The Agriculture 11–12 Syllabus (2026) includes course structures for Year 11 and Year 12.

The Year 11 course structure comprises a study of:

• 120 indicative hours across 3 focus areas in Year 11, including 10 hours of depth studies
  • Agriculture in Australia - 50 hours
  • Plant production - 35 hours
  • Animal production - 35 hours
• ONE fieldwork exercise
• at least ONE commercial agricultural plant and ONE commercial agricultural animal
• Students are required to study all components of the course.

The Year 12 course structure comprises a study of:

• 120 indicative hours across 3 focus areas, including 10 hours of depth studies
  • Commercial food and fibre production - 60 hours
  • Opportunities and challenges for Australian agriculture - 50 hours
  • Agricultural research - 10 hours
• at least ONE commercial agricultural plant and ONE commercial agricultural animal
• Students are required to study all components of the course.

The HSC examination comprises of a written examination in 3 sections, worth 100 marks. Questions may include stimulus material.

• Section I (20 marks)
  • objective-response questions to the value of 20 marks.
• Section II (65 marks)
  • Questions may contain parts.
  • There will be 13 to 16 items.
  • At least 3 items will be worth 6 to 8 marks.
• Section III (15 marks)
  • There will be one extended-response question.

The organisation of the outcomes and content for Agriculture 11-12 Syllabus (2026) © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2026.

Before implementing the Agriculture 11–12 Syllabus (2026), leaders will need to consider the following:

• supporting teachers’ understanding of the changes to the syllabus structure and familiarisation with the digital curriculum platform to ensure the syllabus is taught as intended
• complexities for staff working across 2 syllabuses to teach Agriculture 11–12 and the complications of a staggered implementation structure
• logistical complexities, including:
  • access to appropriate technologies, equipment and resources for syllabus delivery
  • prioritising practical activities, investigations and field work as evidence of learning
• resource and budget implications, including:
  • ensuring a range of agricultural enterprises are available to meet both Year 11 and 12 outcomes, as well as addressing the specific requirements of plant and animal enterprises in line with the course requirements
  • legislative and NSW Department of Education policy requirements for all new and/or existing enterprises are fulfilled and maintained
  • determining what resources are currently available to address new course requirements and purchasing additional resources to address areas of need
  • providing time for staff to engage with syllabus expectations and build their skills and understanding to effectively plan for implementation in 2027. This may require:
    • additional professional learning for teachers and farm assistants may be required to effectively plan for and safely deliver new content and/or maintain enterprises.
    • release days for professional learning and collaboration and purchasing appropriate resources and equipment
• collaboration with staff and learning support teams to ensure appropriate curriculum planning including ways to explore, adopt and adapt sample materials provided by the department.
• ensuring legislative and Department of Education policy requirements for all new and/or existing enterprises are fulfilled and maintained including completion of an Animal Research Authority, compliance with the Animals in Schools guidelines, and requirements of Chemical safety in Schools and Equipment safety in Schools.
• supporting teachers’ understanding of the principles of inclusive education, adjustments and access to the agriculture curriculum for all learners
• all decisions about curriculum options for students with disability should be made through the collaborative curriculum planning process
• suitability of a Life Skills pattern of study for students. Leaders will need to consider the eligibility of students for a Life Skills pattern of study.

The Agriculture 11–12 Syllabus (2026) is based on evidence highlighting that:

• ‘An understanding of the agriculturally related scientific and technological concepts used in food and fibre production, the marketing of agricultural products, public agriculture policies and the distribution of agricultural production are essential knowledge for students to make personal decisions and take part in civic and cultural affairs.’ (Frick et al. 1992; Meischen and Trexler 2003; Pratley 2013, 2021; Cosby et al. 2022).
• ‘The application of advanced technology and scientific research to address greenhouse gas emissions reduction and abatement and the decarbonisation of the sector is a growing field of essential knowledge and may provide opportunities for new enterprises and businesses.’ (Hilimire et al. 2014; Pogorelskaia and Várallyai 2020; DAFF 2024).
• ‘The combination of a changing climate, more discerning customers, a growing global population with increased purchasing power and advances in transformative technologies will continue to drive the demand and consumption of food, biofuel and fibre products.’ (Hajkowicz and Eady 2015; Hatfield-Dodds et al. 2021).

Agriculture 11–12 Syllabus (2026) © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2026.

• To what extent do staff understand the syllabus changes and have familiarised themselves with the new syllabus and understand how these changes will impact their programming?
• What school practices and systems are in place to support teacher professional learning? What else might be required for this syllabus?
• What resources are required to commence syllabus implementation and meet planning, programming, assessing, and reporting requirements?
• How has the school engaged with departmental resources and support for curriculum implementation, for example, Curriculum networks, curriculum resources, professional learning, and DEL network initiatives?

• NSW Department of Education Planning, programming and assessing TAS 11–12
• NESA Agriculture 11–12 Syllabus (2026)
• NESA Agriculture 11–12 (2026) Syllabus Assessment
• NESA Agriculture 11-12 Syllabus (2026) Teaching and Learning
• NSW Department of Education Animal Research Authority
• NSW Department of Education Animals in Schools – Biosecurity
• NSW Department of Education Chemical Safety in Schools
• NSW Department of Education Equipment Safety in Schools