HSC Music exam 2026Exam: Wed 14 Oct · NESA timetable
The first HSC Music exam (Music 1):
When and how long
- Music 1 · Aural Skills1.55 pm to 3.00 pm (approx. finish)
- Music 2 · Musicology and Aural Skills3.25 pm to 5.00 pm (approx. finish)
Our Music pages cover 2 NESA courses: check which one you are enrolled in.
NESA: the exam start time shown on your timetable is when reading time begins, and you must arrive well before it. Finishing times marked approximate are shown as approx.
Source: 2026 HSC written exam timetable (NESA), checked Wednesday 23 September 2026. Where a start time, reading time or duration isn't shown, the timetable doesn't publish it: check your personal timetable and the front of your paper.
What the exam covers
We don't have past-paper frequency data for this exam, so here is the course, module by module. Make sure every module is covered.
- Aural (core listening and analysis)3 dot points
- Composition and arranging (core and elective)2 dot points
- The Concepts of Music (core framework)9 dot points
- Music 1 Topics and Electives4 dot points
- Music 2 Mandatory Topic: Music of the Last 25 Years (Australian focus)1 dot point
- Music 2 Additional Topic and Core1 dot point
- Musicology (core and elective)3 dot points
- Performance (core and elective)3 dot points
Night-before and exam-morning checklists
The night before
- Check your personalised timetable on Students Online: the start time shown is when reading time begins.[2]
- Confirm your venue and the start time.[1]
- Pack a clear bag: several black pens (no erasable ink), 2B pencils, sharpener, eraser and a ruler.[1]
- Pack an approved calculator (check NESA's list) and a compass or protractor if the exam needs them.[1]
- Fill a clear, label-free water bottle.[1]
- A plain watch only if you want one (no smart or programmable watch); it goes on the desk.[1]
- Stop revising around 7 to 8 pm, set two alarms and sleep.[1]
Exam morning
- Eat a real breakfast.[1]
- Arrive well before the start time to allow for seating and checks.[2]
- Leave your phone and other electronic devices outside the exam room.[1]
- Use the bathroom before you go in.[1]
- In reading time, read and plan only: no writing, marking or annotating.[1]
- You can't leave in the first hour or the last 15 minutes.[1]
Exam-week survival kit: The last 7 days · The night before and exam morning · What to bring, and what's banned · How to use reading time · If you're sick or something goes wrong · Handling exam-week stress.
Last-week revision
HSC Music cram sheet
Key formulas, definitions and facts copied from our Music syllabus pages. One page when printed.
The Concepts of Music (core framework)
Perfect (authentic): V to I, sounds complete. Plagal: IV to I, the "Amen" cadence. Imperfect (half): ends on V, sounds unfinished. Interrupted (deceptive): V to vi, surprises the ear by avoiding the tonic. Cadences mark the ends of phrases and sections, so identifying them reveals both harmony and structure at once.
Duration, pitch, dynamics and expression, tone colour, texture, structure. Memorise them as a fixed list so that in an aural exam you can sweep through all six and never leave a concept unaddressed. Music 1 and Music 2 share exactly the same six concepts; Music 2 simply demands more notated and score-based evidence.