Higher School Certificate
Encyclopedia
The Higher School Certificate, or HSC, is the credential awarded to secondary school
students who successfully complete senior high school level studies (Years 11 and 12 or equivalent) in New South Wales
, Australia
. It was first introduced in 1967, with the last major revision coming into effect in 2001. It is currently developed and managed by the Board of Studies of NSW. In 2011, 72,391 students sat the exams, the largest group of Year Twelve students in Australian history.
There are a great number of possible courses students can study, totalling over 100 (including languages), in a wide range of subject areas. However, most schools offer students a smaller selection from which they must choose. The only compulsory subject area is English, with one of English Advanced, English Standard, English as a Second Language or English Life Skills required for the award of the HSC. (English Extension 1 and English Extension 2 are also available for English Advanced students). Individual schools may require their students to undertake certain courses, as is the case with Studies of Religion in many religious schools or Agriculture in agricultural schools, however these are internal school requirements separate from HSC requirements. There are also three distance education distinction courses
run through regional universities available to students who have finished 2 units ahead of their cohort.
Most courses offered comprise a preliminary (Year 11) component and an HSC (Year 12) component. As a general rule the preliminary component must be completed prior to the HSC component. Furthermore, each subject is designated as either one or two "units". Each unit involves approximately two hours of formal tuition per week, and contributes a maximum mark of 50. The majority of courses are two unit courses, and thus students receive marks out of 100 in these courses. 10 units is the minimum number of units required, however students can attempt more should they choose. If they do, their final ATAR mark is calculated using their best 2 units of English and 8 best other units. Extension courses, each with a value of one unit, may be included in the study program, meaning that a certain subject area may have up to four units, e.g. English (Advanced) (two units) plus English Extension 1 and English Extension 2 (each worth one unit).
To be eligible for the award of the HSC a student must have satisfied the requirements in at least twelve preliminary level units, and at least ten HSC level units, with the additional requirements that:
Further restrictions may apply in certain subject areas.
Note that these requirements are for the award of the HSC. Further requirements regarding study patterns apply if the student wishes to apply for a separate Australian Tertiary Admission Rank
(ATAR) based on their HSC performance.
The following is a list of Board Developed Courses available to students.
In addition, some VET (Vocational Education and Training) courses are offered. In addition to HSC credit, completion of these courses may earn an industry Certificate II. Ten of these are Board Developed Courses (BDC)
Languages are also offered as Beginners, Continuers, Extension, Background Speakers and recently, Heritage courses. Only one course of any one language may be taken, with the exception of Extension, available only to students taking the Continuers course. Due to the large number of language courses, they have been listed separately. The letters B (beginners), C (continuers), E (extension), BS (background speakers), H (heritage) indicate which courses are available for study.
For talented students the Board of Studies offers a Philosophy distinction course
. This course is intended to challenge academic high achievers; it is of first year university level difficulty. Typically, there are very few students invited to take the distinction course and, to be considered, a student must have accelerated (i.e. sat for an HSC examination at least one year ahead of their age cohort) in at least one two-unit HSC course and received exceptional results.
These exams are administered by the Board of Studies
, which is responsible for the overall oversight of the HSC.
Whenever a student has completed a course they also receive feedback regarding their results in that course, which typically includes exam results, school assessment results and the performance band in which their performance lies.
Students who achieve excellent results of over 90 in 10 units of study in the HSC are awarded the Premier's Award by the New South Wales government
. The most outstanding of these students may also be awarded the Australian Student Prize by the Commonwealth government
. The T G Room award
of the Mathematical Association of New South Wales is given to the student with the best score in the highest-level HSC mathematics examination.
HSC results may also be used to calculate the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank
(ATAR). Similar ranking processes used previously were called the UAI (Universities Admission Index
) and the TER (Tertiary Entrance Rank). The ATAR is a separate ranking calculated by another body, the Universities Admissions Centre
(UAC), and is used for determining university entrance. Since 1998 the university entrance rank has been issued separately from the HSC results in order to distinguish the two.
that the English course as a whole contains too many contemporary texts such as the The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring instead of more classical literature such as Paradise Lost
or Bleak House
. Advocates of the course say that it offers a very broad selection of texts, ranging from classic books such as Brave New World
, Emma
, Pride and Prejudice
, King Lear
et alia to influential modern media such as Frontline
.
