HSC courses
The HSC requires completing specific course units, including English. Know your options for English and what courses count towards your ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank), including changes from 2025 to expand student choices.
About HSC courses
To get your Higher School Certificate (HSC), you must complete at least 12 units of Preliminary courses (usually in Year 11) and 10 units of HSC courses (usually in Year 12), including English. Most HSC courses are worth 2 units.
Main type of HSC courses
There are 2 main types of HSC courses:
- Board Developed Courses – these course have exams that count towards your HSC and the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)
- Board Endorsed Courses – these courses count towards the HSC but do not have a HSC exam and do not contribute towards the calculation of the ATAR.
Know the different types of HSC courses and what they count towards.
Choosing your compulsory English course
To fulfil the compulsory English requirement for the HSC, you have 4 options:
- English Studies
- English Standard
- English Advanced
- English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D).
English Studies
This Board Developed Course helps students refine their skills and knowledge in English and consolidate their literacy skills, for a transition to employment or vocational training after school.
English Studies serves as an alternative to the English Standard course.
Students who wish to obtain an ATAR must take the optional HSC exam, as required by the UAC.
English Standard
The English Standard course aims to develop effective, creative, and confident communicators.
Students study a wide range of literary and everyday texts to develop the knowledge and skills required to use language accurately and appropriately for a variety of purposes and situations.
English Advanced
Designed for students to become critical and sophisticated users of English and to develop their academic achievement through the study of complex texts. It is a prerequisite or co-requisite for English Extension courses.
- English Extension 1 – allows for more specialised study.
- English Extension 2 – requires students to create a Major Work.
English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D)
EAL/D is designed for students who have received English education for 5 years or less, whether in Australia or overseas. Detailed eligibility rules for this course can be found on the ACE website.
ATAR course changes
Learn about important changes to HSC course subjects from 2025.
Changes to ATAR course categorisation
From 2025, any course that schools offer with a HSC exam can count towards the calculation of the ATAR.
The change in categorisation is a decision made by universities. Schools still have control and responsibility for the courses they offer.
What is changing?
Currently, English Studies, Mathematics Standard 1, and VET courses with a HSC exam are considered Category B.
Previously, students could only count a maximum of 2 units from Category B courses towards their ATAR calculation.
Starting from the 2025 HSC, the Universities Admission Centre (UAC) will remove this limitation. As a result, students will be able to include more courses in their ATAR calculation.
What does this mean for students
Students can undertake English Studies, Mathematics Standard 1 and undertake VET courses, while having the option of an ATAR pathway into university.
Students can qualify for an ATAR pathway into university if they undertake English Studies and Mathematics Standard 1 (with the optional HSC exam), and VET courses
The ATAR will continue to be calculated on 2 units of English, plus the 8 best units.
Doing a VET course
Students in NSW have the option of studying VET courses at school or through TAFE NSW or other registered training providers.
Read more about VET courses.
Effective date of the change
This change applies to students in Year 10 in 2023, who are choosing courses for Year 11 in 2024 and the HSC in 2025.
Read more about the ATAR changes at the UAC website.