Students begin finals with English Paper 1 as thousands sit first test
Over 60,000 students in New South Wales have begun their Higher School Certificate (HSC) exams with English Paper 1. Teachers and students reported that the exam questions were accessible and allowed for flexible responses.
Why it matters
The HSC is a critical milestone for Australian students, determining university entrance and future career pathways.
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Share A A A As more than 60,000 students sat down for the first HSC exams of 2026, English Paper 1, many were braced for the ultimate curveball: an essay question based on an extract from the student’s prescribed text.
“We were all expecting a trick … they were freaking out a little bit,” said Yvonne Speirs, an English teacher at Strathfield Girls High School. She, too, had a bad case of pre-exam jitters, admitting she did not sleep the night before.
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