Media Guide 2010 – Higher School Certificate and School Certificate

1. Important dates

11 October

HSC Advice Line opens at 4 pm on 13 11 12

14 October

Higher School Certificate written examinations begin

4 November

HSC Advice Line closes at 10 pm

8–12 November

School Certificate tests

10 November

Higher School Certificate written examinations finish

10 November

Students’ Assessment Rank Order notice available through Students Online from 4pm

9 December

School Certificate award documents arrive in schools

14 December

Firstincourse awards ceremony

15 December

HSC results available to students by internet/SMS message/telephone HSC Merit list published on Board website after midday HSC Examination Inquiry Centre opens on 13 11 12

16 December

Universities Admissions Centre releases ATAR rankings online for students (for information, see www.uac.edu.au)

17 December

HSC Student Results Summary delivered by mail Students receive written advice of ATAR rankings

11 January

Formal HSC student credentials delivered by mail

Back to top

2. 2010 HSC facts at a glance

The big picture

Some interesting figures…

• This year there are 71 310 HSC students, the largest group ever to sit HSC exams in NSW.
• Most students will sit six exam papers each in about 750 exam centres including schools in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Singapore.
• This year students have studied a total of 111 different courses and will sit written examinations in 109 courses (English Extension 2 and Music Extension do not have written examinations).
• Students will read from 13 million printed pages of questions and submit answers in 2 million writing booklets. All exams are printed on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper. The FSC promotes better environmental and economic management of the world’s forests.
• A team of more than 30 people took nearly six weeks to pack all written examination papers for the exam centres, creating more than 50 000 parcels for distribution.
• The Board employs more than 5000 exam supervisors and more than 7000 markers.
• Since the 1990s, students have been able to choose to complete the HSC in as little as one year or as many as five years under the Pathways option. Of the students who are eligible for the HSC in 2010, there are 3406 who have completed the requirements for an HSC over more than two years.

… and some interesting facts

• To obtain the HSC students must complete courses that total at least 22 units over Years 11 and 12 – at least 12 units in Year 11 and at least 10 units in Year 12.

Onscreen Marking

• As part of the Board’s ongoing plan to increase the use of computers and technology in exams, approximately 25 percent of this year’s HSC and School Certificate responses will be marked ‘on screen’. Students' scanned exam answers will be distributed to markers via a secure internet site. The process is as simple as reading a newspaper online and requires straightforward computer skills.
• ‘On-screen’ marking is a separate initiative to the Board’s longstanding use of computers to scan and mark multiple-choice and some short-answer questions.
• Approximately six million sheets of paper will be scanned as part the 2010 HSC marking operation.
• Marking takes place at venues across NSW, including Sydney, Bathurst, Coffs Harbour, Gosford, Newcastle, Tamworth, Wagga Wagga and Wollongong. On-screen marking will increase marking opportunities for teachers in rural NSW in the future.
• Several million individual marks are processed to produce students’ examination marks in each course. The HSC mark is the average of the examination mark and the school assessment mark.
• Each student’s performance is measured against consistent academic standards to create a fair and easily understood result.
• To help students better understand the HSC the Board of Studies has put together a new web-based explanation of How Your HSC Works. This nine-step description walks students through from Step 1, being eligible to start the HSC, to the final Step 9, where results are delivered before Christmas the following year. More information about How Your HSC Works.
• Studentsonline.bos.nsw.edu.au includes a new Tips and Tools section that features useful information and advice for students who are preparing to sit for the HSC exams. Students can access a range of study materials available from the Board including past exam papers, study tips, what to expect in the exam and the rules and procedures for exam day.

• This year there are almost 700 families across the state with more than one member studying for their HSC at the same time including:
  • 1 set of quintuplets
  • 12 sets of triplets
  • 673 sets of twins.

Back to top

3. Enrolment trends

The candidature for the 2010 HSC is the highest on record with 71 310 students enrolled in one or more courses.

The female to male ratio remains stable at 51% female students compared with 49% male students. This has remained unchanged since 2002.

English

• English is the only mandatory subject in the HSC.
• The number of students taking the most demanding 2-unit course – English (Advanced) – stands at 27 302 students, representing 41% of all English enrolments.

Mathematics

• More than 53 600 Year 12 students have chosen to take at least one Maths course making Mathematics by far the most popular HSC elective subject. This means 75% of all Year 12 students are currently taking Mathematics.
• The number of students enrolled in Mathematics Extension 1 is 9321, up 4.6% from 2009.
• Mathematics Extension 2 enrolments have increased to 3529, 9.4% higher than 2009.

