Mathematics Standard 11-12 Syllabus (2024) Syllabus Guide
Mathematics 12 Syllabus (2024)
Syllabus Guide
This guide has been produced by the expert team of mathematics teachers, authors, and learning designers at Oxford University Press ANZ. It contains a clear, concise summary of the key changes to structure and content of the Mathematics Standard 11-12 Syllabus (2024) and is designed to save you time and help you plan and implement the new syllabus with confidence.
Why is the syllabus changing?
The syllabus was last updated in 2017, with NESA beginning a review in 2023 to create a syllabus that better recognises the critical importance that working mathematically plays across all areas of mathematics and reflects the strengthened connections between concepts.
The new syllabus was released in 2024, with planning and familiarisation taking place through 2025 and implementation commencing in 2026.
What are the key changes to the Mathematics Standard 11-12 course?
The structure has been simplified
The syllabus is organised into five Areas of Study that are each split into Focus Areas. These are similar to the Topics and Subtopics of the previous syllabus.
Instead of grouping Outcomes under four broad Objectives, the new syllabus links each Outcome to a specific Area of Study. The list of content statements has also been simplified.
The importance of working mathematically, across all Areas of Study and Focus Areas, through communicating reasoning, understanding and fleuncy, and problem solving, has been highlighted by NESA.
Working Mathematically is embedded throughout the syllabus
In the previous syllabus, Working Mathematically was linked to Outcomes MS11-9, MS12-9, MS1110 and MS12-10, which fell under two different Objectives. In the new syllabus, a single outcome, Working mathematically (MAO-WM-01), is assessable across all Areas of Study in all three courses (Year 11, Year 12 Standard 1 and Year 12 Standard 2).
The Working Mathematically outcome must contribute 50% of school-based assessment in each course.
Common Content between Mathematics Standard and Mathematics Advanced has been removed
There is no longer an explicit focus on Common Content between Mathematics Standard and Advanced. The requirement for Common Content has been removed from the syllabus.
Links to Australian Curriculum content have been removed
All references to the Australian Curriculum, including Cross-curriculum priorities, General capabilities and Other learning across the curriculum areas have been removed. In addition, applications and modelling have been embedded in syllabus content.
As a result, all icons and related coding have been removed from the syllabus making it easier to read and interpret.
Note that each outcome in the new syllabus includes references to related Life Skills outcomes.
Mathematics Standard 1 can now count towards an ATAR
Following changes from the University Admission Centre, students will be able to include Mathematics Standard 1 in the calculation of their ATAR, provided they sit the optional HSC examination.
How is the content changing?
While the Areas of Study in the new syllabus are the same as the Topics in the previous one, there has been considerable movement of content within and between the Focus Areas (previously Subtopics). In addition, there are changes to the emphasis of some content areas that will require additional planning to ensure complete coverage of the syllabus.
Key changes at a glance
• In Algebra, expectations for what students should be able to do, particularly in Year 11 and Year 12 Standard 2, have been clarified. For example, the Year 11 course now includes solving simple quadratic equations.
• As was previously the case, content in Financial Mathematics is expected to consider ‘current rates’. Planning should be undertaken to ensure lessons and resources are updated to reflect the increases to cost-of-living expenses required by the syllabus.
• The content statements in Measurement are notably more specific. This includes explicit guidance on the unit conversions required in Year 11.
• Networks are now introduced in Year 11. This content is examinable in both Year 12 Standard 1 and 2. Additional content on network flow and critical path analysis appears in only the Standard 2 course.
• Many of the content statements in Statistics place more emphasis on a student understanding when and why a concept or tool is relevant. There is an increased requirement for students to justify any choices made.
• Spreadsheets feature explicitly in many content statements. This content is included in the two sample exams provided by NESA. In particular, students need to be able to interpret and analyse a given spreadsheet. This includes being able to determine the result from a given formula and write a formula to achieve a certain outcome.
Detailed breakdown of changes
The following tables provides a high-level summary of specific content changes in each of Year 11, Year 12 Standard 1 and Year 12 Standard 2. Content that has been added, moved between levels, or removed is included.
Year 11 Standard
What’s been added?
Solving simple quadratic equations
Payment options including Buy now, pay later services and buying on terms
What’s been moved into Year 11?
Networks, paths and trees [from Year 12]
The statistical investigation process [from Year 12]
What else has changed?
What’s been removed?
Errors in measurement
Interpreting timetables
Units of energy (diet and exercise)
Distinguishing features of population and sample
Sample standard deviation
Pareto charts
Capture-recapture sampling
What’s been moved out of Year 11?
Interest and depreciation [to Year 12]
Units of energy (electricity) [to Standard 2]
Relative frequency and probability [to Year 12]
• The use of spreadsheets has been emphasised. There are now 8 dot points across all areas of study that specify the use of spreadsheets (where previously they were only mentioned in relation to compound interest and vehicle costs). Sample exams released by NESA indicate that the interpretation and analysis of spreadsheets, including understanding and using formulas, will be examined. Attention should be paid to the areas of focus requiring the use of the spreadsheets in the Year 11 course.
• Choosing appropriate data displays has been emphasised, with more focus on understanding when and why different displays should be used. Explaining when and why datasets may need to be grouped has also been added.
• The use of box plots and understanding of quartiles and the five-number summary has been emphasised and elaborated on. Meanwhile, general percentiles and deciles have been removed, and formal recognition of outliers now only uses the interquartile range.
Year 12 Standard 1
What’s been added?
Compare different types of loans
Consider short-, medium- and long-term financial goals
What’s been removed?
Similar figures, including similar triangles Heart rates and blood pressure
Simple interest and straight-line depreciation [from Year 11]
Relative frequency and probability [from Year 11]
What else has changed?
