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Politics: scaling 2026, assessment & grade cut-offs
official VTAC & VCAA data · 2026 forecastA raw study score of 40 in Politics scaled to 42.0 in the 2025 VTAC report, and is forecast to scale to about 42.0 in 2026. Politics scales up: a raw score is worth more than its face value; at a raw 40 its scaling has stayed about the same since 2022. The 2025 mean study score was 32.0.
Politics 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 | 42.0 | 42.0 | 42.0 | 42.0 | 42.0 |
| 35 | 37.0 | 37.0 | 37.0 | 37.0 | 37.0 |
| 30 | 32.0 | 32.0 | 32.0 | 32.0 | 32.0 |
| 25 | 27.0 | 27.0 | 27.0 | 27.0 | 27.0 |
| 20 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 |
Scaled scores between VTAC's published anchor points are interpolated. See every subject's scaling curve and the method and accuracy.
How Politics 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% |
Politics 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 72%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 88 | 80 | 72 | 65 | 58 | 50 | 40 | 34 | 23 | 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 | 80 | 72 | 65 | 58 | 50 | 40 | 34 | 23 | 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 | 89 | 81 | 72 | 64 | 55 | 43 | 32 | 23 | 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 | 89 | 81 | 72 | 64 | 55 | 43 | 32 | 23 | 20 | 10 |
Written Examination external · out of 160 · forecast state average 60%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 129 | 119 | 110 | 99 | 87 | 73 | 54 | 34 | 22 | 10 |
| likely ± | 5.0 | 5.6 | 6.2 | 6.7 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 6.6 | 5.0 | 2.9 |
| 2025 actual | 129 | 119 | 110 | 99 | 87 | 73 | 54 | 34 | 22 | 10 |
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 Politics →
About Politics
Power, democracy and global actors — Australian and international politics with contemporary case studies.
- Scales up (30 → ~32)
- Current affairs as curriculum
- Direct feed into politics/IR degrees
Typical time commitment: 3–5 hours a week outside class.
Politics questions
What does a study score of 40 in Politics scale to?
In the 2025 VTAC scaling report a raw 40 in Politics 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 Politics scaled up or down?
Politics scales up: a raw score is worth more than its face value. In 2025 a raw 30 scaled to 32.0, a raw 40 to 42.0 and a raw 45 to 46.0. For 2026 the forecast is 32.0, 42.0 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 Politics Written Examination?
We forecast the 2026 A+ cut-off at about 129 out of 160 (likely ±5.0 marks) and an A from about 119. For reference the A+ cut-off was 129 in 2025. The forecast is the recency-weighted average of the last three years' official cut-offs.
How is Politics 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.