2021 NSW HSC exam timetable released

HSC students who have had to endure two stressful years due to Covid will now be forced to sit all their final written exams which will begin on November 9. Check the timetable.

Students hoping for a ­reduction to their HSC exam schedule were disappointed with the timetable announced on Friday, with all written exams going ahead as ­planned.

After months of uncertainty and anxiety, students will sit all their exams, except a few select language courses, starting with English on ­November 9.

“Can I say to our class of 2021, we know it’s been a challenging time for you and we know it’s been really hard to study for your exams while you’ve been learning from home across the state,” Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said.

“However, the consistent message that I’m hearing for our Year 12 students is they want certainty, they want to know when the exams are going ahead, and they want that timetable.”

Students will be expected to wear masks, unlike in previous years. Picture: Toby Zerna

President of the NSW Teachers Federation Angelo Gavrielatos said this had been the most challenging year for HSC students.

“Year 12 is tough at the best of times, this year has been the toughest for our students and their teachers in living memory; now we must and will wrap our arms around them,” he said.

But Ms Mitchell said ­allowing all the exams to go ahead was the only equitable decision.

“It’s so important that each and every student across the state has the ability to show what they know. We’ve got lots of different circumstances that our students are in – some have been in lockdown for a considerable period of time, (ranging) to some in our regional communities, they’ll be back at school next week,” she said.

“The fairest and most equitable way to go forward for our class of 2021 is to have the full suite of exams.”

COMMENT: The 2021 HSC should be cancelled

All exam supervisors must be fully vaccinated under the new Covid protocols. Exams will be held in ventilated rooms or outdoors, and students will wear masks at all times.

Over 19 days, 110 exams will take place ending on ­December 3, and students will receive their ATARs on January 20, with their HSC results released on January 24.

If a school had an outbreak or an individual student ­tested positive to Covid-19, there would be illness and misadventure provisions to make sure they still received an ATAR, NESA chief executive Paul Martin said.

“There is no problem at all if students are ill with Covid on the day of exams, the best thing they can do is stay home,” he said.

The exam plan has been backed by the independent schools.

Australian Independent Schools NSW chief executive Dr Geoff Newcombe AM said the decision to go ahead with all HSC courses was the fairest way forward.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said: “Many experts have been advising government that students need something to work towards to feel motivated and feel that they have achieved the HSC.”

While NESA believes this to be the best way to get fair results for everyone, some HSC students were wishing for exams to be reduced or cancelled altogether.

Denistone HSC student Luca Caus said he had worked hard throughout the year and was hoping not to have to sit exams at all, but hoped if he did have to take the exams they would go ahead on schedule.

“I definitely do not want this pushed back anymore; I am very much looking forward to never doing this again,” he said.

“My No.1 preference would have been to cancel all of them.”

Mum Victoria Hay said while her son might not be keen to sit exams, as a parent she was glad they were going ahead.

HSC written exam timetable

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9

English Advanced

Paper 1 – Texts and Human Experiences

9.50am – 11.30am

English Standard

Paper 1 – Texts and Human Experiences

9.50am – 11.30am

English Studies

9.50am – 12.30pm

English as an Additional

Language or Dialect (EAL/D)

Paper 1 – Module A and Focus on Writing

9.50am – 11.30am

Aboriginal Studies

1.55pm – 5.00pm

Chinese and Literature 2.00pm – 5.00pm

Chinese in Context 2.00pm – 4.40pm

Classical Greek Extension

2.00pm – 4.00pm

German Beginners

2.00pm – 4.40pm

Modern Greek Continuers

2.00pm – 5.00pm

Modern Hebrew

Continuers

2.00pm – 5.00pm

Vietnamese Continuers

2.00pm – 5.00pm

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10

English Advanced

Paper 2 – Modules

9.25am – 11.30am

English Standard

Paper 2 – Modules

9.25am – 11.30am

English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D)

Paper 2 – Module B and Module C

9.25am – 10.30am

Listening Paper

10.40am – 11.10am*

Music 1

Aural Skills

1.55pm – 3.00pm*

Music 2

Musicology and Aural Skills

3.25pm – 5.00pm*

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11

Economics

11.25am – 2.30pm

Classical Hebrew Extension

11.30am – 1.30pm

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12

Classical Greek Continuers

9.25am – 12.30pm

Software Design and Development

9.25am – 12.30pm

Textiles and Design

9.25am – 11.00am

German Continuers

9.30am – 12.30pm

Spanish Extension

9.30am – 11.30am

Modern History

1.55pm – 5.00pm

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15

Mathematics Advanced 9.20am – 12.30pm

Mathematics Standard 1 9.20am – 11.30am

Mathematics Standard 2 9.20am – 12noon

Mathematics Extension 2 1.50pm – 5.00pm

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16

Ancient History

9.25am – 12.30pm

Classical Hebrew Continuers

1.55pm – 5.00pm

Financial Services (VET)

