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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.

Administration of the HSC minimum standard tests

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NESA is authorised under sections 20A(2) and 95(1)(f) of the Education Act 1990 (NSW) to grant the HSC to students who have complied with any requirements imposed by the Minister or Authority.

Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, NESA must ensure that students with disability are able to access and respond to an exam or test.

Categories

HSC credential

Student entries and attempts

  1. Schools may enter students who are in Years 10 and 11 up to 4 times per calendar year to attempt each minimum standard test. This means 4 reading test attempts per year, 4 writing test attempts per year, and 4 numeracy test attempts per year.
  2. Schools may enter students who are in Year 12 up to 6 times per calendar year to attempt each minimum standard test. This means 6 reading test attempts in Year 12, 6 writing test attempts in Year 12, and 6 numeracy test attempts in Year 12.
  3. Schools must:
    1. ensure students are enrolled in a school in Years 10 to 12 before students attempt the minimum standard tests
    2. ensure duplicate records are not created for students during enrolment or transfer between schools
    3. schedule minimum standard tests for students while they are enrolled in a school
    4. deliver the tests online1, and
    5. wait 30 calendar days after a student attempts a test, before allowing that student to re-attempt that test in the same domain.
  4. NESA will not allow schools to enter students to attempt a minimum standard reading, writing or numeracy test if they have already demonstrated the HSC minimum standard (ACSF Level 3) in that test domain.

Online resources

Related ACE Rules

For further information

For Minimum Standard enquiries including HSC minimum standard illness/misadventure, email LNsupport@nesa.nsw.edu.au or phone 1800 200 955.

Footnotes

  1. An approved disability provision may be an exception to this rule.

Categories

HSC credential

Post-school leaver entries and attempts

  1. Post-school leavers may apply up to 4 times per calendar year to attempt for each minimum standard test. This means 4 reading test attempts per year, 4 writing test attempts per year, and 4 numeracy test attempts per year.
  2. Post-school leavers must:
    1. have fulfilled all other eligibility requirements for the HSC
    2. attempt any minimum standard tests within the five-year accumulation period
    3. wait at least 30 calendar days before reattempting a test in the same domain
    4. not attempt a minimum standard reading, writing or numeracy test if they have already demonstrated the HSC minimum standard in that test domain, and
    5. submit an application to NESA to schedule a minimum standard test.
  3. NESA will contact post-school leavers who meet the above criteria to schedule a minimum standard test.

Cancelling or rescheduling a test

  1. To reschedule or cancel a minimum standard test, post-school leavers must notify NESA at LNsupport@nesa.nsw.edu.au or phone 1800 200 955 at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled test.
  2. If a post-school leaver does not attend a scheduled test attempt, and no evidence of illness or misadventure is provided, NESA considers the post-school leaver to have attempted the test.

Online resources

Related ACE Rules

For further information

For Minimum Standard enquiries including HSC minimum standard illness/misadventure, email LNsupport@nesa.nsw.edu.au or phone 1800 200 955.

Categories

HSC credentialMalpractice

About test equipment

  1. Students and post-school leavers must take responsibility for knowing and adhering to what equipment can be taken into the test room.

Approved equipment

Devices

  1. For students, schools decide if a student undertakes the minimum standard tests on a school device or a student device.
  2. Post-school leavers must use either a personal device, or a device provided by a testing venue.
  3. All devices used by students or post-school leavers to undertake the tests must have the latest NESA lockdown browser installed.

Other equipment

  1. Students and post-school leavers may take the following equipment into the test room:
    1. a pen/pencil, and
    2. a ruler, and
    3. blank paper.

Equipment not permitted

  1. Students and post-school leavers must not take the following equipment into the test room1:
    1. calculators (where a numeracy question requires the use of a calculator, an online calculator will appear with the question), or
    2. mobile phones, smart watches or programmable watches and other electronic devices2, or
    3. dictionaries or translation apps/devices, or
    4. notes, or
    5. headphones.
  2. Test coordinators must:
    1. check all equipment before students enter the test room, and
    2. remove unauthorised equipment.

Online resources

For further information

For Minimum Standard enquiries including HSC minimum standard illness/misadventure, email LNsupport@nesa.nsw.edu.au or phone 1800 200 955.

Footnotes

  1. Exceptions for disability provisions must be approved by NESA in writing.

  2. Including, but not limited to, tablets, gaming devices, music players.

Categories

HSC credential

About granting disability provisions

  1. There are provisions for the minimum standard tests available for some students with disability.

Principal-approved disability provisions

  1. Principals have the authority to approve the following provisions:
    1. rest breaks (up to 30 minutes per half hour), and
    2. additional time (up to 30 minutes per half hour), and
    3. reader, and
    4. typist (for the writing test only). Principals must inform the student, typist, and test supervisor of NESA’s typist instructions, and
    5. photophobic and large print adjustments, and
    6. modifications to the environment1, and
    7. access to medication and/or food.
  2. A separate approval is required for every test attempt in every test domain.
  3. Schools must retain the evidence2 used to determine disability provisions for 3 years after the tests. Schools must provide the evidence to NESA on request.
  4. For all principal-approved provisions, schools must enter all student provisions in Loading....

NESA-approved disability provisions

  1. Principals must apply to NESA on behalf of individual students for all other disability provisions, to provide access and participation on the same basis as a student without a disability, including but not limited to:
    1. modified paper3
    2. braille
    3. additional time or rest breaks greater than 30 minutes per half hour.
  2. Principals must email applications to studentsupport@nesa.nsw.edu.au.
  3. NESA-approved disability provisions are valid for 12 months from the date of approval.
  4. Principals must apply separately to NESA for disability provisions for HSC exams. Disability provisions approved for the HSC minimum standard tests may be different to those approved for HSC exams.

Recording the use of a reader on the credential

  1. If a student uses a reader to access the minimum standard reading test, the reading test report will include the following footnote:

    This test was completed with the assistance of a reader. The reader provided no assistance in the interpretation of the meaning of words or the text.

Online resources

Related ACE Rules

For further information

For enquiries about malpractice or disability provisions, email studentsupport@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

Footnotes

  1. For example, special furniture and lighting.

  2. Evidence may include, but is not limited to, health reports, reading test scores, teacher comments.

  3. For example, modifying questions that contain visual stimulus.