Cohort insights
2007 was the year that most students who sat HSC exams in 2019 started their 13 years of schooling.
Students studying a HSC course
The total number of HSC students in 2019.
Students on track to complete their HSC
Making the HSC the most popular school credential in Australia in 2019.
How many students are studying for the HSC?
The HSC is the most popular high school credential in Australia with 75,006 students studying one or more HSC courses in 2019. Of these students, 67,915 are on track to complete their HSC this year.
Where are students studying their courses?
The majority are studying for the HSC at schools in the Sydney metropolitan area. The others are studying in regional areas of NSW, and a small number outside NSW.
The location is based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Remoteness Area classification.
Enrolment data is taken from 1 September 2019.
Learn more about the HSC course enrolments by region
Learn more about HSC course enrolments
Exam insights
There are now 123 written exams, which will be reviewed by the 96 exam committees 6 times before more than 700,000 exam papers are printed.
For the 2019 HSC, there was:
- 26 km of security wrapping
- 51 km of security strapping
- 7,000 boxes
- 17,000 consignments tracked
- 35,000 papers quality checked
- 40,000 return envelopes
- 1,975,000 items to pack
- 50 tonnes of steel cabinets
- 8,200,000 exam pages scanned.
Written exams
Totalling 350 hours
Exam committees
With 300 committee members developing the HSC exams
Sat the HSC exams overseas
Exam papers are reviewed
Before more than 700,000 exam papers are printed
Exam centres
Staffed by over 7,500 supervisors and presiding officers
Marking insights
4,000 HSC markers, (72% of all markers) will mark online. 83 courses will be marked partly or wholly online. 3,200 online markers, (80% of all online markers) will work remotely.
Markers
will work across NSW in 9 marking centres and from home.
Of HSC markers will mark online
with 83 courses to be marked all or in part online.
Of online markers
will work remotely after attending a briefing and practice marking sessions at a marking centre.
What courses are students studying?
Over 150 Board developed HSC courses, covering a broad range of subjects, are available to meet students’ diverse needs.
These include:
- 106 examinable courses
- 13 Industry Curriculum Frameworks (with examinations)
- 32 Life Skills courses for students with disability.
In addition, there are over 120 Board Endorsed courses available, including vocational courses, for which students can also achieve an Australian Qualifications Framework credential, and courses designed by schools to meet local needs.
It is compulsory to study an English course for the HSC. 68490 students (91% of the total cohort) are enrolled in at least one of the following HSC English courses:
- English Standard
- English Advanced
- English Extension 1
- English Extension 2
- English EAL/D
- English Studies
- English Life Skills.
57,799 students (77% of the total cohort) are enrolled in at least one of the following HSC Maths courses:
- Mathematics
- Mathematics Extension 1
- Mathematics Extension 2
- Mathematics Standard 2
- Mathematics Standard 1
- Mathematics Life Skills.
32,331 students (43% of the total cohort) are enrolled in at least one of the following HSC Science courses:
- Biology / Living World Science Life Skills
- Chemistry / Chemical World Science Life Skills
- Physics / Physical World Science Life Skills
- Earth and Environmental Science / Earth and Space Science Life Skills
- Investigating Science / Investigating Science Life Skills
- Science Extension.
5,801 students are enrolled in at least one HSC Language course.
20,088 students (27% of the total cohort) are enrolled in at least one HSC Vocational Educational and Training (VET) course. Of these, 18,034 are enrolled in one or more of the VET Industry curriculum frameworks.
2,125 students are enrolled in at least one HSC Life Skills course.
Highest candidature subjects
There are 150 Board developed HSC courses.
| Rank | Subject | Unique students |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 68,490 |
| 2 | Mathematics | 57,799 |
| 3 | Biology | 19,057 |
| 4 | Business Studies | 18,013 |
| 5 | Personal Development, Health & Physical Education | 16,772 |
| 6 | Studies of Religion | 14,814 |
| 7 | Modern History | 11,644 |
| 8 | Legal Studies | 10,821 |
| 9 | Chemistry | 10,458 |
| 10 | Visual Arts | 9,038 |
| 11 | Community and Family Studies | 8,892 |
| 12 | Physics | 8,544 |
| 13 | Ancient History | 7,490 |
| 14 | Hospitality | 7,049 |
| 15 | Industrial Technology | 5,948 |
| Rank | Language | Unique Students |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | 1,348 |
| 2 | French | 1,152 |
| 3 | Chinese | 914 |
| 4 | Italian | 551 |
| 5 | Spanish | 433 |
| Rank | Framework | Unique Students |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospitality | 7,049 |
| 2 | Construction | 3,447 |
| 3 | Business Services | 2,251 |
| 4 | Retail Services | 1,729 |
| 5 | Primary Industries | 1,163 |
Fun facts
This year, Joshua and Emily will top the list of the given names for the 2019 cohort. There are 985 sets of twins and 16 sets of triplets who will sat exams in the 2019 HSC.
| Rank | First name | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua | 756 |
| 2 | Emily | 626 |
| 3 | Thomas | 618 |
| 4 | Jessica | 612 |
| 5 | Jack | 608 |
| 6 | James | 572 |
| 7 | Lachlan | 570 |
| 8 | Daniel | 541 |
| 9 | Matthew | 510 |
| 10 | Nicholas | 503 |
| Rank | Family name | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nguyen | 602 |
| 2 | Smith | 482 |
| 3 | Lee | 272 |
| 4 | Jones | 248 |
| 5 | Tran | 247 |
| 6 | Taylor | 224 |
| 7 | Williams | 223 |
| 8 | Chen | 216 |
| 9 | Brown | 216 |
| 10 | Li | 204 |
| Sets of twins | Sets of triplets | Set of multiple births |
|---|---|---|
| 985 | 16 | 1,001 |
Course and region numbers
More detailed data for courses (including VET and Life Skills) and enrolment by regions across NSW.
2019 course enrolments
NESA reports on student enrolment information for HSC courses each year. Learn the number of students enrolled in Board Developed HSC courses in 2019.
2019 region enrolments
Students are studying their HSC courses in schools throughout NSW, and even at some schools overseas. View the number of students at schools in each region for the 2019 HSC cohort.