New South Wales Higher School Certificate • Australia
NSW HSC Exam Timetable 2026
Search the complete workbook schedule of written examinations, Languages oral exams, practical and performance periods, submitted-work milestones and key dates. Exact personalised arrangements remain available through the school and Students Online.
Complete 2026 HSC written exam timetable
All 117 written rows are preserved with the published HSC day, week, course, component, start and finish times, VET/CCAFL flag, notes and direct official source.
Integrity check: Week sheets total 117 rows and reconcile exactly to the Written Exams master sheet.
| Date | Day | Week / HSC day | Session | Course / subject | Component / stream | Reading time begins | Finish time | VET / CCAFL | Notes | Source details |
|---|
Four-week HSC written exam structure
The row count is the number of scheduled course examinations, not the number of candidates or distinct sessions.
52 AM rows and 65 PM rows appear in the written timetable.
Week 1
13–16 Oct 2026
52 written examination rows.
Week 2
19–23 Oct 2026
27 written examination rows.
Week 3
26–30 Oct 2026
30 written examination rows.
Week 4
2–5 Nov 2026
8 written examination rows.
Oral, practical, performance and project timetable
These 21 rows include individual deadlines and date ranges. Where a period is shown, the personalised appointment comes from the school or Students Online.
Workbook categories: Languages oral 1; Performance examination 3; Project / submitted work 17.
| Date / period | Category | Subject / course | Milestone / assessment | Time / deadline | Status | Notes | Official source |
|---|
Important 2026 HSC dates
The five milestones below are reproduced from the workbook’s Key Dates sheet.
They cover timetable publication, oral exams, written exams and results release.
| Date / period | Event | Notes | Official source |
|---|
Official NESA timetable sources
Use these records to verify the current written timetable, personalised guidance, oral schedule, practical dates and results information.
5 official-source records are retained from the workbook.
| Source | Official URL | What it covers |
|---|
Build a reliable HSC study and exam plan
Combine this schedule with the student’s personalised timetable so written papers, oral appointments and project milestones are planned together.
1. Confirm every course
Search each enrolled course and component, including VET or CCAFL entries, then compare it with Students Online.
2. Plan around clusters
Mark consecutive examination days and long papers, then front-load revision for the busiest week.
3. Add personal logistics
Record arrival time, venue, equipment, transport, approved provisions and exact practical or oral appointments.
- Use the NSW timetable for the correct HSC system.
- Confirm courses in Students Online.
- Treat the listed start as reading-time commencement.
- Check oral and practical appointments separately.
- Report clashes to the school coordinator.
- Recheck the official NESA source before exam week.
HSC exam timetable FAQs
Answers to common questions about NSW HSC dates, reading time, written weeks, oral examinations, projects, VET, CCAFL and personalised timetables.
Which HSC timetable does this page cover?
This page covers the 2026 New South Wales Higher School Certificate in Australia. Maharashtra HSC and Bangladesh HSC are separate examination systems with different timetables.
How many 2026 NSW HSC assessments are included?
The workbook contains 138 unique assessment records: 117 written examinations and 21 oral, practical, performance or submitted-work records.
When do the 2026 HSC written exams start and finish?
The written examination period runs from Tuesday 13 October to Thursday 5 November 2026 across four timetable weeks.
When are 2026 HSC results released?
The workbook lists Wednesday 16 December 2026 as the official HSC results release date.
What does the start time in the written timetable mean?
The workbook states that the published start time is when reading time begins. Students should arrive well before that time and follow their school’s arrival instructions.
Where can I find my personalised HSC timetable?
Students should use Students Online and the timetable issued by their school. The personalised version confirms their actual courses, venues and individually scheduled assessments.
When are HSC Languages oral examinations held?
The workbook records the Languages oral examination period as 8 August to 12 September 2026. The exact date, time and venue are individually scheduled and appear in Students Online.
Why does the Languages oral row mention a date typo?
The workbook notes that the source page displayed an apparent 2025 start-year typo. It treats the 2026 oral period as beginning 8 August 2026 and preserves the note for transparency.
What are HSC practical and performance dates?
These include performance marking periods, practical examinations, submitted works and project milestones. Some are date ranges, so candidates must use their school or Students Online for the exact appointment.
What does “By 3:00 pm” or another deadline mean?
It is the published milestone or submission deadline recorded in the workbook. Schools may set an earlier internal hand-in date so work can be checked and submitted correctly.
What does VET mean in the timetable?
VET identifies a Vocational Education and Training examination. Filter the written table to VET and confirm the course entry with your school.
What does CCAFL mean?
CCAFL identifies a Collaborative Curriculum and Assessment Framework for Languages course. The timetable includes these rows separately so students can find the correct language examination.
What should I do if two HSC exams clash?
Contact the school’s HSC or examinations coordinator immediately. The school and NESA provide the official arrangement; students should not create their own plan.
Why might a course not appear in the written exam table?
Some courses use projects, submitted works, practicals, performances or oral examinations rather than a centrally scheduled written paper. Check the oral and practical table and your personalised timetable.
Are the finish times exact?
Use the finish time and any Approx. Finish flag exactly as published, but plan transport and collection conservatively because supervision and administrative procedures may affect release time.
What do Completed, In progress and Upcoming mean?
They are status labels from the workbook as of 18 Aug 2026. They describe oral, practical and submitted-work milestones at that reporting date.
Where can I verify an HSC exam date or time?
Open the official NESA source linked in the relevant row or Sources section, then confirm the latest personalised timetable with your school and Students Online.
How should I create an HSC study plan from this timetable?
Search every enrolled course, record the date, reading-time start and finish, identify closely grouped papers, then plan backwards with extra revision time before high-pressure weeks.
