Record of changes for Mathematics Extension 1
All changes made to the Mathematics Extension 1 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.
Updates to Mathematics Stage 6 syllabuses
Minor amendments have been made to the Mathematics Stage 6 syllabuses to provide clarification and ensure consistency. The amended Word and PDF versions of the syllabuses are available below. The online syllabus and Program Builder formats are currently being updated. NESA will advise when these online formats are available.
- Amendments were introduced in Term 4 2019
- Amendments to Year 12 content will be examinable in the 2020 HSC exams
- Amendments to Year 11 content will be examinable in the 2021 HSC exams
- Changes to the Mathematics Reference Sheets and Exam Specifications are effective from the 2020 HSC exams.
A copy of the affected content is included below for reference purposes:
Mathematics Extension 1 Stage 6 – Syllabus updates
(Official Notice NESA 48/19)
For implementation from 18 November 2019
NESA has completed maintenance of the Mathematics Standard, Advanced, Extension 1 and Extension 2 syllabuses to provide clarification and ensure consistency between Stage 6 Mathematics syllabuses.
The summary table below specifies the updates that have occurred for Mathematics Extension 1.
| Reference | Prior to 2019 maintenance | November 2019 update |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics Extension 1 | The phrase ‘including but not limited to’ has been replaced with the word ‘including’. | This has resulted in 2 changes in the syllabus text. |
| Mathematics Extension 1 ME-A1 Working with Combinatorics – A1.2: The binomial expansion and Pascal’s triangle | — establish combinatorial proofs of the Pascal’s triangle relations nC o = 1, nC n = 1; nC k = n-1C k-1 + n-1C k for 1 ≤ k ≤ n – 1; and nC k = nC n-k | — establish combinatorial proofs of the Pascal’s triangle relations nC o= 1, nC n = 1; nC r = n-1C r-1 + n-1C r for 1 ≤ r ≤ n – 1; and nC r = nC n-r |
| Mathematics Extension 1 ME-S1 The Binomial Distribution S1.1: Bernoulli and binomial distributions | — understand and use the notation X ∼ Bin (n, p) to indicate that the random variable X is distributed binomially with parameters n and p | |
| Mathematics Extension 1 Glossary flags |  This symbol indicates that a sample question that illustrates the term is included in the associated Topic Guidance. | The symbol and its explanation have been removed from the Mathematics Extension 1 syllabus |
Minor updates have been made to the Mathematics Extension 1 Exam Specifications:
Updates include:
- clarification regarding assumed knowledge and examinable content
- formatting.
Corresponding updates have occurred to the Mathematics Advanced, Extension 1 and Extension 2 Reference Sheet.
For more information, contact:
curriculum@nesa.nsw.edu.au
Formula amendment in Mathematics Extension 1 Stage 6 syllabus (2017)
(Official Notice NESA 03/19)
The compound angle formulas in the Mathematics Extension 1 Stage 6 syllabus (2017) for implementation in 2019 have been amended.
Topic Details: Trigonometric Functions
Year 11 ME-T2 Further Trigonometric Identities
| Content to amend | Amended content |
|---|---|
 |  |
New and updated Stage 6 Mathematics Exam Materials
(Official Notice NESA 45/18)
The new Stage 6 Mathematics Advanced, Mathematics Extension 1 and Mathematics Extension 2 courses will be examined for the first time for the HSC in 2020. NESA has prepared new HSC exam specifications to align with the new syllabus content and directions.
Exam specifications and sample exam materials for Mathematics Advanced, Mathematics Extension 1 and Mathematics Extension 2 are now available including:
- Assessment and Reporting in Stage 6 documents containing HSC exam specifications
- Sample exam materials, including sample questions, marking guidelines, sample answers and mapping grid and Reference Sheet
- Performance band descriptions
- Consultation Report on the exam specifications
- Exam advice.
Errata: Clarification of Mathematics Standard Stage 6 Pathways
(Official Notice NESA 4/18)
The following amendment will be made to text on the page headed ‘Mathematics in Stage 6’ in the new Stage 6 Mathematics Standard, Mathematics Advanced, Mathematics Extension 1 and Mathematics Extension 2 syllabuses.
| Content to amend | Amended content |
|---|---|
Students of the Mathematics Standard 1 and Mathematics Standard 2 courses study a common Year 11 course, Mathematics Standard Year 11, leading to the Mathematics Standard 1 Year 12 and Mathematics Standard 2 Year 12 courses. Schools have flexibility in providing alternate approaches to Mathematics Standard in Year 11 to address material essential for Mathematics Standard 1 in Year 12. This material is denoted by the symbol Students who follow the | Students studying the Mathematics Standard syllabus undertake a common course in Year 11. For the Year 12 course students can elect to study either Mathematics Standard 1 or Mathematics Standard 2. Students who intend to study the Mathematics Standard 2 course in Year 12 must study all Mathematics Standard Year 11 course content. Students who intend to study the Mathematics Standard 1 course in Year 12 must have studied the content identified by the symbol |
.New Stage 6 Mathematics Extension 1 syllabus for implementation in 2019
(Official Notice NESA 3/18)
The t-formulae in the recently published version of new Stage 6 Mathematics Extension 1 syllabus for implementation in 2019 that were presented in terms of θ will be changed to be expressed in terms of A.
Topic Details: Trigonometric Functions
Year 11 ME-T2 Further Trigonometric Identities
| Content to amend | Amended content |
|---|---|
 |  |