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
students who successfully complete senior high school level studies (Years 11 and 12 or equivalent) in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It was first introduced in 1967, with the last major revision coming into effect in 2001. It is currently developed and managed by the Board of Studies of NSW. In 2011, 72,391 students sat the exams, the largest group of Year Twelve students in Australian history.
Patterns of study
The majority of students undertake HSC-related courses over the final two years of high school, however it is possible to undertake different study patterns over different time periods or through different teaching organisations.There are a great number of possible courses students can study, totalling over 100 (including languages), in a wide range of subject areas. However, most schools offer students a smaller selection from which they must choose. The only compulsory subject area is English, with one of English Advanced, English Standard, English as a Second Language or English Life Skills required for the award of the HSC. (English Extension 1 and English Extension 2 are also available for English Advanced students). Individual schools may require their students to undertake certain courses, as is the case with Studies of Religion in many religious schools or Agriculture in agricultural schools, however these are internal school requirements separate from HSC requirements. There are also three distance education distinction courses
HSC distinction courses
Distinction courses were an advanced placement program available to Higher School Certificate students in New South Wales, Australia, who have been accelerated in at least one subject by at least one year...
run through regional universities available to students who have finished 2 units ahead of their cohort.
Most courses offered comprise a preliminary (Year 11) component and an HSC (Year 12) component. As a general rule the preliminary component must be completed prior to the HSC component. Furthermore, each subject is designated as either one or two "units". Each unit involves approximately two hours of formal tuition per week, and contributes a maximum mark of 50. The majority of courses are two unit courses, and thus students receive marks out of 100 in these courses. 10 units is the minimum number of units required, however students can attempt more should they choose. If they do, their final ATAR mark is calculated using their best 2 units of English and 8 best other units. Extension courses, each with a value of one unit, may be included in the study program, meaning that a certain subject area may have up to four units, e.g. English (Advanced) (two units) plus English Extension 1 and English Extension 2 (each worth one unit).
To be eligible for the award of the HSC a student must have satisfied the requirements in at least twelve preliminary level units, and at least ten HSC level units, with the additional requirements that:
- at least two must be English units;
- at least six units must be Board of Studies-developed courses;
- at least three courses are of two unit or greater value.
- at least four subjects have been completed.
- no more than six units of science are studied.
Further restrictions may apply in certain subject areas.
Note that these requirements are for the award of the HSC. Further requirements regarding study patterns apply if the student wishes to apply for a separate Australian Tertiary Admission Rank
Australian Tertiary Admission Rank
The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank is the primary criterion for entry into most undergraduate-entry university programs in Australia, it was gradually introduced during 2009 and 2010 to replace the Universities Admission Index, Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank and Tertiary Entrance...
(ATAR) based on their HSC performance.
Available courses
There are two main types of courses available in the HSC: Board Developed Courses and Board Endorsed Courses. Board Developed Courses have a syllabus and final exam set by the Board of Studies, and generally may be included in the calculation of the ATAR. Board Endorsed Courses are developed by the school, and may vary from school to school in regards to content and assessment.The following is a list of Board Developed Courses available to students.
- Aboriginal Studies
- Agriculture
- Ancient History
- Biology
- Business Studies
- Chemistry
- Community and Family Studies
- Dance
- Design and Technology
- Drama
- Earth and Environmental Science
- EconomicsHSC EconomicsThe Higher School Certificate Economics course, is a 2-unit elective course undertaken by students in New South Wales undertaking their final 2 years of schooling...
- Engineering Studies
- English (Advanced)
- English (Extension 1) (only available to students studying English (Advanced))
- English (Extension 2) (only available to students studying English (Advanced) and English (Extension 1))
- English (Standard)
- English as a Second Language
- Food Technology
- Geography
- History Extension (only available to students studying Ancient History and/or Modern History)
- Industrial Technology
- Information Processes and TechnologyInformation Processes and TechnologyInformation Processes and Technology is the study of information systems and the processes and technology involved in them. IPT is also a subject offered to senior high school students in Australia in university entrance exams such as the HSC...