Science

• There has been strong growth across all Science courses since 2009 with around 45% of all 2010 HSC students studying at least one science course.
• Biology, with 16 060 candidates, remains the fourth-largest HSC subject and is taken by 24% of all HSC candidates. Since 2005, the number of students taking Biology has increased by 20%.
• Chemistry continues to be the eighth-largest subject with 10 516 students and Physics the 11th largest with 9480. Candidature for both courses has increased by about 3% on 2009.
• Senior Science enrolments have risen 26% from 3973 students in 2005 to 4992 students this year while enrolments for Earth and Environmental Science have increased by 29% from 1141 to 1471 in the same period.

History

• More than one quarter (28%) of HSC candidates are enrolled in at least one history course.
• Ancient History has the seventh-largest enrolment of HSC subjects with 12 269 students – an increase of 19% on 2005 – and Modern History is in 9th position with 10222 students.
• There are 2273 students studying both Ancient and Modern History this year.

Business Studies

• Business Studies is the third-most popular subject with 16 061 students in 2010, representing 23% of all HSC candidates. However Biology is now hot on Business Studies’ heels this year with just one student fewer than Business Studies.

Technology courses

• Almost one third (31%) of HSC candidates are enrolled in at least one technology course.
• Textiles and Design enrolments (2283) have risen by 35% since 2005, while student numbers for Engineering Studies (1841) have grown by 30%, Industrial Technology (4128) by 19% and Food Technology (3580) by 16% in the same period.

Studies of Religion

• Studies of Religion is the sixth-most popular subject with 14 182 students in 2010, representing 20% of all HSC candidates increasing from 17% in 2005. The two-unit Studies of Religion II course has grown by 56% since 2005, from 2888 students to 4503.

Vocational Education and Training (VET)

• There are about 19 000 students in Year 12 doing one or more VET Framework courses, with a further 2500 enrolled in other non-framework VET courses. This represents 30% of the candidature who will gain nationally recognised employment qualifications along with their HSC this year.
• A high percentage of VET students have opted to take examinations as part of their assessment, making their course eligible for inclusion in their ATAR ranking. For example, 90% of Entertainment Industry students and 87% of Hospitality and Information Technology students have chosen to sit the written HSC exam.
• Electrotechnology with 287 enrolments increased by 21% after its introduction last year.
• Enrolments in Primary Industries (877) and Metal and Engineering (1229) both increased by about 17%.
• Construction enrolments have increased to 2724, up by 8.4% from 2009 while Tourism and Events increased by 9.4% to 557 in the same period.

Creative Arts

• About 28% of the HSC candidature are enrolled in one or more courses from Creative Arts.
• Visual Arts is the tenth-most popsular subject with 9692 students. This represents a 13% increase in students since 2005, when there were 8599 in Visual Arts.
• Enrolments in Music courses have increased by about 17% since 2005 with Music being the 16thmost popular subject in 2010.
• Dance has shown the greatest growth from last year with an increase of almost 5% (from 775 students in 2009 to 810 in 2010) and an increase of 17% since 2005.

Languages

• About 10% of HSC candidates are enrolled in one or more Language courses.
• This year’s three most popular languages are French (1570 students), Japanese (1516) and Chinese (1303).
• Some language courses have shown significant increases in student enrolments since 2005. These include Vietnamese Continuers (74%), French Beginners (43%), Spanish Beginners (35%), and Japanese Beginners (22%).
• The 10 most popular language subjects include four European languages (French, Italian, German, and Spanish) and four Asian languages (Japanese, Chinese, Indonesian and Vietnamese), while one is Middle-Eastern (Arabic) and one is classical (Latin).

Back to top

4. 2010 HSC enrolment by course and gender

Back to top

5. 2010 HSC and SC enrolment by region

The following data are based on the Board of Studies regions (see the maps in Section 9 of this guide). Students doing the HSC outside NSW and those studying by self-tuition are included in

Back to top

6. HSC support services for students

Students Online

Students Online is developed and delivered by the Board of Studies specifically for Year 12 HSC students. Students Online presents a range of resources, information and advice to assist students throughout their HSC study.

Using their student number and HSC PIN issued by the Board, students can log in to the My Details section of Students Online and view and update their personal HSC details. At specific points in the year this includes their enrolment details, personal HSC exam timetable, assessment ranks, and finally HSC results.

