Australian Catholic University (ACU) experts are urging Year 12 students to plan their study, protect their rest, use artificial intelligence (AI) carefully and keep exams in perspective as final assessments get under way across the country.
NSW’s HSC written exams began on 13 October and run to 5 November, with about 80,000 students holding personal timetables, the NSW Education Standards Authority said. In Victoria, written VCE exams run from 27 October to 18 November.
ACU said it has experts available on exam preparation, student wellbeing, study strategies, motivation, stress management and parent support.
Keeping exams in perspective
Resilience expert Dr Kylie Trask-Kerr, of ACU’s School of Education in Melbourne, said young people who maintain balance and focus on goals such as growth and relationships may be more likely to put exams into perspective.
“Remember that education is a lifelong pursuit and is not just about your ATAR. You have achieved so much already, and will have many opportunities for success in the future,” she said.
The stakes for wellbeing are not small. A national survey of almost 4,000 young people, GENERATION, found 32% reported high psychological distress in the four weeks before they were surveyed in 2024, when most were in Year 12. Separately, The Educator reported that a University of Adelaide survey of nearly 109,000 students found nearly a third of secondary students have high depression or anxiety symptoms.
Associate professor Steven Lewis, a standardised assessment expert at ACU’s Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education in Ballarat, offered four tips. He said students should map their assessments on a calendar and review past exams, quoting the saying “Failing to plan is planning to fail”. He also advised scheduling rest and exercise as deliberately as study, staying connected with friends and family, and remembering that Year 12 exams are a gateway to many pathways, including university, apprenticeships and work, that can change.
AI, assessment and the pressure of exams
AI researcher associate professor Walayat Hussain, of ACU’s Peter Faber Business School in Sydney, designs AI tutors for high school science and agents that flag struggling students early. He said parents should change the question they ask.
“For parents, the best question isn’t ‘Are you using AI?’ but ‘Can you explain this to me without it?’” he said.
Research points the same way. A study published in PNAS gave nearly 1,000 high school maths students access to GPT-4. Those with a standard version scored 17% lower on an exam once access was removed than students who never had it. A version with built-in safeguards largely avoided that effect. Its authors also found students’ perceptions of their learning were overly optimistic.
Associate professor Jessica Holloway, an education policy researcher at ACU’s Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education, said the emphasis on exams can shape the purpose and experience of schooling.
“Senior secondary exams help demonstrate what students have learnt, while their results also help determine access to further education,” she said.
“But when so much depends on the result, students and teachers have strong incentives to focus on what will produce the best mark. This can narrow students’ experience of education and their sense of what is possible for their future.”
For teachers, school leaders and counsellors, the advice offers practical prompts. Schools can build planning calendars into study support, set rest into revision timetables, and give families the “Can you explain this?” test for AI. The Educator also reported that teachers absorb much of students’ anxiety during exam periods, so staff wellbeing is part of the picture.
Students who feel overwhelmed can contact Kids Helpline.