The government has moved the start date for the written exam period for the third time, to November 9, reigniting debate about whether the exams should have been cancelled and internal assessments used to calculate results instead.

Medowie students Reuben Blatch, 17, Kyle Wilson, 18, and Poppy Verhaar, 17, - who are in the middle of completing two weeks of trial exams online - said they believed the exams should go ahead, but that postponing them by a month was "excessive" and require them to draw heavily on their reserves of motivation.

They said their school's smooth transition to remote learning had reduced stress and made studying through the pandemic easier than peers at other schools. Kyle said it had prepared them to learn online and "work autonomously" at university.

"We've been training essentially to peak around October for our exams but now we've got to push for an extra month and get extra resources and everything for later on in the year," said Reuben, who nevertheless said he was still an "exam person".

Poppy said she preferred school based assessment tasks but exams were necessary to "level out the playing field".

"That's an extra month we have to study for and retain information in our heads and it might be more time to study but it's a long time away," she said. "It's going to be eating into December, by the time December comes around you're like 'I'm so over this' and you just want to have a break and get away from your schooling."

Kyle said it would be challenging to maintain consistency and that continuing to draw up to 50 per cent of marks from exams would put a lot of pressure on students.

He said he'd like to see students prepare a portfolio of their assessments, strengths and weaknesses.

Poppy's design and technology major work is due on September 2. "It's hard because I don't have the tools to do half the stuff I needed to do and you can't go to places and grab resources... I'm having to use stuff from around the house," she said.

Teachers will mark performance exams, language exams and major projects, instead of NESA markers.

The trio said they were not sure how this would affect their marks for the subjects they completed last year as part of their school's split program, but that they were relieved to have finished these to lighten this year's load.

Year 12 will return to classrooms on October 25, unless lockdown is lifted in their LGA before then, and the students said they were looking forward to resuming routines in a "social environment".

The students said they're open to getting vaccinated before exams, but not in a rush.

Year 12 advisor Kristin Bell said the school would likely hold its graduation next term and move its formal for the third time. The students said they have no rigid plans for schoolies.

"We've been busy working behind the scenes to get everything ready to go so we can jump at a minute's notice," Ms Bell said. "It's so important for them to have all these rites of passage... and they get the same thing as what everyone before them has had."

She said the cohort "never once complained" and had adapted well to the changes, which was a useful skill. The students said they were focusing on what they could control.

"My headspace is like Dory, 'Just keep swimming'," Poppy said. "It's almost there, try to stay positive about it."

Kyle said it was one year in what would hopefully be "long successful lives".