Performance bands
This data reports HSC performance band distributions in 2023. View the performance band distributions by gender, location and socio-economic status.
About the statistics
Each student’s performance is based on their HSC mark, which is the average of their school assessment and HSC examination marks. The student’s HSC mark places them in a performance band that describes the skills and knowledge demonstrated by the student in that course.
The information in this section relates to performance in Board developed courses with examinations completed in 2023.
Minimum Expected Standard (MSE) refers to the proportion of students performing above the MSE.
View more information on HSC performance bands in the data glossary.
This data is taken from 22 January 2024.
Gender
Use the graph to view the percentage of results in each performance band. The graph is categorised by gender.
Overview
For female students in 2023:
- 13% of results were in the Top Band
- 44% of results were in the Top 2 Bands
- 75% of results were in the Top 3 Bands
- 98% of results were above the MSE.
For male students in 2023:
- 12% of results were in the Top Band
- 38% of results were in the Top 2 Bands
- 68% of results were in the Top 3 Bands
- 98% of results were above the MSE.
For non-binary students in 2023:
- 8% of results were in the Top Band
- 48% of results were in the Top 2 Bands
- 80% of results were in the Top 3 Bands
- 100% of results above the MSE.
Location
Use the graph to view the percentage of results in each performance band, or use the dropdowns to view information for each location.
Location refers to where a student's school is located. The location is based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Remoteness Area classification.
Results in major cities in 2023:
- 14% were in the Top Band
- 45% were in the Top 2 Bands
- 75% were in the Top 3 Bands
- 98% were above the MSE.
Results in inner regional areas in 2023:
- 5% were in the Top Band
- 26% were in the Top 2 Bands
- 59% were in the Top 3 Bands
- 97% were above the MSE.
Results in outer regional and remote areas in 2023:
- 3% were in the a Top Band
- 18% were in the Top 2 Bands
- 50% were in the Top 3 Bands
- 96% were above the MSE.
Results from overseas schools in 2023:
- 7% were in the Top Band
- 40% were in the Top 2 Bands
- 70% were in the Top 3 Bands
- 97% were above the MSE.
Socio-economic status (SES)
Use the graph to view the percentage of results in each performance band, or use the dropdowns to view information for each SES quartile. Use the dropdowns to view information for each quartile. SES is based on student's address.
- Quartile 1 – represents the lowest or most disadvantaged 25% of SES localities.
- Quartile 4 – represents the highest or most advantaged 25%.
For details on SES data, view the data glossary.
Results in SES Quartile 1 in 2023:
- 5% were in the Top Band
- 23% were in the Top 2 Bands
- 53% were in the Top 3 Bands
- 95% were above the MSE.
Results in SES Quartile 2 in 2023:
- 7% were in the Top Band
- 30% were in the Top 2 Bands
- 63% were in the Top 3 Bands
- 97% were above the MSE.
Results in SES Quartile 3 in 2023:
- 11% were in the Top Band
- 40% were in the Top 2 Bands
- 73% were in the Top 3 Bands
- 99% were above the MSE.
Results in SES Quartile 4 in 2023:
- 20% were in the Top Band
- 58% were in the Top 2 Bands
- 85% were in the Top 3 Bands
- 99% were above the MSE.
Band distribution breakdown
Use the tables to view the performance band distributions for general and extension HSC courses.
E refers to Band Distribution proportions that are not provided where the course candidature is 25 or less.
