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2026 RoSA monitoring advice

Record of School Achievement (RoSA) monitoring advice for 2026.

Record of School Achievement (RoSA) monitoring advice provides support on implementation and links to the Education Act 1990. The advice is aligned with NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) ACE Rules and must be read in conjunction with them.

When planning for RoSA delivery, schools should reference the department’s Curriculum, planning and programming, assessing and reporting to parents K-12 policy and and Curriculum policy standards.

It is recommended that staff read official NESA notices and subscribe to All news at NESA.

Information regarding the Department approved elective courses could be useful when considering Stage 5 curriculum.

RoSA general information

NESA issues the RoSA to eligible students who leave school before completing the Higher School Certificate (HSC).

The RoSA:

  • is a cumulative credential and contains a student’s record of academic achievement up until the date they leave school. This could be at the end of Year 10 or up to and including the end of Year 12
  • records completed Year 10 and Year 11 courses and grades, and Year 12 HSC results for students not eligible for the HSC. It also records participation in any incomplete Year 11 or Year 12 courses and the date of leaving school. The RoSA certificates webpage provides sample documents issued to school leavers.

As a requirement, all Year 12 students in NSW must reach a minimum standard of literacy and numeracy to receive their HSC. Students who have not demonstrated the minimum standard of literacy and numeracy may still qualify for the RoSA if they meet other eligibility requirements (ACE 1.1.1). For more information, refer to the HSC minimum standard, ACE 8.1.1, ACE 8.1.2 and ACE 8.1.3.

Students who, in the 5-year accumulation period, become eligible for the HSC by demonstrating they have met the HSC minimum standard will be issued with a HSC and have their results reissued on a RoSA.

While the RoSA credential is for school leavers, all Year 11 and Year 12 students are able to access and print a student eRecord via their NESA Students Online account. The eRecord is not a formal NESA credential but has the same information as a RoSA. The student eRecord is also available to schools via Schools Online. Schools can generate an eRecord to check the student’s course information is correctly recorded. This eRecord can be used as an interim result report until the formal RoSA credential is delivered to the student’s Students Online account. Further information about eRecords is available on NESA’s RoSA certificates webpage.

For further information, refer to the links in RoSA implementation support.

About the RoSA

To be eligible for the RoSA, students must have:

  • completed the mandatory curriculum requirements for a course of study in Years 7–10
  • attended a government school, an accredited non-government school or a recognised school outside NSW
  • completed courses of study that satisfy NESA curriculum and assessment requirements for the RoSA
  • complied with the requirements of the Education Act 1990.

The RoSA includes a record of each completed Board-endorsed or Board-developed course. It records student achievement as A to E grades for Stage 5 and Preliminary courses. Grades are:

  • based on available evidence of student achievement in the course
  • due for submission to NESA as outlined in the Timetables of actions for secondary schools
  • monitored by NESA for fairness and consistency.

Schools must have procedures for determining grades that will be submitted to NESA. The procedures must include:

Schools can review patterns of grades awarded in recent years by referring to their historical allocation of grades for Stage 5 and Preliminary courses at Schools Online.

Department approved elective courses are reported on internally by schools and are not listed on the RoSA.

School Delivered VET and Externally Delivered VET (EVET) courses may contribute towards the RoSA credential if the:

  • course was developed or endorsed by NESA
  • course was taught in line with the syllabus or course description and indicative hour requirements
  • student has satisfactorily completed the course (ACE 14.1.1), including any mandatory work placement (ACE 14.2.1) requirements.

The Disability Standards for Education 2005 outline the legislative requirements for schools to support students with disability to equitably access and participate in education. Life Skills outcomes and content provide options for students with an intellectual disability or an imputed intellectual disability in Years 7–10 who cannot access stage or prior stage outcomes and content (ACE 11.1). To impute a disability, the school must have reasonable evidence that a student’s learning is impacted by disability. A student whose learning is affected by other factors such as school attendance, proficiency with the English language or disrupted schooling would not be classified as having a disability.

Life Skills outcomes and content can be accessed in all Years 7–10 syllabuses.

Decisions about accessing Life Skills outcomes and content are made collaboratively:

  • based on the needs of the individual student
  • via collaborative curriculum planning
  • involving the individual student (where appropriate), their parents/carers and their teachers.

