Design and Technology exam trends & analysis (2019–2025)
Across 2019–2025, Designing and Producing is examined most (72 questions), ahead of Innovation and Emerging Technologies (33 questions). By topic, Sustainability and environmental considerations: HSC Design and Technology Designing and Producing, The design process: HSC Design and Technology Designing and Producing and Factors affecting innovation success and failure: HSC Design and Technology Innovation and Emerging Technologies come up most, with Emerging technologies and innovation: HSC Design and Technology Innovation and Emerging Technologies and Ethics, social responsibility and appropriate technology: HSC Design and Technology Designing and Producing also recurring.
Based on 105 questions across 7 official NESA exam papers, their marking guidelines and marking feedback.
Work in progress
These exam-trend insights are an early release. The frequencies, mark ranges and figures are still being verified against the official NESA past papers and may change. Treat them as a study guide, not a guarantee of what will be examined.
Most-examined dot points
By module
Every dot point, by exam frequency
Click any dot point for the full verbatim syllabus wording, worked answers and past questions.
Showing 22 of 22 dot points
| Dot point | Times | Marks | Years | Most common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sustainability and environmental considerations: HSC Design and Technology Designing and Producingdesigning-and-producing Treated environmental issues and social acceptance in isolation, without cause-and-effect links | 15× | 1–4 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | Treated environmental issues and social acceptance in isolation, without cause-and-effect links |
| The design process: HSC Design and Technology Designing and Producingdesigning-and-producing Did not link a design feature to its purpose (e.g. grip to prevent dropping) | 14× | 1–3 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | Did not link a design feature to its purpose (e.g. grip to prevent dropping) |
| Factors affecting innovation success and failure: HSC Design and Technology Innovation and Emerging Technologiesinnovation-and-emerging-technologies Gave vague social trends; did not make the trend-design-practice relationship evident | 12× | 1–15 | 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | Gave vague social trends; did not make the trend-design-practice relationship evident |
| Emerging technologies and innovation: HSC Design and Technology Innovation and Emerging Technologiesinnovation-and-emerging-technologies Did not address all stimulus parts; legal and economic issues not covered for both | 10× | 1–15 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025 | Did not address all stimulus parts; legal and economic issues not covered for both |
| Ethics, social responsibility and appropriate technology: HSC Design and Technology Designing and Producingdesigning-and-producing Addressed only rights or only responsibilities; related to the design, not the designer | 9× | 1–15 | 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025 | Addressed only rights or only responsibilities; related to the design, not the designer |
| Research and communication in designing: HSC Design and Technology Designing and Producingdesigning-and-producing Used general methods not design-specific; no real-world example or cause-effect | 9× | 1–4 | 2020, 2023, 2024, 2025 | Used general methods not design-specific; no real-world example or cause-effect |
| Evaluation and criteria to evaluate success: HSC Design and Technology Designing and Producingdesigning-and-producing Referenced the Major Design Project instead of naming specific evaluation methods | 6× | 1–3 | 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 | Referenced the Major Design Project instead of naming specific evaluation methods |
| Intellectual property and protecting innovation: HSC Design and Technology Innovation and Emerging Technologiesinnovation-and-emerging-technologies Used incorrect IP terms (e.g. copyright not Registered Design); not specific to the cup | 5× | 1–2 | 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 | Used incorrect IP terms (e.g. copyright not Registered Design); not specific to the cup |
| Marketing and management: HSC Design and Technology Designing and Producingdesigning-and-producing | 5× | 1 | 2019, 2020, 2022 | — |
| CAD, CAM and computer based technologies: HSC Design and Technology Designing and Producingdesigning-and-producing Did not identify varied influences or use examples; weak grasp of 'discuss' | 4× | 1–4 | 2019, 2022 | Did not identify varied influences or use examples; weak grasp of 'discuss' |
| Impact of innovation on Australian society and the environment: HSC Design and Technology Innovation and Emerging Technologiesinnovation-and-emerging-technologies Gave only general features of work practices, not a specific work practice | 3× | 1–6 | 2020, 2021, 2022 | Gave only general features of work practices, not a specific work practice |
| Materials, tools and production techniques: HSC Design and Technology Designing and Producingdesigning-and-producing Discussed communication/collaboration instead of production techniques; vague claims like 'faster, better' | 3× | 1–6 | 2020, 2022, 2025 | Discussed communication/collaboration instead of production techniques; vague claims like 'faster, better' |
| Project development and realisation: HSC Design and Technology Designing and Producingdesigning-and-producing Used non-specific examples; did not identify how changes improve a design | 3× | 1–2 | 2022, 2025 | Used non-specific examples; did not identify how changes improve a design |
| Global and collaborative design: HSC Design and Technology Innovation and Emerging Technologiesinnovation-and-emerging-technologies | 2× | 1 | 2024, 2025 | — |
| Project proposal and project management: HSC Design and Technology Designing and Producingdesigning-and-producing | 2× | 1 | 2024, 2025 | — |
| Work health and safety and risk management: HSC Design and Technology Designing and Producingdesigning-and-producing Confused labels with annotations; misinterpreted the glossary term 'PPE' | 2× | 1–2 | 2021, 2023 | Confused labels with annotations; misinterpreted the glossary term 'PPE' |
| Designers and their work: HSC Design and Technology Innovation and Emerging Technologiesinnovation-and-emerging-technologies Weak reference to stimulus; little judgement on the designer's role and challenges | 1× | 15 | 2024 | Weak reference to stimulus; little judgement on the designer's role and challenges |
| Case study of an innovation: HSC Design and Technology Innovation and Emerging Technologiesinnovation-and-emerging-technologies | — | — | not yet | — |
| Finance and resource management: HSC Design and Technology Designing and Producingdesigning-and-producing | — | — | not yet | — |
| Invention, creativity and the nature of innovation: HSC Design and Technology Innovation and Emerging Technologiesinnovation-and-emerging-technologies | — | — | not yet | — |
| Major Design Project and portfolio: HSC Design and Technology Designing and Producingdesigning-and-producing | — | — | not yet | — |
| Types and process of innovation: HSC Design and Technology Innovation and Emerging Technologiesinnovation-and-emerging-technologies | — | — | not yet | — |