Which HSC Physics past paper do students score lowest on?

The 2025 Exam, averaging 52.7% across 543 marked attempts on AusGrader. The 2023 Exam is the highest on 61.5%.

Which HSC Physics dot points give the best return on revision time?

5.3.5 (3.1 marks at risk per 100), 6.3.2 (2.6 marks at risk per 100) and 6.4.1 (2.5 marks at risk per 100). Marks at risk combines a dot point's share of paper marks with the marks students drop on it, so it ranks by recoverable marks and not by score alone.

How many attempts is each HSC Physics figure based on?

21,272 marked attempts overall, with the per-row count shown in every table. Any cut below 50 attempts is withheld instead of published.

Do these averages show how the NESA cohort performed?

No. They are AusGrader users' marked attempts, a self-selected group practising when they chose to and often without exam timing. They corroborate what NESA publishes about this subject and do not replace it.

HSC Physics hardest topics

Across 21,272 marked attempts on AusGrader, HSC Physics students average 61.9% on questions taken from board external papers. The lowest average of any command verb is calculate on 47.2%, and the verb that costs the most marks is explain, which carries 19.3% of the paper against 12.0% for calculate. These are self-selected users practising when they chose to, not the NESA cohort under exam conditions.

How to read these numbers

The figures are AusGrader users' marked attempts, not NESA results. They corroborate what the board publishes about this subject and do not stand in for it.
Any cut with fewer than 50 attempts is withheld, which on this page is 5 topics, 23 dot points and 22 verbs. Every figure shown carries its attempt count.
Scores cover questions mapped to the HSC Physics syllabus from any board's external papers, which is why the sample is larger than the 3 NESA papers alone. The paper table below is the exception and uses NESA papers only.
Internal assessment and school-uploaded exams are excluded throughout, so these averages differ from the ones on HSC Physics performance stats, which count every attempt.

Score by past paper

Year	Exam	Average	Attempts
2025	Exam	52.7%	543
2024	Exam	60.1%	406
2023	Exam	61.5%	581

The lowest average belongs to the 2025 Exam on 52.7% from 543 attempts, and the highest to the 2023 Exam on 61.5% from 581 attempts. A paper's average reflects both how hard it was and who chose to sit it, so treat the spread as a guide to which papers make demanding practice.

Score by question type

Question type	Average	Attempts
Short answer	51.2%	1,934
Multiple choice	65.2%	19,338

Score by module

Module	Average	Attempts
Module 5: Advanced Mechanics	55.6%	4,480
Module 6: Electromagnetism	59.5%	6,058
Module 9: Working Scientifically Skills	62.9%	3,141
Module 8: From the Universe to the Atom	64.5%	3,512
Module 7: The Nature of Light	68.7%	5,667

An attempt counts once per module, so a question assessed across two modules appears in both rows and the column adds to slightly more than 21,272.

The priority list: heavy topics with low scores

Topic	Share of marks	Average	Attempts	Marks at risk
Motion in Gravitational Fields	12.7%	49.4%	1,422	6.4
Electromagnetic Induction	11.5%	60.1%	3,348	4.6
Applications of the Motor Effect	8.3%	55.1%	1,923	3.7
Circular Motion	6.3%	56.3%	1,292	2.8
Origins of the Elements	5.9%	54.0%	562	2.7
Light and Special Relativity	7.8%	66.2%	2,250	2.6
Quantum Mechanical Nature of the Atom	6.3%	66.9%	2,343	2.1
Light: Quantum Model	5.4%	64.1%	1,084	1.9
Charged Particles, Conductors and Electric and Magnetic Fields	5.2%	63.7%	755	1.9
Deep inside the Atom	4.5%	62.2%	536	1.7
Projectile Motion	4.2%	59.8%	1,825	1.7
Electromagnetic Spectrum	6.0%	73.6%	998	1.6
Properties of the Nucleus	4.0%	69.8%	476	1.2
The Motor Effect	2.8%	60.7%	1,027	1.1
Light: Wave Model	3.0%	72.3%	1,358	0.8
Processing Data and Information	0.3%	57.1%	1,092	0.1
Analysing Data and Information	0.3%	63.4%	2,654	0.1

Motion in Gravitational Fields tops the list on 6.4 marks at risk per 100 paper marks, 1.8 ahead of Electromagnetic Induction.

