Congratulations! You're nearing the end of your formal high school education — what are you going to do next? Perhaps you're planning on further education by way of a bachelor degree at university or a diploma or certificate at TAFE? Maybe you're going to defer for a year or two and travel or work to build your resources, skills and experience. Or maybe you're intending to finish with school and go straight into the workforce.
Whatever their decision, most students want to achieve the best results they can in their Year 12 exams so they can maximise their opportunities for the future.
However, not every high school student wants to attain their Higher School Certificate (HSC) or an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR). Unfortunately too, not every high school student who does want an HSC and ATAR ends up able to achieve the score or rank they want or need.
Fortunately, in Australia, the HSC (or whatever the state equivalent happens to be) is not the 'be all and end all' when it comes to your future. In fact, there are many pathways, other than HSC and ATAR, into a university degree and many employers prefer to employ 'unskilled' workers in order to train them in the specific knowledge and skills they need for their job.
So, if you don't really 'need' your Higher School Certificate and can actually get into university without the required ATAR, why is there so much focus on the HSC in Year 11 and Year 12?
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The Purpose of HSC
Firstly, let's just clarify that any HSC information is only relevant for students who live and study in New South Wales (NSW). It is the highest award available to high school students in NSW who achieve their HSC after successfully completing the requisite number of units of study over two years and taking the HSC exams.
Each state of Australia has its own equivalent to the HSC — AST in Canberra, WACE in Western Australia, SACE in South Australia, QCE in Queensland and so on. The eligibility criteria and requirements are slightly different from state to state; however, every award contributes to an ATAR (the university entrance ranking common to every state and territory in Australia).
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The score you achieve for your HSC comprises 50% of your overall coursework scores and 50% of your exam results. The exams are run over a 3-week period, with different subjects on different days. Exam questions on different papers consist of multi-choice responses, short answer questions and essay questions — all of which your subject teacher will prepare you for during the course of both Year 11 and Year 12.
The exams you take are determined by the courses you have studied, whether this be mathematics, foreign language studies (German, French, Korean, Spanish, Aboriginal languages etc.), economics, technology and design, science (chemistry, physics etc.), drama or music.
The only mandatory course at Year 12 level, and the only mandatory exam students must take to achieve an HSC score, is English.
Reasons Why Students Must Study English at HSC Level
Not only is HSC English a mandatory subject in Year 12 but it is also the only course that must be included in the calculation of student ATAR rankings. In fact, English comprises 20% of the overall ATAR ranking.
Many students argue against this, stating it is unfair for those students who are less English oriented in their skills and more oriented towards other disciplines such as mathematics or science. They argue that a student whose learning style and capability veers more towards the analytical than the communicative is actually at a disadvantage when it comes to ATAR and the HSC.
We are not going to spend time debating the pros and cons of the prescribed inclusion of English here, as there are numerous online forums and media outlets that do this already.
What we will highlight, though, is the reason why this decision was made — namely, that skills in English cross over into every facet of life and every subject area from mathematics and science to music and foreign languages (such as German, French and Korean).
Whether a student continues on to university or leaves the education sector to enter the workforce, the ability to communicate effectively in English is essential. The study of English provides students with critical and creative thinking skills, collaboration and communication skills, and deeper knowledge and understanding of the context of culture, history and modern society.
The options
Perhaps partly in acknowledgement of the debate against English being a mandated course, the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) has approved three different courses, all of which can be used for the HSC. These are:
- English Studies
- English Standard
- English Advanced.
Each English Studies module is geared towards common English, that is, the English that is used and needed to function in everyday life and in the workplace. Students who enrol in English Studies have the option of undertaking HSC and of whether or not they sit the HSC English exams.
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English Standard and English Advanced are targeted at those students who want to achieve their HSC and ATAR and are more likely to need the skills they learn in these courses for further university study. While much of the content students learn in the Standard and Advanced modules are similar (with two Common Content units), there are also many differences between Standard and Advanced English that are worth considering.
And, for the student who wants to do a double major in English, there is also the option of doing English Advanced in conjunction with English Extension.
With so much emphasis being placed on the need to achieve well in your HSC English and the associated exam papers for English, many students find they require help at some point over the two years. This help may be in the form of essay writing, literature analysis, specific texts, short answer questions, using English skills in context (or even applying them to mathematics, science or language and culture studies), general study skills or exam techniques.
Your teacher can, of course, help you out with advice after lessons. However, you may also wish to consider working with a private HSC English tutor in Sydney or your local area, or enrolling in a tutoring group.
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How Can an HSC English Tutor in Sydney Help?
In Australia, tutoring is a fast-growing industry, with many tutoring agencies emerging during Covid lockdowns and offering online tutoring help for students who were forced to engage in 'home learning' for long periods of time.
Even before Covid, though, tutoring was very popular — particularly for mathematics, science (chemistry, physics and biology) and English. These days, you can find tutors for just about every course, module and subject, including music, drama, health and PE, Korean, German, design and technology. There are also tutors who specialise in study strategies, preparation for exams and exam techniques.
For your purposes, you will probably want to find a tutor who has experience with HSC English and understands the format of the papers and the requirements in the assessment rubrics. These tutors may be employed in a tutoring agency or they may work as freelance private tutors. Your lessons may be online or in-person.
People of offer tutoring are often:
- retired teachers
- teachers who are currently teaching but looking for after hours work
- pre-service teachers
- university students.
In terms of who you engage as your tutor, the level of experience (teaching or tutoring experience and experience with the HSC) and the form of the tutoring (private, small group, in-person or online), this is up to you as the student. It is best, however, to find a tutor who you are comfortable with and who meets your preferred learning style.
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Whether your HSC English tutor is in Sydney, elsewhere in NSW or working with you in the online space from Western Australia, there are many ways they can help you achieve your HSC English goals. What is important is that you, as the student, know your goals and needs, and communicate these to your tutor.
Your tutor is there to support you and help you build your confidence. They help you practise and refine your essay writing, analyse literature, understand different text types and analyse and compare the context of texts and literature. A good tutor will have access to past exam papers and answers, practice papers, marking guides and other resources to ensure you are fully prepared and confident going in to your HSC English exams.
No question is a silly question, so ask your tutor anything at all. Good luck.
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