Cardiff High School students are relieved the HSC is underway after COVID-19 delays

"I would have been completely done before we even started these tests, I feel like I would have all this pressure off my shoulders right now," she said.

"But also it was good that we had time to come back and see our teachers to get more information and advice from them."

Intended to begin for the 2021 cohort on October 12, Charlotte said exams are giving students a sense of fulfillment and she would have been disappointed to see them cancelled due to the coronavirus.

"I've tried this hard for thirteen years, it would be a bit unsatisfying if I didn't sit my tests."

A return to face to face teaching over the last month has been important to Charlotte's exam preparation.

"The routine and schedule of coming back to school is really helpful for me. Coming back gave me that second wind of come on, it's so close, just keep going."

Alongside Charlotte, Sam Murphy has been captain of Cardiff High for the past year. Sam and Charlotte were two of over fifty thousand students across NSW who sat the first of their English exams on Tuesday.

Sam said the extended response question this year on Arthur Miller's The Crucible suited his "writing style". He also said the exam's five short answer questions were a lot easier than the trial exam.

"I think the trial set a standard which was good for us going into the HSC," he said.

Students were asked to adhere to a range of COVID related guidelines on exam day. These included not mingling before or after the exam and wearing facemasks while sitting their papers.

"The masks were a little bit uncomfortable to wear whilst we were writing," Charlotte said.

"I feel like when I get stressed my breathing gets faster and the masks restricted that a bit."

Schools are also required to have back up facilities for exams in the case of school closure. For Cardiff High, these venues are Cardiff South Public School and Cardiff Scout Hall.

Principal Joshua Gane said Cardiff High is well-prepared to shift location at late notice.

"We've got trailers full of desks and chairs along with boxes of sanitising products ready to go," he said.

For Mr Gane, the network of local principals was a crucial support in a COVID disrupted year.

"We've had a lot of hurdles throughout the year so the Secondary Principals Council and the Department of Education have been a great help."

Full of praise for his staff and students, Mr Gane said support between peers has been "inspiring".

"When students haven't turned up to a study session, friends have called them and made sure they come to the next one," he said.

"Students accepted this year as a challenge and with the help of dedicated staff rose to that challenge."