HSC · Year 12 · 2026· 15330

Physics

Syllabus & assessment · Course guide

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Course at a glance

31.0 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

Mechanics and fields

  • Advanced Mechanics
  • Electromagnetism
About this topic group

Extend Year 11 motion into two dimensions and electromagnetic systems.

Modules 7–8

Light, atoms and the Universe

  • The Nature of Light
  • From the Universe to the Atom
About this topic group

Examine modern evidence for light, matter and the physical Universe.

Official resources

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

For the 2026 HSC

Physics Stage 6 Syllabus (2017) Physics HSC exam papers Physics formulae and data sheet
Next syllabus1 files
Physics 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 Physics scaling

In 2025, 8,817 students completed Physics with a scaled mean of 31.0 out of 50 (the statewide all-course average is approximately 25).

Your score Outside the available data for Physics. We use a bounded curve to estimate this score, so it may be less accurate.60/ 100
Physics21.2/ 50Estimated scaled mark per unit
0100
Scaled mark per unit0012.525255037.57550100Physics: 60 → 21.2Your score →
━ Physics
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

Physics

2025 report points
HSC markScaled mark per unit (out of 50)
6424
7532.2
8438.8
9143
9547.2
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 and may contain different topics or formats.

Ahead · 2028 HSC

New Physics HSC syllabus applies from 2028

New Year 12 teaching begins in Term 4 2027. The first HSC under the Physics 11–12 Syllabus (2025) is in 2028.

Common questions

Does HSC Physics scale well?

Physics 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 topic practice only.

What is provided in the exam?

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

PhysicsYear 11 →ChemistryYear 12 →

HSC · Year 12

Practise Physics

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

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