SACE Stage 2 General Mathematics: 2026 guide to the topics and assessment
A 2026 guide to SACE Stage 2 General Mathematics: the five studied topics from linear modelling to discrete networks, how the 70% school and 30% external assessment combine, and links to every dot-point answer we have written.
SACE Stage 2 General Mathematics is the Year 12 course that develops practical, applied mathematics for students heading into business, health, trades, social science and general university pathways. It is a 20-credit subject assessed 70% through school-based work and 30% through a single external examination.
This page is the index. Below you will find the structure of the five topics, how the assessment marks combine, and links to every dot-point answer we have written for SACE Stage 2 General Mathematics.
How the subject is assessed in 2026
General Mathematics uses a 70% school assessment and 30% external assessment split.
School Assessment (70%).
- Assessment Type 1 - Skills and Applications Tasks (40%). Four or five tasks completed mostly under supervised conditions. Topics that are not examined must be assessed here or in the investigation. They test your fluency with the concepts and techniques of each topic through short and extended questions.
- Assessment Type 2 - Mathematical Investigation (30%). One investigation in which you investigate a practical model or situation, apply the course methods, and communicate your reasoning and conclusions.
External Assessment (30%).
- A single 130-minute written examination on Topics 3, 4 and 5 (Statistical models, Financial models and Discrete models), sat at the end of the year. A SACE-approved graphics or CAS calculator is permitted.
The five topics
- Topic 1: Modelling with Linear Relationships
- Linear functions and their graphs, simultaneous equations and break-even analysis, linear programming, and piecewise-linear models.
- Topic 2: Modelling with Matrices
- Matrix operations, applications to networks and costing, and transition matrices for predicting future states.
- Topic 3: Statistical Models
- Bivariate data and correlation, least-squares regression, and the normal distribution with z-scores.
- Topic 4: Financial Models
- Compound interest and annuities, reducing-balance loans, and depreciation.
- Topic 5: Discrete Models
- Critical path analysis, shortest-path and network-flow problems, and assignment problems.
Our 2026 SACE General Mathematics dot-point answers
Every link below is a focused answer to one syllabus concept. Each page identifies the concept, gives the worked answer with full mathematical working, includes worked examples and common-mistake warnings, and cross-links to related dot points.
Topic 1: Modelling with Linear Relationships
- Linear functions and modelling
- Simultaneous equations and break-even
- Linear programming
- Piecewise-linear models
Topic 2: Modelling with Matrices
Topic 3: Statistical Models
Topic 4: Financial Models
Topic 5: Discrete Models
How to use this hub
If you are starting the year: work through the topics in order, since the linear and matrix skills of Topics 1 and 2 support the modelling later in the course.
If you have a Skills and Applications Task coming up: identify which topic it covers, read every dot point in that topic, and drill the worked examples under timed conditions.
If you are planning your Mathematical Investigation: pick contexts where you can genuinely apply the methods, such as a costing problem solved with linear programming, a transition-matrix population model, a regression study, a loan comparison, or a project scheduled with critical path analysis.
If you are revising for the external exam: the 130-minute paper covers Topics 3, 4 and 5, so revise those thoroughly, then complete past SACE examination papers under timed conditions.
The system around SACE Stage 2 General Mathematics
For the official subject outline, performance standards and past examination papers, refer to the SACE Board at sace.sa.edu.au. University prerequisites are listed by SATAC at satac.edu.au.
Every guide on this hub was written by ExamExplained, an initiative focused on clear, syllabus-aligned study notes for Australian senior secondary students.
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