The statistical investigation process [to Year 11]
Networks, paths and trees [to Year 11]
• The use of spreadsheets has been emphasised. Sample exams released by NESA indicate that the interpretation and analysis of spreadsheets, including understanding and using formulas, will be examined. Attention should be paid to the areas of focus requiring the use of the spreadsheets in the Standard 1 course.
• Students need to be able to explain the difference between rates and ratios.
• In statistics, students need to understand when and why datasets might be one-variable or bivariate. The treatment of correlation and causation is now explicitly required.
• Previously, the study of relative frequency in the Year 11 course included performing simulations. This content is no longer required. Estimating probabilities based on two-way tables is also not required in Standard 1.
What’s been moved into Standard 1?
What’s been moved out of Standard 1?
Year 12 Standard 2
What’s been added?
Solve simultaneous linear equations algebraically
Compare straight-line depreciation and declining balance depreciation
Compare different types of loans
Consider short-, medium- and long-term financial goals
Use of statistics by media, government and companies
What’s been moved into Standard 1?
What’s been removed?
Recurrence relations for annuities
What’s been moved out of Standard 1?
Distance-time graphs [Copied from Standard 1]
Units of energy (electricity) [Moved from Year 11]
Simple interest and straight-line depreciation [Moved from Year 11]
Relative frequency and probability [Moved from Year 11]
What else has changed?
The statistical investigation process [Moved to Year 11]
Networks, paths and trees [Moved to Year 11]
• The use of spreadsheets has been emphasised. Sample exams released by NESA indicate that the interpretation and analysis of spreadsheets, including understanding and using formulas, will be examined. Attention should be paid to the areas of focus requiring the use of the spreadsheets in the Standard 2 course.
• Different representations of quadratic and exponential relationships, including as equations, tables of values, sets of ordered pairs and graphs are now required. Students should be able to move flexibly between these different representations.
• Students are now explicitly required to graph reciprocal relationships with and without graphing applications.
• The required knowledge and skills in financial mathematics, including in relation to shares and annuities, have been clarified and expanded upon. In the provided teaching advice, NESA has stated explicitly that students are not required to use formulas to calculate the value of an annuity. In addition, students need to compare investment strategies beyond simple and compound interest, including saving accounts, term deposits, shares and buying property.
• Students need to be able to explain the difference between rates and ratios, as well as explain the relationship between fractions and ratios.
• The use of technology to investigate values of the sine and cosine ratios for obtuse angles has been removed. Students are still expected to use these values when applying the sine, cosine and sine area rules. When applying the sine rule to determine an unknown angle, the ambiguous case is excluded. However, it may be given that the unknown angle is obtuse.
• The additional networks content has been reorganised and clarified. Network flow and critical path analysis have been split into two Focus Areas. Additional detail has been provided regarding the expected knowledge related to network flow. Gantt charts have been added to critical path analysis. Sample questions on the updated networks content are included in the sample Standard 2 exam released by NESA.
• In statistics, students need to understand when and why datasets might be one-variable or bivariate. The treatment of correlation and causation is now more explicit.
• Previously, the study of relative frequency in the Year 11 course included performing simulations. This content is no longer required.
When do I need to begin teaching the new syllabus at my school?
NESA has released guidance around familiarisation and implementation of the new syllabus.
Mathematics Standard 11-12 Syllabus Oxford Maths Standard Stage 6
2025 Plan and prepare
Term 1, 2026
Term 4, 2026
Start teaching new Year 11 syllabus
Continue teaching old Year 12 syllabus
Start teaching new Year 12 syllabus
Year 11 content ready for implementation
Year 12 content ready for implementation
Digital access to Year 11 provided to students who only purchase Year 12 2027 First HSC examination for new syllabus
How is Oxford supporting implementation?
We are currently developing a new edition of Oxford Maths Standard Stage 6 as well as a host of supportive resources that will be arriving when you are ready to implement - Year 11 from Term 1, 2026, and Year 12 from Term 4, 2026.
This new edition will be hosted on our brand-new Oxford Digital platform, updated to improve usability and accessibility so you can engage students of all abilities and save time in planning and delivering lessons.
Engage every student with all core content now on our new accessible platform - adjust font sizes, enable read-to-me functionality, and customise content views for diverse learning needs.
Identify gaps in understanding with diagnostic quizzes for every student that provides clear learning goals and activities every step of the way. Target misconceptions and give each student what they need to address them!
Revolutionise your classroom planning with lesson plans written by experts and accessed at the beginning of each lesson
Connect with students by using live lesson mode via Oxford Digital and live-assign resources and quizzes as you progress through customisable lesson plans.
Trust the experts. Trust Oxford.
All of our content and resources have been written by experts, ranging from classroom teachers with over 20 years of experience to learning designers with industry-leading expertise.
Content has been carefully mapped to the syllabus to ensure that anything you’re teaching in the classroom can be reported against syllabus outcomes and requirements.
Oxford Maths Standard Stage 6
Built for the New Standard. Delivers the structure, support, and flexibility teachers and students need to develop maths fluency and mastery.
Oxford Maths Standard Stage 6 provides comprehensive, curriculum-aligned coverage designed to support teachers and build student confidence. With scaffolded skill development, real-world applications, and interactive learning tools, it ensures every student has the opportunity to succeed.
Supportive resources written so that teachers out of field can deliver curriculum aligned lessons.
Step-by-step worked example videos help students revisit concepts and build confidence.
Year 11 arriving for implementation in Term 1, 2026, with Year 12 arriving for Term 4, 2026!
Speak with a local education consultant oup.com.au/contact
Digital bundles will be available so that students who only have a Year 12 book will have digital access to Year 11.