The same cut at dot-point level

Dot point	Content	Share of marks	Average	Attempts	Marks at risk
5.3.5	derive quantitatively and apply the concepts of gravitational force and gravitational potential energy in radial gravitational fields to a variety of situations, including but not limited to the concept of escape velocity $v_{esc}=\sqrt{\frac{2GM}{r}}$ ; total potential energy of a planet or satellite in its orbit $U=-\frac{GMm}{r}$ ; total energy of a planet or satellite in its orbit $U + K =-\frac{GMm}{2r}$ ; energy changes that occur when satellites move between orbits (ACSPH096); Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion (ACSPH101)	6.2%	49.2%	88	3.1
6.3.2	analyse qualitatively and quantitatively, with reference to energy transfers and transformations, examples of Faraday’s Law and Lenz’s Law $\varepsilon = -N\frac{\Delta\Phi}{\Delta t}$ , including but not limited to: (ACSPH081, ACSPH110) the generation of an electromotive force (emf) and evidence for Lenz’s Law produced by the relative movement between a magnet, straight conductors, metal plates and solenoids; the generation of an emf produced by the relative movement or changes in current in one solenoid in the vicinity of another solenoid	6.7%	61.6%	1,651	2.6
6.4.1	investigate the operation of a simple DC motor to analyse the functions of its components; production of a torque $\tau = nIA_\perp B = nIAB\sin\theta$ ; effects of back emf (ACSPH108)	5.2%	51.9%	738	2.5
5.2.3	solve problems, model and make quantitative predictions about objects executing uniform circular motion in a variety of situations, using the following relationships $a_c = \frac{v^2}{r}$ ; $v = \frac{2\pi r}{T}$ ; $F_c = \frac{mv^2}{r}$ ; $\omega = \frac{\Delta\theta}{t}$	3.3%	58.1%	687	1.4
7.4.2	investigate the evidence, from Einstein’s thought experiments and subsequent experimental validation, for time dilation $t = \frac{t_0}{\sqrt{1-\frac{v^2}{c^2}}}$ and length contraction $l=l_0\sqrt{1-\frac{v^2}{c^2}}$ , and analyse quantitatively situations in which these are observed, for example observations of cosmic-origin muons at the Earth’s surface; atomic clocks (Hafele–Keating experiment); evidence from particle accelerators; evidence from cosmological studies	4.3%	72.4%	1,137	1.2
8.5.3	investigate the operation and role of particle accelerators in obtaining evidence that tests and/or validates aspects of theories, including the Standard Model of matter (ACSPH120, ACSPH121, ACSPH122, ACSPH146)	2.0%	42.0%	221	1.2
7.4.3	describe the consequences and applications of relativistic momentum with reference to $p_v = \frac{m_0 v}{\sqrt{1-\frac{v^2}{c^2}}}$ ; the limitation on the maximum velocity of a particle imposed by special relativity (ACSPH133)	2.3%	50.7%	286	1.1
6.3.3	analyse quantitatively the operation of ideal transformers through the application of: (ACSPH110) $\frac{V_p}{V_s}=\frac{N_p}{N_s}$ ; $V_p I_p = V_s I_s$	2.3%	52.2%	730	1.1
5.3.4	investigate the relationship of Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion to the forces acting on, and the total energy of, planets in circular and non-circular orbits using: (ACSPH101) $v = \frac{2\pi r}{T}$ ; $\frac{r^3}{T^2} = \frac{GM}{4\pi^2}$	2.7%	60.0%	204	1.1
6.2.3	analyse the interaction between two parallel current-carrying wires $\frac{F}{l}=\frac{\mu_0}{2\pi}\frac{I_1 I_2}{r}$ and determine the relationship between the International System of Units (SI) definition of an ampere and Newton’s Third Law of Motion (ACSPH081, ACSPH106)	2.3%	54.1%	268	1.1
8.1.4	account for the production of emission and absorption spectra and compare these with a continuous black body spectrum (ACSPH137)	1.9%	51.8%	263	0.9
