HSC Economics: the course and the exam

Four HSC topics, each a quarter of the course, and one 3-hour paper in four sections. The current syllabus is examined for the last time in the 2027 HSC.

Weeks before your economics exam

Hours a week for economics

Topic 1: The global economy

Topic 2: Australia's place in the global economy

Topic 3: Economic issues

Topic 4: Economic policies and management

26 weeks, 104 hours in all

Start with Topic 1

The global economy: 24 of your hours. It is 5 of the 20 questions on our Section I practice papers, 25%.

Hours per topic
Topic	Your hours	Share of the checks
Topic 1: The global economy	24	25%
Topic 2: Australia's place in the global economy	24	25%
Topic 3: Economic issues	24	25%
Topic 4: Economic policies and management	24	25%

Week by week

Week 1Topic 1: The global economy
Week 2Topic 1: The global economy
Week 3Topic 1: The global economy
Week 4Topic 1: The global economy
Week 5Topic 1: The global economy
Week 6Topic 1: The global economy
Week 7Topic 2: Australia's place in the global economy
Week 8Topic 2: Australia's place in the global economy
Week 9Topic 2: Australia's place in the global economy
Week 10Topic 2: Australia's place in the global economy
Week 11Topic 2: Australia's place in the global economy
Week 12Topic 2: Australia's place in the global economy
Week 13Topic 3: Economic issues
Week 14Topic 3: Economic issues
Week 15Topic 3: Economic issues
Week 16Topic 3: Economic issues
Week 17Topic 3: Economic issues
Week 18Topic 3: Economic issues
Week 19Topic 4: Economic policies and management
Week 20Topic 4: Economic policies and management
Week 21Topic 4: Economic policies and management
Week 22Topic 4: Economic policies and management
Week 23Topic 4: Economic policies and management
Week 24Topic 4: Economic policies and management
Week 25A Section I practice paper, a stimulus-based response and an extended response, then review every lost mark
Week 26A Section I practice paper, a stimulus-based response and an extended response, then review every lost mark

Check your topics with the free test

The paper	100 marks, 3 hours plus 5 minutes reading time
Section I	Objective-response questions, 20 marks
Section II	Four short-answer questions, 40 marks
Sections III and IV	A stimulus-based and an extended response, 20 marks each

The four HSC topics

The global economy, Australia's place in the global economy, Economic issues, and Economic policies and management, each about a quarter of the HSC course. The Preliminary course (markets, labour markets, financial markets and the government's role among them) is a prerequisite for the HSC course.

The four sections of the paper

Section I, 20 marks: objective-response (multiple-choice) questions across the course.
Section II, 40 marks: four short-answer questions, which may be in parts, about 12 items in all.
Section III, 20 marks: two stimulus-based extended response questions. You answer one, about 800 words.

Which HSC this course is for

The Economics Stage 6 Syllabus (2009) is examined for the last time in the 2027 HSC. NESA's implementation timeline has the Economics 11-12 Syllabus (2025) first examined in 2028.

Try 2 questions

Question 1

Hours of labour per unit of output (invented)
Economy	Cloth (hours per unit)	Wine (hours per unit)
Corra	2	4
Dalby	12	6

The table shows the hours of labour needed to make one unit of each good in two hypothetical economies (invented figures). Which pattern of specialisation lets both economies gain from trade?

Question 2

In a hypothetical economy (invented figures), the civilian population aged 15 and over is 18.75 million, 11.4 million people are employed and 0.6 million are unemployed. What is the unemployment rate?

Next step

Take the free test Take the course tour

Questions people ask

Which HSC does this syllabus cover?

The 2027 HSC. NESA's timeline has the new Economics syllabus first examined in 2028.

Is there a choice in the exam?

In Sections III and IV: two questions in each, and you answer one. Sections I and II are compulsory.

Is the Preliminary course in the exam?

The exam is set on the HSC course, but the Preliminary course is a prerequisite and its ideas, such as demand and supply, run through the four HSC topics.