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VET entries and exclusions

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Updated 02 Apr 2025

NESA has made changes to Rule 14.2.1. These changes clarify that:

  • Stage 6 course entries in any given year include entries for students accelerating into Stage 6 VET courses in that year. (see paragraph 5.b)
  • Students who commence a 240-hour course but complete only the first 120 hours of the course must complete all course requirements for the 120-hour course for it to count towards the RoSA/HSC. (see paragraph 9)
  • the cutoff date of 30 June for entering students into VET courses applies to both Preliminary and HSC entries. (see paragraph 12.a)
  • students who change courses are required to complete all course requirements of their new course. (see paragraph 13)
View all changes

NESA is authorised under sections 20A(2), 94 and 95 of the Education Act 1990 (NSW) to exercise functions in connection with the RoSA and the HSC, including:

  • entering students into courses of study
  • making decisions in relation to student eligibility to undertake courses of study approved by the Minister.

Categories

HSC credentialHSC (curriculum)K–10PreliminaryRoSASchools OnlineVET

Stage 5

  1. Schools must:
    1. enter students in Loading  by the due date published in the Loading 
    2. enter students into the VET courses they are undertaking, including course(s) studied outside the school:1
      1. this applies to students entered in a VET course in either Year 9 or Year 10. They must have a ‘Year 10’ course entry2, which must be made in the calendar year that the course is undertaken; and
    3. ensure accurate VET data is entered (competencies entered and competency outcomes) in Loading , by the due date published in the Loading .

Stage 6

  1. For the purposes of course entries in Loading , Stage 6 VET courses are described in terms of their HSC indicative hours.
  2. NESA facilitates flexibility of Stage 6 VET so that schools/RTOs may deliver courses as:
    1. Preliminary course units, or
    2. HSC course units, or 
    3. a combination of Preliminary and HSC course units.
  3. The unit credit is initially accredited to the Preliminary or HSC pattern of study according to the year in which the student is undertaking the course, but NESA’s system automatically reallocates as required for the student to remain eligible3 for the award of the HSC credential.
  4. Schools must:
    1. enter students in Loading  by the due date published in the Loading 
    2. enter students into the VET courses they are undertaking4, including course(s) studied outside the school5, and
    3. ensure accurate VET data is entered (competencies entered and competency outcomes) in Loading , by the due date published in the Loading 
      1. VET data must reflect the actual timetabled delivery of the course during the Preliminary or HSC credentialling period (ie reflects indicative hours in the Preliminary or HSC year).
  5. Students must complete 120 hours of any Stage 6 VET course before it can be allocated to a student’s Preliminary and/or HSC pattern of study.
  6. NESA will allocate HSC credit units to a student’s Preliminary and/or HSC pattern of study according to the entry information in Loading .

Mandatory work placement

  1. Although not all Training Packages mandate work placement, NESA includes work placement as a mandatory HSC requirement of each Framework, with assigned minimum hours detailed in the syllabus. Any minimum hours for work placement for VET BECs are detailed in the course description. 
  2. Students who commence a 240-hour VET course but only complete the first 120 hours of the course must satisfactorily complete all requirements for the 120-hour course, including the minimum hours of mandatory work placement, for the course to count towards the RoSA/HSC.

Stage 6 course changes

  1. Students may request a change of Stage 6 VET courses.
  2. Principals have discretion to make decisions regarding students’ change of Stage 6 VET courses.
  3. Schools must:
    1. not enter students into Stage 6 VET courses after 30 June6 
    2. be satisfied that the student will be able to complete all course requirements, including mandatory work placement (where applicable), and
    3. ensure accurate VET data is entered (competencies entered and competency outcomes) in Loading , by the due date published in the Loading  
      1. VET data must reflect the actual timetabled delivery of the course during the Preliminary or HSC credentialling period (ie reflects indicative hours in the Preliminary or HSC year).
  4. Students must satisfactorily complete all course requirements.

Stage 6 Specialisation Study courses

  1. Where available, students may choose to complete a Specialisation Study course in a Loading .
  2. Schools/delivering RTOs must read and confirm the eligibility and entry requirements in each syllabus before entering a student in Loading .

Course exclusions

  1. Where there is significant overlap between a VET course and other VET or general education courses, NESA has an Loading  between the courses.
  2. Where there is an exclusion between 2 courses, a student cannot have an entry in both courses. This applies to both concurrent and consecutive years in the five-year period for the accumulation of the HSC.
  3. Exclusions are generally applied at a course level rather than at the unit of competency level.
  4. Where VET courses are based on the same Training Package, or multiple Training Packages, NESA may deem it necessary to choose different units of competency to meet the requirements of each course.
  5. Any exclusions are provided in the syllabus for each Loading and course description for all Loading  and Loading  VET BECs.
  6. Schools/delivering RTOs must check exclusions when:
    1. planning training pathways from Years 9 and 10 into Years 11 and 12
    2. determining an appropriate pattern of study for their Stage 6 students.

