2014 Notes from the Marking Centre – Automotive
Introduction
This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 Automotive course. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2014 Higher School Certificate examination, highlighting their strengths in particular parts of the examination and indicating where candidates need to improve.
This document should be read along with:
- the Automotive Curriculum Framework Stage 6 Syllabus
- the 2014 Higher School Certificate Automotive examination
- the marking guidelines
- Advice for students sitting for HSC VET examinations
- Advice for HSC students about examinations
- other support documents developed by the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW to assist in the teaching and learning of Automotive in Stage 6.
Section II
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- understanding the correct sequence for tightening wheel nuts (Q.16 (a))
- identifying that the appropriate tool to tighten wheel nuts was a torque wrench (Q.16 (b))
- identifying at least one possible faulty component (Q.17 (a))
- identifying a basic fault-finding procedure (Q.17 (b))
- identifying a range of communication strategies when dealing with complaints (Q.18 (a))
- identifying sources of workshop noise (Q.18 (b))
- identifying at least two of the vehicle body features using general terminology (Q.19 (a))
- listing a range of components and equipment required for joining and connecting wires (Q.20)
- understanding that a hybrid is a vehicle that has two methods for delivering power (Q.21 (a))
- demonstrating a basic understanding of a hybrid vehicle (Q.21 (b)).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- providing a justification as to why wheel nuts need to be tightened to a specified tension (Q.16 (b))
- justifying why the faulty component may be causing the continuous clicking sound when attempting to start the engine (Q.17 (a))
- outlining the range of test tools/equipment required to carry out fault-finding (Q.17 (b))
- indicating the ideal test conditions that would assist in isolating the possible cause of the fault (Q.17 (b))
- proposing effective strategies to reduce the impact of noise on the surrounding environment (Q.18 (b))
- naming vehicle components using industry-specific terminology (Q.19 (a))
- justifying why the electrical components were selected to install the driving lamps (Q.20)
- providing an explanation of how energy is generated and stored in a hybrid vehicle (Q.21 (b))
- using industry-specific terminology (Q.21 (b)).
Section III
Question 22
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- providing an overview of how the automotive manufacturing industry has affected the global economy
- understanding that there has being a considerable reduction of manufacturing in Australia
- describing how the decline of the manufacturing industries has affected jobs and the economy.
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- linking the impact of current issues within the automotive manufacturing industry to other industries
- understanding how the automotive service and repair industry is affected by the reduction of automotive vehicle manufacturing in Australia
- identifying technological, economic and environmental benefits with the emergence of new automotive manufacturing industries
- expanding their responses using industry-specific terminology.
Section IV
Question 23
Candidates showed strength in these areas:
- recognising basic features of a diesel engine (Q.23 (a))
- understanding the difference between a diesel and a petrol engine (Q.23 (b))
- outlining the combustion process in a diesel engine (Q.23 (b))
- demonstrating a basic understanding of technologies being applied to modern diesel engines (Q.23 (c)).
Candidates need to improve in these areas:
- providing relevant examples of why diesel engines are increasing in popularity (Q.23 (a))
- using industry-specific terminology when outlining the difference between a diesel and a petrol engine (Q.23 (b))
- linking the technological improvements of diesel operating systems design to increased efficiencies (Q.23 (c))
- providing examples of how new technologies are being applied to diesel operating systems (Q.23 (c)).
NSW Government