NSW HSC Minimum Standard Reading study guide
NSW HSC Minimum Standard Reading · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The HSC minimum standard is a literacy and numeracy requirement attached to the NSW Higher School Certificate. The NSW Education Standards Authority states that all students need to reach a minimum standard of functional literacy and numeracy to receive the HSC, so the standard applies to every student working towards that credential rather than to a selected group. To meet it, students must achieve Level 3 or 4 in short online numeracy, reading and writing tests, which means three separate test domains each have to be satisfied. Because the requirement is about functional skills rather than a syllabus mark, the reading test asks candidates to show they can locate information, follow written instructions and interpret everyday texts with confidence. The NSW HSC Minimum Standard Reading study guide has 3 sections and about 1,245 words.
01Reading: Finding Meaning, Purpose and Evidence
The reading standard checks whether you can make sense of everyday and workplace texts: short articles, notices, instructions, forms, timetables, emails and simple reports. You need to locate information, work out the main idea, follow a sequence, understand vocabulary from context, and recognise why a text was written and who it was written for.
414 words, about 2 min02Numeracy: Everyday Numbers, Money and Data
The numeracy standard tests the mathematics you meet in daily life, work and study: money and change, percentages and discounts, measurement, time and timetables, simple rates, averages, fractions and decimals, and reading tables, graphs and charts. Questions are usually set in a short real-world scenario, so part of the task is deciding which operation is needed.
406 words, about 2 min03Writing: Clear Sentences, Structure and Purpose
The writing standard checks whether you can produce a short, clear text that suits its purpose and reader. You may be asked to write an email, a message, a short report, a letter of complaint or an explanation.
425 words, about 2 min