HSC

More than 75,000 students complete the HSC each year. The HSC caters for:

• Students who want an ATAR, enabling direct entry to Australian universities
• Students seeking admission to overseas universities
• Students who do not want an ATAR, but do want a recognised school credential
• Students who want an HSC that includes nationally recognised qualifications through vocational education and training (VET) and TAFE courses. Eligible VET courses can count toward an ATAR

Year 11 Course

To progress to Year 12, students must successfully complete:

• A minimum 12 units of study (the College strongly recommends students complete 13 units)
• A minimum of 2 units of English

HSC Course (Year 12)

To qualify for the award of the HSC, students must successfully complete:

• A minimum 10 units of study
• A minimum of 4 subjects must be completed
• At least 3 courses at a minimum of 2 units

Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR)

To qualify for an ATAR for university entry, UAC processes a student’s HSC results:

• Based on scaled marks of 10 units of Board Developed Courses
• Including 2 units of English (ESL, Standard, Advanced or Extension)
• Including the 8 highest scoring remaining units
• Including a maximum of 2 units of Category B courses

Preliminary Course (Year 11)

To progress to Year 12, students must successfully complete a minimum 12 units of study (the College strongly recommends students complete 13 units) including:

• A minimum of 2 units of English
• A minimum of 8 units of Board Developed courses
• A commitment to sit optional exams of relevant Board Developed courses

HSC Course (Year 12)

To qualify for the HSC, students must successfully complete a minimum 10 units of study (the College strongly recommends students complete 11 or 12 units) including:

• 2 units of English
• 3 HSC Board Developed Courses of 2 units or greater
• 4 subject areas
• Completion of optional exams in relevant Board Developed courses

Preliminary Course (Year 11)

To progress to Year 12, students must successfully complete a minimum 12 units of study, from subjects including:

• A minimum of 2 units of English
• A combination of Board Developed Courses, Board Endorsed Courses and/or approved TAFE courses

HSC Course (Year 12)

To qualify for the award of the HSC, students must successfully complete a minimum 10 units of study from:

• A minimum of 2 units of English
• A combination of Board Developed Courses, Board Endorsed Courses and/or approved TAFE courses
• Board Endorsed Courses with optional examinations do not need to be completed for a non-ATAR pathway

Visit the VET pathway page

Need to know:

• To qualify for the HSC, the NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA) requires students to complete a minimum of 12 preliminary HSC units in Year 11 and 10 HSC units in year 12.
• Newington College recommends all students entering Year 11 select 13 units and all students starting their HSC year to have a minimum of 11 units in their course.
• The only compulsory subject is English.

Students should discuss possible subjects with Heads of Department and their Head of House to ensure they have the skills and capacity to fulfill course requirements.

In some cases students will not be able to complete their chosen combination of subjects:

– Some subjects will have insufficient numbers of students for us to be able to run a class.

– Some combinations of subjects will clash on the school timetable.

Students in this position will be supported to find alternative patterns of study for Year 11.

HSC subjects available for 2025.

• Want more in-depth information about the HSC pathway? Click here to view the NESA website.
• Access to language courses