Record of changes for English Extension
All changes made to the English Extension 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.
Changes are also communicated via NESA official notices or news items in NESA News.
HSC English Prescriptions extended to 2026
(Official Notice NESA 14/24)
NESA has extended English Stage 6 course prescriptions (that were due to expire for HSC 2025) to HSC 2026.
The English Stage 6 Prescriptions: Modules, Electives and Texts applies to the following courses:
Extension to English Stage 6 prescriptions to HSC 2025
(Official notice NESA 11/22)
The English Stage 6 prescriptions have been extended for 2 years for English Advanced, English Standard, English EAL/D, English Studies and English Extension 1 courses.
See English Stage 6 Prescriptions: Modules, Electives and Texts (2019–2025) (PDF 560.06KB). Last HSC 2025.
Amendment to marking guidelines for the English Extension 2 course
(Official Notice NESA 50/19)
Amended marking guidelines for the English Extension 2 Major Work and Reflection Statement are to be implemented with Year 12 2020 HSC candidates, commencing in Term 4 2019.
Amendments to the marking guidelines include the following:
- expression has been reviewed for consistency and clarity
- some formatting errors have been corrected
- some grammatical inaccuracies have been removed.
English Stage 6 prescriptions 2019–2023 update
(Official Notice NESA 38/18)
Course: English Extension 1
Errata
Seamus Heaney Opened Ground Poems 1966–1996, Faber and Faber, 1998, ISBN: 9780571194933 is a prescribed text for the Extension 1 elective ‘Worlds of upheaval’. One poem from this collection has been incorrectly referenced and has now been amended to: from ‘Whatever You Say Say Nothing’
Out of Print
The prescribed edition of The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin for the English Extension 1 course Elective 3: ‘Reimagined worlds’ is out of print. A new edition is now available. Updated details are listed below. Both editions are acceptable.
Le Guin, Ursula, The Left Hand of Darkness Orbit/Little, Brown 1992, ISBN:9781857230741
Le Guin, Ursula, The Left Hand of Darkness, Orion ISBN: 9781473221628
Course: English Advanced
The prescribed edition of King Richard III, by William Shakespeare for the English Advanced course Module A is out of print. A new edition is now available. Updated details are listed below. Both editions are acceptable.
Shakespeare, William, King Richard III, Cambridge University Press, 2015, ISBN: 9781107615571 or ISBN: 9781108456067
Read the updated version of the English Stage 6 Prescriptions: Modules, Elective and Texts Higher School Certificate 2019–2023 (PDF 560.06KB).
New Stage 6 syllabuses and school-based assessment requirements
(Official Notice NESA 39/17)
New syllabuses and school-based assessment requirements are to be implemented from Term 1, 2018 for Year 11 and Term 4, 2018 for Year 12. The course will be examined for the first time for the HSC in 2019. Support materials, examination specifications and sample examination materials are available.