VCE study scores explained
5 min read · updated 2026-10-02
A VCE study score is not a percentage. It is a score out of 50 that shows how a student performed relative to everyone else taking that study, and VTAC then scales it for the ATAR.
What the numbers mean
Study scores are set so that the average in each study is 30, with most students between 23 and 37. A 40 or more puts a student in roughly the top 9% of a study; a 45 or more in the top 2%. Studies with very small cohorts follow different rules.
From study score to ATAR
VTAC scales study scores to account for the strength of each study's cohort before adding them up. In 2025, a study score of 40 became 46 in Mathematical Methods, 51 in Specialist Mathematics and 39 in English.
How SACs and exams combine
Each study combines school-assessed coursework (SACs) with the external exam, with weightings set in each study design. SAC marks are statistically moderated against the exam results, so the exam matters for the whole school cohort.
FAQs
What is a good VCE study score?＋
30 is the average; 40 or more puts a student in roughly the top 9% of a study.
Is a study score a percentage?＋
No. It is a rank-based score out of 50.
When are 2026 VCE results released?＋
From 7am on 10 December 2026.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these official sources on 2026-10-02.
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