HSC pass rate falls to 52.12 percent, 40,084 students secure GPA-5
The results of the Higher Secondary Certificate and equivalent examinations for 2026 were published on 31 October 2026. The pass rate this year stood at 52.12 percent, and 40,084 students secured GPA-5.
According to the published results, nearly half of the candidates failed this year. The picture has triggered wide discussion among students, guardians and teachers.
A comparison with recent years makes the decline clear. In 2021 the pass rate was 95.57 percent and 189,000 students secured GPA-5.
In 2022 the pass rate was 84.31 percent, with 176,000 students securing GPA-5. In 2023 the pass rate fell to 78.64 percent and 92,000 students secured GPA-5.
In 2024 the pass rate was 77.78 percent and 145,000 students secured GPA-5. In 2025 the rate fell further to 58.83 percent, with 69,000 students securing GPA-5.
Continuing that trend, the pass rate dropped to 52.12 percent in 2026. Analysis of the results described it as the lowest HSC pass rate in twenty-two years.
This year's results showed the largest number of failures in English and ICT. Failures in those two subjects played a major role in pulling down the overall pass rate.
After the results, the social pressure on students over securing or missing GPA-5 also came into discussion. The period was described as an important and sensitive stage in the lives of eighteen- and nineteen-year-old students.
