Legal Studies exam trends & analysis (2019–2025)
Across 2019–2025, Core Part I: Crime is examined most (107 questions), ahead of Core Part II: Human Rights (57 questions) and Option: World Order (21 questions). By topic, The criminal trial process: HSC Legal Studies, Sentencing and punishment: HSC Legal Studies and Categories of crime and strict liability offences: HSC Legal Studies come up most, with Promoting and enforcing human rights in Australia: HSC Legal Studies and The nature and development of human rights: HSC Legal Studies also recurring.
Based on 199 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
Marks add up every optional topic offered across these years; students choose only some, so no single exam is this long. Question counts are the most comparable measure.
Every dot point, by exam frequency
Click any dot point for the full verbatim syllabus wording, worked answers and past questions.
Showing 21 of 21 dot points
| Dot point | Times | Marks | Years | Most common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The criminal trial process: HSC Legal Studiescrime Misjudged where the trial process starts and finishes | 30× | 1–15 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | Misjudged where the trial process starts and finishes |
| Sentencing and punishment: HSC Legal Studiescrime Wrote on bail/police powers/VIS which are not post-sentencing | 28× | 1–15 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | Wrote on bail/police powers/VIS which are not post-sentencing |
| Categories of crime and strict liability offences: HSC Legal Studiescrime Missing examples of reform; weak link to stimulus and question | 18× | 1–15 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | Missing examples of reform; weak link to stimulus and question |
| Promoting and enforcing human rights in Australia: HSC Legal Studieshuman-rights Gave overall judgements not arguments; focused on non-legal responses | 18× | 1–7 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | Gave overall judgements not arguments; focused on non-legal responses |
| The nature and development of human rights: HSC Legal Studieshuman-rights Did not show understanding of what 'suffrage' means | 16× | 1–4 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | Did not show understanding of what 'suffrage' means |
| Promoting and enforcing human rights internationally: HSC Legal Studieshuman-rights Did not distinguish promotion from protection and enforcement | 15× | 1–7 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | Did not distinguish promotion from protection and enforcement |
| Police powers, arrest and bail: HSC Legal Studiescrime | 14× | 1 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | — |
| Young offenders and the Young Offenders Act 1997 (NSW): HSC Legal Studiescrime | 11× | 1 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025 | — |
| The International Criminal Court and the Rome Statute: HSC Legal Studiesworld-order Confused international courts with UN organs; thin case examples | 7× | 1–25 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 | Confused international courts with UN organs; thin case examples |
| The nature of world order and state sovereignty: HSC Legal Studiesworld-order Narrated law changes rather than judging law reform's role | 7× | 1–25 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025 | Narrated law changes rather than judging law reform's role |
| Meaning of crime and the elements of a crime: HSC Legal Studiescrime | 6× | 1 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024 | — |
| The nature of family law and the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth): HSC Legal Studiesfamily Wrote a historical narrative of family law instead of law reform's role | 6× | 25 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025 | Wrote a historical narrative of family law instead of law reform's role |
| Contemporary human rights issue: Indigenous Australians and the lawhuman-rights Described the issue rather than sustaining a judgement on enforcement | 4× | 4–7 | 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024 | Described the issue rather than sustaining a judgement on enforcement |
| Divorce, parental responsibility and the best interests of the child: HSC Legal Studiesfamily Did not link examples to the question throughout the response | 4× | 25 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023 | Did not link examples to the question throughout the response |
| Formal statements of human rights and international instruments: HSC Legal Studieshuman-rights Did not connect 'contribution' and 'development' using ICCPR features | 4× | 1–3 | 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 | Did not connect 'contribution' and 'development' using ICCPR features |
| The role of the United Nations in promoting world order: HSC Legal Studiesworld-order Lacked knowledge of specific international responses for world order | 4× | 25 | 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024 | Lacked knowledge of specific international responses for world order |
| Contemporary issues in family law: surrogacy and same-sex parentingfamily Few used specific provisions and cases like Masson v Parsons | 2× | 25 | 2024, 2025 | Few used specific provisions and cases like Masson v Parsons |
| Domestic violence and apprehended violence orders: HSC Legal Studiesfamily Interchanged compliance and cooperation; vague on Family Dispute Resolution | 2× | 25 | 2022, 2023 | Interchanged compliance and cooperation; vague on Family Dispute Resolution |
| Responses to conflict: jus ad bellum and jus in bello: HSC Legal Studiesworld-order Lacked knowledge of specific instruments on conduct of hostilities | 2× | 25 | 2020, 2024 | Lacked knowledge of specific instruments on conduct of hostilities |
| Contemporary world order issue: terrorism and the rules-based orderworld-order Described case studies rather than expressing a judgement | 1× | 25 | 2025 | Described case studies rather than expressing a judgement |
| Legal recognition of relationships: marriage, de facto and same-sex: HSC Legal Studiesfamily | — | — | not yet | — |