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Understanding HSC results

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Achieving the HSC is different to getting a driver’s licence or an ATAR. A student does not receive a simple ‘pass’ or ‘fail’, nor do they get a single rank or mark for all courses. The HSC results are a detailed package showing each student the level of knowledge and skills that they achieved in each course.

The marks and corresponding performance bands reported for each course are outlined below. View samples of the award documents students receive.

How the HSC mark is calculated

The HSC mark is a 50:50 combination of a student’s examination mark and school-based assessment mark for each course.

Watch the video below to find out how school assessment marks are moderated to make them fair.

Assessment mark

School-based assessment tasks measure performance in a wider range of course outcomes than can be tested in an external examination. Students are required to complete a number of assessment tasks for their courses. This may include tests, written or oral assignments, practical activities, fieldwork and projects. Schools submit an HSC assessment mark for every student in most courses. NESA puts the marks through a process of moderation to allow a fair comparison of marks in each course across different schools.

Examination mark

The examination mark for each course shows the student's performance in the HSC examination for that course, which was set and marked by NESA. The examination consists of a written paper and, for some courses, speaking and listening examinations, practical examinations, or major works that are submitted for external marking. Each student's achievement is assessed and reported against set standards of performance.

A unique part of the standards approach is a special procedure called 'judging'. Judging means a student’s raw exam marks can be matched to the standards and the reporting scale used by NESA. It means a student is rewarded for their performance with the mark they deserve, no matter how many other people performed at a similar, higher, or lower level.

Performance band

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 to 49. For an Extension course, the bands are E4 (highest level of performance) to E1.

Determining HSC results

HSC achievement is assessed and reported against set standards of achievement ensuring students are rewarded for their performance with the mark they deserve, no matter how many other students performed at a similar, higher, or lower level.

Understand how HSC results are determined in line with these achievement standards for each course a student studies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible to compare marks between courses?

No. Comparisons between courses are not valid. However, English Advanced and English Standard are reported on a common scale, so marks in English can be directly compared.

Is it possible to compare HSC marks between schools?

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?

To satisfactorily complete a course, a student must:

  • follow the course developed or endorsed by NESA
  • 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 courses?

Life Skills courses have been developed for the small percentage of students with disability for whom the regular outcomes and content are not appropriate, in particular those with an intellectual disability. Life Skills courses are reported on the Record of Achievement and outcomes achieved are shown on a Profile of Student Achievement.

Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)

The HSC results are used by the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) to calculate a rank order of students known as the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR). The ATAR is not a mark, nor is it a summary of the HSC. It is a ranking system used to allocate university placements.

UAC calculates the university admission ranks each year using students’:

  • moderated assessment marks (before alignment with the standards), and
  • total exam marks (before alignment with the standards).

HSC students may indicate that they wish to have an ATAR calculated. However, calculation of an ATAR is optional. For example, many students who do not wish to gain entry to university the following year do not request calculation of an ATAR. To be eligible for an ATAR, students must satisfactorily complete at least 10 units of certain Board Developed Courses for which formal examinations are conducted by NESA. Visit the UAC website for further information.

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