Exam equipment list

Equipment in exams

When you enter the HSC exam room, you are expected to bring approved equipment with you, such as:

• black pens to write with (recommended) – make sure you bring spare pens to each exam
• ruler
• highlighters
• pencils (at least 2B)
• sharpener
• water in a clear, unlabelled bottle.

You can wear a watch, but it should be taken off and placed in clear view on your desk once you sit down for your exam. Programmable watches (for example smart watches) are not permitted in the exam room.

All equipment you bring to your exam may be inspected. Make sure any equipment you are allowed to bring, such as a calculator, is in good working order. Appeals under misadventure for equipment failure will not be upheld.

What you cannot bring into the exam room

Students are not allowed to bring the following into the exam room:

• mobile phones (not permitted in an exam room under any circumstance)
• programmable watches (for example, smart watches)
• other electronic devices (excluding a calculator or wired headphones where permitted), any other communication devices, including:
  • organisers
  • tablets
  • wireless earphones and headphones
  • electronic dictionaries
  • music players.
• paper or any printed or written material (you can ask your presiding officer for working paper)
• print dictionaries (except where permitted in language exams)
• correction fluid.

Students are not allowed to borrow equipment during exams.

Equipment for specific HSC exams

The following list shows the exams and the specific equipment you should bring.

• There may be questions in these exams that require the use of the equipment.
• 'Optional' in this list means that there won't be exam questions for which the item is essential, but you may bring the item with you if you want. 
• Only those exams that require specific equipment are listed.

See the list of approved calculators for the HSC examinations.