Eligibility for the Higher School Certificate
How many units must I study?
- Students must study at least 12 units in the Preliminary Year (Year 11).
- Students must study at least 10 units in the HSC Year (Year 12).
What courses must I study?
In both Year 11 and Year 12, students must study at least:
- six units from Board Developed courses;
- two units of a Board Developed course in English;
- three courses of two units value or greater (Board Developed or Board Endorsed); and
- courses from four subjects.
Satisfactory completion of a course
For a student to satisfactorily complete a course, NESA requires the Principal to have sufficient evidence that the student has:
- followed the course developed or endorsed by NESA;
- applied themselves with diligence and sustained effort to the set tasks and experiences provided in the course by the Academy; and
- achieved some or all of the course outcomes.
Additional completion requirements for HSC courses
In Year 12, students must also:
- complete HSC assessment tasks that contribute in excess of 50 percent of the available marks in courses where internal assessment marks are submitted; and
- sit for and make a serious attempt at the HSC examination for each course.
Meeting the HSC minimum standard in literacy and numeracy
Students need to demonstrate they have met a minimum standard in literacy and numeracy to be eligible for the award of the HSC. This is shown by passing online tests of basic literacy and numeracy skills, which students may sit when ready in Year 10, 11 and 12, and after the HSC if required.
HSC: All My Own Work
HSC: All My Own Work is a mandatory program, completed on entry to Year 11, that helps students follow the principles and practices of good scholarship. It covers four topics: what is all my own work; what is plagiarism; how do I acknowledge other people’s work; and how can I work honestly.
Eligibility for the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)
If a student wishes to apply for a university course, they must ensure their course of study qualifies them for an ATAR. The ATAR is calculated from the scaled marks in the student’s best ten units of Board Developed HSC Courses, subject to the following restrictions:
- at least two units of English must be included;
- at least four Board Developed courses of two units value or greater must be included; and
- courses from at least four subjects must be included.
HSC and ATAR — what is the difference?
| HSC (Higher School Certificate) | ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) |
|---|---|
| Is for all students | Is for students wishing to gain a place at university |
| Reports student achievement in terms of a standard achieved in individual courses | Is a rank, not a mark |
| Presents a profile of student achievement across a broad range of subjects | Provides information about how students perform overall in relation to other students, and the discrimination required by universities for selection |
For each Board Developed course, the reported HSC mark is made up of 50% internal (school-based) assessment and 50% external HSC examination.
ATAR myths and facts
| Myth | Fact |
|---|---|
| I can study certain subjects to maximise my ATAR. | The only way to maximise your ATAR is by achieving the highest possible assessment ranks and examination marks in the courses you study. High HSC marks and a high ATAR are achievable regardless of the particular courses studied or the school attended. |
| If I am studying 11 units, the single-unit course won’t be counted in my ATAR calculation. | All courses are converted to single units, and the best 8 units (after the best 2 units of English) are used to calculate the ATAR. |
| I will get a higher ATAR if I study a more highly regarded course than if I study another course. | The ATAR is determined by a student’s position within the courses they study. High HSC marks and a high ATAR are achievable regardless of the particular courses chosen. |
| I can work out my ATAR from my trial or HSC marks. | The ATAR is about position among all candidates in a course, so even high HSC marks do not necessarily mean a high position, and therefore a high ATAR. |
There are many pathways into every career
The HSC leads to a range of destinations — university, TAFE, and work combined with workplace training — and these pathways are not mutually exclusive. Students who begin at TAFE or in the workforce regularly move on to university later, and university graduates regularly combine further study with TAFE or workplace training. Course selection should be guided by a student’s interests, strengths and intended direction, not by rumour or peer pressure.
ATAR 97.65 — Biology 85 · Business Studies 95 · English Standard 93 · Legal Studies 96 · Studies of Religion 93. A high ATAR is achievable with the courses offered on this pathway.