The NSW Government has asked the state’s education standards authority to urgently review how artificial intelligence is affecting student learning and the integrity of HSC assessment.
Deputy Premier and Education Minister Prue Car has asked the NSW Education Standards Authority to consider temporarily suspending unsupervised take-home assessment tasks while a broader review is conducted.
No ban has yet been introduced.
If NESA recommends interim changes, they could take effect from the beginning of Term 4 in 2026, giving schools and students preparing for the 2027 HSC time to adjust.
Focus on authentic student work
Around half of a student’s HSC result comes from school-based assessment, some of which can currently be completed outside supervised classroom settings.
The review will examine whether increased access to generative AI makes it harder for teachers to determine whether submitted work genuinely reflects a student’s knowledge and skills.
NESA has also been asked to develop a more consistent approach for schools to identify inappropriate AI use in assessments.
Major projects and creative works, including some art and design subjects, are expected to require separate consideration rather than being automatically captured by any restriction.
AI use itself is not being banned
The review is focused on assessment integrity and student learning rather than introducing a general ban on artificial intelligence in NSW schools.
The government says AI can support education but is concerned that excessive reliance on the technology could allow students to bypass important processes such as writing, problem-solving, critical thinking and independent research.
Minister Car said assessments should continue to measure students’ own knowledge and effort rather than their ability to generate work using AI.
Changes could affect 2027 HSC students
NESA already has new Year 12 assessment requirements beginning in Term 4, 2026 for several revised Stage 6 syllabuses, including English, ahead of their first HSC examinations in 2027.
Any new AI-related assessment safeguards would therefore arrive as schools are preparing the incoming Year 12 cohort.
The exact form of any changes—including which subjects would be affected, what tasks would need supervision and what exemptions would apply—has not yet been decided.
For now, existing HSC assessment rules remain in place while NESA undertakes its review.
Be the first to comment