Pick your subjects, enter your raw study scores (0-50), and see your scaled scores, aggregate and estimated ATAR — computed in your browser with VTAC 2024 scaling anchors and the official aggregate-to-ATAR table. Estimate only: the conversion shifts slightly each year.
The ATAR is not a score out of 100 — it is a rank from 0.00 to 99.95 against your state's Year 12 cohort. An ATAR of 85.00 means you performed as well as or better than 85% of the cohort. Victoria's path to the ATAR runs in four steps, and this calculator mirrors each one with VTAC's 2024 published data.
| Step | What happens | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Raw study scores | Each VCE subject is graded 0–50, standardised so the state average is 30. A 40 is roughly the top 9% of that subject | VCAA |
| 2. Scaling | Scores are adjusted up or down by the strength of each subject's cohort — a raw 30 becomes about 43 in Specialist Maths but about 23 in General Maths (2024 data) | VTAC |
| 3. Aggregate | Scaled English (mandatory) + best 3 other scaled scores + 10% of the next one or two. Maximum is around 210 | VTAC |
| 4. Conversion | The aggregate maps to an ATAR via the year's table — e.g. in 2024, 154.85 was an ATAR of 90.00 and 180.73 was 97.50 | VTAC |
Two students with identical raw scores can end up several ATAR points apart purely because of subject choice. In 2024, a raw 30 in Latin scaled to about 46 while a raw 30 in Foundation Mathematics scaled to about 20 — a 26-point swing inside the aggregate. But scaling is a reward for competing in a strong cohort, not free marks: Specialist Maths scales up precisely because its students perform well across all their subjects. Choosing a subject you will score 38 in beats choosing a high-scaling subject you will score 22 in, every time.
| State | Credential | Aggregate model | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW / ACT | HSC | Best 2 units of English + best 8 other units of scaled marks, aggregate out of 500 | UAC |
| Victoria | VCE | English + best 3 + 10% increments (this calculator) | VTAC |
| Queensland | QCE | Best 5 General subjects (or 4 + 1 applied/VET), scaled | QTAC |
| Western Australia | WACE | TEA: best 4 scaled course scores out of 430 | TISC |
| South Australia | SACE | Scaled subject scores to a university aggregate out of 90 | SATAC |
The ATAR itself is nationally calibrated, so an 88.00 in Perth means the same rank as an 88.00 in Melbourne — only the arithmetic that produces it is state-specific.
VCAA gives each subject a raw study score from 0 to 50 (30 is the state average). VTAC then scales each subject up or down based on the academic strength of that subject's cohort, adds your scaled English plus your best three other scaled scores plus 10% of your next one or two, and converts that aggregate to an ATAR using the year's conversion table.
Subject scaling anchors and the aggregate-to-ATAR conversion are from VTAC's official 2024 Scaling Report and 2024 Aggregate-to-ATAR table. Between published anchor points the calculator interpolates linearly, which is within roughly half a scaled point of VTAC's smoother curve.
The scaling data is exact for 2024, but the aggregate-to-ATAR table shifts each year with the cohort — treat the result as a directional estimate, typically within about one ATAR point, not a prediction. VTAC's official result in December is the only authoritative number.
Only marginally. The 5th and 6th subjects each contribute just 10% of their scaled score, so a 6th subject helps only if it outperforms your existing 5th. Most students gain more from strengthening their primary four — especially English, which is mandatory at full weight.
The engine on this page is the Victorian (VCE/VTAC) model. NSW HSC uses UAC scaling over your best 10 units (best 2 of English plus best 8 others, aggregate out of 500); Queensland uses QTAC subject scaling; WA uses TISC's TEA; SA uses SATAC. The ATAR itself is nationally comparable — only the path to it differs by state.