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3. 2013 Higher School Certificate Rules and Procedures

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For 2012 HSC students, refer to the 2012 HSC rules and procedures guide

2013 HSC Rules and Procedures Guide

• Introduction
• Eligibility requirements
• HSC pathways
• Entering for the HSC
• HSC assessment
• Course completion
• HSC examinations
• HSC results
• Copyright and privacy
• Checklist

Introduction

This booklet must be read by all students entered for an HSC course in 2013. In signing your Confirmation of Entry (see Entering for the Higher School Certificate), you are certifying that you have read this booklet.

The Education Act 1990 (NSW) governs the award of the Higher School Certificate. The Board of Studies NSW, under this Act, grants certificates to students who comply with the Act and the Board’s requirements.

The main rules and requirements are set out in this guide. Students can obtain more detailed explanations of the rules and requirements by referring to the Assessment, Certification and Examination website at (ace.bos.nsw.edu.au).

1.  Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for the award of the Higher School Certificate, you must have:

1. gained the School Certificate or other qualifications the Board of Studies considers satisfactory
2. attended a government school, an accredited non-government school, a school outside NSW recognised by the Board, or a TAFE college
3. satisfactorily completed courses that comprise the pattern of study required by the Board for the award of the Higher School Certificate
4. sat for and made a serious attempt at the required HSC examinations.

1.1  Pattern of study

To qualify for the Higher School Certificate, you must satisfactorily complete a Preliminary pattern of study comprising at least 12 units and an HSC pattern of study comprising at least 10 units. Both patterns must include:

• at least 6 units of Board Developed Courses
• at least 2 units of a Board Developed Course in English*
• at least three courses of 2-unit value or greater (either Board Developed or Board Endorsed Courses)
• at least four subjects.

* The Board is currently conducting a pilot of a Stage 6 course entitled English Studies. Satisfactory completion of English Studies fulfils English requirements for the HSC. The course will count towards the 6 units of Board Developed Courses required for the award of the HSC. English Studies does not meet Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) requirements for 2 units of English for the calculation of an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).

1.2  Completion of HSC: All My Own Work program

All students are required to have satisfactorily completed HSC: All My Own Work or its equivalent before any Preliminary or HSC course entries can be submitted. Students entered only for Stage 6 Life Skills courses are exempt from this requirement.

2.  HSC pathways

You may accumulate HSC courses towards the Higher School Certificate over a period of up to five years. Preliminary courses may also be accumulated.

The five-year period is counted from the first year you satisfactorily complete an HSC course. It will apply regardless of whether you defer your studies for one or more years during the five-year period. Accumulation of HSC courses cannot extend beyond a five-year period. This five-year period is a ‘rolling period’ and students wishing to go beyond the five years will have the earliest year’s course(s) deleted.

Students who are accumulating courses for the Higher School Certificate receive a Record of Achievement for each calendar year of study. These cumulative transcripts record all Preliminary and HSC courses satisfactorily completed in the previous five years, including repeat attempts.

On completion of the accumulation, all requirements must have been met for both the Preliminary and the HSC patterns of study.

2.1  Repeating courses

You may repeat one or more HSC courses, but you must do so within the five-year accumulation period. A course may not be counted more than once towards your HSC. The Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) will use the most recent result for a course in the calculation of your Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) (see also HSC results).

3.  Entering for the Higher School Certificate

You must be entered with the Board of Studies for all courses you are attempting in the current year, including those courses approved by your principal to be studied outside the school or college. This includes Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses studied as part of school-based traineeships and apprenticeships and entries for HSC VET examinations. You will receive a Confirmation of Entry showing your personal details, courses entered and whether or not you are eligible to receive a Higher School Certificate. You must sign the declaration printed on the Confirmation of Entry and return it to your school principal. Once you are entered, the Board will create a Students Online account for you. You will be able to log in and check your personal and enrolment details. You will also receive messages from the Board, including, for example, the status of disability provisions applications.

