A letter claiming to be from the New South Wales Education Standards Authority, which suggested a rescheduling of a Higher School Certificate (HSC) exam, has been exposed as a hoax.

The image, which quickly went viral, falsely indicated that English Paper 2 students would need to retake their final exam. The education board has denounced this misleading information, highlighting the undue stress it places on students.

“We are aware of a hoax circulating online regarding ‘rescheduled exams’ for English Paper 2,” a spokesperson for the NSW Education Standards Authority stated in a release on Saturday evening.

“This information is not true and is extremely disappointing,” the spokesperson continued.

“Sharing such hoaxes only adds unnecessary stress to students who are diligently preparing for their exams,” they added.

"HSC students are advised to disregard rumours and hoaxes about exam content or schedules shared on any platform. Always contact your school directly if you have any concerns or questions."

The letter, which appears to be on a NSW Education Standards Authority letterhead, states the exam was compromised and "due to a breach in the confidentiality", the exam would be done again for all students.

However, the board says there are "rigorous processes" in place to "protect the security of exams and to maintain their confidentiality".

The HSC exams began across NSW on October 16 and run through to November 7, with results announced on December 18.

The marks students receive in these exams provide entry into tertiary education, with the pupils receiving a "TER", or Tertiary Entrance Rank, determining which courses and universities they can apply for.

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