The HSC stands for the High School Certificate that one earns after completing Year 11 and 12 studies. In Australia, education starts with six years of primary schooling (Years 1-6). It is followed by six years of high school education (Years 7-12). Since most children enrol in schools when they are about 5 years old, they graduate from high school at the age of 17 or 18 years.
The HSC or the High School Certificate marks the end of their school education and indicates they are ready to join the workforce or higher education at the tertiary level (colleges and universities).
When students complete their Year 11 and Year 12 coursework successfully, they graduate from high school with the High School Certificate (HSC). They can, then, enrol in a college or university for tertiary education. Or they may join a course in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector that focus on providing skills to people who want to join the workforce.
Most of the courses offered to students, who have graduated from high school, ask for a minimum HSC score as the eligibility criterion for admission. HSC performance of a student is ranked from 1 to 25 - depending on the subject combination students opt for and their HSC exam results.
HSC subjects students have to study compulsorily include English, Physical Education, Mathematics, and Natural Science. Students also choose from a wide range of optional subjects, such as:
Students may also choose to study Advanced Mathematics, Sciences or English depending on which career they are planning for.
The HSC or the High School Certificate is awarded in New South Wales. In different states of Australia, it is known by other names. In Victoria, it is known by the name of Victoria Certificate of Education (VCE). In Queensland, it is known by the name of Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE). In Tasmania, senior school students graduate to receive the Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE).
Western Australia awards the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) to the students graduating from senior secondary schools. South Australia awards the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) to the graduating high school students.
The Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) nationalise the Year 12 university ranks across Australia (except those of Queensland) to generate the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR). The ATAR is used to select prospective candidates for various courses.
To take HSC exams, students have to choose and complete four types of courses:
To get an HSC, students must complete the HSC course requirements and sit for state-wide HSC tests. Generally speaking, HSC course requirements include:
These units must include:
The subject here means an area of study. For example, Mathematics, English, and Biology subjects. Within one subject, there can be several courses. For example, English is a subject which has four English courses to choose from:
HSC tutors in Australia say that it takes about one semester (or half-a-year of work) to complete one unit. English is the only compulsory subject for HSC aspirants.
Most students complete their HSC in two years - by completing Years 11 and 12 course requirements while they are in high school. But some students look for other ways to acquire a high school certificate. Their reasons might differ, including:
Five HSC pathways exist to cater to such students. These are:
Students will only receive an HSC credential if they meet the minimum standard. But they are allowed to study, sit for HSC tests, and receive their exam results, ATAR and school achievement record.
Many Australian universities (like Macquarie University, University of New South Wales, Charles Sturt University, University of New England, etc.) offer the HSC-University pathway for high-achieving students at the secondary school level. The HSC University Pathways program allows students to enrol in the first-year university course while they are in Year 11. This Pathway is open for students who have cleared at least one HSC course with Band 6 or E4 grade. These students must also have the endorsement of their High School Principal and approval of their parents or guardians.
ÇéÂÂйÃÜ offers the best online tutors who can help all students by providing them with all the HSC information they need. They can also help students and their parents understand the HSC guidelines in detail. Whether you need a Math tutor in Sydney or an English tutor in Perth or a Science tutor in Brisbane, we bring you the best tutors in Australia available to you in one click.
In Year 10, students have to choose which HSC subjects they will study for the next two years. While the English subject is compulsory, they have an option to choose the rest of the subjects according to their higher education study plan and career plan.
To choose the right subject, one has to first be clear of their skills, interests, and choose a career. The online tutors on our site can help students explore different careers and choose one that is best suited to them. They can also guide you on which HSC subjects they should opt for according to their chosen career path. You should also keep in mind which subjects will be counted towards your ATAR.
HSC offers more than 127,000 different study paths depending on your subject combinations. Having a trusted and expert guidance to help you choose subjects can have far-reaching advantages.
Many students are obsessed with courses that they think will scale up in the future. Instead, you should choose courses according to your ability and what you want to do after Year 12. You may also check the university admission booklets and see which courses you might want to join after graduating from high school. Check the prerequisites for the courses you shortlist. These may help you choose the right courses to study in high school.
In most cases, if you score around 70 in the HSC, your ATAR should be in the 50s. But if you score around 80 in the HSC, your ATAR might push up to 80s too. If you perform well in HSC courses, your selection rank will be higher and you will be able to get admission in your chosen course easily.
