SACE scaling: how SATAC scales every Stage 2 subject we cover
SATAC turns each SACE Stage 2 subject result into a scaled score out of 20 (out of 10 for a 10-credit subject), and your university aggregate out of 90 is built from your best 90 credits of scaled scores. We have not verified a subject-specific scaled figure for any of the 18 Stage 2 subjects below, so this page quotes none; SATAC publishes its own scaling statistics.
Official figures: SATAC scaling statistics ↗. Page reviewed .
Every SACE Stage 2 subject we cover
| Subject | Scales | Study material |
|---|---|---|
| General Mathematics | — | practice exams & notes |
| Chemistry | — | practice exams & notes |
| Psychology | — | practice exams & notes |
| Biology | — | practice exams & notes |
| Mathematical Methods | — | practice exams & notes |
| Physics | — | practice exams & notes |
| English Literary Studies | — | practice exams & notes |
| Essential Mathematics | — | practice exams & notes |
| Modern History | — | practice exams & notes |
| Specialist Mathematics | — | practice exams & notes |
| Geography | — | practice exams & notes |
| Accounting | — | practice exams & notes |
| Nutrition | — | practice exams & notes |
| Economics | — | practice exams & notes |
| Legal Studies | — | practice exams & notes |
| English as an Additional Language | — | practice exams & notes |
| Tourism | — | practice exams & notes |
| Music Studies | — | practice exams & notes |
How SACE scaling works
In South Australia, the SACE Board reports a grade from A+ to E- for each Stage 2 subject and SATAC converts it into a scaled score out of 20 (out of 10 for a 10-credit subject). It does not scale the grade directly: the grade for each assessment type and the external result are turned into a raw score out of 15, weighted by their share of the subject, then scaled so that the same level of achievement counts comparably whichever subjects a student took. The university aggregate, out of 90, is built from your best 90 credits of scaled scores — your best three 20-credit subjects in full plus a flexible 30 credits from a fourth subject, half-scores, 10-credit subjects or recognised studies — and the ATAR is your rank on that aggregate. Scaling is recalculated every year from that year's cohort, so any published figure describes one past cohort only.
See how the aggregate turns into a rank with the SACE ATAR guide, and every subject we cover on the SACE subjects page.
Common questions
How does SACE scaling work?
In South Australia, the SACE Board reports a grade from A+ to E- for each Stage 2 subject and SATAC converts it into a scaled score out of 20 (out of 10 for a 10-credit subject). It does not scale the grade directly: the grade for each assessment type and the external result are turned into a raw score out of 15, weighted by their share of the subject, then scaled so that the same level of achievement counts comparably whichever subjects a student took. The university aggregate, out of 90, is built from your best 90 credits of scaled scores — your best three 20-credit subjects in full plus a flexible 30 credits from a fourth subject, half-scores, 10-credit subjects or recognised studies — and the ATAR is your rank on that aggregate. Scaling is recalculated every year from that year's cohort, so any published figure describes one past cohort only.
Which SACE subjects scale up the most?
We have not verified a subject-specific scaled score for the SACE subjects we cover, so we do not rank them. SATAC publishes scaling statistics each year at satac.edu.au/scaling; use those, and remember that scaling is recalculated every year from that year's cohort.
Does a SACE grade convert straight to a scaled score?
No. SATAC does not scale the overall grade directly. The grade for each assessment type and the external result are turned into a raw score out of 15, weighted by their share of the subject, and then scaled, so two students with the same overall grade can end up with different scaled scores.