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HSC · HSC Year 12 · official past papers

HSC Design and Technology past exams 2016–2025, by year and topic

The official NESA exams, marking guides and examiner reports we index, organised by topic and subtopic and labelled with the study design it was written under. Open the official paper, work the question in your own workspace, or bring a tutor into it live.

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ATARMAxxing indexes 20 official NESA Design and Technology papers from 2016 to 2025, with 45 questions mapped to 8 topics. Every paper opens on the NESA website.

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Design and Technology Stage 6 Syllabus (2013) · 2015–present

HSC Design and Technology exams by year: official papers & marking guidance

Past exams indexed: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016. Open the official NESA papers.

YearStudy designOfficial paper(s)Marking guidance
2025 HSC Design and Technology examSD 2013–presentExam ↗ · Marking guidelines ↗—
2024 HSC Design and Technology examSD 2013–presentExam ↗ · Marking guidelines ↗—
2023 HSC Design and Technology examSD 2013–presentExam ↗ · Marking guidelines ↗—
2022 HSC Design and Technology examSD 2013–presentExam ↗ · Marking guidelines ↗—
2021 HSC Design and Technology examSD 2013–presentExam ↗ · Marking guidelines ↗—
2020 HSC Design and Technology examSD 2013–presentExam ↗ · Marking guidelines ↗—
2019 HSC Design and Technology examSD 2013–presentExam ↗ · Marking guidelines ↗—
2018 HSC Design and Technology examSD 2013–presentExam ↗ · Marking guidelines ↗—
2017 HSC Design and Technology examSD 2013–presentExam ↗ · Marking guidelines ↗—
2016 HSC Design and Technology examSD 2013–presentExam ↗ · Marking guidelines ↗—

20 official papers across 10 years (2016–2025), published by NESA.

Browse by topic

Pick a topic, open the exact question in the official paper, then work it in your own workspace — or hand the question straight to a live tutor session.

Design Theory and Practice · 11 mapped questions

Factors affecting designing and producing (needs, function, aesthetics, finance, ergonomics, WHS, quality, obsolescence)

Life cycle analysis

Practices and processes of designers and producers

Examples of success and failure in design

Also in this topic: Short-term and long-term environmental consequences — question-level mapping in progress; the year table above links every official paper.

Trends, Society and the Environment · 14 mapped questions

Social, global, political, economic and environmental trends in designing and producing

Historical and cultural influences (social trends, cultural diversity, changing nature of work, technological change)

Ethical and environmental considerations for designers and society

Sustainable technologies

Protection of intellectual property (patents, copyright, trademarks)

Also in this topic: Impact of design and innovation on Australian society — question-level mapping in progress; the year table above links every official paper.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship · 1 mapped question

Factors that impact the success of innovation (timing, technology, historical/cultural/political/economic/legal factors, marketing)

  • 2023SD 2013–presentExam Q71 markMultiple-choice: identify the most important factor for an innovative idea to succeed (planning/research/timing/demand vs marketing vs equipment vs technology-release timing).Official paper ↗Check tutors for this question →

Also in this topic: Role of agencies influencing development, implementation and acceptance of innovation · Entrepreneurial activity and its legal and ethical issues · Creative and innovative design practice · Creative thinking and adaptation of ideas — question-level mapping in progress; the year table above links every official paper.

Major Design Project – Proposal and Management · 2 mapped questions

Action, time and finance management plans

Project management techniques and tools

Also in this topic: Needs analysis and identification of opportunity · Areas of investigation and criteria for success — question-level mapping in progress; the year table above links every official paper.

Major Design Project – Development and Realisation · 7 mapped questions

Research and experimentation to generate ideas

Production techniques and safe work practices

Prototyping and visualising solutions

Also in this topic: Selection and safe use of resources (materials, tools, techniques) · Study of practices in industrial and commercial settings — question-level mapping in progress; the year table above links every official paper.

Major Design Project – Evaluation · 1 mapped question

Ongoing evaluation and criteria for success

Also in this topic: Testing possible solutions · Impact of the major design project on the individual, society and the environment — question-level mapping in progress; the year table above links every official paper.

Communication and Research Methods · 4 mapped questions

Communication and presentation methods appropriate to target market/client

Research methods (qualitative and quantitative, data collection, analysis, interpretation)

Also in this topic: Forms of communication (verbal, written, graphical, visual, audio) · Ethics in research — question-level mapping in progress; the year table above links every official paper.

Emerging Technologies and Case Study · 5 mapped questions

Impact of emerging technologies on innovation and society

Ecological, economic, social, ethical and legal implications of new technologies

  • 2023SD 2013–presentExam Q1515 marksEssay with three-category image stimulus (health, food production, living conditions): analyse the ethical and social implications for designers creating solutions to world issues, referencing two of the three stimulus categories.Official paper ↗Check tutors for this question →

Also in this topic: Case study of an innovation (factors underlying success, ethical issues, impact on Australian society) · Computer-based technologies in designing and producing — question-level mapping in progress; the year table above links every official paper.

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