Quick answer: in UAC's 2025 report, Mathematics Extension 2 had the highest mean scaled mark (43.4 out of 50 per unit), followed by Latin Extension (42.3), Latin Continuers (40.5) and Mathematics Extension 1 (39.7). Among the big 2-unit courses, English Advanced (32.8), Chemistry (32.0), Mathematics Advanced (31.9), Economics (31.4) and Physics (31.0) scaled highest. English Studies (9.0) and Mathematics Standard 1 (13.9) had the lowest means.
HSC scaling 2025 key facts
- Highest mean scaled mark per unit: Mathematics Extension 2 (43.4 out of 50).
- English Advanced averaged 32.8 per unit and English Standard 20.4, but a mark of 80 scaled to about 30.7 in Advanced and 31.5 in Standard.
- Five Advanced-level courses at 80 gave an estimated ATAR of 84.55; five Standard-level courses at 88 gave 91.30.
- UAC publishes scaled marks at percentiles, not a one-to-one table, so these are estimates.
- Source: UAC Report on the Scaling of the 2025 NSW HSC, Table A3.
Highest scaling HSC courses in 2025
| Course | Mean scaled mark per unit (out of 50) |
|---|---|
| Mathematics Extension 2 | 43.4 |
| Latin Extension | 42.3 |
| Latin Continuers | 40.5 |
| Mathematics Extension 1 | 39.7 |
| Italian Extension | 39.5 |
| French Extension | 38.9 |
| English Extension 1 | 36.1 |
| English Advanced | 32.8 |
| Chemistry | 32.0 |
| Mathematics Advanced | 31.9 |
Lowest mean scaled marks in 2025
| Course | Mean scaled mark per unit |
|---|---|
| English Studies Exam | 9.0 |
| Mathematics Standard 1 Exam | 13.9 |
| Automotive Exam | 14.1 |
| Aboriginal Studies | 14.8 |
| Retail Services Exam | 16.1 |
| Construction Exam | 16.5 |
| Industrial Technology | 17.7 |
A low mean does not mean a course cannot contribute well. In most courses the top students reached scaled marks in the high 40s.
Is Standard English an ATAR killer?
No, but it scales lower on average. In 2025 the mean scaled mark per unit was 20.4 in English Standard and 32.8 in English Advanced. That gap mostly reflects who takes each course. A student who would get a high Band 5 in Standard but a low Band 4 in Advanced may do better staying in Standard, because the 50th percentile scaled mark in Advanced (33.7) assumes you can compete with that cohort. Your best 2 units of English must count either way.
Full 2025 table
For each course: units, mean scaled mark, and the HSC mark and scaled mark per unit at the 50th, 75th, 90th and 99th percentiles. UAC notes this is not a one-to-one conversion: one HSC mark can map to a range of scaled marks. Type a course name to filter.
