ATARtools › Subjects › Extended Investigation
Extended Investigation: scaling 2026, assessment & grade cut-offs
official VTAC & VCAA data · 2026 forecastA raw study score of 40 in Extended Investigation scaled to 42.0 in the 2025 VTAC report, and is forecast to scale to about 42.0 in 2026. Extended Investigation 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 32.8.
Calculate your Extended Investigation study score and ATAR →
Extended Investigation 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 | 47.0 | 46.6 |
| 40 | 41.0 | 42.0 | 42.0 | 42.0 | 42.0 |
| 35 | 37.0 | 38.0 | 38.0 | 38.0 | 37.9 |
| 30 | 32.0 | 33.0 | 33.0 | 33.0 | 32.9 |
| 25 | 27.0 | 28.0 | 28.0 | 27.0 | 27.4 |
| 20 | 22.0 | 22.0 | 22.0 | 22.0 | 22.0 |
Scaled scores between VTAC's published anchor points are interpolated. See every subject's scaling curve and the method and accuracy.
How Extended Investigation is assessedDefault weights from the VCAA study design; the calculator lets you edit them.
| Assessment | Type | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 3 SAC (oral presentation) | school-assessed | 30% |
| Critical Thinking Test | external | 10% |
| Externally-assessed Task (report) | external | 60% |
Extended Investigation 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 71%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 72 | 63 | 55 | 50 | 43 | 36 | 29 | 21 | 15 | 8 |
| likely ± | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 1.4 |
| 2025 actual | 72 | 64 | 55 | 51 | 43 | 36 | 31 | 24 | 16 | 8 |
| 2024 actual | 70 | 62 | 55 | 48 | 42 | 35 | 23 | 14 | 11 | 8 |
| 2023 actual | 73 | 64 | 56 | 50 | 45 | 40 | 30 | 24 | 16 | 8 |
Critical Thinking Test external · out of 100 · forecast state average 57%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 69 | 64 | 59 | 54 | 47 | 40 | 32 | 20 | 10 | 5 |
| likely ± | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 1.8 |
| 2025 actual | 69 | 64 | 59 | 54 | 47 | 40 | 32 | 20 | 10 | 5 |
Externally-assessed Task external · out of 200 · forecast state average 67%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 176 | 159 | 142 | 122 | 108 | 83 | 65 | 49 | 29 | 14 |
| likely ± | 6.2 | 7.0 | 7.8 | 8.4 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.2 | 6.2 | 3.6 |
| 2025 actual | 179 | 160 | 143 | 123 | 108 | 80 | 60 | 40 | 20 | 10 |
| 2024 actual | 172 | 158 | 142 | 123 | 108 | 90 | 72 | 60 | 40 | 20 |
| 2023 actual | 172 | 156 | 139 | 119 | 107 | 84 | 71 | 60 | 40 | 20 |
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 Extended Investigation →
About Extended Investigation
Design and run your own year-long research investigation, assessed by external report and oral defence.
- University-style independent research in Year 12
- Scales well (30 → ~33) with a self-selected cohort
- Exceptional personal-statement material
Typical time commitment: 4–6 hours a week outside class.
Extended Investigation questions
What does a study score of 40 in Extended Investigation scale to?
In the 2025 VTAC scaling report a raw 40 in Extended Investigation scaled to 42.0. ATARtools forecasts about 42.0 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 Extended Investigation scaled up or down?
Extended Investigation scales up: a raw score is worth more than its face value. In 2025 a raw 30 scaled to 33.0, a raw 40 to 42.0 and a raw 45 to 47.0. For 2026 the forecast is 32.9, 42.0 and 46.6. At a raw 40, scaling has risen by 1.0 points since 2022.
What mark do I need for an A+ in the Extended Investigation Critical Thinking Test?
We forecast the 2026 A+ cut-off at about 69 out of 100 (likely ±3.1 marks) and an A from about 64. For reference the A+ cut-off was 69 in 2025. The forecast is the recency-weighted average of the last three years' official cut-offs.
What mark do I need for an A+ in the Extended Investigation Externally-assessed Task?
We forecast the 2026 A+ cut-off at about 176 out of 200 (likely ±6.2 marks) and an A from about 159. For reference the A+ cut-off was 179 in 2025, 172 in 2024 and 172 in 2023. The forecast is the recency-weighted average of the last three years' official cut-offs.
How is Extended Investigation assessed?
Unit 3 SAC (oral presentation) (30%), Critical Thinking Test (10%), Externally-assessed Task (report) (60%). School-assessed marks are statistically moderated against the external exam results, then the study score is scaled by VTAC for the ATAR.