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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.

Preliminary and HSC course commencement

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NESA is authorised under section 95 of the Education Act 1990 (NSW) to prepare and distribute to schools information relating to HSC eligibility and courses of study for candidates for the HSC.

Categories

HSC (curriculum)PreliminaryVET

Starting Preliminary courses

  1. The delivery of Preliminary courses must not commence before Day 1, Term 1 of Year 11, except for students studying under a compressed curriculum model. While Stage 6 VET courses do not distinguish between Preliminary and HSC courses the course commencement rules still apply.
  2. Schools delivering compressed curriculum must not begin teaching Preliminary courses before Week 6, Term 4 of Year 10.

Online resources

Related ACE Rules

For further information

For general curriculum enquiries contact curriculum@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

For advice about starting Preliminary or HSC courses please contact Manager, Liaison Unit on (02) 9367 8387 or by email at liaisonteam@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

Categories

HSC (curriculum)PreliminaryVET

Starting HSC courses

  1. Schools must not commence the delivery of HSC courses before Day 1, Term 41, except for students undertaking a compressed curriculum delivery model. While Stage 6 VET courses do not distinguish between Preliminary and HSC courses the course commencement rules still apply.
  2. Schools must be satisfied that students, including those undertaking a compressed curriculum delivery model, have satisfactorily completed the Preliminary course before commencing the HSC course.

Prescriptions

  1. In Stage 6, schools must not teach any HSC course prescriptions until the commencement of the HSC course(s).

Related ACE Rules

For further information

For general curriculum enquiries contact curriculum@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

For advice about starting Preliminary or HSC courses please contact Manager, Liaison Unit on (02) 9367 8387 or by email at liaisonteam@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

Footnotes

  1. Topics from the Mathematics Extension 1 HSC course may be taught before all the topics of the Mathematics Extension 1 Preliminary course have been taught.