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VCE Politics past exams 2018–2025, by year and topic
The official VCAA 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 8 official VCAA Politics papers from 2018 to 2025, with 7 questions mapped to 4 areas of study. Every paper opens on the VCAA website.
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Preview the worked question →VCE Politics exams by year: official papers & marking guidance
Past exams indexed: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018. Open the official VCAA papers, with marking guidance where available.
| Year | Study design | Official paper(s) | Marking guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 VCE Politics exam | Politics (current) | 2025 VCE Politics examination ↗ | Marking guidance ↗ |
| 2024 VCE Politics exam | Global Politics (predecessor, final year) | 2024 Global Politics examination ↗ | Marking guidance ↗ |
| 2023 VCE Politics exam | Global Politics (predecessor) | 2023 Global Politics examination ↗ | Marking guidance ↗ |
| 2022 VCE Politics exam | Global Politics (predecessor) | 2022 Global Politics examination ↗ | Marking guidance ↗ |
| 2021 VCE Politics exam | Global Politics (predecessor) | 2021 Global Politics examination ↗ | Marking guidance ↗ |
| 2020 VCE Politics exam | Global Politics (predecessor) | 2020 Global Politics examination ↗ | Marking guidance ↗ |
| 2019 VCE Politics exam | Global Politics (predecessor) | 2019 Global Politics examination ↗ | Marking guidance ↗ |
| 2018 VCE Politics exam | Global Politics (predecessor) | 2018 Global Politics examination ↗ | Marking guidance ↗ |
8 official papers across 8 years (2018–2025), 8 with marking guidance, published by VCAA. These span more than one study design; the most recent is Politics (current study design). Earlier papers may cover material that has since changed.
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Unit 3 AoS1 - Global issues, global responses · 2 mapped questions
Short-term causes (within 10 years)
- 2025Politics (current)2025 VCE Politics examination Section A Q14 marksAsks for two distinct short-term causes of a self-selected global issue (climate change/economic instability/development/WMD), each needing specific supporting evidence.Official paper ↗Marking guidance ↗Check tutors for this question →
Impact of global interconnectedness
- 2025Politics (current)2025 VCE Politics examination Section A Q46 marksRequires a balanced 'discuss'-style response on how global interconnectedness has both helped and hindered resolution of the chosen global issue, evidenced with dated examples.Official paper ↗Marking guidance ↗Check tutors for this question →
Also in this areas of study: Climate change · Global economic instability · Development · Weapons of mass destruction · Responses of states/institutions of global governance/non-state actors · Effectiveness of international law · Challenges to resolution · Consequences for political stability/change — question-level mapping in progress; the year table above links every official paper.
Unit 4 AoS1 - Power and the national interest · 1 mapped question
Political significance / military power / security
- 2025Politics (current)2025 VCE Politics examination Section A Q117 marksSingle extended-answer question requiring analysis of the political significance of a chosen Indo-Pacific state's use of military power in pursuit of security, with an explicit significance criterion signposted.Official paper ↗Marking guidance ↗Check tutors for this question →
Also in this areas of study: Choice of state: China, Japan, India, Indonesia, or USA · Sources/forms of power (political, economic, military, diplomatic, cultural) · National interests (security, economic prosperity, regional relationships, regional standing) · Foreign policy instruments (diplomacy, trade, foreign aid) · Effectiveness in achieving national interests · Challenges to achieving national interests · Consequences for other regional actors · Contribution to regional stability/change — question-level mapping in progress; the year table above links every official paper.
Unit 4 AoS2 - Australia in the Indo-Pacific · 1 mapped question
Effectiveness of cooperation / Pacific Islands Forum
- 2025Politics (current)2025 VCE Politics examination Section B Q37 marksSource-based discussion of the effectiveness of Australia's cooperation with two Indo-Pacific states (one must be a Pacific Islands Forum member), integrating both provided sources and own knowledge.Official paper ↗Marking guidance ↗Check tutors for this question →
Also in this areas of study: Australia's national interests (security, economic prosperity, regional relationships, regional standing) · Internal/external perspectives on Australia's interests · Forms of power used by Australia · Australia's foreign policy instruments · Australia's relationships with 3 states (at least 1 Pacific Islands Forum member + 2 other Indo-Pacific states) · Australia's responses to a regional issue/crisis · Cooperation vs conflict outcomes · Contribution to political stability/change — question-level mapping in progress; the year table above links every official paper.
Unit 3 AoS2 - Contemporary crises · 1 mapped question
Ability of actors to respond effectively / differing political perspectives
- 2025Politics (current)2025 VCE Politics examination Section A Q710 marksTwo-part question: (a) explain one global actor's ability to respond effectively to a chosen crisis (4 marks); (b) contrast two different global actors' perspectives on that crisis, excluding the actor used in (a) (6 marks).Official paper ↗Marking guidance ↗Check tutors for this question →
Unit 3 - Global cooperation and conflict (integrated) · 1 mapped question
Balanced AoS1+AoS2 integration
- 2025Politics (current)2025 VCE Politics examination Section C Q110 marksExtended response analysing how states have challenged one studied global issue AND one studied contemporary crisis, marked against the five published Section C criteria requiring balance across both Unit 3 AoS.Official paper ↗Marking guidance ↗Check tutors for this question →
Unit 4 - Power in the Indo-Pacific (integrated) · 1 mapped question
Balanced AoS1+AoS2 integration
- 2025Politics (current)2025 VCE Politics examination Section C Q210 marksExtended response evaluating the effectiveness of one Indo-Pacific state's AND Australia's pursuit of regional relationships, marked against the same five Section C criteria requiring balance across both Unit 4 AoS.Official paper ↗Marking guidance ↗Check tutors for this question →
The rest of the study design
Question-level mapping for this area is still being verified. Every official paper covering them is in the year table above.
- Unit 3 AoS2 - Contemporary crises: conflict, stability and change — Human rights crises · Armed conflict · Mass movement of people · Different perspectives of global actors · Impact of political actors' interests · Responses by states/institutions/regional groupings/non-state actors · Diplomacy and international law as resolution processes · Challenges to resolution · Ability of actors to respond effectively · Consequences for political stability/change
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