HSC Studies of Religion: complete 2026 guide to the syllabus and exam
A complete guide to HSC Studies of Religion I and II under the Stage 6 Syllabus (2009). What each course covers, the depth study choices set by the syllabus, the exact exam structures, how the marking guidelines reward answers, the new syllabus now in development, and links to every dot-point page.
HSC Studies of Religion examines religious traditions and non-religious worldviews academically and respectfully. It rewards students who know their significant people, ethical teachings, practices and sacred texts precisely, link them to the beliefs they express, and write disciplined, well-structured responses.
This page is the index: which course covers what, the choices the syllabus allows, the exam structures, what the marking guidelines reward, and links to every dot-point page.
Which syllabus applies
The 2026 HSC examinations are set on the Studies of Religion I and II Stage 6 Syllabus (2009). NESA is developing new Studies of Religion 11 to 12 syllabuses; consultation on the draft is scheduled for 26 October to 18 December 2026. NESA's reform timeline indicates implementation in schools in 2029 and the first HSC examination in 2030. Those dates are indicative until the new syllabus is released, so check the NESA website if you are starting Year 11 in 2029 or later (on the current timeline, earlier cohorts stay on the 2009 syllabus).
Studies of Religion I and II
| Studies of Religion I (1 unit) | Studies of Religion II (2 units) | |
|---|---|---|
| Religion and Belief Systems in Australia post-1945 | Yes (16 hours) | Yes (16 hours) |
| Religious Tradition Depth Studies | TWO (22 hours each) | THREE (22 hours each) |
| Religion and Peace | No | Yes (22 hours), in TWO traditions |
| Religion and Non-Religion | No | Yes (16 hours) |
| HSC exam | 1.5 hours, 50 marks | 3 hours, 100 marks |
The Preliminary (Year 11) course covers the nature of religion and beliefs (including Aboriginal beliefs and spiritualities), religions of ancient origin, religion in Australia pre-1945 and Religious Tradition Studies of the principal beliefs, sacred texts, core ethical teachings and personal devotion of the traditions. Our "principal beliefs and sacred texts" pages cover that Year 11 foundation, which the HSC depth studies build on.
Religion and Belief Systems in Australia post-1945
Common to both courses. The syllabus covers contemporary Aboriginal spiritualities (the Dreaming, kinship, ceremonial life and obligations to land and people; the continuing effect of dispossession through separation from land and kinship groups and the Stolen Generations; and the Land Rights movement, Native Title, Mabo and Wik), the changing religious landscape from 1945 using census data (Christianity as the major tradition, immigration, denominational switching, New Age religions and secularism), Christian ecumenical movements (the National Council of Churches in Australia and the NSW Ecumenical Council), interfaith dialogue, and the relationship between Aboriginal spiritualities and religious traditions in the process of Reconciliation.
- The changing religious landscape of Australia post-1945
- Aboriginal spirituality, the Dreaming and the effect of dispossession
- Ecumenism, interfaith dialogue and reconciliation
Religious Tradition Depth Studies
Each depth study has three parts, each with a choice the school makes:
| Tradition | Significant person or school of thought (examples from the syllabus list) | Ethics (choose one) | Significant practice (choose one) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buddhism | Asoka, Nagarjuna, Vasubandhu, Guru Rinpoche, Sister Dhammadinna, Tenzin Palmo, the XIVth Dalai Lama, Pure Land, Soto Zen, Won Buddhism | Bioethics, environmental or sexual ethics | Pilgrimage, Temple Puja, Wesak |
| Christianity | Paul of Tarsus, Hildegard of Bingen, Martin Luther, Catherine Booth, Pope John XXIII, Billy Graham, Dennis Bennett, Sarah Maitland, Liberation Theology, Feminist Theology | Bioethics, environmental or sexual ethics | Baptism, marriage ceremony, Saturday/Sunday worship |
| Hinduism | Shankara, Ramanuja, Madhva, Mirabai, the Bhakti movement, Ram Mohan Roy, Ramakrishna, Mohandas Gandhi, Purva Mimamsa, Vedanta | Bioethics, environmental or sexual ethics | Marriage ceremony, pilgrimage, temple worship |
| Islam | Khadijah, A'isha, Fatima al-Zahra, Imam Malik, Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam al-Shafi'i, Ibn Sina, Rabi'a al-Adawiyya, al-Ghazali, Sayyid Maududi, Sayyid Qutb | Bioethics, environmental or sexual ethics | Friday prayer at the mosque, funeral ceremony, Hajj |
| Judaism | Isaiah, Hillel (and Shammai), Beruriah, Rashi, Moses Maimonides, Kabbalah, the Hassidim, Moses Mendelssohn, Abraham Geiger, Rav Kook, Jewish Feminism | Bioethics, environmental or sexual ethics | Death and mourning, marriage, synagogue services |
For the practice, you must describe it, show how it expresses the beliefs of the tradition, and analyse its significance for the individual and the community.
