What were the Best HSC Scaling Subjects in 2023?
KIS Summary:
- Mathematics Extension subjects offer the biggest scaling advantage as Extension 2 can scale a 66 raw mark to 90 HSC, while Extension 1 scales 65 to 90.
- English Advanced consistently outperforms Standard — A 30th percentile Advanced student achieves higher scaled marks than a 90th percentile Standard student.
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How does scaling work, and how did NESA scale subjects in 2023? Almost periodically, students towards the latter half of their high school journey check the HSC Scaling Report to determine the best subjects to maximise their ATAR results. Luckily for you, KIS Academics has broken it all down!
Table Of Contents:
- How Does HSC Scaling Work?
- Overview Of The 2023 HSC ATAR Results
- How Was HSC English Scaled In 2023?
- How Was HSC Mathematics Scaled In 2023?
- Conclusion On 2023 HSC Subject Scaling
- FAQs About 2023 HSC Subject Scaling
How Does HSC Scaling Work?
Scaling is when the raw marks a student receives in their subjects are adjusted to reflect the relative difficulty of those subjects compared to others. NESA has a very unique method in which they scale their subjects.
- They align the raw marks to bands that best describe the standards that the students achieve. This can compress a range of raw marks to a smaller number of HSC marks. For example, all Band E4 performances in English Extension 1 are allocated one of the six integer grades 45.0 to 50.0.
- After aligning and rounding, for each HSC mark, there can be a range of corresponding raw marks and hence a range of scaled marks. In general, there is no unique scaled mark for an HSC mark, however, trends can be found giving some students an edge.
Want to get a more precise estimate of your ATAR? Check out our HSC ATAR calculator.
Overview Of The 2023 HSC ATAR Results
- In 2023 a total of 55,523 students received an ATAR.
- 17.5% of the students received an ATAR of 90.00 or above.
- 35.0% received an ATAR of at least 80.00, 51.8% at least 70.00, and 67.4% at least 60.00.
- The median ATAR was 71.05.
- 49 students who received the top ATAR of 99.95.
- Candidates awarded an ATAR of 99.95 studied 37 different courses out of the 116 courses offered.
How Was HSC English Scaled In 2023?
| Course | Number | Median HSC mark | Median Band | Band 6 | Band 5 | Band 4 | Band 3 | Band 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Studies Exam | 1,230 | 59 | 2 | <1 | 9 | 36 | 39 | |
| English Standard | 31,696 | 71 | 4 | <1 | 13 | 47 | 30 | 9 |
| English Advanced | 25,102 | 83 | 5 | 14 | 53 | 28 | 4 | 1 |
| English EAL/D | 1,204 | 71 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 32 | 25 | 15 |
| English Extension 1 | 3,671 | 44 | E3 | 41 | 54 | 5 | ||
| English Extension 2 | 1,408 | 42 | E3 | 29 | 57 | 14 |
| Course | Number all | Number HSC | Number ATAR | % Female | % HSC | % ATAR eligible | Maximum ATAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Studies Exam | 1,305 | 1,126 | 587 | 41.3 | 86.3 | 45.0 | 92.60 |
| English Standard | 32,085 | 31,259 | 28,880 | 50.1 | 97.4 | 90.0 | 99.60 |
| English Advanced | 25,232 | 25,057 | 24,977 | 58.9 | 99.3 | 99.0 | 99.95 |
| English EAL/D | 1,216 | 1,101 | 1,079 | 52.7 | 90.5 | 88.7 | 99.95 |
| English Extension 1 | 3,683 | 3,671 | 3,665 | 71.8 | 99.7 | 99.5 | 99.95 |
| English Extension 2 | 1,414 | 1,411 | 1,406 | 74.8 | 99.8 | 99.4 | 99.95 |
- In 2023 for English Standard, a raw mark of 95 was not scaled and remained HSC mark of 95, a raw mark of 75.5 was scaled to a HSC mark of 80 and a raw mark of 60 was scaled to a HSC mark of 70.
- In 2023 for English Advanced, a raw mark of 93 would be scaled to a HSC mark of 95. A raw mark of 83 would scale to a HSC mark of 90 and a raw mark of 67 would be scaled to a HSC mark of 80.
There is no doubt that English Advanced scales better than English Standard - Advanced is harder than Standard and the scaling system is designed to reward that. However, you shouldn’t pick a subject based on how it scales! You will always do better in the subject that you enjoy the most and/or are good at.
If you enjoy the subject, you'll be more motivated to study for it and naturally, you'll perform better during the exams. That being said, if you think that you can give Advanced English a decent crack then go for it!
