Exam rules are to make exams fair for all students and to have conditions that test what you know and what you can do.  All students taking external exams must follow the same rules outlined below.

These rules outline what you need to know about taking exams, and what it is expected of you as a candidate. 

As part of your Student Declaration you declare that you have read and will comply with these external assessment rules.

Each candidate must follow these rules about the conduct of external assessments arranged by, or on behalf of, TASC.

(a) Each candidate must attend an exam in person.

(b) A candidate must not allow any other person to attend an exam in his or her place.

(c) A person must not help any candidate to arrange for any other person to attend an exam in the candidate’s place.

(d) A candidate must obey any instructions or directions given in the exam room by a supervisor.

(e) No candidate may leave the exam room before the end of the first hour of the scheduled writing time.

(f) No candidate may leave the exam room in the last half an hour of the scheduled writing time.

(g) Except with the permission of the supervisor, no candidate may occupy a seat in the exam centre other than that assigned to the candidate.

(h) No candidate may communicate with any other candidate in the exam room.

(i) A candidate must not bring into the exam room any loose notes, papers, manuscripts, books or notebooks or other materials unless these are listed in the TASC requirements for this exam. A candidate must put any such books or notes that have accidentally been brought into the exam room in the section of the room that has been set aside for this purpose.

(j) A candidate must not, during an exam, give assistance to another candidate or, through lack of care, allow another to copy or otherwise use any materials; or accept help from another or, dishonestly or unfairly use any materials or, in any manner whatsoever, act dishonestly or unfairly or cheat or conspire to do so.

(k) A candidate must not remove any answer booklet, used or unused, from the exam room.

(l) A candidate must not bring any of the following items into the exam room:

  • electronic dictionaries and/or spell checkers
  • subject specific reference books/dictionaries (exception – languages [dictionaries])
  • programmable (computerised) watches or devices (For example, Apple watch, watches and fitness trackers, music players such as iPods / MP3 players / mini disc or CD players, laptop computers/PDAs, iPads, tablets or similar devices;
  • recording devices of any kind
  • electronic storage media (USB drives or other proprietary memory cards)
  • mobile telephones
  • cameras
  • animals
  • any intoxicating substances
  • any loose notes, papers, manuscripts, books or notebooks unless their use during the exam has been permitted
  • pencil cases or pencil bags – pens and pencils must be in a clear sealable plastic bag or clear pencil case
  • any food or drinks (other than water) unless expressly given permission by TASC through the reasonable adjustments process.

Note: Water may be brought into an exam room provided that the water is in a clear plastic bottle that has no adhesive labels and has a pop-top lid. The bottle is to be a maximum of 1500 ml capacity and is not to be refilled or shared with other candidates during the exam.

A candidate may not bring into an exam room an approved and permitted calculator or any other form of electronic device that holds text or other information that if brought into the exam room in any other way would be a breach of section 2 of this rule.

(m) A candidate must not present for external assessment under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

(n) A candidate must not cause any nuisance, annoyance or interference to any other candidates. A candidate who does not obey an instruction given by the supervisor to stop any nuisance, annoyance or interference to any other candidates will not be allowed to complete the exam and will be required to leave the exam room immediately.

(o) A candidate must obey and observe any instruction relating to these rules given by the supervisor.

(p) A candidate must stop writing when given the instruction to do so by the supervisor.

(q) At the end of the exam each candidate must stay silent and in his or her place until told by the supervisor to leave the exam room.

(r) A candidate must not communicate with an examiner, either before or after an exam or during a performance exam, except when communications are necessary for the conduct of the exam. Any communication regarding the conduct or result of an exam must be directed to the Executive Officer, TASC.

(s) A candidate must not cause any interference or damage to property at a venue where an exam is being conducted.

(t) A candidate must not write or draw anything offensive in an answer booklet, nor write letters or notes to the examiners.

(u) Candidates detected with any device defined in (l) upon the direction of the supervisor, must surrender that device for inspection. Any confiscated device will be retained, pending an investigation into the alleged breach of TASC rules.

(v) Candidates must not remove any response material, used or unused from the exam room.

(w) All candidate watches must be removed and placed at the top of the candidate’s table where they can be clearly and easily seen by a supervisor.

(a) A supervisor will admit a candidate to the exam room if the candidate presents a valid Notice of External Assessment. A school student without a valid Notice of External Assessment will only be admitted by the supervisor after the TASC Liaison Officer or Principal of the student’s school has confirmed the student’s identity to the supervisor and on the basis that the student will comply with this rule.

