| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | SEMESTER | |
| “Academic period” seems to be confused with “short term” (8) | Anagram of SEEMS + TER(m) | |
| 5 | IMPART | |
| Pass on one piano on show in shop (6) | I + (P inside MART) | |
| 10 | GOLDEN HANDSHAKE | |
| Has had dog kennel rebuilt with unemployment benefit? (6,9) | Anagram of HAS HAD DOG KENNEL | |
| 11 | EYE-OPENER | |
| I heard peer on broadcast – what a revealing event! (3-6) | Sounds like I + anagram of PEER ON | |
| 12 | ROAMS | |
| Sheep, taking in nothing, wanders about aimlessly (5) | RAMS outside O | |
| 13 | EVIL | |
| In operation, sitting around could be harmful (4) | LIVE reversed | |
| 15 | MAGNATE | |
| Powerbroker may cut off corrupt agent (7) | MA(y) + anagram of AGENT | |
| 18 | FROWNER | |
| French proprietor, one who looks displeased (7) | FR + OWNER | |
| 20 | MYTH | |
| Members of academy that fabricated story (4) | acadeMY THat | |
| 23 | ETHER | |
| One of two releasing one old number (5) | EITHER minus I | |
| 24 | MINUSCULE | |
| Lower-case subtraction indicator used by cryptic clue (9) | MINUS + anagram of CLUE | |
| 26 | COUNTER-ATTACKED | |
| Marker changed direction after a time and fought back (7-8) | COUNTER + [TACKED after (A + T)] | |
| 27 | SPEEDO | |
| Costume maker is not seen in edited episodes (6) | Anagram of EPISODES minus IS | |
| 28 | TRUNCATE | |
| Dock directed sailing boat in middle of westerly (8) | (RUN + CAT) inside wes(TE)rly | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | SIGNET | |
| 10 American soldiers picked up SEAL (6) | (TEN + GIS) reversed | |
| 2 | MULLET | |
| Do tell about finishing Greek letter (6) | TELL reversed after MU | |
| 3 | SWEEP | |
| Waste matter absorbed by special brush (5) | WEE inside SP | |
| 4 | ETHANOL | |
| One in hotel ordered alcohol (7) | AN inside anagraqm of HOTEL | |
| 6 | MISS RIGHT | |
| The perfect female engineer shortened height following oversight (4,5) | (RIG + HT) after MISS | |
| 7 | AGAR-AGAR | |
| A newspaper backed and reproduced setter (4-4) | [A +(RAG reversed)] twice | |
| 8 | THE ASHES | |
| He has played badly in most of test series (3,5) | (HE + anagram of HAS) inside (TES)t | |
| 9 | IN TRIM | |
| Fit caretaker lacking energy (2,4) | INTERIM minus E | |
| 14 | VENERATED | |
| Respected veteran worked with journalist (9) | Anagram of VETERAN + ED | |
| 16 | OFFENCES | |
| Violations of bent resellers (8) | OF + FENCES | |
| 17 | HOTHOUSE | |
| Water surrounding grand development environment (8) | HOSE outside THOU | |
| 19 | REMARK | |
| Comment on score in an exam (6) | RE + MARK | |
| 20 | MONITOR | |
| Observe him on it, or in it? (7) | hiM ON IT OR | |
| 21 | QUOKKA | |
| Heads to Queensland, uncertain of keeping koala and wallaby (6) | (Q)ueensland (U)ncertain (O)f (K)eeping (K)oala (A)nd | |
| 22 | PEDDLE | |
| Sell cycle by word of mouth (6) | (HE + anagram of HAS) inside (TES)t | |
| 25 | SPAWN | |
| Small shrimp, clear of river, deposit eggs (5) | S + (PRAWN minus R) |
