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For Year 12 students across Western Australia, the ATAR course written exams are the final and most important step of senior school. Whether you're aiming for a top ATAR or simply want to finish strong, the first step is knowing exactly when each exam falls. This guide covers the full 2026 WACE written exam timetable for Year 12 ATAR courses and includes study tips from our tutors to help you walk in confident and ready.
Key Takeaways
- WACE ATAR written exams run from Wednesday 28 October to Wednesday 18 November 2026 (SCSA, 2026).
- Morning exams start at 9:20 am and afternoon exams at 2:00 pm. Arrive 30 minutes early.
- Most exams are 3 hours of working time plus 10 minutes of reading time.
- Psychology and Chemistry are in the first two days, much earlier than in 2025.
- ATARs are released at 8:00 am on Sunday 20 December 2026 (TISC, 2026).
WACE Exam Timetable 2026
The School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) has released the official 2026 Year 12 ATAR course written examinations timetable. Exams run from Wednesday 28 October to Wednesday 18 November 2026, with morning sessions starting at 9:20 am and afternoon sessions at 2:00 pm.
Week 1: 28–30 October
| Date | Time | Exam(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 28 October | 9:20 am | Aviation, Psychology |
| 2:00 pm | Engineering Studies, Indonesian: Second Language, Korean: Second Language | |
| Thursday 29 October | 9:20 am | Agribusiness, Chemistry |
| 2:00 pm | Ancient History, Computer Science, German: Background Language | |
| Friday 30 October | 9:20 am | English |
| 2:00 pm | English as an Additional Language or Dialect |
Week 2: 2–6 November
| Date | Time | Exam(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 2 November | 9:20 am | Agricultural Science and Technology, Mathematics Methods |
| 2:00 pm | Applied Information Technology, Chinese: Second Language | |
| Tuesday 3 November | 9:20 am | Literature |
| 2:00 pm | Dance, German: Second Language, Media Production and Analysis | |
| Wednesday 4 November | 9:20 am | Physics |
| 2:00 pm | Chinese: First Language, Indonesian: Background Language, Politics and Law | |
| Thursday 5 November | 9:20 am | Human Biology |
| 2:00 pm | Drama, Outdoor Education | |
| Friday 6 November | 9:20 am | Mathematics Applications |
| 2:00 pm | Japanese: Second Language, Materials Design and Technology |
Week 3: 9–13 November
| Date | Time | Exam(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 9 November | 9:20 am | Food Science and Technology, Mathematics Specialist |
| 2:00 pm | Biology, French: Background Language, Korean: Background Language | |
| Tuesday 10 November | 9:20 am | Economics |
| 2:00 pm | Marine and Maritime Studies, Punjabi: Background Language, Visual Arts | |
| Wednesday 11 November | 9:20 am | Business Management and Enterprise |
| 2:00 pm | Geography, Tamil: Background Language | |
| Thursday 12 November | 9:20 am | Modern History |
| 2:00 pm | Italian: Background Language, Physical Education Studies | |
| Friday 13 November | 9:20 am | Accounting and Finance, Earth and Environmental Science |
| 2:00 pm | Philosophy and Ethics, Religion and Life |
Week 4: 16–18 November
| Date | Time | Exam(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 16 November | 9:20 am | Health Studies |
| 2:00 pm | French: Second Language, Hindi: Background Language | |
| Tuesday 17 November | 9:20 am | Design |
| 2:00 pm | Music | |
| Wednesday 18 November | 9:20 am | Italian: Second Language |
Source: SCSA 2026 Year 12 ATAR course written examinations timetable. Your personalised timetable, showing the date, time and location of each of your exams, is available on the SCSA Student Portal.
Exam length and format:
- Most ATAR written exams are 3 hours of working time plus 10 minutes of reading time. A small number are 2½ hours, so check your personalised timetable.
- Mathematics Applications, Methods and Specialist exams have two sections. Section One (calculator-free) has 5 minutes of reading and 50 minutes of working time. Section Two (calculator-assumed) has 10 minutes of reading and 100 minutes of working time.
- Practical and oral exams for relevant courses run from 26 September to 25 October 2026, before the written exams begin.
- Interstate language exams (such as Modern Greek, Spanish and Vietnamese) have their own timetable. Check with SCSA or your school.
What's Different in 2026?
