11–12Visual Arts 11–12 Syllabus (2026)

Students will develop and submit a body of work in one of the art forms listed in the table below.

Art form	A body of work exploring:
Ceramics	Ceramic practices
Collection of works	A collection of works in multiple art forms and their practices
Designed objects and environments	3D object design, this can include wearables, jewellery, architectural design and product design
Drawing	Drawing practices
Documented forms	Documenting of time-based events, happenings, performances and site-specific installations
Graphic design	Graphic design practices
Painting	Painting practices
Photomedia	Wet (darkroom) and/or digital photomedia practices
Printmaking	Printmaking practices
Sculpture	Sculptural practices
Textiles and fibre	Textiles and fibre practices
Time-based forms	Film, video, digital animation and interactives

The choice of art form and the materials used need to be carefully considered. Teachers and students should be mindful of:

• the cost of materials
• the complexity and size of the work.

High marks are regularly achieved by students who have a body of work that is of modest cost, uses minimal materials and does not require an excessive student time commitment.

The body of work must comply with the requirements in terms of size, weight and duration as set out in the Loading . A body of work that does not comply with these requirements will be in breach of examination rules. Information about these requirements can be found in Loading  below.

Students are required to individually document the development of their body of work in a Visual Arts diary to show progress over time. The Visual Arts diary may be used as part of school-based assessment. This documentation is not submitted for external assessment but may be requested by NESA to verify a student’s work.

More information about the Visual Arts diary can be found in the Visual Arts 11–12 Syllabus.

Schools should refer to ACE 2.5.1 Developing HSC practical exams to ensure students’ body of work comply with health and safety requirements, including requirements for electrical voltage, welded structures, pressure vessels and flammable gases.

The body of work and its content must not include any potentially dangerous or hazardous material, including:

• hypodermic syringes
• food or perishable materials
• liquids in any form, including bodily fluids and blood
• biological materials
• medications in any form
• glass in any form*
• materials with sharp or jagged edges including barbed wire, fishhooks, corrugated iron and broken machinery
• weapons, live blank and dummy ammunition cases.

*If lighting is required, use of plastic LED lights is advised. Teflon coated lightbulbs may be used only within a sealed light box.

Any body of work that NESA considers dangerous to health or safety may not be marked in part, or in full.

Students are advised to avoid identifying themselves (except by student number and centre number), their school, other students and teachers in their body of work.

NESA must be notified of each student’s art form via Schools Online by the date published in the Timetable of actions.

Marking guidelines for the body of work will be made available to download when the Sample HSC examination materials are published.

Visual Arts students must complete and sign a Student Declaration Form for all practical examinations. The Student Declaration Form can be downloaded from Schools Online and states that the planning, development, content and presentation of the body of work is the student’s own work. Supervising teachers must certify the student’s practical examinations and sign each student’s Student Declaration Form.

The body of work must be developed by the student under the supervision of the supervising teacher. It is essential that aspects of the process of development of the body of work take place in school time. While some students may also work on their body of work away from school, this must be monitored and documented by the supervising teacher.

For the purpose of certification, supervising teachers must keep documented evidence to validate the authenticity and integrity of a student’s work and must confirm that each student has followed the course requirements. Supervising teachers may draw on the student’s Visual Arts diary as well as observations and discussions, to maintain the documented evidence of the student’s work throughout the HSC year. Documented evidence is not submitted to NESA, however it must be retained by the school, as it may be requested in exceptional circumstances.

During the development of the body of work, judgements about students’ ownership of work should not be impacted by the provision of Loading  for students with disability.

For further information about certification and practical examination rules, see:

• ACE 2.5.2 Certifying and submitting HSC projects, submitted works and performances
• Certifying HSC practical components
• Practical exam rules.

Schools are responsible for supervising and certifying student work presented for HSC practical exams. The certification process involves the school’s ongoing supervision of student progress to confirm the authenticity and academic integrity of student work.

Monitoring student progress

Supervision requires ongoing monitoring of student work. Effective and ongoing monitoring of student work for HSC practical examinations can be done in a range of ways. The strategies used may vary depending on the course, the nature of the project, and the learning context. Effective monitoring generally involves one or more practices that enable teachers to see student progress, understand the development of the work over time, and verify its authenticity.

Examples of monitoring strategies include but are not limited to:

• maintaining written and/or visual observation records of observations about student progress and development, e.g. online discussion boards
• engaging in regular teacher-student discussions throughout the development of the work
• observing practical work carried out during class time
• providing one-on-one opportunities for students to explain and discuss their work as it develops, e.g. written reflections, interviews, informal progress conversations or feedback on practical work
• including the progress of project development in both formative and summative assessments
• facilitating class discussions or forums to share students’ planning, decision-making and development processes
• reviewing logbooks or other forms of documentation that record the development and progress of work.

