11–12Industrial Technology 11–12 Syllabus (2026)

Students will submit a product relating to their specialisation: metal OR timber.

The product will consist of one item or multiple related items that demonstrate evidence of knowledge and skills in project design, management, communication and production.

The physical size of the Major project needs to be carefully considered. Teachers and students should be mindful of:

• the cost of materials
• the complexity and physical size of projects.

High marks are regularly achieved by students who have projects that are of modest cost, use minimal materials and do not require an excessive student time commitment.

The management and production folio draws on content from the focus area: Project design, management and communication. The management and production folio must contain the following components:

• a statement of intent that addresses project goals, target audience, project direction and proposed production methods
• evidence of the selection and justification of materials, components, resources, processes and technologies based on testing, feedback and emerging constraints
• evaluation and evidence of ongoing planning, production decisions and/or modification of materials, components and processes
• justification of key production decisions relating to timing, finances and outsourcing, where relevant
• a final evaluation of quality and production choices in relation to end-user needs, industry practices and material performance.

All evidence that relates to the components above should be clearly labelled and integrated into the management and production folio to support the documentation of key processes.

Evidence may include:

• annotations that clarify evidence and provide justification for decisions
• diagrams, graphs and sketches
• photographs of work samples
• tables and charts.

Any evidence used is included in the page limit. Students must not include an appendix in the management and production folio.

Student may display their management and production folio using an electronic device that can be easily accessed by markers on the day of marking. If submitting their management and production folio electronically, students must ensure that any hyperlinks contain a single layer only. Hyperlinks should only be used to inform markers about a technology used as part of the project. Note that an identical paper-based copy must be available in case the technology does not work on the day of marking.

Students may include a video file of up to 3 minutes duration in addition to the management and production folio. If video footage is included, it must only be used to demonstrate product functionality, testing and/or production processes which are unable to be represented using still images in the management and production folio. Submission of this material is optional.

The management and production folio must:

• include a NESA Coversheet (schools can download this via Schools Online > Downloads > NESA Guides, Forms and Resources > HSC Practical Examinations Advice)
• use Arial or Times New Roman in font size 12 for any text
• not exceed 60 single-sided A4 pages or equivalent OR 30 single-sided A3 pages or equivalent.

Schools should refer to ACE 2.5.1 Developing HSC practical exams to ensure students’ major projects comply with health and safety requirements.

On occasion, it may be necessary for some minor aspect of the Major project to be outsourced to another person or agency (e.g. specialised equipment, components or processes). In such cases, the work undertaken by the person or agency must be documented in the management and production folio and acknowledged on the NESA Coversheet. Students will not be allocated marks for work completed by others. However, the student’s skills in justifying the reason for outsourcing in their management and production folio will be recognised in the marking process.

At times, it may be necessary for one or more parts of the Major project to completed at a site other than the student’s school.  In these circumstances, the school is responsible for ensuring that appropriate supervision can be provided, and that comprehensive documentation of the work conducted off-site is maintained. The school can only consent to the student completing work off-site if the requirements for certification can be met.

All major projects should be submitted for marking at the school. Only in exceptional circumstances can the Major project be marked at a site other than the school. Approval must be obtained from NESA before students commence the project. To request NESA approval, schools are to email:

Industrial Technology Coordinator
Marking and Quality NESA
Email: hscpracticals@nesa.nsw.edu.au

Students are required to adhere to the page limit for the management and production folio and should make decisions judiciously to ensure the folio falls within this limit. Management and production folios that exceed this page limit will be in breach of examination rules.

NESA must be notified of each student’s specialisation (metal OR timber) via Schools Online by the date published in the Timetable of Actions.

Marking guidelines for the Major project will be made available to download when the Sample HSC examination materials are published.

Industrial Technology students must complete and sign a Student Declaration Form for the Major project. The Student Declaration Form can be downloaded from Schools Online and states that the planning, development, components and presentation of the Major project is the student’s own work. Supervising teachers must certify the student’s practical examinations and sign each student’s Student Declaration Form.

The Major project must be developed by the student under the supervision of the supervising teacher from the commencement of the project. It is essential that aspects of the process of development of the Major project take place in school time and that all or most of the Major project be completed at school under the supervision of the class teacher. While some students may also work on their Major project away from school, this must be monitored and documented by the supervising teacher.

For the purpose of certification, supervising teachers must keep documented evidence to validate the authenticity and integrity of a student’s work. Supervising teachers may draw on the student’s management and production folio, as well as observations and discussions, to maintain the documented evidence of the student’s work throughout the HSC year. Documented evidence is not submitted to NESA, however it must be retained by the school, as it may be requested in exceptional circumstances.

During the development of the Major project, judgements about students’ ownership of work should not be impacted by the provision of Loading  for students with disability.

For further information about certification and practical examination rules, see:

• ACE 2.5.2 Certifying and submitting HSC projects, submitted works and performances
• Certifying HSC practical components
• Practical exam rules.

Schools are responsible for supervising and certifying student work presented for HSC practical exams. The certification process involves the school’s ongoing supervision of student progress to confirm the authenticity and academic integrity of student work.

Monitoring student progress

Supervision requires ongoing monitoring of student work. Effective and ongoing monitoring of student work for HSC practical examinations can be done in a range of ways. The strategies used may vary depending on the course, the nature of the project, and the learning context. Effective monitoring generally involves one or more practices that enable teachers to see student progress, understand the development of the work over time, and verify its authenticity.

Examples of monitoring strategies include but are not limited to:

• maintaining written and/or visual observation records of observations about student progress and development, e.g. online discussion boards
• engaging in regular teacher-student discussions throughout the development of the work
• observing practical work carried out during class time
• providing one-on-one opportunities for students to explain and discuss their work as it develops, e.g. written reflections, interviews, informal progress conversations or feedback on practical work
• including the progress of project development in both formative and summative assessments
• facilitating class discussions or forums to share students’ planning, decision-making and development processes
• reviewing logbooks or other forms of documentation that record the development and progress of work.

Some students with disability may require adjustments in the development of the Major project. Decisions about adjustments can be made by the school in collaboration with the student and parents/carers. More information about adjustments can be found on the NESA website:

• Students with disability
• Adjustments.

Adjustments in response to a disability are not considered outside assistance and do not need to be recorded in the management and production folio that is submitted to NESA. Where a student with a disability has accessed outside assistance undertaken by some other person or agency in addition to an adjustment, the outside assistance must be recorded in the student’s management and production folio.

Where a student’s disability impacts their functioning in the development of the Major project, schools will need to apply through NESA’s HSC exam provisions program. More information about exam provisions can be found on the NESA website:

• HSC exam provisions
• ACE 6.1 exam provisions program.

Students undertaking the Industrial Technology Life Skills 11–12 course are not required to submit the Major project for Industrial Technology 11–12.

Industrial Technology practical examinations will be marked at special centres or at schools in August/September. NESA publishes the completion and hand-in date, and the marking dates on the NESA website.

HSC Industrial Technology teachers should have a Schools Online profile with appropriate access. They are also required to supply their email address to receive communications directly from NESA. Teachers should see their principal to ensure they have been provided with the appropriate access to their Schools Online account.

The Industrial Technology product and management and production folio are to be submitted and marked together. The physical size and complexity of the Major project needs to be carefully considered in relation to submission requirements.

Further information about the submission requirements for Industrial Technology 11–12 can be found via Schools Online.

If a student’s Major project is damaged prior to submission, the school should contact NESA for advice at studentsupport@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

For more information about practical HSC examinations see Understanding HSC practical exams.