Health Studies ATAR Course Year 12 Syllabus (for teaching from 2026)
Units 3 and 4 are assessed through school-based tasks (Inquiry 20%, Project 20%, Response 20%, Examination 40% of the school mark) and one ATAR course examination (10 minutes reading time, 3 hours working time) that is combined with the moderated school mark. The paper has three sections weighted 20/50/30 of the examination regardless of raw marks: Section One - Multiple-choice (20 compulsory questions, 20 marks, suggested 30 minutes, 20%), Section Two - Short answer (7 compulsory questions, 59 marks on the 2026 cover, suggested 90 minutes, 50%) and Section Three - Extended answer (answer 2 of 4 questions worth 15 marks each, 30 marks, suggested 60 minutes, 30%). Questions in all sections can use stimulus material such as scenarios, graphs, tables, media scripts or photos. Section Two's raw total moves each year (52 in 2021 up to 66 in 2025, 59 for 2026) while the weights stay fixed. Only standard items are permitted (pens, pencils, sharpener, correction fluid/tape, eraser, ruler, highlighters); no calculator.
Past papers on this subject span more than one syllabus. Papers written under an older one still work as practice, but the units and content areas they test have changed — the index labels every paper with the syllabus it was set under.
Year 12 syllabus for teaching from 2026 (v7; minor change to the aid program content) · 2026–2026Earlier Year 12 syllabus versions (papers 2021-2025 in this pack) · 2021–2025
The units and content areas, one by one
Each area below lists the concepts named in the syllabus, what the SCSA exam asks of them, and the mistake that most often costs marks.
- Holistic health and specific populations (Unit 3)
- Models, frameworks and actions for health equity (Unit 3)
- Consumer health and healthcare reforms (Units 3 and 4)
- Attitudinal and environmental influences: beliefs, attitudes, values and norms (Units 3 and 4)
- Self-management and interpersonal skills (Units 3 and 4)
- Determinants of health and global challenges (Unit 4)
- Global health frameworks: WHO, Australian aid, SDGs and advocacy (Unit 4)
- National Strategic Framework for Chronic Conditions (Unit 4)
- Health inquiry (Units 3 and 4)
Area 1 of 9
Holistic health and specific populations (Unit 3)
Who the specific populations are (for example First Nations Peoples, older people, CALD communities, rural and remote residents, veterans, people experiencing homelessness), their characteristics and needs, access and equity issues, the thirteen factors that create health inequities, and the quantitative and qualitative measures used to detect them.
What the syllabus lists under this area · 3 points
- Characteristics, needs, access and equity issues of specific populations
- Factors that create health inequities
- Quantitative and qualitative measures for detecting health inequities
What the exam asks
2024 Q21 asked for access and equity issues for older Australians; 2024 Q26 and 2023 Q22 asked candidates to describe factors creating inequity for CALD people and for a Wheatbelt couple needing city-based treatment; 2023 Q22 and 2025 Q31 tested defining and applying quantitative and qualitative measures.
Where marks go missing
Writing generic or stereotyped statements about a group. Examiners want the factor linked to the specific person or population in the stimulus and to a health consequence.
4 real SCSA questions indexed on this area →
Area 2 of 9
Models, frameworks and actions for health equity (Unit 3)
The models and tools of Unit 3: the socio-ecological model's five levels, the three social justice principles, Maslow's five levels, the five PABCAR steps, needs assessment (four types of need, seven steps), Ottawa Charter enabling/mediating/advocating strategies and action areas, and the five actions of the Rio Declaration.
What the syllabus lists under this area · 7 points
- Socio-ecological model of health
- Social justice principles
- Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
- PABCAR public health decision-making model
- Needs assessment: types of need and seven steps
- Ottawa Charter strategies and action areas
- Rio Declaration on Social Determinants of Health
What the exam asks
These carry most of Section Three: PABCAR for veterans (2024 Q28), needs assessment for floods (2023 Q28) and ultrasound wait times (2025 Q30), the five Rio actions (2024 Q30) and social justice principles (2023 Q31, 2025 Q24). Section Two regularly asks for Ottawa Charter strategies (2025 Q25) and socio-ecological levels (2024 Q27).