3.1 Corrections to entries and withdrawals

1. You must check your Confirmation of Entry and notify your school of any changes as soon as possible but no later than the end of Term 2.
2. A new Confirmation of Entry will be issued if any changes to your entry are made. You must sign this and return it to the school principal.
3. The only change to entries allowed after Term 2 is withdrawal from a course (including an Extension course).

3.2 Change of personal details

If your personal details change from those provided to the Board of Studies on your Confirmation of Entry, you must advise your school to inform the Board as soon as possible. The Board needs your current address, including your email address, to send you important information such as advice of dates and venues for practical and Languages oral examinations, HSC results and nomination letters for HSC showcase events. If you are requesting an ATAR, you must also change your address with Universities Admissions Centre (UAC).

You can change your personal details and address on Students Online after the final examination date, provided that you supply the Board with an email address.

3.3 Eligibility for courses

Remember that there are specific eligibility rules for:

• all Beginners Language courses
• Continuers Language courses in languages where there are also Heritage or Background Speakers courses (Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese and Korean)
• all Heritage Language courses
• English (ESL).

Certain rules and prerequisites also apply to the study of other courses.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are eligible to undertake the courses for which you are entered. You could jeopardise your HSC if you enrol in a course for which you are not eligible.

3.4 Transferring schools

If you transfer from one school to another after entering for the HSC, you must ensure that your new school has informed the Board. You will receive a new Confirmation of Entry, which you must sign and return to your principal.

3.5  Study with an outside tutor

Your principal may give approval for you to study a course with an outside tutor provided that certain Board conditions are met. In particular, outside tutors must follow the Board’s syllabus and provide assessment marks in accordance with syllabus guidelines. These assessment marks will only be used in the case of an upheld illness/misadventure appeal (see Illness/misadventure appeals).

4.  HSC assessment

For most Board Developed Courses, school-based assessment throughout the HSC course contributes 50% of your HSC mark, and is reported on your Course Report and Record of Achievement.

For each course, schools prepare and administer an assessment program in accordance with the syllabus. The syllabus identifies the components of the course to be assessed and their weightings. The timing and weighting of tasks are determined by the school.

Assessment tasks are designed to measure knowledge, skills and understanding in relation to a wide range of outcomes. Tasks may include tests, written assignments, practical activities, fieldwork and projects.

When you begin your HSC course, your school will provide you with details of your assessment tasks, including weighting and due dates.

All work presented in an assessment task must be your own. Malpractice, including plagiarism, could lead to you receiving zero marks (see Honesty in assessment and What constitutes malpractice?).

At the conclusion of the HSC assessment program, your school will submit a school-based assessment mark to the Board for each of your courses, based on your performance in the tasks in your school’s assessment program. The assessment mark submitted by your school is adjusted (moderated) by the Board to produce the assessment mark that appears on your results (see HSC results).The purpose of moderation is to place the assessment marks awarded by all schools in each course on the same scale. The school group’s assessment marks are adjusted based on the performance of the group in the HSC examination. The rank order of students as submitted by the school is not changed.

If you studied a course at an institution outside your home school, the assessment mark is provided by the outside institution.

No assessment mark is reported for VET courses or courses studied with an outside tutor.

4.1  Honesty in Assessment – the Standard

The following standard sets out the Board of Studies NSW requirements concerning students submitting their own work in HSC assessment. Candidates for the Higher School Certificate, as well as their teachers and others who may guide them, are required to comply with the standard.

These requirements should be read in conjunction with Board syllabuses and policies in related areas such as malpractice and satisfactory completion of a course. Details can be found on the Board’s website.

4.2  What constitutes malpractice?

All work presented in assessment tasks and HSC examinations (including submitted works and practical examinations) must be your own or must be acknowledged appropriately. Malpractice, including plagiarism, could lead to you receiving zero marks for the task or examination, and will jeopardise your HSC results.

