HSC exam provisions (formerly disability provisions) and illness/misadventure

Two different systems

You can use both. A student with approved exam provisions who falls ill on the day of an exam can also apply for illness/misadventure.

HSC exam provisions

NESA renamed its Disability Provisions Program the HSC Exam Provisions Program for the 2026 HSC.

Who can apply

Any student with a disability or condition covered by the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, including physical, intellectual, psychological and learning disorders and illness. NESA says students without a formal diagnosis may still qualify if the condition has a functional impact on sitting exams.

What provisions look like

Examples include extra time, rest breaks, readers and writers. Rest breaks are usually expressed per half hour of exam time; for example, 5 minutes per half hour in a 2-hour exam gives a 20-minute allowance, and each break must be at least 5 minutes.

How to apply

1. Talk to your school's contact for exam provisions early. Applications open at the start of Term 4 of the year before your HSC exams.
2. Your school prepares the application with the supporting evidence for each provision requested. NESA can't decide without it.
3. You and your principal confirm the application, and the school submits it.
4. Most applications are due by the end of Term 1 of the HSC year. NESA warns that applications lodged close to the exams may not be reviewed in time.
5. NESA tells the school the outcome and notifies you at the same time. There is an appeals process.

Provisions for school-based assessment tasks are arranged by your school, not NESA.

Illness/misadventure

Use this if unexpected illness or misadventure stops you attending an exam or affects your performance.

Evidence rules (NESA 2026):

• You must get independent evidence on the same day, either immediately before or after the exam.
• It must come from a doctor or a police officer and be specific to the date and time of the exam.
• A medical certificate that only says you were unfit for work or study is not acceptable.

Deadline. Your school must lodge the application within one week of the affected exam (or of the last affected exam, if several were affected).

If it's approved, you receive the highest of: your exam mark; a mark calculated from your assessment mark or estimated mark; or a mark based on the unaffected parts of the exam. Decisions are released in Students Online on the same day as HSC results.

For exam-day rules and what to bring, see HSC exam day: what to expect.