SACE clerical checks, assessment summaries and appeals (2026 results)

Dates for results release and SATAC offers are on SACE results day, SATAC offers and changing preferences. To make sense of the numbers first, read understanding your SACE results.

The three SACE Board services

All three are requested on one form, the Request for student assessment summary, clerical check, and return of materials, linked from the SACE Board's end-of-year results page. You save the PDF to your device, fill it in, and email it to askSACE@sa.gov.au (the submit button only works once the form is saved).

The form states that all requests must reach the SACE Board by Friday 5 February 2027, and that returned external materials will be sent in the week beginning Monday 8 February 2027. School assessment materials are collected from your school, not the Board.

Is a clerical check a re-mark?

No. The form says plainly that a clerical check does not involve re-marking your work. It catches data-entry and calculation errors, such as a grade entered against the wrong assessment type. If you suspect something went wrong, start with the assessment summary: it shows exactly where each grade came from and whether moderation changed any school assessment grade.

Can I appeal a SACE grade?

Not the grade itself. The SACE Board's Protocols and Procedures for Assessment Related Grievances, Appeals and Investigations say grievances and appeals relate only to how SACE assessment policies and procedures were applied, and "do not apply to the SACE results themselves".

If you believe a procedure wasn't followed (for example, approved special provisions weren't applied), the process is:

1. Grievance. Write to the person with authority, setting out the issue and the remedy you want. For school assessment still at your school, that's your principal. For school assessment already submitted to the SACE Board, or for external assessment, it's the SACE Board's Chief Executive.
2. Appeal. If you're unhappy with the outcome, you can appeal to the Chief Executive, who decides it.

The Board aims to resolve grievances and appeals by the end of the results cycle, which it describes as the end of the clerical check period in mid-February of the year after results are released. Don't wait: raise concerns with your school or askSACE (1300 322 920) as soon as you notice them.

What about my ATAR?

SATAC calculates your ATAR from the results the SACE Board holds. We couldn't find a separate SATAC process for appealing an ATAR. What SATAC does say:

• If your Recognised Studies (such as VET or university studies) weren't processed in time, your ATAR is recalculated and a new TES issued once they are.
• Final Recognised Studies results must reach the SACE Board by the end of the clerical check period (mid-February of the following year).
• An ATAR can't be recalculated to include study finished after it was first issued.

If a clerical check changes one of your grades, contact SATAC (1300 138 440) to ask how it affects your TES and any offers.

If the result stands

If a check confirms the original result, that's the moment to move to plan B, not to panic: see if your SACE ATAR is lower than expected, how to handle results day and, if it's weighing on you, exam stress and mental health. You can also model scenarios with the SACE ATAR calculator, look at TAFE options or browse careers that match your subjects.