VCE Physics Scaling 2026 — Free Calculator

Your VCE Physics study score (0–50)

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Enter a study score between 0 and 50.

Estimated scaled study score

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Scales up vs other subjects

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Estimate from VTAC's 2025 scaled study scores for Physics. Scaled study scores run from 0 to about 50 and can exceed 50 in the strongest-scaling subjects. Your official figure is set by VTAC and released with your ATAR in December.

Quick answers

How is VCE Physics scaled?

VTAC scales your Physics study score. It compares how the Physics cohort performs across all their other subjects. A stronger cohort scales up; a broader one scales down. In 2025, a study score of 30 in Physics became a scaled study score of about 32, so it scales up.

Does Physics scale up or down?

Relative to other subjects, Physics scales up. A middle study score of 30 scaled to about 32 (+2), and a 40 scaled to about 42. Scaling reflects the cohort's strength, not how hard the subject is.

What's a good Physics study score?

A study score is a rank out of 50 with the state mean at 30. Around 30 is the middle; 40 puts you in roughly the top 9% of the Physics cohort; 45 is about the top 2%. The 2025 average scaled study score in Physics was about 32.

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

In 2025, a study score of 40 in Physics scaled to a VTAC scaled study score of about 42 (+2 from your study score). Use the calculator above for any study score from 0 to 50.

Reference

VCE Physics scaling table (2025 data)

VTAC's official scaled study scores for Physics in 2025, with the change from your raw study score. Scaled scores are rounded to the nearest whole number here.

Study score	Scaled study score	Change
20	20	0
25	26	+1
30	32	+2
35	37	+2
40	42	+2
45	47	+2
50	50	0

Source: VTAC — 2025 Scaling Report (11 December 2025). Updated February 2026.

How it works

From study score to scaled study score

STEP 1

Enter your study score

Type your raw or predicted Physics study score, 0 to 50. Predicted is fine before results day.

STEP 2

VTAC scaling applied

Your study score is mapped onto VTAC's 2025 scaling curve for Physics. It is built from the official scaled scores.

STEP 3

See your scaled score

Get your estimated scaled study score. See how much Physics scales up or down. And get your percentile in the cohort.

About this VCE Physics scaling calculator

This tool estimates the VTAC scaled study score you'd receive in VCE Physics from your study score, using the official VTAC 2025 Scaling Report — the most recent scaling data. It uses the same source as our VIC VCE ATAR calculator. So your Physics scaled score here matches your full ATAR estimate there.

In 2025, Physics scales up: a middle study score of 30 scaled to about 32 (+2), and a study score of 40 scaled to about 42. Scaling is not a measure of how “hard” the subject is. It reflects how the Physics cohort performed across all their other VCE subjects. A strong cohort scales a subject up. This stops its students being disadvantaged for competing against each other. A broader cohort scales down. Your rank within the subject never changes — only how that rank counts towards your ATAR.

One point to be clear about. Scaling is recalculated every year. The cohort changes every year. So read this as a close estimate for planning, not a fixed value. And scaled scores can sit above 50 for the strongest-scaling subjects. To see how Physics combines with your other subjects, use the VIC VCE ATAR calculator. To compare subjects, browse all VCE scaling calculators or read our methodology.

VCE Physics scaling — common questions

I got a study score of 40 in VCE Physics — what does it scale to?

A study score of 40 in Physics scales to about 42. For comparison, a study score of 30 scales to about 32, and a 45 to about 47. These follow the latest VTAC scaling pattern and move slightly each year with the cohort.

Does VCE Physics scale up or down?

Physics scales up slightly. A study score of 30 scales to about 32 (a change of +2). It's a modest gain rather than a big one, but it's a gain — your scaled score sits a little above your study score across most of the range.

Why did my Physics study score change after scaling?

VTAC scales every subject so study scores can be compared fairly for the ATAR. The adjustment reflects how strong the Physics cohort is relative to all students. A study score of 40 in Physics, for example, becomes about 42 after scaling. It's the scaled score, not your raw study score, that goes into your ATAR aggregate.

What study score do I need in Physics for a scaled score of 40?

To reach a scaled score of about 40 in Physics, you'd need a study score of roughly 38. From there, pushing your study score higher lifts your scaled score further — up to about 50 at a study score of 50.

Is VCE Physics worth taking for a high ATAR?

Physics gives a small scaling gain, so it's a reasonable pick — but the deciding factor should be how well you'll do in it. A high study score in Physics contributes far more than a low one, regardless of the modest scaling.

What's a good study score in VCE Physics?

A study score of 30 is exactly average in every VCE subject by design. In Physics, 30 scales to about 32. A study score of 40 (around the top 9% of a subject) is strong and scales to roughly 42; 45+ is excellent. Aim as high as you realistically can — every point of study score moves your scaled score.

Can a scaled score go above 50 in Physics?

In Physics, scaled scores stay at or below 50 — a study score of 50 scales to about 50. Only the very strongest-scaling subjects (such as Specialist Maths) push scaled scores above 50; most subjects, including Physics, top out at around 50.

How is VCE Physics scaled for the ATAR?

VTAC takes your Physics study score and scales it. This makes it compare fairly with every other subject. It is based on how academically strong the Physics cohort is. The stronger the field, the more the subject scales up. Your scaled scores — your best four plus increments — form the aggregate behind your ATAR.

VCE Physics scaling — see your scaled study score instantly.