AustraliaSMH.com.au

Students begin finals with English Paper 1 as thousands sit first test

More than 60,000 NSW students sat their first HSC exam and teachers say English Paper 1 was kinder than expected, with an adaptable essay question.

As 60,000 students sat down for the first HSC exam of 2026, English Paper 1, many were preparing for the worst. Instead, they received a “gift”.

The Long Sip
What happened

Over 60,000 students across NSW sat English Paper 1, the first HSC exam of 2026, on Tuesday, bracing for a tricky question but finding a manageable one instead.

The detail

The 20-mark essay asked students how their prescribed text offered opportunities to examine assumptions about human strength and vulnerability, which teachers called easily adaptable.

And then

Teachers and students at Strathfield Girls High described the exam as a gift, saying the texts were rich and accessible and students were well prepared.

Full story at SMH.com.au

What readers are saying

Bobbie
The decision to include Lang Leav's work on resilience was a practical choice for a high-stakes paper. It allowed students to engage with the thematic requirement of human experience through a contemporary lens without the barrier of archaic language. This shift toward accessible unseen texts suggests a focus on the application of analysis rather than the rote navigation of complex syntax.
Puzzle break

Five minutes for you

True or false1 of today's 5
“The bin chicken (white ibis) has always lived in Australian cities”
More to play, free every day
Daily CrosswordWord DashRare FindThe Link

More from Cuppa

Chip stocks slide after Broadcom boss likens AI investing to ‘casino’

Chip stocks tumbled across Asia after Broadcom's boss compared many AI investors to casino gamblers and a Chinese rival claimed a memory chip breakthrough.

Breaking Bad actor and disability rights activist RJ Mitte dies aged 34

Breaking Bad actor RJ Mitte, who had cerebral palsy and played a character with the same condition, has died aged 34 in Texas.

Australia chases first Test victory on day five in Durban

Australia are closing in on a first Test win over South Africa in Durban on day five, though Steve Smith faces a concussion assessment that could rule him out.

NRL star Jai Arrow marries Berina Colakovic in intimate Sicily wedding

NRL star Jai Arrow and Berina Colakovic celebrated a second wedding ceremony in Sicily, months after Arrow retired due to a motor neurone disease diagnosis.

Social platforms have 'responsibility' to block US execution live stream, Albanese says

Prime Minister Albanese is pushing social media platforms to block a potential live stream of a US firing squad execution from being seen in Australia, but admits the government has limited powers…

Kiwis v Kangaroos: Newcastle Knights grand finalists Kalyn Ponga, Dane Gagai named for NZ debuts

Kalyn Ponga and Dane Gagai will make their New Zealand debuts in the Rugby League World Cup opener against the Kangaroos, with Gagai set to become the Kiwis' second-oldest test debutant.

Scientists solve mystery behind honeybee's sting

Australian scientists have finally worked out how a honeybee's stinger keeps pumping venom after the bee flies away, and the design could inspire better medical devices like insulin pumps.

IMF warns of 'elevated' AI risk to world financial system

The IMF has warned that an AI-driven market correction and rising cyber threats pose serious risks to the global financial system.

Back to the feed