Specialist Mathematics — QLD QCE scaling 2024

QTAC's verbatim 2024 scaling for Specialist Mathematics (QCAA code 0054). Raw median 83/100 mapped to scaled 95.35; top-decile raw 95 mapped to scaled 98.4.

Raw → scaled distribution (2024)

Percentile	Raw mark (/ 100)	Scaled mark (/ 100)	Adjustment
P99	99	98.89	-0.1
P90	95	98.4	+3.4
P75	90	97.5	+7.5
P50 (median)	83	95.35	+12.3
P25	73	89.11	+16.1

How Specialist Mathematics scaled in 2024

This subject scales up significantly. The average student in this course outperformed the average student across all senior secondary subjects, so the scaling process boosts the cohort's marks. A solid raw mark in this subject is worth more in scaled terms than the same raw mark in most other subjects.

For Specialist Mathematics specifically: a median student in the cohort had a raw mark of 83/100 and ended up with a scaled mark of 95.35/100 — an adjustment of +12.3 from raw to scaled. A top-decile student (P90) had a raw mark of 95 mapping to scaled 98.4 — adjustment of +3.4.

QCE General subjects are scored 0–100 raw. QTAC's inter-subject scaling runs a 40-iteration calibration algorithm that maps each subject's raw distribution to a scaled distribution based on how that subject's students performed across all their other subjects. The scaled mark is what counts for the ATAR aggregate; the raw mark is what your QCE certificate reports.

3-year scaling trend for Specialist Mathematics →

Year	Scaled mean (/ 100)
2022	95.16
2023	95.31
2024	95.35

Very stable across 3 years — Specialist Mathematics has scaled within 0.2 points of its 2022 value, suggesting its candidature composition is consistent.

3-year trend data sourced from the QTAC annual scaling reports 2022–2024. See all scaling trends.

Tutor rate context for Specialist Mathematics

Subject complexity classification: high — small qualified-tutor pool. Based on our subject-complexity model, this subject typically carries a +22% adjustment to the base AU tutor rate band — partly because of the qualified-tutor pool size, partly because of subject-specific marking and exam complexity.

Tutor tier	Typical rate for Specialist Mathematics
University-student tutor	$75/hr
Experienced graduate	$100/hr
Registered teacher	$135/hr
Subject specialist	$170/hr

Estimates from the AU rate synthesis at /rates/. Use the rate estimator to add city and delivery format.

What this means for ATAR planning

Three reads of this scaling distribution matter for QCE students:

1. The median (P50) shows the typical adjustment for an average performance in Specialist Mathematics. Positive — average students in this subject benefit from scaling.
2. The P90 row shows where strong students land. Even in subjects with a low median scaled position, strong individual students typically score well in scaled terms — look at the P90 column before deciding a subject is "bad".
3. The spread P25→P90 (89.11 → 98.4, a 9.3-point spread) shows the room for movement within this subject. Bigger spreads mean tutoring leverage is higher.

Caveats

• This is 2024 data. QTAC recomputes scaling each year.
• QTAC publishes only subjects with 50+ students. Small-candidature subjects are excluded from the percentile tables.
• Applied subjects (e.g., Essential English, Sport & Recreation) use a different scaling scheme (3-band C/B/A) — see the QLD QCE overview for the Applied subject scaling table.
• To be ATAR-eligible in QLD, students need at least a C in English, EAL, Literature, English & Literature Extension, or Essential English. Only 50.1% of the 2024 cohort (28,845 of 57,594) was ATAR-eligible.

Related resources