Malpractice is any activity that allows you to gain an unfair advantage over other students. It includes, but is not limited to:

• copying someone else’s work in part or in whole, and presenting it as your own
• using material directly from books, journals, CDs or the internet without reference to the source
• building on the ideas of another person without reference to the source
• buying, stealing or borrowing another person’s work and presenting it as your own
• submitting work that another person, such as a parent, coach or subject expert, has contributed to substantially
• using words, ideas, designs or the workmanship of others in practical and performance tasks without appropriate acknowledgement
• paying someone to write or prepare material
• breaching school examination rules
• cheating in an HSC examination
• using non-approved aids during an assessment task
• contriving false explanations to explain work not handed in by the due date
• assisting another student to engage in malpractice.

In the case of suspected plagiarism, students will be required to provide evidence that all unacknowledged work is entirely their own. Such evidence might include, but is not limited to, the student:

• providing evidence of and explaining the process of their work, which might include diaries, journals or notes, working plans or sketches, and progressive drafts to show the development of their ideas
• answering questions regarding the assessment task, examination or submitted work under investigation, to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and skills.

4.3  VET courses

The courses in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) Industry Curriculum Frameworks have been designed to deliver units of competency that are drawn from Industry Training Packages.

Work placement is a mandatory HSC requirement of each framework course and for some other VET courses. For each course, a minimum number of hours is required in the workplace to enable students to progress towards the achievement of industry competencies and to practise skills acquired in the classroom or workshop. If you fail to undertake any mandatory work placement component of a VET course, it may be determined that you have not made a genuine attempt to complete course requirements (see Course completion).

Note: If you entered for a 240-hour Industry Curriculum Framework course, you may also be eligible to enter for the corresponding HSC examination. You will not be automatically entered into the examination. You must advise your home school, even if you are studying the course at a TAFE or other provider, if you wish to be entered for the examination.

4.4  Assessment ranking appeals

1. After the final HSC examination, you can obtain your rank order for assessment in each course via Students Online. If you feel that your placement in any course is not correct, you should talk to your teacher immediately. If you are still not satisfied that the ranking is correct, you may apply to your principal for a review.

2. There is no provision for a review of the marks you received for individual assessment tasks. Reviews are limited to the assessment process. The only matters that the school will consider are whether or not:

   1. the weightings specified by the school in its assessment program conform with the Board’s requirements as detailed in the relevant syllabus
   2. the procedures used by the school for determining the final assessment mark comply with its stated assessment program
   3. computational or other clerical errors have been made in the determination of the assessment mark.
3. If you wish to apply for a review, you must do so by the date specified by the Board. The school will advise you of the outcome of its review, and will advise the Board of any changes to assessment marks.

4. If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the school review, you may advise your principal that you wish an appeal to be sent to the Board of Studies. You cannot appeal against the marks awarded for individual assessment tasks. The Board will consider only whether:

   1. the school review process was adequate for determining items (a), (b) and (c) above
   2. the conduct of the review was proper in all respects.
5. The Board will not revise the assessment marks or rank order. If the appeal is upheld, the Board will direct the school to carry out a further review. Further details about reviews and appeals are on the assessment appeal form, which can be obtained from your school. Appeals to the Board must be lodged at the school by the date on the form. No extension will be considered.

5. Course completion

5.1 Principal’s certification of completion of course requirements

1. You will be considered to have satisfactorily completed a course if, in your principal’s view, there is sufficient evidence that you have met the following course completion criteria:

   1. followed the course developed or endorsed by the Board
   2. applied yourself with diligence and sustained effort to the set tasks and experiences provided in the course by the school
   3. achieved some or all of the course outcomes.
2. For courses where school assessment marks are submitted, students must make a genuine attempt at assessment tasks that total more than 50% of the available school assessment marks for that course.
3. If your principal determines that you are in danger of not meeting the above course completion, you will be given written warning in sufficient time to correct any problems regarding your satisfactory completion of course requirements.
4. If your principal determines that you have not met the above criteria for satisfactory completion of a course, the school will inform the Board and will inform you in writing.
5. You have the right to appeal to the school against this determination. If unsuccessful, you may appeal to the Board. Your principal will advise you of this right and explain the appeal process.
6. If you do not satisfactorily complete a course, you will receive no results in that course, and the course will not count towards your pattern of study for the award of a Higher School Certificate.