8.3.3	relate qualitatively and quantitatively the quantised energy levels of the hydrogen atom and the law of conservation of energy to the line emission spectrum of hydrogen using $E=hf$ ; $E=\frac{hc}{\lambda}$ ; $\frac{1}{\lambda}=R\left[\frac{1}{n_f^2}-\frac{1}{n_i^2}\right]$ (ACSPH136)	2.2%	58.7%	1,064	0.9
7.3.1	analyse the experimental evidence gathered about black body radiation, including Wien’s Law related to Planck's contribution to a changed model of light (ACSPH137) $\lambda_{max}=\frac{b}{T}$	2.2%	60.8%	84	0.9
5.3.3	predict quantitatively the orbital properties of planets and satellites in a variety of situations, including near the Earth and geostationary orbits, and relate these to their uses (ACSPH101)	1.5%	44.1%	305	0.8
5.2.2	analyse the forces acting on an object executing uniform circular motion in a variety of situations, for example cars moving around horizontal circular bends; a mass on a string; objects on banked tracks (ACSPH100)	2.0%	58.3%	1,022	0.8
5.3.2	investigate the orbital motion of planets and artificial satellites when applying the relationships between the following quantities gravitational force; centripetal force; centripetal acceleration; mass; orbital radius; orbital velocity; orbital period	1.3%	44.3%	712	0.7
6.1.1	investigate and quantitatively derive and analyse the interaction between charged particles and uniform electric fields, including: (ACSPH083) electric field between parallel charged plates $E=\frac{V}{d}$ ; acceleration of charged particles by the electric field $\vec{F}_{net}=m\vec{a}$ , $\vec{F}=q\vec{E}$ ; work done on the charge $W=qV$ , $W=qEd$ , $K=\frac{1}{2}mv^2$	2.1%	65.9%	208	0.7
7.1.6	investigate how the spectra of stars can provide information on surface temperature; rotational and translational velocity; density; chemical composition	3.7%	82.8%	311	0.6
5.1.4	solve problems, create models and make quantitative predictions by applying the equations of motion relationships for uniformly accelerated and constant rectilinear motion	1.3%	51.0%	621	0.6
5.1.1	analyse the motion of projectiles by resolving the motion into horizontal and vertical components, making the following assumptions a constant vertical acceleration due to gravity; zero air resistance	1.7%	63.1%	1,129	0.6

Which command verbs cost the most marks

Verb	Share of marks	Average	Attempts	Marks at risk
explain	19.3%	57.2%	343	8.3
calculate	12.0%	47.2%	677	6.3
describe	5.0%	58.8%	123	2.1
determine	4.0%	56.3%	251	1.8
show	3.3%	60.4%	57	1.3

Calculate has the lowest average on the page at 47.2%, and it is not where the marks go. Explain averages 57.2% but carries 19.3% of the paper against 12.0%, so it puts 8.3 marks per 100 at risk against 6.3. Each verb above is practised in the HSC Physics question bank, where the marking criteria show what NESA expects the answer to do.

What this does not measure

Where to practise

Work the priority list from the top: Motion in Gravitational Fields and Electromagnetic Induction first, then the dot points above. Each topic page holds real NESA questions with marking criteria attached. For what the papers actually cover, read HSC Physics most tested topics.

Syllabus and assessment material referenced in this guide is used under licence, © Copyright NSW Education Standards Authority. See our NESA licensing notice. The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) does not endorse this product or service. NESA takes no responsibility for any errors in the reproduction of NESA Materials. Any sample examination papers or model answers accompanying the NESA Materials are not part of the NESA Materials and are in no way endorsed or authorised by NESA.