HSC English Advanced: Course, Assessment and Exam Guides (NESA)
HSC English Advanced is assessed through two written exam papers worth 100 marks and a school mark split equally between knowledge and skills.
About the course
HSC English Advanced is assessed by two written exam papers worth 100 marks in total, alongside a school-based assessment mark from your school. School assessment is built on two equally weighted course components, so both what you know about your texts and how well you write about them count.
Which syllabus applies
The cohort sitting the HSC in 2027 follows the English Advanced 11-12 Syllabus (2024) from NESA. It is implemented in schools from 2026, Year 12 teaching begins in Term 4 2026, and 2027 is the first HSC exam under it. It replaces the English Advanced Stage 6 Syllabus (2017), so advice written for earlier cohorts may describe different rules (see the HSC syllabus guide).
How English Advanced is assessed
NESA makes the Year 12 course components and their weightings mandatory. Your school decides the number, type and weighting of individual tasks.
| Assessment | Weighting or marks | What NESA specifies |
|---|---|---|
| School-based: knowledge and understanding of course content | 50% of the school assessment | Mandatory component |
| School-based: skills in responding to texts and communicating ideas across modes | 50% of the school assessment | Mandatory component |
| HSC exam Paper 1 | 40 marks | 1 hour 30 minutes, plus 10 minutes reading time |
| HSC exam Paper 2 | 60 marks | 2 hours, plus 5 minutes reading time |
NESA limits take-home tasks and sets guidance on task weightings; how the HSC works covers those limits and how the school mark and exam mark combine into your HSC result.
What the course covers
Year 12 is 120 indicative hours, split into four parts of 30 hours each. Year 11 is assumed knowledge.
- Texts and human experiences. The first part, and the basis of Paper 1.
- Textual conversations. Assessed in Paper 2, Section I.
- Critical study of literature. Assessed in Paper 2, Section II.
- The craft of writing. Assessed in Paper 2, Section III, through imaginative, discursive, persuasive or reflective writing.
You closely study four prescribed texts across the course, and at least one must be by Shakespeare.
The exam
The exam has two papers, both answered in writing.
Paper 1: Texts and human experiences. 1 hour 30 minutes plus 10 minutes reading time. Section I (20 marks) is 5 or 6 short-answer questions on stimulus or unseen texts. Section II (20 marks) is one extended response on your prescribed text. NESA says at least 3 Section I items and the Section II question are common to English Standard.
Paper 2. 2 hours plus 5 minutes reading time, in three sections of 20 marks each. Section I is Textual conversations, one extended response on your prescribed texts. Section II is Critical study of literature, one extended response on a prescribed text. Section III is The craft of writing, one question, possibly in two parts, requiring an imaginative, discursive, persuasive or reflective response.
Check NESA's published HSC timetable for your date.
In 2025, the median HSC mark in English Advanced was 82 out of 100, which UAC scaled to 67.4. Scaling changes every year. See how any result scales in the HSC ATAR calculator.
Common questions
Can English Advanced school assessment include take-home tasks?
Yes, but only one, and it can be worth no more than 15%. NESA also recommends that each individual task carry a weighting between 10% and 40%.
Sources
- English Advanced 11-12 Syllabus (2024): HSC examinations, NESA, Assessment, HSC examinations. Exam specifications: two papers, 100 marks, sections, time allowed and reading time.
- English Advanced 11-12 Syllabus (2024): School-based assessment, NESA, Assessment, School-based assessment. Mandatory Year 12 component weightings and task limits.
- English Advanced 11-12 Syllabus (2024): Course overview, NESA, Overview, Course. Year 12 structure, indicative hours and prescribed text requirements.
- English Advanced 11-12 Syllabus (2024): Course standards, NESA, Assessment, Course standards. Implementation from 2026 and first HSC examination in 2027.
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.