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11–12Society and Culture 11–12 Syllabus (2026)

Record of changes
Implementation from 2028
Expand for detailed implementation advice
OverviewRationaleAimOutcomesContentAssessmentGlossaryTeaching and learning support

Assessment

HSC examinations

The external HSC examination measures student achievement in a range of syllabus outcomes.

The external examination and its marking relate to the syllabus by:

  • providing clear links to syllabus outcomes
  • enabling students to demonstrate the levels of achievement outlined in the Performance Band Descriptions
  • applying marking guidelines based on criteria that relate to the quality of the response
  • aligning performance in the examination each year to the standards established for the course.

Examination questions may require students to integrate knowledge and understanding of Social and cultural concepts and social research developed through studying the course.

The Year 11 course is assumed knowledge for the Year 12 course.

Some students with disability may be eligible for HSC exam provisions when completing the HSC examination.

Society and Culture HSC examination specifications

Stage 6 - Year 12

The HSC examination will consist of a written paper worth 60 marks and a Sociocultural research project worth 40 marks.

Written paper (60 marks)

Time allowed: 2 hours plus 5 minutes reading time.

The paper will consist of two sections.

Questions may include stimulus.

Section I – Social and cultural continuity and change (20 marks)

  • Questions may contain parts.
  • There will be 3 or 4 items.
  • One item will be worth 8 to 12 marks.

Section II – Options (40 marks)

  • There will be two questions for each of the four options.
  • For each option, one question will be worth 5 marks and one will be worth 15 marks.
  • Students will be required to answer the two questions on each of the options they have studied.
Sociocultural research project (40 marks)

The Sociocultural research project is an individual project. The Sociocultural research project requires students to select a suitable topic related to the course, and design and apply appropriate research methods to develop a project containing the required components, up to a maximum of 4500 words. These components are:

  • an introduction
  • central material
  • a conclusion
  • a critical reflection
  • a resource list (not included in the maximum word count).

Further information

Stage 6 - Year 12