Performance within a specific course can be compared over time. Performance cannot be compared across different courses. The distribution of results across performance bands is determined by the actual performance of students in that course. There is no pre-defined distribution for each course. The distribution can change from year to year.
| Course Name | Band 6 | Band 5 | Band 4 | Band 3 | Band 2 | Band 1 |
| Aboriginal Studies | 13% | 25% | 24% | 19% | 12% | 7% |
| Agriculture | 10% | 20% | 27% | 28% | 11% | 4% |
| Ancient History | 9% | 23% | 28% | 20% | 13% | 6% |
| Arabic Continuers | 17% | 43% | 32% | 6% | 2% | 1% |
| Armenian Continuers | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| Automotive Examination | 3% | 15% | 24% | 38% | 18% | 3% |
| Biology | 8% | 24% | 32% | 25% | 9% | 1% |
| Business Services Examination | 2% | 25% | 48% | 18% | 6% | 1% |
| Business Studies | 11% | 25% | 28% | 24% | 10% | 2% |
| Chemistry | 12% | 26% | 28% | 19% | 12% | 2% |
| Chinese and Literature | 21% | 50% | 26% | 2% | 1% | 0% |
| Chinese Beginners | 32% | 32% | 18% | 9% | 9% | 0% |
| Chinese Continuers | 41% | 29% | 20% | 5% | 4% | 1% |
| Chinese in Context | 64% | 30% | 5% | 1% | 1% | 0% |
| Classical Greek Continuers | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| Classical Hebrew Continuers | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| Community and Family Studies | 6% | 30% | 36% | 20% | 6% | 2% |
| Construction Examination | 5% | 38% | 33% | 20% | 3% | 0% |
| Croatian Continuers | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| Dance | 17% | 52% | 23% | 8% | 1% | 0% |
| Design and Technology | 12% | 35% | 31% | 17% | 4% | 1% |
| Drama | 22% | 39% | 28% | 11% | 1% | 0% |
| Dutch Continuers | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| Earth and Environmental Science | 7% | 26% | 27% | 22% | 12% | 5% |
| Economics | 13% | 35% | 28% | 16% | 6% | 2% |
| Electrotechnology Examination | 3% | 13% | 40% | 34% | 9% | 1% |
| Engineering Studies | 9% | 21% | 39% | 27% | 4% | 0% |
| English Advanced | 14% | 53% | 28% | 4% | 0% | 0% |
| English EAL/D | 5% | 17% | 32% | 25% | 15% | 7% |
| English Standard | 0% | 13% | 47% | 30% | 9% | 2% |
| English Studies Examination | 0% | 0% | 9% | 36% | 39% | 15% |
| Entertainment Industry Examination | 16% | 30% | 34% | 14% | 5% | 1% |
| Filipino Continuers | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| Financial Services Examination | 7% | 25% | 33% | 23% | 11% | 0% |
| Food Technology | 7% | 23% | 35% | 24% | 9% | 2% |
| French Beginners | 21% | 22% | 26% | 20% | 7% | 2% |
| French Continuers | 25% | 33% | 34% | 6% | 1% | 0% |
| Geography | 10% | 32% | 36% | 15% | 5% | 2% |
| German Beginners | 29% | 22% | 23% | 14% | 12% | 0% |
| German Continuers | 27% | 30% | 32% | 10% | 0% | 1% |
| Hindi Continuers | 55% | 38% | 0% | 7% | 0% | 0% |
| Hospitality Examination | 6% | 26% | 40% | 23% | 5% | 1% |
| Human Services Examination | 2% | 16% | 47% | 30% | 5% | 0% |
| Hungarian Continuers | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| Indonesian and Literature | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| Indonesian Beginners | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| Indonesian Continuers | 38% | 35% | 19% | 6% | 2% | 0% |
| Industrial Technology | 8% | 16% | 31% | 31% | 12% | 2% |
| Information and Digital Technology Examination | 7% | 29% | 40% | 22% | 1% | 1% |
| Information Processes and Technology | 7% | 25% | 27% | 23% | 13% | 6% |
| Investigating Science | 7% | 27% | 37% | 21% | 7% | 2% |
| Italian Beginners | 20% | 28% | 28% | 13% | 7% | 3% |
| Italian Continuers | 26% | 38% | 22% | 13% | 1% | 0% |
| Japanese Beginners | 11% | 26% | 22% | 18% | 14% | 9% |
