HSC results checks, rank appeals and ATAR queries (2026)

The timeline at a glance

Dates come from NESA's HSC key dates, the 2026 Rules and Procedures guide and NESA's 2026 timetable of actions.

Can I appeal my assessment rank?

Yes, but only on process. NESA's rules guide says you can't appeal marks for individual tasks at this stage. If you think your final rank in a course is wrong:

1. Talk to your teacher straight away.
2. If you're still not satisfied, apply to your principal for a review by 9 November 2026. Schools must finish reviews by 11 November.
3. If you're unhappy with the process of the school's review, ask your principal to lodge an appeal with NESA (schools submit these by 13 November).

NESA won't change marks or rank order itself. If it upholds an appeal, it asks the school to fix the error. Outcome letters arrive on 16 December.

Illness and misadventure

If you were sick or had a misadventure immediately before or during an exam, see a doctor (or get other independent evidence) on the same day, tell the presiding officer if you attend, and get the application to your principal quickly. NESA's ACE rules set the student deadline as within 5 business days after the exam, or within 3 business days after the exam period ends, whichever comes first. A certificate that just says "unfit for work or study" isn't accepted.

If upheld, you get the higher of your actual exam mark or a mark calculated from your assessment mark, an estimated mark or the unaffected parts of the exam. You'll get the decision letter in Students Online on results day.

If it's declined, you (or your principal) can appeal. The appeal must give reasons, be supported by new evidence, and include your name and NESA student number. Ask your principal how and when to lodge it. For disability-related adjustments set up before exams, see HSC special provisions.

NESA's results services (from 17 December 2026)

Order these in the Results Services section of Students Online. Orders arrive in your account within 20 working days.

The final date for all three is 7 May 2027. Your Students Online account closes on 30 June 2027, so save anything you order.

For questions, call NESA's HSC Results Enquiry Centre on 1300 13 83 23. It opens at 8 am on results day, then runs 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays.

Principals can also lodge an Anomalous Results Inquiry by the last working day in February if a group's results are well below expectations. It is an explanation, not an appeal or a re-mark, and only principals can request it.

Can I query my ATAR?

UAC calculates the ATAR from the raw marks NESA supplies, and there's no separate appeal. UAC says your ATAR may be recalculated if NESA provides amended HSC results, and institutions use your latest ATAR. So the route to a changed ATAR runs through NESA's processes above.

If you think something's off in the calculation itself, contact UAC. In 2025 UAC ran an ATAR Enquiry Centre from the day ATARs were released; details for 2026 are to be announced on uac.edu.au. UAC Customer Service is on (02) 9752 0200.

While you wait

Don't let a query hold up your preferences. The change-of-preference deadline for the main round is 11.59 pm Friday 18 December 2026 (see results day and UAC offers). If your ATAR is below what you needed, read pathways if your ATAR is lower than expected, check your selection rank with adjustment factors and EAS, and use the HSC ATAR calculator to see how your marks fit together. To understand what each number on your results means, see understanding your HSC results. Compare courses in the uni finder, and if the wait is getting to you, read how to handle results day and exam stress and mental health.