| Course | Units | Mean scaled | HSC P50 | Scaled P50 | HSC P75 | Scaled P75 | HSC P90 | Scaled P90 | HSC P99 | Scaled P99 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aboriginal Studies | 2 | 14.8 | 36.5 | 11.0 | 41.5 | 23.6 | 45.0 | 33.8 | 49.0 | 42.6 |
| Agriculture | 2 | 19.1 | 37.5 | 18.7 | 41.5 | 27.8 | 45.5 | 35.4 | 48.0 | 41.6 |
| Ancient History | 2 | 22.4 | 37.5 | 22.5 | 41.5 | 30.9 | 44.5 | 37.4 | 47.5 | 44.4 |
| Biology | 2 | 26.2 | 37.5 | 26.7 | 41.5 | 34.8 | 44.0 | 39.9 | 47.0 | 45.3 |
| Business Studies | 2 | 23.9 | 37.5 | 23.4 | 42.0 | 32.6 | 45.0 | 39.2 | 48.0 | 45.6 |
| Chemistry | 2 | 32.0 | 38.0 | 33.9 | 42.0 | 39.8 | 45.0 | 43.6 | 47.5 | 47.6 |
| Community & Family Studies | 2 | 18.5 | 37.5 | 17.8 | 41.0 | 26.7 | 43.5 | 33.3 | 46.5 | 40.4 |
| Dance | 2 | 23.9 | 42.5 | 24.3 | 44.5 | 32.5 | 47.0 | 39.6 | 49.0 | 44.4 |
| Design & Technology | 2 | 23.1 | 39.5 | 22.7 | 42.5 | 30.8 | 45.0 | 37.1 | 48.0 | 45.1 |
| Drama | 2 | 24.0 | 41.0 | 23.4 | 44.5 | 33.0 | 47.0 | 40.7 | 49.0 | 47.2 |
| Earth & Environmental Science | 2 | 22.8 | 38.0 | 23.2 | 41.5 | 31.5 | 44.0 | 37.1 | 47.5 | 43.4 |
| Economics | 2 | 31.4 | 40.0 | 33.0 | 43.5 | 38.9 | 45.5 | 43.0 | 48.0 | 47.1 |
| Engineering Studies | 2 | 26.2 | 37.0 | 26.4 | 40.5 | 33.6 | 44.5 | 39.6 | 47.5 | 45.9 |
| English Studies Exam | 2 | 9.0 | 30.0 | 8.3 | 33.0 | 12.9 | 35.0 | 16.4 | 38.0 | 25.0 |
| English Standard | 2 | 20.4 | 36.5 | 20.0 | 38.5 | 26.1 | 40.0 | 31.5 | 44.0 | 39.7 |
| English Advanced | 2 | 32.8 | 41.0 | 33.7 | 43.5 | 38.9 | 45.5 | 42.6 | 47.5 | 46.9 |
| English EAL/D | 2 | 21.3 | 35.5 | 20.0 | 39.5 | 30.3 | 43.0 | 37.6 | 47.0 | 45.3 |
| English Extension 1 | 1 | 36.1 | 44.0 | 36.9 | 46.0 | 40.9 | 47.0 | 43.9 | 49.0 | 48.3 |
| English Extension 2 | 1 | 35.8 | 42.0 | 36.5 | 46.0 | 40.5 | 48.0 | 44.0 | 49.0 | 48.1 |
| Enterprise Computing | 2 | 23.8 | 37.5 | 23.7 | 40.5 | 31.7 | 43.5 | 39.1 | 46.5 | 46.1 |
| Food Technology | 2 | 18.9 | 37.0 | 17.6 | 41.0 | 27.3 | 44.5 | 35.6 | 48.0 | 43.3 |
| Geography | 2 | 25.2 | 38.5 | 25.4 | 42.5 | 34.1 | 45.5 | 40.5 | 48.0 | 47.3 |
| Industrial Technology | 2 | 17.7 | 35.5 | 16.6 | 39.5 | 25.4 | 44.0 | 32.7 | 48.0 | 39.6 |
