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ACE Rules

Clarified ACE Rules came into effect on 14 October 2024. These rules apply to students commencing HSC courses from Term 4 2024, for students sitting for HSC exams in 2025, and for students receiving the RoSA from October 2024.

For students sitting for HSC exams in 2024, the previous ACE Online rules continue to apply.

To learn more about how NESA has clarified the ACE Rules, refer to the information sheets.

Students accelerating into a course(s)

Last updated:
Next rule
Updated 08 Oct 2023

This rule has been updated to reflect the name of the new Mathematics K–10 syllabus, and arrangements for 2024. This update will support schools to make accurate decisions about students accelerating into Stage 5 courses, including Mathematics.

View all changes

NESA is authorised under sections 6(1)(j), 10, 94, and 95 of the Education Act 1990 (NSW) to:

  • provide opportunities to children with special abilities
  • exercise functions in connection with the school curriculum, the RoSA, and the HSC.

About students accelerating into courses

  1. Acceleration occurs when individual students access a course(s) that is beyond their chronological stage of schooling. Decisions about students accelerating into a course(s) must be made on an individual case-by-case basis.
  2. Students accelerating into a course(s) must satisfactorily complete the preceding course(s) in less than the stated indicative time. A student may also be considered for acceleration if there is no related course1 in the student’s chronological stage of schooling and the student has demonstrated ability and readiness to undertake the course.
  3. NESA allows students to accelerate into one course, a number of courses, or all courses (grade advancement).
  4. Students who accelerate into a Stage 5 or Stage 6 course may begin to accumulate results towards the award of the RoSA or HSC.

Footnotes

  1. Where there is no NESA course or where the school is unable to offer the related course in that stage of schooling.

Categories

HSC (assessment)HSC credentialHSC (curriculum)K–10PreliminaryRoSASchools OnlineVET

Students accelerating into courses

  1. NESA has delegated authority to principals to make decisions about students accelerating into courses. Principal decisions about students accelerating into a course(s) must be made in consultation with the student, their teacher(s), and parent/carer(s) using relevant evidence and data about the student’s academic achievement.
  2. Schools must have a process for determining whether individual students should accelerate into one or more courses.
  3. Non-government schools must be registered for the years of schooling and accredited for the credential that the student is seeking acceleration into.
  4. Principals must:
    1. ensure students know they must take responsibility for satisfactorily completing the course requirements of any required preceding course(s) in less than the stated indicative timeframe
    2. permit a student to repeat a course they have accelerated into, and
    3. enter a student into the course they are accelerating into in Loading... (for Stage 5 and Stage 6 courses) by the due date published in the Loading... and indicate if the course is being delivered by an external provider.

Online resources

Related ACE Rules

For further information

For general curriculum enquiries, please email curriculum@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

Categories

K–10RoSA

Students accelerating into Stage 5 courses

  1. Students may accelerate into any Stage 5 course available.1

For further information

For general curriculum enquiries, please email curriculum@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

Footnotes

  1. Students accelerating in mathematics must complete all Advanced and Extension Path outcomes.

Categories

HSC (assessment)HSC credentialHSC (curriculum)PreliminaryRoSAVET

Students accelerating into Stage 6 courses

  1. Principals must:
    1. ensure that a student is accelerated into the highest-level course within the key learning area (KLA) or subject
    2. ensure students comply with any applicable entry and eligibility requirements for all courses in their pattern of study, including if they change or withdraw from any Stage 6 course, including extension courses
    3. allow programs of work to be specifically tailored to each student’s needs where appropriate1, and
    4. allow flexibility2 in the order and timing of assessment tasks.
  2. Students must:
    1. only accelerate into Board Developed courses
    2. complete All My Own Work (or equivalent) prior to being entered into a Stage 6 course
    3. complete all assessment tasks (or their equivalent) that are undertaken by students completing the formal assessment program for that course.
  3. Students may accelerate into the following Stage 6 courses:
    1. English Advanced, Preliminary English Extension, HSC English Extension 1, HSC English Extension 2
    2. Mathematics Advanced, Preliminary Mathematics Extension 1, HSC Mathematics Extension 1, HSC Mathematics Extension 2
    3. Science courses: Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Science, Investigating Science, Physics, Science Extension
    4. Technology courses: Agriculture, Design and Technology, Engineering Studies, Food Technology, Industrial Technology, Enterprise Computing, Software Engineering, Textiles and Design
    5. HSIE courses: Aboriginal Studies, Ancient History, Business Studies, Economics, Geography, Legal Studies, Modern History, Society and Culture, Studies of Religion 1, Studies of Religion 2, History Extension
    6. Creative Arts courses: Dance, Drama, Music 2, Visual Arts
    7. PDHPE courses: Community and Family Studies, PDHPE
    8. any Board Developed Stage 6 Language course for which students are eligible.

Course exclusions

  1. Students must not accelerate into the following Stage 6 courses:
    1. Life Skills courses
    2. English Studies and English Standard
    3. Mathematics Standard 1 and 2, Numeracy
    4. Technology courses: Computing Applications, Marine Studies
    5. HSIE courses: Work Studies
    6. Creative Arts courses: Ceramics, Photography, Video and Digital Imaging, Visual Design, Music 1
    7. PDHPE courses: Exploring Early Childhood, Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation Studies
    8. School Developed Board Endorsed courses (SDBECs)
    9. University Developed Board Endorsed courses (UDBECs)
    10. Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses.
  2. For information regarding early commencement of Stage 6 VET courses, refer to Guidelines for access to Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses by students in Years 9 and 10.

Online resources

Related ACE Rules

For further information

For general curriculum enquiries, please email curriculum@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

Footnotes

  1. Students may have to do additional work to meet the teaching and learning program and assessment requirements.

  2. This flexibility will depend on when the student is accelerated and the amount of work that has been covered.