5. Term 4

5.1 Attending your exams

Arrive early and be prepared for each exam

On the day of the first English exam and for the Science Extension exam, arrive at the exam centre at least 30 minutes before the exam starts. For all other exams, arrive at least 10 minutes early.

If you arrive more than one hour after an exam has started, you can enter the exam, but you will need to explain why NESA should accept your responses for marking. The presiding officer will give you instructions on how to submit this explanation to NESA.

If you miss an exam because you misread the timetable, contact your principal immediately. You cannot apply for illness or misadventure on these grounds.

If you miss an exam for which there are no other exam components, for example, Economics or Modern History, you will not be eligible to receive a result in that course. You must see your principal, who will need to write to NESA to explain the situation. If NESA accepts the reason, you will receive zero marks for the exam, but you will retain the course and the assessment mark.

If you miss an exam for which there are multiple exam components, for example, English or Visual Arts, you will:

• retain the course if you have completed the other components
• receive zero marks for the component you missed.

You must:

• be prepared to attend exams at your own expense at the times and exam centres that we arrange.
• sit for your exams at the centres specified on your personal exam timetable, even if you studied elsewhere.
• contact your school if you cannot get to your exam because of unusual circumstances, for example a flood. You may be able to sit for the exam at another centre.
• only sit for exams in courses for which you are entered. You cannot change or add courses during exams.
• sit for all exams you are entered in, unless you are incapable of attending due to unforeseen illness or misadventure.

Students are reminded not to put themselves in danger by attempting to attend an exam, for example during bushfires or floods.

Tell someone immediately if you are ill or have a misadventure

If you have an illness or misadventure:

• and cannot attend an exam, tell your principal immediately
• before the exam but you can still attend, tell the presiding officer when you arrive
• during an exam and it may have affected your performance, tell the presiding officer immediately.

If you do not attend an exam and NESA declines your illness or misadventure application, you will receive no result for that course and it will not appear on your NESA record. This could mean you are no longer eligible for your HSC or ATAR (see 5.5 Applying for illness or misadventure provisions).

If you are entered for an Extension course (other than Mathematics Extension 2) and do not sit for the related 2-unit course exam, you will receive no result for either course – unless you submit an illness or misadventure application, and we uphold it.

If you are an English Extension 2 or Mathematics Extension 2 candidate and you do not sit for the related Extension 1 exam, you will receive no result for either course – unless you submit an illness or misadventure application, and we uphold it.

5.2 Bringing the right exam equipment

Know what to bring with you

You should bring the exam equipment you need and know what equipment is allowed for each exam. Make sure that your equipment is in good working order, because we will not uphold misadventure applications for equipment failure.

You can bring the following items into your exams:

• black pens (no pens with ink that can be erased)
• pencils (must be at least 2B), erasers and a sharpener
• a ruler marked in millimetres and centimetres
• highlighter pens
• a clear bottle of water with no label
• a watch (not a programmable or smart watch), which you must take off, place on your desk in clear view and not touch during the exam.

You need to bring certain equipment (eg a calculator) for some exams. Check the list of equipment for specific exams on Students Online or the NESA website.

If you are allowed a scientific calculator, make sure you have an approved model.

If you are studying Science Extension, you need a computer that conforms to the requirements and has had the latest version of the lockdown browser loaded onto it. Speak to your teacher to make sure you have the right computer.

When equipment is listed for an exam, it means that you might need it to answer some questions. If equipment is listed as optional, it is not essential for answering any questions, but you can bring and use it if you wish.

Leave other items outside the exam room

You must not bring any of the following items into your exam room:

• mobile phones
• programmable watches or smart watches
• electronic devices (except a calculator, if allowed), including communication devices, organisers, tablets, music players, electronic dictionaries, earphones (eg AirPods) except where permitted in the Science Extension exam
• stopwatches
• paper, printed or written material (including your exam timetable)
• dictionaries (except in language exams, if allowed)
• correction fluid or correction tape
• writing on your body, even if it is unrelated to the exam
• wallet.

