Year 11 2025 Subject Selection Information Evening (Tuesday 11 June, 6pm)

The Subject Selection Information Evening for Year Eleven students 2025 will be held on Tuesday evening, 11 June at 6.00pm, in the Carroll College Hall. Attendance at this evening is compulsory as it will be the best opportunity for you and your child to hear about the specific requirements for Stage Six and the Higher School Certificate.  

The night will consist of a presentation by members of the school Leadership Team on the process for selecting subjects and demands of Stage Six study, followed by Leaders of each Key Learning Area and course teachers about their subjects, with an opportunity for parents and students to ask questions about each subject.  The evening will also include information about the requirements for the HSC and ATAR.  This is a valuable night for you to access information needed for your child to make an informed choice. 

Students, Parents and Carers will be emailed the 2025 Stage Six Course Information Booklet prior to the information evening. All parents and carers are advised to read the booklet carefully as it contains comprehensive course descriptions and detailed explanations of the School and NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) requirements for your child’s “Pattern of Study” in the Preliminary Year. Please find below the key dates and actions required for the 2025 Year 11 Subject Selection Process. All this information will be unpacked and discussed at the Subject Selection evening on the Tuesday 11 June (6pm).

Key Dates for Year 11 2025 Parents and Students

Students will select their subjects online and will be emailed an access code as per the key dates above. When completing the web preferences of subjects, students will need to take into consideration the following: 

• Their interests – what they enjoy learning
• Recommendation from Key Learning Area and Learning Advisors
• Information from the Subject Selection evening
• Their academic ability, based upon their performance in previous years
• Future career pathways 

Finally, please take the time to work slowly through the information and resources pertaining to the subject selection process. If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at the College. I am looking forward to continuing work in partnership with you and your child during the subject selection process.

HSC Minimum Standards

This week I provided an insight into the HSC Minimum Standards exams that our Year 10 cohort will be sitting early term 3.

What is the HSC Minimum Standards?

All students need to reach a minimum standard of functional literacy and numeracy to receive the HSC. Find out what skills are needed to meet the standard, how the tests work, and the resources available.

Meeting the HSC minimum standard

The HSC minimum standard is set at Level 3 of the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF).

Students need to achieve Level 3 or 4 in short online numeracy, reading and writing tests of skills for everyday life to meet the HSC minimum standard.

This means that students who demonstrate the standard have the skills to do things like:

• follow safety instructions in equipment manuals
• understand a mobile phone plan
• write a job application
• create a personal weekly budget.
• Taking the minimum standard tests

To meet the HSC minimum standard, students need to achieve Level 3 or 4 in short online numeracy, reading and writing tests. Learn about how the tests work and how to prepare for the tests. 

Rules about taking the tests

The HSC minimum standard is set at Level 3 of the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF).

Students can sit the numeracy, reading or writing test from Year 10 up until they reach the HSC minimum standard for that domain. The 3 domains are numeracy, reading and writing.

You can take each test:

• up to 6 times per year, if you are in Year 12
• up to 4 times per year, if you are in Year 10 or Year 11
• from Year 10 until up to 5 years after starting your first HSC course
• at least 30 calendar after your last attempt in a test in the same domain.

Your school:

• will help you decide when you are ready to take each test
• can arrange for you to sit practice tests
• may run a test for a group of students or an individual student.
• Leaving school before the HSC

If you plan to leave school before completing the HSC, you can speak to your school about taking the minimum standard tests to demonstrate your level of literacy and numeracy.

Sitting for the tests after the HSC

If you do not demonstrate the minimum standard before you leave school, you can apply to sit for one or more minimum standard online tests.

To be eligible, you need to have fulfilled all your HSC requirements except for the minimum standard of literacy and/or numeracy.

• You can sit for the tests up to 5 years after starting your first HSC course.
• There is no cost to sit for the tests.
• HSC minimum standard resources

The HSC minimum standard tests require students to show their skills in numeracy, reading and writing. Find available resources, including sample questions and answers, to prepare for the tests.

Learn more about the skills needed to meet the HSC minimum standard. Additional information, support and resources are available in Schools Online to help schools implement the HSC minimum standard and the associated tests.

Sample questions and demonstration tests

To help schools, parents and students understand the skills required to meet the HSC minimum standard, view the sample questions and demonstration tests.

The questions cover achievement from ACSF Level 2 to Level 4, as described in the achievement level descriptions.

These questions are similar to the types of questions students will be asked in the minimum standard tests. The demonstration tests help students understand the look and feel of the online tests.

Practice tests

Practice tests are available in numeracy, reading and writing. Schools must enrol students in these tests via Schools Online and they should be done at school under teacher supervision.

The 25-minute practice numeracy and reading tests each includes 25 multiple-choice questions and are adaptive. The 45-minute practice writing test requires students to write up to 500 words in response to a prompt.

90% of teachers surveyed by NESA said that students found the practice tests useful, particularly in identifying if they were ready to take the online tests. Students are encouraged to speak to their teachers if they would like to try one of the practice tests.

Year 10 will be undertaking practice tests this term to best prepare them for the HSC Minimum Standards exams in term 3.

Mr Andrew Kenneally
Assistant Principal – Curriculum, Learning and Innovation