Key messages for schools, students and parents

Every student applying for HSC disability provisions is unique

Each application receives individual attention by trained and experienced NESA staff, with access to expert health professionals as required. This ensures provisions granted respond to each student’s specific learning, medical and psychological health needs that have an impact in exam situations.

The provision of reasonable adjustments for a student with a disability is a legal requirement

The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) (DDA) and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, issued under the DDA, require that students with a disability are provided with reasonable adjustments. NESA’s principles for exam modifications ensure that reasonable and fair measures are taken to allow students with a disability to access exams on the same basis as other students.

Students benefit from early and complete applications for provisions

Most applications for disability provisions open in term 4 the year before a student’s HSC exams and close at the end of Term 1.

This time-frame allows time for schools to gather the relevant reports and evidence to submit an application, and time to lodge an appeal where appropriate. Applying for provisions on time gives students the opportunity to use their approved provisions in school-based tasks that take place before the HSC exams.

Late submissions create uncertainty for students and may not give them enough time to practise with their approved provisions or to use them in any school-based tasks. Schools should ensure that applications are submitted on time.

Schools are able to apply for HSC provisions as early as Year 10 for disabilities whose impact on a student’s exam performance is permanent and does not change. This includes:

• students with diabetes
• vision impaired students requiring braille
• students with physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy and spina bifida, and
• students with long standing developmental coordination disorder causing illegible or painful writing requiring a writer.

Provisions are not granted solely on the basis of a diagnosis

Disability impacts students in different ways and to different degrees. Applying a one-size-fits-all approach does not recognise the individual needs of each student. Students with the same disability may need and receive different provisions. It is therefore possible that students with the same disability can have different approved provisions.

Provisions are determined on the basis of functional evidence

The impact of a condition or disability on how a student functions in an exam situation is the key consideration when determining provisions. Functional evidence can include:

• results of the student’s performance on approved reading and spelling tests
• work samples that include extended responses and
• teacher comments on adjustments that have been trialled at school.

NESA determines provisions by comparing a student’s health reports and functional evidence against standards and guidelines set out by NESA’s panel of specialists. Guidelines are subject to regular independent review and are confidential to NESA to preserve the integrity of the process.

Provisions are intended to provide access to HSC exams, not to achieve potential

Provisions aim to ensure that a student with a disability can read the exam questions and communicate their responses to the markers. The achievement of potential is subject to many variables outside the control of NESA, such as teaching, commitment, study and preparation for the exam.

HSC provisions are informed by planning and practice throughout high school

Some disabilities are evident for many years before the HSC exams. This means students and schools can practise and compare different adjustments in school-based tasks to determine what is appropriate for each student. Schools should maintain records of adjustments provided and how they enabled access to the task for students with a disability. These records will inform NESA decisions on provisions for HSC exams. This is most relevant for modifications of exam papers.

The HSC remains a handwritten exam for now*

Access to a computer can facilitate faster word production and easier editing compared to handwriting. For this reason, use of a computer is rarely approved. For access to a computer to be granted, it must be evident that no other provisions can address the specific needs of the disability for an individual student.

* The only exception is the HSC Science Extension examination, which is provided online.

Approved provisions must not confer an advantage

The HSC is recognised for being a level playing field, where students sit for an exam at the same time and under the same conditions. A student with an approved unjustified provision, such as extra time to work, would receive a significant advantage over students without that provision. NESA must balance the interests of all students, including those without provisions.

HSC provisions may differ from school-determined adjustments for tests, assessments and classwork

Adjustments approved by schools for school-based assessment tasks may not be appropriate for the HSC exams. For the HSC, it is NESA’s responsibility to ensure that students across NSW with similar functional evidence of the impact of their disability receive similar provisions. Schools should advise students that school-determined adjustments may not be approved by NESA for the HSC exams.

Contact us

For advice on other provisions, schools can contact the NESA Student Support:

• phone: (02) 9367 8117
• email: studentsupport@nesa.nsw.edu.au

Parents and students should contact their school in the first instance.