6.  HSC examinations

Your examination mark for Board Developed Courses is based on your performance in the external HSC examination. The examination may involve more than one component, such as a written examination, a submitted work or a practical examination. There is no external HSC examination for Board Endorsed Courses.

1. The following courses require you to undertake practical examinations or to submit works as part of your HSC examination:
   • Dance
   • Design and Technology
   • Drama
   • English Extension 2
   • Industrial Technology
   • Languages (except Classical languages and Background Speakers courses)
   • Music (all courses)
   • Society and Culture
   • Textiles and Design
   • Visual Arts
2. HSC performances and practical examinations, as well as works submitted for examination, should be consistent with general community standards. Such works should be developed in a manner that takes into account the values and culture of the school and its community. More information can be found in the HSC Exams section of the Board’s website.
3. You should refer to the assessment and examination materials for each course you are studying for specifications and other requirements relating to performances and submitted works. Performances and works that do not comply with the requirements may be penalised.
4. You are required to certify that any submitted work is your own, and that any words, ideas, designs or workmanship of others have been acknowledged appropriately (see Honesty in assessment – the Standard). Your teacher will monitor your submitted work through its development and is expected to keep records of your progress. Class teachers and principals must certify that the work has been done under the teacher’s supervision, was the student’s own work consistent with earlier drafts and other examples of the student’s work, and was completed by the due date. If school staff cannot certify the work, you might not be awarded marks for it, or you may receive reduced marks. If you are planning a work that will need to be worked on at home, you must obtain your teacher’s permission first.
5. If you are repeating a course where a submitted work is required, you cannot submit any work entered and marked for the HSC in a previous year without the special permission of the Board.
   If you developed a major work for a previous HSC examination but did not submit it, you may only submit it for your current course with the approval of your school.
6. If you submit a work developed for one course, you may not use the same work either in full or in part for assessment in any other course.
7. All submitted works (other than those submitted electronically) will be returned after marking. Some works will be retained until the following year. While every care will be taken with them, the Board accepts no responsibility for loss or damage to such works. It is your responsibility to arrange any insurance. Teachers will advise you about the packing of submitted works.
8. Students intending to submit works in print or electronic format should keep copies.
9. The Languages oral examinations and the practical examinations for Music, Dance and Drama are held earlier than the written examinations and may be held at different locations. Advice about this will be sent to your school and will be available on Students Online.
10. The Languages oral examinations and the practical examinations are held during Term 3, and submitted works are to be completed during Term 3. You are advised to check the Board’s website to ensure you are aware of the correct dates.

6.1  Examination dates and times

1. The Board publishes the examination timetable on its website in Term 2 and you can access your personalised HSC timetable via Students Online. It is your responsibility to obtain a timetable and read it carefully.
2. If you miss an examination simply because you have misread the timetable, you must contact your principal immediately. Illness/misadventure appeals on these grounds will not be upheld. You will receive an examination mark of zero. However, except in the case of courses for which there is no assessment mark, you may still be eligible to receive a result in the course.
3. On the day of the first English examination, you must be at the examination location at least 30 minutes before the start of the examination. For all other papers, you must be at the examination location at least 10 minutes before the start of each examination.
4. If you arrive more than one hour after the commencement of the examination, you will be admitted to the examination room, but you will need to satisfy the Board that your responses should be accepted for marking.
5. You must be prepared to attend examinations at your own expense at such times and centres as may be arranged by the Board.

