ATARtools › Subjects › Geography
Geography: scaling 2026, assessment & grade cut-offs
official VTAC & VCAA data · 2026 forecastA raw study score of 40 in Geography scaled to 39.0 in the 2025 VTAC report, and is forecast to scale to about 39.0 in 2026. Geography 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 28.6.
Geography 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 | 34.0 | 34.0 | 34.0 |
| 30 | 28.0 | 28.0 | 28.0 | 28.0 | 28.0 |
| 25 | 23.0 | 23.0 | 23.0 | 23.0 | 23.0 |
| 20 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 |
Scaled scores between VTAC's published anchor points are interpolated. See every subject's scaling curve and the method and accuracy.
How Geography 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% |
Geography 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 73%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 91 | 84 | 77 | 69 | 62 | 53 | 40 | 20 | 14 | 8 |
| likely ± | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.7 |
| 2025 actual | 91 | 84 | 77 | 69 | 61 | 53 | 40 | 17 | 11 | 6 |
| 2024 actual | 92 | 85 | 78 | 70 | 62 | 53 | 41 | 26 | 20 | 10 |
| 2023 actual | 90 | 83 | 77 | 70 | 63 | 54 | 41 | 18 | 13 | 10 |
Coursework Unit 4 school-assessed · out of 100 · forecast state average 72%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 92 | 84 | 77 | 71 | 65 | 58 | 50 | 39 | 20 | 8 |
| likely ± | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.7 |
| 2025 actual | 92 | 84 | 77 | 71 | 65 | 58 | 50 | 40 | 20 | 7 |
| 2024 actual | 92 | 83 | 77 | 71 | 65 | 58 | 50 | 39 | 20 | 10 |
| 2023 actual | 92 | 83 | 77 | 71 | 65 | 58 | 49 | 37 | 20 | 10 |
Written Examination external · out of 160 · forecast state average 61%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 138 | 125 | 111 | 97 | 81 | 65 | 50 | 34 | 20 | 13 |
| likely ± | 5.0 | 5.6 | 6.2 | 6.7 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 6.6 | 5.0 | 2.9 |
| 2025 actual | 138 | 126 | 112 | 98 | 83 | 67 | 52 | 36 | 21 | 16 |
| 2024 actual | 138 | 124 | 111 | 95 | 79 | 63 | 47 | 32 | 19 | 10 |
| 2023 actual | 138 | 123 | 110 | 95 | 80 | 63 | 45 | 28 | 16 | 8 |
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 Geography →
About Geography
Land cover change, tourism, population — spatial thinking with fieldwork and mapping.
- Fieldwork breaks up the desk time
- Smaller cohort with reliable structure
- Complements environmental or urban-planning interests
Typical time commitment: 3–4 hours a week outside class.
Geography questions
What does a study score of 40 in Geography scale to?
In the 2025 VTAC scaling report a raw 40 in Geography 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 Geography scaled up or down?
Geography scales down: a raw score is worth less than its face value. 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 Geography Written Examination?
We forecast the 2026 A+ cut-off at about 138 out of 160 (likely ±5.0 marks) and an A from about 125. For reference the A+ cut-off was 138 in 2025, 138 in 2024 and 138 in 2023. The forecast is the recency-weighted average of the last three years' official cut-offs.
How is Geography 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.