QCE exam timetable 2026

QCE exam timetable 2026 for maths and science

Queensland calls these exams external assessments, and they are set and marked by the QCAA for General and General (Extension) subjects. This table is read from the QCAA's 2026 external assessment timetable. Maths and science subjects have two papers, in the morning and the afternoon session. The length column gives the time as printed, the working time and then the extra minutes after the plus sign.

Chemistry, Biology and Physics each put both papers on one day. A student who takes all three sits Chemistry on Friday 30 October, Biology on Monday 2 November and Physics on Monday 9 November, which is 3 and then 7 days apart. Mathematical Methods is the last of the maths papers and is still to come as this page is checked. The full timetable also covers English, humanities, languages, Earth and Environmental Science, Marine Science and Agricultural Science.

How the QCAA built the timetable

The QCAA says external assessments for General and General (Extension) subjects are held from Monday 26 October to Tuesday 17 November 2026, and are delivered every year in Term 4. It designs the timetable to cut clashes across the period. If two of your subjects fall in the same morning or afternoon session, you are allocated to the alternative session on the same day. It also aims to keep most students to no more than two external assessments on one day, and to leave breaks between popular and frequently combined subjects. All papers have to be marked in time for students to get their final Year 12 results.

What counts for your result

In General Mathematics and science subjects, the external assessment is 50 per cent of the final subject result. In all other General subjects it is 25 per cent. The QCAA also says the external assessment result does not scale the internal assessments. See QCE results explained for how the marks combine and QCE results and ATAR release 2026 for when results come out.

Subject guides for the papers

Each of these has a guide: QCE Maths Methods, QCE General Maths, QCE Specialist Maths, QCE Physics, QCE Chemistry, QCE Biology and QCE Digital Solutions.

Next year's dates

The QCAA's Senior Education Profile calendar puts the 2027 external assessment block from Monday 25 October to Tuesday 16 November 2027, with final results on Wednesday 15 December 2027. The QCAA has not yet published the 2027 timetable by subject and session, so we do not list 2027 exam days. The 2026 timetable was published in June.

Practise under the clock

The daily papers are short timed papers of 8 questions worth 25 to 35 marks, shorter than a 90-minute QCAA paper. Sit Year 12 Maths, Year 12 Physics, Year 12 Chemistry or Year 12 Biology in the same conditions as the exam. The results page shows a predicted grade from A to E with typical cut-offs, not the QCAA's.

Common mistakes with the QCE timetable

• Assuming one paper. Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Mathematical Methods each have two papers.
• Sorting a clash yourself. The QCAA moves a student with two exams in one session to the other session that day.
• Using last year's timetable. It changes every year. Check the 2026 PDF.
• Planning your revision around the end of the block. The Marine Science and Agricultural Science exams are the last, on 16 and 17 November.

Read next

Australia · QCEQCE results explained: internal, external and A to EQCE results explained: how internal and external assessments make a mark out of 100, the 75/25 and 50/50 splits, A to E cut-offs and confirmation.