Construction 2020 HSC exam pack (archive)

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
• 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
• present a logical and cohesive response that answers the question
• review their response to ensure that it addresses the question requirements.

Question 16

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify pre-operational checks of a sliding compound mitre saw, such as inspecting the power cord and plug for visible damage
• name indicators of poor performance when using a sliding compound mitre saw, for example, excessive or unusual noise levels.

Areas for students to improve include:

• identifying the operational checks and performance of power tools.

Question 17

In better responses, students were able to:

• clearly describe barriers that affect communication on a worksite such as noise levels, distance or individual differences (cultural, social, language etc)
• recognise the importance of good communication on a work site.

Areas for students to improve include:

• recognising and describing a range of communication methods on a worksite.

Question 18

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of planning with relevant industry specific examples, such as allowing for workers to be properly trained
• identify a wide range of benefits, such as cost saving, waste, and safety checks.

Areas for students to improve include:

• demonstrating an understanding of planning and organising work, including the correct sequencing of tasks
• providing examples of the benefits of construction planning.

Question 19

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of how to read and interpret plans and specifications, specifically scale drawings
• show understanding of listed datum reference, reduced levels, AS 1100 and contour lines.

Areas for students to improve include:

• knowing the components, standardised symbols and abbreviations of drawing plans and why they are used, for example, they are easy to interpret and take up less space on the plan.

Question 20

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate a clear understanding of perimeter and area calculations
• demonstrate an understanding of dimension units
• correctly calculate on-site labour costs.

Areas for students to improve include:

• showing full working out in calculations
• understanding the difference between area and perimeter
• converting measurement units.

Question 21

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate a clear understanding of lineal metre calculations
• interpret drawing plans and use the measurements of components for their calculation.

Areas for students to improve include:

• showing full working out in calculations
• correctly identifying components of a stud wall and calculating requirements accordingly.

In better responses, students were able to:

• explain the effects of working with hazardous materials, such as injury or illness
• clearly link examples to workers and employers, for example, time off work and loss of production
• provide detail and include industry specific terminology and examples
• provide cause and effect when providing examples.

Areas for students to improve include:

• expanding on the range of hazardous materials other than asbestos, for example, silica, treated timber, compressed gases and sealants
• demonstrating their understanding of hazardous materials
• showing how a hazardous material can impact on both workers and employers, for example, the need for specialised training and PPE, costs of correct disposal of waste products.

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify materials handling for the project schedule of construction activities, for example, storage
• consider options for moving the materials and the possible benefits or disadvantages of each one
• include possible Work Health and Safety (WHS) issues on the home site
• understand that environmental issues are more than flora and fauna and may include sediment barriers, impact on local traffic, noise restrictions and site restoration
• clearly link examples to materials handling activities using specific industry terminology.

Areas for students to improve include:

• demonstrating an understanding of materials handling and transport
• using relevant terminology rather than providing generalised information
• demonstrating an understanding of environmental issues in the construction industry.