Where marks go missing
Listing the steps in order without applying each one to the scenario. In a 12- or 14-mark needs-assessment answer, every step needs a description plus what it would look like for that community.
13 real SCSA questions indexed on this area →
Area 3 of 9
Consumer health and healthcare reforms (Units 3 and 4)
Healthcare reforms (private health insurance rebate, public screening and vaccination programs, PBS and its safety net), the relationship between health literacy and health status, and comparing life expectancy, mortality and morbidity between Australia and developing countries.
What the syllabus lists under this area · 3 points
- Healthcare system reforms: PHI rebate, screening and vaccination, PBS
- Health literacy and health status
- Comparing health indicators: Australia and developing countries
What the exam asks
2024 Q21(b) asked for the PBS safety net; 2023 Q23 for the NIP and screening; 2023 Q27 and 2025 Q27 for indicator comparison from a data table or infographic.
Where marks go missing
Comparing indicators without using the figures. 'Compare' means similarities and differences, stated with the data for both countries.
3 real SCSA questions indexed on this area →
Area 4 of 9
Attitudinal and environmental influences: beliefs, attitudes, values and norms (Units 3 and 4)
How culture shapes beliefs, attitudes and values towards healthcare; geographical location and social networks; conflict between specific-group and majority norms (Unit 3); and how government policies and regulations shape beliefs, attitudes, values and proscriptive, prescriptive and popular norms (Unit 4).
What the syllabus lists under this area · 5 points
- Culture and beliefs, attitudes and values towards healthcare
- Environmental factors: geographical location and social networks
- Conflict between specific-group and majority norms
- Government policies and regulations
- Proscriptive, prescriptive and popular norms
What the exam asks
Smoke-free town centres (2023 Q24) and WA road safety laws (2025 Q22) both asked for beliefs, attitudes and values plus the three norms; 2024 Q22 asked how group norms conflict with majority norms in a measles outbreak.
Where marks go missing
Muddling the three norms. Proscriptive says what you must not do, prescriptive what you should do, popular what most people actually do; each needs a separate example from the stimulus.
3 real SCSA questions indexed on this area →
Area 5 of 9
Self-management and interpersonal skills (Units 3 and 4)
Assertiveness, stress management and resilience; culture and decisions about organ and tissue donation, blood transfusions and childbirth; language and culture in relationship building (Unit 3); world events and identity, and the seven communication and collaboration skills (Unit 4).
What the syllabus lists under this area · 5 points
- Assertiveness, stress management and resilience
- Culture and health decision making (organ donation, blood transfusions, childbirth)
- Language and cultural influences on relationship building
- World events and personal, social and cultural identity
- Communication and collaboration skills in health settings
What the exam asks
2023 Q21 (relationship building and blood transfusions), 2024 Q21(c) (assertiveness, named by examiners as one of the two most challenging parts that year), 2024 Q25 (tsunami and cultural identity), 2025 Q21(b) and Q23 (facilitation, leadership and self-management skills).
Where marks go missing
Naming a skill without showing it in action. 'Demonstrate' and 'propose' questions want what the person would actually say or do.
3 real SCSA questions indexed on this area →
Area 6 of 9
Determinants of health and global challenges (Unit 4)
Social (social gradient, stress, early life, social exclusion, work, unemployment, social support, addiction, food, transport, culture), environmental, socioeconomic and biomedical determinants, and the global and local barriers of poverty, disease outbreaks, famine, drought and clean drinking water.
What the syllabus lists under this area · 5 points
- Social determinants
- Environmental determinants
- Socioeconomic determinants
- Biomedical determinants
- Global and local barriers to addressing social determinants
What the exam asks
Extended answers on early life and rural determinants (2023 Q30), drought in the Horn of Africa vs Australia (2024 Q31) and fertility decline (2025 Q28).
Where marks go missing
Putting a determinant in the wrong category (for example calling income a social determinant). The syllabus lists them by category and the reports flag factors-versus-determinants confusion.