Buddhism
- A significant person: the XIVth Dalai Lama
- A significant person: the Emperor Asoka
- Principal beliefs and sacred texts of Buddhism (Year 11 foundation)
- Buddhist ethical teachings on bioethics
- Buddhist environmental ethics
- Buddhist sexual ethics
- Temple puja as a significant practice
- Pilgrimage as a significant practice
- Wesak as a significant practice
Christianity
- Paul of Tarsus as a significant person
- Hildegard of Bingen as a significant person
- Principal beliefs and sacred texts of Christianity (Year 11 foundation)
- Christian ethical teachings on bioethics
- Christian ethical teachings on sexual ethics
- Christian ethical teachings on environmental ethics
- Baptism as a significant practice
- Saturday/Sunday worship as a significant practice
- The marriage ceremony as a significant practice
Hinduism
- A significant person: Mohandas Gandhi
- A significant person: Mirabai (Mira Bai)
- Principal beliefs and sacred texts of Hinduism (Year 11 foundation)
- Hindu ethical teachings on bioethics
- Hindu environmental ethics
- Hindu sexual ethics
- Temple worship (puja) as a significant practice
- The marriage ceremony (vivaha) as a significant practice
- Pilgrimage (tirtha-yatra) as a significant practice
Islam
- A significant person: A'isha bint Abu Bakr
- A significant person: Al-Ghazali
- Principal beliefs and sacred texts of Islam (Year 11 foundation)
- Islamic sexual ethics
- Islamic ethical teachings on bioethics
- Islamic ethical teachings on environmental ethics
- Hajj as a significant practice
- Friday prayer at the mosque (Salat al-Jumu'ah) as a significant practice
- The funeral ceremony (janazah) as a significant practice
Judaism
- A significant person: Moses Maimonides
- A significant person: Rashi (Rabbi Solomon Isaac)
- Principal beliefs and sacred texts of Judaism (Year 11 foundation)
- Jewish bioethics
- Jewish sexual ethics
- Jewish environmental ethics
- Marriage as a significant practice
- Synagogue services as a significant practice
- Death and mourning as a significant practice
Studies of Religion II only
Religion and Peace is completed within the same TWO traditions: how peace is expressed in sacred texts (Buddhism: Sutta Pitaka and Dhammapada; Christianity: the New Testament; Hinduism: Bhagavad Gita; Islam: Qur'an and Hadith; Judaism: the Prophetic vision of peace on Earth), principal teachings about peace, and each tradition's contribution to inner peace and world peace. The first three pages below cover Christianity and Islam together; the next three cover Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism one tradition at a time, so you can study any pair.
- Religion and Peace: sacred texts and principal teachings in Christianity and Islam
- Inner peace in Christianity and Islam
- World peace and religious organisations
- Religion and Peace in Buddhism: the Dhammapada, inner peace and world peace
- Religion and Peace in Hinduism: the Bhagavad Gita, inner peace and world peace
- Religion and Peace in Judaism: the Prophetic vision, inner peace and world peace
Religion and Non-Religion covers the religious dimension in human history (animism, polytheism and monotheism; meaning, social cohesion and social transformation; the global distribution of the five traditions), new religious expression and the influences on its growth, non-religious worldviews (atheism, agnosticism, rational and scientific humanism), and a comparison of ONE religious and ONE non-religious belief system on the transcendent, the human person and social responsibility.
- The religious dimension in human history: animism, polytheism, monotheism, meaning, cohesion and transformation
- The global distribution of the five major religious traditions
- Religion and Non-Religion and the search for meaning
- Humanism: the positions of Rational and Scientific Humanism
- New atheism as a non-religious worldview
- Reasons for the rise of non-religion and new religious expression
- Comparing Christianity and Humanism: the transcendent, the human person and social responsibility
- Comparing Buddhism and Humanism: the transcendent, the human person and social responsibility
Exam structure
Studies of Religion I: 1 hour 30 minutes plus 5 minutes reading time, 50 marks.
| Section | Content | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Section I | Australia post-1945: 10 multiple-choice questions and one short answer | 15 |
| Section II | One depth study question in three short-answer parts | 15 |
| Section III | One depth study extended response (about 800 words), a different tradition from Section II | 20 |
Studies of Religion II: 3 hours plus 5 minutes reading time, 100 marks.
| Section | Content | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Section I Part A | Australia post-1945: 10 multiple-choice questions and one short answer | 15 |
| Section I Part B | Religion and Non-Religion: 10 multiple-choice questions and one short answer | 15 |
| Section II | Two depth study questions in short-answer parts, two different traditions | 30 |
| Section III | One depth study extended response, a third tradition | 20 |
| Section IV | Religion and Peace extended response | 20 |
Recent examples: the Australia short answer asked about the Dreaming and the land rights movement (2023), the impact of a Christian ecumenical movement (2024) and why religious dialogue is important post-1945 (2025). Section IV asked students to evaluate two traditions' response to peace (2023), analyse how one tradition's values and actions foster inner peace (2024) and explain how two traditions support adherents towards inner peace (2025).
What the marking guidelines reward
Extended responses are assessed on how well you demonstrate knowledge and understanding relevant to the question, incorporate significant aspects of religion to illustrate your answer, communicate using the language and terminology of the study of religion, and present ideas clearly in a cohesive response. The 20-mark responses are marked in bands of 17 to 20, 13 to 16, 9 to 12, 5 to 8 and 1 to 4; the top band requires a sustained, reasoned response that integrates any stimulus throughout, with detailed, accurate information and terminology.
Study strategy
- Know your choices precisely. Your school chooses the person, ethical area and practice for each tradition; know exactly which ones you are examined on.
- Link practice to belief. Every practice answer must show which beliefs the practice expresses and why it matters for individuals and the community.
- Use sacred texts accurately. Quote or reference key passages correctly (book, chapter and verse; surah and ayah; sutta).
- Use current data carefully. For Australia post-1945, use Australian Bureau of Statistics census figures with the year (the 2021 Census is the latest released; results from the August 2026 Census are expected in 2027).
- Respect diversity. Recognise differences within traditions rather than generalising.
System context
For the official syllabus
NESA publishes the Studies of Religion I and II Stage 6 syllabuses, past HSC papers, marking guidelines and feedback at nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/nesa. Always cross-check our pages against the syllabus and your school's choices of person, ethics and practice.