HSC students in New South Wales began their 2026 exams with English Paper 1, expecting challenging questions on their prescribed texts but instead found an easier and more accessible format. Over 60,000 students participated, many reporting relief upon receiving straightforward essay prompts related to resilience and attitudes towards success from unseen texts like Lang Leav’s poetry collection Soon It Will Be Sunday. Teachers confirmed that the questions aligned well with prepared materials, potentially reducing stress for students as they move through subsequent exams.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-13,
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Story summary
As more than 60,000 students took the first HSC exams in 2026, specifically English Paper 1, many were expecting a challenging essay question based on their prescribed texts. However, Yvonne Spiers, an English teacher at Strathfield Girls High School, reported that instead of a difficult curveball, students received a “gift” – an easily adaptable question that aligned well with prepared essays. This positive outcome reduced the pre-exam stress among both teachers and students. For instance, in section one, students were asked to analyze an extract from Lang Leav’s poetry collection Soon It Will Be Sunday, focusing on resilience illustrated through a storm battering a manuka tree. Spiers noted that this question was rich and accessible, indicating confidence in her students' performance.
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As more than 60,000 students sat down for the first HSC exams of 2026, English Paper 1, many were braced for the ultimate curveball: an essay question based on an extract from the student’s prescribed text.
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many → sit → text
“We were all expecting a trick … they were freaking out a little bit,” said Yvonne Spiers, an English teacher at Strathfield Girls High School.
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Spiers → expect → School
She, too, had a bad case of pre-exam jitters, admitting she did not sleep the night before.
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she → have → jitters
Instead, Spiers said students across the state received a “gift” in the form of an easily adaptable question that could be moulded to prepared essays.
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that → say → essays
“It was a really good exam,” Spiers said.
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Spiers → say → ?
I think our girls will do it really well.”
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girls → think → it
The relief began in section one, where students were asked to answer short questions based on unseen text.
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students → begin → text
In the first question, students were provided an extract from Lang Leav’s collection of poetry and micro-essays Soon It Will Be Sunday, a work discussing a storm battering a manuka tree.
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It → provide → tree
Students were asked how Leav invites readers to consider the human quality of resilience.
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Leav → ask → resilience
Serina Surti, a student at Strathfield Girls High, thought the question was fitting: “I thought it was very right for this exam.
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it → think → exam
It’s the very beginning [of the HSC] but I am going to get through all of this.
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I → ’ → this
I could draw on my own feelings and experiences to answer the question.”
In another question based on an unseen text, students were asked to compare attitudes towards success.
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students → draw → success
Stephani Chow, 17, said she wrote about how success is not defined by titles or accumulations of objects.
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success → say → objects
“It’s defined by your character and how you end up feeling after being successful,” she said.
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she → define → character
In section two of the exam – a 20-mark essay – students were asked how the author of their prescribed text “offered opportunities to examine assumptions about human strength and vulnerability”.
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author → ask → strength
Her students having studied Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Spiers said they were primed for success.
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they → study → success
“The good answer will be that basically The Crucible explores the complexity between the two – there is no such thing as showing strength without having shown vulnerability first.”
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Crucible → explore → vulnerability
Spiers said the question was “definitely easier than the short text but even the short text was accessible.
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text → say → text
I think they will be OK.”
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they → think → ?
For Surti, the question was easily adaptable to her prepared essay.
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question → prepare → essay
“I liked looking at the essay question and going, ‘You know what? I can do that.
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I → look → that
Let’s go’.”
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’s → let → ?
She said most of the questions related to “pretty standard human experiences”.
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most → say → experiences
Laila Graham, 18, agreed.
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Graham → agree → ?
It’s just new text, new questions.
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It → ’ → ?
You’re just applying the techniques, your pre-memorised quotes, and you just go,” she said.
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she → apply → techniques
The NSW Education Standards Authority said there was only one significant disruption to exams in the state.
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Authority → say → state
Rosebank College in Five Dock was evacuated about a minute into the exam.
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College → evacuate → exam
Students left the exam room for about 20 minutes before returning.
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Students → leave → minutes
They received the full time to finish their exam and have the option to apply for illness or misadventure.
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They → receive → illness
HSC exams will continue until November 5.
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exams → continue → November
The Aporia
