Around 16,000 Business Studies students will start this year's Higher School Certificate (HSC) exams.

Launching the 2009 HSC exam timetable, the Minister for Education and Training, Verity Firth, said the four week exam period will include 111 exams.

"From the 20th October to 13th November this year, around 67,000 students will be putting 13 years of schooling to the test," Ms Firth added.

"The results will be available to students before Christmas.

"The release of the timetable gives students concrete dates to work towards and means students and their families can make plans for the end of the year.

"There is still nearly six months until the start of the written HSC exams, and students should have established an effective study routine and be working consistently on their assessment tasks.

"By the time their written exams begin they will have completed the assessment tasks which count for 50 per cent of their total marks.

"Another message for Year 12 students at this point in the HSC cycle is to make sure they develop a healthy balance between their school work and their personal life."

Some of the features of the 2009 HSC timetable are:

• Students will sit for a total of 111 HSC exams on 17 days in October and November.
• Business Studies and Classical Greek Continuers are the first exams on Tuesday 20 October.
• The two main examination papers for English, the only mandatory subject, are scheduled for Wednesday 21 October and Friday 23 October.
• The two largest Mathematics courses will be examined on Monday 26 October (General Mathematics) and Tuesday 27 October (Mathematics)
• The last exams are French Extension, Information Technology (VET) and Textiles and Design on Friday 13 November.
• The School Certificate tests will be held from 9 to 13 November.

Ms Firth said HSC students can from today as log in to the personally-tailored Students Online web site for all their study needs.

Year 12 students would start receiving their personal identification numbers today, allowing them to log in to Students Online, which gives them access to a personalised version of the timetable as well as past papers, notes from the marking centre, self-test multiple choice quizzes and other study resources.

"This invaluable Board of Studies study resource gives students a one-stop study shop, which allows them to customise the site and prioritise their assessment tasks and study as well as give them access to materials in the courses they are studying, such as past exam papers," added Ms Firth.

"Students will start receiving letters with their Personal Identification Number to access Students Online via their schools today."

Year 12 students can access their personalised HSC exam timetable and other study resources at studentsonline.bos.nsw.edu.au. A full 2009 HSC exam timetable can be accessed at www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au.

Read the media release