Life Skills outcomes and content in Years 7–10 syllabuses are not appropriate options for students:

  • who do not have an intellectual disability or an imputed intellectual disability
  • experiencing significant unexpected and/or chronic health issues
  • performing below their cohort
  • who could be helped with appropriate adjustments and support
  • with emotional and/or behavioural needs.

A student accessing Life Skills outcomes and content cannot return to studying stage or prior stage outcomes and content in a course once a decision to access Life Skills has been made (ACE 11.1.1). Students accessing Life Skills outcomes and content must continue studying Life Skills outcomes and content in current and subsequent stages of schooling.

Schools submit information in Schools Online regarding outcomes that have been achieved, either independently or with support, for all students enrolled in courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content (ACE 11.1.6).

Students who satisfactorily complete a Stage 5 course based on Life Skills outcomes and content and leave school before completing their HSC will have the course reported on the RoSA (ACE 11.1.6) with the notation Refer to Profile of Student Achievement.

Students who leave school prior to gaining the RoSA can access a Transcript of Study in Students Online. If the student has satisfactorily completed one or more Stage 5 courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content, a Profile of Student Achievement can be accessed.

Outcomes achieved in School Developed Board Endorsed courses (ACE 5.2.1) will not be reported on the Profile of Student Achievement.

Students who leave school before finishing Year 10 are not eligible for a RoSA. If students leave after Year 10 and still do not meet RoSA requirements, they will be issued with a Transcript of Study.

The Transcript of Study is a record of courses satisfactorily completed or started by a student and a leaving date, where applicable.

Schools request a RoSA credential through the enrolments section in Schools Online. NESA will issue the RoSA or Transcript of Study to the student’s Students Online account, usually within 48 hours of the request.

Students cannot request a RoSA or Transcript of Study.

Key considerations for schools

Students planning to leave school before the HSC may need additional opportunities to prepare for a smooth transition to the next stage of learning, training or employment, or a combination of these.

It is good practice to:

  • provide some information to students in hard copy about leaving school, the RoSA and the optional literacy and numeracy tests
  • hold information sessions for students and their parents to ensure they understand the eligibility requirements and optional opportunities. Access to interpreting and translations services should be offered, where required, to ensure equitable access to information
  • complete collaborative personalised post-school transition planning for students, including those with disabilities.

Compliance with RoSA requirements

Ongoing monitoring of RoSA candidates ensures that students maintain their eligibility for the RoSA until they leave school.

Principals must ensure that:

  • courses of study offered by the school for RoSA candidates are being taught and assessed in accordance with the requirements of NSW syllabuses and related documents
  • school procedures are in place to ensure that all students at the school who may be eligible for the RoSA
    • are entered into the correct courses in Schools Online
    • sign their Confirmation of Entry form
    • have satisfactorily completed the All My Own Work (or its equivalent) if entered for at least one Year 11 course
    • activate their Students Online account
  • school procedures are in place to ensure compliance with requirements for
  • schools may choose to offer and/or deliver Years 7–10 elective courses which may be studied in any year. However, elective courses cannot replace the mandatory RoSA curriculum (ACE 5.1.2). Elective courses in Year 9 and 10 contribute towards the RoSA if:
  • where a student in Years 9–12 undertakes a school-delivered VET course, the school has procedures in place to ensure
    • the VET course is delivered in accordance with the NSW Department of Education RTO 90333 Training and Assessment Strategy
    • the student’s Unique Student Identifier (USI) is verified and uploaded to Schools Online
    • course and competency entries and reporting of outcomes are completed in accordance with NESA timelines and procedures (including for students who withdraw)
    • relevant guidelines for access to VET courses are considered
    • any work placement is carried out in accordance with the department’s Workplace Learning policy and procedures
  • where a student in Years 9–12 undertakes a VET course delivered by approved registered RTOs external to the school, the school has procedures in place to ensure they fulfil the school’s responsibilities detailed in the document ‘VET Fact Sheets’ which can be found in the ‘Memos and Documents’ section in Schools Online.

RoSA implementation support

Information to support implementation of RoSA procedures.

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