Record of changes for Drama
All changes made to the Drama syllabus are recorded here. Learn about these updates.
About the record of changes
This record details amendments to the syllabus, school-based assessment and exams for the course.
When amendments are published, they are also communicated via NESA official notices in the NESA News.
Minor amendment to Drama course prescriptions for 2025–2027
(Official notice NESA 4/26)
The Drama course prescriptions for 2025–2027 have been updated with new ISBNs for the following texts within Topic 4: Approaches to Acting:
- The Moving Body by J Lecoq (new ISBN: 9781474244770)
- Jerzy Grotowski by J Slowiak and J Cuesta (new ISBN: 9780815386780).
New Drama Stage 6 Course Prescriptions 2025–2027
(Official notice NESA 2/24)
The Drama Stage 6 Course Prescriptions for HSC 2025–2027 have been released and are now available on the NESA website.
Timeline for implementation:
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| Term 1, 2024 | New Stage 6 course prescriptions available for planning and preparation in NSW schools |
| Term 4, 2024 | New Stage 6 course prescriptions implemented in schools |
| Term 4, 2025 | First HSC |
Stage 6 Assessment and Reporting webpage changes
(Official Notice NESA 33/20)
The Drama Stage 6 Assessment and Reporting webpage has been reformatted and clarified in a single webpage that includes all information from the previous Assessment and Reporting document and its corresponding HSC performance and submitted works requirements webpage.
HSC Drama Course Prescriptions Extended to 2024
(Official Notice NESA 10/20)
The Stage 6 Drama Course Prescriptions have been extended to the period of 2019–2024.
Drama Stage 6 course prescriptions 2019 – 2021: Amendment to Text List for Individual Projects
(Official Notice NESA 35/18)
The Stage 6 Drama Course Prescriptions for the HSC 2019 – 2021 have been amended and are available from the syllabus section of the NESA website.
Implementation of the new course prescriptions will commence with the HSC 2019.
The amendments to new prescriptions appear as follows:
| Page | Topic | Currently | Replace with |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Text List for Individual Projects | Brandon, James 1992, ‘Saint Narukami and the God Fudo’, in Kabuki, Five Classic Plays, University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, ISBN 08248-1426-6 | Moliere, Jean Baptiste Poquelin, Tartuffe, Nick Hern Books, London 2002.ISBN 978-1-854-596-376 |
Errata: Drama Stage 6 course prescriptions 2019–2021
(Official Notice NESA 54/17)
A recently published version of the Drama Stage 6 Course Prescriptions for the HSC 2019–2021 included errors that have now been corrected. Please ensure that you refer to the version now available on the NESA website.
Implementation of the updated course prescriptions will commence with the HSC 2019.
New Stage 6 Drama course prescriptions: HSC 2019–2021 – amendments
(Official Notice NESA 46/17)
Implementation of the new course prescriptions will commence with the HSC 2019.
The amendments to new prescriptions include:
| Page | Topic | Currently | Replace with |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Text List for Individual Projects | Dorfman, Ariel, Death and the Maiden, Nick Hern Books, London 1991 or republished edition 1994, Penguin Books. | Dorfman, Ariel, Death and the Maiden, Nick Hern Books, London 1991. 978-1-85459-390-0 |
| 11 | Studies in Drama and Theatre | Abela, Donna, Jump for Jordon, Currency Press, Sydney 2013. 978-1-92500-505-9 | Abela, Donna, Jump for Jordon, Currency Press, Sydney 2017. 978-1-76062-183-4 |
| 15 | Topic 8: Significant Plays of the 20th Century | Kushner, Tony, 1993 Angels in America (Part 1), Theatre Communications Group, New York. | Kushner, Tony, Angels in America (Part 1), Nick Hern Books, London, 1992. 978-1-85459-156-2 |
The following text is no longer available for study in Drama:
| Page | Topic | Text |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Studies in Drama and Theatre | Valentine, Alana, Shafana and Aunt Sarrinah: soft revolution, Currency Press, Sydney 2010. 978-0-86819-882-8 |
New Stage 6 Drama course prescriptions: HSC 2019–2021
Implementation of the new course prescriptions will commence with the HSC 2019.
The new prescriptions include:
- a new topic list for Group Performance
- changes to the text lists for Individual Projects
- a new topic in Studies in Drama and Theatre
- minor adjustments to Topic 5 and Topic 8
- publication details for all prescribed texts.
New Stage 6 school-based assessment requirements
(Official Notice NESA 29/17)
New school-based assessment requirements are to be implemented from Term 1, 2018 for Year 11 and Term 4, 2018 for Year 12. Course-specific assessment requirements are included in the Assessment and reporting materials. Sample assessment schedules for Year 11 and Year 12 are available.
Drama Stage 6 Course Prescriptions
Effective immediately
The Drama Stage 6 Course Prescriptions for the Higher School Certificate period 2015–17 have been extended to include the 2018 Higher School Certificate exam.
Revised Drama Stage 6 Course Prescriptions for HSC exams from 2019 will be published later in 2017.
Stage 6 Drama Course Prescriptions 2015–2017
The HSC course prescriptions should be read in conjunction with the Drama Stage 6 Syllabus and other support documents.
Schools are reminded that the study of texts prescribed in any course for the Higher School Certificate exam may not begin before the completion of the Preliminary course. While students in the Preliminary course may attend productions of texts that they will be studying in their HSC course, they may not take part in performances of these plays.
Stage 6 Drama Course Prescriptions 2010–2012
Schools are advised that the Stage 6 Drama Course Prescriptions 2010–2012 will be extended until the conclusion of the 2014 Higher School Certificate. Minor amendments to the Course Prescriptions will be published in late 2011.
Changes from current exam specifications
The expected length for the extended responses is included as a guide. It is presented as the approximate number of exam writing booklet pages (based on average-sized handwriting), and/or an approximate number of words. Students will not be penalised for responses of excess length: they may write less than or more than what is expected, and their responses will be marked on their merits.