the guide

HSC English, explained

HSC English in NSW is studied as English Advanced, English Standard or English EAL/D, plus English Extension 1, a separate course with its own exam. Each of the three main courses has a Common Module (Texts and human experiences) and three more modules, examined in two written papers worth 100 marks: Paper 1 is the Common Module, and Paper 2 has a 20-mark section for each of the other modules. From HSC 2027 the 2024 syllabus and the 2027–2030 prescribed text list apply; students sitting the HSC in 2026 are on the 2017 syllabus.

Last updated . An independent guide by Afterhour, not affiliated with NESA. Quoted syllabus text, exam specifications, marking guidelines and marker feedback are © NSW Education Standards Authority.

The courses and their modules

From HSC 2027 (2024 syllabus), with NESA's module names. Advanced, Standard and EAL/D each sit two written papers, 100 marks in total; Extension 1 is one exam, 50 marks.

  1. Common ModulePaper 1 · 40 marksAdvancedTexts and human experiencesStandardTexts and human experiencesEAL/DTexts and human experiences
  2. Module APaper 2 · Section I · 20AdvancedTextual conversationsStandardLanguage, identity and cultureEAL/DLanguage, identity and culture
  3. Module BPaper 2 · Section II · 20AdvancedCritical study of literatureStandardClose study of literatureEAL/DClose study of text
  4. Module CPaper 2 · Section III · 20AdvancedThe craft of writingStandardThe craft of writingEAL/DWriting
  5. Extension 1its own exam · 50 marksLiterary worlds, through one electiveConfessional worldsHistorical worldsHybrid worldsNatural worldsShakespearean worlds
NESA's module names for HSC 2027 on (2024 syllabus). Each row links to its guide.

Which syllabus and text list is yours

  1. HSC 2026

    Year 12 in 2026

    2017 syllabus 2019–2026 prescribed texts

  2. HSC 2027 on

    Started Year 11 in 2026 or later

    2024 syllabus 2027–2030 prescribed texts

  • Sitting the HSC in 2026: the 2017 syllabus and the 2019–2026 prescribed texts.
  • Started Year 11 in 2026 or later: the 2024 syllabus and the 2027–2030 prescribed texts, first HSC in 2027.
  • Year 11: no prescribed texts and three focus areas set by the 2024 syllabus; the HSC course starts in Term 4. See Year 11 English.

The module names changed a little between syllabuses (the 2024 focus areas drop the letters, so Module A in English Advanced is now simply "Textual conversations"), but the shape of the course is the same. Each guide covers both.

The modules

The exams

Paper 1 (1 hour 30 minutes plus 10 minutes reading) is the Common Module: Section I is 20 marks of short-answer questions on unseen texts, Section II a 20-mark extended response on your prescribed text. Paper 2 (2 hours plus 5 minutes reading) has three 20-mark sections: Module A, Module B and Module C, or for EAL/D, Language, identity and culture, Close study of text and Writing. Every section, mark and time, word for word from NESA: HSC English exam format.

How it fits together: English Advanced, HSC 2027 on100 marks

  1. Paper 1 · Texts and human experiences1 h 30 min+ 10 min reading

    20Section I20Section II

  2. Paper 2 · Textual conversations, Critical study of literature, and The craft of writing2 h+ 5 min reading

    20Section I20Section II20Section III

block width: marks writing time reading time

English Extension 1, HSC 2027 on50 marks

  1. Online exam2 h+ 10 min reading

    25Question 125Question 2

block width: marks writing time reading time

How marking works

Each question has its own marking guideline: mark ranges, each described in criteria about answering the question, using your text and controlling language. At least two markers mark every extended response independently. What the ranges say, and what moves you from one to the next: how HSC English essays are marked.

Your extended response
Marker 1marks independently
Marker 2marks independently
Senior markeronly if the two marks differ considerably
The flow NESA describes for extended responses (quoted below). A short-response question is generally marked by a single marker.

Prescribed texts

81

entries for HSC 2027–2030

79

entries for HSC 2019–2026

5

Extension 1 electives from 2027

81 entries for HSC 2027–2030 and 79 for HSC 2019–2026, by course and module, with author and form: the full prescribed text list.

Years 7 to 11

  1. 78Stage 4English K–10 Syllabus (2022)
  2. 910Stage 5English K–10 Syllabus (2022)
  3. 11Year 11English 11–12 syllabuses (2024)
  4. 12HSCHSC course, from Term 4 of Year 11
Years 7 and 8 are Stage 4, Years 9 and 10 are Stage 5, then Year 11 and the HSC course.

Before the HSC course, English is assessed by your school. Year 11 English covers the three focus areas for each course; Years 7–10 English covers Stage 4 and Stage 5, A–E grades and the writing you'll be asked for.

Questions

What are the HSC English courses in NSW?

English Advanced, English Standard and English EAL/D (for students learning English as an additional language or dialect), plus English Extension 1, a separate course with its own exam. Advanced, Standard and EAL/D each have a Common Module and three more modules, examined in two papers worth 100 marks.

What's the difference between English Advanced and English Standard?

They share the Common Module and its text list, and their exams have the same shape. Module A differs (Textual conversations in Advanced, Language, identity and culture in Standard), Module B is a critical study in Advanced and a close study in Standard, and the Module A and B text lists are separate. The outcomes are pitched differently too: where Advanced "evaluates the relationships between texts through context, form and language", Standard "explains the relationships between texts through context, form and language".

When does the new HSC English syllabus start?

The 2024 syllabuses were first taught in Year 11 in 2026, so the first HSC under them is in 2027, with a new prescribed text list for 2027–2030. Students sitting the HSC in 2026 are the last on the 2017 syllabus and the 2019–2026 list.

How long is each HSC English exam?

Paper 1 is 1 hour and 30 minutes plus 10 minutes reading time, and Paper 2 is 2 hours plus 5 minutes reading time, for Advanced, Standard and EAL/D from HSC 2027. Extension 1 is 2 hours plus 10 minutes reading time.

How are HSC English essays marked?

Against a marking guideline written for each question, with five mark ranges for a 20-mark response (17–20, 13–16, 9–12, 5–8, 1–4). At least two markers mark each extended response independently, and a senior marker resolves big differences.