Higher School Certificate exams have been delayed for five days

Year 12 students will be sitting the Higher School Certificate five days later than originally planned with results due before Christmas.

The Higher School Certificate exams have been pushed back five days to allow students more time with their teachers.

There were fears the COVID-19 crisis in Australia would severely impact the HSC and those sitting the International Baccalaureate, but both will still go ahead, with some delays.

The HSC was scheduled to begin on October 15 but will now commence on October 20, while oral language exams have been delayed by a week to August 15, according to the NSW Education Standards Authority.

Students are expected to receive their HSC results at 6am on December 18.

HSC exams have been delayed five days this year amid the coronavirus crisis. Picture: Toby Zerna

No changes have been made to the International Baccalaureate which is still planned for November, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank will be released at 9am on the same day, according to the publication.

“Delaying the start of the exams balances giving students some extra time at school after the October holiday period with keeping to the original time frame for releasing results so students can move on to the next stage in their lives,” NESA chief executive Paul Martin told the Sydney Morning Herald.