Among them was Samuel Thatcher who has been named on the HSC All Round Achievers list for students receiving a mark of 90 in 10 or more study units.

“I got band six in all my subjects,” he said.

“I had English and Music 2 on the very first day of exams and they are both so subjective you are at the whim of the marker, but I’m really pleased.”

Mr Thatcher said his exam preparation was “fairly solid” with some “rigorous procrastination”.

“I did past papers over and over again, handed in practice essays to teachers and with my Mathematics, worked out where I had been losing marks and slowed down in the exams to get that right,” he said.

“I’m pretty relieved that it’s over to be honest, it was pretty nerve racking waiting for the results.”

Marks were released at 6am Thursday morning and a record 68,816 students were awarded their HSC.

More than 57,000 students are eligible for an ATAR for university entry – those marks will be released today.

Mr Thatcher is hoping his marks will take him into a degree in politics.

“I’m looking at politics, philosophy and economics at Australian National University next year and that’s an ATAR requirement of 96 so that was my goal,” he said.

Mr Thatcher is also a Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award recipient, pipe organist, student cadet leader and First XV rugby prop.

He has also been nominated to perform organ at the HSC Music Showcase Encore at the Sydney Opera House in February next year.

Classmate Flynn Ihle, from Tenterfield, also made the All Rounders list, for Band 6s in Ancient History, Economics, English Advanced, Legal Studies, Mathematics and Band 6 equivalents in English Extension 1 and History Extension.

The pair’s results headline the best HSC results for TAS in more than a decade, with 18 students achieving 47 Band 6 results in a record 20 subjects.

Across the state, an unprecedented 1,394 students achieved the top band in 10 or more HSC units and received the All Round Achievers award.