If you have an older sibling or friend who sat WACE exams last year, don't assume the dates carry over. The 2026 timetable has moved several major courses much earlier:
- The exam block starts a day earlier. Exams begin on Wednesday 28 October, compared with 29 October in 2025.
- Psychology has moved from the final weeks to Day 1. In 2025 it sat on 13 November. In 2026 it's the first exam, on 28 October.
- Chemistry, English and Maths are earlier. Chemistry moves from 31 October to 29 October, English from 3 November to 30 October, and Mathematics Methods from 7 November to 2 November.
- Human Biology is nearly a week earlier, moving from 11 November to 5 November.
- Mathematics Specialist moves from 12 November to 9 November.
Worth knowing: The front of the timetable is packed for popular science and maths combinations. A student taking Psychology, Chemistry, English and Methods sits all four within the first four exam days (28 October to 2 November). If that's you, plan your revision now so you're not starting your strongest subjects from scratch in the last fortnight.
Key Dates After Your Exams
- Mid-December: SCSA releases Year 12 results through the Student Portal.
- Sunday 20 December 2026, 8:00 am: ATARs and university admission advice letters released by TISC.
- Thursday 24 December 2026: TISC main round university offers released.
Want to understand how your exam marks are scaled before they become an ATAR? Read our guide to WACE scaling.
Essential Tips for WACE Exam Success
We asked our tutors, who have an average ATAR of 99.00, for their best advice on WACE exam preparation. Here's what they shared:
- Start with the timetable: Map every exam onto a calendar and work backwards from each date. Psychology, Chemistry and English all fall in the first three days, so plan those subjects early.
- Know the exam formats: For Maths, understand the difference between the calculator-free and calculator-assumed sections and practise both under timed conditions.
- Practise for 3-hour papers: Most WACE exams are long, so build your stamina by sitting full-length papers rather than only doing short practice sets.
- Understand the key words in exam questions: Words like "explain", "discuss" and "evaluate" each ask for something different.
- Revise actively: Summarise notes, quiz yourself, teach someone else and complete practice questions.
- Avoid last-minute cramming: Consistent revision over several weeks will always beat a frantic night before the exam.
- Look after yourself: Sleep, exercise, nutrition and regular breaks help you stay focused across a four-week exam period.
💡 Sitting Chemistry or Specialist Maths? Follow our 90-day study guide for WACE Chemistry or 90-day preparation guide for WACE Mathematics Specialist.
Maximising the Benefits of Past Papers
Past exams are one of the best tools for effective revision. Here's how to get the most out of them:
- Do full exams under timed conditions: Recreate the real exam environment, especially for 3-hour papers.
- Use the marking key: Learn what earns marks and how to strengthen weak responses.
- Spot patterns: Topics and question types often repeat across years. Use this to focus your revision.
- Redo tricky questions: Don't just read the solution. Write the answer yourself until you can do it confidently.
- Get feedback: Ask a teacher or tutor to mark your responses and suggest improvements.
Subject-specific guides from our tutors:
- How to ace WACE English ATAR
- How to ace your WACE Mathematics Methods exam
- How to ace your WACE Chemistry exam
- How to ace WACE Physics ATAR
- How to ace WACE Biology ATAR
Frequently Asked Questions
When do WACE exams start in 2026?
WACE ATAR written exams start on Wednesday 28 October 2026 with Aviation and Psychology, and finish on Wednesday 18 November 2026 with Italian: Second Language.
What time do WACE exams start?
Morning exams start at 9:20 am and afternoon exams at 2:00 pm. SCSA asks candidates to arrive 30 minutes before the start time.
When is the 2026 WACE English exam?
English is on Friday 30 October 2026 at 9:20 am. English as an Additional Language or Dialect is that afternoon at 2:00 pm.
When is the 2026 WACE Mathematics Methods exam?
Mathematics Methods is on Monday 2 November 2026 at 9:20 am. Mathematics Applications is on Friday 6 November and Mathematics Specialist on Monday 9 November, both at 9:20 am.
When are 2026 ATARs released in WA?
TISC releases ATARs at 8:00 am on Sunday 20 December 2026.
Need Help Preparing for Your WACE Exams?
Personalised support can make a real difference to your exam results. Our WACE tutors offer one-on-one support in Perth and online, covering content revision, past paper practice and exam technique.
