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English Subject Selection
English Subject Selection
English is the only compulsory subject for the HSC as NESA mandates the study of either English Advanced, English Standard OR English Studies for each student who recieves a HSC.
It is also compulsory for two units of English to count in the calculation of an ATAR (University Admission Rank).
As such, each student at William Carey will need to choose one of the above English subjects to complete in year 11 and year 12.
In an endeavour to ensure students are in the RIght Subject at the Right Level to recieve the Right Result, we begin this process towards the end of Term 3 in Year 10.
Students will identify which subject they would like to do and will be placed in trial classes for Term 4 to experience the speed and type of lessons for their chosen subject. With the ability to adjust for year 11.
However, because the courses are aimed at different levels it is very very difficult to achieve the highest bands in some courses.
English Studies is designed for people who are not going into University Study or who are going into subjects that don't use your ATAR for entry (like the Con). If you are planning on going to TAFE or straight into the workforce, this course is designed for you. It has limitations. In 2025 0.13% of English Studies students scored 80% or above and 6.69% of students scored above 70%. However, if you're current skill level is below 70% and you're looking to improve your mark to that goal, English Studies will move at a slower pace and with more accessible texts so you have more time to build your skill base if you need it.
Standard English is designed for people who are going onto AcademicTertiary Study, who need control of academic language, for more practical work. If you are planning to do Policing or nursing or a business degree this might be the course for you. It also has limitations. In 2025 0.42% of Standard students scored over 90%. I would recommend Standard if you don't love English but are looking for a mark around the 70s. It moves at a slightly slower rate than Advanced and has one less text for your HSC, which allows a little more time on skill development.
Advanced English is designed for people who are going into Academic Tertiary study, who need a tight control of the nuances of academic/ professional language. If you are looking for an ATAR contribution of 80 or more from English you should do this course.
Unlike Maths, Extension is an extra subject, which runs completely separate to the previous three, although it can count as part of your compulsory ATAR contribution from English.
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