Industrial Technology 2025 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• follow and strictly adhere to the Practical exam rules and Assessment and reporting in Industrial Technology provided by NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA)
• ensure the product presented and materials used are appropriate for the focus area studied, for example, a steel fabricated utility tray for a 4WD vehicle is suitable for the Metal and Engineering Technologies focus area, not Automotive Technologies
• explain and justify decisions made during the designing, modifying and planning stages of the Major Project, and present these in the Design, Management and Communication (DMC) folio or as part of the six-minute media-based or multimedia-based materials
• document and evaluate the need to outsource appropriate expertise, as outsourcing requires considerable management skills when it is used to complement personal practical skills in completing a Major Project
• certify that the Major Project is their own original work, and that any material drawn from other sources and any outside assistance is acknowledged in the Practical Projects Certification/Declaration Form
• provide detailed descriptions together with photographic records of procedures, including fault finding, maintenance, applied industrial technologies and processes
• use the statement of intent to give a full picture of the intended project by presenting possible areas of research and their planned use
• discuss considerations and issues related to selecting materials and processes
• provide evidence of experimentation with materials and techniques and why choices have been made to develop the project and DMC folio
• provide evidence of refinements and modification of designs, either within the product or through models, tests, the written folio and/or the six-minute media-based or multimedia-based materials
• display through photographic evidence with supporting evaluative brief annotations, step-by-step procedures to present and support choices, decisions and industry established processes
• include audio-visual displays and/or technology appropriate for each project with multimedia inclusions
• be aware that the final evaluation should be directly related to the initial statement of intent, planning and production and the conclusion should be a summary brought together through the ongoing reflections on project development.

Students should:

• undertake research directly relevant to the development of their intended product
• explore and collate best design and construction practices by using a range of research techniques from various sources and existing designs appropriate to their product that enable the concept to move forward
• support developed concepts and ideas with meaningful annotations which drive the product's progress, demonstrating good decisions that directly affect the product
• present development sketches and clear annotations in the form best suited to their focus area and project intention
• consider providing video evidence as part of the additional six-minute media-based or multimedia-based materials as it effectively supplements evaluation and demonstrates the product's construction, testing and functionality.

In better projects, students were able to:

• effectively use forward planning to drive the product to completion
• communicate their intention with an overview that provides a complete picture of their future project, including the purpose, parameters, areas for research and production processes they plan to undertake
• communicate, through the DMC folio, research directly related to their product and its development
• sketch and draw to a high standard
• consider time and finance plans as working documents that are logical and sequenced with authentic ongoing evaluations
• demonstrate, through annotated photographs, their safe and active involvement in the construction process, and highlighting, designing, sketching, testing, manufacturing, product and process safety techniques, and finishing processes.

Areas for students to improve include:

• presenting all design decisions and design modifications models, samples, display boards, jigs, templates, posters and media-based or multimedia-based materials to document errors
• identifying and clarifying all decisions made to develop the product and showing how they relate to the statement of intent
• presenting thorough photographic evidence to demonstrate safe work practices
• presenting simple or significant problems that occur, justifying how the solution is found and communicating the impact on the product
• using evaluative comments consistently to link research, designing and planning to the intention and the product presented.

Students should:

• use the DMC folio to articulate clearly and cohesively all aspects of the product, allowing for clear communication of the quality and depth of skill used to present ideas
• consider integrating modern technologies as relevant and as available
• manage time effectively
• consider providing video evidence as part of the additional six-minute media-based or multimedia-based materials as an efficient form of evaluation to demonstrate a product in its work environment and to enhance the written evidence in the folio. For example, when developing games and gaming levels, communicate access through video samples, or time-lapse a record of production and add a voice-over.

