Choose your HSC subjects by what they build
Every subject builds something — writing, lab craft, argument, independent research (what each means). Start there. We show honest scaling from three years of official UAC data (2023–2025) as a band, never a single number — this is not an ATAR calculator.
English Advanced
English Advanced builds close reading, analysis and strong essay writing.
English Extension 1
English Extension 1 is for confident students who want to read deeply and argue originally.
English Extension 2
English Extension 2 is a year-long creative project — you write your own Major Work.
English Standard
English Standard helps you read closely and write clearly for school and beyond.
Mathematics Advanced
Maths Advanced builds the calculus and algebra most university STEM degrees expect.
Mathematics Extension 1
Maths Extension 1 adds harder, faster maths on top of Advanced — calculus, proof and more.
Mathematics Extension 2
Maths Extension 2 is the hardest school maths: proof, mechanics and complex numbers.
Mathematics Standard 2
Maths Standard 2 is practical, real-world maths — money, data, rates and measurement.
Biology
Biology teaches how living things work — and how to reason from evidence.
Chemistry
Chemistry builds lab skills, calculations and the reasoning behind how matter works.
Earth & Environmental Science
Earth and Environmental Science studies earth systems, climate and environmental change.
Investigating Science
Investigating Science is hands-on — you run real experiments and learn to ask good questions.
Physics
Physics uses maths to explain how the world works and builds real problem-solving skill.
Science Extension
Science Extension is a real research project — you design, run and report a study.
Aboriginal Studies
Aboriginal Studies explores Aboriginal histories, cultures and self-determination.
Ancient History
Ancient History builds research, source analysis and argument about the ancient world.
Business Studies
Business Studies looks at how real businesses run, make decisions and grow.
Economics
Economics teaches you to think like an analyst — markets, trade-offs and clear argument.
Geography
Geography combines fieldwork, data and a clearer sense of how places and people connect.
Legal Studies
Legal Studies is about justice and rights — and learning to argue both sides of an issue.
Modern History
Modern History builds research, source analysis and persuasive writing about the recent past.
Society & Culture
Society and Culture studies people and cultures, with your own research project.
Studies of Religion II
Studies of Religion looks at belief, ethics and how religions shape the world.
Drama
Drama builds confidence, creativity and the skill of performing and devising with others.
Music 1
Music 1 builds performance, composition and listening skills for students who already play.
Music 2
Music 2 is for committed musicians — high-level performance, composition and aural skills.
Visual Arts
Visual Arts is a year-long body of work, plus written study of art and artists.
Design & Technology
Design and Technology takes a real brief through to a working, made prototype.
Engineering Studies
Engineering Studies applies maths and physics to how real engineered things work.
Food Technology
Food Technology covers the science and design of food — nutrition, processing and products.
Software Engineering
Software Engineering teaches you to design, code and build real software.
Textiles & Design
Textiles and Design centres on a major project you design, research and make.
Chinese Continuers
Chinese Continuers builds reading, writing and real communication in Chinese.
French Continuers
French Continuers builds real communication skills and a feel for how language works.
Japanese Beginners
Japanese Beginners starts from scratch and builds solid foundations in the language.
Latin Continuers
Latin Continuers trains precise, logical reading as you translate a classical language.
Community & Family Studies
Community and Family Studies is about people, families and wellbeing, with your own research project.
Choosing HSC subjects — common questions
How should I choose my HSC subjects?
Choose subjects you’ll genuinely engage with and can do well in. Look at what each subject builds (writing, analysis, lab skills, research), how much work it is and who it suits — not just how it scales. The Subject Selector lays all of this out for 39 HSC subjects.
Which HSC subjects scale the best?
Subjects sat by academically strong cohorts — like Mathematics Extension 2 and Extension 1, the Sciences, and languages such as Latin — tend to have higher scaled means. But scaling reflects the cohort, not how hard a subject is, and no subject is ‘worth more’. You’re far better off picking subjects you’ll perform strongly in.
Do ‘easier’ subjects hurt my ATAR?
Not necessarily. Scaling rewards strong performance in any subject, so a high mark in a lower-scaling subject can beat a middling mark in a high-scaling one. Pick subjects you can excel in rather than chasing scaling.
How many units do I need for the HSC?
At least 10 units, including 2 units of English (the one compulsory subject). From 2025 the ATAR is built from your best 2 units of English plus your 8 best remaining units.
Is this an ATAR calculator?
No. An ATAR can’t be reconstructed from one subject’s scaling data, so we don’t pretend to. We show how each subject has scaled as an honest range, alongside what it builds and the workload, to help you choose well.
Do I have to take Maths for the HSC?
No. English is the only compulsory HSC subject. Maths isn’t required — but many university degrees assume or prefer it, so check the prerequisites for the courses you’re considering.
What’s the difference between 2-unit and 1-unit (Extension) courses?
Most HSC courses are 2 units. Extension courses are 1 unit and sit on top of a prerequisite course (for example, Maths Extension 1 builds on Maths Advanced). The ATAR counts your best 2 units of English plus your 8 best remaining units — 10 units in total.
When do I choose my HSC subjects, and can I change later?
Most students pick HSC subjects late in Year 10 or early in Year 11. You can often change early in the Preliminary year, but it gets harder once content and assessments are underway — so choose carefully from the start.
Where does the scaling data come from?
From UAC’s annual scaling report for the NSW HSC — we use the latest figures, UAC’s Preliminary Report on the Scaling of the 2025 NSW HSC (Tables A1 and A3). Scaled marks are per unit, out of 50, and we show them as a range because there is no exact HSC-to-scaled conversion.