| Investigating Science | 2 | 20.5 | 38.0 | 20.0 | 41.5 | 28.9 | 44.5 | 35.5 | 47.0 | 42.8 |
| Legal Studies | 2 | 25.3 | 39.0 | 25.9 | 43.0 | 34.4 | 45.5 | 39.9 | 48.0 | 45.7 |
| Mathematics Standard 1 Exam | 2 | 13.9 | 35.5 | 12.5 | 39.0 | 20.2 | 42.0 | 27.7 | 47.0 | 34.7 |
| Mathematics Standard 2 | 2 | 23.3 | 36.5 | 23.2 | 40.5 | 31.5 | 44.5 | 37.3 | 47.5 | 42.9 |
| Mathematics Advanced | 2 | 31.9 | 40.0 | 33.2 | 44.5 | 38.9 | 47.0 | 42.9 | 49.0 | 47.5 |
| Mathematics Extension 1 | 1 | 39.7 | 42.0 | 41.5 | 46.0 | 44.9 | 48.0 | 47.2 | 49.5 | 49.5 |
| Mathematics Extension 2 | 1 | 43.4 | 43.5 | 44.7 | 46.5 | 46.9 | 48.0 | 48.3 | 49.5 | 49.6 |
| Modern History | 2 | 25.0 | 38.0 | 25.8 | 41.5 | 33.7 | 45.0 | 39.2 | 47.5 | 46.0 |
| History Extension | 1 | 32.7 | 41.0 | 32.9 | 45.0 | 38.1 | 47.0 | 42.7 | 48.0 | 47.0 |
| Music 1 | 2 | 20.8 | 42.0 | 20.4 | 44.5 | 29.0 | 46.5 | 36.4 | 48.5 | 43.8 |
| Music 2 | 2 | 34.1 | 44.0 | 35.1 | 46.0 | 40.8 | 48.0 | 44.9 | 49.5 | 48.7 |
| Music Extension | 1 | 35.9 | 47.0 | 36.3 | 49.0 | 45.2 | 50.0 | 49.6 | 50.0 | 50.0 |
| PDH&PE | 2 | 22.8 | 37.5 | 22.8 | 41.5 | 31.3 | 44.5 | 37.3 | 47.0 | 43.5 |
| Physics | 2 | 31.0 | 37.5 | 32.2 | 42.0 | 38.8 | 45.5 | 43.0 | 47.5 | 47.2 |
| Science Extension | 1 | 32.0 | 38.0 | 32.5 | 41.0 | 37.1 | 44.0 | 41.0 | 47.0 | 46.4 |
| Society & Culture | 2 | 23.1 | 39.5 | 23.1 | 42.5 | 31.3 | 45.5 | 37.7 | 48.0 | 44.9 |
| Software Engineering | 2 | 26.7 | 38.0 | 27.2 | 41.5 | 34.6 | 44.5 | 40.5 | 48.0 | 47.3 |
| Studies of Religion I | 1 | 27.7 | 39.0 | 28.1 | 43.0 | 34.8 | 46.0 | 39.9 | 48.0 | 45.2 |
| Studies of Religion II | 2 | 27.3 | 39.5 | 28.1 | 43.0 | 35.4 | 45.0 | 40.5 | 48.0 | 46.0 |
| Textiles & Design | 2 | 22.8 | 39.5 | 22.4 | 43.5 | 31.5 | 46.0 | 38.3 | 48.0 | 45.6 |
| Visual Arts | 2 | 21.7 | 41.5 | 21.1 | 44.0 | 30.1 | 45.5 | 37.4 | 48.0 | 45.3 |
| Arabic Continuers | 2 | 17.5 | 41.0 | 15.5 | 44.0 | 25.0 | 46.0 | 34.4 | 48.0 | 42.6 |
| Arabic Extension | 1 | 25.7 | 43.0 | 25.3 | 46.0 | 32.1 | 47.0 | 33.7 | 49.0 | 41.6 |
| Chinese Beginners | 2 | 23.8 | 42.0 | 23.3 | 47.5 | 34.7 | 48.5 | 39.0 | 49.5 | 48.1 |
| Chinese Continuers | 2 | 32.8 | 45.5 | 35.0 | 47.5 | 40.2 | 48.5 | 43.5 | 49.5 | 48.6 |
| Chinese Extension | 1 | 37.3 | 46.0 | 37.5 | 47.0 | 41.2 | 48.0 | 44.4 | 49.0 | 48.3 |
