After dealing with COVID-19 disruptions for two years, Tamworth High School students Holly Murphy and Dakota Mellross are among a cohort of nervous Tamworth academics preparing for exams.

Despite the stress, students have breathed a sigh of relief knowing the HSC exams will go ahead after COVID-19 disrupted the school year.

Feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness, Ms Murphy and Ms Mellross will be among thousands of students around the state to file into the exam hall this morning, to sit the English paper.

Ms Murphy, who hopes to study primary school teaching at university next year, said she had been studying hard in preparation for the exams that run over the entirety of November.

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"I've been having little study dates with friends to see how they're going and catching up and reaching out to teachers," Ms Murphy said.

"The teachers having the year twelves as their first priority helps a lot."

With the 2021 cohort forced to study from home both this year and last year, Ms Mellross said completing school online with the distractions of being at home made the Year 12 experience a challenge.

"Through the lockdowns it was definitely a lot harder to just find the energy and the motivation to actually get up and do something," she said.

While she felt nervous about the exam period, Ms Mellross said being back in the classroom had given her the motivation to work towards her goal of securing an offer to study occupational therapy at university.

Both Tamworth High students agreed that the support they had received from their teachers in such a difficult time had been integral in preparing them for the month ahead.

Deputy Principal at Tamworth High School Megan Marshall said knowing the hard work the Year 12's had put in, she felt "quite relaxed" and excited for them.

"They've continued to be resilient in the face of two major obstacles, not to mention everything else that comes with turning 18," Ms Marshall said.

"We're thoroughly impressed with the way they've handled themselves."

As Tamworth has recently seen an eruption in school closures after being listed as exposure sites, Ms Marshall said plans had been made to ensure the exam period would not be disrupted.

"If, for example, we went into lockdown because of an active case, we have a partner school that is willing to host us and our students," she said.

Ms Marshall said all students would also be required to wear masks while completing their exams.

"Every precaution is being taken to ensure that they're healthy and they're calm and they're able to approach the exams in the best possible way," she said.

The exams will wrap up on December 2, with results expected to be released to students on January 24 next year.

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