You cannot borrow equipment during exams.

Exam supervisors may inspect your equipment when you enter the room and will tell you where to place any unauthorised items. Supervisors are permitted to ask you to remove any unauthorised items. Otherwise, they can take them away from you during an exam. They are not responsible for taking care of any removed items.

If any writing is visible on your body before the exam, you will be asked to remove it. If writing is discovered during the exam, supervisors will follow malpractice procedures.

5.3 Following exam room procedures

Check your desk and papers carefully

Before starting each exam, you must sit at the desk that shows your name and NESA student number. Desks may be set up differently at each exam.

Make sure that you have the correct exam paper for the course you have entered. When the supervisor asks you to, you must also check that no pages are missing from your exam paper.

For any exams with personalised exam materials, check that you have been issued the correct booklets with your NESA student number and/or name printed.

You will have a set reading time for each paper. During this time, you must not write, use any equipment, including highlighters, or mark your paper in any way. Students are permitted to highlight during reading time in the Science Extension online exam only.

If you are allowed a dictionary, you can read it, but you cannot write on or mark it during reading time.

Follow all written and verbal instructions

During each exam, you must:

• read the instructions and all questions carefully. Presiding officers and supervisors cannot interpret or give instructions about exam questions
• write your exam centre number and student number on all writing booklets, question and answer booklets and answer sheets (unless that information is already printed on them)
• write clearly with black pen (use pencil only if instructed to)
• write your answers in the correct answer booklets. Tell the supervisor if you use the wrong booklet. Write a note on the front and back of both booklets stating that you wrote an answer in the wrong place. Do not rewrite your answers, but make sure you label and hand in all parts of your answers
• stop writing immediately when the supervisor tells you to
• follow the supervisor’s instructions for arranging completed answers, and wait for the supervisor to collect them
• complete the Student Completion Record listing the number of booklets you used. Wait for the supervisor to check and countersign it before you leave your desk.

Take care with identifying information and avoid leaving early

During each exam, you must not:

• start writing until the supervisor tells you to, or continue to write when the supervisor tells you to stop
• write your name, your school’s name, or any other identifying name, symbol or mark on writing booklets, answer booklets or sheets
• write on anything other than writing books, answer booklets or other writing material provided by the presiding officer. You should not write on any other equipment including your body, clothing or tissues
• leave the room, except in an emergency. If you have to leave and want to come back to continue the exam, you must be supervised while you are out of the room
• leave (finish) the exam in the first hour. Your school may not allow any students to leave early
• leave the exam in the last 15 minutes
• take any exam materials out of the room. Speak to your teacher if you want to see a paper after the exam
• leave your seat without permission.

5.4 Conducting yourself during exams

Follow your school’s usual rules

You must follow the day-to-day rules of the school or institution where you sit for your exams. If you do not follow these conduct rules, you may get zero marks for the exam or no result for the course. If this reduces your completed courses to less than 10 units, you may no longer be eligible for the HSC.

The presiding officer and supervisors are in charge of students from the time they assemble outside the school or institution until they leave.

Behave politely and take exams seriously

During each exam, you must:

• always follow the supervisors’ instructions
• make a serious attempt at the exam by answering a range of question types (note: answering only multiple-choice questions is not considered a serious attempt – you may have the course cancelled)
• answer in English, unless the question paper directs otherwise. If you do not write in English, you will get zero marks for your answer
• behave politely and courteously towards the supervisors and other students.

During each exam, you must not:

• cheat
• include frivolous, offensive, threatening or objectionable material
• take any of the items prohibited in section 5.2 into the room
• speak to anyone other than a supervisor
• behave in any way that may disturb another student or upset the running of the exam
• be affected by alcohol or illegal drugs
• eat unless approved by NESA (for example, if you have diabetes)
• take any exam material out of the room
• write on your body (for example, your arms), tissues or material that is not exam material
• leave the room if your principal requires all students to stay until each exam ends.

