QCE results explained: internal, external and A to E

How QCE results are made up

Final results in a General subject come from four summative assessments in Units 3 and 4: three internal assessments (IA1, IA2 and IA3) developed by the school and endorsed by the QCAA, and one external assessment set and marked by the QCAA. Units 1 and 2 are reported as satisfactory (S), unsatisfactory (U) or not rated (NR), and do not count towards the mark.

The QCAA adds the two results. The total is on a scale of 0 to 100, and the marks on the internal assessments are not affected by the external assessment.

From a mark to an A to E

Alongside the mark, performance is reported as an A to E standard. QCAA subject experts look at the internal and external assessment to set the cut-offs for each standard on the 0 to 100 scale. These standards are described in each subject's syllabus. The QCAA's own illustration is a subject where the cut-off for an A is 78, so everyone at or above that overall result gets an A. The cut-offs are not fixed and not published in advance.

Here are two worked examples of how the marks combine, with made-up numbers.

Whether either mark earns an A depends on that year's cut-off for the subject. With the QCAA's example cut-off of 78, both do.

Why an external score of 18 out of 25 means the same every year

Exams differ from year to year. Some are slightly harder, or have different questions out of different numbers of marks. To make results comparable, the QCAA translates the raw external assessment result to a comparable scale, out of 25 or 50 depending on the subject. Its example: a student in 2021 needs the same effort to reach 18 out of 25 as a student did in 2020. See QCE exam timetable 2026 for the papers.

Confirmation: how internal marks are kept fair across the state

Teachers mark internal assessments using an instrument-specific marking guide in the syllabus, and schools moderate within their cohorts. To make marks comparable across Queensland, the QCAA runs confirmation: schools send samples of student work that the QCAA asks for, and trained QCAA assessors check them against the marking guides. Confirmation happens twice a year so most students know their confirmed internal results before they sit the external assessments. Provisional marks from schools can change until confirmation is done.

Your results, the QCE and the ATAR

Results go on your Senior Statement. To receive a QCE you need 20 credits at a satisfactory standard (C or better for a subject), including 12 from Core courses, plus the literacy and numeracy requirements and the academic integrity requirement. The ATAR is separate: QTAC builds it from your Units 3 and 4 results. See QCE scaling explained and the ATAR in Queensland. The 2026 results come out on Wednesday 16 December: QCE results and ATAR release 2026.

Practise the external assessment

Our daily papers are a short version of that practice: Year 12 Maths, Year 12 Physics, Year 12 Chemistry and Year 12 Biology. Each is 8 questions worth 25 to 35 marks, and the results page shows a predicted grade from A to E with typical cut-offs, not the QCAA's. The subject guides, such as QCE Maths Methods and QCE Physics, explain the assessment in each subject.

Common mistakes about QCE results

• Thinking the external assessment scales the internal marks. It does not. The two are added.
• Treating the cut-off for an A as fixed. It is set each year from the assessment data.
• Using last year's provisional marks. Provisional internal marks can change until the QCAA confirms them.
• Mixing up the QCE and the ATAR. A QCE certifies learning. The ATAR ranks students for university.

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