Some students with disability may require adjustments in the development of the body of work. Decisions about adjustments can be made by the school in collaboration with the student and parents/carers. More information about adjustments can be found on the NESA website:

• Students with disability
• Adjustments.

Where a student’s disability impacts their functioning in the development of the body of work, schools will need to apply through NESA’s HSC exam provisions program. More information about HSC exam provisions can be found on the NESA website:

• HSC exam provisions
• ACE 6.1 exam provisions program.

Students undertaking Visual Arts Life Skills 11–12 are not required to submit a body of work for Visual Arts.

Practical examinations will be marked at a corporate venue (corporate marking) or at schools (itinerant marking) in October/November. NESA publishes the completion and hand-in date, and the marking dates on the NESA website.

NESA will decide each year which schools will have their submissions marked at a corporate venue and which will be marked in schools. Schools are notified early in Term 3 of this decision and of marking dates via Schools Online. Principals will receive an email when this information is made available. Specific marking requirements for the examination may vary from year to year. Teachers and schools must follow the instructions provided by NESA for the current year of the examination.

HSC Visual Arts teachers should have a Schools Online profile with appropriate access to practical examination information. Teachers are required to supply their email address to receive communications directly from NESA. Teachers should see their principal to ensure they have been provided with the appropriate access to their school’s Schools Online account.

Careful consideration should be given to the presentation, format and display set-up to ensure compliance with the overall limitations of size, weight and duration of HSC submitted artworks in Visual Arts.

Each student’s body of work must:

• be stable in their construction to minimise any damage during marking
• conform to the size and presentation requirements outlined below
• not be complicated or time consuming to set up for display
• have a completed ID tag attached to each part of the submission.

Schools can download ID tags from Schools Online > Downloads > NESA Guides, Forms and Resources > HSC Practical Examinations Advice. Each ID tag must be printed on pink cardboard. If there is more than one piece in the body of work, concise Loading  must be provided outlining how the body of work is to be displayed.

Students should be aware that if artworks do not comply with the size and presentation requirements outlined below, the body of work will be in breach of examination rules.

The volume of the body of work is calculated by multiplying the maximum length, the maximum breadth and the maximum height (each measured in metres) of the work when displayed for marking. Positive and negative areas are to be considered in the calculation.

The complete body of work when displayed for marking must not exceed:

• 6 square metres in area for 2D artworks (2 square metres in area for individual flat, rigid artworks. Individual artworks which exceed 2 square metres must be rolled)
• 1 cubic metre in volume for 3D artworks and/or artworks with 2D and 3D components
• 30 kilograms in weight, including packaging.

Bodies of work that include a projected image and 3D piece(s) should be calculated as 3D artworks. The calculations are to include:

• the dimensions of the projected image
• the dimensions of the 3D piece(s)
• any negative space between the projection surface and the 3D piece(s).

The distance to the projector from the projection surface does not need to be included in this calculation.

For submissions in time-based forms (film, video, digital animation and interactives), the complete body of work must be no more than 6 minutes in duration, including credits.

For artworks that incorporate computer generated development software, or any other time-based component, submissions must:

• be no more than 6 minutes in duration (including credits) for submissions in Documented forms where the entire submission is time-based
• be no more than 3 minutes in duration (including credits) for a time-based artwork included in a submission in another art form
• be limited to a maximum of 2 screens for the simultaneous viewing for submissions in time-based artworks
• acknowledge all appropriated images and sound in the credits or as a written addendum to the artwork.

When a time-based submission intentionally excludes audio files, a written addendum must accompany the artwork.

The following are prohibited in any body of work submission:

• embedded or ancillary mobile digital devices that record and store video or audio with or without the subject’s knowledge
• embedded or ancillary devices with operating wireless network capability
• access to the internet, directly or via embedded links (including QR codes), to download any software, apps or internet content for the submission, or embedded devices.

Interactive artworks must be submitted on a USB flash drive that has been formatted and is compatible with a Microsoft Windows Operating System and/or an Apple Operating System. For interactive artworks, any number of interactive frames, links and branches can be developed but must comply with the total time required to view and interact with the artwork.

Interactive artworks must NOT require any program downloads or security codes for activation or authentication and must be able to function directly from the submitted hardware.

Submitted artworks cannot be copied to a hard drive to enable or improve playback performance.

Bodies of work that contain multiple items, pieces or panels must include instructions for display. These instructions should:

• outline how the body of work is to be displayed
• be clear and easy to follow
• include a diagram or plan, and/or photograph detailing the arrangement for display
• be clearly labelled to identify each piece.

