A potentially huge problem (Option topics)

[blasonduo]

Hello, at my school for HSC chemistry, the option we are doing is Industrial Chemistry.

Although, 3 weeks ago, I had decided to go away from this option and do Forensic Chemistry instead. I had my reasons (ie I knew that i'd do better in it, as I found it more interesting and the questions were more my style, where in the long run; I would score higher marks. etc)

This was all fine, I wrote my notes, and understood the whole topic over the holidays and I was planning to be doing the topic of Forensics in my trials.

This was all fine until today, when I was called in to the head of curriculum where they told me I can do forensic in the HSC test, but not in the Trials, where I had to do Industrial. This is a problem as the paper is in 1 week 2 days, and I would need to learn half of the Industrial topic (basically rendering my other study for other topics redundant.)
There reason on why I HAD to do industrial were:

1) The assessment sheet for Trials said Industrial
2) It would be difficult to scale me to the rest of the peers (even though I said it would be harder for me as I learnt the whole topic while they have done half)
3) I would be at a disadvantage (which I agree, and am willing to understand this is the potential consequences.)

HOWEVER

In physics a couple years ago, My physics teacher said that he had a student who did another option, but he did his own option in the trials.

So......

My question is
WHAT DO I DO?
Is there anything on the NESA site about this?
Why was the other student allowed, but not me?
How screwed am I?

Thank you for reading, I really appreciate it.

My optimal standing would be to do forensic in the trial paper, but I now honestly feel more screwed and more disadvantaged being forced to do industrial (this is 25% of the paper)

[marioedd]

It is really up to your head teachers discretion because technically you should be doing the same option your school does as school trials only have that option (unless it is an independent paper, and even then some schools disregard some parts). But yes you are right, for the hsc you can do any option.

[MisterNeo]

Unfortunately, the school can force you to do Industrial because Trials is an internal assessment and they test you on what they have taught - that's the whole idea of "assessment".

The best thing you can do is to focus on learning the basics of Industrial in a week just for this Trial period.
Check your school assessment notice on which syllabus dotpoints are being tested, then revise those.

Industrial isn't that much of a hard topic because most of the content is literally a repeat of the 3 core modules.
We do sulfur/sulfuric acid, LCP equilibrium, soap, and galvanic/electrolytic cells.

If you need anything to assist you in Industrial, hit up the Q&A coz I (and others) do Industrial.
(It's the most chosen option)