Issues Brief on the NSW HSC - its strengths and options for future enhancements

The NSW Higher School Certificate (HSC) is now entering its 59th year and remains at the apex of the state’s education landscape for its scale, prestige, and dominant place in educational discourse. Amidst recent reviews, the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) is assessing options for incremental improvements, noting the unique strengths and widespread currency of the credential. 

Durable, Credible, Flexible – Issues Brief on the strengths of NSW’s HSC and options for future enhancements, applauds the HSC’s ability to evolve and respond sensibly to changes in educational policy, study patterns and post-school destinations while maintaining its position as a world-leading, end-of-school credential.

It examines the advantages of the HSC, including how it tests depth and breadth of subject-specific knowledge and skills, as well as general skills; it is also designed to support all post-school pathways equally, with externally invigilated exams providing a level playing field for students, underpinning public confidence. Moreover, it calls for the public reporting of HSC results to give better and more accurate expression to the full range of student achievement, and not to be overly focused on top band outcomes.