The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) has accepted all eight recommendations from an independent review of the HSC Disability Provisions program, paving the way for stronger equity and accessibility measures for students sitting HSC exams from 2026 and beyond.
Under the changes, computer use will be made more accessible to students with disability who need this adjustment to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in exams.
From the 2026 HSC onwards, NESA will implement revised eligibility criteria to broaden access to computers. These changes are designed to simplify the process for students who cannot effectively communicate with a writer.
Another key change is the removal of the need for families to repeatedly “prove” a permanent disability for their child.
In addition, applications will only require comments from two teachers, as opposed to comments for each course, significantly reducing the workload on teachers.
NESA is also exploring further improvements, including expanding computer provisions to appropriate speech‑to‑text and text‑to‑speech technologies, as part of a cross‑sector working group.
The review, which consulted with 700 past students and families, identified barriers faced particularly by students from lower socio‑economic, regional and remote communities in understanding and accessing the provisions.
The review found no evidence that any school sector is receiving provisions students are not eligible for. Instead, it highlighted that some eligible students are not applying - often due to barriers that disproportionately affect disadvantaged communities.
In response, NESA has introduced a series of practical changes that reduce time, cost and stress for students, families and schools. NESA will work with the school sectors to encourage earlier applications, particularly for students with permanent disability, including those seeking computer access.
This will reduce repeated evidence requirements and give students greater certainty heading into Year 12.
Read the report and NESA’s response to the recommendations: https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/nesa/hsc/exam-provisions
For attribution to NSW Education Standards Authority CEO Paul Martin:
“We are committed to ensuring all students can participate in HSC exams to show what they know and can do.
“Applications for disability provisions have continued to increase year on year in line with disability trends across Australia – which is why it was appropriate to review our current settings.
“It remains a priority for NESA that we reach students in all parts of the state, across all school sectors, who require provisions for exams so they can demonstrate what they know.
“These changes should make it simpler for schools, so that groups of students who chose not to apply in the past will find the application requirements easier.
“Thank you to the stakeholders in health, disability and education who gave their time and expertise to this review, as well as the hundreds of past students and families who offered their feedback.
“I welcome the support of the school sectors in implementing these changes, so that we can feel confident every student has access to a program grounded in fairness.”