In better projects, students were able to:

• skilfully craft the product to the highest standard using the most appropriate processes and technologies
• communicate the quality and degree of difficulty in all aspects of the project, including the folio, product, models, tests, and samples
• indicate in the DMC folio the degree of difficulty of the skills evident and those skills hidden within their completed product
• clearly document in the DMC folio all the skills used to create the displayed items, for example, making a video, displaying their work, welding brackets for a wooden table, ordering components, learning how to use a laser cutter or 3D printer
• indicate in the DMC folio the time taken to develop all skills.

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing ongoing evaluations to explain the reasoning behind key decisions to prove the decisions made were the most appropriate and critical for successfully manipulating materials, components, processes and technologies during the product development
• regularly linking process and direction to the original idea, the stated intent, appropriate research and developed designs, and clearly articulating what is happening within each aspect of the project
• documenting problems as they occur and presenting the implications and the other choices that could have been made to improve the final product
• using photographs to demonstrate safe work practices and the evolution of a product to fulfil the intention, reflecting on alternatives and enhancements, and articulating why the finished product is the result of best practice and decision making
• presenting DMC folio information in a logical sequence that relates to the marking guidelines
• avoiding duplication in the DMC folio and the additional six-minute media-based or multimedia-based materials.

Students should:

• read the question carefully to ensure that they do not miss important components
• have a clear understanding of key words in the question, and recognise the intent of the question and its requirements
• engage with any stimulus material provided and refer to it in their response
• communicate ideas and information using relevant examples and industry terminology
• consider using diagrams, if relevant, to support their response
• review their response to ensure that it addresses the question requirements
• use the space provided as a guide to the expected length of the response
• use a well-structured scaffold to assist in planning a response
• use examples from their relevant focus area industry.

Question 11

In better responses, students were able to:

• show all relevant calculations.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using the correct unit for area
• providing all relevant working.

Question 12

In better responses, students were able to:

• name a government or statutory regulation correctly and outline its effect.

Areas for students to improve include:

• focusing on the government or statutory regulations that affect the automotive industry.

Question 13

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a clear outline.

Areas for students to improve include:

• linking an electrical system to occupant safety.

Question 14

In better responses, students were able to:

• show a link between a cause and effect
• relate engine components to performance.

Areas for students to improve include:

• describing how a range of components work together in a vehicle.

Question 15

In better responses, students were able to:

• include examples to help explain their answers.

Areas for students to improve include:

• limiting answers to functionality and sustainability.

Question 11

In better responses, students were able to:

• use correct names for components.

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing detail on what a diode is, and its function
• outlining features of rectification of AC current.

Question 12

In better responses, students were able to:

• reference truth table inputs and outputs in their response.

Areas for students to improve include:

• articulating the role of different logic gates in electronic circuits.

Question 13

In better responses, students were able to:

• use correct electrical circuit symbols.

Areas for students to improve include:

• demonstrating understanding of the difference between a cell symbol and a battery symbol
• drawing circuit symbols neatly.

Question 14

In better responses, students were able to:

• use the relevant formula (P=VI) and change the subject of the equation to calculate the current (I) for each appliance.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using the correct units for power, voltage and current
• providing all relevant working.

Question 15

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide examples of relevant insulation materials
• identify factors that would impact the selection of insulation materials
• provide examples of insulation materials and discuss points for and against each.

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing factors that are specific and relevant to insulation materials.

Question 11

In better responses, students were able to:

• outline the purpose of a site plan
• limit features to those required by local councils.

Areas for students to improve include:

• limiting features to those required by local councils.

Question 12

In better responses, students were able to:

• articulate how isometric curves and circles are drawn by hand.

Question 13

In better responses, students were able to:

• articulate the audiences intended for the different types of drawings.

Areas for students to improve include:

• answering in terms of the differences in intended audience for different types of drawings rather than the difference between the two drawing methods.

Question 14

In better responses, students were able to:

• construct a 3D isometric view from the given orthogonal view and label each surface accordingly.

Areas for students to improve include:

• reading and interpreting a 2D orthogonal drawing and converting into a 3D isometric drawing
• drawing in pencil to allow corrections to be made neatly.