3 real SCSA questions indexed on this area →
Area 7 of 9
Global health frameworks: WHO, Australian aid, SDGs and advocacy (Unit 4)
The six roles of the WHO; Australia's aid program (humanitarian action principles and gender equality's five strategic priorities); purpose and progress of SDGs 2 to 6; health promotion advocacy, when it is best used and its nine strategies.
What the syllabus lists under this area · 4 points
- Roles of the World Health Organisation
- Australia's aid program
- UN Sustainable Development Goals 2-6
- Health promotion advocacy: definition and strategies
What the exam asks
WHO roles (2024 Q25b), SDG purpose and progress (2024 Q23; part (b) was named one of the two most challenging parts that year), aid (2023 Q25), advocacy as a full extended answer (2023 Q29, 2024 Q29) and in Section Two (2025 Q21c).
Where marks go missing
Describing an SDG without its progress. 'Progress towards' needs a direction (improving, stalling, reversing) and a reason.
4 real SCSA questions indexed on this area →
Area 8 of 9
National Strategic Framework for Chronic Conditions (Unit 4)
The eight NSFCC principles (equity, collaboration and partnerships, access, evidence-based, person-centred approaches, sustainability, accountability and transparency, shared responsibility) and its three objectives (prevention; efficient, effective and appropriate care; targeting priority populations).
What the syllabus lists under this area · 2 points
- Principles of the NSFCC
- Objectives of the NSFCC
What the exam asks
2024 Q29(c) asked for two principles applied to one patient; 2025 Q21(a) asked what success in Objective 3 looks like for First Nations Peoples.
Where marks go missing
Confusing principles and objectives. Objectives are the three goals; principles are how the work is done.
1 real SCSA question indexed on this area →
Area 9 of 9
Health inquiry (Units 3 and 4)
Planning an inquiry and writing focus questions, locating reliable sources and applying selection criteria (for example currency, authority, accuracy, relevance and purpose), finding trends and patterns in data, building an argument and evidence-based conclusions, and presenting to suit an audience.
What the syllabus lists under this area · 4 points
- Planning and focus questions
- Locating sources and selection criteria
- Trends and patterns in data
- Argument, conclusions and presentation
What the exam asks
2024 Q24 asked for five inquiry steps applied to illicit drug use; 2025 Q29 asked for four methods of locating credible sources and a criterion-by-criterion comparison of two sources; graph and table items appear in every Section One.
Where marks go missing
Saying a source is reliable because it is 'a website' or 'official'. Apply named criteria to both sources and justify a choice.
2 real SCSA questions indexed on this area →
Common questions
How is the 2026 Health Studies ATAR exam structured?
Ten minutes reading and three hours working. Section One has 20 multiple-choice questions (20 marks, 20%), Section Two has 7 short-answer questions (59 marks, 50%) and Section Three has four extended-answer questions of which you answer two (15 marks each, 30%).
Why do the marks not add to 100?
The cover's 100 is the percentage total. The raw marks are 20 + 59 + 30 = 109, and each section is scaled to its weight (20/50/30).
Can I take a calculator?
No. Only standard items are allowed: pens, pencils, sharpener, correction fluid or tape, eraser, ruler and highlighters. Data questions ask you to read and compare tables and graphs, not calculate.
How should I choose my two extended-answer questions?
Spend a minute of reading time checking every part of all four. Choose the two where you can apply each framework step or determinant to the scenario, not just name it; examiners report that depth of application separates the marks.
What changed in the syllabus for 2026?
Only the Australian aid program content: it now covers humanitarian policy (humanitarian action principles) and gender equality (five strategic priorities). Education and health, and partnerships, were removed.
What do the examiners keep saying?
Read every part, apply your answer to the stimulus, match the depth to the command word and mark allocation, avoid repeating points across parts, and do not generalise or stereotype about specific populations.
Are the practice papers official?
No. The practice papers, questions and data here are original and built to the 2026 structure. Use the official SCSA past papers and marking keys linked on this page alongside them.