Content overview: “Bacon, eggs and Bowie: NSW year 12 students tackle human strength and vulnerability in HSC”. Tens of thousands of New South Wales year 12 students began their Higher School Certificate exams on Tuesday with the first English paper, which asked them to examine assumptions about human strength and vulnerability in their prescribed texts. The question challenged students to consider how composers offer opportunities to question these assumptions, drawing on works studied during the year. The exam is a high-stakes milestone for about 77,000 students across the state, with results determining university admission and future pathways.
Students reported varied responses, with some referencing texts such as Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poetry and Shakespeare’s ‘The Merchant of Venice’, while others drew on contemporary works. The mention of bacon, eggs and David Bowie in social media posts reflected the mix of nerves, humour and pop culture references as students processed the exam. The full version stays on the original page, which this listing opens directly.