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Product Design and Technologies: scaling 2026, assessment & grade cut-offs
official VTAC & VCAA data · 2026 forecastA raw study score of 40 in Product Design and Technologies scaled to 36.0 in the 2025 VTAC report, and is forecast to scale to about 36.0 in 2026. Product Design and Technologies 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 25.3.
Calculate your Product Design and Technologies study score and ATAR →
Product Design and Technologies 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 | 43.0 | 43.0 | 43.0 | 42.0 | 42.4 |
| 40 | 36.0 | 36.0 | 36.0 | 36.0 | 36.0 |
| 35 | 29.0 | 29.0 | 29.0 | 29.0 | 29.0 |
| 30 | 23.0 | 23.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 23.8 |
| 25 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 19.0 | 19.0 | 18.8 |
| 20 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 13.8 |
Scaled scores between VTAC's published anchor points are interpolated. See every subject's scaling curve and the method and accuracy.
How Product Design and Technologies is assessedDefault weights from the VCAA study design; the calculator lets you edit them.
| Assessment | Type | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 3–4 SACs | school-assessed | 20% |
| School-assessed Task (SAT) | school-assessed | 50% |
| End-of-year exam | external | 30% |
Product Design and Technologies 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 70%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 93 | 84 | 77 | 69 | 62 | 51 | 36 | 24 | 16 | 9 |
| likely ± | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.7 |
| 2025 actual | 93 | 84 | 77 | 70 | 63 | 53 | 37 | 25 | 16 | 8 |
| 2024 actual | 93 | 85 | 77 | 68 | 59 | 47 | 34 | 21 | 15 | 10 |
School-assessed Task school-assessed · out of 80 · forecast state average 67%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 72 | 65 | 59 | 53 | 48 | 42 | 35 | 23 | 14 | 7 |
| likely ± | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 1.4 |
| 2025 actual | 72 | 65 | 60 | 54 | 49 | 43 | 37 | 25 | 14 | 7 |
| 2024 actual | 72 | 64 | 58 | 52 | 46 | 39 | 31 | 20 | 13 | 7 |
Written Examination external · out of 180 · forecast state average 53%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 134 | 122 | 111 | 100 | 88 | 76 | 64 | 52 | 37 | 18 |
| likely ± | 5.6 | 6.3 | 7.0 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 7.4 | 5.6 | 3.2 |
| 2025 actual | 131 | 118 | 107 | 97 | 85 | 74 | 62 | 51 | 37 | 18 |
| 2024 actual | 141 | 129 | 118 | 106 | 93 | 81 | 68 | 54 | 38 | 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 Product Design and Technologies →
About Product Design and Technologies
Design thinking + manufacturing: develop a product from brief to finished object (50% SAT folio + product).
- Make something tangible for half your score
- Suits design/industrial-design pathways
- Folio discipline transfers to university studios
Typical time commitment: 5–7 hours a week outside class.
Product Design and Technologies questions
What does a study score of 40 in Product Design and Technologies scale to?
In the 2025 VTAC scaling report a raw 40 in Product Design and Technologies scaled to 36.0. ATARtools forecasts about 36.0 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 Product Design and Technologies scaled up or down?
Product Design and Technologies scales down: a raw score is worth less than its face value. In 2025 a raw 30 scaled to 24.0, a raw 40 to 36.0 and a raw 45 to 42.0. For 2026 the forecast is 23.8, 36.0 and 42.4. At a raw 40, scaling has stayed about the same since 2022.
What mark do I need for an A+ in the Product Design and Technologies Written Examination?
We forecast the 2026 A+ cut-off at about 134 out of 180 (likely ±5.6 marks) and an A from about 122. For reference the A+ cut-off was 131 in 2025, 141 in 2024. The forecast is the recency-weighted average of the last three years' official cut-offs.
How is Product Design and Technologies assessed?
Unit 3–4 SACs (20%), School-assessed Task (SAT) (50%), End-of-year exam (30%). School-assessed marks are statistically moderated against the external exam results, then the study score is scaled by VTAC for the ATAR.