<- Past papers

NSWPhysics2023

HSC Physics 2023

Walkthrough of the 2023 HSC Physics paper. Section structure, calculation strategy, and common errors flagged in the NESA notes from marking centre.

Marks
100
Time
180 min
Authority
NESA
Updated
Open the official PDF ->Official marking notes

What this paper assessed

HSC Physics is one paper of 100 marks across 180 minutes plus 5 minutes reading time. Section 1 is 20 multiple choice (20 marks). Section 2 is short and extended response (80 marks). The 2023 paper drew across Modules 5 to 8 with several derivation items.

Section strategy

Section 1 in 30 minutes. Section 2 at roughly 1.8 minutes per mark. For derivations, state the starting equation, name the substitutions and finish with a one line statement of the physical meaning.

Common errors flagged

The 2023 NESA notes from marking centre flagged poor reasoning in Lenz's law questions, confused handling of relativistic time dilation, and weak extended responses on the Bohr model that did not address its limitations.

What to do with this paper

Sit Section 1 in 30 minutes, then Section 2 in 150 minutes. Mark with the official guidelines. Rebuild every derivation that lost a method mark.

Use this paper well

  1. Sit the paper under exam conditions (180 minutes, 100 marks).
  2. Mark yourself against the official NESA marking notes.
  3. Compare against the Physics hub to find the syllabus dot points this paper tested.

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