| Chinese & Literature | 2 | 24.0 | 42.5 | 24.0 | 44.5 | 31.7 | 46.0 | 38.6 | 47.5 | 45.5 |
| Chinese in Context | 2 | 31.5 | 45.5 | 31.9 | 47.0 | 38.5 | 48.0 | 42.7 | 49.5 | 49.3 |
| French Beginners | 2 | 24.7 | 39.0 | 24.0 | 44.0 | 33.2 | 46.5 | 40.1 | 48.0 | 47.0 |
| French Continuers | 2 | 34.4 | 41.5 | 35.4 | 45.0 | 40.5 | 47.0 | 44.2 | 49.0 | 48.0 |
| French Extension | 1 | 38.9 | 40.0 | 38.5 | 44.0 | 43.3 | 46.0 | 47.0 | 48.0 | 50.0 |
| German Beginners | 2 | 29.2 | 41.0 | 29.0 | 45.5 | 35.9 | 48.0 | 42.5 | 49.5 | 49.2 |
| German Continuers | 2 | 33.7 | 41.0 | 34.2 | 45.5 | 41.1 | 47.5 | 45.1 | 49.0 | 48.9 |
| German Extension | 1 | 38.4 | 45.0 | 37.9 | 48.0 | 44.7 | 49.0 | 46.7 | 50.0 | 50.0 |
| Indonesian Continuers | 2 | 30.9 | 45.0 | 29.9 | 47.0 | 36.9 | 48.5 | 46.3 | 49.0 | 50.0 |
| Italian Beginners | 2 | 28.3 | 39.5 | 28.9 | 45.0 | 36.4 | 47.5 | 41.9 | 49.5 | 48.1 |
| Italian Continuers | 2 | 32.2 | 43.0 | 33.9 | 44.5 | 38.8 | 47.0 | 45.0 | 49.0 | 49.6 |
| Italian Extension | 1 | 39.5 | 45.0 | 39.3 | 46.0 | 41.4 | 48.0 | 47.1 | 49.0 | 50.0 |
| Japanese Beginners | 2 | 24.1 | 37.0 | 24.8 | 42.5 | 33.5 | 45.5 | 40.1 | 47.5 | 44.2 |
| Japanese Continuers | 2 | 30.8 | 40.5 | 32.1 | 44.5 | 38.1 | 47.0 | 42.4 | 49.0 | 47.6 |
| Japanese Extension | 1 | 38.0 | 45.0 | 38.0 | 47.0 | 41.2 | 48.0 | 45.0 | 49.0 | 48.3 |
| Korean Beginners | 2 | 27.7 | 41.5 | 26.1 | 46.0 | 36.1 | 48.0 | 42.8 | 49.5 | 49.0 |
| Korean Continuers | 2 | 27.2 | 45.5 | 28.0 | 46.5 | 34.1 | 47.5 | 39.4 | 49.0 | 48.6 |
| Latin Continuers | 2 | 40.5 | 45.5 | 42.6 | 47.5 | 46.1 | 48.5 | 47.7 | 49.5 | 49.0 |
| Latin Extension | 1 | 42.3 | 47.0 | 43.7 | 49.0 | 47.0 | 49.0 | 48.4 | 50.0 | 50.0 |
| Modern Greek Beginners | 2 | 26.0 | 44.5 | 25.5 | 48.0 | 34.8 | 49.0 | 39.0 | 50.0 | 45.2 |
| Modern Greek Continuers | 2 | 25.2 | 43.5 | 21.4 | 47.5 | 35.3 | 49.0 | 45.6 | 49.5 | 50.0 |
| Spanish Beginners | 2 | 25.7 | 41.5 | 26.0 | 45.5 | 35.5 | 48.0 | 42.3 | 49.0 | 47.9 |
| Spanish Continuers | 2 | 26.6 | 41.5 | 28.0 | 44.5 | 33.3 | 47.0 | 39.0 | 49.0 | 46.8 |
| Spanish Extension | 1 | 32.4 | 45.0 | 31.6 | 47.0 | 36.5 | 48.0 | 40.3 | 49.0 | 47.2 |
| Vietnamese Continuers | 2 | 17.9 | 40.0 | 16.3 | 42.5 | 25.1 | 43.5 | 30.7 | 46.5 | 40.3 |
