HSC Exam Timetable 2026: Key Dates & Countdown
See the confirmed 2026 HSC timetable: written exam start and finish dates, results day, and how many days remain until NSW exams begin.
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The 2026 HSC timetable is confirmed: written exams run from Tuesday 13 October to Thursday 5 November 2026, an 18-day window inside NSW's Term 4. NESA released the personalised student timetables on 1 May 2026, and results are set down for Wednesday 16 December 2026.
When do the HSC exams start and finish in 2026?
The 2026 HSC written exams start with English Paper 1 on Tuesday 13 October 2026 and finish no later than Thursday 5 November 2026, when Physics is sat in the morning session. Across the 18-day window, 123 written exams are scheduled, with sessions spread over morning and afternoon slots so students sitting multiple subjects don't clash.
Around 80,000 NSW Year 12 students received their individual exam schedules through the NESA Students Online portal from 9am on 1 May 2026. Every student's personal timetable — which subjects, which day, which session — is only available through that portal, since students take different subject combinations and no two students sit an identical set of exams.
Language and practical or performance exams (such as Music, Drama and some vocational courses) run earlier in the year, outside this written-exam window, and are scheduled separately by NESA. The 13 October–5 November block covers the written papers only — the exams most students associate with "HSC exams".
2026 HSC key dates at a glance
| Milestone | 2026 date |
|---|---|
| Personalised written exam timetables released | Friday 1 May 2026 |
| Written exams start (English Paper 1) | Tuesday 13 October 2026 |
| Written exams finish (Physics) | Thursday 5 November 2026 |
| HSC results released | Wednesday 16 December 2026 |
These dates are drawn from NESA's official 2026 HSC key dates and exam timetable releases. Trial HSC exams sit earlier in Term 3 and are scheduled by each school individually, not by NESA, so check with your school directly for those dates. Languages oral exams and performance-based practical exams also run ahead of the written block — languages orals from August, and performance exams through Term 3 — so close to half of Year 12 will already have sat one HSC exam before English Paper 1 on 13 October.
When is the 2026 HSC written exam timetable released?
NESA released the 2026 written exam timetable on Friday 1 May 2026 — well ahead of the October exam period. Students access their personalised timetable through the NESA Students Online portal rather than a single public schedule, since each student's combination of subjects produces a different exam calendar. If you're checking for a future year's release date, expect NESA to publish it several months out from exams, as it did in 2026.
How many days are there until the HSC in 2026?
At the time of publishing (22 July 2026), the written exams start on Tuesday 13 October 2026 — roughly 12 weeks away. Because that count moves every day, don't rely on a number printed in an article — enter 13 October 2026 into the Date Calculator to see the exact number of days from today.
How does the HSC exam period sit within the NSW school terms?
The HSC written exams fall inside NSW's Term 4. Based on the site's 2026 school-holiday data, NSW's spring holidays run 28 September to 9 October 2026 and the summer break begins 18 December 2026 — which puts Term 4 2026 at roughly 12 October to 17 December. The confirmed HSC exam window (13 October–5 November) sits in the first four weeks of that term, meaning Year 12 students finish their formal timetabled exams well before the rest of the school year winds down. See the NSW School Term Dates page for the full term structure, and the School Holidays 2026 guide for how the surrounding breaks line up for the rest of the family.
Planning around HSC 2026
With confirmed dates in hand, the practical planning questions are straightforward:
- Avoid booking travel or family events between 13 October and 5 November 2026 — this is now a confirmed exam window, not an estimate.
- Check your personal exam schedule via NESA Students Online rather than relying on the general date range, since your specific subjects and sessions differ from other students'.
- Mark 16 December 2026 for HSC results, and plan any post-results ATAR or university offer follow-up around that date.
Frequently asked questions
When does the HSC start and finish in 2026?
The 2026 HSC written exams run from Tuesday 13 October to Thursday 5 November 2026, an 18-day window that opens with English Paper 1 and closes with Physics, inside NSW's Term 4.
When is the 2026 HSC written exam timetable released?
NESA released the 2026 timetable on Friday 1 May 2026. Students access their personalised schedule through the NESA Students Online portal, since each student sits a different combination of subjects.
How many days are there until the HSC in 2026?
As of 22 July 2026, the exam start date (13 October 2026) is roughly 12 weeks away. For a live day count that stays accurate, use the Date Calculator.
How does the HSC exam period sit within the NSW school terms?
The HSC written exams fall in the first four weeks of NSW's Term 4, which runs from around 12 October to 17 December 2026. Year 12 students finish their exams well before Term 4 ends for the rest of the school. See NSW School Term Dates for the full term breakdown.
When are 2026 HSC results released?
HSC results are released on Wednesday 16 December 2026, roughly six weeks after the written exams finish.
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