VCAA Psychology Performance

Overall average 63.2%50,675 questions answered2026 data

Score by Unit & Topic

Full study design

How does experience affect behaviour and mental processes?

64%
How does the nervous system enable psychological functioning?
66.3%
How do people learn and remember?
61.7%

How is mental wellbeing supported and maintained?

62.6%
How does sleep affect mental processes and behaviour?
62.7%
What influences mental wellbeing?
69.3%
How is scientific inquiry used to investigate mental processes and psychological functioning?
58%

Score by Past Paper

2026 data

2025
61.8%
2024
64%
2023
63.8%
2022
60.2%
2021
62.9%
2020
66%

Score by Question Type

2026 data

Extended Response
32.4%
Multiple Choice
63.3%
Short Answer
65.3%

Cognitive Verb Performance

2026 data

Analyse
53.8%
Apply
16.4%
Assess
78.6%
Calculate
80%
Clarify
87.5%
Classify
50%
Compare
44.9%
Construct
0%
Contrast
65.6%
Deduce
66.7%
Define
40.9%
Demonstrate
33.3%
Describe
53.1%
Design
93.3%
Discuss
25.3%
Distinguish
39%
Draw
0%
Evaluate
22.2%
Explain
49.9%
Identify
63.9%
Interpret
26%
Justify
52.9%
Label
82.8%
Name
76.8%
Outline
49.5%
Predict
46.5%
Propose
52%
Provide
76%
Recommend
52.6%
Represent
55.6%
Select
100%
State
51.9%
Synthesise
53.8%
Write
55.6%

Study Guides

VCE Psychology Hardest Topics: Where Students Lose the Most MarksAverage scores in VCE Psychology by past paper, topic, question type and command verb, plus the high-weight low-score revision list.VCE Psychology Most Tested Topics: What the VCAA Exams CoverMarks by topic and dot point across 6 VCAA Psychology external papers, 2020 to 2025, plus the question type and cognitive verb mix.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hardest VCAA Psychology topics?
Based on student performance on AusGrader in 2026, the hardest VCAA Psychology topics are How is scientific inquiry used to investigate mental processes and psychological functioning? (58%), How do people learn and remember? (61.7%), How does sleep affect mental processes and behaviour? (62.7%). Focus your revision on these areas for the biggest score improvement.
What are the easiest VCAA Psychology topics?
Based on student performance on AusGrader in 2026, the highest-scoring VCAA Psychology topics are What influences mental wellbeing? (69.3%), How does the nervous system enable psychological functioning? (66.3%), How does sleep affect mental processes and behaviour? (62.7%).
What are the most common command words in VCAA Psychology exams?
The most frequently tested command words in VCAA Psychology are Identify, Describe, Explain, Outline, Name. Practising responses to these verbs is a high-impact study strategy.

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