Online resources

Related ACE Rules

For further information

For course entry and Schools Online enquiries, please contact Student Records on (02) 9367 8001 or by email at records@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

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

Footnotes

  1. For example, VET courses delivered by TAFE NSW.

  2. To access the Stage 5 course, students must have a Year 10 enrolment.

  3. For example, a 240-hour VET course is worth 4 units of credit towards the HSC. The HSC unit credit may be counted as one Preliminary plus 3 HSC units; or 2 Preliminary plus 2 HSC units; or 3 Preliminary plus one HSC unit; or 4 Preliminary units; or 4 HSC units, regardless of whether the course has been completed in one or 2 calendar years.

  4. This includes students undertaking early commencement of Stage 6 VET courses in the current calendar year.

  5. For example, VET courses delivered by TAFE NSW.

  6. This applies to both Preliminary (Year 11) and HSC (Year 12) course entries.

Categories

HSC (assessment)HSC credentialHSC (curriculum)Schools OnlineVET

Entering students into HSC VET exams

  1. Students entered into Stage 6 VET Industry Curriculum Framework courses must be separately entered into HSC VET exams in Loading  by their home school.
  2. Principals entering a student into an HSC VET exam must ensure all course requirements of the corresponding 240-hour Framework course1 will be met.
  3. Students must sit the exam at their home school.
  4. Students who have completed a 240-hour Framework course with or without the HSC VET exam may be entered into the exam in a subsequent year, however changes to a Framework syllabus may make them ineligible for the future HSC exam(s).2
  5. Principals must advise students who are not entered into optional Framework exams in the year that they are expected to complete the 240-hour Framework course about implications for accumulating HSC courses within the five-year period, and the ATAR.

Related ACE Rules

For further information

For course entry and Schools Online enquiries, please contact Student Records on (02) 9367 8001 or by email at records@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

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

Footnotes

  1.  Eligibility for the Human Services exam is completion of the 240- or 360-hour course.

  2. VET curriculum is reviewed annually to ensure alignment with the latest version of the Training Package(s) or nationally accredited course(s) on which it is based, and to meet learner transition requirements.

Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)

HSC results are used by the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) to calculate a rank order of students known as the ATAR. It is a ranking system used to allocate university placements.

home school

The school where the student is enrolled.

HSC credential

Awarded to students who meet HSC eligibility and course requirements. Includes an HSC testamur and HSC Record of Achievement.

registered training organisation (RTO)

A training provider registered by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), or a state registering and accrediting body, to deliver training, and/or conduct assessments, and issue nationally recognised AQF VET qualifications. RTOs delivering NESA VET courses must have the relevant qualification and units of competency on their scope of registration.

Stage 6 VET Industry Curriculum Framework (Framework)

Syllabuses developed by NESA to provide students with the opportunity to gain industry-recognised national vocational qualifications (Certificate or Statement of Attainment) under the AQF as part of their HSC. Courses within a Framework count as Board Developed unit credit for the HSC, and include an optional HSC exam which provides the opportunity for students to have this HSC exam mark contribute to the calculation of their ATAR.

Training Package

A nationally endorsed, integrated set of competency standards, assessment guidelines and AQF VET qualifications for a specific industry, industry sector or enterprise. Training Packages specify the knowledge and skills required by individuals to perform effectively in the workplace, which are expressed in units of competency, and detail how units of competency are packaged into nationally recognised and portable qualifications that comply with the AQF. NESA's VET Industry Curriculum Frameworks (Frameworks) and VET Board Endorsed courses (VET BECs) are based on Training Packages.

unit of competency

Component of a Training Package that can be assessed and recognised. It specifies industry knowledge and skill and the application of that knowledge and skill to the standard of performance expected in the workplace.

VET Board Endorsed course (VET BEC)

A course endorsed by NESA that is based on an AQF VET qualification in industry areas not covered by Board Developed Framework courses. VET BECs count as Board Endorsed unit credit for the HSC but do not contribute towards an ATAR.

work placement

A period of unpaid work with an employer undertaken by VET students in order to satisfy the requirements of a course or qualification, with supervision provided by the employer, the training provider or both. For NESA VET courses, work placement may be mandatory, recommended or not required.