2017 HSC facts and figures
Enrolment snapshot
NESA takes a snapshot of HSC enrolments on 1 September every year.
In 2017, 77,975 students are studying one or more HSC courses. Of these students 70,270 are on track to complete their HSC this year.
Learn more about:
- The students: where they are studying, top student names, multiple birth numbers, and the top HSC courses and languages.
- Enrolments by region: regional areas, cities and Sydney suburbs.
- Enrolments by course: general, VET, languages and Life Skills.
See previous years' enrolment snapshots in our media guides
The cohort
- More than 60,000 will sit the compulsory English exam.
- More than 70,000 are on track to complete their HSC program – making the HSC the most popular school credential in Australia in 2017.
- Around 78,000 students are enrolled in at least one HSC course.
- Most started 13 years of school in 2005 and around nine in 10 will complete their HSC courses at the end of term three.
The exams
- There are deadlines for major projects for nine practical courses from 31 July.
- Practical course project deadlines and performance exams will be held in August and September.
- Performance exams and oral exams for 52 language courses will be held in August and September.
- 117 HSC written examinations totalling around 300 hours are scheduled from 16 October to 7 November.
- 2017 HSC daily exam reports (PDF 972KB, 50 pages).
- 96 exam committees and around 300 committee members are involved in developing 125 written exam papers.
- Each exam will be reviewed at least six times before more than 700,000 exam papers are printed.
- HSC exams will be held in over 750 exam centres staffed by over 7,500 supervisors and presiding officers.
- Around 350 students will sit HSC exams overseas.
- More than 5500 markers will work across NSW in nine marking centres and from home.
- Around 65 per cent (3600) of HSC markers will mark online with 70 courses to be marked online. Around 72 per cent (2600) of online markers will work remotely after attending a briefing and practice marking sessions at a marking centre.
- Each student will have their English exams marked by at least 11 markers, and their Mathematics exam by at least six markers.
Results and eligibility
- HSC results will be available via Students Online, and sent by email and SMS from 6.00am on Thursday 14 December.
- To be awarded the internationally recognised HSC, students must complete at least 12 units of preliminary courses and 10 units of HSC courses. Completing at least four subjects, including English, is compulsory. Most students complete preliminary courses in Year 11, HSC courses in Year 12 and are awarded an HSC at the end of Year 12.
Media contact
Tel: +61 2 9367 8370
Email: media@nesa.nsw.edu.au