| Japanese Continuers | 23% | 32% | 23% | 14% | 6% | 2% |
| Japanese in Context | 35% | 55% | 10% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Khmer Continuers | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| Korean and Literature | 48% | 48% | 3% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Korean Beginners | 22% | 36% | 29% | 9% | 2% | 2% |
| Korean Continuers | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| Korean in Context | 66% | 27% | 7% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Latin Continuers | 46% | 38% | 11% | 5% | 0% | 0% |
| Legal Studies | 14% | 29% | 27% | 21% | 7% | 3% |
| Macedonian Continuers | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| Mathematics Advanced | 22% | 27% | 26% | 18% | 6% | 1% |
| Mathematics Standard 1 Examination | 3% | 18% | 40% | 30% | 7% | 2% |
| Mathematics Standard 2 | 9% | 22% | 26% | 24% | 14% | 3% |
| Modern Greek Beginners | 45% | 27% | 17% | 2% | 6% | 2% |
| Modern Greek Continuers | 46% | 28% | 24% | 1% | 0% | 0% |
| Modern Hebrew Continuers | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| Modern History | 10% | 25% | 29% | 20% | 12% | 4% |
| Music 1 | 23% | 46% | 21% | 8% | 1% | 1% |
| Music 2 | 35% | 50% | 13% | 1% | 0% | 0% |
| Persian Continuers | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| Personal Development, Health and Physical Education | 6% | 25% | 32% | 26% | 9% | 1% |
| Physics | 13% | 26% | 29% | 22% | 10% | 1% |
| Polish Continuers | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| Portuguese Continuers | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| Primary Industries Examination | 2% | 24% | 43% | 27% | 3% | 0% |
| Punjabi Continuers | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| Retail Services Examination | 2% | 14% | 38% | 31% | 13% | 2% |
| Russian Continuers | 63% | 33% | 4% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Serbian Continuers | 59% | 33% | 7% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Society and Culture | 12% | 33% | 35% | 15% | 4% | 1% |
| Software Design and Development | 12% | 23% | 30% | 23% | 9% | 3% |
| Spanish Beginners | 23% | 33% | 26% | 10% | 5% | 3% |
| Spanish Continuers | 21% | 39% | 30% | 9% | 1% | 0% |
| Studies of Religion I | 14% | 35% | 35% | 13% | 3% | 1% |
| Studies of Religion II | 11% | 35% | 36% | 13% | 4% | 1% |
| Swedish Continuers | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| Tamil Continuers | 62% | 38% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Textiles and Design | 17% | 35% | 27% | 16% | 5% | 1% |
| Tourism, Travel and Events Examination | 3% | 27% | 54% | 13% | 3% | 0% |
| Turkish Continuers | 44% | 21% | 26% | 9% | 0% | 0% |
| Vietnamese Continuers | 5% | 40% | 47% | 6% | 0% | 1% |
| Visual Arts | 19% | 47% | 26% | 8% | 1% | 0% |
| Course Name | E4 | E3 | E2 | E1 |
| Arabic Extension | 34% | 59% | 7% | 0% |
| Chinese Extension | 69% | 29% | 2% | 0% |
| Classical Greek Extension | E | E | E | E |
| Classical Hebrew Extension | E | E | E | E |
| English Extension 1 | 41% | 53% | 5% | 0% |
| English Extension 2 | 29% | 57% | 14% | 1% |
| French Extension | 18% | 66% | 16% | 0% |
| German Extension | 62% | 36% | 3% | 0% |
| History Extension | 26% | 59% | 13% | 2% |
| Indonesian Extension | E | E | E | E |
| Italian Extension | 53% | 47% | 0% | 0% |
| Japanese Extension | 50% | 38% | 11% | 1% |
| Latin Extension | 82% | 16% | 2% | 0% |
| Mathematics Extension 1 | 34% | 38% | 24% | 4% |
| Mathematics Extension 2 | 38% | 48% | 13% | 1% |
| Modern Greek Extension | E | E | E | E |
| Music Extension | 70% | 25% | 4% | 0% |
| Science Extension | 7% | 71% | 21% | 1% |
| Spanish Extension | 58% | 42% | 0% | 0% |