For Year 12 students across New South Wales, the HSC written exams are the final and most important step of senior school. Knowing exactly when each exam falls is the first step in building a revision plan that works. This guide covers the full 2026 HSC written exam timetable, the key dates after exams, and advice from tutors who scored in the high 90s in the courses you're sitting.
Key Takeaways
- HSC written exams run from Tuesday 13 October to Thursday 5 November 2026, across 18 exam days (NESA, 2026).
- English Paper 1 opens the exam period and Physics closes it.
- Mathematics Advanced and Mathematics Extension 2 are both on Monday 19 October.
- The start time shown for each exam is when reading time begins, so arrive well before it.
- HSC results and ATARs are both released on Wednesday 16 December 2026 (NESA and UAC, 2026).
HSC Exam Timetable 2026
The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) has released the official 2026 HSC written exam timetable. Exams run over four weeks, from Tuesday 13 October to Thursday 5 November 2026. Times include reading time.
Week 1: 13–16 October
| Date | Session | Exam(s) and time |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 13 October | AM | English Advanced Paper 1 (9:50–11:30 am), English Standard Paper 1 (9:50–11:30 am), English EAL/D Paper 1 (9:50–11:30 am), English Studies (9:50 am–12:30 pm) |
| PM | Classical Greek Extension (2:00–4:00 pm), Classical Hebrew Extension (2:00–4:00 pm), German Continuers (2:00–5:00 pm), Indonesian Extension (2:00–4:00 pm), Japanese Beginners (2:00–4:40 pm), Japanese Continuers (2:00–5:00 pm) | |
| Wednesday 14 October | AM | English Advanced Paper 2 (9:25–11:30 am), English Standard Paper 2 (9:25–11:30 am), English EAL/D Paper 2 (9:25–10:30 am) and Listening Paper (10:40–11:10 am) |
| PM | Music 1 Aural Skills (1:55–3:00 pm), Music 2 Musicology and Aural Skills (3:25–5:00 pm) | |
| Thursday 15 October | AM | Earth and Environmental Science (9:25 am–12:30 pm), Tourism, Travel and Events (VET) (9:25–11:30 am), Indonesian Beginners (9:20 am–12 noon), Indonesian Continuers (9:30 am–12:30 pm), Classical Hebrew Continuers (9:25 am–12:30 pm) |
| PM | Agriculture (1:55–5:00 pm), Arabic Continuers, Modern Hebrew Continuers, Spanish Continuers and Vietnamese Continuers (2:00–5:00 pm), Chinese in Context, Japanese in Context, Korean in Context and Spanish Beginners (2:00–4:40 pm), CCAFL Continuers languages* (2:00–4:10 pm) | |
| Friday 16 October | AM | Modern History (9:25 am–12:30 pm), Japanese Extension (9:30–11:30 am) |
| PM | Classical Greek Continuers (1:55–5:00 pm), Hospitality (VET) (1:55–4:00 pm), German Extension (2:00–4:00 pm) |
CCAFL Continuers languages: Armenian, Croatian, Dutch, Filipino, Hindi, Hungarian, Khmer, Macedonian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Serbian, Swedish, Tamil and Turkish.
