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Online exam tips: reading time, order of attack and time per mark
The exam is sat on a computer. Know the format, and practise with NESA’s familiarisation exam, because the tools (drawing, pseudocode, code answers) are the part that is easy to get wrong. From NESA material
The facts
- From NESA material 80 marks, undertaken on a computer with wired headphones (NESA Quick Reference Guide 2026).
- From NESA material 2 hours 30 minutes including 10 minutes reading time. Your timetable: Tuesday 27 October 2026, 9:50 am to 12:20 pm (Sydney time); 9:50 am is when reading time begins (check your personal timetable in Students Online).
- From NESA material Questions may have stimulus material; headphones are required for video or audio stimulus (the 2025 Q27 human-bias video).
- From NESA material 2025 shape: Q1–14 (16 marks) were objective items; Q15–27 (64 marks) were written, coded, drawn or extended.
- From NESA material Question types: multiple choice, multi-select, drag into order, fill in the blanks (dropdowns), drawing, pseudocode, Python, SQL, short answers, extended responses.
- From NESA material Your school’s exam-tips page names an HSC drawing tool and a pseudocode editor. NESA’s familiarisation exam is at fam.hsconline.nesa.nsw.edu.au and has a pseudocode question (Q8) and a Python question (Q13) to try.
- Not verified How Python and SQL answers are typed or whether you can run the code is unpublished in the materials I have. Check the familiarisation site.
- Not verified Whether you can write or draw during reading time is not published in the materials I have. Check the NESA instructions you have been given. Treat reading time as time to read and plan.
Step-by-step plan
- Before the exam: test your wired headphones, and do the NESA familiarisation exam once, including a drawing question and the pseudocode and Python questions. General advice
- Reading time (10 minutes): skim the whole paper first. Mark the big-mark questions (5 and 6 marks) and the code questions. Note which diagrams you will need to draw. General advice Your school notes suggest: objective first, then short answer, leave time for the extended responses. From course notes
- Objective items first (about 16 marks): multiple choice, multi-select, drag and fill-in-the-blanks. Use the method pages: multiple choice, multi-select, drag, fill in the blanks, matching. Allow about 1 to 2 minutes each. General advice
- Then code and drawing (pseudocode, Python, SQL, diagrams): these are the marks you can earn by method. Follow the checklists: pseudocode, Python, SQL, drawing. General advice
- Then short answers and extended responses. Count the marks: one clear point per mark and use the stimulus. From NESA material Marking guidelines in 2025 rewarded answers linked to the scenario.
- Time per mark: Derived 140 minutes of writing ÷ 80 marks = 1.75 minutes per mark: 1 mark ≈ 1.75 min, 2 ≈ 3.5, 3 ≈ 5, 4 ≈ 7, 5 ≈ 9, 6 ≈ 10.5. If a question is eating time, flag it and return. General advice
- Last 10 minutes: go back to flagged questions; check every question has an answer; check code is indented, functions are called, text in SQL is quoted. From NESA material (2025 marker feedback on code.)
Tool tips
- General advice Drawing tool: draw items in the right order (shapes first, then arrows, then labels). If the tool does not offer a symbol, add a text label that names it. See drawing questions.
- General advice Pseudocode: type the keywords in capitals and indent. The NESA editor details are unpublished; practise on the familiarisation site.
- General advice Code: check indentation, quotes and that you call your function after defining it. From NESA material (2025 code marker feedback)
- General advice Selecting answers: tick every option you judge true. The marking guidelines in our bank give partial credit only on the 2-mark multi-select items (see the multi-select page).
Common mistakes
- General advice Spending 10 minutes on a 1-mark question.
- General advice Leaving a question blank. A partial answer can still earn a mark (the criteria give a mark for “some relevant information”).
- General advice Not using the stimulus.
- General advice Not trying the exam tools beforehand.
Time table
| Marks | Minutes (derived at 1.75/mark) | Typical items |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | about 2 | multiple choice, one-mark fill-in |
| 2 | about 3.5 | multi-select (Q10 style), 2-mark short answer |
| 3 | about 5 | pseudocode, decision tree, UI design, short answers |
| 4 | about 7 | SQL, class diagram |
| 5 | about 9 | Python, 5-mark responses |
| 6 | about 10.5 | extended response |
From NESA material The mark counts per type are from the 2025 papers in our bank. General advice The minutes are general guidance; the total should stay within the 2 hours 20 minutes of writing.
Practice
Do the NESA familiarisation exam under timed conditions, then the mock exam, and use the cheat sheet for a last check.
Terms, flashcards and past questions
Key terms for this page: Reading time · Drawing questions (online tool) · Multiple choice (MC) · Short-answer questions · Extended response (5 to 6 marks)
Flashcards · All key terms · Learn step by step · All past questions · Multiple-choice bank · Mock exam
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