Subject Selection Requirements

To receive their HSC, students must satisfactorily complete:

• A minimum of 12 Preliminary course units

• A minimum of 10 HSC course units, including English

All students must study 2 units of English (NESA requirement).

Students will need to select which English course is the most suitable. There are three to choose from - Advanced, Standard and English Studies.

Students must study at least 1 unit of Religion (HTS and all Catholic schools' requirements).

Students can elect to study:

• 2 units of Religion - Studies of Religion II OR

• 1 unit of Religion - Studies of Religion I OR

• 1 unit of Studies in Catholic Thought (this subject does NOT contribute towards an ATAR calculation).

Pattern of Study

In both Preliminary and HSC students need to be aware of the following requirements:

• 6 units of Board Developed Courses

• 2 units of compulsory English

• 3 courses with 2 or more units, either Board Developed or Board Endorsed Courses

• 4 subjects (including English).

• A maximum of 6 units of Science may be included in the Year 11 pattern of study

• A maximum of 7 units of Science may be included in the Year 12 pattern of study

Satisfactory completion of a Preliminary course is a prerequisite for that subject in Year 12

• All courses in the HSC have a unit value

  • Most courses are 2 Units

  • 2 Units =120 hours per year and 100 marks in the HSC exam

  • 1 Unit = 60 hours and 50 marks in HSC exam 

  • Many 1 unit courses are extension courses, enabling 3 or 4 units of a course to be studied

• All  2 unit HSC courses have equal status

Extension Courses

Extension study is available in a number of subjects. Extension Courses build on the content of the 2 Unit course and carry an additional value of 1 Unit, requiring students to work beyond the standard of the 2 Unit course. Extension courses are available in English, Mathematics, History, Music, Science and some Languages.

English and Mathematics Extension courses are available at Preliminary and HSC levels. Students must study the Preliminary Extension Course in these subjects before proceeding to the two HSC extension courses (Extension 1 and Extension 2). The Extension 2 course requires students to work beyond the standard of the Extension 1 course.

HSC Extension Courses in subjects other than English and Mathematics are only offered and examined in Year 12.

1 Unit Courses

This is roughly half the class time you would spend on a 2 Unit course. There are a number of 1 Unit Board Endorsed Courses. These courses DO NOT COUNT in the ATAR.

Board Developed Courses

HSC examination except for: 

• optional examination in English Studies and Mathematics Standard 1 and VET Curriculum Framework courses

all Life Skills courses

• May be included in the calculation of a student’s Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).

• Includes some Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses.

•  Includes Life Skills courses.

Board Endorsed Courses

• No HSC examination – school-based assessment only

• Not included in the calculation of a student’s Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).

•  Includes some Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses.

• The Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) uses the HSC results to calculate the ATAR. This is not a mark or a summary of the HSC. It is a ranking system used to allocate university placements.

• To be eligible for an ATAR, students must satisfactorily complete at least 10 units of certain Board Developed Courses for which formal examinations are conducted by NESA. 

• UAC calculates the university admission ranks each year using students’:

  • moderated assessment marks (before alignment with the standards)

  • total exam marks (before alignment with the standards).

Getting an ATAR is optional.