Engineering Studies exam trends & analysis (2019–2025)
Across 2019–2025, Civil Structures is examined most (66 questions), ahead of HSC Module: Telecommunications Engineering (52 questions) and Aeronautical Engineering (46 questions). By topic, Forces in beams and trusses: HSC Engineering Studies Civil Structures, Newton's laws applied to vehicles: HSC Engineering Studies Personal and Public Transport and The four forces of flight: HSC Engineering Studies Aeronautical Engineering come up most, with Stress, strain and Young's modulus: HSC Engineering Studies Civil Structures and Engineering drawing AS1100 orthogonal projection: HSC Engineering Studies Civil Structures also recurring.
Based on 198 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 36 of 36 dot points
| Dot point | Times | Marks | Years | Most common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forces in beams and trusses: HSC Engineering Studies Civil Structurescivil-structures Wrong distance to neutral axis / units | 26× | 1–6 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | Wrong distance to neutral axis / units |
| Newton's laws applied to vehicles: HSC Engineering Studies Personal and Public Transportpersonal-and-public-transport Did not separate height above wall from total | 20× | 1–5 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | Did not separate height above wall from total |
| The four forces of flight: HSC Engineering Studies Aeronautical Engineeringaeronautical-engineering FBD not full width of wing; wrong BM calc | 20× | 1–6 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | FBD not full width of wing; wrong BM calc |
| Stress, strain and Young's modulus: HSC Engineering Studies Civil Structurescivil-structures Did not apply double shear concept/data | 15× | 1–3 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | Did not apply double shear concept/data |
| Engineering drawing AS1100 orthogonal projection: HSC Engineering Studies Civil Structurescivil-structures Limited awareness of AS1100 standards | 13× | 1–8 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 | Limited awareness of AS1100 standards |
| Network topologies and cellular systems: HSC Engineering Studies Telecommunications Engineeringtelecommunications-engineering Discussed structure not repeater function/interference | 13× | 1–4 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | Discussed structure not repeater function/interference |
| Telecommunications materials and components: HSC Engineering Studies Telecommunications Engineeringtelecommunications-engineering Did not relate properties to in-use telecom | 11× | 1–4 | 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | Did not relate properties to in-use telecom |
| Transmission media (copper, fibre, radio): HSC Engineering Studies Telecommunications Engineeringtelecommunications-engineering Listed uses without examples | 10× | 1–4 | 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | Listed uses without examples |
| Gear ratios and transmission: HSC Engineering Studies Personal and Public Transportpersonal-and-public-transport Wrong order of VR, MA, efficiency steps | 9× | 1–3 | 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | Wrong order of VR, MA, efficiency steps |
| Bernoulli's principle and aerofoils: HSC Engineering Studies Aeronautical Engineeringaeronautical-engineering Did not link hydrofoil to Bernoulli/aerofoil lift | 8× | 1–5 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | Did not link hydrofoil to Bernoulli/aerofoil lift |
| Composite materials in aircraft: HSC Engineering Studies Aeronautical Engineeringaeronautical-engineering Weak grasp of composite characteristics | 8× | 1–4 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | Weak grasp of composite characteristics |
| Safety and regulation in telecommunications: HSC Engineering Studies Telecommunications Engineeringtelecommunications-engineering General info not specific to tower placement | 8× | 1–4 | 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | General info not specific to tower placement |
| Historical civil engineering in Australia: HSC Engineering Studies Civil Structurescivil-structures Did not clearly relate two issues to society | 6× | 1–3 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2025 | Did not clearly relate two issues to society |
| Reinforced and pre-stressed concrete: HSC Engineering Studies Civil Structurescivil-structures Gave generic properties not linked to situation | 5× | 1–3 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2025 | Gave generic properties not linked to situation |
| Electric and hybrid drive systems: HSC Engineering Studies Personal and Public Transportpersonal-and-public-transport Did not identify current from battery capacity | 4× | 2–3 | 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024 | Did not identify current from battery capacity |
| Engineering reports and technical diagrams: HSC Engineering Studies Telecommunications Engineeringtelecommunications-engineering Wrong pictorial method/scale; poor ellipses/threads | 4× | 1–6 | 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025 | Wrong pictorial method/scale; poor ellipses/threads |
| Jet engine fundamentals: HSC Engineering Studies Aeronautical Engineeringaeronautical-engineering | 4× | 1 | 2020, 2024, 2025 | — |
| Modulation techniques (AM, FM, PM, digital): HSC Engineering Studies Telecommunications Engineeringtelecommunications-engineering | 4× | 1 | 2019, 2021, 2024, 2025 | — |
| Australian aeronautical engineering: HSC Engineering Studies Aeronautical Engineeringaeronautical-engineering Vague on specific data collected by black box | 3× | 1–2 | 2019, 2021, 2024 | Vague on specific data collected by black box |
| Aluminium alloys in airframes: HSC Engineering Studies Aeronautical Engineeringaeronautical-engineering Focused on ferrous heat treatment not aluminium | 2× | 1–3 | 2019, 2025 | Focused on ferrous heat treatment not aluminium |
| Aircraft electrical and avionics: HSC Engineering Studies Aeronautical Engineeringaeronautical-engineering Wrong pressure terminology e.g. hydrostatic pressure | 1× | 4 | 2025 | Wrong pressure terminology e.g. hydrostatic pressure |
| Analogue and digital signal encoding: HSC Engineering Studies Telecommunications Engineeringtelecommunications-engineering Generalised statements without qualification | 1× | 3 | 2020 | Generalised statements without qualification |
| Communication systems fundamentals: HSC Engineering Studies Telecommunications Engineeringtelecommunications-engineering | 1× | 1 | 2024 | — |
| Engineers as managers in civil structures: HSC Engineering Studies Civil Structurescivil-structures Not specific to a construction project | 1× | 2 | 2025 | Not specific to a construction project |
| Light rail and public transport engineering: HSC Engineering Studies Personal and Public Transportpersonal-and-public-transport | 1× | 1 | 2023 | — |
| Brake systems analysis: HSC Engineering Studies Personal and Public Transportpersonal-and-public-transport | — | — | not yet | — |
| Composite materials in vehicles: HSC Engineering Studies Personal and Public Transportpersonal-and-public-transport | — | — | not yet | — |
| Crane engineering case studies: HSC Engineering Studies Lifting Deviceslifting-devices | — | — | not yet | — |
| DC and AC motors for lifting: HSC Engineering Studies Lifting Deviceslifting-devices | — | — | not yet | — |
| Engineering drawing of mechanical assemblies: HSC Engineering Studies Lifting Deviceslifting-devices | — | — | not yet | — |
| Gear trains and torque in lifting devices: HSC Engineering Studies Lifting Deviceslifting-devices | — | — | not yet | — |
| Hydraulic lifting and Pascal's principle: HSC Engineering Studies Lifting Deviceslifting-devices | — | — | not yet | — |
| Internal combustion engines: HSC Engineering Studies Personal and Public Transportpersonal-and-public-transport | — | — | not yet | — |
| Mechanical advantage in pulley systems: HSC Engineering Studies Lifting Deviceslifting-devices | — | — | not yet | — |
| Structural steel for civil engineering: HSC Engineering Studies Civil Structurescivil-structures | — | — | not yet | — |
| Wire rope and factors of safety: HSC Engineering Studies Lifting Deviceslifting-devices | — | — | not yet | — |