Starting Year 12: Your guide to the 2027 HSC
If you're in Year 11 now, your HSC courses can start from Term 4 2026 and you'll sit the 2027 HSC. Each HSC mark is half school assessment, half exam. Your ATAR is a rank that UAC calculates from your best 2 units of English plus best 8 other units, after scaling. NESA has published some 2027 dates, including results on 15 December 2027; the written exam dates are still to be announced.
The series
- How Year 12 assessment works: the 50:50 split, assessment schedules, moderation and ranks, the new one-take-home-task limit, and the syllabuses that change for 2027.
- Set up your study system over summer: notes by dot point, active recall, a weekly routine and real rest.
- When to start past papers: topic-by-topic practice first, full timed papers later, and how to use NESA's marking guidelines.
How the ATAR works, in brief
- Eligibility. At least 10 units of Board Developed courses, including 2 units of English, three courses of 2 units or more, and four subject areas.
- The aggregate. Your best 2 units of English plus your best 8 other units, as scaled marks. English always counts, even if it's your lowest.
- Scaling. UAC scales your raw moderated assessment and exam marks so courses can be compared fairly. A course's scaled marks reflect how its students perform across all their courses, and you still need a high mark in the course to benefit. Scaled marks aren't reported to you.
- The rank. The ATAR runs from 0.00 to 99.95 and shows your position against all 16 to 20-year-olds in NSW, not just your Year 12 group. UAC says the average ATAR is usually around 70.00.
- Selection rank. Unis admit most students on ATAR plus adjustment factors. See adjustment factors, EAS and early offers.
The full explanation, with UAC's 2025 figures, is in how the HSC ATAR is calculated and how HSC subjects are scaled. To see how different marks might combine, try the HSC ATAR calculator.
UAC's advice is to choose courses on interest, ability and your future plans, not predicted scaling. Your position within each course matters most.
Key dates for the 2027 HSC
From NESA's published key dates and 2027 timetable of actions (September 2026):
| Date | What |
|---|---|
| Term 4 2026 | Year 12 (HSC) courses can begin; new English, Mathematics and History Extension syllabuses start for Year 12 |
| Tue 3 Nov 2026 | 2027 HSC student entries open |
| 10 Nov 2026 to 9 Apr 2027 | Schools submit HSC exam provisions applications for the 2027 HSC |
| Mon 30 Nov 2026 | 2027 HSC practical exam timetable released |
| Tue 27 Apr 2027 | 2027 HSC languages oral exam timetable released |
| Fri 30 Apr 2027 | Personalised HSC written exam timetables released |
| Wed 30 Jun 2027 | Last date to change HSC courses |
| Term 3 2027 | Practical and language oral exams |
| Tue 14 Sep 2027 | Schools' deadline to submit HSC assessment marks |
| Term 4 2027 | HSC written exams: dates to be announced |
| Tue 9 Nov 2027 | Last date to lodge an assessment rank appeal with your principal |
| Wed 15 Dec 2027 | 2027 HSC results released |
UAC's dates for applications and offers for 2028 entry, including the 2027 ATAR release time, are to be announced on UAC's key dates page.
Use the site through the year
- Subject hubs and exam guides: start from the HSC exams page or a hub such as Biology or Mathematics Advanced.
- Daily practice: Today, flashcards and the study planner.
- Calculators for maths and science working: HSC calculators.
- Need adjustments for a disability or condition? Read HSC special provisions early.
Sources & how we know this
- 2027 timetable of actions (Excel workbook, September 2026) — NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) (2026)
- HSC key dates — NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) (2026)
- ACE Rules 3.1: Course commencement — NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) (2026)
- How your ATAR is calculated — Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) (2026)
- FAQs about the ATAR — Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) (2026)
- What is the ATAR? — Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) (2026)
Last updated: 2026-09-28. Rules change. For the official source see NESA.