HSC Maths Extension 1: Course, Assessment and Exam Guides (NESA)
HSC Mathematics Extension 1 is assessed by school tasks and a 70 mark, 2 hour exam, under the 2024 syllabus.
About the course
HSC Mathematics Extension 1 is a 1 unit course taken alongside Mathematics Advanced. Your result combines your school-based assessment mark with a written exam, and NESA splits school assessment evenly between knowledge of the content and skill in Working mathematically. The 2027 cohort is the first to sit the new syllabus.
Which syllabus does HSC Mathematics Extension 1 use?
The 2027 HSC cohort sits the Mathematics Extension 1 11-12 Syllabus (2024). NESA's implementation schedule has Year 12 teaching of the new syllabus starting in Term 4 of 2026, with the first HSC examination in 2027. It replaces the Mathematics Extension 1 Stage 6 Syllabus (2017). For how syllabus changes work across the HSC, see the HSC syllabuses guide.
How is Mathematics Extension 1 assessed?
Schools decide the number, type and weighting of their Year 12 tasks, but NESA makes the course components and their weightings mandatory. NESA's limits on take-home tasks and task weightings are in how the HSC works.
| Year 12 course component | Weighting |
|---|---|
| Knowledge and understanding of course content | 50% |
| Skills in Working mathematically | 50% |
Your school then sends NESA an assessment mark, and the HSC mark averages it with your exam mark. The guide to how the HSC works covers moderation and the HSC mark.
What does Mathematics Extension 1 cover?
The course is 60 hours in each of Year 11 and Year 12, and Year 11 Extension 1 with Mathematics Advanced are prerequisites for Year 12. The Year 12 course is organised into areas of study, each with focus areas.
| Area of study | Focus area |
|---|---|
| Proof | Proof by mathematical induction |
| Vectors | Introduction to vectors |
| Trigonometric functions | Inverse trigonometric functions |
| Calculus | Further calculus skills; Further applications of calculus |
| Statistical analysis | The binomial distribution and sampling distribution of the mean |
The Year 11 course covers further work with functions, polynomials, further trigonometry, and permutations and combinations, and the binomial theorem. NESA's course description puts the emphasis on rigorous mathematical arguments, proofs and the use of mathematical models.
What is the HSC Mathematics Extension 1 exam like?
The exam is a written paper worth 70 marks. You get 2 hours, plus 10 minutes of reading time. A reference sheet is provided, and NESA-approved calculators may be used.
| Section | Marks | Format |
|---|---|---|
| I | 10 | Objective-response questions |
| II | 60 | 23 to 28 items, which may contain parts; at least one item is worth 4 or 5 marks |
The exam is based on the Year 12 course and focuses on Year 12 outcomes. Mathematics Advanced and Year 11 Extension 1 are assumed knowledge, and NESA says Year 11 Extension 1 content may be examined. You also sit a second maths paper, either Mathematics Advanced or Mathematics Extension 2, depending on your enrolment.
Check the NESA exam timetable for your date.
In 2025, the median HSC mark in Mathematics Extension 1 was 42 out of 50, which UAC scaled to 41.5. Scaling changes every year. See how any result scales in the HSC ATAR calculator.
Common questions
Do I sit another maths paper as well as Extension 1?
Yes. NESA says you also complete either the Mathematics Advanced paper or the Mathematics Extension 2 paper, depending on your course enrolment.
Sources
- Mathematics Extension 1 11-12 (2024) Syllabus, NESA, October 2026, pp. 5, 7-9, 34-36. Implementation dates, Year 12 focus areas, mandatory component weightings and the HSC examination specifications.
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.