HDS315118 Housing and Design Level 3 course document (accreditation renewed from 1 January 2026; current for 2026), read with the HDS315118 External Assessment Specifications Version 4 (Feb 2026) and the HDS315118 Information Sheet Version 1.1 (Mar 2026)
The external assessment has two components. The written examination runs for 2 hours of working time after 15 minutes of preparation time (notes on the supplied note paper and highlighting in the exam booklet only). Students receive the TASC Information Sheet and may use a scale ruler, set squares, parallel ruler, pencils, protractor, drawing compass and eraser. Section A (about 60 minutes, Criterion 3) offers one Cool Temperate and one Hot Humid (Tropical) passive solar design question; students answer one, drawing a scaled plan on the site with sections and annotations on the A3 answer sheet. Section B (about 60 minutes, Criterion 4) offers two functional-use-of-space questions — kitchens, bathrooms, studies, small units, work spaces, wheelchair users, children, aged or shared occupancies — and students answer one, usually with a 1:50 plan plus section or joinery-elevation sketches. Every response is rated on extended ratings A+ to z; the paper carries no marks. The design folio (Criteria 6, 7 and 8; maximum 20 A3 pages as one PDF; due to TASC on 25 September 2026) supplies the other three external ratings, so the exam provides 2 of the 13 ratings used for the award. ATARMAxxing's practice papers use an indicative 120-mark scheme (60 per section) purely as a study allocation mapped onto Criteria 3 and 4; they model only the written exam, not the folio.
Past papers on this subject span more than one course document. Papers written under an older one still work as practice, but the modules they test have changed — the index labels every paper with the course document it was set under.
HDS315118 — current for 2026 (course accreditation renewed from 1 January 2026; External Assessment Specifications Version 4, Feb 2026; Information Sheet Version 1.1, Mar 2026) · 2021–current
The modules, one by one
Each area below lists the concepts named in the course document, what the TASC exam asks of them, and the mistake that most often costs marks.
- Unit 4 — Passive Solar Design and Sustainability
- Unit 3 — Form and Function
- Unit 1 — Design Communication
- Units 2 and 5 — Design and Systems Thinking; Project Management (design folio)
Area 1 of 4
Unit 4 — Passive Solar Design and Sustainability
This unit is about achieving thermal comfort with design rather than machinery. You study energy sources for housing, then passive solar design for two climates: in cool temperate areas you orient living spaces and most glazing to the north, store winter sun in thermal mass inside a well-insulated, draught-sealed envelope and size eaves to exclude summer sun; in hot humid tropical areas you shade the whole building, catch prevailing breezes with single-room-depth plans, elevate the floor, vent hot air high and keep construction light. Sun angles, window percentages, insulation R-values, landscaping, embodied energy, Tasmanian heating costs and social sustainability complete the unit.
What the exam asks
Section A, Criterion 3: one question per climate, answer one. Markers look for correct orientation for the climate, sun angles from the Information Sheet drawn in section with justified eaves, the right thermal mass and insulation strategy, window placement with percentages, ventilation paths drawn on the plan and annotations that resolve competing factors such as views, privacy and overshadowing.
Where marks go missing
Applying cool-climate strategies in the tropics (thermal mass, double glazing, bulk insulation) or putting the house in the shade of a hedge or neighbour. Reports also penalise trading solar access for views in a cool climate without justification.
Area 2 of 4
Unit 3 — Form and Function
This unit covers functional use of space — layout, flow, circulation and zoning — together with ergonomics and anthropometric data, the design of kitchens, bathrooms, studies and outdoor living, and design for groups with specific needs, especially universal design for wheelchair users. It includes ramp gradients and ramp-length calculations, basic construction and materials, and the elements and principles of design used to justify aesthetic choices.
What the exam asks
Section B, Criterion 4: two briefs, answer one. Recent papers set conversions of existing buildings, compact units, kitchens and dining, and every paper from 2021 to 2025 included a wheelchair or universal-access option. Strong answers draw a 1:50 plan with wall thicknesses and every fixture to scale, show 1500 mm turning circles and clearances, keep the work triangle tight, respect the fixed walls and openings given, and add joinery sections with critical heights.
Where marks go missing
Writing passive solar notes in Section B, drawing walls as single lines, placing beds hard against walls with no access, redesigning parts of a building the brief says to keep, and generic annotations that label rather than justify.
Area 3 of 4
Unit 1 — Design Communication
This unit builds the drawing and presentation skills the whole course depends on: freehand and scale sketching, floor plans, sections, elevations, site plans and setback diagrams, sun angle and shadow diagrams, architectural conventions, and the numeracy of scale (1:20, 1:50, 1:100, 1:200), area, ratio and gradients.
What the exam asks
Not a separate exam section, but every exam rating depends on it: assessment reports repeatedly mark down missing or inconsistent scale, unclear linework and missing sections.
Where marks go missing
Spending the hour on a beautiful plan and leaving no time for the section or annotations the question asks for.
Area 4 of 4
Units 2 and 5 — Design and Systems Thinking; Project Management (design folio)
These units teach the design process — brief, aims, client needs, context, site analysis, precedents, iterative design development, final design and evaluation — with systems thinking and individual and collaborative project management. They culminate in the externally assessed design folio: a maximum of 20 A3 pages on a small-scale project of the student's choice, with three critically analysed design iterations and final drawings at 1:100, 1:50 or 1:20.
What the exam asks
Externally through the design folio (Criteria 6, 7 and 8), not in the written exam. The folio cannot be practised as an exam here; the notes cover its structure and the assessment reports' advice.
Where marks go missing
Too many aims, concepts 'set to fail', catalogue-style precedents and drag-and-drop floor planning apps — all criticised in recent reports.
Common questions
Does the real TASC Housing and Design exam have 120 marks?
No. TASC rates Section A on Criterion 3 and Section B on Criterion 4 using extended ratings A+ to z; the papers carry no marks. The 120-mark scheme here (60 per section) is ATARMAxxing's own practice allocation mapped onto those two criteria, not a TASC mark scheme.
Can I practise the design folio here?
No. The folio (Criteria 6, 7 and 8) is a 20-page A3 design project completed over about 30 hours of class time, so it cannot be reproduced as an exam. The notes explain its required sections and what recent assessment reports reward; the practice papers cover the 2-hour written exam only.
What can I take into the exam?
TASC provides the Housing and Design Information Sheet. You may bring a scale ruler, set squares, parallel ruler, pencils, protractor, drawing compass and eraser. There is 15 minutes of preparation time for notes and highlighting before the 2 hours of working time.
How do I practise drawing questions on a website?
Each practice question describes the site and constraints fully in words. Draw your answer on A3 paper to the stated scale, then compare it with the model answer's written design description, key dimensions and annotation list, and rate yourself against the C, B and A standards in the marking guide.
Which sun angles should I use?
Always the Information Sheet values for the city in the question: Hobart, Launceston, Canberra and Bendigo for cool temperate; Darwin and Townsville for hot humid tropical. Draw both solstice angles on your section and size the eaves from them.
Are the multiple-choice questions like the real exam?
No. The real exam is two A3 design responses. The multiple-choice and short written practice items are an ATARMAxxing study format for checking dimensions, calculations and concepts quickly.
When is the 2026 exam?
TASC's 2026 Written Exam Timetable lists Housing and Design on Thursday 19 November 2026 at 1.30 pm (2 hours). The design folio was due to TASC by 5:00 pm on Friday 25 September 2026. Check TASC for any change.