HSC · Year 12 · 2026· 15050

Chemistry

Syllabus & assessment · Course guide

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Course at a glance

32.0 scaled meanOut of 50 · 2025 cohort. Individual results vary. No syllabus changesFor the 2026 course. Check older papersFilter papers before 2019

What you'll study

Modules 5–6

Equilibrium and acids

  • Equilibrium and Acid Reactions
  • Acid/base Reactions
About this topic group

Analyse reversible systems before focusing on acid-base reactions.

Modules 7–8

Organic and analytical chemistry

  • Organic Chemistry
  • Applying Chemical Ideas
About this topic group

Study carbon compounds and the evidence used to identify substances.

Official resources

Start with the current syllabus, then use matching papers and exam reference sheets.

For the 2026 HSC

Chemistry Stage 6 Syllabus (2017) Chemistry HSC exam papers Chemistry formulae and data sheet
Next syllabus1 files
Chemistry 11–12 Syllabus (2025)

Assessment

The paper is worth 100 marks and gives approximately equal emphasis to Modules 5–8.

20%

Objective response

20 marks

80%

Written responses

80 marks

Assessment details

Objective response

Twenty objective-response questions across the course.

Written responses

Short and extended responses, including at least two questions worth 7–9 marks.

HSC Chemistry scaling

In 2025, 10,369 students completed Chemistry with a scaled mean of 32.0 out of 50 (the statewide all-course average is approximately 25).

Your score Outside the available data for Chemistry. We use a bounded curve to estimate this score, so it may be less accurate.60/ 100
Chemistry19.0/ 50Estimated scaled mark per unit
0100
Scaled mark per unit0012.525255037.57550100Chemistry: 60 → 19.0Your score →
━ Chemistry
2025 data · About these estimates

Points pair marks at the same cohort percentiles in the 2025 report. They do not track individual students or guarantee that an entered mark scales to the plotted value. Lines are a visual guide. Scaling changes each year. These are Year 12 results, not predictions for Year 11.

View scaling data

Chemistry

2025 report points
HSC markScaled mark per unit (out of 50)
6825.8
7633.9
8439.8
9043.6
9547.6
9850
View source ↗
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Syllabus updates and paper advice

Current · 2026

No recent changes to the course

No content amendments were logged in 2024–2026. The latest recorded change was performance-band descriptor wording in 2023.

Caution · older papers

Filter papers before 2019

Papers from 2019–2025 match the current syllabus. Pre-2019 papers follow an older course with different content and structure.

Ahead · 2029 HSC

New Chemistry HSC syllabus applies from 2029

New Year 12 teaching begins in Term 4 2028. The first HSC under the Chemistry 11–12 Syllabus (2025) is in 2029.

Common questions

Does HSC Chemistry scale well?

Chemistry had above-average scaling in 2025. This isn’t guaranteed in future years.

Which syllabus and past papers should I use?

Use the 2017 syllabus and 2019–2025 NESA papers for the 2026 HSC. Treat pre-2019 papers as selective topic practice.

What is provided in the exam?

NESA supplies the Chemistry Formulae Sheet, Data Sheet and Periodic Table. Bring an approved calculator and permitted equipment.

ChemistryYear 11 →PhysicsYear 12 →

HSC · Year 12

Practise Chemistry

Strengthen your understanding with targeted questions, sample answers, and detailed marking criteria for Chemistry on ATARIS.

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