VCE Results 2017: How does scaling work?
SCALING is one of those confusing areas of VCE. Why do certain studies get marked up or down? How much by? Why do we even need scaling?
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VTAC adjusts the Study Scores for each study to take account of how strong the students were in the study and how difficult it was to achieve the middle ranking.
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The strength of competition in each study is measured by how well the students performed in all their other studies.
In each study, the Study Scores are adjusted so that the overall level of scores in that study matches the scores obtained by the same group of students in all of their studies.
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For example, in Australian Politics in 2016 the average Study Score was 30, but the students who took Australian Politics averaged 31 for all their studies (including Australian Politics). This shows that the students who did Australian Politics in 2016 were of above average strength in their other studies. Therefore, the scaling process adjusted the Study Scores upwards so that the average VTAC Scaled Study Score for Australian Politics was set at 31.
The 2016 Business Management students averaged 26 in all their studies (including Business Management). So, the scaling process adjusted the Study Scores downwards so that the average VTAC Scaled Study Score for Business Management was 26.
In some studies the scaling process produces VTAC Scaled Study Scores that are greater than 50. They can go as high as 55. However, the minimum VTAC Scaled Study Score cannot go below zero.
STUDIES ARE SCALED IN THE YEAR IN WHICH THEY WERE UNDERTAKEN
This may not necessarily be in the year in which a student receives their ATAR. Scaled scores from previous years may contribute to the ATAR just as studies from the current year do.
This scaling process is carried out each year for each VCE study and VCE VET program for which there is a Study Score. There are no predetermined outcomes — the adjustments are based on the performance of students each year. Nevertheless, the process is very stable and there is little difference in the scaled VTAC Scaled Study Scores from year to year.
PREVIOUS VCE STUDIES
VCE studies are always scaled in the year in which they were undertaken. This might be from an earlier year than the year in which a student receives their ATAR.
Mathematics
VCE mathematics studies are designed to cater for students of differing abilities and interests. Specialist Mathematics is the most difficult, followed by Mathematical Methods and then by Further Mathematics
To ensure that students undertaking the more difficult mathematics studies are not disadvantaged, all three mathematics studies are scaled against each other as well as being scaled against all other studies. The higher of the two resulting scales is used.
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Languages other than English
As a result of government policy to encourage the study of languages other than English (LOTE), each LOTE is adjusted by adding up to five to the initial VTAC Scaled Study Score. All students of a LOTE receive an adjustment, but it is not a uniform adjustment.
For VTAC Scaled Study Scores at or close to the average, the adjustment is five, but the adjustment decreases as the score moves away from the average.
It is important to remember that the additional points are added to the VTAC Scaled Study Score and therefore contribute to the aggregate
— they are not added directly to the ATAR.
However, because they increase the aggregate they therefore increase the ATAR accordingly.
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