Supervisors can ask you to leave the exam if you do not follow these rules. You will then be reported to NESA. You could get zero marks for the exam and retain the course, or your course may be cancelled which may affect your eligibility for the HSC. If your actions might be illegal, you will also be reported to the police.

5.5 Applying for illness or misadventure

Apply if an illness or misadventure affects your exam performance

If illness or misadventure stops you from attending an exam or affects your performance in the exam, it is your right and responsibility to submit an illness or misadventure application.

To do this, ask your principal or the exam’s presiding officer for the application forms and the Information Guide for Students, which explain how to apply. Follow the instructions and keep the acknowledgement letter you will receive in Students Online.

Illness or misadventure applications are for cases where an illness or misadventure:

• occurred immediately before or during an HSC exam
• was unexpected
• was beyond your control
• prevented you from attending OR diminished your exam performance.

These applications do not cover:

• difficulty preparing or lost preparation time
• alleged deficiencies in teaching
• lost time or facilities for study before the formal study vacation
• misreading exam timetables
• misreading exam instructions
• entering or sitting for the wrong exam
• long-term illness (for example, glandular fever, asthma or epilepsy), unless you suffer a flare-up if the condition during the exam period
• conditions for which you have been granted disability provisions, unless you have further unexpected difficulties
• conditions for which you should have applied for disability provisions
• courses where you are a self-tuition student
•  other commitments such as participation in entertainment, family holiday, work, sporting events, or attendance at exams conducted by other education organisations.

Always attend exams if you can, even if you have had an illness or misadventure. NESA does not expect you to attend an exam against medical advice or if it is unsafe to do so.

Speak to your principal if you are unable to attend an exam.

Understand what happens next

If you apply for illness or misadventure, you will need to include advice from a relevant independent expert. For example, a doctor or police officer must complete Section C of the form, to indicate:

• why you could not attend the exam, or
• how your exam performance was affected.

You must seek independent evidence on the same day, either immediately before or after each exam for which you are applying. The documentation you provide must be current, specific to the date and time of the exam, and submitted with the Illness or Misadventure form. A medical certificate that merely states you were unfit for work or study is unacceptable.

NESA will not uphold an illness/misadventure application without sufficient evidence supporting a genuine reason.

Your school must lodge the illness or misadventure application for HSC written exams with NESA within one week of the affected exam.

If you are affected in multiple exams, the school must submit your application within one week of your last affected exam.

For performance exams or submitted works, your school must submit your application within one week of the exam, performance or submission date. Your principal or delegate must certify your application. We will only consider late applications in exceptional circumstances.

If we uphold your application, you will receive either:

• your exam mark, or
• a mark calculated from your assessment mark or estimated mark, or unaffected components of your exam

whichever is higher.

You will receive a decision letter for your illness or misadventure application via Students Online on the same day as the release of your HSC results.

5.6 Appealing an assessment rank

Talk to your teacher if you believe your rank is incorrect

You can find out your assessment ranks (your final position in each school course) in your Students Online account after the final HSC exam.

You cannot appeal your marks for individual assessment tasks. But if you feel your rank is wrong in a course, talk to your teacher immediately.

If you are still not satisfied that your rank is correct, you can apply to your principal for a review.

In this review, the school will consider whether it:

1. weighted its assessment tasks in line with the NESA requirements
2. complied with its stated assessment program when deciding your final assessment mark
3. miscalculated or made a clerical error when deciding your assessment mark.

If you want to apply for a review, you must do this before NESA's cut-off date. Your school will tell you the review outcome and inform NESA if your assessment mark should change.

You can appeal to NESA if you are unhappy with your school’s review

If you are dissatisfied with the process of the school’s review, you can ask your principal to lodge an appeal with NESA. NESA will only consider whether the school’s review was:

• adequate for deciding items 1 to 3 above
• done properly.

NESA will not revise assessment marks or rank order. If NESA upholds your appeal, we will ask the school to correct any errors.

Your school can provide you with an assessment rank appeal form. You must lodge appeals to NESA at your school by the cut-off date on the form. NESA will not process any appeals after this date, unless there are exceptional circumstances.