Course options

Course options

Students can, at any time, study one or more:

• Years 7–10 courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content, or
• Years 11–12 Life Skills courses. 

The needs of the student and collaborative curriculum planning will guide the appropriate timing of a decision to study Life Skills courses.

Years 7–10 courses

Each Years 7–10 syllabus includes Life Skills outcomes and content. Indicative hours for courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content are the same as the mandatory curriculum requirements.

Years 11–12 courses

In Stage 6, there is at least one Life Skills course for most key learning areas. Each Stage 6 Life Skills course comprises a:

• 2-unit Year 11 course (120 hours)
• 2-unit Year 12 course (120 hours)

The exception is Studies of Religion I Life Skills, which is a 1-unit course (60 hours).

To view current Stage 6 Life Skills courses, visit the NSW Curriculum website. You can search ‘Life Skills’ or use the ‘Stages’ filter to filter by Life Skills courses. You can also filter syllabuses by key learning area.

Once a student begins a Life Skills course in a subject, they should continue with that pathway through to the end of their schooling in that subject. These courses are part of the Record of School Achievement (RoSA) and the Higher School Certificate (HSC), though they do not contribute to the calculation of an ATAR. 

School developed Life Skills courses

Schools may develop a Stage 6 Life Skills course in areas where there is no Board Developed syllabus, if appropriate to the needs of their students. This includes Stage 6 Languages. If a school would like to have the course credentialled on a student’s RoSA or HSC, the school must apply to NESA to have it endorsed as a School Developed Board Endorsed Course.

Exclusions applying to Life Skills courses

In Years 7–10, a student may not study Life Skills outcomes and content in combination with Stage outcomes and content from the same syllabus. For example, a student may not study both Stage 5 Science and Science Life Skills.

In Stage 6, a student may not study more than one 240-hour course in the same subject. For example, a student cannot study both English Studies and English Life Skills.

A student should not repeat content if studying one or more Life Skills courses from the Stage 6:

• Creative Arts Life Skills Syllabus
• Technology Life Skills Syllabus
• Human Society and Its Environment Life Skills Syllabus

For example, if a student is studying Stage 6 Creative Arts Life Skills and Stage 6 Music Life Skills, the outcomes and content from the Music Life Skills course cannot be used in the Creative Arts Life Skills course.

Satisfactory completion of the Year 11 course or its equivalent is a prerequisite for entry into a Year 12 course. This includes Stage 6 Life Skills courses.

More information can be found with each Stage 6 syllabus.