- Legal Studies
- General Mathematics
- Mathematics
- Mathematics (Extension 1) (only available to students studying Mathematics)
- Mathematics (Extension 2) (only available to students studying Mathematics and Mathematics (Extension 1))
- Modern History
- Music 1
- Music 2
- Music Extension (only available to students studying Music 2)
- Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
- Physics
- Senior Science
- Society and Culture
- Software Design and DevelopmentSoftware Design and DevelopmentSoftware Design and Development is the study of designing and developing software. SDD is also a subject offered to senior high school students in Australia in university entrance exams such as the Higher School Certificate and the VCE .-VCE Course:In Victoria, the course in the VCE is known as...
- Studies of Religion I
- Studies of Religion II
- Textiles and Design
- Visual Arts
In addition, some VET (Vocational Education and Training) courses are offered. In addition to HSC credit, completion of these courses may earn an industry Certificate II. Ten of these are Board Developed Courses (BDC)
- Accounting (BDC)
- Animal Studies
- Aviation
- Business Services (BDC)
- Child Care
- Construction (BDC)
- Entertainment Industry (BDC)
- Hairdressing
- Horticulture
- Hospitality (BDC)
- Information Technology (BDC)
- Marketing
- Metal and Engineering (BDC)
- Primary Industries (BDC)
- Retail (BDC)
- Tourism (BDC)
Languages are also offered as Beginners, Continuers, Extension, Background Speakers and recently, Heritage courses. Only one course of any one language may be taken, with the exception of Extension, available only to students taking the Continuers course. Due to the large number of language courses, they have been listed separately. The letters B (beginners), C (continuers), E (extension), BS (background speakers), H (heritage) indicate which courses are available for study.
- Arabic B, C, E
- Armenian C
- Chinese B, C, E, BS, H
- Classical Greek C, E,
- Classical Hebrew C, E
- Croatian C
- Dutch C
- Filipino C
- French B, C, E
- German B, C, E
- Hindi C
- Hungarian C
- Indonesian B, C, E, BS, H
- Italian B, C, E
- Japanese B, C, E, BS, H
- Khmer C
- Korean C, BS, H
- Latin C, E
- Macedonian C
- Malay BS
- Maltese C
- Modern Greek B, C, E
- Modern Hebrew C
- Persian BS
- Polish C
- Portuguese C
- Russian BS
- Serbian C
- Spanish B, C, E
- Swedish C
- Tamil C
- Turkish C
- Ukrainian C
- Vietnamese C
For talented students the Board of Studies offers a Philosophy distinction course
HSC distinction courses
Distinction courses were an advanced placement program available to Higher School Certificate students in New South Wales, Australia, who have been accelerated in at least one subject by at least one year...
. This course is intended to challenge academic high achievers; it is of first year university level difficulty. Typically, there are very few students invited to take the distinction course and, to be considered, a student must have accelerated (i.e. sat for an HSC examination at least one year ahead of their age cohort) in at least one two-unit HSC course and received exceptional results.
Assessment
A student's final mark in each subject is determined by a combination of in-school assessments conducted throughout the HSC component of a course, and externally-administered final exam(s) typically held in October or November of that year. In addition to comprising half of a student's final assessment result in a subject, external exam results are also used to statistically moderate in-school assessment results between different schools.These exams are administered by the Board of Studies
Board of Studies, New South Wales
The Board of Studies is the state government education board in New South Wales, Australia. It provides educational leadership by developing the curriculum from Kindergarten to Year 12 and awarding of the secondary school credentials School Certificate and Higher School Certificate .-Presidents of...
, which is responsible for the overall oversight of the HSC.
Award
Upon successful completion of a satisfactory pattern of study students are awarded the Higher School Certificate by way of a testamur.Whenever a student has completed a course they also receive feedback regarding their results in that course, which typically includes exam results, school assessment results and the performance band in which their performance lies.
Students who achieve excellent results of over 90 in 10 units of study in the HSC are awarded the Premier's Award by the New South Wales government
Government of New South Wales
The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
. The most outstanding of these students may also be awarded the Australian Student Prize by the Commonwealth government
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
. The T G Room award
Thomas Gerald Room
Thomas Gerald Room was an Australian mathematician who is best known for Room squares.-Biography:Thomas Room was born on 10 November 1902, near London, England. He studied mathematics in St John's College, Cambridge, and was a wrangler in 1923...
of the Mathematical Association of New South Wales is given to the student with the best score in the highest-level HSC mathematics examination.
