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New South Wales HSC English

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English is the only compulsory subject for the award of the Higher School Certificate at the end of secondary schooling in New South Wales, Australia. Marks gained in at least two units of English must also be included in the calculation of the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank used to determine entry to university. Students must study one of the following courses:

Contents

  • English (Advanced)
  • English (Standard)
  • English as a Second Language (ESL)
  • English Studies

    • Optional courses include:

  • English Extension 1
  • English Extension 2
  • Fundamentals of English

    • The Area of Study is common between English (Advanced) and English (Standard). The current theme of "Discovery" is studied through a selection of prescribed texts provided by the NSW Board of Studies, and other related materials chosen by the student.

    Examinations

    English Paper 1 is a two-hour examination (plus 10 minutes reading time) usually conducted on the first day of the HSC exams. The paper is common to both English (Standard) and English (Advanced) students and is thus the most widely sat HSC exam. English Paper 1 tests the Area of Study - Discovery through three questions:

  • Question 1 (15 marks/40 minutes)): unseen Discovery texts - requires students to deconstruct and analyse a number of unseen texts of a variety of forms. There are a number of short questions (1-2 marks), building up to a longer answer (approx 6 marks).
  • Question 2 (15 marks/40 minutes): creative writing - Discovery. The text type may be specified or liberal.
  • Question 3 (15 marks/40 minutes): extended response specific to Discovery. Students usually answer on their core text, one text from the Board of Studies stimulus booklet (no longer used) and one or more texts of their own choice. It is usually written in essay form.

    • English Paper 2 is a two-hour examination (plus 5 minutes reading time) usually conducted on the second day of the HSC exams. The paper is different between English (Standard) and English (Advanced). The response form of these questions may be specified or liberal but is normally in essay form, although other forms may occasionally be appropriate. English Paper 2 tests the English Modules through three questions:

  • Question 1 (20 marks/40 minutes): Module A - Comparative Study of Texts and Contexts
  • Question 2 (20 marks/40 minutes): Module B - Critical Study of Text
  • Question 3 (20 marks/40 minutes): Module C - Representation and Text

    • English Extension 1 has a two-hour examination (plus 5 minutes reading time). Students answer two questions relating to the module or elective they have studied, each marked out of 25 and allocated approximately one hour of writing.

    English Extension 2 has no examination but students submit a Major Work at the end of the course.

    English Extension 1

    The English Extension 1 course is for candidates that wish to undergo further study of English in their Higher School Certificate. The English (Advanced) course and Preliminary English Extension course are a prerequisite.

    There are three modules in the English Extension 1 course, each with separate electives. Candidates study one elective, choosing three prescribed texts to study.

    English Extension 2

    The English Extension 2 course is for candidates that wish to undergo further study of English in their Higher School Certificate. Both the English (Advanced) and English Extension 1 courses are a prerequisite.

    Students submit a Major Work that may either be under the print medium (short story/ies, poems, critical response, scripts - radio, television, film and drama), the sound medium (speeches, radio drama, performance poetry), or the visual medium (video, multimedia). Candidates write a 1500-word Reflection Statement to accompany their Major Work.

    The Major Work is marked internally as a process and draft, and externally as a product.

    References

    New South Wales HSC English Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA