Scheduling requests
Guidelines for practical exam scheduling requests
NESA is committed to ensuring the fair and efficient coordination of practical exams, including itinerant marking. The practical exam period dates are published in Term 4 of the preceding year. This allows schools time to plan events to avoid practical exam periods, and to communicate course requirements to students.
Schedule requests may only be made in exceptional circumstances where specific school or student needs cannot be resolved internally by the school. These requests are only considered after all school-based solutions have been exhausted.
Requests will only be considered in the case of unavoidable, whole-school clashes during the scheduled 2-week exam period, such as:
- school closure days
- whole school events, such as foundation days
- religious events.
As a guide, schedule requests will not be approved for the following reasons:
- supervising teacher unavailability due to holidays or part-time arrangements
- student holidays
- avoidable extra-curricular activities
- school camps/retreats
- graduations
- avoidable venue clashes with other school events
- limited availability of an external exam venue
- trial exams.
NESA cannot guarantee that requests will be approved or accommodated.
How to submit a scheduling request
Supervising teachers must follow the steps below to submit a scheduling request. Itinerant marking dates cannot be changed once they have been published.
Discuss the request internally
Discuss the scheduling request with the school principal before submitting it.
Prepare the request
Include as much relevant detail as possible in the request to support consideration.
Submit the request by email
Email the request to the Online Testing and Marking team at:
Meet the submission deadline
Requests must be submitted by the date published each year in the timetable of actions for Schools. This is generally the last day of Term 2.
Trial exams
Schedule requests will not be accepted to avoid clashes with trial exams. The only exception is when the school has no alternate venue available to conduct the HSC exams.
In such cases, the principal must email hscpracticals@nesa.nsw.edu.au to outline the reason for the request, including sufficient details on why an alternative venue cannot be secured.
Alternate venues
Itinerant marking is arranged by NESA and the default location for scheduling is the home school address. In some instances, an alternate venue may be required for itinerant marking.
Examples could include:
- there is insufficient space at the school to conduct exams
- the school uses multiple campuses and there is a preference for exams to be held at a particular campus
- construction works at a school
- a music student is playing an instrument that cannot be easily moved (for example a grand piano).
Schools must ensure alternative venues are available for the full 2‑week itinerant marking period. Scheduling requests based on venue availability will not be accepted.
How to request an alternate venue
Supervising teachers can request an alternate venue using the following process.
All subjects (except Music)
Email requests to hscpracticals@nesa.nsw.edu.au by the end of Term 2.
Requests must include:
- the details and address of the alternative venue, and
- the name/s and student number/s of students being examined at the venue.
Music
Submit requests via the Options function in Schools Online:
- select the student, and
- specify the preferred venue.
External music accompanists
Schools are responsible for managing any scheduling conflicts with external accompanists directly.
For schools using external accompanists, the accompanist must be available across the full 2-week exam period. Requests to avoid specific days or times due to personal schedules cannot be accommodated.
Online Testing and Marking
Request an accessible format of this publication.