Test your knowledge with these sample HSC exam questions

Thousands of Australian students are deep in preparation for this year’s exams. Here’s an idea of the kind of questions they will face.

Do you think you would have what it takes to pass a Year 12 exam?

Ahead of about 70,000 NSW students digging into their HSC exams, news.com.au has taken a look at the kind of questions in store for them.

We have pulled out some multiple choice questions from last year’s exams, published by the NSW Education Department. English has not been included as it requires written responses.

Test your knowledge below.

Standard Mathematics

1. What is 650 000 000 expressed in standard form?

A. 6.5 × 107

B. 6.5 × 108

C. 65 × 106

D. 65 × 107

2. A water tank holds 6000 litres when full.

The tank is full when water starts to flow out of it at a constant rate of 3 litres per minute

until the tank is empty.

Which expression represents the volume (V litres) of water in the tank after t minutes?

A. V = 6000 − 3t

B. V = 6000t − 3

C. V = 3 − 6000t

D. V = 3t − 6000

3. Tian is paid $20.45 per hour, as well as a meal allowance of $16.20 per day.

What are Tian’s total earnings if she works 9 hours per day for 5 days?

A. $329.85

B. $936.45

C. $1001.25

D. $1649.25

Thousands of Year 12s are weeks away from sitting their HSC exams. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Business Studies

1. Which of the following is a pair of primary data collection methods?

A. Questionnaires and industry reports

B. Industry reports and internet sources

C. Personal interviews and questionnaires

D. Internet sources and personal interviews

2. A large clothing manufacturer in NSW wants to reduce input costs.

Which strategy would achieve this objective?

A. Increasing product variety

B. Increasing employee training

C. Implementing global sourcing

D. Implementing sustainable packaging

Chemistry

1. What term is used to define the repeating unit of a polymer?

A. Dimer

B. Isomer

C. Monomer

D. Primer

2. A blue solution of copper(II) sulfate was investigated using colourimetry. Orange light

(l = 630 nm) was used and the pathlength was 1.00 cm.

Which change would result in a higher absorbance value?

A. Diluting the solution

B. Using a higher intensity lamp

C. Using blue light (l = 450 nm)

D. Setting the pathlength to 2.00 cm

Legal Studies

1. Charlie was caught smuggling illegal substances into Australia from Mozambique. She

was arrested and charged upon her arrival into Australia.

Which court would hear this matter?

A. An Australian court

B. A Mozambican court

C. The International Criminal Court

D. The International Court of Justice

2. Joe is in prison and provides evidence to the police which leads to the conviction of

another prisoner.

Which of the following is Joe likely to experience?

A. Protective custody

B. Extended detention

C. Preventative detention

D. A diversionary program

Students across the country are deep in preparation for exams. Picture: Simon Dallinger

Economics

1. Which of the following will NOT contribute to the process of globalisation?

A. Increase in international migration

B. Increase in international financial flows

C. Trade policies which are less protectionist

D. Decrease in significance of transnational corporations

2. Why might a government look to end a short-term wage subsidy?

A. To expand the economy

B. To reduce the government budget deficit

C. To reduce the government budget surplus

D. To discourage employers from hiring new employees

Biology

1. Animal cloning involves inserting the nucleus from a somatic cell of one animal into the

A. plasmid of a bacterium.

B. uterus of a surrogate animal.

C. fertilised egg from another animal.

D. enucleated egg from another animal.

2. What type of protein is formed in response to a pathogen?

A. Antibody

B. Antigen

C. Antihistamine

D. Antiseptic

ANSWERS

Standard Mathmatics

1: B

2: A

3: C

Business Studies

1: C

2: C

Chemistry

1: C

2: D

Legal Studies

1: A

2: A

Economics

1: D

2: B

Biology

1: D

2: A