2025 VCE scaling report — which subjects scaled up and down

VTAC released the 2025 VCE Scaling Report on 11 December 2025. It shows how each subject's study scores were scaled for the 2025 cohort — that is, what a raw study score became once VTAC adjusted it so a given rank is worth the same across subjects. Below is the plain-English version, with real 2025 figures.

Important: these are 2025 numbers. Scaling is recalculated every year from each subject's cohort and isn't published in advance, so use this to understand the pattern — not to predict next year exactly.

How to read scaling (30 seconds)

A study score of 30 is the middle of a subject's cohort. "Scaled mean" is what that middle (30) scales to. If a subject's scaled mean is above 30 it scaled up; below 30 it scaled down. The amount a top score moves matters even more, so we also show what a raw 40 became.

Subjects that scaled up the most (2025)

• •Latin — scaled mean 45.0; a raw 40 scaled to 53.
• •Specialist Mathematics — mean 41.5; raw 40 → 51.
• •Chinese Second Language and French — mean 40.2; raw 40 → 49.
• •German — mean 38.7; raw 40 → 48.
• •Japanese Second Language and Algorithmics (HESS) — mean ~37.3; raw 40 → ~47.
• •Mathematical Methods — mean 34.4; raw 40 → 46.
• •Chemistry — mean 33.6; raw 40 → 44.
• •English Language — mean 32.6; raw 40 → 43.

Subjects that scaled around neutral

• •Physics — mean 31.7; raw 40 → 42.
• •Economics — mean 31.2; raw 40 → 42.
• •Literature — mean 31.0; raw 40 → 41.
• •Accounting — mean 30.8; raw 40 → 41.
• •Biology — mean 30.5; raw 40 → 41.

Subjects that scaled down (2025)

• •Legal Studies — mean 28.6; raw 40 → 40.
• •Psychology — mean 28.4; raw 40 → 39.
• •English — mean 28.2; raw 40 → 39.
• •General Mathematics — mean 27.8; raw 40 → 38.
• •Physical Education — mean 27.6; raw 40 → 38.
• •Business Management — mean 27.2; raw 40 → 38.
• •Health & Human Development — mean 26.4; raw 40 → 37.
• •Food Studies — mean 24.1; raw 40 → 35.
• •Foundation Mathematics — mean 21.6; raw 40 → 32.

What this actually means for you

Scaling rewards the rank you achieve, not the subject you pick. A high score in a subject that scales down can still beat a middling score in one that scales up — because you ranked higher. The lever you control is your rank within each subject, and that comes from consistent, targeted practice.

One structural rule is worth knowing: your ATAR aggregate uses your best four scaled scores (one must be an English study) plus 10% of your next two. So your English score always counts, even though English scaled down in 2025.

See your own numbers

Use the scaling lookup to convert any raw study score to its 2025 scaled score, and the ATAR calculator to turn your scaled scores into an estimated ATAR — both use the official 2025 figures.