1.55pm – 4.00pm

Japanese and Literature

2.00pm – 5.00pm

Japanese Beginners

2.00pm – 4.40pm

Japanese Continuers

2.00pm – 5.00pm

Japanese in Context

2.00pm – 4.40pm

Spanish Beginners

2.00pm – 4.40pm

Spanish Continuers

2.00pm – 5.00pm

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17

Personal Development, Health and Physical Education

9.25am – 12.30pm

French Extension

9.30am – 11.30am

Automotive (VET)

1.55pm – 4.00pm

Vehicle Body

Mechanical Technology

Society and Culture

1.55pm – 4.00pm

Chinese Continuers

2.00pm – 5.00pm

German Extension

2.00pm – 4.00pm

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18

Engineering Studies

9.25am – 12.30pm

Retail Services (VET)

9.25am – 11.30am

Chinese Beginners

9.30am – 12.10pm

French Beginners

9.30am – 12.10pm

Japanese Extension

9.30am – 11.30am

Latin Extension

9.30am – 11.40am

Modern Greek Beginners

9.30am – 12.10pm

Legal Studies

1.55pm – 5.00pm

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19

Community and Family Studies

9.25am – 12.30pm

Chinese Extension

9.30am – 11.30am

French Continuers

9.30am – 12.30pm

Mathematics Extension 1

1.50pm – 4.00pm

Primary Industries (VET)

1.55pm – 4.00pm

Tourism, Travel and Events (VET)

1.55pm – 4.00pm

Modern Greek Extension

2.00pm – 4.00pm

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22

Biology

9.25am – 12.30pm

Industrial Technology

1.55pm – 3.30pm

Automotive Technologies

Electronics Technologies

Graphics Technologies

Metal and Engineering Technologies

Multimedia Technologies

Timber and Furniture Technologies

Latin Continuers

1.55pm – 5.00pm

Korean and Literature

2.00pm – 5.00pm

Korean Beginners

2.00pm – 4.40pm

Korean Continuers

2.00pm – 5.00pm

Korean in Context

2.00pm – 4.40pm

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23

Drama

9.25am – 11.00am

Arabic Extension

9.30am – 11.30am

Italian Continuers

9.30am – 12.30pm

Business Studies

1.55pm – 5.00pm

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24

Construction (VET)

9.25am – 11.30am

Indonesian Extension

9.30am – 11.30am

Science Extension

10.20am – 12.30pm

History Extension

1.50pm – 4.00pm

Entertainment Industry (VET)

1.55pm – 4.00pm

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25

Studies of Religion I

9.25am – 11.00am

Studies of Religion II

9.25am – 12.30pm

Agriculture

1.55pm – 5.00pm

Information and Digital Technology (VET)

1.55pm – 4.00pm

Digital animation

Networking and hardware

Web and software applications

Arabic Continuers

2.00pm – 5.00pm

Italian Beginners

2.00pm – 4.40pm

Italian Extension

2.00pm – 4.00pm

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26

Human Services (VET)

9.25am – 11.30am

Physics

9.25am – 12.30pm

Visual Arts

Art Criticism and Art History

1.55pm – 3.30pm

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29

Chemistry

9.25am – 12.30pm

Design and Technology

1.55pm – 3.30pm

Indonesian and Literature

2.00pm – 5.00pm

Indonesian Beginners

2.00pm – 4.40pm

Indonesian Continuers

2.00pm – 5.00pm

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30

Geography

9.25am – 12.30pm

English Extension 1

1.50pm – 4.00pm

Business Services

(VET) 1.55pm – 4.00pm

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1

Hospitality (VET)

9.25am – 11.30am

Kitchen Operations and Cookery

Food and Beverage

Earth and Environmental Science

1.55pm – 5.00pm

Electrotechnology (VET)

1.55pm – 4.00pm

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2

Dance Section I

Core Appreciation

9.25am – 10.30am

Dance Section II

Major Study Appreciation

10.40am – 12noon

Information Processes and Technology

9.25am – 12.30pm

Investigating Science

1.55pm – 5.00pm

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3

Food Technology

9.25am – 12.30pm