| Automotive Exam | 2 | 14.1 | 37.0 | 11.5 | 41.0 | 21.2 | 43.5 | 28.8 | 47.0 | 37.7 |
| Business Services Exam | 2 | 18.7 | 37.0 | 17.8 | 40.5 | 26.1 | 43.0 | 32.9 | 46.5 | 39.1 |
| Construction Exam | 2 | 16.5 | 39.0 | 15.0 | 42.0 | 24.7 | 44.0 | 31.4 | 47.0 | 39.5 |
| Electrotechnology Exam | 2 | 17.6 | 36.5 | 17.2 | 39.5 | 24.0 | 42.5 | 31.1 | 45.0 | 36.7 |
| Entertainment Industry Exam | 2 | 20.8 | 39.0 | 19.9 | 43.0 | 28.6 | 45.0 | 34.4 | 47.5 | 43.5 |
| Financial Services Exam | 2 | 24.6 | 36.5 | 22.9 | 40.5 | 32.0 | 43.0 | 39.2 | 45.5 | 46.6 |
| Hospitality Exam | 2 | 18.7 | 38.0 | 17.5 | 41.0 | 25.9 | 43.5 | 33.6 | 46.5 | 41.2 |
| Human Services Exam | 2 | 18.7 | 36.0 | 18.1 | 39.0 | 25.1 | 42.5 | 32.1 | 46.5 | 39.1 |
| Primary Industries Exam | 2 | 16.2 | 37.5 | 15.2 | 40.0 | 23.5 | 42.5 | 29.9 | 45.5 | 36.2 |
| Retail Services Exam | 2 | 16.1 | 35.5 | 14.7 | 38.0 | 22.9 | 41.5 | 31.9 | 46.0 | 39.3 |
| Tourism, Travel & Events Exam | 2 | 20.4 | 38.0 | 19.4 | 40.5 | 26.4 | 42.5 | 34.4 | 45.5 | 43.1 |
Estimate Source: UAC Report on the Scaling of the 2025 NSW HSC (Tables A3, A9 and 3.2). Data year: 2025.
Aggregate for selected ATARs in 2025
UAC publishes the lowest aggregate (out of 500) for selected ATARs. These are the points the HSC ATAR calculator reads between.
| Aggregate (out of 500) | ATAR |
|---|---|
| 479.4 | 99.95 |
| 459.4 | 99.50 |
| 450.0 | 99.10 |
| 447.8 | 99.00 |
| 433.2 | 98.00 |
| 404.6 | 95.00 |
| 400.0 | 94.40 |
| 370.7 | 90.00 |
| 350.0 | 86.45 |
| 341.6 | 85.00 |
| 313.8 | 80.00 |
| 300.0 | 77.40 |
| 287.5 | 75.00 |
| 262.0 | 70.00 |
| 250.0 | 67.55 |
| 237.2 | 65.00 |
| 212.9 | 60.00 |
| 200.0 | 57.20 |
| 190.0 | 55.00 |
| 165.7 | 50.00 |
| 150.0 | 46.80 |
Estimate Source: UAC Report on the Scaling of the 2025 NSW HSC (Tables A3, A9 and 3.2). Data year: 2025.
How to read HSC scaling
- Per unit: scaled marks are out of 50 per unit. A 2-unit course counts twice in your aggregate.
- Alignment is not scaling: NESA aligns marks to bands to produce your HSC mark. UAC scales raw marks separately for the ATAR.
- Same rank, new scale: scaling keeps your place within a course. See raw vs scaled scores and how scaling works.
