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.
VET entries and exclusions
Updated 12 Jun 2024
NESA has updated Rule 14.2.2 to accurately reflect principals’ responsibilities when entering students into HSC VET exams including ensuring that course requirements for the respective VET course will be met.
NESA has also clarified principals’ responsibilities for students that do not sit the HSC exam in the year that they are expected to complete the Framework course.
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.
14.2.1 Entering students into VET courses in Schools Online
Categories
Stage 5
- Schools must:
- enter students in Loading... by the due date published in the Loading...
- enter students for the VET courses they are studying, including courses studied outside the school that can count towards the award of the RoSA: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
- ensure accurate VET data is entered (competencies entered and competency outcomes) in Loading..., by the due date published in the Loading....
Stage 6
- For the purposes of course entries in Loading..., Stage 6 VET courses are described in terms of their HSC indicative hours.
- NESA facilitates flexibility of Stage 6 VET so that schools/RTOs may deliver courses as:
- Preliminary course units, or
- HSC course units, or
- a combination of Preliminary and HSC course units.
- 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.
- Schools must:
- enter students in Loading... by the due date published in the Loading...
- enter students for the courses they are studying, including courses studied outside the school that can count towards the award of the RoSA and/or HSC, and
- ensure accurate VET data is entered (competencies entered and competency outcomes) in Loading..., by the due date published in the Loading...
- 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).
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
Stage 6 course changes
- Students may request a change of Stage 6 VET courses.
- Principals have discretion to make decisions regarding students’ change of Stage 6 VET courses.
- Schools must:
- not enter students into Stage 6 VET courses after 30 June
- be satisfied that the student will be able to complete all course requirements, including mandatory work placement (where applicable), and
- ensure accurate VET data is entered (competencies entered and competency outcomes) in Loading..., by the due date published in the Loading...
- 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).
- Students must satisfactorily complete all remaining course requirements.
Stage 6 Specialisation Study courses
- Where available, students may choose to complete a Specialisation Study course in a Loading....
- Schools/delivering RTOs must read and confirm the eligibility and entry requirements in each syllabus before entering a student in Loading....
Course exclusions
- Where there is significant overlap between a VET course and other VET or general education courses, NESA has an Loading... between the courses.
- 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.
- Exclusions are generally applied at a course level rather than at the unit of competency level.
- 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.
- Any exclusions are provided in the syllabus for each Loading...and course description for all Loading... and Loading... VET BECs.
- Schools/delivering RTOs must check exclusions when:
- planning training pathways from Years 9 and 10 into Years 11 and 12
- 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
For example, VET courses delivered by TAFE NSW.
To access the Stage 5 course, students must have a Year 10 enrolment.
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.
14.2.2 Entering students into HSC VET exams
Categories
Entering students into HSC VET exams
- Students entered into Stage 6 VET Industry Curriculum Framework courses must be separately entered into HSC VET exams in Loading... by their home school.
- Principals entering a student into an HSC VET exam must ensure all course requirements of the corresponding 240-hour Framework course1 will be met.
- Students must sit the exam at their home school.
- 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
- 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
Eligibility for the Human Services exam is completion of the 240- or 360-hour course.
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.