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Visual Communication Design: scaling 2026, assessment & grade cut-offs
official VTAC & VCAA data · 2026 forecastA raw study score of 40 in Visual Communication Design scaled to 38.0 in the 2025 VTAC report, and is forecast to scale to about 38.0 in 2026. Visual Communication Design 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 27.2.
Calculate your Visual Communication Design study score and ATAR →
Visual Communication Design 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 | 38.0 | 38.0 | 38.0 | 38.0 | 38.0 |
| 35 | 32.0 | 32.0 | 32.0 | 32.0 | 32.0 |
| 30 | 26.0 | 26.0 | 26.0 | 26.0 | 26.0 |
| 25 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 |
| 20 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 16.0 |
Scaled scores between VTAC's published anchor points are interpolated. See every subject's scaling curve and the method and accuracy.
How Visual Communication Design is assessedDefault weights from the VCAA study design; the calculator lets you edit them.
| Assessment | Type | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 3 SACs | school-assessed | 20% |
| School-assessed Task (SAT) | school-assessed | 50% |
| End-of-year exam | external | 30% |
Visual Communication Design 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 | 92 | 83 | 75 | 68 | 61 | 53 | 40 | 21 | 14 | 8 |
| likely ± | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.7 |
| 2025 actual | 92 | 83 | 75 | 68 | 61 | 53 | 41 | 21 | 13 | 7 |
| 2024 actual | 91 | 83 | 75 | 68 | 60 | 52 | 40 | 24 | 18 | 10 |
| 2023 actual | 92 | 84 | 77 | 69 | 61 | 52 | 39 | 18 | 10 | 5 |
School-assessed Task school-assessed · out of 80 · forecast state average 70%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 73 | 64 | 56 | 49 | 43 | 37 | 28 | 20 | 13 | 7 |
| likely ± | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 1.4 |
| 2025 actual | 74 | 65 | 56 | 49 | 43 | 37 | 29 | 21 | 14 | 8 |
| 2024 actual | 70 | 62 | 55 | 49 | 43 | 36 | 27 | 19 | 10 | 6 |
Written Examination external · out of 160 · forecast state average 47%
| A+ | A | B+ | B | C+ | C | D+ | D | E+ | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 forecast | 108 | 97 | 89 | 79 | 68 | 56 | 44 | 32 | 16 | 10 |
| likely ± | 5.0 | 5.6 | 6.2 | 6.7 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 6.6 | 5.0 | 2.9 |
| 2025 actual | 106 | 95 | 86 | 76 | 64 | 52 | 40 | 28 | 14 | 7 |
| 2024 actual | 111 | 101 | 94 | 86 | 76 | 65 | 53 | 41 | 21 | 16 |
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 Visual Communication Design →
About Visual Communication Design
Communication, environmental and industrial design fields; drawing systems, design process and a 50% SAT folio.
- The design-school staple
- Folio doubles as portfolio material for course applications
- Visual thinking balances written subjects
Typical time commitment: 5–7 hours a week outside class.
Visual Communication Design questions
What does a study score of 40 in Visual Communication Design scale to?
In the 2025 VTAC scaling report a raw 40 in Visual Communication Design scaled to 38.0. ATARtools forecasts about 38.0 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 Visual Communication Design scaled up or down?
Visual Communication Design 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 38.0 and a raw 45 to 44.0. For 2026 the forecast is 26.0, 38.0 and 44.0. At a raw 40, scaling has stayed about the same since 2022.
What mark do I need for an A+ in the Visual Communication Design Written Examination?
We forecast the 2026 A+ cut-off at about 108 out of 160 (likely ±5.0 marks) and an A from about 97. For reference the A+ cut-off was 106 in 2025, 111 in 2024. The forecast is the recency-weighted average of the last three years' official cut-offs.
How is Visual Communication Design assessed?
Unit 3 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.