HSC Countdown 2026: When Do the HSC and VCE Exams Finish?

The HSC written exam period finishes on Thursday 5 November 2026. VCE English and EAL are on Tuesday 27 October, and the final VCE written exams are on Wednesday 18 November. Those are the end dates for the whole exam periods. Your own last exam might be earlier.

HSC (NESA)

• The written exam period runs from 13 October to 5 November.
• English Paper 1 opened the block on 13 October.
• Check Students Online for your personalised timetable, and the official HSC timetable.

VCE exam countdown (VCAA)

• English and EAL: Tuesday 27 October, 9:00 am to 12:15 pm (Victorian time).
• Last written exams: Wednesday 18 November.
• No exams on Tuesday 3 November (Melbourne Cup public holiday).
• Arrive at least 30 minutes early. Reading time is already included in the listed times.
• Some language and performance exams have already started, so check your own timetable against the official VCE timetable.

QCE, WACE, SACE and TCE students have different dates, so check QCAA, SCSA, the SACE Board or TASC rather than a mate's screenshot. WA students: our WACE timetable page links to the official SCSA timetable.

How do you make the countdown useful?

• List only the exams you have left, with start time and room.
• Count study days between your exams, not just the days until the whole exam period ends. That gap tells you what to revise today.
• Give your weakest remaining subjects extra time while keeping the nearest exam a priority.
• Keep the evening before each exam for a short revision session, packing your bag and proper sleep.
• Recheck your personal timetable and the official page before each exam.

If you would rather not build a plan from scratch, the free ATARMAxxing study planner lets you choose subjects and enter exam dates, then shows a countdown and weekly revision plan. No account needed; your plan is saved in that browser.

Our HSC and VCE timetable pages cover subjects in our catalogue and link to the official timetables and subject resources. Always use the official timetable to confirm your own dates.

This post first appeared on r/ATARMAXXING.