Record of changes for English Standard
All changes made to the English Standard 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.
Update to English Standard resource – Prescribed Poems, Module B: Oodgeroo Noonuccal
(Official Notice NESA 26/25)
The resource Prescribed Poems, Module B: Oodgeroo Noonuccal has been updated to restore the opening line of the poem ‘The Past’. A previous update to this resource omitted the opening line.
This update applies to the following course:
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 (2019–2026) (PDF 560.06KB). Last HSC 2025.
Revised HSC Exam Specifications for Stage 6 English Standard 2021
(Official notice NESA 23/20)
Schools are advised that the HSC Exam specifications for Standard English Paper 1 Section 1 have been amended. There are five or six questions and the number of questions common to Advanced English has increased to at least three.
The revised exam specifications will be implemented for the first time in the 2021 HSC exams.
English Stage 6 Prescriptions 2019–2023 clarification
(Official notice NESA 21/19)
Schools are advised that the prescribed edition of Robert Gray’s poetry, Coast Road, Black Inc, 2014, ISBN: 9781863957021 remains the correct edition for study in the English Standard course, Module B: Close Study of Literature.
This clarification has been required as a revised edition of Coast Road was published in 2018 with the same ISBN. Schools should continue to use the 2014 edition.
Where a text is quoted in an examination question, it will be from the listed edition.
Assessment and Reporting Stage 6 English – Minor Amendment
(Official notice NESA 7/18)
Assessment and Reporting Stage 6 English – Minor Amendment
Teachers are advised that the Assessment and Reporting documents for the new Stage 6 English Standard and English Advanced courses have been amended to clarify the school-based assessment requirements for Module C – The Craft of Writing.
Year 12 English Standard/Advanced School-based Assessment Requirements
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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.
Amendments to the text requirements for the new English Syllabuses
(Official Notice NESA 19/17)
Schools are advised that the NESA Board has amended the HSC text requirements relating to prose fiction for the new English Standard, English Advanced and English EAL/D Stage 6 syllabuses for implementation with Year 11 from 2018.
The following changes have been made to the Year 11 and Year 12 Course Structure and Requirements:
English Standard and English EAL/D
In Year 12 students are required to closely study three types of prescribed texts, one drawn from each of the following categories:
- Prose fiction
- Poetry OR drama
- Film OR media OR nonfiction
English Advanced
In Year 12 students are required to closely study four prescribed texts, one drawn from each of the following categories:
- Shakespearean drama
- Prose fiction
- Poetry OR drama
The remaining text may be film, media or nonfiction text or may be selected from one of the categories above.
To clarify and strengthen course requirements for both Year 11 and Year 12 a further amendment includes the addition of the following point:
Across Stage 6 the selection of texts must give students experience of the following:
- A range of types of texts inclusive of prose fiction, drama, poetry, nonfiction, film, media and digital texts