ATARtools › Subjects › Food Studies
Food Studies: scaling 2026, assessment & grade cut-offs
official VTAC & VCAA data · 2026 forecastA raw study score of 40 in Food Studies scaled to 35.0 in the 2025 VTAC report, and is forecast to scale to about 35.0 in 2026. Food Studies scales down: a raw score is worth less than its face value; at a raw 40 its scaling has stayed about the same since 2022. The 2025 mean study score was 24.1.
Food Studies 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 | 42.0 | 42.0 | 42.0 | 42.0 | 42.0 |
| 40 | 35.0 | 35.0 | 35.0 | 35.0 | 35.0 |
| 35 | 29.0 | 29.0 | 29.0 | 29.0 | 29.0 |
| 30 | 23.0 | 23.0 | 23.0 | 23.0 | 23.0 |
| 25 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 19.0 | 18.5 |
| 20 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 |
Scaled scores between VTAC's published anchor points are interpolated. See every subject's scaling curve and the method and accuracy.
How Food Studies is assessedDefault weights from the VCAA study design; the calculator lets you edit them.
| Assessment | Type | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 3 SACs | school-assessed | 30% |
| Unit 4 SACs | school-assessed | 30% |
| End-of-year exam | external | 40% |
Food Studies 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 | 93 | 83 | 75 | 67 | 60 | 55 | 49 | 42 | 28 | 10 |
| likely ± | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.7 |
| 2025 actual | 93 | 83 | 75 | 67 | 61 | 56 | 50 | 43 | 29 | 10 |
| 2024 actual | 92 | 82 | 74 | 66 | 59 | 53 | 46 | 40 | 25 | 10 |
| 2023 actual | 93 | 82 | 74 | 66 | 60 | 54 | 49 | 41 | 28 | 10 |
Coursework Unit 4 school-assessed · out of 100 · forecast state average 70%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 89 | 78 | 71 | 65 | 60 | 54 | 48 | 40 | 13 | 8 |
| likely ± | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.7 |
| 2025 actual | 90 | 79 | 71 | 65 | 60 | 54 | 49 | 40 | 11 | 6 |
| 2024 actual | 89 | 78 | 70 | 64 | 59 | 54 | 47 | 38 | 14 | 10 |
| 2023 actual | 87 | 77 | 70 | 64 | 59 | 54 | 49 | 41 | 20 | 10 |
Written Examination external · out of 180 · forecast state average 47%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 127 | 113 | 101 | 89 | 77 | 67 | 56 | 45 | 32 | 18 |
| likely ± | 5.6 | 6.3 | 7.0 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 7.4 | 5.6 | 3.2 |
| 2025 actual | 127 | 113 | 101 | 89 | 77 | 67 | 56 | 45 | 32 | 18 |
| 2024 actual | 132 | 118 | 106 | 95 | 83 | 72 | 60 | 49 | 33 | 18 |
| 2023 actual | 116 | 101 | 90 | 79 | 68 | 58 | 48 | 39 | 27 | 18 |
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 Food Studies →
About Food Studies
Food systems, nutrition and applied cooking skills with substantial practical assessment.
- Hands-on SACs
- Pathway to nutrition/hospitality
- Practical work balances exam-heavy programs
Typical time commitment: 3–5 hours a week outside class.
Food Studies questions
What does a study score of 40 in Food Studies scale to?
In the 2025 VTAC scaling report a raw 40 in Food Studies scaled to 35.0. ATARtools forecasts about 35.0 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 Food Studies scaled up or down?
Food Studies scales down: a raw score is worth less than its face value. In 2025 a raw 30 scaled to 23.0, a raw 40 to 35.0 and a raw 45 to 42.0. For 2026 the forecast is 23.0, 35.0 and 42.0. At a raw 40, scaling has stayed about the same since 2022.
What mark do I need for an A+ in the Food Studies Written Examination?
We forecast the 2026 A+ cut-off at about 127 out of 180 (likely ±5.6 marks) and an A from about 113. For reference the A+ cut-off was 127 in 2025, 132 in 2024 and 116 in 2023. The forecast is the recency-weighted average of the last three years' official cut-offs.
How is Food Studies assessed?
Unit 3 SACs (30%), Unit 4 SACs (30%), End-of-year exam (40%). School-assessed marks are statistically moderated against the external exam results, then the study score is scaled by VTAC for the ATAR.