HSC Exam Timetable 2026
Find your 2026 HSC exam date and countdown below — 32 sittings across 30 listed subjects, with dates from Tue 13 October 2026 to Thu 5 November 2026.
NESA publishes the authoritative timetable and it can change. Check the official HSC timetable ↗ before you plan around any date below.
This covers subjects in our catalogue, not every course on the official timetable. Swipe or scroll across for times and duration. Keyboard users can focus the table area and use the arrow keys.
| Subject | Paper | Date | Starts | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSC English Advanced | English Advanced Paper 1 – Texts and Human Experiences | Tue 13 October 2026 | 9:50 am | 1 hour 40 minutes (9.50am–11.30am) |
| HSC English Standard | English Standard Paper 1 – Texts and Human Experiences | Tue 13 October 2026 | 9:50 am | 1 hour 40 minutes |
| HSC English Advanced | English Advanced Paper 2 – Modules | Wed 14 October 2026 | 9:25 am | 2 hours 5 minutes (9.25am–11.30am) |
| HSC English Standard | English Standard Paper 2 – Modules | Wed 14 October 2026 | 9:25 am | 2 hours 5 minutes |
| HSC Music 1 | Music 1 – Aural Skills (written) | Wed 14 October 2026 | 1:55 pm | 1 hour 5 minutes (5 minutes reading plus approximately 1 hour working) |
| HSC Earth and Environmental Science | Earth and Environmental Science — Written examination | Thursday 15 October 2026 | 9:25 am | 3 hours 5 minutes (5 minutes reading plus 3 hours working) |
| HSC Modern History | Modern History | Fri 16 October 2026 | 9:25 am | 3 hours 5 minutes (9:25 am - 12:30 pm) |
| HSC Mathematics Advanced | Mathematics Advanced | Mon 19 October 2026 | 9:20 am | 3 hours 10 minutes (includes 10 min reading time) |
| HSC Mathematics Standard 2 | Mathematics Standard 2 | Mon 19 October 2026 | 9:20 am | 2 hours 40 minutes (9:20 am – 12 noon) |
| HSC Mathematics Extension 2 | Mathematics Extension 2 | Mon 19 October 2026 | 1:50 pm | 3 hours 10 minutes (1.50 pm – 5.00 pm, as printed on official timetable; NESA papers of this length typically comprise 10 min reading + 3 hr writing, but the timetable states only the single block below) |
| HSC Engineering Studies | Engineering Studies — Written examination | Tuesday 20 October 2026 | 9:25 am | 3 hours 5 minutes (5 minutes reading plus 3 hours working) |
| HSC Society and Culture | Society and Culture | Tue 20 October 2026 | 1:55 pm | 2 hours + 5 min reading (1.55 pm reading time start, 2.00 pm–4.00 pm writing) |
| HSC Biology | Biology | Wed 21 October 2026 | 9:25 am | 3 hours 5 minutes (9:25am–12:30pm) |
| HSC History Extension | History Extension — Written examination | Wednesday 21 October 2026 | 1:50 pm | 2 hours 10 minutes (10 minutes reading plus 2 hours working) |
| HSC Studies of Religion | Studies of Religion I / II | Thu 22 October 2026 | 9:25 am | 3 hours 5 minutes (5 minutes reading plus 3 hours working) |
| HSC Drama | Drama — Written examination | Thursday 22 October 2026 | 1:55 pm | 1 hour 35 minutes (5 minutes reading plus 1 hour 30 minutes working) |
| HSC Ancient History | Ancient History | Fri 23 October 2026 | 9:25 am | 3 hours 5 minutes (5 minutes reading plus 3 hours working) |
| HSC Mathematics Extension 1 | Mathematics Extension 1 | Fri 23 October 2026 | 1:50 pm | 2 hours 10 minutes (1.50 pm – 4.00 pm block, includes reading time) |
| HSC Business Studies | Business Studies | Mon 26 October 2026 | 9:25 am | 3 hours 5 minutes |
| HSC Economics | Economics | Tue 27 October 2026 | 1:55 pm | 3 hours 5 minutes (incl. reading time; finishes 5:00 pm) |
| HSC Health & Movement Science | Health and Movement Science | Wed 28 October 2026 | 9:20 am | 3 hours 10 minutes (includes reading time; session window 9.20 am – 12.30 pm) |
| HSC English Extension 1 | English Extension 1 | Wed 28 October 2026 | 1:50 pm | 2 hours 10 minutes (includes reading time) |
| HSC Design and Technology | Design and Technology | Thu 29 October 2026 | 1:55 pm | 1 hour 30 min + 5 min reading time (1.55 pm – 3.30 pm block) |
| HSC Chemistry | Chemistry | Fri 30 October 2026 | 9:25 am | 3 hours 5 minutes (9.25 am – 12.30 pm) |
| HSC Visual Arts | Visual Arts – Art Criticism and Art History (written) | Fri 30 October 2026 | 1:55 pm | 1 hour 35 minutes (5 min reading time + 1 hour 30 minutes working time) |
| HSC Legal Studies | Legal Studies | Mon 2 November 2026 | 9:25 am | 3 hrs 5 min (9.25 am – 12.30 pm) |
| HSC Geography | Geography | Mon 2 November 2026 | 1:50 pm | 3 hours 10 minutes |
| HSC Community & Family Studies | Community and Family Studies | Tue 3 November 2026 | 9:25 am | 3 hours 5 minutes (9.25 am – 12.30 pm; includes 5 min reading time + 3 hrs writing time per standard NESA convention) |
| HSC Investigating Science | Investigating Science — Written examination | Tuesday 3 November 2026 | 1:55 pm | 3 hours 5 minutes (5 minutes reading plus 3 hours working, 1:55 pm – 5:00 pm) |
| HSC Food Technology | Food Technology | Wed 4 November 2026 | 9:25 am | 3 hours 5 minutes (incl. reading time) |
| HSC Industrial Technology | Industrial Technology | Wed 4 November 2026 | 1:55 pm | 1 hour 35 minutes (5 minutes reading plus 90 minutes working) |
| HSC Physics | Physics | Thu 5 November 2026 | 9:25 am | 3 hours 5 minutes (9.25 am – 12.30 pm) |
Plan backwards from your first paper
Fix the dates, count the weeks, and give the earliest exams the earliest revision. In the last stretch the thing that moves a mark is sitting full papers under timed conditions and checking your work against a guide. Browse original practice materials in the HSC subject hubs, or use the free official past-paper indexes. Coverage varies by subject.
Common questions
What are the first and last listed HSC exam dates in 2026?
The first listed HSC exam in the 2026 timetable below is English Advanced on Tue 13 October 2026 at 9:50 am, and the last listed entry is Physics on Thu 5 November 2026. Confirm your own dates against the official NESA timetable before you plan around them.
How many HSC exam sittings are there?
This page lists 32 published 2026 sittings across 30 HSC subjects. Some subjects sit more than one paper, which is why the number of sittings is higher than the number of subjects.
Is this the official HSC timetable?
No. These dates are read from the NESA timetable and republished here subject by subject, and any uncertain entries are labelled. NESA publishes the authoritative version, it can change, and it is the one to plan around — the link is on this page. We are an independent study platform and not affiliated with NESA.
How should I use the exam dates to plan my revision?
Work backwards from your first paper rather than forwards from today. Fix the dates, count the weeks, and give the earliest exams the earliest revision. The most useful thing you can do in the last stretch is sit full papers under timed conditions and mark them honestly against a proper guide, rather than re-reading notes.