Software Engineering 2025 HSC exam pack

Students are encouraged to use the familiarisation questions and past HSC examinations to assist in their preparation in using the functionality and features of the online exam.

Students should:

• read the question carefully to ensure that they do not miss important components of the question
• demonstrate a clear understanding of key words and the requirements of the question
• engage with any stimulus material provided
• communicate ideas and information using appropriate course specific terms.

Question 15 (b)

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify two software debugging tools used for identifying logic errors
• outline how logic errors are identified using two software debugging tools.

Areas for students to improve include:

• distinguishing between logic errors and syntax errors
• distinguishing between manual methods of error detection or testing and software debugging tools
• referring to relevant tools specifically related to debugging.

Question 16 (a)

In better responses, students were able to:

• show a clear link to the scenario by referencing location, weather updates or notifications
• use a common characteristic to show how the use of a progressive web app (PWA) and an interactive website for the scenario is similar or different
• provide features specific to a PWA and/or interactive websites.

Areas for students to improve include:

• distinguishing clearly between features specific to PWA and interactive websites, rather than using general terms.

Question 16 (b)

In better responses, students were able to:

• outline two ways to minimise load times of the weather app.

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing ways to minimise load times, rather than ways to investigate load times.

Question 16 (c)

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a relevant way for the weather app to implement ‘privacy by design’
• provide a clear link to the scenario that related to ‘privacy by design’, such as using live location data.

Areas for students to improve include:

• demonstrating understanding of the privacy by design approach rather than generalising and describing privacy techniques.

Question 17

In better responses, students were able to:

• use pseudocode control structures accurately
• iterate through an array and sum the contents
• apply relational operators correctly to determine output.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using the question stimulus to identify the correct pseudocode control structures.

Question 18

In better responses, students were able to: 

• demonstrate understanding of how metadata and data mining relate
• accurately identify and explain one or more features of metadata that would support the streaming service to prevent technical issues relevant to the scenario. 

Areas for students to improve include:

• addressing metadata and data mining separately
• focusing on technical difficulties and prevention methods, and ensuring the technical issues are being addressed/prevented.

Question 19

In better responses, students were able to:

• write Python code that was able to process string inputs
• create and apply a selection structure within their Python code
• develop code that was able to be executed in the coding environment.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using correct indentation of code
• calling functions in the main program after they are defined.

Question 20

In better responses, students were able to:

• relate session management to code efficiency
• connect session management to the user experience.

Areas for students to improve include:

• describing features, rather than identifying them.

Question 21

In better responses, students were able to:

• construct a SQL query that ran in the environment
• draw on their understanding of the scenario to use correct syntax to select, group and order the correct fields
• demonstrate their understanding of key functions.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using correct syntax for creating a SQL query, for example, quotation marks around the data being searched
• using logical operators in the WHERE search condition, for example, OR, AND.

Question 22

In better responses, students were able to:

• refine attributes into separate inherited classes.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using appropriate symbols for class diagrams.

Question 23 (a)

In better responses, students were able to:

• outline multiple social and ethical issues associated with the use of the food delivery service website
• draw on the stimulus to support the social and ethical issues identified.

Areas for students to improve include:

• identifying appropriate social and ethical issues
• using the stimulus to support the issues identified.

Question 23 (b)

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify key features of server-side web programming and use relevant information from the stimulus to support the identified features
• draw on the circular nature of data to link the backend to the front end of the website.

Areas for students to improve include:

• identifying the key features of server-side web programming
• referencing the stimulus appropriately.

Question 24

In better responses, students were able to:

• discuss both positive and negative aspects of the impact on workers
• demonstrate an understanding of how the components of an artificial intelligence system could be used by the organisation to improve future workplace practices.

Areas for students to improve include:

• incorporating elements of the stimulus to support their response.

Question 25

In better responses, students were able to:

• explain how a neural network would interact with the virtual personal assistant and include one positive and one negative impact for the customers or the airline
• differentiate between neural networks and artificial intelligence.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using the stimulus material to inform their explanation
• using course specific language and terminology to explain neural networks
• selecting clear positive and negative impacts based on the stimulus.

Question 26

In better responses, students were able to:

• replicate the grid correctly
• use the random Python library and methods
• successfully use selection and looping control structures to access the randomly generated list
• include a method of checking the number of values
• include meaningful variable names and constants.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using correct Python keywords and syntax
• processing values within a list
• avoiding the use of overly complex control structures, such as nested IF looping structures.

Question 27 

In better responses, students were able to: 

• draw upon specific examples outlined in the video to support their response, and articulate the broader effect on usefulness beyond the video examples
• identify different categories of bias, and how these affected the training data, the artificial intelligence (AI), its outputs and the extent to which the outputs were fit for purpose
• use examples to contrast failure types, for example, to distinguish between different ways usefulness is compromised
• explain the effect of bias on the usefulness of AI in a wider context other than the video, particularly the issue with AI bias as a trusted source of information.

Areas for students to improve include:

• addressing the specific impacts of biased AI solutions on users that would affect usefulness
• using the stimulus material, and referencing this explicitly in their response
• avoiding restating information in the stimulus material, including from the transcript
• describing the specific characteristics of the failure in detail, rather than just naming the video examples, such as ‘the shoe game’ and ‘the physicist example’
• demonstrating understanding of the importance of implementing checks to prevent the learned bias from being amplified
• referring to the stimulus in their response, in line with the question requirement.