HSC Community and Family Studies: Course, Assessment and Exam Guides (NESA)
HSC Community and Family Studies is assessed through school tasks and a 3 hour, 100 mark exam on three core modules and one option.
About the course
Your HSC result in Community and Family Studies (CAFS) comes from your school's Year 12 assessment and one 3 hour, 100-mark written exam.
This is the Community and Family Studies Stage 6 Syllabus (2022), as amended in November 2022, which the 2027 HSC cohort sits. NESA's syllabus page also mentions a newer draft syllabus under consultation, which is not in force.
How is HSC Community and Family Studies assessed?
NESA sets the Year 12 school-based weightings. Your school decides the number, type and weighting of tasks within them.
| Assessment | Weighting |
|---|---|
| Year 12 school assessment: knowledge and understanding of course content | 40% |
| Year 12 school assessment: skills in critical thinking, research methodology, analysing and communicating | 60% |
| HSC written exam | 1 paper, 100 marks |
NESA limits take-home tasks and sets guidance on task weightings, so check your school's schedule against the rules in how the HSC works, which also covers how the school mark and the exam mark combine into your HSC mark.
What does the course cover?
The Year 12 course has three core modules, each 25% of course time, and one option, also 25%.
Core modules
- Research Methodology builds research skills and ends in the Independent Research Project (IRP). The IRP has three parts: a project plan, a project diary and a product. Schools may use it in the internal assessment program.
- Groups in Context looks at the characteristics and needs of particular community groups.
- Parenting and Caring covers issues for individuals and groups in parenting and caring roles.
Options (you study one)
- Family and Societal Interactions covers the government and community structures that support and protect family members across the lifespan.
- Social Impact of Technology covers how evolving technologies affect individuals and their lifestyle.
- Individuals and Work covers managing family and work roles in contemporary society.
Ask your teacher which option your school teaches, because it decides which Section II question you answer.
What is the HSC Community and Family Studies exam like?
The exam is one written paper of 100 marks. You get 5 minutes of reading time, then 3 hours of working time.
- Section I, Core (75 marks). Part A is 20 marks of objective response questions. Part B is 55 marks of short-answer questions, with at least two worth 6 to 8 marks.
- Section II, Options (25 marks). There is one question for each of the three options, and you answer the one you studied. It has short-answer parts worth 10 marks and an extended response worth 15 marks. NESA's guide for the extended response is about four exam booklet pages, or roughly 600 words.
The core carries three quarters of the paper, so the Research Methodology, Groups in Context and Parenting and Caring modules decide most of your exam mark. Check the NESA exam timetable for your date.
What should you focus on?
Three points follow from how the course and exam are built.
- Prepare for the extended response. It is worth 15 of the 100 marks, so practise writing to length for your option.
- Spread your time across the core. The three core modules are equal in course time, and Section I draws on all of them.
- Treat the IRP as research practice, not only a task. Research Methodology is a core module and the IRP is where its skills are applied, and 60% of your school assessment rewards skills.
For how marks are reported across the HSC, see the guide on HSC bands.
In 2025, the median HSC mark in Community and Family Studies was 75 out of 100, which UAC scaled to 35.6. Scaling changes every year. See how any result scales in the HSC ATAR calculator.
Common questions
What is the Independent Research Project in CAFS?
It is part of the Research Methodology core module, with three parts: a project plan, a project diary and a product. Schools may use it as part of the internal HSC assessment program.
Sources
- Assessment and reporting in Community and Family Studies Stage 6 (2022), NESA. Year 12 component weightings, task rules and the HSC exam specification.
- Community and Family Studies Stage 6 Syllabus (2022), NESA, November 2022. Course structure, core modules, options and the Independent Research Project.
- Record of changes for Community and Family Studies Stage 6 (2022), NESA, November 2024. Version history and first HSC exam years.
Syllabus and assessment material referenced in this guide is used under licence, © Copyright NSW Education Standards Authority. See our NESA licensing notice. The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) does not endorse this product or service. NESA takes no responsibility for any errors in the reproduction of NESA Materials. Any sample examination papers or model answers accompanying the NESA Materials are not part of the NESA Materials and are in no way endorsed or authorised by NESA.