6.2  Disability provisions

1. If you have a disability that would, in a normal examination situation, prevent you from:

   • reading the examination questions and/or
   • communicating responses,
     the Board may approve disability provisions.
2. Applications for known conditions can be submitted from mid-Term 4 in Year 11 and should be submitted as soon as possible. If you wish to apply for disability provisions, you should ask your principal, year adviser or school counsellor.
3. Emergency provisions can be arranged if you have an accident just before the examination that impairs your ability to undertake the examination. You should immediately notify your principal or year adviser in such a case.
4. Your application should contain recent evidence of your disability and, in some cases, examples of your work. You may need to organise any testing required early in the year to ensure your application reaches the Board by the closing date. If applications do not contain sufficient evidence, the Board’s decision may be delayed.
5. Disability provisions are not available:
   • as compensation for difficulties in undertaking a course and preparing for the examination
   • for lack of familiarity with the English language.

6.3  Examination attendance rules

1. You must sit for your examinations at the centre you have been given, even if you have studied a course at a different location. However, if you are unable to get to your examination centre because of unusual circumstances such as floods, you should contact your school, if possible. In some cases, the school may advise you to go to an alternative centre.
2. You can only sit for examinations in the courses for which you have entered. You are not permitted to change courses or add courses during the examinations.
3. You must sit for all examinations for which you have entered, unless prevented by illness or misadventure. If you cannot attend an examination because of illness or misadventure, notify your school principal immediately.
4. If illness or misadventure occurs before the examination and you are still able to attend, notify the presiding officer when entering the examination. If a problem occurs during an examination, you should notify the presiding officer at once.
5. You must notify the presiding officer at every examination session in which you consider your performance may have been affected by illness or misadventure (see Illness/misadventure appeals).
6. If you are absent from an examination and lodge an illness/misadventure appeal that is declined by the Board, you will not receive a result in that course. This could mean that you become ineligible for the award of the Higher School Certificate.
7. If you have entered for an Extension course (other than Mathematics Extension 2) and fail to sit for the examination in the related 2-unit course, you will not receive a result in either course unless an appeal is submitted and upheld by the Board.
8. If you are an English Extension 2 or Mathematics Extension 2 candidate and you fail to sit for the related Extension 1 examination, you will not receive a result in the Extension 2 course unless an appeal is submitted and upheld by the Board.

6.4  Equipment for the examinations

1. You may only take equipment listed below into the examination room:
   • black pens (blue is also acceptable, but black is easier for markers to read)
   • pencils, erasers and a sharpener (use pencils where specifically directed)
   • a ruler marked in millimetres and centimetres
   • highlighter pens.
   No other equipment is allowed, except as detailed below. It is your responsibility to make yourself aware of, and provide, the equipment permitted in your examinations.
2. You are expected to provide specific equipment (such as a calculator) for certain examinations. The list of specific equipment for each of these examinations is available on the Equipment checklist page in the HSC Exams section of the Board’s website.

3. For the examinations in which scientific calculators are permitted, you may only use those calculators that appear on the Board’s list of approved scientific calculators. Well before the examination, you should check that your calculator is approved.

   The list of approved scientific calculators, as well as the separate criteria for calculators in the General Mathematics examination, can be found in the HSC Exams section of the Board’s website.

4. Students are permitted to take dictionaries into certain Language examinations. However, they must be monolingual and/or bilingual print dictionaries relating to the language being examined. Dictionaries cannot be annotated or highlighted in any way, including using stickers to mark a particular place. Electronic dictionaries are not permitted.
5. Mobile phones and electronic devices, such as organisers, MP3 players and dictionaries, are not permitted in an examination room under any circumstances.
6. Before the examination begins, presiding officers and examination supervisors will inspect any equipment brought into the examination room.

7. Equipment should bear only the original inscribed information. You must supply materials that are in working order (this includes calculators).

   Illness/misadventure appeals on the grounds that examination equipment did not work correctly will not be accepted.

8. You are not permitted to borrow equipment during examinations.
9. Presiding officers and supervisors will not be responsible for the safekeeping of any unauthorised material and equipment that has been confiscated, including mobile phones and other electronic devices.

