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HSC
- About
- Subject selection
- Key dates and exam timetables
- Student guide
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Rules and processes
- 2024 Rules and Procedures guide
- Breaking HSC rules
- Exam equipment list
- Exam audio files
- Approved calculators
- Practical and performance exams
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Illness/misadventure
- Statistics
Illness and misadventure
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The illness and misadventure process is available to support students who are unwell or have an accident or other misadventure at the time of a HSC exam.
You need to submit a separate application and supporting evidence for each exam or exam component affected.
If your whole school is affected by an event, your school will contact you directly with advice.
Read the process.
Read how your exam mark is calculated if your illness or misadventure application is approved.
Process
Applications must be accompanied by evidence of the illness or misadventure.
Application forms can be collected at the time of the exam, if it is safe for the student to attend, or through the school if the student is unable to attend the exam.
Step 1: Submitting an application to NESA
If a student is unwell, they must seek independent medical advice on the day of the exam.
Telehealth services should be used if unable to attend a doctors’ surgery. Students are required to provide a doctor’s certificate covering the exam date(s).
General advice
If it is safe to attend the exam:
- Attend the exam as usual.
- When you arrive at the exam, notify the Presiding Officer of your illness or misadventure and ask for an illness/misadventure application form.
- Complete and submit the form to the Presiding Officer or the principal with the appropriate evidence within one week of your last examination, and no later than the date of the last HSC examination.
- The school will process the form and submit your application to NESA.
What if I am running late?
- Contact your principal immediately.
- Get to the exam centre as soon as possible.
- After the exam, follow the instructions of the Presiding Officer or your principal.
If it is NOT safe to attend the exam:
- Contact your school as soon as possible to advise of the issue.
- Your school will provide an application form for you to complete and sign.
- Provide your school with evidence.
- Once completed and signed, the school will submit your application to NESA.
What if I misread the exam timetable and miss an exam?
- Contact your principal immediately and follow their instructions.
Read more in the HSC Rules and Procedures guide.
Step 2: Review of your application by NESA
- Your application and documentation, including statements from the Presiding Officer and your principal, is reviewed by a panel.
- The panel will decide whether to uphold (approve) or decline your application.
If upheld
Read how your exam mark is calculated.
If declined
If your application is declined, you will be awarded the mark you achieved in the examination. If you were absent from the exam and your course only has one exam, you will not receive any result in that course. This could mean that you become ineligible for the Higher School Certificate.
Step 3: Calculation of your exam mark, if illness and misadventure upheld
Courses with one exam only
If you are unable to attend:
You will receive your moderated school assessment mark.
If you are able to attend:
You will receive either your moderated school assessment mark OR your actual exam mark – whichever is higher.
Courses with more than one exam
If you are unable to attend all of the exams for the course:
You will receive your moderated school assessment mark.
If you are able to attend but affected in all of the exams for the course:
You will receive either your moderated school assessment mark OR your actual exam mark – whichever is higher.
If you are unable to attend or are affected in a subset of the exams for the course:
You will receive a calculated mark OR your actual exam mark – whichever is higher. The calculated mark is either your moderated school assessment mark OR a mark determined from other unaffected exams in the course.
Courses with optional exams (VET, English Studies, Maths Standard 1)
If you are unable to attend:
You will receive a moderated estimate submitted by your school.
If you are able to attend:
You will receive your moderated school estimate OR your actual exam mark – whichever is higher.