Don’t you have enough to worry about without trying to figure out the answer to the question, ‘what is the HSC honour roll?’ I mean, teenage life isn’t all about kicking a footy around and catching a wave at the weekends. Now is the time when your HSC exams are published, which impacts your ATAR, the rank universities use to determine applications.
There’s no need to worry about that now, though. Instead, let’s focus on the HSC honour roll and what it means to be included in it by the great state of New South Wales.
Merit Lists (AKA The HSC Honour Roll)
Because the NSW Education Standards Authority likes to keep things simple, they break the honour roll, or merit lists, into four sections. You know, because there isn’t an easier way! The four categories are:
- First in Course
- All-round Achievers
- Top Achievers
- Distinguished Achievers
First In Course
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist, or an aspiring one, to follow this drift. The HSC exams and assessment modules come together to form an HSC mark. This grade, the average of the two scores, shows how well you have performed in each subject compared to your fellow students. Are you keeping up? Great, because the next bit is the easy part: people with high scores – 90 to 95 and above – class as First in Course on the HSC Honour Roll.
Essentially, you’re the best-of-the-best in a subject. Pat yourself on the back!
HSC Honour Roll: All-Round Achievers
Again, the clue is in the title. With your HSC mark and performance band, NESA can analyse how well you have performed across a range of subjects. Those who score consistently across the board will be in line for all-round achiever status on the HSC Honour Roll. You could say the all-rounders are the cream of the crop as they have scored highly regardless of the topic.
You might not be in as high a percentile as the First in Course people, but they might not be able to hit their targets in other areas. After all, you’ve got to do it in ten units to be eligible.
Top Achievers
What’s the difference between Top Achievers and First in Class on the HSC Honour Roll? It’s a good question and one that has a simple answer. Whereas First in Course lists the students with the highest result in each course, Top Achievers attain one of the top places and a result in the most upper band possible. And, they do it in multiple classes.
Securing a ‘top place’ depends on your academic achievement and the number of students taking the course.
Distinguished Achievers
It makes sense to have a Distinguished Achievers category considering you’re getting old now. Sorry – couldn’t resist! No, ‘distinguished’ doesn’t refer to silver-haired men and women with life experience, rather students who achieved a result in the highest possible band to then be recognised by the HSC honour roll. To be certified as a distinguished achiever, you need to do it in one or more courses.
So, there you have it – the HSC honour roll broken down into bitesize chunks for your dining pleasure. We’ve got our fingers crossed that you get the results you want!