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?
In UAC’s 2025 data, Mathematics Extension 2, Latin Continuers and Mathematics Extension 1 had some of the highest scaled means. That reflects the overall academic performance of each course’s candidature, not the subject’s intrinsic difficulty or a guarantee about an individual result. Choose subjects that suit your strengths and future study plans.
Do ‘easier’ subjects hurt my ATAR?
Not necessarily. A strong scaled mark in one course can contribute more than a weaker scaled mark in a course with a higher average. Scaling is recalculated each year and preserves students’ rank within each course, so choose courses that suit your strengths rather than chasing last year’s averages.
How many units do I need for the HSC?
To receive the HSC, you must complete at least 12 Preliminary units and 10 HSC units, including 2 units of a Board Developed English course, as well as NESA’s other course-pattern requirements. ATAR eligibility is separate: it requires at least 10 units of ATAR courses, including 2 units of English, three courses of 2 units or more and four subject areas. The ATAR aggregate uses your best 2 units of English plus your best 8 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. Mathematics is not an HSC or ATAR eligibility requirement. Some university courses require or assume particular mathematics study, however, so check the current prerequisites and assumed knowledge for every degree you are considering.
What’s the difference between 2-unit and 1-unit (Extension) courses?
Most HSC courses are 2 units. Extension courses add depth to a prerequisite or corequisite course, but their unit values are not all the same. For example, Mathematics Extension arrangements change when Extension 2 is taken. Check the exact NESA course pattern before finalising your subjects.
When do I choose my HSC subjects, and can I change later?
Most students select their Preliminary and HSC subjects during Year 10, before Year 11 begins. Schools may allow changes early in the Preliminary year, but their deadlines and available classes differ, so speak with your school as soon as possible.
Where does the scaling data come from?
From UAC’s annual scaling reports for the NSW HSC. Our latest figures come from UAC’s Report on the Scaling of the 2025 NSW HSC (Tables A1 and A3), with the 2023 and 2024 reports used for trends. Scaled marks are shown per unit, out of 50; there is no exact conversion from an individual HSC mark to a scaled mark.