HSC results may also be used to calculate the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank
Australian Tertiary Admission Rank
The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank is the primary criterion for entry into most undergraduate-entry university programs in Australia, it was gradually introduced during 2009 and 2010 to replace the Universities Admission Index, Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank and Tertiary Entrance...
(ATAR). Similar ranking processes used previously were called the UAI (Universities Admission Index
Universities Admission Index
The Universities Admission Index was used in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia, as the primary criterion for entry into most undergraduate-entry university programs...
) and the TER (Tertiary Entrance Rank). The ATAR is a separate ranking calculated by another body, the Universities Admissions Centre
Universities Admissions Centre
The Universities Admissions Centre Pty Ltd is the organisation that processes centralised applications for admission to tertiary education courses at participating institutions, mainly in NSW and the ACT...
(UAC), and is used for determining university entrance. Since 1998 the university entrance rank has been issued separately from the HSC results in order to distinguish the two.
Criticisms
Criticism has been made by public figures such as Cardinal George PellGeorge Pell
George Pell AC is an Australian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the eighth and current Archbishop of Sydney, serving since 2001. He previously served as auxiliary bishop and archbishop of the Archdiocese of Melbourne...
that the English course as a whole contains too many contemporary texts such as the The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring instead of more classical literature such as Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. It was originally published in 1667 in ten books, with a total of over ten thousand individual lines of verse...
or Bleak House
Bleak House
Bleak House is the ninth novel by Charles Dickens, published in twenty monthly installments between March 1852 and September 1853. It is held to be one of Dickens's finest novels, containing one of the most vast, complex and engaging arrays of minor characters and sub-plots in his entire canon...
. Advocates of the course say that it offers a very broad selection of texts, ranging from classic books such as Brave New World
Brave New World
Brave New World is Aldous Huxley's fifth novel, written in 1931 and published in 1932. Set in London of AD 2540 , the novel anticipates developments in reproductive technology and sleep-learning that combine to change society. The future society is an embodiment of the ideals that form the basis of...
, Emma
Emma
Emma, by Jane Austen, is a novel about the perils of misconstrued romance. The novel was first published in December 1815. As in her other novels, Austen explores the concerns and difficulties of genteel women living in Georgian-Regency England; she also creates a lively 'comedy of manners' among...
, Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. The story follows the main character Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England...
, King Lear
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
et alia to influential modern media such as Frontline
Frontline (Australian TV series)
Frontline is an Australian comedy television series which satirised Australian television current affairs programmes and reporting. It ran for three series of 13 half-hour episodes and was broadcast on ABC TV in 1994, 1995 and 1997.-Production:...
.
See also
- HSC School Rankings (NSW)
- University admission
- Victorian Certificate of EducationVictorian Certificate of EducationThe Victorian Certificate of Education or VCE is the credential awarded to secondary school students who successfully complete high school level studies in the state of Victoria, Australia. Study for the VCE is usually completed over two years, but it can be spread over a longer period in some cases...
- South Australian Certificate of EducationSouth Australian Certificate of EducationThe South Australian Certificate of Education is awarded to students who have successfully completed their senior secondary schooling in the state of South Australia....
- Tasmanian Certificate of EducationTasmanian Certificate of EducationThe Tasmanian Certificate of Education, or TCE, is the main credential awarded to secondary school students who successfully complete senior high school level studies in Tasmania, Australia...
- Western Australian Certificate of EducationWestern Australian Certificate of EducationThe Western Australian Certificate of Education is the credential given to students who have completed Year 11 and Year 12 of their secondary schooling in the state of Western Australia, Australia, and is intended to become the Western Australian certificate within the Australian Certificate of...
- ACT Scaling TestACT Scaling TestThe ACT Scaling Test is a test of aptitude in studies for Year 12 students in the Australian Capital Territory set by the ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies and created by the Australian Council for Educational Research...
- Queensland Core Skills TestQueensland Core Skills TestThe Queensland Core Skills Test is a statewide test completed by all Queensland year twelve students who wish to be eligible for an Overall Position and is optional for tertiary rank students. These ranks are used to gain entrance into tertiary degrees and courses...
- Overall Position (Queensland)Overall PositionThe Overall Position is a tertiary entrance rank used in the Australian state of Queensland for selection into universities. Like similar systems used throughout the rest of Australia, the OP shows how well a student has performed in their senior secondary studies compared to all other OP-eligible...