Eighteen days and 400,000 exams: Elated students celebrate end of the HSC

November 5, 2026 — 5:30pm

There will be fires tonight. Hundreds of tiny, celebratory fires as elated HSC students feed their old past papers, study cards and notes into the flames.

“Tonight, I am going to take the longest nap of my life,” said Penrith Selective High student Atharv Saraf. While his younger sibling may inherit his summary notes, his stack of past papers is destined for the incinerator.

“I am going to burn them, get rid of them,” he said. “I am so relieved, like years, literally years of preparation have finally come up to this. I think it has been pretty good. It’s been worth it.”

Atharv was one of nearly 9000 students who completed the physics exam on Thursday afternoon, bringing the 2026 HSC exam season to a close.

Over the past 18 test days, HSC students have sat more than 400,000 exam sessions across 123 written exams held at 800 exam centres and managed by 8000 staff.

Marking is under way, with more than 5500 people assessing responses for more than 1.2 million papers. Students will receive their HSC results and ATAR on December 16.

Students at Penrith Selective High said the exams passed in a blur.

“It just goes like this,” Mahiejith Aravind said, snapping his fingers. “I am feeling very relieved that there are not much stakes for the time being.”

The students had little to say about the exam itself and were focused on their newfound sense of freedom and plans for the future.

First on the agenda: a celebratory meal. The boys will head to their favourite food store, Fried Brothers in Blacktown. “Everyone is going to be there. It’s tradition after exams,” said Mahiejith.

“Fried Bros with my friends and after that, the light is still up, we are going to head to the [cricket] nets,” he said.

Niall Stewart said he had no plans for the night: “I am going to chill at home, take it all in and relax without feeling any stress about what is coming up.”

Physics is popular at Penrith Selective High, where there are three classes and some students have to be turned away. Dr Ray Stathakis, an astronomer before she became a teacher, praised this year’s exam.

“There are a couple of tricky ones, but we have prepared them for so much,” Stathakis said.

She particularly enjoyed the question about astronauts playing golf on the moon. The question, related to projectile motions, challenged students to show the ball’s maximum height reach, using various formulae and supplied numbers.

“They are a bit of fun. The kids have done this before, in probably term four last year,” she said.

NSW Education Standards Authority chief executive Paul Martin urged students to celebrate the end of more than a decade of schooling.

“Enjoy this time, content in the knowledge you have done the hard work, challenged yourself and demonstrated all that you know in each course and discipline.”

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Emily Kowal is a Walkley award-winning education reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.

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