Tutors in Australia suggest that all students should aim for earning Band 4 and above in all the courses they take. Students should also keep in mind that higher scores in a lower-level course do not work well in pushing up their ATAR rank. Hence, one should ideally pick the best courses within their ability.
You can find the best HSC tutors online at ÇéÂÂйÃÜ to choose the right subjects and tutors, and prepare for your HSC exams.
The HSC is assessed on the basis of:
The average of school assessments and exam results is drawn to calculate the HSC mark. The minimum expected standard HSC students are expected to meet is '50' on a scale of 1-100. When a student earns 50 or more marks, HSC results describe what level or standard that mark represents
School-based assessments carry a 50% weight in HSC marks reported on the students' Record of Achievement. These include:
They are assessed by school teachers and these marks are submitted by schools to the Board of Studies. Students have to complete each course they take satisfactorily. One needs at least 50% of marks in school assessments in each course.
ÇéÂÂйÃÜ tutors can offer you a complete package of academic support services, including helping you with writing assignments, preparing for tests, and doing projects and practicals. They also offer you online tuitions for HSC students and help them prepare for their exit exams.
Students also take HSC examination for each Board Developed Course they take, which may in the form of:
Students taking VET courses have mandatory work placement components. They receive HSC marks for only Board Developed Accounting courses and Industry Curriculum Framework courses after taking the examination. Along with the HSC Record of Achievement, VET students also receive a VET certificate.
HSC results are usually declared in December and the students receive HSC documentation by mail in January. These include:
The New South Wales (NSW) Education Standards Authority (NESA) prepares four merit lists every year which are released in December. These include:
The New South Wales government awards students who score more than 90 marks in more than 10 units of HSC courses with the ‘Premier’s Award’. Most outstanding of these students may also win the ‘Australian Student Prize’ by the Commonwealth Government. The Mathematical Association of New South Wales awards the ‘T G Room’ award to the student who tops the highest level HSC Mathematics exam.
The HSC mark is the average of the school assessment mark and the exam mark for each course. Half marks are round up to the nearest whole number. Hence, if a student scores 95 in the exam and gets 90 in the school assessment for a course, his HSC mark would be the average of the two or 92.5, which will be rounded off to 93.
Performance Bands are based on cut-off marks. They are calculated as follows:
Performance Bands for Extension Courses are calculated as follows:
First, you need to know the HSC syllabus of all the courses you opt for. You should also read the HSC guidelines regarding the course outcomes, assessments, and reporting carefully.
On ÇéÂÂйÃÜ, you can check out the HSC past paper of the sample HSC test paper for your course. Check them out to see what type of questions you can expect in the exam. These sample papers and past papers also help you to assess your knowledge and check where your HSC exam preparation stands.
But remember, HSC exam format and question topics may change. You cannot assume that the questions or topics asked in previous years' HSC question papers will repeat themselves in the exam. You have to study well, read the questions carefully, and answer the question appropriately. ÇéÂÂйÃÜ tutors will not only help you master the topics in your syllabus but also advise you on how to answer questions correctly. They will help you understand how to figure out the nature, intent, and format of a question and then, write and answer them accordingly.
The Higher School Certificate (HSC) is the highest educational award you achieve at the end of secondary school in Australia. You start studying for it in the Preliminary Year (Year 11) and complete it at the end of Year 12. Your HSC Year begins in Term 4 for most students when you get a copy of the HSC Rules and Procedures guide (which outlines important HSC information regarding enrolment, assessment, exams and results) and sign the 'Confirmation of Entry' form.
The HSC credential is essential for taking admission into tertiary education courses or joining the workforce.
If you don't sit for the HSC exam, you fail in HSC. You cannot get marks solely based on your school assessment marks. You will still get an HSC certificate but your ATAR will be ruined which will pose a problem if you want to enrol in a college or a university later - in Australia or overseas.
In case you are not able to attend the exam because you fall sick or get injured, you will have to fill an illness/misadventure form available at your school and submit the independent evidence for it. If you arrive late for the exam, then also you may have to fill the form and provide an explanation for why you were late.
You should also write to the BOSTES (Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards) if there were other reasons for your delay which were beyond your control.
You should choose the HSC subjects you love and also scale well. You can start with shortlisting all the subjects you like, put your career plan in front of you, and then, decide which of them suit your career plan.
For example, Chemistry and English Standard are recommended prerequisite HSC courses for Medicine courses. Mathematics Extension 1 and Biology HSC courses are recommended prerequisites for Dentistry courses.
Contact the ÇéÂÂйÃÜ student counsellors now to get help with the HSC subjects and courses you should choose.