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Your aim is to attain the best HSC result you can. So, you should choose courses that you are good at, interested in and may use in the future.
When considering which courses to study, explore the content of a course. For example, what are the course outcomes? Will you be required to submit a major work, or perform, as part of your exams? Talk with your teachers about your strengths and weaknesses, as well as individual course requirements, before making your selections.
Meeting HSC eligibility requirements - Know the eligibility basics
Meeting HSC eligibility requirements - Know the eligibility basics
To be eligible for the HSC, you must:
Satisfactorily complete Years 9 and 10 or gain other qualifications that satisfy NESA
Attend a government school, an accredited non-government school, a NSW Education Standards Authority recognised school outside NSW, or a TAFE college
Complete HSC: All My Own Work (or its equivalent) before you submit any work for Preliminary or HSC courses, unless you are only entered for Year 11 and Year 12 Life Skills courses
Satisfactorily complete courses in the patterns of study detailed below
Sit for and make a serious attempt at the required HSC examination
Meet the HSC minimum standard of literacy and numeracy within five years of starting your HSC course
Certain patterns of study and course requirements apply.
Certain patterns of study and course requirements apply.
You must satisfactorily complete:
Preliminary pattern of study that includes at least 12 units
HSC pattern of study that includes at least 10 units
Both patterns of study must include at least:
6 units of Board Developed Courses
2 units of a Board Developed Course in English
3 courses of 2 or more units (either Board Developed or Board Endorsed Courses)
4 subject areas
Some courses have certain rules and prerequisites. For example, you can include English Studies in your 6 units of Board Developed Courses, but you can only count it as the 2 units of English that UAC uses to calculate an ATAR if you sit the optional HSC examination.
There are also specific eligibility rules for some language courses, such as Beginners and Continuers, to ensure your course is at the appropriate level for your experience.
Enrolling in a course that you are not eligible for could put your HSC at risk, so carefully check your eligibility for all courses you are enrolled for. You can find out more about eligibility, rules and prerequisites on the NESA website by clicking here.
HSC Minimum Standards
HSC Minimum Standards
All students will need to meet minimum literacy and numeracy standards as part of their Higher School Certificate. The Minimum Standards reflect the importance of literacy and numeracy for success in daily life.
To show that students meet the standard they need to pass each of the separate online reading, writing and numeracy test.
The standard is set at level 3 of the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF), which means students will have the basic reading, writing and maths skills needed for everyday tasks and future learning after school. It includes skills for tasks such as: following safety instructions in equipment manuals, understanding a mobile phone plan, writing a job application or creating a personal weekly budget.
Together with the NSW Literacy and Numeracy Strategy, the HSC Minimum Standard is part of an effort to improve the literacy and numeracy outcomes for all students.
Types of HSC Courses
Types of HSC Courses
Board Developed Courses
Board Developed courses are the large number of courses set and examined by Education Standards that also contribute to the calculation of the ATAR.
Board Endorsed courses are developed by schools, TAFE and universities. They count towards your HSC but do not have a HSC examination and do not contribute towards the calculation of your ATAR.
Special Education (Life Skills)
If you have special education needs you can attain your HSC by studying Life Skills courses. There are specific entry requirements for the Life Skills courses and you still need to meet the general eligibility and study patterns to earn your HSC. You will need to talk with the Student Pathways Lead or the Curriculum Administration Lead to find out whether these courses are suitable for you. Life Skills courses do not count towards the ATAR.
Vocational Education and Training (VET)
VET courses can be studied either at school or through TAFE NSW and other training providers. The Leader of Learning VET and Student Pathways Lead can advise you regarding which courses are available and the requirements of the different courses. For example, all VET courses involve a minimum number of hours in the work placement.
VET courses contribute towards your HSC and Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) VET credentials, recognised by industry and employers throughout Australia. Some of the Board Developed VET courses have an optional HSC examination so, if you choose to sit the examination, your results from one VET course can count towards your ATAR.
HSC: All My Own Work
HSC: All My Own Work
HSC: All My Own Work is a program designed to help HSC students follow the principles and practices of good scholarship. This includes understanding, valuing and using ethical practices when locating and using information as part of their HSC studies. Students who have completed the program will also know about penalties for cheating and how to avoid malpractice when preparing their work for assessment.
The program’s content is divided into five modules:
Scholarship, Principles and Practices
Acknowledging Sources
Plagiarism
Copyright
Working with others
How is HSC: All My Own Work related to HSC eligibility?
All students entered for one or more Preliminary or HSC course will be required to have satisfactorily completed HSC: All My Own Work or its equivalent. This requirement includes students who are entered for Life Skills courses or Board Endorsed courses.
Program completion will be certified on the HSC Confirmation of Entry - Principal’s Certification form that principals sign and submit in conjunction with the confirmed HSC entries from the school.
A student is considered to have satisfactorily completed the HSC: All My Own Work program if, in the principal’s view, there is sufficient evidence that the student has:
Systematically addressed the content covered by the program; and
Applied themselves with diligence and sustained effort to the set tasks and experiences provided in the program by the school; and
Achieved some or all of the program outcomes.
It is important to note that students must complete HSC: All My Own Work (or its equivalent) before they are enrolled for any Preliminary (Year 11) or HSC (Year 12) courses, unless they are only entered for Year 11 and Year 12 Life Skills courses. For this reason, at St Peter’s Catholic College, this program is completed by Year 10 students during Term 4.
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