The typical example of scaling when it comes to English is as follows:
- If you can achieve the 30th percentile (top 70% or the state) or higher in English Advanced, you will achieve a higher scaled mark than a Standard student in the 90th percentile or lower.
How Was HSC Mathematics Scaled In 2023?
| Course | Number all | Number HSC | Number ATAR | % Female | % HSC | % ATAR eligible | Maximum ATAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics Standard 1 Exam | 1,656 | 1,555 | 1,037 | 51.2 | 93.9 | 62.6 | 91.75 |
| Mathematics Standard 2 | 31,175 | 30,474 | 28,581 | 52.4 | 97.8 | 91.7 | 99.75 |
| Mathematics Advanced | 17,364 | 15,462 | 15,439 | 46.9 | 89.0 | 88.9 | 99.95 |
| Mathematics Extension 1 | 8,879 | 8,308 | 8,321 | 39.6 | 93.6 | 93.7 | 99.95 |
| Mathematics Extension 2 | 3,330 | 3,257 | 3,265 | 33.0 | 97.8 | 98.0 | 99.95 |
| Course | Number | Median HSC mark | Median Band | Band 6 | Band 5 | Band 4 | Band 3 | Band 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics Standard 1 Exam | 1,608 | 72 | 4 | 3 | 18 | 40 | 30 | 7 |
| Mathematics Standard 2 | 30,805 | 73 | 4 | 9 | 22 | 26 | 24 | 14 |
| Mathematics Advanced | 16,428 | 79 | 4 | 22 | 27 | 26 | 18 | 6 |
| Mathematics Extension 1 | 8,390 | 82 | E3 | 34 | 38 | 24 | ||
| Mathematics Extension 2 | 3,273 | 86 | E3 | 38 | 48 | 13 |
- In 2023 for Maths Extension 2, a raw mark of 66 was scaled to a HSC mark of 90 and a raw mark of 54 was scaled to a mark of 80.
- In 2023 for Maths Extension 1, a raw mark of 80 was scaled to a HSC mark of 94, 65 was scaled to a mark of 90 and 55 was scaled to 80.
- In 2023 for Maths Advanced, a raw mark of 95 was scaled to a HSC mark of 98 and a raw mark of 65 was scaled to a HSC mark of 83.
- In 2023 for Maths Standard, a raw mark of 93 remained a HSC mark of 93 and a raw mark of 80 was scaled to 84.
If you've had a look at past HSC Math extension exams you'll notice that they are designed to be very hard - and that's why they scale so well. Scoring 60% in a Maths extension exam would be somewhat equivalent to scoring 90 or 95% in Maths advanced.
Maths extension 2 is considered the highest scaling course in the HSC. While many students will struggle to get through it, getting a band 6 in math extension 2 will be a huge ATAR booster. However, does that mean you should choose Maths Extension 2 if you want a 99+ ATAR? Probably not, especially if maths isn't your forte!
Conclusion On 2023 HSC Subject Scaling
Understanding how HSC scaling works can help you make informed subject choices, but remember the golden rule: excel in what you're passionate about rather than chasing high-scaling subjects.
Whether you're tackling Extension 2 Mathematics or English Standard, your raw performance matters more than scaling advantages. A student achieving Band 6 in their chosen subjects will always outperform someone struggling in "high-scaling" subjects they picked for the wrong reasons.
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FAQs About 2023 HSC Subject Scaling
1. Can you get a 99.95 ATAR with low scaling subjects?
Yes! While it's true that some subjects don't scale as favorably as others, you can still achieve outstanding results if you perform well in them. Strong performance in any subject will work to your advantage through the scaling process.
The criticism surrounding "low-scaling subjects" stems from a key risk: if your performance is mediocre, the scaling can negatively impact your final score more than it would in higher-scaling subjects. In contrast, high-scaling subjects provide a buffer; even if you receive a lower raw mark, the favorable scaling helps minimise the damage to your overall results.
2. What subjects can (potentially) scale down your ATAR?
Subjects that tend to scale down are usually art related subjects. It's important to remember that scaling isn't based on a subject's perceived difficulty, but on its competitiveness. Art subjects tend to be less competitive relative to other subjects, but if you put in the effort (and you love Art related subjects) you can still score well!
3. What is the highest scaling science subject?
Physics and Chemistry scale the highest, maintaining scores closer to their raw percentiles, reflecting the strong performance & competitiveness of these science cohorts.
4.What is the most dropped HSC subject?
As of 2025, subjects such as Software design, earth and environmental science and economics are among the subjects with the highest dropout rates for HSC students.