VCE study scores: What is scaling and how does it work?
SCALING aims to make the applicant selection process more fair. Here’s how it works.
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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?
Scaling ensures consistency across studies and eliminates any subjectivity when it comes to the perceived ease or difficulty of a study.
UNDERSTANDING SCALING
WHY ARE STUDY SCORES SCALED?
Study scores are scaled in order to take account of the different levels of competition in different studies.
In order to select applicants fairly, institutions need an overall measure of the performance of students undertaking the VCE in all studies in all combinations.
First, the VCAA collects your assessment results and uses them to calculate your study scores. Each study is standardised to the same average of 30. Then for each study you took, VTAC takes your VCAA study score and compares it with the VCAA study scores for everyone else taking that subject, as well as the study scores for all other studies for everyone taking that same study as you. This occurs for each study.
These calculations allow VTAC to rank student performance in each study and across studies.
MORE UNI: WHAT ARE HIGHER EDUCATION STUDIES?
MORE UNI: ATAR EXPLAINED
MORE UNI: HOW TO CALCULATE THE ATAR
MORE UNI: MOST COMMON UNI MYTHS DEBUNKED
Where the competition in a study is higher, study scores have to be adjusted upwards, otherwise students doing that study would be unfairly disadvantaged.
Similarly, in a study where the student competition is lower, the study scores have to be adjusted downwards, otherwise students doing that study would be unfairly advantaged.
Once the study scores have been scaled, they are called VTAC scaled study scores. It is these VTAC scaled study scores that are used to calculate the ATAR. VCE studies are always scaled in the year in which they were undertaken. This may not necessarily be in the year in which you receive your ATAR.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THERE WAS NO SCALING?
NO CONSISTENCY: A 30 in one subject wouldn’t be equivalent to a 30 in another subject.
ASSUMPTIONS MADE: Individuals would make their own assumptions about scores from different “hard” or “soft” subjects.
SUBJECTIVE DECISIONS: Two students have the same score. The selection officer looks at the study and makes a personal call because they perceive one student to have completed more difficult studies than other students.
AND WITH SCALING ...?
FAIR COMPARISONS: Can be made of students’ achievement over all their studies, regardless of the studies they have taken. Students should freely choose studies they like or are good at without worrying about their ATAR.
CONSISTENCY: A 30 in one study is equivalent to a 30 in all studies.
NO ASSUMPTIONS: No personal opinions about scaled study scores because of consistency.
NO SUBJECTIVE DECISIONS: If two students have the same ATAR or scaled study score, institutions need to look at other published criteria.
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