Artworks must:

• not be framed under glass, rigid plastic or rigid sheeting
• be able to be safely handled by one person.

If a submission contains materials considered dangerous, including materials with sharp or jagged edges, it may not be unpacked or marked and may be returned to schools.

It is recommended that 2D artworks are presented either flat, or in a folder or box. If artworks are mounted, simple cardboard mounts are preferred.

Where applicable, NESA will contact schools regarding arrangements for the transportation of bodies of work to the corporate marking venue each year. Submissions are returned to schools in Term 4.

Each part of each submission must have an ID tag printed on pink cardboard and clearly labelled. A Schedule of Artworks (Form B) must be submitted with all bodies of work marked at a corporate marking venue. This form is generated through Schools Online and contains important information used during the unpacking and marking process at the corporate marking venue. Boxes used for packing should be kept as light as possible. If a submission contains materials considered dangerous, it may not be unpacked or marked and may be returned to schools.

To protect artworks, the following ways of packing are the most effective.

2D artworks

• Paintings: place a sheet of brown paper over the front of the painting then cover the whole painting with bubble wrap, cardboard or similar material.
• Drawings, photomedia, graphic design, printmaking and other 2D artworks: should be protected in a cardboard folder.

Hanging devices, including hooks and chains are not to be included with any 2D artworks as they can cause damage to other artworks when they are stacked or stored for marking.

If the artwork has several small pieces, these can be fixed onto a single board so that the artwork can be easily transported and displayed for marking.

3D artworks

Ceramics, sculptures and other 3D artworks: should be placed in a box with either shredded paper, straw or bubble wrap packed tightly in and around the artwork(s). Care should be taken to pack around and beneath the article before it is placed in the box.

Mannequins must not be included with submissions of wearables in the Designed objects art form.

Digital devices and files submissions

Artworks may be submitted on the USB flash drives or rechargeable mobile digital devices. Artworks that use digital devices must be able to be played on standard consumer hardware and compatible with a Microsoft Windows Operating System and/or an Apple Operating System. Students should check that all audiovisual (AV) artworks operate on standard consumer hardware before submitting the work for marking.

USB flash drives

Submissions on USB flash drives should be:

• securely attached to the pink ID tag that records the Student Number, School Number, Title and art form
• sealed in an A4 plastic sleeve or case, with information clearly displayed on the plastic sleeve or case
• counted as one piece in the total number of artworks within the body of work submission
• for any single file, no more than maximum 4 GB able to be played on standard consumer hardware including Apple or Windows standard software (Quicktime or Windows Media Player) or freeware such as VideoLAN VLC media player.

Rechargeable mobile digital devices

Submissions should be:

• tablets, MP3 players, phones, digital photo frames
• presented with a charger and labelled with a pink ID tag for each device
• able to be easily located, accessed and charged within the body of work
• ready for operation with instructions for each mobile digital device included
• limited to a maximum of 2 screens for simultaneous viewing.

Schools are required to make the following arrangements to facilitate the marking process:

• Marking areas must be well lit, private and secure from interruption.
• Staff and students must not be present in the marking area.
• Items to assist with displaying artworks for marking should be provided, for example, one or more easels or boards, velcro or clips, a table or floor space.
• Where there is a specific set-up required for multiple pieces, the school should have the artwork set up and ready for marking.
• All components of a student’s submission must be clearly labelled and grouped together.

Bodies of work must not be displayed as for an exhibition or installation. They must not:

• be hung, fixed or installed on walls or shelves
• have spot lighting
• be displayed in a space that is outside the size limits for the body of work submission.

Submissions set ups considered dangerous to health or safety may not be marked.

Guidelines indicating how a body of work is to be set up and viewed are helpful. Teachers and students should ensure that it is possible for the markers to comply with these guidelines in a reasonable amount of time and that they can be accommodated in the marking space and with the materials provided for them.

Setting up artworks may involve:

• arranging individual pieces of a body of work into an order or sequence ready for marking, for example, a series of drawings or paintings that should be viewed or organised in a specific way
• arranging 2D and 3D artworks so that they are within the size limit of 1 cubic metre when displayed for marking
• placing pieces of a sculpture together as a floor piece or on a table to facilitate viewing, so that the body of work is ready for marking
• turning on a computer, CD or DVD player or other digital hardware and following simple instructions for operating the hardware
• using a provided login for access to images, time-based form and audio files.

If a student’s body of work is damaged prior to submission, the school should contact NESA for advice at studentsupport@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

For more information about practical HSC examinations see Understanding HSC practical exams.