What a mark of 80 was worth in 2025
Estimated scaled mark per unit (out of 50) for an HSC mark of 80 and 90 (or 40 and 45 out of 50 for 1-unit courses), read between UAC's 2025 percentile points.
| Course | Students | Scaled at 80 | Scaled at 90 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics Extension 2 (1 unit) | 3,844 | 42.8 | 45.8 |
| Mathematics Extension 1 (1 unit) | 9,279 | 40.1 | 44.0 |
| Chemistry | 10,369 | 36.8 | 43.6 |
| Physics | 8,817 | 35.9 | 42.4 |
| Mathematics Advanced | 16,809 | 33.2 | 39.7 |
| Economics | 5,741 | 33.0 | 42.0 |
| Biology | 20,710 | 31.8 | 41.7 |
| English Standard | 33,651 | 31.5 | 41.6 |
| Software Engineering | 1,768 | 31.4 | 41.5 |
| English Advanced | 26,292 | 30.7 | 41.7 |
| Mathematics Standard 2 | 31,762 | 30.5 | 38.2 |
| Modern History | 10,953 | 30.3 | 39.2 |
| Studies of Religion II | 6,731 | 29.1 | 40.5 |
| Business Studies | 20,452 | 28.5 | 39.2 |
| Legal Studies | 10,080 | 28.0 | 38.8 |
The surprise is English. English Advanced has a much higher average scaled mark, but an HSC mark of 80 was worth about the same in either course, slightly more in Standard. The average is higher in Advanced because more of its students score highly, not because each mark is worth more. UAC notes the same HSC mark can lead to a range of scaled marks, so treat these as estimates.
Two students compared
| Student | Courses | HSC marks | Aggregate | ATAR estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | English Advanced, Mathematics Advanced, Chemistry, Physics, Economics | 80 in each | 339.2 | 84.55 |
| A, lower | Same | 75 in each | 297.8 | 76.95 |
| B | English Standard, Mathematics Standard 2, Business Studies, Biology, Legal Studies | 80 in each | 300.5 | 77.45 |
| B, higher | Same | 88 in each | 379.5 | 91.30 |
The Advanced-level pattern scales higher at the same mark: 80s gave about 84.55 against 77.45. But Student B with 88s finishes well ahead of Student A with 80s. And Student A with 75s ends up below Student B with 80s. Higher marks in courses you are strong in beat lower marks in courses that scale well.
Reading UAC's table correctly
- Per unit, out of 50. UAC reports scaled marks per unit. A 2-unit course counts twice in the aggregate out of 500.
- Percentiles, not cut-offs. "HSC P90" is the HSC mark at the 90th percentile of that course, paired with the scaled mark at the same percentile.
- Small courses are noisy. Courses with few students can move a lot from year to year.
- Mean scaled marks describe the cohort. A low mean does not cap your result: top students in most courses reached the high 40s.
HSC scaling FAQ
What is alignment and does it affect my ATAR?
Alignment is NESA's process for matching raw marks to the band standards to produce your reported HSC mark. UAC scales raw marks, not aligned marks, for the ATAR, so alignment changes what you see on your results, not the scaling itself.
How much does Maths Extension 2 scale?
In 2025 its mean scaled mark was 43.4 out of 50 per unit, the highest of any course. The median student scaled to 44.7.
Does History Extension scale well?
Its 2025 mean scaled mark was 32.7 per unit, above most 2-unit courses, and it counts as one unit.
Why are some courses missing?
UAC does not publish percentiles for courses with fewer than 40 students, so they are not in the table or the calculator.
When does UAC publish the next scaling report?
The report on the 2025 HSC was published in 2026. We update this page when UAC releases the report on the 2026 HSC.
Should I drop from English Advanced to Standard for my ATAR?
Only if you would score clearly higher in Standard. In 2025 a mark of 80 was worth about the same in either course, so the course where you will earn the higher mark is usually the better choice.
Does Business Studies scale badly?
It scales lower than average in the middle of the range: a mark of 80 was worth about 28.5 per unit in 2025. At 90 it was worth about 39.2, close to many other courses.
How many HSC courses are in the 2025 table?
85 courses with percentile data. Courses with fewer than 40 students are not included because UAC does not publish their percentiles.