Week 2: 19–23 October
| Date | Session | Exam(s) and time |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 19 October | AM | Mathematics Advanced (9:20 am–12:30 pm), Mathematics Standard 1 (9:20–11:30 am), Mathematics Standard 2 (9:20 am–12 noon) |
| PM | Mathematics Extension 2 (1:50–5:00 pm) | |
| Tuesday 20 October | AM | Engineering Studies (9:25 am–12:30 pm), Textiles and Design (9:25–11:00 am), Primary Industries (VET) (9:25–11:30 am), Latin Continuers (9:25 am–12:30 pm), German Beginners (9:20 am–12 noon), Spanish Extension (9:30–11:30 am) |
| PM | Society and Culture (1:55–4:00 pm), Automotive (VET) (1:55–4:00 pm), Arabic Extension (2:00–4:00 pm), Chinese Continuers (2:00–5:00 pm) | |
| Wednesday 21 October | AM | Biology (9:25 am–12:30 pm) |
| PM | History Extension (1:50–4:00 pm), Business Services (VET) (1:55–4:00 pm), Chinese and Literature (2:00–5:00 pm) | |
| Thursday 22 October | AM | Studies of Religion I (9:25–11:00 am), Studies of Religion II (9:25 am–12:30 pm), Latin Extension (9:20–11:30 am) |
| PM | Drama (1:55–3:30 pm), Chinese Beginners (2:00–4:40 pm), Chinese Extension (2:00–4:00 pm) | |
| Friday 23 October | AM | Ancient History (9:25 am–12:30 pm), Electrotechnology (VET) (9:25–11:30 am) |
| PM | Mathematics Extension 1 (1:50–4:00 pm) |
Week 3: 26–30 October
| Date | Session | Exam(s) and time |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 26 October | AM | Business Studies (9:25 am–12:30 pm) |
| PM | Science Extension (1:50–4:00 pm), Construction (VET) (1:55–4:00 pm) | |
| Tuesday 27 October | AM | Software Engineering (9:50 am–12:20 pm), Human Services (VET) (9:25–11:30 am), Italian Continuers and Korean Continuers (9:30 am–12:30 pm), Modern Greek Beginners (9:20 am–12 noon), Modern Greek Extension (9:30–11:30 am) |
| PM | Economics (1:55–5:00 pm), Entertainment Industry (VET) (1:55–4:00 pm) | |
| Wednesday 28 October | AM | Health and Movement Science (9:20 am–12:30 pm) |
| PM | English Extension 1 (1:50–4:00 pm), Information and Digital Technology (VET) (1:55–4:00 pm), Retail Services (VET) (1:55–4:00 pm), Korean and Literature (2:00–5:00 pm) | |
| Thursday 29 October | AM | Enterprise Computing (9:50 am–12:20 pm), Dance Section I (9:25–10:30 am) and Section II (10:40 am–12 noon), Italian Beginners and Korean Beginners (9:20 am–12 noon), Italian Extension (9:30–11:30 am), Modern Greek Continuers (9:30 am–12:30 pm) |
| PM | Design and Technology (1:55–3:30 pm), French Beginners (2:00–4:40 pm), French Extension (2:00–4:00 pm) | |
| Friday 30 October | AM | Chemistry (9:25 am–12:30 pm), Aboriginal Studies (9:25 am–12:30 pm), Financial Services (VET) (9:25–11:30 am) |
| PM | Visual Arts: Art Criticism and Art History (1:55–3:30 pm) |
Week 4: 2–5 November
| Date | Session | Exam(s) and time |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 2 November | AM | Legal Studies (9:25 am–12:30 pm) |
| PM | Geography (1:50–5:00 pm) | |
| Tuesday 3 November | AM | Community and Family Studies (9:25 am–12:30 pm) |
| PM | Investigating Science (1:55–5:00 pm), French Continuers (2:00–5:00 pm) | |
| Wednesday 4 November | AM | Food Technology (9:25 am–12:30 pm) |
| PM | Industrial Technology, all focus areas (1:55–3:30 pm) | |
| Thursday 5 November | AM | Physics (9:25 am–12:30 pm) |
Source: NESA 2026 HSC written exam timetable. Your personalised timetable, including Languages oral exams, performance exams and submitted works, is available on Students Online. If a VET exam you expect isn't on your timetable, contact your school straight away.
What's Different in 2026?
If you're comparing with last year's timetable, several major courses have moved:
- The exam period starts and ends earlier. It runs from 13 October to 5 November, compared with 16 October to 7 November in 2025.
- Mathematics Advanced and Extension 2 are on the same day. Both are on Monday 19 October (Advanced in the morning, Extension 2 in the afternoon). In 2025 they were three days apart.
- Modern History is in Week 1, on Friday 16 October, compared with 21 October in 2025.
- Chemistry is later and Legal Studies is in the final week. Chemistry moves from 28 October to 30 October, and Legal Studies from 27 October to 2 November.
