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Psychology: scaling 2026, assessment & grade cut-offs
official VTAC & VCAA data · 2026 forecastA raw study score of 40 in Psychology scaled to 39.0 in the 2025 VTAC report, and is forecast to scale to about 39.0 in 2026. Psychology 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 28.4.
Psychology 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 | 33.0 | 34.0 | 34.0 | 34.0 | 33.9 |
| 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 Psychology is assessedDefault weights from the VCAA study design; the calculator lets you edit them.
| Assessment | Type | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 3 SACs | school-assessed | 20% |
| Unit 4 SACs | school-assessed | 30% |
| End-of-year exam | external | 50% |
Psychology 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 80 · forecast state average 66%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 74 | 68 | 62 | 56 | 49 | 42 | 35 | 28 | 16 | 5 |
| likely ± | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 1.4 |
| 2025 actual | 73 | 68 | 62 | 56 | 48 | 41 | 34 | 27 | 14 | 3 |
| 2024 actual | 75 | 69 | 63 | 57 | 50 | 43 | 36 | 29 | 19 | 8 |
| 2023 actual | 74 | 69 | 63 | 57 | 50 | 43 | 37 | 31 | 21 | 8 |
Coursework Unit 4 school-assessed · out of 120 · forecast state average 70%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 109 | 100 | 90 | 79 | 71 | 62 | 53 | 44 | 24 | 12 |
| likely ± | 1.3 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 2.0 |
| 2025 actual | 109 | 100 | 90 | 79 | 71 | 62 | 52 | 43 | 24 | 12 |
| 2024 actual | 109 | 99 | 89 | 79 | 71 | 63 | 53 | 44 | 24 | 12 |
| 2023 actual | 108 | 99 | 89 | 80 | 72 | 63 | 54 | 45 | 24 | 12 |
Written Examination external · out of 240 · forecast state average 53%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 183 | 167 | 151 | 134 | 114 | 95 | 75 | 57 | 40 | 24 |
| likely ± | 7.4 | 8.4 | 9.4 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9.8 | 7.4 | 4.3 |
| 2025 actual | 186 | 170 | 154 | 136 | 115 | 96 | 75 | 56 | 39 | 24 |
| 2024 actual | 173 | 157 | 142 | 126 | 108 | 91 | 73 | 56 | 40 | 24 |
| 2023 actual | 188 | 172 | 157 | 140 | 120 | 100 | 80 | 63 | 44 | 24 |
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 Psychology →
About Psychology
The science of mind and behaviour: neural basis, learning, memory, mental health, plus research methods throughout.
- Popular, approachable science with a huge cohort
- Counts as a science prerequisite for many health courses
- Balanced workload beside heavier STEM picks
Typical time commitment: 3–5 hours a week outside class.
Scales slightly down — precision with research-methods terminology is the difference at the top.
Psychology questions
What does a study score of 40 in Psychology scale to?
In the 2025 VTAC scaling report a raw 40 in Psychology 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 Psychology scaled up or down?
Psychology scales close to the raw score. 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 Psychology Written Examination?
We forecast the 2026 A+ cut-off at about 183 out of 240 (likely ±7.4 marks) and an A from about 167. For reference the A+ cut-off was 186 in 2025, 173 in 2024 and 188 in 2023. The forecast is the recency-weighted average of the last three years' official cut-offs.
How is Psychology assessed?
Unit 3 SACs (20%), Unit 4 SACs (30%), 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.