The calculation of the ENTER for a student takes account of three facts. First, apart from the English requirement, VCE students
have no set studies to take at the level of Units 3 and 4. Comparing students using the ENTER involves comparing students who
may have taken very different combinations of VCE studies.
Secondly, all studies count equally in determining the ENTER. Study scores however, only give the ranking of the students in each
study. To compare rankings and study scores fairly from study to study requires that the strength of competition in each study is
about the same. It is like asking 'is coming tenth in the Boston marathon as good as coming tenth in the Sydney marathon?' Before
we can answer the question we need to know how strong the competition was in each marathon field. They are comparable
performances only if the strength of competition was about the same.
Thirdly, students should be able to take the studies that they enjoy, that they need, and that they are good at. The ENTER should be
calculated in such a way as to allow this to happen, and not to introduce any other factor which interferes with the student's choice of
studies.
Scaling is a process which adjusts VCAA study scores to take account of these three facts before using the scores to calculate the
ENTER. VCAA study scores are adjusted by VTAC to allow for any variation in the strength of competition between the cohorts of
students taking the various studies that year. Thus students taking various combinations of studies can be compared, and students
can choose their studies in a sound way without fear that they will be disadvantaged by the choice.
If a variation is required to reflect the strength of competition in that study that year, the scaling process adjusts VCAA study scores
to become ENTER subject scores. The strength of competition in a study is judged by looking at the total performance of the
cohort of students taking that study. That is, the performance of that group of students in all their VCE studies is compared with their
performance in that study. This comparison is carried out for each VCE study.
The scaling process leaves a top VCAA study score as a top ENTER subject score, and never lowers a top score of 50. Bottom
scores of 0 are also unchanged.
Scaling usually affects VCAA study scores most at the mean study score of 30. The score may stay the same, it may be adjusted
up, or it may be adjusted down.
After scaling, ENTER subject scores across studies can be fairly compared. A student taking a study where the competition was
strong may have that competition reflected in a lower VCAA study score rank, but scaling will compensate for the strength of
competition by giving a higher ENTER subject score. Another similar student taking a study where the competition was weaker may
have achieved a higher VCAA study score rank, but scaling will bring the score close to the result for the other student. In the end a
balance is achieved, and similar students finish up with similar ENTER subject scores, no matter what studies they choose to do.
There are two complications to scaling. First, the three mathematics studies are of graded difficulty and they are scaled to ensure
comparability within the mathematics group. Secondly, languages other than English (LOTEs) have an adjustment of 5 points
upwards to their means after the initial but prior to the final scaling.
http://www.vtac.edu.au/pdf/publications/enterbook.pdf
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