WACE exam timetable 2026

WACE exam timetable 2026 for maths and science

The School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) publishes the ATAR course written examinations timetable each year, and its 2026 version was published on 10 June. This table lists the exams for maths, science and computing courses we cover, in date order, read from SCSA's 2026 Year 12 ATAR course written examinations timetable.

Mathematics Specialist and Biology fall on the same day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, so students who take both sit two exams on Monday 9 November. Mathematics Methods and Mathematics Applications are 4 days apart, and Physics falls 6 days after Chemistry and 5 days before Biology.

How long the exams are

• All ATAR course written exams are 3 hours of working time unless the timetable says otherwise, with 10 minutes of reading time.
• Mathematics Applications, Mathematics Methods and Mathematics Specialist each have two sections. Section one, calculator-free, has 5 minutes of reading time and 50 minutes of working time. Section two, calculator-assumed, has 10 minutes of reading time and 100 minutes of working time. That makes 150 minutes of working time in all.
• Candidates must arrive 30 minutes before the start, to allow for seating, administrative processes and the reading of instructions.
• No allowance is made for candidates who miss the session by misreading the timetable. SCSA says the timetable is final and no changes will be made.

Students can download a personalised written examinations timetable from the student portal showing the date, time and location of each exam they are enrolled in. SCSA made them available from Tuesday 8 September 2026.

Practical exams and the exam window

The ATAR course written exams run in four weeks, from Wednesday 28 October to Wednesday 18 November 2026, according to the timetable. SCSA's Year 12 Information Handbook lists the period as 28 October to 19 November. Interstate language exams are on separate days, in a separate table. ATAR courses with a practical component, such as Music, Drama and Dance, also have a practical exam on a different timetable. Chemistry, Physics, Biology and the maths courses have written exams only.

After the exams

SCSA says Year 12 students will be able to check their results online through the student portal in December, with the date still to be confirmed. TISC says ATARs are available from late December. Read WACE grades explained for what the exam mark does and the ATAR in Western Australia for how the ATAR is built. SCSA has not published the 2027 written examination timetable, so we do not list 2027 exam days.

Use the daily papers as a short mock

Our papers are short timed papers of 8 questions worth 25 to 35 marks, not a full 3-hour WACE paper. Sit Year 12 Maths ahead of Methods or Specialist, or Year 12 Physics, Year 12 Chemistry or Year 12 Biology. The results page shows a predicted grade from A to E with typical cut-offs, not SCSA's. The subject guides cover each course: WACE Maths Methods, WACE Maths Specialist, WACE Maths Applications, WACE Physics, WACE Chemistry and WACE Biology.

Common mistakes with the WACE timetable

• Counting the arrival time as part of the exam. You arrive 30 minutes before the start, and the first 10 minutes are reading time.
• Treating maths as one block. The two sections have different rules for the calculator.
• Using a school list of dates. Your personalised timetable is the one that counts.
• Forgetting the afternoon start. Biology is at 2.00 pm, not 9.20 am.

Read next

Australia · WACEWACE Physics: ATAR exam, Units 3 and 4, worked examplesWACE Physics for Year 12: the SCSA ATAR Physics exam sections, Units 3 and 4, school marks, 2026 and 2027 dates and a daily trial paper.