6.5  Examination room procedures

1. You must sit at the desk showing your name and student number. The position of the desk may vary from session to session according to the accommodation and the requirements of the examination.
2. You must remove your watch and place it in clear view on the examination desk.
3. It is your responsibility to make sure that the correct examination paper has been provided for the course you have entered. When asked to do so by the supervisor, you must also check your examination papers to make sure that there are no pages missing.

4. Reading time for examination papers is as follows:

   • 10 minutes of reading and familiarisation time for Paper 1 of the examination in all 2-unit English courses
   • 10 minutes of reading time for all written Language examinations for Beginners, Heritage, Background Speakers and Extension courses, and for Continuers courses in modern languages
   • 5 minutes of reading time for all other written examinations.

   During reading time, you must not write, use any equipment including highlighters, or annotate your examination paper in any way. For examinations in which dictionaries are permitted, you may consult your dictionary during reading time.

5. You must:

   1. read the instructions on the examination paper, as well as all questions, carefully. Presiding officers and supervisors are not permitted to interpret examination questions or instructions relating to questions
   2. write your examination centre number and student number on all writing booklets, special answer booklets and answer sheets, unless that information is preprinted
   3. write clearly, preferably with black pen. While blue pen is also acceptable, black pen is easier for markers to read. Pencil may be used only where specifically directed
   4. make sure that you write your answers in the correct answer booklets. If you write an answer in the wrong booklet, tell the supervisor, and write a note on the front and back of both booklets stating that an answer has been written in the wrong booklet. Do not rewrite your answers, but ensure you label and hand in all parts of your answers
   5. stop writing immediately when told to do so by the supervisor
   6. arrange completed answers according to the supervisor’s instructions and wait for the supervisor to collect them
   7. complete the Student Completion Record listing the number of examination booklets used during the examination. This must be checked and countersigned by the supervisor before you leave the examination desk.

6. You must NOT:

   • begin writing until instructed to do so by the presiding officer or supervisor
   • write your name or your school’s name on writing booklets, answer booklets or sheets, or use any other names, symbols or marks that identify or distinguish you in any way from other students
   • leave the examination room during the exam, except in an emergency. If you have to leave and want to return and resume the examination, you must be supervised while you are absent from the examination room
   • leave (finish) the examination until 1 hour after the start of the examination. Note that some schools do not allow any student to leave the examination early
   • leave (finish) the examination during the last 15 minutes of the examination
   • remove an examination paper from the examination room until the examination is over.

6.6  Conduct during the examinations

1. You must follow the day-to-day rules of the school or institute where you sit for your examinations. Failure to observe these rules may result in zero marks for the examination, no result for the course, or non-award of a Higher School Certificate. Your principal has the discretion to require all students at your school to remain in the examination room until the end of each examination.

2. The presiding officer and examination supervisors are in charge of students:

   1. when assembling before an examination
   2. during the examination
   3. after the examination until all students have left.
      You must follow the supervisors’ instructions at all times, including if there is a disruption such as a blackout.
3. You must behave in a polite and courteous manner towards the supervisors and other students.

4. You must NOT:

   1. take a mobile phone or programmable watch or device into the examination room
   2. take any electronic device, including a digital media player or electronic tablet, into the examination room, unless approved by the Board of Studies
   3. speak to any person other than a supervisor during an examination
   4. behave in any way likely to disturb the work of any other student or upset the conduct of the examination
   5. attend an examination while under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs
   6. take into the examination room, or refer to during the examination, any books or notes, this booklet, the examination timetable, any paper, or any equipment other than the equipment listed in the examination timetable
   7. smoke in the examination room
   8. eat in the examination room, except as approved by the presiding officer, eg for diabetic students
   9. take any writing booklets, whether used or not, from the examination room. Examination question papers may be removed at the end of the examination only if they are not to be used as answer booklets.
5. If you do not follow these rules, or if you cheat in the examinations in any way, you may be asked to leave the examination room, and you will be reported to the Board of Studies. The penalty may be cancellation of the course concerned, or of all courses, and as a consequence you may be ineligible for a Higher School Certificate.
6. If you do not make a serious attempt at an examination, you may not receive a result in that course and may not be eligible for the award of the HSC. Students are required to attempt a range of question types throughout the examination paper. Simply attempting multiple-choice questions is not sufficient for an attempt to be considered serious. Supervisors of marking will bring to the Board’s attention examination answers that contain frivolous or objectionable material.
   Answers not written in English, except where required or permitted by the question paper, will have zero marks awarded.
7. Actions that may be illegal may be reported to the police.

