
Typical time commitment: 4–6 hours a week outside class.
English as an Additional Language questions
What does a study score of 40 in English as an Additional Language scale to?
In the 2025 VTAC scaling report a raw 40 in English as an Additional Language scaled to 40.0. ATARtools forecasts about 40.0 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 as an Additional Language scaled up or down?
English as an Additional Language scales close to the raw score. In 2025 a raw 30 scaled to 27.0, a raw 40 to 40.0 and a raw 45 to 46.0. For 2026 the forecast is 27.2, 40.0 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 English as an Additional Language Written Examination?
We forecast the 2026 A+ cut-off at about 45 out of 60 (likely ±1.9 marks) and an A from about 41. For reference the A+ cut-off was 46 in 2025, 44 in 2024. The forecast is the recency-weighted average of the last three years' official cut-offs.
How is English as an Additional Language 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.