HSC Legal Studies: the core, the options and the exam

Everyone studies the core, Crime and Human rights, and two of seven options. One 3-hour paper in three sections examines all of it. The current syllabus is examined for the last time in the 2027 HSC.

Weeks before your Legal Studies exam

Hours a week for Legal Studies

Your school's two options

Everyone studies Crime and Human rights. Pick the two options you are taught.

Core: Crime

Core: Human rights

26 weeks, 104 hours in all

Start with Core: Crime

28.8 of your hours. It carries 30 of the 100 marks in the HSC paper.

Hours per topic
Topic	Your hours	Marks in the paper
Core: Crime	28.8	30
Your first option	24	25
Your second option	24	25
Core: Human rights	19.2	20

Week by week

Week 1Core: Crime
Week 2Core: Crime
Week 3Core: Crime
Week 4Core: Crime
Week 5Core: Crime
Week 6Core: Crime
Week 7Core: Crime
Week 8Core: Crime, Your first option
Week 9Your first option
Week 10Your first option
Week 11Your first option
Week 12Your first option
Week 13Your first option
Week 14Your first option, Your second option
Week 15Your second option
Week 16Your second option
Week 17Your second option
Week 18Your second option
Week 19Your second option
Week 20Your second option, Core: Human rights
Week 21Core: Human rights
Week 22Core: Human rights
Week 23Core: Human rights
Week 24Core: Human rights
Week 25A Section I practice paper, a Crime extended response and an option response under time, then review every lost mark
Week 26A Section I practice paper, a Crime extended response and an option response under time, 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	Multiple choice on the core, 20 marks
Section II	Human rights short answers (15) and a Crime extended response (15)
Section III	Two option responses, 25 marks each

The core and the options

The core is Crime (30% of course time) and Human rights (20%). Your school then chooses two of seven options, each 25% of course time: Consumers, Global environmental protection, Family, Indigenous peoples, Shelter, Workplace and World order. The Preliminary course (the legal system, the individual and the law, and law in practice) is a prerequisite for the HSC course.

The three sections of the paper

Section I, 20 marks: objective-response questions on the core, 15 marks from Crime and 5 from Human rights.
Section II, 30 marks: Part A, Human rights short answers worth 15 marks (about four items, which may be in parts); Part B, one Crime extended response worth 15 marks (about 600 words).
Section III, 50 marks: one question for each option, each with two alternatives. You answer two alternatives, each on a different option, 25 marks each (about 1000 words each).

Which HSC this course is for

The Legal Studies Stage 6 Syllabus (2009) is examined for the last time in the 2027 HSC. A new Legal Studies syllabus is first examined in 2028.

Try 2 questions

Question 1

Which statement best describes a crime?

Question 2

Which statement best describes human rights?

Next step

Take the free test Take the course tour

Questions people ask

Which HSC does this syllabus cover?

The 2027 HSC. A new Legal Studies syllabus is first examined in 2028.

Which options should I prepare?

The two your school teaches. Section III has a question on every option, and you answer two alternatives, each on a different option.

Is there a choice anywhere else in the paper?

No. Sections I and II are on the core and every question in them is compulsory.