Ben, a year 11 accelerated student at Smith's Hill High School, finished first in 2019 in 'investigating science'.

"It feels amazing," he said of achieving first in the state.

"I definitely didn't expect this to happen."

Ben is one of two Smith's Hill students to achieve First in Course (FIC) in 2019.

The other student was Laura Charlton, who was joint first in drama.

Students who obtained first place in a 2019 HSC course were acknowledged at an awards ceremony in Sydney on Monday.

Ben attended the ceremony, although Laura was absent due to being overseas.

Ben said he was interested in investigating science because it was a new subject and offered for acceleration.

"I was interested in science and the process of science, and thought I might as well give it a try," he said.

However, the Horsley teenager said he initially found time management and the transition to year 12 a challenge.

"I wasn't used to the volume of content or demanding schedule," he said.

"I think the most important thing is to utilise all the resources available to you, (while) working hard and learning throughout the year."

As for goals for next year, Ben said he hoped to "continue my success in the rest of my HSC subjects, and go to uni afterwards".

Meanwhile, Laura said she chose drama because she'd always loved theatre as a form of communication, "which is really intimate and forces your audience to pay attention to your message".

"They are unable to ignore or skim over any parts of the performance because it is so immediate, which I love.

"I took my individual and group performances, as well as my two essays, as opportunities to share ideas which I thought were politically and socially important.

"And performing is fun. Exploring people other than yourself and trying to portray them is always such an interesting and exciting experience."

As for the most rewarding part of her HSC year, Laura said "receiving joint first for drama definitely tops that list".

The 18-year-old Wollongong resident said completing her HSC was "not the terrifying ordeal I'd expected it to be".

"I have a really wonderful and supportive school environment and family life which made any stressful moments easy to overcome."

Smith's Hill High School principal David Deitz said they were "extremely proud of the achievements of both Laura and Ben".

"As a school, we support and encourage all students to set personal goals and achieve their very best," he told the Mercury. "It is a wonderful reward for a student when their personal best is also the best in the state."

HSC students who sat at least one exam will receive their results by SMS, email and online on Tuesday from 6am.