Yes.
According to the Visual Arts Stage 6 Syllabus, Board of Studies NSW, 'Students are required to keep a VAPD during the Preliminary and HSC Visual Arts courses. It is expected that there should be some connection between what is in the diary and what is produced as an artwork. Students can use their diaries to formulate ideas and their intentions for what they will do in artmaking and it may indicate a student’s research within the creative process. It can suggest technical interests and risk-taking, beliefs and interpretations and allow for reflection, evaluation and assessment'
www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/insideartexpress/2012/diaries/
Visual Arts Process Diary
Visual Arts Process Diaries are not marked as part of the body of work submission
and must not be submitted with the body of work. They will only be looked at if the
body of work cannot be assessed without further support material. The diaries must be
retained at school until the HSC marking of submitted works is complete. This
requirement is necessary if the body of work needs further verification and further
evidence of a student’s work is required, and in cases of appeals. (See Visual Arts
Syllabus Stage 6 pages 29–30.)
Diaries should suggest and provide evidence of a student’s practice of artmaking. As
marking takes place during the written examination period, teachers should advise
students to photocopy those parts of the diary they may need to use in studying for
their written examination.
For itinerant marking, schools should ensure that students’ diaries are readily
available within the school, but not presented with the works. They may be required
by examiners to authenticate the student’s submissions. Students should ensure that
their diaries are clearly identified by their Student Number.
http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/visual-arts-assessment-reporting.pdf