ATARtools › Subjects › Music Composition
Music Composition: scaling 2026, assessment & grade cut-offs
official VTAC & VCAA data · 2026 forecastA raw study score of 40 in Music Composition scaled to 41.0 in the 2025 VTAC report, and is forecast to scale to about 41.3 in 2026. Music Composition 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 30.9.
Music Composition 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 | 45.0 | 45.4 |
| 40 | 41.0 | 41.0 | 42.0 | 41.0 | 41.3 |
| 35 | 35.0 | 36.0 | 36.0 | 36.0 | 36.0 |
| 30 | 30.0 | 31.0 | 30.0 | 31.0 | 30.7 |
| 25 | 25.0 | 25.0 | 24.0 | 26.0 | 25.3 |
| 20 | 19.0 | 19.0 | 18.0 | 21.0 | 19.9 |
Scaled scores between VTAC's published anchor points are interpolated. See every subject's scaling curve and the method and accuracy.
How Music Composition is assessedDefault weights from the VCAA study design; the calculator lets you edit them.
| Assessment | Type | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 3–4 SACs | school-assessed | 30% |
| Externally-assessed Task (composition) | external | 50% |
| Aural & written exam | external | 20% |
Music Composition 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 Units 3–4 school-assessed · out of 100 · forecast state average 75%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 91 | 82 | 74 | 67 | 61 | 51 | 41 | 30 | 20 | 10 |
| likely ± | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.7 |
| 2025 actual | 90 | 81 | 73 | 68 | 61 | 50 | 40 | 30 | 20 | 10 |
| 2024 actual | 92 | 83 | 75 | 67 | 62 | 53 | 42 | 30 | 20 | 10 |
| 2023 actual | 91 | 84 | 73 | 65 | 58 | 49 | 45 | 30 | 20 | 10 |
Externally-assessed Task external · out of 200 · forecast state average 72%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 183 | 169 | 152 | 133 | 116 | 85 | 73 | 60 | 40 | 20 |
| likely ± | 6.2 | 7.0 | 7.8 | 8.4 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.2 | 6.2 | 3.6 |
| 2025 actual | 179 | 167 | 147 | 129 | 115 | 80 | 67 | 60 | 40 | 20 |
| 2024 actual | 187 | 170 | 157 | 132 | 115 | 92 | 80 | 60 | 40 | 20 |
| 2023 actual | 190 | 178 | 165 | 152 | 122 | 89 | 80 | 60 | 40 | 20 |
Aural And Written Examination external · out of 150 · forecast state average 61%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 120 | 113 | 104 | 98 | 86 | 75 | 58 | 48 | 30 | 15 |
| likely ± | 4.7 | 5.3 | 5.8 | 6.3 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 6.2 | 4.7 | 2.7 |
| 2025 actual | 119 | 112 | 104 | 98 | 86 | 74 | 54 | 45 | 30 | 15 |
| 2024 actual | 113 | 107 | 97 | 89 | 78 | 68 | 55 | 45 | 30 | 15 |
| 2023 actual | 136 | 130 | 121 | 115 | 102 | 90 | 77 | 69 | 30 | 15 |
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 Music Composition →
About Music Composition
Composition and arrangement with an externally assessed folio of original work.
- For writers rather than performers
- Folio banked before exams
- Distinctive creative credential
Typical time commitment: 4–6 hours a week outside class.
Music Composition questions
What does a study score of 40 in Music Composition scale to?
In the 2025 VTAC scaling report a raw 40 in Music Composition scaled to 41.0. ATARtools forecasts about 41.3 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 Music Composition scaled up or down?
Music Composition scales close to the raw score. In 2025 a raw 30 scaled to 31.0, a raw 40 to 41.0 and a raw 45 to 45.0. For 2026 the forecast is 30.7, 41.3 and 45.4. At a raw 40, scaling has stayed about the same since 2022.
What mark do I need for an A+ in the Music Composition Externally-assessed Task?
We forecast the 2026 A+ cut-off at about 183 out of 200 (likely ±6.2 marks) and an A from about 169. For reference the A+ cut-off was 179 in 2025, 187 in 2024 and 190 in 2023. 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 Music Composition Aural And Written Examination?
We forecast the 2026 A+ cut-off at about 120 out of 150 (likely ±4.7 marks) and an A from about 113. For reference the A+ cut-off was 119 in 2025, 113 in 2024 and 136 in 2023. The forecast is the recency-weighted average of the last three years' official cut-offs.
How is Music Composition assessed?
Unit 3–4 SACs (30%), Externally-assessed Task (composition) (50%), Aural & written exam (20%). School-assessed marks are statistically moderated against the external exam results, then the study score is scaled by VTAC for the ATAR.