Key dates

How HSC practical exam dates are structured
The practical exam dates are published in Term 4 of the preceding year. This allows schools time to plan events and communicate course requirements to students.
2026 HSC key dates
Find more information on important HSC dates, including completion, hand‑in, submission and marking periods for practical exams, by visiting HSC practical exam key dates.
Teachers and students must be aware of the following:
Completion and hand-in dates
Projects and submitted works must be handed in to the supervising teacher no later than 3pm on the due date. Students must not work on their projects after this date and time.
Itinerant marking periods
The times when HSC markers will visit schools to mark performances or projects.
Corporate marking submission dates
Projects and submitted works must be received by NESA by this date.
Each year, NESA develops itinerant marking schedules based on submitted school data to allocate marking dates to each school. Itinerant marking dates are released to schools via Schools Online at least 2 weeks prior to the marking period. Principals will receive an email when this information is available.
Online Testing and Marking
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