Automotive 2021 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• read the question carefully to ensure that they do not miss important components of the question
• have a clear understanding of key words in the question and recognise the intent of the question and its requirements
• use the first page of the answer booklet for an extended response to develop a plan to assist in the logical sequencing of information
• engage with what the question is asking rather than presenting a pre-prepared response
• relate to the question throughout the response rather than just at the beginning
• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the examinable units of competency from the syllabus
• communicate ideas and information using relevant workplace examples and industry terms
• be prepared to address a range of industry issues
• demonstrate knowledge of employability skills relevant to various situations
• include relevant annotations when including a diagram
• review their response to ensure that it addresses the question requirements.

Question 16

In better responses, students were able to:

• describe multiple ways a workshop could promote environmental sustainability, including, for example, renewable energy, waste disposal, education, signage and staff meetings.
• provide a logical and sequenced response.

Areas for students to improve include:

• including a range of relevant industry examples
• identifying specific environmental processes that promote sustainability rather than general Work Health and Safety examples.

Question 17

In better responses, students were able to:

• correctly identify 2 classes of fire such as oil & paper (a)
• identify the type of extinguisher required (b)
• explore other requirements to check, such as extinguisher pressure gauge, clearing the area of people and/or remove other hazards (b)
• correctly identify the actions to extinguish the fire (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing a minimum number of relevant steps for extinguisher use (b)
• providing examples of two classes of fire as opposed to examples from the same class (b).

Question 18

In better responses, students were able to:

• clearly explain why it is important for a technician to verify a fault prior to diagnosing the fault (a)
• refer to the need for the technician to personally experience the symptoms of a fault to diagnose accurately (a)
• clearly describe the difference between a symptom and a fault (b)
• clearly link the symptom and fault in the (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• clearly describing why personally verifying a fault is necessary, with references to customer dissatisfaction, an incorrect part could be purchased and added customer expense (a)
• providing a detailed description between what constitutes a symptom and fault (b)
• linking the description of the example to the question (b).

Question 19

In better responses, students were able to:

• correctly identify two components that control movement of the air-fuel mixture through the combustion chamber in a 2-stroke engine, for example, reed valve and crankcase, transfer ports, exhaust system (a)
• clearly describe different methods of lubrication for 2-stroke engine and 4-stroke engines, for example, 2-stroke engine lubrication systems require oil to be either pre-mixed with fuel or injected into the combustion chamber, 4-stroke engines need a permanent oil reservoir (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• using correct industry terms within their response
• providing a logical and sequenced response using appropriate examples.

Question 20

In better responses, students were able to:

• clearly outline two ways manufacturers have improved efficiency in exhaust systems, including tuned length primary pipe design, crossover pipes, and/or improved muffler design that minimises back pressure whilst also suppressing noise (a)
• provide a comprehensive explanation of how a turbocharger increases engine efficiency with specific technical examples, including references to exhaust energy being used to drive a turbine and provide increase volumetric efficiency (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• including details of technical operation (a and b)
• using specific examples rather than general terms (a and b).

Question 21

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a clear outline of the difference between alternating current and direct current with clear technical detail (a)
• explain the way alternating current travels in both directions over a period as well as the changing nature of polarity in alternating current (a)
• clearly explain how a voltage drop greater than 0.6 of a volt will affect electrical devices and cause them to underperform or malfunction (b)
• explain in detail the operating differences between a series and a parallel circuit (c)
• provide reference to series circuits having only one path to supply electricity to a component, which can cause the whole circuit to fail if there is an interruption to the circuit (c)
• provide reference to a parallel circuit where electricity can have two or multiple paths providing energy. If one path is not operating, other paths will be prevented from operating (c)
• develop accurate diagrams of both a series circuit and a parallel circuit
• provide a logical and sequenced response (a, b and c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• demonstrating technical understanding of electrical fundamentals
• referring to industry specific examples within their explanation, including references to electricity flow characteristics
• correctly identifying the limitations of series and parallel circuit designs.

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a technical response describing the various components that produce and transfer torque, including power transfer from the piston through to the drivetrain (a)
• provide a clear understanding of function (a and b)
• develop a clear comparison of how engine torque is transmitted between automatic and manual transmission (a)
• explore the advantages or limitations of each transmission system (a)
• provide clear reference to the individual components such as input shafts, fluid coupling references and/or detailed description of power transfer through a coupling (a)
• demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the various components (a and b)
• elaborate on new transmission technologies and various features, including links to improved efficiency, for example, 9 speed transmission equates to more gears with less revs, relating to improved fuel efficiency, constant velocity transmissions and improved oils which reduce parasitic drag (b)
• establish clear links between new technologies and vehicle efficiency (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• including technical references and examples
• comparing the technical operation of an automatic to a manual transmission with clear references to individual components and their role
• referring to new or emerging transmission technologies as opposed to historical technologies
• linking new technology examples to efficiency though a technical explanation.

