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Systems Engineering: scaling 2026, assessment & grade cut-offs
official VTAC & VCAA data · 2026 forecastA raw study score of 40 in Systems Engineering scaled to 37.0 in the 2025 VTAC report, and is forecast to scale to about 36.8 in 2026. Systems Engineering 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 27.4.
Systems Engineering 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 | 43.0 | 43.0 |
| 40 | 36.0 | 36.0 | 37.0 | 37.0 | 36.8 |
| 35 | 30.0 | 31.0 | 31.0 | 32.0 | 31.4 |
| 30 | 25.0 | 25.0 | 26.0 | 26.0 | 25.7 |
| 25 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 20.7 |
| 20 | 15.0 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 17.0 | 16.4 |
Scaled scores between VTAC's published anchor points are interpolated. See every subject's scaling curve and the method and accuracy.
How Systems Engineering 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% |
Systems Engineering 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 73%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 94 | 87 | 81 | 73 | 66 | 56 | 43 | 32 | 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 | 94 | 88 | 82 | 74 | 67 | 57 | 44 | 34 | 22 | 10 |
| 2024 actual | 95 | 87 | 80 | 72 | 64 | 55 | 43 | 30 | 15 | 10 |
| 2023 actual | 93 | 86 | 79 | 71 | 63 | 54 | 39 | 29 | 21 | 7 |
School-assessed Task school-assessed · out of 80 · forecast state average 67%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 76 | 70 | 64 | 56 | 49 | 41 | 33 | 21 | 11 | 6 |
| likely ± | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 1.4 |
| 2025 actual | 76 | 71 | 66 | 58 | 51 | 43 | 35 | 24 | 13 | 7 |
| 2024 actual | 77 | 69 | 62 | 54 | 48 | 41 | 32 | 18 | 8 | 4 |
| 2023 actual | 75 | 67 | 59 | 50 | 41 | 34 | 24 | 12 | 6 | 3 |
Written Examination external · out of 200 · forecast state average 57%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 169 | 154 | 141 | 125 | 108 | 91 | 73 | 57 | 39 | 17 |
| likely ± | 6.2 | 7.0 | 7.8 | 8.4 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.2 | 6.2 | 3.6 |
| 2025 actual | 173 | 161 | 150 | 135 | 118 | 101 | 82 | 65 | 47 | 20 |
| 2024 actual | 165 | 145 | 130 | 113 | 96 | 80 | 63 | 46 | 28 | 12 |
| 2023 actual | 158 | 143 | 126 | 111 | 91 | 74 | 58 | 44 | 27 | 12 |
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 Systems Engineering →
About Systems Engineering
Design, build and evaluate an integrated mechanical/electronic system — half the study score is the SAT build.
- Genuine hands-on engineering
- SAT (50%) rewards workshop diligence
- Great differentiator for engineering applications
Typical time commitment: 5–7 hours a week outside class.
Systems Engineering questions
What does a study score of 40 in Systems Engineering scale to?
In the 2025 VTAC scaling report a raw 40 in Systems Engineering scaled to 37.0. ATARtools forecasts about 36.8 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 Systems Engineering scaled up or down?
Systems Engineering scales down: a raw score is worth less than its face value. In 2025 a raw 30 scaled to 26.0, a raw 40 to 37.0 and a raw 45 to 43.0. For 2026 the forecast is 25.7, 36.8 and 43.0. At a raw 40, scaling has risen by 1.0 points since 2022.
What mark do I need for an A+ in the Systems Engineering Written Examination?
We forecast the 2026 A+ cut-off at about 169 out of 200 (likely ±6.2 marks) and an A from about 154. For reference the A+ cut-off was 173 in 2025, 165 in 2024 and 158 in 2023. The forecast is the recency-weighted average of the last three years' official cut-offs.
How is Systems Engineering 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.