Australia HSC results brought forward to same day as ATARs

Higher School Certificate marks for the 2021 exams will be released four days earlier than planned, ensuring that recently graduated year 12 students will receive both their HSC marks and ATAR on the same day next Thursday.

Delays to last year’s HSC schedule during the Delta outbreak meant exam results were due to be released on January 24, one month later than their usual mid-December timeframe.

The delays also meant the publication of HSC marks and ATARs would have been spaced four days apart, with ATARs coming first on January 20, to allow universities as much time as possible to make offers to students before the start of semester.

But Education Minister Sarah Mitchell announced on Friday that the NSW Education Standards Authority had completed its marking and processing of the 2021 HSC results ahead of schedule. As a result, students will be able to access their marks via SMS and email from 6am on Thursday, January 20.

Students are due to receive their Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) from the University Admission Centre as planned from 9am on January 20.

The late changes put the results schedule back in line with recent years, where HSC marks and ATARs are released a few hours apart.

“This is a great outcome for our students, who we know are keen to receive their results and finalise their plans for the year, whether that be heading to university, training or straight into the workforce,” Ms Mitchell said.

“Last year we announced a number of changes to the HSC, designed to keep students safe and provide them with an opportunity to show what they know in exams. This meant delaying the start of the written exams and subsequently, the date that results could be delivered to students and schools.

“I know markers, supervisors, exam and marking staff have worked tirelessly to deliver these final results, not only on time, but earlier than forecast, and I am so pleased we can share this news with students.”

The HSC merit lists, which detail which students have achieved the highest band in their subjects, will now be published on the NESA website from midday on January 20.

The first in course ceremony for students who top their subjects will be held at 11am on Wednesday, January 19 and livestreamed on the NESA YouTube channel.

HSC exams finished on December 3 after the tests were twice delayed due to COVID-19. In the end, none of the 400,000 individual exam sessions were cancelled, and just 27 of the state’s 76,000 students missed a test because they were close contacts and had to self-isolate.

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• Delayed 2021 ATAR results finally revealed to NSW students today (9News)
• ATAR, HSC 2021 results as they happened (Sydney Morning Herald)
• ATARs and 2021 Higher School Certificate results released (PortNews)
• Intense focus on HSC results and ATAR must end (Sydney Morning Herald)
• Australia COVID-19 deaths mount as return to school threatens new Omicron peak (Reuters)
• Queensland Year 12 students wake to ATAR result (ABC)