The HSC is the senior secondary certificate in New South Wales, awarded by NESA after Years 11 and 12.

How is the HSC structured?

Each course has a Year 11 course (older syllabuses call it Preliminary) and a Year 12 HSC course. In NSW the Year 12 course starts in Term 4 of Year 11. Courses are measured in units: most are 2 units (about 120 indicative hours a year), and extension courses such as English Extension and Mathematics Extension are 1 unit.

Can Heapso plan for HSC courses?

Yes. Choose a course and module, and Heapso plans a unit, lessons or revision worksheets around it in Australian English. Check the official NESA syllabus or study design for exact requirements.

HSC courses and modules

The Higher School Certificate (NSW). Choose a course to see its modules and plan for them.

About the HSC

The HSC is the senior secondary certificate in New South Wales, awarded by NESA after Years 11 and 12.
Each course has a Year 11 course (older syllabuses call it Preliminary) and a Year 12 HSC course. In NSW the Year 12 course starts in Term 4 of Year 11.
Courses are measured in units: most are 2 units (about 120 indicative hours a year), and extension courses such as English Extension and Mathematics Extension are 1 unit.
To receive the HSC a student completes at least 12 units of Year 11 courses and 10 units of HSC courses, including English.
A student's final HSC mark in a course is 50% HSC exam mark and 50% moderated school assessment mark.
Schools run their own assessment program for each course, and NESA moderates school assessment marks against exam marks so they can be compared across schools.
Each Board Developed Course has an official NESA course number, with separate numbers for the Year 11 and Year 12 courses (for example English Advanced: 11140 and 15140).
NSW is rolling out new 11-12 syllabuses: English and Mathematics start with Year 11 in 2026, and most sciences, history, legal studies, economics, music and drama follow from 2027 or 2028.

The HSC on the NESA website

English

Mathematics

Science

Health and physical education

Technologies

The Arts

Languages

Other states and territories

Questions teachers ask

What is the HSC?: The HSC is the senior secondary certificate in New South Wales, awarded by NESA after Years 11 and 12.
How is the HSC structured?: Each course has a Year 11 course (older syllabuses call it Preliminary) and a Year 12 HSC course. In NSW the Year 12 course starts in Term 4 of Year 11. Courses are measured in units: most are 2 units (about 120 indicative hours a year), and extension courses such as English Extension and Mathematics Extension are 1 unit.
Can Heapso plan for HSC courses?: Yes. Choose a course and module, and Heapso plans a unit, lessons or revision worksheets around it in Australian English. Check the official NESA syllabus or study design for exact requirements.

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