6.7  Illness/misadventure appeals

1. If illness or misadventure prevented you from attending an examination, or affected your performance in the examination, it is your right and responsibility to lodge an illness/misadventure appeal.
2. Appeal forms and Higher School Certificate Examination Appeals Due to Illness or Misadventure: Information Guide for Students are available from the presiding officer or your principal. These documents provide further details of appeal procedures. It is important that you follow the instructions provided.
3. You must retain the acknowledgement slip from the illness/misadventure appeal form signed by the presiding officer or principal.
4. The illness/misadventure appeals process is designed for cases where, because of illness or misadventure, your performance in an examination is not a good measure of your achievement. It does not cover:
   • difficulties in preparation or loss of preparation time
   • alleged deficiencies in teaching
   • loss of study time or facilities prior to the formal study vacation
   • misreading of the timetable
   • misreading of examination instructions
   • failure to enter for the examination in the correct course
   • long-term illness, such as glandular fever, asthma and epilepsy – unless there is evidence of a sudden recurrence during the examination
   • conditions for which you have been granted disability provisions, unless you experience further difficulties
   • courses that are undertaken as a self-tuition student.
5. It is important that you attend the examinations where possible, even in the case of illness/misadventure. The Board will not uphold an illness/misadventure appeal if the reason for your absence is not considered to be sufficiently serious. You should consult your school principal before deciding not to attend an examination. Advice from a relevant independent expert, such as a doctor or a police officer, must also be provided with your appeal, indicating why you were unable to attend the examination.
6. If your appeal is upheld, you will be awarded the higher of your examination mark and a mark derived from your assessment mark and unaffected components of your examination. Your Record of Achievement will indicate if this alternative is used.
7. You must lodge any illness/misadventure appeals for HSC written examinations with the Board shortly after the examination in question. Appeals for practical examinations, performances or submitted works must be lodged within one week of the date of the examination, performance or submission.
8. Late appeals will be considered only in exceptional circumstances. You will be notified of the results of your appeal on the same day as the release of your examination results.

7.  HSC results

7.1  Reporting achievement

1. For Board Developed Courses with an external HSC examination, your achievement will be reported against standards that clearly describe the level of knowledge, skills and understanding you have reached.

   Your examination mark and assessment mark will be averaged to give an HSC mark. For courses without an assessment mark, the HSC mark is equal to the examination mark. For 2-unit courses, the mark will be on a scale from 0 to 100. All students who reach the minimum standard expected in a course are awarded at least 50. A mark of 50 or more will be accompanied by a description, in a performance band, of the standard the mark represents.

   If you are absent from an examination, and do not have an illness/misadventure appeal upheld, you will not receive any result for the course and that course will not appear on your Record of Achievement (see Examination attendance rules).

   If you have failed to meet the course completion requirements in any course, you will not receive any result in that course, and the course will not appear on your Record of Achievement.

2. For Board Endorsed Courses other than VET courses, the result reported on the Record of Achievement is the assessment mark submitted by the school and/or other provider. These marks are not moderated and cannot be compared with marks awarded for similar courses at other schools.
3. For all VET courses (both Board Developed Courses and Board Endorsed Courses), the course name and unit value will appear on your Record of Achievement. Eligible students will receive an additional VET credential: an AQF VET Certificate and accompanying transcript of competencies achieved, or a Statement of Attainment.
   The only VET courses for which you will receive an HSC mark are the VET examinations related to the Industry Curriculum Framework courses. In these courses, your result will be reported as an examination mark and an HSC mark.
4. If you studied a course with an outside tutor, your result is reported as an examination mark and an HSC mark.
5. If you have satisfactorily completed the requirements for a Board Developed Life Skills course, this will be recorded on your Record of Achievement with the course name and unit value. You will also receive a Profile of Student Achievement listing the outcomes achieved in each Board Developed Life Skills course.

