Physics — WA WACE scaling 2024

TISC's verbatim 2024 scaled-score statistics for Physics. Scaled mean 62.3/100, SD 13.4, 2,661 students. Range observed: 10.0 to 98.8.

Summary statistics

Scaled mean	62.3 / 100
Standard deviation	13.4
Minimum scaled score	10.0
Maximum scaled score	98.8
Students (2024)	2,661

Scaled scores by percentile

Percentile	Scaled score
P90 (top 10%)	79.2
P75 (top 25%)	71.0
P50 (median)	62.6
P25 (bottom 25%)	54.1

The P25-to-P90 spread for Physics was 25.1 scaled points in 2024.

How Physics scaled in 2024

This subject scales close to neutral. The candidature performs around the senior-secondary cohort median, so raw marks and scaled marks track each other closely. Scaling is not a major factor either way for this subject.

The scaled-score scale in WA is 0–100, with the cohort-wide mean across all subjects sitting around 60 by construction. A subject with a scaled mean above 60 had a candidature performing above the WACE-wide average; below 60 means the average student in this subject performed below the WACE-wide average. Note that this is the scaled mean across the course's candidature, not a measure of conceptual difficulty.

3-year scaling trend for Physics ↓

Year	Scaled mean (/ 100)
2023	63.0
2024	62.3

Scaling has fallen by 0.7 points over 1 year (2023: 63.0 → 2024: 62.3). This typically reflects a weakening candidature — the average student in this subject is performing relatively less well in their other courses than they used to.

3-year trend data sourced from the TISC annual scaling reports 2023–2024. See all scaling trends.

Tutor rate context for Physics

Subject complexity classification: high. Based on our subject-complexity model, this subject typically carries a +12% 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 Physics
University-student tutor	$65/hr
Experienced graduate	$90/hr
Registered teacher	$125/hr
Subject specialist	$155/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

In WA, the Tertiary Entrance Aggregate (TEA) is formed from your best 4 scaled scores, with a 10% bonus added to scaled scores in Mathematics Methods, Mathematics Specialist, and LOTE subjects (highest LOTE only). The maximum aggregate in 2024 was 430.

• Physics scaled to a mean of 62.3 — above the WACE average.
• If you scored at the P90 of this subject (79.2) and it was one of your best 4, you contributed 79.2 scaled points to your aggregate (or 87.1 with the LOTE/Maths bonus where applicable).
• Strong individual results in subjects with lower scaled means can still produce strong scaled scores — look at the P90 row, not just the mean, before deciding a subject is "weak" for ATAR.

Caveats specific to Physics

• This is 2024 data. TISC recalculates scaling each year.
• WACE scaled scores are NOT directly comparable across states. NSW and VIC use a 0-50 scale; QLD and WA use 0-100. Cross-state comparisons need to be normalised by scale.
• The WACE Maths Methods / Specialist / LOTE 10% bonus applies after scaling, only when the bonused subject is one of your top 4.

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