HSC eligibility requirements

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 exams

• Meet the HSC minimum standard of literacy and numeracy within five years of starting your HSC course (this does not apply to students taking the HSC in 2018 or 2019).

You must satisfactorily complete:

• a Preliminary pattern of study that includes at least 12 units

• an 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 subjects.

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 Languages courses, such as Beginners and Heritage, 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 entered for. You can find out more about eligibility, rules and prerequisites on our website.