Higher School Certificate exams will go ahead this year, and results will be released in mid-December as originally planned, the NSW Education Standards Authority said on Friday.

NESA had previously confirmed that students would get their HSC in 2020, but had not clarified that the exams would proceed, as results could still be determined on the basis of assessment marks or teacher estimates.

HSC exams to go ahead in 2020 Credit:Wolter Peeters

But a meeting of the authority's COVID-19 response committee on Friday decided to proceed with the examinations. A timetable would be released by May 15. Sources told The Sydney Morning Herald that any changes to the start or finish dates would likely be minor.

Due dates would be extended for major projects in design and technology, industrial technology, textiles and design and visual arts.