- Health and Movement Science (which replaces PDHPE) sits on Wednesday 28 October.
Worth knowing: The 2026 timetable spreads the three sciences across the whole exam period: Biology in Week 2 (21 October), Chemistry at the end of Week 3 (30 October) and Physics on the very last day (5 November). Students taking Chemistry and Physics together have nearly a week between them, which is ideal for a final full-length practice paper in each.
Key Dates After Your Exams
- Wednesday 16 December 2026: HSC results released by NESA through Students Online.
- Wednesday 16 December 2026, 9:00 am: ATARs released by UAC.
- Wednesday 23 December 2026: UAC main offer round for semester 1 courses.
Want to understand what your results mean? Read our guide to HSC performance bands.
Learn From Tutors Who Aced the HSC
Our tutors have been where you are. In these guides, Apex tutors explain exactly how they studied for their highest-scoring HSC courses, and our examiner report breakdowns show where students lost marks in recent exams. Each is listed with its 2026 exam date:
How I scored in the high 90s:
- How I Scored a 98 in HSC Maths Advanced (Monday 19 October)
- How I Scored a 96 in HSC Maths Extension 1 (Friday 23 October)
Examiner report breakdowns:
- HSC English Advanced (13 and 14 October)
- HSC Maths Advanced (Monday 19 October)
- HSC Maths Standard (Monday 19 October)
- HSC Maths Extension 2 (Monday 19 October)
- HSC Biology (Wednesday 21 October)
- HSC Maths Extension 1 (Friday 23 October)
- HSC Chemistry (Friday 30 October)
Essential Tips for HSC Exam Success
We asked our tutors, who have an average ATAR of 99.00, for their best advice for students preparing for the HSC. Here's what they said:
- Work backwards from each exam date: Put every exam on a calendar and plan when you'll revise each course, giving the most time to early exams and your hardest subjects.
- Practise like it's the real thing: Complete full papers under exam conditions, including reading time, and mark yourself honestly.
- Use the syllabus as a checklist: The NESA syllabus tells you exactly what can be tested. Tick off each dot point as you master it.
- Know your command terms: Words like "explain", "analyse" and "evaluate" each ask for something different.
- Avoid burnout: Study in focused blocks with short, screen-free breaks rather than marathon sessions.
- Reach out for support: If a concept isn't making sense, ask your teacher, join a study group or work with a tutor.
💡 Want a full plan for the year? Read our term-by-term HSC study plan.
Maximising the Benefits of Past Papers
Practising with past papers is one of the most effective ways to prepare for HSC exams. Here's how to use them properly:
- Do them under timed conditions: Build speed and accuracy under pressure.
- Mark with the marking guidelines: Learn what gets rewarded and how top-scoring responses are structured.
- Track your mistakes: Keep an error log to spot recurring gaps in your knowledge.
- Revisit your weak topics: Let past paper mistakes guide what you revise next.
- Get familiar with the wording: NESA papers often repeat phrases and question styles, so practise until they feel routine.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do HSC exams start in 2026?
HSC written exams start on Tuesday 13 October 2026 with English Paper 1, and finish on Thursday 5 November 2026 with Physics.
When is the 2026 HSC English exam?
English Advanced, English Standard and English EAL/D Paper 1 are on Tuesday 13 October 2026, from 9:50 am. Paper 2 is on Wednesday 14 October 2026, from 9:25 am.
When are the 2026 HSC Maths exams?
Mathematics Advanced, Standard 1 and Standard 2 are on the morning of Monday 19 October, and Mathematics Extension 2 is that afternoon. Mathematics Extension 1 is on the afternoon of Friday 23 October.
Does the HSC exam time include reading time?
Yes. The start time on the timetable is when reading time begins, so you need to arrive well before it.
When are 2026 HSC results and ATARs released?
HSC results and ATARs are both released on Wednesday 16 December 2026. UAC releases ATARs at 9:00 am.
Need Help Preparing for Your HSC Exams?
Personalised support can make a real difference to your exam results. Our HSC tutors offer one-on-one support in Sydney and online, covering content revision, past paper practice and exam technique.
