From 10am to 12.30pm Parkes High and Christian School students sat either the standard or advanced English paper in the LP Johnson Hall at Parkes High School.

Rachel Hancock and Joseph Dwyer were relieved to have their first exam over and done with.

“It was tough,” Joseph said. 

“But not as bad as I thought. The long response was the hardest part.”

Both students were happy with the amount of study they had done and felt they had prepared as best they could. 

Rachel said the exam wasn’t too bad.

“It wasn’t too hard,” she said.

“I finished in plenty of time. I got hungry though!”

Parkes Christian School Student Corey Churchill sat the Advanced English Exam.

“It was alright,” he said. 

Followed with the mantra often heard after an exam “It would have been better if I had studied more!”

Corey also finished in plenty of time and was able to get out early. 

With one exam down and five to go, Corey said he will be looking for an apprenticeship in Parkes to learn a trade.

“I’d like to be a boilermaker or something like that,” he said.

Riverina Nationals’ MP Michael McCormack wished the hundreds of students across the Riverina and Central West all the best and reminded them there is more to life than results or stress during the next few weeks.

“While this is an important part of your life, the most important thing to remember is that it is not the only part of your life,”  Mr McCormack said.

“The options and pathways for people who don’t like exams are endless. Not everybody has to do well at school or go to University. 

“This is only a small part of your life and in a couple of weeks, your next chapter will begin and can take you anywhere in life.”

More than 77,000 NSW high school students will sit the exams as one of the final cohorts before the NSW Government enacts sweeping reforms across the state.

From next year, Year 9 students sitting NAPLAN will be assessed on their ability to pass their HSC three years down the track.

The mandatory test will see students have to pass the third-highest level of NAPLAN literacy and numeracy in order to be eligible for their HSC. The move has drawn criticism for heaping pressure on students as young as 14.

The HSC runs for 17 days over four weeks finishing on Friday, November 4.