| Habit | Question | What markers reported |
|---|---|---|
| Extract and interpret | Q14 | Better responses described how data could derive a specific business insight. Marker feedback asked for how data is “extracted and interpreted, rather than just describing what is collected”. |
| Name the tool and match it to the data | Q20, Q23(a) | Better responses named features such as conditional formatting, pivot tables and OLAP, and matched the graph to the data, for example a line graph for fish population over time. |
| Use the stimulus | General feedback | Students should “use the stimulus material provided to support their response”. The top criterion of Q23(a) requires reference to the scenario. |
The 2025 paper is 80 marks in 2 hours 30 minutes including 10 minutes reading time, about 1¾ minutes per mark.
| Report section | Command verb | 2025 HSC question | Exam time |
|---|---|---|---|
| How the data was extracted and interpreted | Describe | Q14, 3 marks | About 5 min |
| Chart and tool choice | Describe, Explain | Q20, 3 marks Q23(b), 4 marks | About 5 to 7 min |
| Recommendation | Explain | Q25, 8 marks | About 14 min |
NESA sample answer to 2025 Question 23(b), 4 marks. Top criterion “Explains how the data visualisations provided could affect the management team’s user experience and understanding of employee productivity”.
“The data visualisations in the presentation enhance the management team’s user experience by making complex employee productivity data easier to understand. Features like clear graphs and charts allow management to quickly identify productivity trends and comparisons across departments, by tailoring the design to highlight key insights through the use of colour and appropriate graph types. The use of the heat map for staff attendance and punctuality patterns creates a real-time, dynamic representation of department staff absences across the company. The continuous updating, clarity and focus of the visualisations improve the team’s ability to act on the data effectively and in a timely manner.”
“The data visualisations enhance the management team’s user experience by making complex data easier to understand. Features like clear graphs and charts allow management to quickly identify trends and comparisons, by tailoring the design to highlight key insights through the use of colour and appropriate graph types. The use of a heat map creates a real-time, dynamic representation of absences across a company. The continuous updating, clarity and focus of the visualisations improve the team’s ability to act on data effectively and in a timely manner.”
NESA notes that sample answers “are not intended to be exemplary or even complete answers or responses”.
Employee productivity, across departments, staff attendance and punctuality patterns and department staff absences. The 4, 3 and 2 mark criteria all name employee productivity.
Type with closed notes, and try the exam interface on the HSC Online familiarisation site.
Describe how loans per resident was extracted and interpreted to compare Cessnock with comparable councils.
| Marks | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 3 | Describes the extraction (filter, join, per-capita computation) and the interpretation (median of the five comparable councils, Cessnock 31% below it), with figures from the dataset |
| 2 | Outlines the analysis, or lists what the dataset contains |
| 1 | Provides some relevant information |
A marine biologist is analysing datasets on fish populations and water temperature. Describe spreadsheet features that can assist the marine biologist to better understand the datasets visually.
| Marks | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 3 | Describes spreadsheet features that can assist the marine biologist to better understand the datasets visually |
| 2 | Outlines ONE spreadsheet feature that can assist the marine biologist to better understand the datasets visually OR Identifies spreadsheet features that can assist the marine biologist |
| 1 | Provides some relevant information |
Better responses used conditional formatting to highlight a data range, pivot tables to filter data sets, and a line graph for fish population over time.
Run the three checks top-down on your own answer.
| Check | Ask | If it fails |
|---|---|---|
| V Verb | Did I do what the command verb asks? Explain needs cause and effect. | Rewrite one sentence as feature, effect and consequence. |
| S Stimulus | Could this paragraph sit under a different question unchanged? | Add a figure, name or example found only in this stimulus. |
| T Tool | Did I name a specific tool and match it to the data? A line graph for a trend, the median when an extreme is present. | Replace “a chart” with the chart type and the reason it fits. |
Log the attempt in the Feedback Loop with your score, the failed check and your change.