Honesty in HSC Assessment – the Standard
ACE 9022
Last Updated: 1 April 2019
This standard sets out NESA's requirements for students submitting their own work in HSC assessments.
Candidates for the Higher School Certificate, as well as their teachers and others who may guide them, are required to comply with this standard.
The honesty of students in completing assessment tasks, examinations and submitted works, and of teachers and others in guiding students, underpins the integrity of the Higher School Certificate. Throughout the assessment process, the highest level of honesty is required.
Each student’s mark will be determined by the quality of the work produced by the student only. To demonstrate honesty, any component of a student’s work that has been written, created or developed by others must be acknowledged in accordance with NESA’s subject-specific documentation. Use or inclusion of material from other sources such as books, journals and electronic sources, including the internet, must be acknowledged. General teaching and learning do not require formal acknowledgement.
Dishonest behaviour carried out for the purpose of gaining unfair advantage in the assessment process constitutes malpractice, or cheating. Malpractice in any form, including plagiarism, is unacceptable. NESA treats allegations of malpractice very seriously and detected malpractice will limit a student’s marks and jeopardise their Higher School Certificate. Should malpractice be suspected, students will be required to demonstrate that all unacknowledged work is entirely their own. Serious and deliberate acts of malpractice amount to corrupt conduct and, where appropriate, NESA will report matters to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
These requirements should be read in conjunction with NESA syllabuses and policies in related areas such as malpractice and satisfactory completion of a course. They include: