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TCE Level 3 · Tasmania

Physical Sciences Scaling TCE 2026: Does It Scale Up or Down?

TASC scales every TCE subject before an ATAR is calculated. The TASC scaling report is the authority on what this subject did.

Does TCE Physical Sciences scale up or down?

TASC scales every TCE subject before an ATAR is calculated.

TASC does not publish a per-subject raw-to-scaled conversion for this course in a form we can quote exactly, so there is no figure on this page — the direction above is sourced from the TASC scaling report linked below, and should be read as directional rather than numeric.

You can't change the scaling. You can change the raw mark.

Scaling is decided by your cohort, after the exam, and nothing you do moves it. The raw mark is the only part of this you control — and the Physical Sciences hub is 20 full-length model exams with mark-by-mark answer guides, revision notes, practice questions and flashcards, built for exactly that.

Preview Physical Sciences free →TASC ATAR calculator

The hub shows a sample revision note extract, one full exam question with its worked answer and the complete list of every exam and note title — no account needed to look around. Unlocking Physical Sciences for life is $20 once, or $50 for any three subjects. See what's included →

What Physical Sciences actually asks of you

The written examination assesses Criteria 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 through sections A–E. Each section carries 36 raw marks, giving 180 marks over 180 minutes of working time, with 15 minutes of preparation time. Raw marks are converted to criterion ratings. The final award uses eight internal ratings and five external ratings; it is not described as a fixed examination percentage. All examination questions are written responses. Use the current Physical Sciences Information Sheet and a TASC-approved scientific calculator, following the official instructions for the sitting.

The 5 areas of study you are examined on

From the Physical Sciences Level 3 — PSC315118, current for 2026.

  • Criterion 4 — Atoms and nuclear reactions
    Connect atomic structure, isotopes and electron arrangements with physical and chemical behaviour. Balance nuclear equations and use whole-number half-life steps to interpret changes in activity, mass or count rate.
    In the exam: Section A uses written explanations and calculations. Identify the particles and quantities that change, distinguish isotope composition from chemical identity and show each decay step.
    Where marks go missing: A change in neutron number does not change the element. Distinguish penetrating ability from ionising ability and subtract background count where the question requires it.
  • Criterion 5 — Motion and force
    Describe motion using displacement, velocity and acceleration, and connect forces to changes in motion. Use consistent directions and appropriate equations for uniform acceleration and horizontal projection.
    In the exam: Section B can combine motion graphs, force diagrams and calculations. Identify the known quantities, choose a suitable relation and interpret signs and units in context.
    Where marks go missing: Distance and displacement are different quantities. Horizontal and vertical projectile components share the same time but obey different equations; a horizontal launch does not give an initial vertical velocity.
  • Criterion 6 — Conservation in physics
    Track momentum, work, energy and power through stated systems. Analyse electrical quantities and the specified series or parallel resistor arrangements, connecting conservation reasoning with numerical results.
    In the exam: Section C requires a clearly defined system, justified assumptions and working that links the initial and final conditions. Convert units before calculating energy use or comparing power.
    Where marks go missing: Energy and power are not interchangeable. Identify the system before applying conservation, and distinguish a resistor’s resistance from the current through it or potential difference across it.
  • Criterion 7 — Chemical structures and properties
    Relate bonding, particle arrangement and intermolecular attractions to observable properties. Represent the specified hydrocarbon and halogen-substituted structures, using valid bonds and consistent names.
    In the exam: Section D combines representations with explanations. Connect a property to the particles present and the interactions affected, rather than repeating a substance’s classification.
    Where marks go missing: Boiling a molecular substance does not normally break its molecules’ covalent bonds. Distinguish intramolecular bonding from attractions between molecules, and check carbon valency in every structural formula.
  • Criterion 8 — Reactions and reacting quantities
    Use balanced chemical equations to connect observations with reacting amounts. Convert among mass, amount of substance and concentration, and explain the specified acid–base, precipitation and reaction-rate behaviour.
    In the exam: Section E requires chemical reasoning supported by equations and units. Establish the reacting mole ratio before converting to the requested mass or concentration.
    Where marks go missing: Coefficients give mole ratios, not direct mass ratios. Convert solution volume to litres for concentration calculations, and do not introduce limiting-reactant or logarithmic pH requirements outside the course scope.

Full Physical Sciences study-design guide →

How scaling works in Tasmania

In Tasmania, TASC rates each Level 3 and Level 4 course against its criteria, from your school's assessment and the external examination, and combines the ratings into an award from Exceptional Achievement down to Preliminary Achievement. Scaling then converts each award of Satisfactory Achievement or better into a course score on a common scale, by comparing every result a student achieved with the results of every other student across all their courses; in 2025 course scores ran from 1.0 to 26.0. Your Tertiary Entrance score combines your best course scores from any two years of senior secondary study to a total of 60 to 75 points — normally five 15-point courses — and the ATAR is your rank on that score. Scaling is recalculated every year from that year's cohort, so a published score range describes one past cohort and is never a guarantee.

What scaling is not

Scaling is not a difficulty rating and it is not a bonus. It compares how the students in one subject performed across every other subject they took, so a subject moves because of its cohort, not because of the paper. The consequence is practical: you cannot scale your way out of a weak result. The only lever you control is the raw mark, and the fastest way to move that is full-length timed practice against the real exam format.

TCE Physical Sciences practice examsTASC ATAR calculator

Questions

Does TCE Physical Sciences scale up or down?

TASC scales every TCE subject before any ATAR is calculated. We do not publish a figure for this subject; the TASC scaling report is the authority.

How does subject scaling work in Tasmania?

In Tasmania, TASC rates each Level 3 and Level 4 course against its criteria, from your school's assessment and the external examination, and combines the ratings into an award from Exceptional Achievement down to Preliminary Achievement. Scaling then converts each award of Satisfactory Achievement or better into a course score on a common scale, by comparing every result a student achieved with the results of every other student across all their courses; in 2025 course scores ran from 1.0 to 26.0. Your Tertiary Entrance score combines your best course scores from any two years of senior secondary study to a total of 60 to 75 points — normally five 15-point courses — and the ATAR is your rank on that score. Scaling is recalculated every year from that year's cohort, so a published score range describes one past cohort and is never a guarantee.

Should I choose Physical Sciences because of how it scales?

Scaling adjusts a whole cohort, not one student, so choosing a subject you will struggle in because it scales up is usually a worse trade than doing well in one that scales down. Check the prerequisites for the course you want first, then your interest and workload, and treat scaling as a tie-breaker. Scaling is also recalculated every year, so the figures in any report describe a past cohort rather than the year you are sitting.

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