Writer

The school is responsible for finding a suitable writer.  If we have approved both a writer and a reader, we expect the same person would do both.

The following people can act as a writer:

• a Year 11 student familiar with the subjects being examined
• a former student of the school
• a suitable adult
• a retired teacher
• a non-teaching employee at the student's school such as a teacher's aide, clerical or office staff, lab technician or student support officer.

The following people can’t act as a writer:

• a relative or friend of the student
• a currently employed teacher or private tutor
• a person who recently taught the student
• a person who has a close relative sitting the same exam
• a NESA-appointed exam supervisor or presiding officer.

A writer should:

• understand the subject(s) being examined
• be able to communicate clearly in English at a sufficient literacy level
• have clear, legible handwriting
• be willing to spend time practising with the student
• be patient and sensitive
• agree to keep everything related to the HSC confidential.

We think of writers as volunteers and they are not paid.

A writer can:

• write the student’s answers exactly as the student dictates
• ask the student to repeat a word or sentence
• ask the student to spell difficult or obscure words
• add punctuation and capital letters without the specific direction of the student
• use a calculator as directed by the student
• rule lines as directed by the student
• re-read the last 2 sentences they wrote to let the student to find their place
• write only in English, including in a language exam.

A writer can’t:

• interpret the questions or advise the student in any way
• make comments on the student’s work
• alter the student’s work or write words that the student has not dictated
• re-write a student’s written work (which means, a student can’t write out their answers and then have the writer re-write them)
• type for the student
• draw (if the student is unable to draw, the school should apply for a non-instrument paper)
• write in the language being examined in a language exam
• leave the exam room in the first hour.

A student can:

• practise using a writer as often as possible before the actual exam
• dictate their answers exactly as they want them to be written
• tell the writer when to start a new paragraph, put something in brackets or inverted commas and when to underline something
• regularly read over what the writer has written
• make notes, essay plans or jot down ideas during the writing time
• use a writer for part of the exam and write the other parts for themselves. 

A student can’t:

• ask a writer in a language exam to read or write in the language being examined.

We give students extra time to make up for the time they spend telling their answers to the writer. This is usually at the rate of 5 minutes per half hour of exam time.

If a student chooses to write a part of the exam themselves, they will not get extra time for speaking to the writer in that part of the exam. If a student chooses to use a writer for less than half an hour, they will not get extra time for speaking to the writer.

• NESA Medical form, usually including a diagnosis of a related condition or disability
• NESA Teacher Comments form
• Student declaration

• Spelling test results from a South Australian Spelling Test or the spelling component of a WIAT-III test
• NESA Teacher Comments form
• Student declaration

• NESA Medical form, usually including a diagnosis of a related condition or disability
• Two writing samples that meet the criteria set out on the Writing Sample Information form
• NESA Teacher Comments form
• Student declaration