HSC Physics most tested topics
Across the three NESA Physics external papers from 2023 to 2025, Motion in Gravitational Fields carries 12.7% of the marks against 0.3% for Processing Data and Information, so the paper rewards Motion in Gravitational Fields more than any other topic. At dot-point level 6.3.2 carries 6.7% of paper marks, and 30 of the 88 dot points that the board assesses externally have not appeared in one of these papers. Every percentage below covers the 100.0% of marks that map to a syllabus dot point.
Computed from 3 NESA Physics external papers, 2023 to 2025: 103 questions, 132 question parts and 300 marks.
Module, topic and dot-point shares below are of the 300 marks that map to a dot point, so each of those tables adds to 100%. 41 of the 132 parts are assessed against more than one dot point, and their 133 marks are divided evenly between the dot points they cover.
What these papers are
| Year | Exam | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Exam | 36 | 100 |
| 2024 | Exam | 33 | 100 |
| 2023 | Exam | 34 | 100 |
Marks by module
| Module | Share of marks |
|---|---|
| Module 6: Electromagnetism | 27.8% |
| Module 8: From the Universe to the Atom | 26.1% |
| Module 5: Advanced Mechanics | 23.2% |
| Module 7: The Nature of Light | 22.3% |
| Module 9: Working Scientifically Skills | 0.7% |
Marks by topic
| Topic | Share of marks | Papers it appears in | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motion in Gravitational Fields | 12.7% | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Electromagnetic Induction | 11.5% | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Applications of the Motor Effect | 8.3% | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Light and Special Relativity | 7.8% | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Circular Motion | 6.3% | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Quantum Mechanical Nature of the Atom | 6.3% | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Electromagnetic Spectrum | 6.0% | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Origins of the Elements | 5.9% | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Light: Quantum Model | 5.4% | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Structure of the Atom | 5.3% | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Charged Particles, Conductors and Electric and Magnetic Fields | 5.2% | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Deep inside the Atom | 4.5% | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Projectile Motion | 4.2% | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Properties of the Nucleus | 4.0% | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Light: Wave Model | 3.0% | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| The Motor Effect | 2.8% | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 |
| Analysing Data and Information | 0.3% | 1 of 3 | 1 of 3 |
| Processing Data and Information | 0.3% | 1 of 3 | 1 of 3 |
Marks by dot point
Dot-point numbers and wording are NESA's own. Where a dot point is written as a list, its items run together here separated by semicolons.
| Dot point | Content | Topic | Share of marks | Papers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.3.2 | analyse qualitatively and quantitatively, with reference to energy transfers and transformations, examples of Faraday’s Law and Lenz’s Law , 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 | Electromagnetic Induction | 6.7% | 3 of 3 |
| 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 ; total potential energy of a planet or satellite in its orbit ; total energy of a planet or satellite in its orbit ; energy changes that occur when satellites move between orbits (ACSPH096); Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion (ACSPH101) | Motion in Gravitational Fields | 6.2% | 3 of 3 |
| 6.4.1 | investigate the operation of a simple DC motor to analyse the functions of its components; production of a torque ; effects of back emf (ACSPH108) | Applications of the Motor Effect | 5.2% | 3 of 3 |
| 7.4.2 | investigate the evidence, from Einstein’s thought experiments and subsequent experimental validation, for time dilation and length contraction , 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 | Light and Special Relativity | 4.3% | 3 of 3 |
| 7.1.6 | investigate how the spectra of stars can provide information on surface temperature; rotational and translational velocity; density; chemical composition | Electromagnetic Spectrum | 3.7% | 3 of 3 |
| 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 ; ; ; | Circular Motion | 3.3% | 3 of 3 |
| 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) ; | Motion in Gravitational Fields | 2.7% | 3 of 3 |
| 6.4.3 | relate Lenz’s Law to the law of conservation of energy and apply the law of conservation of energy to DC motors and; magnetic braking | Applications of the Motor Effect | 2.7% | 3 of 3 |
| 8.2.1 | investigate, assess and model the experimental evidence supporting the existence and properties of the electron, including early experiments examining the nature of cathode rays; Thomson’s charge-to-mass experiment; Millikan's oil drop experiment (ACSPH026) | Structure of the Atom | 2.7% | 2 of 3 |
| 8.2.2 | investigate, assess and model the experimental evidence supporting the nuclear model of the atom, including the Geiger-Marsden experiment; Rutherford’s atomic model; Chadwick’s discovery of the neutron (ACSPH026) | Structure of the Atom | 2.7% | 2 of 3 |