Students Online also features:

• study tips and materials, including past exam papers and quizzes
• advice on what to expect in HSC exams
• a range of Frequently Asked Questions about the HSC
• calendar of HSC events
• latest HSC news from the Board of Studies.

Students can submit their email address in theMy Details section to receive email updates about the HSC throughout the year.

For more information visit studentsonline.bos.edu.au.

The HSC Advice Line

The number for the HSC Line is 13 11 12.

The HSC Advice Line is a telephone service for students preparing for the HSC examinations. It provides course assistance and support from experienced teachers in 20 of the most popular HSC courses.

The Advice Line will be open from Monday, 11 October to Thursday, 4 November 2010.

The service is open:

Monday to Thursday

4 pm to 10 pm

Saturday

10 am to 6 pm

Sunday

10 am to 10 pm

To speak to an adviser, students can call 13 11 12. An operator will confirm the student’s student number and the nature of their question and arrange for an adviser to speak with them. All advisers are experienced teachers of HSC courses.

The cost is only 25 cents from anywhere in NSW, no matter how long the call lasts. Calls to the Advice Line cannot be made from mobile phones

Back to top

7. How your HSC works

What is moderation? How do you check your assessment ranking? Who sets the exams? These and many other questions are answered in the step-by-step explanation How Your HSC Works on the Board’s website.

How Your HSC Works is a nine-step walk-through of the HSC process, from how students and the

Board get ready to start the HSC through to the delivery of HSC results. It covers the following:

• how students get ready to start the HSC
• the people, the papers and the processes behind the HSC operation
• completing school assessments and assessment ranks
• completing the written and practical exams
• the marking process
• moderation of assessment marks works
• judging and applying the standards
• how the HSC results are calculated and delivered.

The information is designed to allow visitors to delve to whichever level they require, whether it is a simple overview or the nuts and bolts of a process.

Visit boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/yourhsc to review How Your HSC Works.

Back to top

8. Release of HSC results to students

The HSC results are available to students via the internet, SMS text message and automated telephone services from 6 am on Wednesday 15 December 2010. Students will use their 8-digit student number and HSC PIN issued by the Board of Studies to access their results.

Students will receive HSC results summaries in the mail on Friday 17 December and their full credentials by mail on Tuesday 11 January 2011.

The pre-Christmas release of HSC results gives students more time to take advantage of career information and other support services before making decisions about university, TAFE and employment offers or other plans.

The internet results service

• Students can access their HSC results on three Board of Studies websites from 6 am on Wednesday 15 December by submitting their student number and HSC PIN at:
  www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au
  or
  www.hscresults.nsw.edu.au
  or
  www.hsc-results.nsw.edu.au
• There is no cost to students who use one of these websites other than the charges applied by their internet service provider and/or the cost of the dial-up call.

The SMS text message service

• Students who want to automatically receive their HSC results by SMS can register for the SMS service by texting their student number and HSC PIN to 0427 659 900 from 1 November 2010.
• A return text message to the student confirms that they have registered for the service and the results will be sent to their mobile phone at approximately 6 am on 15 December.
• Students who do not register can still get their results by SMS by messaging their student number and HSC PIN to the service after 6 am on 15 December.
• Students should check that their phone has credit and that there is room for messages in their phone’s inbox.
• The SMS service will be charged at the standard price of a text message.

The telephone results service

• Students can access their HSC results from 6 am on Wednesday 15 December by using the automated telephone service.
• Students can call 1300 669 248 and follow the voice prompts. They will be asked to enter their student number and HSC PIN.
• Calls will be charged at standard local call rates. Mobile and payphone calls cost extra.

Back to top

9. HSC examination inquiry centre

The phone number for the HSC examination inquiry centre is 13 11 12.

The centre will operate from 8 am on Wednesday 15 December until noon on Friday 31 December 2010. Students can talk to experienced Board of Studies officers about their Higher School Certificate results.

Inquiries relating to the ATAR, university admissions, post-secondary education and work should be directed to the Universities Admissions Centre or the annual Careers Advisory Service for School Leavers.

Back to top

10. Careers Advisory Service

Each year, following the release of the Higher School Certificate results, the NSW Department of Education and Training offers a free Careers Advisory Service which provides students and their families or caregivers with up-to-date and relevant information about the range of available career and study options.