(b) A candidate who arrives up to one hour after the scheduled start of writing time for the exam will be admitted to the exam room. A candidate so admitted must stop work by the scheduled finish of writing time.

(c) A candidate arriving later than one hour from the scheduled start of writing time will be admitted only on the following conditions:

  1. that the candidate is admitted to the room on the understanding that his or her answer booklet(s) may not be accepted by TASC. The candidate must be told about this condition and must accept this requirement by completing the appropriate form (statutory declaration).
  2. that appropriate arrangements can be made to allow the candidate to complete the exam without disruption to other candidates. A candidate so admitted must stop work by the scheduled finish of writing time.
  3. that the candidate completes a Statutory Declaration immediately following the conclusion of the exam declaring:
    • the reason for being late for the exam (note rule 2 (d) below)
    • that the candidate:
      – has not seen or read the exam question booklet before entering the exam room
      – has had no communication with anyone who has had access to the contents of the exam question booklet
      – understands that the answer book(s) may not be accepted by TASC.

(d) TASC will not make any allowance for a candidate who is late for an exam or who is absent from an exam as a result of misreading the timetable.

(e) A candidate who, due to illness, has to leave an exam or is absent from an exam and wants this to be taken into consideration by TASC must visit a medical practitioner and request the completion of the TASC Senior secondary external assessment medical certificate located in the current Student Exam Guide. Medical Certificates must be dated on the day of the exam or not more than 7 days before. Medical Certificates dated after the day of exam will not be accepted, under any circumstances. (NOTE: 2022 COVID adjustment applies.)

(f) A candidate who is absent from an exam for some non-medical reason and wants TASC to give them individual consideration when determining their final award must write to the Executive Officer of TASC within 5 working days of the exam. The candidate must detail the special circumstances of this absence and provide any available supporting evidence (note rule 2 (d) above).

(g) During the scheduled time of an exam, a person (including a teacher) who is not authorised by TASC must not enter an exam room, communicate with a candidate or look at or remove an exam paper.

(a)　Any material submitted by a candidate for external assessment must, except where the source of the information, images, ideas or words is explicitly acknowledged, be the work of the candidate.

(b)　An externally assessed folio or other project work will be assessed as specified in the folio guidelines published by TASC that year.

(c)　TASC will only accept candidate folios of work for assessment if:

  1. the authenticity of the student work is verified by the class teacher on behalf of the course provider
  2. the Declaration Form is completed by both the candidate and the responsible teacher acting on behalf of the provider (this form is archived by the school)
  3. the folio is officially received at the designated collection centre (usually a school or college) on or before the published due date (and by no later than 5.00pm) unless TASC has given to the candidate written approval before this date for a particular later submission date through the folio extension process.

(a) Any apparent breach of the above rule or any other form of cheating or dishonesty in relation to any external assessments will be reported to the Executive Officer of TASC.

(b) The Executive Officer may decide that the apparent breach is sufficiently serious to require consideration of a possible penalty by a meeting of members of a committee formed by TASC.

(c) The meeting of members of the TASC committee will consider the circumstances of the alleged breach and determine, if necessary, an appropriate penalty.

(d) Possible penalties for candidates include:

  • cancellation of the candidate’s exam result for a particular subject, or
  • cancellation of all the candidate’s results for the year, for both internally and externally assessed subjects.

(a) Sections 2 and 3 of these rules will apply to candidates with disabilities or other impairments with such approved changes, consistent with providing a fair opportunity to all to show what they know and can do, as can be appropriate and reasonable.

(b) Candidates, supervisors and markers will be advised as needed by TASC of any approved specific changes to these rules for particular candidates.

(c) Requests for reasonable adjustments must be received in the form and by the time specified by TASC.

(a) Requests to inspect written exam material and folios must be submitted by the TASC nominated dates, published in the annual Student Exam Guide. The candidate must complete the application form (available after the release of results) and the approved charge must be paid in advance.

(b) Requests to raise any matters related to individual exams and external assessment results must be submitted to TASC by 31 January in the year following the exam or assessment.

(c) All work that is required to be externally assessed at schools and colleges will remain at the relevant school until the external assessment process is complete.

(d) Candidates can request to have a copy of their written exam material and folios returned to them by completing the application form and returning to TASC by 30 April in the year following the assessment. A copy of the material will then be returned by the end of June that year.

All exam material or folios held by TASC that is not being returned to candidates, retained for quality control or other accountability purposes, will be destroyed at the end of June in the year following the exam or external assessment.