| 6.2.3 | analyse the interaction between two parallel current-carrying wires and determine the relationship between the International System of Units (SI) definition of an ampere and Newton’s Third Law of Motion (ACSPH081, ACSPH106) | The Motor Effect | 2.3% | 2 of 3 |
| 6.3.3 | analyse quantitatively the operation of ideal transformers through the application of: (ACSPH110) ; | Electromagnetic Induction | 2.3% | 3 of 3 |
| 7.4.3 | describe the consequences and applications of relativistic momentum with reference to ; the limitation on the maximum velocity of a particle imposed by special relativity (ACSPH133) | Light and Special Relativity | 2.3% | 2 of 3 |
| 8.1.6 | investigate the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram and how it can be used to determine the following about a star characteristics and evolutionary stage; surface temperature; colour; luminosity | Origins of the Elements | 2.3% | 3 of 3 |
| 8.3.4 | investigate de Broglie’s matter waves, and the experimental evidence that developed the following formula (ACSPH140) | Quantum Mechanical Nature of the Atom | 2.3% | 3 of 3 |
| 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) | Light: Quantum Model | 2.2% | 2 of 3 |
| 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 ; ; (ACSPH136) | Quantum Mechanical Nature of the Atom | 2.2% | 3 of 3 |
| 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 ; acceleration of charged particles by the electric field , ; work done on the charge , , | Charged Particles, Conductors and Electric and Magnetic Fields | 2.1% | 3 of 3 |
| 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) | Circular Motion | 2.0% | 2 of 3 |
These 19 dot points carry 60.2% of the paper marks between them. Another 39 assessed dot points share the rest, and 30 of the 88 externally assessable dot points have not been assessed in any of these 3 papers. Content that has not appeared is still examinable.
What has moved between papers
Comparing the 2023 papers with the 2025 papers, five topics have moved by more than 3.0 percentage points.
| Topic | 2023 share | 2025 share | Movement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electromagnetic Induction | 16.5% | 11.5% | down 5.0 points |
| Light and Special Relativity | 4.0% | 9.5% | up 5.5 points |
| Quantum Mechanical Nature of the Atom | 4.0% | 7.0% | up 3.0 points |
| Origins of the Elements | 6.0% | 1.5% | down 4.5 points |
| Deep inside the Atom | 3.0% | 6.5% | up 3.5 points |
How the papers are built
Short answer carries 80.0% of the marks across these 3 papers.
| Question type | Share of marks | Marks | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short answer | 80.0% | 240 | 72 |
| Multiple choice | 20.0% | 60 | 60 |
| Verb | Share of marks | Marks | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|
| explain | 19.3% | 58 | 17 |
| analyse | 13.0% | 39 | 6 |
| calculate | 12.0% | 36 | 13 |
| describe | 5.0% | 15 | 5 |
| determine | 4.0% | 12 | 5 |
| support | 3.7% | 11 | 2 |
| show | 3.3% | 10 | 4 |
| justify | 3.0% | 9 | 1 |
What these percentages do not tell you
Where to practise
Every topic above links to its own page of real NESA questions with marking criteria and average scores attached: Motion in Gravitational Fields, Electromagnetic Induction, Applications of the Motor Effect, Light and Special Relativity, Circular Motion, Quantum Mechanical Nature of the Atom, Electromagnetic Spectrum, Origins of the Elements, Light: Quantum Model, Structure of the Atom, Charged Particles, Conductors and Electric and Magnetic Fields, Deep inside the Atom, Projectile Motion, Properties of the Nucleus, Light: Wave Model, The Motor Effect, Analysing Data and Information and Processing Data and Information. For how students actually score on this content, read HSC Physics hardest topics, and for the full question bank start at HSC Physics.
Frequently asked questions
Which topic carries the most marks in the HSC Physics external exam?
Motion in Gravitational Fields carries 12.7% of the marks across the 3 NESA papers from 2023 to 2025, ahead of Electromagnetic Induction on 11.5%.
How are marks split between question types in the HSC Physics exam?
Short answer carries 80.0% of the marks and multiple choice carries 20.0% of the marks, measured across 3 papers and 300 marks from 2023 to 2025.
Has the topic balance changed in recent HSC Physics papers?
Yes. Electromagnetic Induction moved down 5.0 percentage points, Light and Special Relativity moved up 5.5 percentage points, Quantum Mechanical Nature of the Atom moved up 3.0 percentage points, Origins of the Elements moved down 4.5 percentage points and Deep inside the Atom moved up 3.5 percentage points between the 2023 and 2025 papers.
How many past papers is this HSC Physics analysis based on?
3 NESA external papers from 2023 to 2025, covering 103 questions and 300 marks. 0.0% of those marks carry no dot-point mapping and sit outside the percentages.
Sources
- HSC Physics Examination, NESA, 2025. 3 papers, 2023 to 2025, covering 103 questions and 300 marks. Listed individually in the table at the top of this guide. Dot-point numbering follows the current NESA Physics syllabus.
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.
Keep reading
Practise what you just read
Work through real NESA Physics questions and get your written answers marked against the official criteria, instantly.