Sociology: scaling 2026, assessment & grade cut-offs

official VTAC & VCAA data · 2026 forecast

A raw study score of 40 in Sociology scaled to 38.0 in the 2025 VTAC report, and is forecast to scale to about 37.9 in 2026. Sociology scales down: a raw score is worth less than its face value; at a raw 40 its scaling has risen by 1.0 points since 2022. The 2025 mean study score was 26.1.

Calculate your Sociology study score and ATAR →

Sociology 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	44.0	44.0	44.0	44.0	44.0
40	37.0	38.0	38.0	38.0	37.9
35	31.0	32.0	31.0	31.0	31.1
30	26.0	26.0	26.0	25.0	25.4
25	20.0	20.0	20.0	20.0	20.0
20	15.0	15.0	15.0	15.0	15.0

Scaled scores between VTAC's published anchor points are interpolated. See every subject's scaling curve and the method and accuracy.

How Sociology 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%

Sociology 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 67%

	A+	A	B+	B	C+	C	D+	D	E+	E
2026 forecast	92	82	74	66	58	49	39	26	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	92	82	74	66	58	49	38	25	17	10
2024 actual	91	82	75	67	58	49	39	27	16	8
2023 actual	93	81	73	65	58	51	42	26	15	7

Coursework Unit 4 school-assessed · out of 100 · forecast state average 67%

	A+	A	B+	B	C+	C	D+	D	E+	E
2026 forecast	94	84	75	66	58	49	39	23	13	6
likely ±	1.1	1.5	1.7	2.1	2.4	3.1	3.0	3.4	3.0	1.7
2025 actual	94	84	75	66	58	49	38	21	13	6
2024 actual	93	85	76	68	59	49	39	28	13	5
2023 actual	95	84	73	65	57	50	41	21	13	6

Written Examination external · out of 160 · forecast state average 42%

	A+	A	B+	B	C+	C	D+	D	E+	E
2026 forecast	103	92	82	71	59	48	36	23	15	8
likely ±	5.0	5.6	6.2	6.7	7.0	7.0	6.9	6.6	5.0	2.9
2025 actual	105	93	83	72	60	49	37	23	15	9
2024 actual	100	91	82	71	59	47	36	25	15	8
2023 actual	102	87	75	64	52	43	32	22	12	5

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 Sociology →

About Sociology

Culture, ethnicity, community and social movements, studied through Australian evidence.

Accessible essay subject
Human-centred content
Pairs well with Psychology or Legal Studies

Typical time commitment: 3–4 hours a week outside class.

Sociology questions

What does a study score of 40 in Sociology scale to?

In the 2025 VTAC scaling report a raw 40 in Sociology scaled to 38.0. ATARtools forecasts about 37.9 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 Sociology scaled up or down?

Sociology scales down: a raw score is worth less than its face value. In 2025 a raw 30 scaled to 25.0, a raw 40 to 38.0 and a raw 45 to 44.0. For 2026 the forecast is 25.4, 37.9 and 44.0. At a raw 40, scaling has risen by 1.0 points since 2022.

What mark do I need for an A+ in the Sociology Written Examination?

We forecast the 2026 A+ cut-off at about 103 out of 160 (likely ±5.0 marks) and an A from about 92. For reference the A+ cut-off was 105 in 2025, 100 in 2024 and 102 in 2023. The forecast is the recency-weighted average of the last three years' official cut-offs.

How is Sociology 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.