In better responses, students were able to:

• clearly identify a range of global events, such as pandemics, climate change, fuel shortages, economic turmoil, changes in global trends, international conflict or war, government mandates on zero emissions goals, political instabilities, and/ or shifts in employment opportunities due to societal changes
• refer to initiatives such as the Paris agreement and/or G20 and link the impact of such initiatives back to the automotive industry, including reference to the phasing out of internal combustion engines and the consequence this will have on manufacturers as well as local industries (such as vehicle repairers)
• provide clear links to industry specific examples, such as exploring ways the industry is responding to global events, including end of life recycling, managing of lithium batteries, re-training opportunities, work modification due to pandemics (QR code check-in, sanitise stations)
• provide specific examples of how the industry is responding from both a local and global level
• link specific flow-on examples to global events, such as supply chain limitations, import/export restrictions, material shortages that impact production.

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing depth in their response
• referring to specific global events and establishing links to how the automotive industry is addressing these challenges from both a global and a local perspective
• providing clear and current industry examples, such as the emergence of electric vehicles, as opposed to general or historic examples of technologies that reduce emissions (such as catalytic converters).

Question 16

In better responses, students were able to:

• describe multiple ways a workshop could promote environmental sustainability, for example, renewable energy, waste disposal, education, signage and staff meetings.

Areas for students to improve include:

• including a range of relevant industry examples
• identifying specific environmental processes that promote sustainability rather than general Work Health and Safety examples.

Question 17

In better responses, students were able to:

• correctly identify two classes of fire such as oil & paper (a)
• identify the type of extinguisher required (b)
• explore other requirements to check, such as extinguisher pressure gauge, clearing the area of people and/or remove other hazards (b)
• correctly identify the actions to extinguish the fire (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing a minimum number of relevant steps for extinguisher use
• providing examples of two classes of fire as opposed to examples from the same class.

Question 18

In better responses, students were able to:

• clearly explain why it is important for a technician to verify a fault prior to diagnosing the fault (a)
• refer to the need for a technician to personally experience the symptoms of a fault for an accurate diagnosis (a)
• clearly describe the difference between a symptom and a fault (b)
• clearly link the symptom to the fault in the example (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• clearly describing why personally verifying a fault is necessary, with references to customer dissatisfaction, incorrect part could be purchased and added customer expense
• providing a detailed description between what constitutes a symptom and fault
• linking the description of the example to the question.

Question 19

In better responses, students were able to:

• correctly identify two work health and safety risks when re-fitting a door to a modern vehicle (a)
• use industry specific terms (a)
• correctly explain why the rear of the door will be fitted first, including references to alignment (b)
• provides a logical and sequenced response (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• using correct industry terms within their response
• using appropriate examples to support the response.

Question 20

In better responses, students were able to:

• successfully outline one process that should be carried out prior to application of a primer, such as using wax and grease remover (a)
• correctly provide steps that could be used to develop an industry level finish paint (b)
• use correct industry terms (a and b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• using the correct industry terms and logical examples (a and b).

Question 21

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a clear outline of the difference between alternating current and direct current with clear technical detail (a)
• refer to the way alternating current travels in both directions over a period as well as the changing nature of polarity in alternating current (a)
• clearly explain how a voltage drop greater than 0.6 of a volt will affect electrical devices and cause them to underperform or malfunction (b)
• explain in detail the operating differences between a series and a parallel circuit
• provide reference to series circuits having only one path to supply electricity to a component, which can cause the whole circuit to fail if there is an interruption to the circuit (c)
• develop accurate diagrams of both a series circuit and a parallel circuit
• providing a logical and sequenced response (a, b and c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• demonstrating technical understanding of electrical fundamentals (a, b and c)
• referring to industry specific examples, including references to electricity flow characteristics (a and c)
• correctly identifying the limitations of series and parallel circuit designs (c).

In better responses, students were able to:

• clearly explain why both etch primer and primer filler is used before painting (a)
• explore problems that can occur when a vehicle does not have etch primer and filler used before painting, for example, references to poor adhesion and various paint defects (a)
• providing a logical and sequenced response (a and b)
• clearly explain the use of various workshop drying equipment, for example, booth technology, infrared drying and/or UV drying (b)
• provide links to efficiency when referring to the drying equipment (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing depth in their responses
• using specific automotive industry examples rather than general terms (a and b)
• referring to specialist tools within their examples, such as Infrared Curing as opposed to ‘heaters’ (b).

In better responses, students were able to:

• clearly identify a range of global events, such as pandemics, climate change, fuel shortages, economic turmoil, changes in global trends, international conflict or war, government mandates on zero emissions goals, political instabilities, and/or shifts in employment opportunities due to societal changes
• refer to initiatives such as the Paris agreement and/or G20 and link the impact of such initiatives back to the automotive industry, including reference to the phasing out of internal combustion engines and the consequence this will have on manufacturers as well as local industries (such as vehicle repairers)
• provide clear links to industry specific examples, such as exploring ways the industry is responding to global events, including end of life recycling, managing of lithium batteries, re-training opportunities, work modification due to pandemics (QR code check-in and sanitise stations)
• provide specific examples of how the industry is responding from both a local and global level
• link specific flow-on examples to global events, such as supply chain limitations, import/export restrictions, material shortages that impact production.

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing depth in their response
• referring to specific global events and establishing links to how the automotive industry is addressing these challenges from both a global and a local perspective
• providing clear and specific industry examples that are current, such as the emergence of electric vehicles, as opposed to general or historic examples of technologies that reduce emissions (such as catalytic converters).