The New South Wales Government has asked the NSW Education Standards Authority to urgently examine changes to Higher School Certificate assessments as artificial intelligence becomes more widely used by students.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car has requested that NESA consider a temporary moratorium on unsupervised take home assessment tasks while it conducts a broader review of AI’s impact on student learning and assessment.
The review will examine research into how AI may affect students’ cognitive development and consider whether current assessment methods, including major projects and creative works, adequately protect authentic student work.
NESA has also been asked to develop a common approach that schools and teachers can use to identify inappropriate AI use in assessments.
The move comes as school based assessment continues to account for half of a student’s HSC result, with some assessment tasks completed outside the classroom. The government says this has increased the need to ensure that assessment remains a genuine measure of what students know and can do independently.
Any interim changes, subject to NESA’s advice, could take effect from the start of Term 4 this year. The proposed timeline is intended to give students entering Year 12 in 2027, along with schools and parents, clarity before their final year begins.
The government has indicated that some assessment tasks are likely to be exempt from any temporary restrictions. Major art and design and technology projects are among the tasks expected to receive subject specific consideration.
Prue Car said AI could support teaching and learning but should not replace the thinking and creativity that schools are intended to develop.
She said the purpose of schooling was to build knowledge, judgement, resilience and critical thinking over time, and argued that excessive reliance on AI could weaken both student learning and the credibility of HSC results.
Car said safeguards should be considered while the education system develops a clearer understanding of AI’s long term effects on learning. She said parents should be able to trust that HSC results reflect a student’s own knowledge, effort and achievement.
The announcement reflects a wider debate taking place across Australian and international education systems, where schools and examination authorities are reassessing assessment practices in response to the rapid adoption of generative AI tools. Some jurisdictions have expanded the use of supervised assessments and revised academic integrity policies, while others are exploring new forms of assessment that are less vulnerable to AI assisted work.
Education experts have generally agreed that AI presents both opportunities and challenges. Digital tools can assist with research, drafting and personalised learning support, but concerns remain about reduced independent thinking, authorship and the reliability of assessment conducted outside supervised settings.
NESA is expected to provide advice on possible changes and a framework for schools as the review progresses.
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