Exam audio files
Schools need to support the delivery of audio files for Higher School Certificate (HSC) exams with a listening component. Find the courses that use audio files and view the audio requirements.
Audio in exams
Schools that run HSC exams with listening components must meet requirements for downloading and delivering audio files to their HSC presiding officer.
NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) distributes the audio files that are used in HSC exams through Schools Online.
Actions required by principals
Principals must:
- give authorised school representatives access in Schools Online to download audio files for the presiding officer. The representative should be the key contact for the presiding officer. Course teachers must not be the authorised school representatives.
- subscribe up to 2 school contacts in Schools Online to receive NESA updates about audio files. This may include SMS notifications on exam day.
Technical specifications and requirements
Below are the technical specifications for audio in HSC exams.
Recommended audio equipment:
- sound system
- laptop or desktop PC with external speakers and sleep mode turned off
- music exams require speakers that support stereo playback.
Do not use these audio devices:
- inbuilt speakers on laptops or desktop PCs
- iPads or tablets
- smart devices.
Requirements for USB drives:
- minimum size: 2 GB.
Approximate file sizes:
- music exam files: 100 MB
- English EAL/D exam files: 40–50 MB
- languages exam files: 40–50 MB.
Required browsers:
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Safari.
Do not use these browsers:
- Microsoft Edge
- Internet Explorer.
List of courses this process applies to
This process applies to all HSC exams with a listening component.
- Arabic Continuers
- Armenian Continuers (CCAFL)
- Chinese and Literature
- Chinese Beginners
- Chinese Continuers
- Chinese in Context
- Croatian Continuers (CCAFL)
- Dutch Continuers (CCAFL)
- Filipino Continuers (CCAFL)
- French Beginners
- French Continuers
- German Beginners
- German Continuers
- Hindi Continuers (CCAFL)
- Hungarian Continuers (CCAFL)
- Indonesian and Literature
- Indonesian Beginners
- Indonesian Continuers
- Italian Beginners
- Italian Continuers
- Japanese Beginners
- Japanese Continuers
- Japanese in Context
- Khmer Continuers (CCAFL)
- Korean and Literature
- Korean Beginners
- Korean Continuers
- Korean in Context
- Macedonian Continuers (CCAFL)
- Modern Greek Beginners
- Modern Greek Continuers
- Modern Hebrew Continuers
- Persian Continuers (CCAFL)
- Polish Continuers (CCAFL)
- Portuguese Continuers (CCAFL)
- Punjabi Continuers (CCAFL)
- Russian Continuers (CCAFL)
- Serbian Continuers (CCAFL)
- Spanish Beginners
- Spanish Continuers
- Swedish Continuers (CCAFL)
- Tamil Continuers (CCAFL)
- Turkish Continuers (CCAFL)
- Vietnamese Continuers
Further information
For information, go to:
Schools Online (select 'memos and documents', then select 'HSC Download Audio Files').
Support
You can find out more by contacting us by:
- phone: 1800 200 955
- email: onlineexams@nesa.nsw.edu.au