It’s been fifty years since the HSC began. The diversity of the students has increased as well as the subjects they are studying with electives now including technology, dance and entertainment.
As the high school students commence their final exams, many started their schooling in countries with very different education systems.
Fairvale High School Captain Harry Ly was born in Australia to migrant parents.
He was one of more than 60,000 students who sat the compulsory English paper – a language a lot of migrant students didn’t learn until later in life.
It’s the first of multiple exams, which will finish on November 7.
Mr Ly told SBS News his family’s experiences and challenges have motivated him to excel with his studies.
"We started off with difficulties of financial hardships, and I've taken this opportunity or taken the power of education more significantly and taken that to really reach for what my parents couldn't have,” he said.
Mr Ly said he was relieved that Monday’s exam is over.
“Now that it’s over I’m a bit more confident about how the other exams will go.”
Fellow classmate Sidney Wey arrived in Australia from Vietnam six years ago.
She had to learn how to speak, read and write English as a second language.
"My first word was hello and I've worked my way through to this stage now,” Ms Wey said.
“It's like a very overwhelming experience.
“English is my second language and now I'm sitting the paper for the HSC."
Manwel Khoshaba began school in Australia in Year 8, after arriving as a refugee from Iraq.
He said he improved his English by watching movies and playing video games.
David de Carvahlo from the NSW Education Standards Authority, which oversees the exams, said Maths, Biology and Business Studies were the most popular elective subjects among students.
“Japanese, French and Chinese are the most popular languages that are being studied. Hospitality and construction are very popular VET courses, along with business studies ,” Mr de Carvahlo said.
“There's been an increase in the number of students taking at least one science course."
HSC results will be delivered to students in December.
