Appeals
Sometimes we say no to an application for an exam provision. Find out about how to appeal if you think we’ve made the wrong decision.
Appeals process
NESA says no to an exam provision
We tell the school the outcome, and at the same time tell the student that we have done this.
School tells the student, parent or caregiver
The school tells the student, parent or caregiver what we have decided and why. Together, they can decide if they want to appeal and what they would need to do this.
School should appeal within 14 days
Only a school can appeal. They do this through Schools Online within 14 days of us saying no. The appeal has to address the reasons it was not approved as stated in the decision letter. Schools can include new supporting information.
NESA aims to decide within 21 days
We use our best endeavours to decide on the appeal within 21 days of the school submitting it. At peak times, such as close to the HSC, we might take longer. We tell the school the outcome, and at the same time tell the student that we have done this.
Our decisions are based on 10 principles
We follow a set of 10 principles when we review applications or appeals for exam provisions. These principles help us to ensure that we act reasonably and fairly to let students with exam needs take part in the HSC exams on the same basis as other students.
The Principles
Exam provisions are designed to facilitate access. We won’t approve an exam provision that removes or reduces the requirement to show a skill being tested by the exam.
We won’t grant exam provisions that will directly affect performance of the skills that the exam is testing. We will keep all inherent course requirements at the same standard for all students.
We will take a consistent approach when approving exam provisions.
But we recognise that every student is unique and has different needs. Conditions and disability can affect students differently. So we might approve different provisions for students with the same condition or disability.
Exam committees will consider inclusivity when developing an exam. They will:
- create inclusive questions that are appropriate for all students
- reduce the need for exam provisions for students with exam needs
- not reduce or limit the exam rigour or integrity.
If needed, we can approve changing the HSC exams themselves. For example, we might add a text description of an image for a student with a vision impairment.
We can also support the student by approving assistive technology or another method of participating in the HSC exams, as long as these changes maintain the exam rigour and integrity.
We will apply the same academic standards to all students.
The HSC is recognised for being a level playing field. Students typically sit an exam at the same time and under the same conditions, except for students using exam provisions that adjust the timing or conditions to meet their needs. Any exam provisions have to maintain the academic rigour of the exam and the integrity of the credential.
We won’t approve an exam provision that gives a student an advantage over other students sitting the exam. If a requested provision would do this, we can offer a different provision in some cases.
We will balance:
- non-discrimination
- exam rigour and integrity
- equity for all students.
We won’t approve an exam provision if this will impose an unjustifiable hardship on us in any way. This includes the cost, resources required or the degree of expertise needed to change an exam.
If we approve changing an exam, there has to be enough time to do this.
Following the above principles, we will also consider the following exam provisions:
- using a greater proportion of school-based assessments
- flexible exam scheduling.
Students, parents and caregivers can ask for an appeal
Schools will tell students, parents or caregivers about our decision and the reasons for it.
If you do not understand why we said no to a provision after reading the reason detailed in the decision letter, see the ‘Our decisions are based on 10 principles’ section above. You can also contact NESA Student Support on:
To appeal, students, parents or caregivers should ask their school to submit an appeal. The school should submit the appeal within 14 days of getting our decision letter.
Schools manage the appeal process
To appeal a decision, the school should submit an appeal through Schools Online within 14 days of our decision. The appeal:
- must address the reasons why the application was not approved as stated in the decision letter
- can provide more information.
This new information could be an extra medical report that clearly states why the student needs the provision, or extra reading, writing or spelling test results. Medical reports that are older than the reports already provided are not helpful. Please also read our Supporting information page.
We will do a review and tell the school what we have decided (and notify the student that we have done this) within 21 days of receiving the appeal. Timeframes might be longer during peak periods.
Additional resources
Contact NESA Student Support
You can contact our Student Support team to discuss your circumstances.