Revealed: The toughest HSC subjects to achieve a band 6 (2024)

Maths and science extension, chemistry and English as an additional language or dialect were the most difficult subjects in which to achieve band 6 in last year’s Higher School Certificate, while maths standard and music needed the lowest scaled marks, an analysis by Catholic Schools NSW has found.

Physics, economics and earth and environmental science also required among the highest scaled marks to hit the top HSC band, followed by English extension 2, biology and English advanced.

Catholic Schools NSW analysed scaling information from the Universities Admission Centre (UAC) to estimate the minimum scaled mark required to finish in the top band in each HSC subject, excluding vocational subjects and languages.

HSC results are not moderated for difficulty; band 6 results in different subjects were never intended to be compared. HSC bands describe what the student can do in that subject at the end of their schooling, and the descriptors are written by teachers within each discipline.

Scaling is done by the UAC to ensure the difficulty of different subjects is accounted for when it ranks students to help universities choose which ones to admit to courses.

The Catholic Schools NSW analysis took the percentage of students who achieved band 6 in each course and compared that with scaled marks provided by UAC. It estimated mathematics extension 2 students required a minimum scaled mark of 46.2 out of 50 to finish in the top band last year, compared with 44.6 for maths extension 1 and 43.8 for science extension.

The lowest scaled mark to achieve a band 6 was 30.4 in maths standard 1, while music 1 required 31.9 and music extension needed 33.8.

The analysis was part of Catholic Schools NSW’s report, HSC Public Reporting Reform, which called for more HSC data to be published. It argued the focus on band 6s created a narrow definition of achievement, and meant there was no celebration of schools that foster improvement or expand their students’ horizons.

Reaching band 6 – or E4 in extension subjects – has come to define HSC success for students and schools over the past 20 years, since it became the only data released by the NSW Education Standards Authority and is the focus of merit lists.

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“Band 6s are a limited and imperfect measure, as they do not take into account that some courses are more difficult than others,” said Catholic Schools NSW chief executive Dallas McInerney.

However, Professor James Tognolini, the head of the Centre for Educational Measurement and Assessment at Sydney University, said HSC results and UAC rankings served different purposes, so any attempt to compare them must be treated with caution.

HSC results describe what a student can do in each subject when they leave school, while tertiary entrance ranks are used for university entry. “For better or worse there was no attempt to make the standards equivalent when the system was set up,” he said.

“In most subjects there was no attempt to align a band 6 performance in one subject with the band 6 performance in another. The purpose was to report what it is students know and can do, not make comparisons across subjects.”

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Varroville’s Mt Carmel Catholic College in south-west Sydney does not make the headlines when it comes to band 6s, but its students achieve a high median ATAR. Principal Steve Lo Cascio would welcome a rethink of measuring student and school performance in the final two years. “We work closely with our students for up to six years,” he said.

“Each student’s journey through that time is marked by successes, challenges and personal growth.

“To attempt to reflect all of that in what is inarguably a very narrow measure of success does not do justice to students or their unique experiences and achievements.

“It is appropriate that students who achieve the highest band in their chosen subjects are recognised and celebrated, but this is only part of the story.

“The hard work and dedication of students – often in the face of significant adversity – does not always result in a band 6. Looking beyond HSC results in our public reporting is an important step towards reflecting the true breadth and depth of student growth and achievement.”

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