The Higher School Certificate

The Higher School Certificate is the highest educational award you can gain in New South Wales schools. It is an internationally recognised credential that provides a strong foundation for the future, whether you wish to pursue tertiary qualifications, vocational training or employment.

The standards-based Higher School Certificate offers syllabuses that set clear expectations of what you must learn and measures your performance bands that show what students placed in each band typically know, understand and can do.

Eligibility for the Higher School Certificate

The rules and requirements for eligibility are set out in the Board's publication, the Assesment, Certification and Examination (ACE) Manual, which can be found on the Board website at www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/manuals/index.html. It is also available in every secondary school and TAFE NSW institute as well as in many libraries.

To be eligible for the award of the Higher School Certificate, you need to:

• be enrolled at a NSW government school, or a registered and accredited non-government school, or a TAFE NSW institute
• study a permitted combination of courses -complete the requirements for each course, including any necessary practical or project work, or work placement
• complete tasks designed by your school for the internal assessment program in each HSC course
• sit for, and make a genuine attempt at, the required Higher School Certificate examinations.

Study requirements

English is the only compulsory Higher School Certificate subject. To be eligible for the award of the Higher School Certificate you must satisfactorily complete at least 12 units in your Preliminary study pattern and at least 10 units in your HSC study pattern.

Both study patterns must include:

• at least six units of Board Developed Courses
• at least two units of a Board Developed Course in English
• at least three courses of 2 unit value or greater
• at least four subjects.

The Preliminary component of a course must be completed before commencing the HSC component.

Satisfactory Completion of Courses

To receive a result in any course, you must satisfactorily complete that course.

Satisfactory completion of a course involves:

• Following the course developed or endorsed by the Board;
• Applying yourself with diligence and sustained effort to the set tasks provided in the course by the school;
• Achieving some or all of the course outcomes.

Your principal will give you written warning in sufficient time to allow you to correct any problems regarding your achievement, application or completion of courses. If your principal decides that you have not satisfactorily completed a course, you will receive no results in that course. You have the right to appeal to the Board against your principal’s decision. If you chose to do so, your principal will explain the appeal mechanism to you.

Annual Reports

ANC High School Annual Report 2010

ANC High School Annual Report 2009

ANC High School Annual Report 2008

ANC High School Annual Report 2007