Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Sian Cain

Policy of secrecy leaves authors with ‘no inkling’ works are being set for NSW’s year 12 exams

Australian novelist Delia Falconer, whose work was featured on this year’s HSC English exam in NSW.
Australian novelist Delia Falconer, whose work was featured on this year’s HSC English exam in New South Wales, says ‘it wouldn’t be bad to get a tip-off’. Photograph: Carly Earl/The Guardian

When roughly 60,000 year 12 students sit down to do their final English exam in New South Wales each year, they have no idea what texts they’ll be asked to analyse.

Likewise, the authors of those texts are neither asked nor warned by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) – an increasingly controversial policy as students sometimes take to social media to vent their post-exam frustration directly at them.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.