7.2 HSC documentation

In December, your HSC results will be available to you via the internet, SMS text message and automated telephone service. The package containing your HSC documentation will be posted to you in January and will include your:

1. Testamur
   If you meet all the requirements, you will be awarded a Higher School Certificate. This certificate shows your name and the name of your school.
2. HSC Record of Achievement
   If you satisfactorily complete at least one HSC course, you will receive a Record of Achievement. Your Record of Achievement will list all the courses you have satisfactorily completed and your results in those courses. It will also list courses satisfactorily completed in previous years.
   Courses that you studied but did not complete satisfactorily are not reported on the Record of Achievement.
3. Course Report
   A Course Report will also be issued for each Board Developed HSC course you have completed and presented for examination. It will show:
   • your assessment mark (except in VET courses)
   • your examination mark
   • your HSC mark
   • the performance bands, with a description of what a typical student knows and can do at each level of achievement
   • a graph showing where your HSC mark lies in relation to all candidates’ HSC marks for the course.
4. AQF VET Certificate or Statement of Attainment
5. If you have achieved units of competency in a VET course, you will also receive an AQF VET Certificate or Statement of Attainment.
6. Profile of Student Achievement
   If you have completed requirements for one or more Board Developed Life Skills courses, you will also receive a Profile of Student Achievement.

7.3  Result Notice

Higher School Certificate Result Notices are issued to students who are not enrolled at an accredited school or a school recognised by the Board. Such students are not eligible to receive either a Record of Achievement or a Higher School Certificate testamur. As there are no school-based assessment marks, your HSC mark in each course will be your examination mark.

7.4  University admission

The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) is calculated for the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC). Students wishing to have an ATAR calculated must ensure that this is recorded on their HSC Confirmation of Entry. The Board passes this information to UAC.
For further information visit the UAC website at www.uac.edu.au.

8.  Copyright and privacy

8.1  Copyright of student material

The Board of Studies publishes a range of materials based on the HSC examinations that includes samples of students’ work. These publications are made available in printed or electronic form and are published solely for educational purposes – that is, to enhance teachers’ and students’ understanding of the standards required in the HSC examinations.

The Board of Studies may use students’ original Higher School Certificate examination responses, including practical performances, Language speaking examinations and submitted works, in its educational publications.

8.2  Important information about your privacy

The Technical Committee on Scaling calculates your Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) on behalf of the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC). The Board of Studies will provide the personal details and results of all NSW HSC students to the Technical Committee on Scaling, UAC and TAFE NSW. This information may also be made available to the NSW Department of Education and Communities (DEC) for research and survey purposes. In addition, your school or TAFE college and, where applicable, your school system (for example, the DEC or the Catholic Education Commission) can access information regarding your results.

8.3  Merit lists, prizes, etc

The Board publishes HSC merit lists on its website and provides these lists to selected media outlets. HSC merit lists include the name, school and course(s) of all students who, for example, achieve an HSC mark in the top band in any course. The Board does not provide the media with the names or the results of any other students. The Board also provides student details to a number of organisations for the purpose of awarding prizes, scholarships or other recognition of high achievement.

You may request that your details be kept confidential. If you do so, your name will not be published in the Board’s merit lists, or provided to the media or any organisation for the award of prizes, etc.

The Board of Studies privacy policy can be downloaded from the Board’s website.

Should you require further information on privacy issues related to the HSC, please contact the Student Records Unit at records@bos.nsw.edu.au, or by phone on (02) 9367 8001.