Useful Information for Employers
The Higher School Certificate (HSC)
Understanding students' results
Marks and corresponding performance bands are reported for each course. There is no one, overall or cumulative HSC mark which summarises student achievement.
- What do the HSC bands mean?
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Student performance in each HSC course is measured against defined standards. HSC marks for each course are divided into bands and each band aligns with a description of a typical performance by a student within that mark range. The performance bands and descriptions give meaning to the HSC mark. For a 2 unit course, Band 6 indicates the highest level of performance and the minimum standard expected is 50.
- Band 6 = 90 - 100 marks
- Band 5 = 80 - 89 marks
- Band 4 = 70 - 79 marks
- Band 3 = 60 - 69 marks
- Band 2 = 50 - 59 marks
- Band 1 = 0 - 49 marks
Each band is aligned to what a student at that level of performance typically knows, understands and can do. The "average" performance in most courses is usually a mark in the mid-70s (Band 4).
Band 1 indicates that a student has not met enough of the course outcomes for a report to be made. Band 1 includes marks ranging from 0 - 49.
For an Extension course, the bands are E4 (highest level of performance) to E1.
- Is it possible to compare marks between courses?
- No. Comparisons between courses are not valid. The only exception is in English where English Advanced and English Standard are reported on a common scale, so a direct comparison between marks can be made.
- Is it possible to compare HSC marks between schools?
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Yes. It is possible to compare marks between students doing the same Board Developed Course. The same examination is undertaken by every student enrolled in a Board Developed Course and the same moderation process is applied to each school's assessment marks.
- What does satisfactory completion mean?
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To satisfactorily complete a course, students must:
- follow the course developed or endorsed by the Board
- apply themselves with diligence and sustained effort
- achieve some or all of the course outcomes.
Satisfactory completion can be judged by attendance, level of involvement in class, assignments and tasks completed, and level of achievement. Failure to meet one or more of these requirements may lead to an 'N' or 'Non-completion' determination. An 'N' determination for a course may make a student ineligible for the HSC.
- What are Life Skills?
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Life Skills courses have been developed for the small percentage of students with special education needs, in particular those with an intellectual disability. Schools issue a HSC Profile of Student Achievement which lists the course outcomes achieved.