The Careers Advisory Service will be open from Thursday 16 December 2010 to Friday 7 January 2011, from 9 am to 5 pm. Students can contact the service by calling 1300 300 687, or by emailing careers@det.nsw.edu.au.

More information is also available at www.cas.det.nsw.edu.au.

Back to top

11. HSC showcases

Some HSC students of 2010 will be chosen to participate in a range of exhibitions and performances of outstanding works.

ARTEXPRESS

ARTEXPRESS is an annual exhibition of artworks created by students for the Higher School Certificate examination in Visual Arts. The works demonstrate exceptional quality across a broad range of subject matter, approaches, styles and media including painting, photography, drawing, graphics, sculpture, wearables, ceramics, design, film and video, computer-generated works and collection of works. ARTEXPRESS opens in Sydney in February 2011.

Callback

Callback is the showcase of exemplary performances and compositions by HSC Dance students. Callback is a great opportunity for students who are currently studying HSC Dance and for students contemplating undertaking this course of study to see outstanding performances. Callback opens in Sydney in early February. Check the Board’s website for details.

ENCORE

ENCORE is an annual concert of outstanding music performances and compositions from HSC Music students. Held at the Sydney Opera House on 7 February 2011, students will present original

compositions and performances in a range of styles and genres that include vocal music, chamber music, orchestral music, jazz, popular music and music for theatre.

DesignTECH

DesignTECH is an exhibition of outstanding Major Design Projects by HSC Design and Technology students. Opening at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney on 19 February 2011, the exhibition will include the students’ portfolios which provide valuable insights into the design and production process. Projects are selected for DesignTECH on the basis of innovative design, quality production techniques and technological applications.

OnSTAGE

Exemplary Drama students from the 2010 HSC will have an opportunity to present individual and group performances at OnSTAGE, to be held at the Seymour Theatre in Sydney between 5 and 11 February 2011. Scripts, video dramas and design projects are also exhibited.

Texstyle

Texstyle is an exhibition of outstanding HSC Textiles and Design major projects, exhibited in Sydney and regional areas. Students choose to work in one of five focus areas – apparel, costume, textile art, furnishings or non-apparel. Texstyle 2010 will be open at Federation House, Sydney, between 29 November and 5 December 2010.

Young Writers Showcase

The Young Writers Showcase is an anthology of major works presented by English Extension 2 students for the 2010 HSC. The book offers a selection of short stories, poetry and critical responses. The next book will be published in 2011.

See the Board’s website for showcase details as they are released.

Back to top

12. Maps of Board of Studies regions

New South Wales

Sydney Metropolitan

Back to top

13. Media inquiries

Please direct all your HSC media inquiries to:

Rebecca Lloyd

Head, Corporate Communications

Office of the Board of Studies

Tel: (02) 9367 8250

Mobile: 0418 418 053

Fax: (02) 9367 8035

Email: rebecca.lloyd@bos.nsw.edu.au

Guidelines for contacting students and schools

It’s important that students are free to concentrate solely on their exams. Media outlets should not attend schools before or during exams.

• Mock-up shots after the exam can be arranged to provide images of students concentrating on their exam papers. Call the Board of Studies to make arrangements.
• Journalists seeking access to a government school or telephone interviews with teachers should contact a Department of Education and Training media liaison officer on (02) 9561 8501, preferably 24 hours in advance.
• Journalists seeking access to a non-government school should contact the school principal directly.
• Be aware that in some cases parental permission must be obtained for students to be photographed or filmed or otherwise identified or interviewed. Check this with the principal.
• Always notify the school principal on your arrival at the school.

Please call the above media inquiries number at any time with questions or special requests.

Additional media information and copies of this Media Guide can be found on the Board of Studies website www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au©

Back to top

14. Don’t miss out

The Board of Studies website is one of the largest and busiest education sites in the world. For anyone in the education community – teachers, principals, parents, students and others – this site is essential reading.

So how do you keep track of what’s new and what’s important to you?

1. You can subscribe to our email notification service at news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au. Each Monday during school term email subscribers receive the Board Bulletin, a simple digest edition of any news items and official notices published on the Board’s website in the past week. The Board Bulletin is particularly important for NSW school teachers.
2. You can subscribe to an RSS feed in your favourite News Reader (see the RSS icons at news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au).
3. Want to see BOS news as it happens? Want the choice of updates to your web-enabled mobile phone? If you like your news in quick, short bites, get your updates on Twitter by following NewsAtBOS.

Back to top