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Assessment Certification Examination (ACE)
NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA)

Changes of HSC courses

ACE 8068

Last Updated: 4 April 2019

Decisions regarding changes of HSC courses are at the discretion of the principal within the following guidelines.

Students wishing to enrol in a new HSC course during the HSC year may do so only if the principal is satisfied that they:

  • have satisfactorily completed the Preliminary course (or equivalent) of the subject/course they wish to enter; and
  • will be able to complete all HSC course requirements, including assessment requirements.

Principals may allow students to begin study of the HSC course while concurrently completing Preliminary course requirements.

A student satisfactorily completing a Preliminary course will have the completed course recorded on his/her Record of School Achievement and Record of Achievement, whether or not the corresponding HSC course is completed.

No new enrolments in HSC courses may occur after 30 June in the Higher School Certificate examination year.

Students may withdraw from an HSC course or an optional HSC examination at any time before the HSC examination. Schools can withdraw students from HSC courses or optional examinations for VET Framework courses, English Studies and Mathematics Standard 1 in Schools Online before the due date for submission of HSC school assessments to NESA. Withdrawals after this date cannot be made in Schools Online and should be notified in writing to records@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

Students entered for an optional examination who do not sit the examination and do not have an illness/misadventure application, should be withdrawn from the examination. The examination will not be reported on these students’ credentials.

Students withdrawing from Mathematics Extension 2 but continuing in Mathematics Extension 1 must enter for (or have already completed) the Mathematics Advanced course. This is permitted only if the school can provide a valid assessment for the 2-unit course in cases where the 2-unit course has not been completed previously. Such changes are permitted up to the due date for submission of assessments.