Question 15

In better responses, students were able to:

• show the keyway and web as unhatched components as per AS 1100 standards relating to section drawings.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using the lines provided in the response section to complete the drawing.

Question 11

In better responses, students were able to:

• limit their answers to uses of spring dividers.

Areas for students to improve include:

• demonstrating stronger understanding of basic marking out tools.

Question 12

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate knowledge regarding the differences between fasteners that can be easily removed and those that are more permanent

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing detail on the application of fasteners in a project, for example, rivets and screws can be used on a range of thicknesses of metals.

Question 13

In better responses, students were able to:

• explain the importance of cutting fluids when machining metals.

Areas for students to improve include:

• demonstrating understanding that cutting fluids lubricate and cool when used in metal working processes
• using terminology that is relevant to the cutting process.

Question 14

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a step-by-step process of cutting an internal thread using a lathe
• describe the use of the tailstock for tap alignment.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using correct terminology.

Question 15

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide clear similarities and differences between hollow and solid steel sections
• support their answer with relevant examples.

Areas for students to improve include:

• developing an understanding of the differences between hollow and solid steel
• demonstrating understanding that solid sections are extensively used in machined items, for example, shafts.

Question 11

In better responses, students were able to:

• show clear understanding of the relevant image file formats
• provide advantages of the PNG file format.

Areas for students to improve include:

• explaining the differences between graphics file formats.

Question 12

In better responses, students were able to:

• outline the aspects of the image to modify, and state how to modify those aspects.

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing the different ways to manipulate an image.

Question 13

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a response that focuses on the technical differences of analogue and digital types.

Areas for students to improve include:

• demonstrating understanding of the terms analogue and digital with respect to multimedia.

Question 14

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate technical understanding of the motion capture process
• provide direct links between motion capture and animation.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using subject specific terminology
• providing more than one advantage.

Question 15

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide examples of issues in their descriptions.

Areas for students to improve include:

• limiting answers to ethical issues that relate to multimedia
• providing more than one implication.

Question 11

In better responses, students were able to:

• account for the thickness of the drawer runners when determining the size of the drawer
• answer in terms of both the drawer and the carcase.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using subject specific terminology.

Question 12

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a characteristic that is common to all types of carcase joints.

Areas for students to improve include:

• limiting the response to carcase joints, rather than other joint types, for example, framing joints.

Question 13

In better responses, students were able to:

• distinguish between different uses of the saw, rather than the difference between the two saws.

Areas for students to improve include:

• describing the uses of the saws, rather than what they look like
• describing the differences between the saws, rather than the similarities.

Question 14

In better responses, students were able to:

• use subject specific terminology related to bending of timber.

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing a clear and comprehensive description of the process.

Question 15

In better responses, students were able to:

• refer to the relevant work health and safety (WHS) workplace procedures, safe handling of equipment, risk identification and/or hazard reduction strategies
• relate their own experiences in the workshop to the question.

Areas for students to improve include:

• identifying specific hazards when using high risk plant and equipment
• describing, rather than listing, the processes
• distinguishing between startup, setup and maintenance requirements with reference to examples.

Question 16 (a)

In better responses, students were able to:

• make direct links between the legislation and the impacts it has on both the environment and sustainability
• distinguish between sustainable practices and environmental impacts with specific examples
• structure their response and include relevant impacts to industry.

Areas for students to improve include:

• referring to specific legislative requirements
• strengthening the relationship between legislative requirements and their impact on sustainable practices
• providing clear, industry-relevant examples
• ensuring both sustainable practices and environmental impacts were addressed in their responses.

Question 16 (b)

In better responses, students were able to:

• use specific industry examples relevant to their focus area to support their response
• provide multiple examples
• specifically analyse the impacts of the new technology compared to the old technology
• use industry specific terminology to support their response.

Areas for students to improve include:

• addressing both historical developments and advancements.