VCE Politics past exams 2023–2025

Every question from the last three VCE Politics exams, matched to the lesson that teaches it, with class averages from the examiners' reports and worked solutions. VCE Politics (Year 12) lessons.

2025 Exam

A1 (4 marks, class average 75%): Two short-term causes of your chosen global issue. Lesson: Global Issues, Global Responses — Climate Change, Other Global Issues — Development, Economic Instability and Weapons
A2 (1 mark, class average 92%): Name one international law studied for your global issue. Lesson: Global Issues, Global Responses — Climate Change, Other Global Issues — Development, Economic Instability and Weapons
A3 (4 marks, class average 68%): How one state's response led to political stability or change on your global issue. Lesson: Global Issues, Global Responses — Climate Change, Other Global Issues — Development, Economic Instability and Weapons
A4 (6 marks, class average 63%): Discuss how global interconnectedness affects your global issue. Lesson: Global Issues, Global Responses — Climate Change, Other Global Issues — Development, Economic Instability and Weapons
A5 (2 marks, class average 70%): Outline one consequence of your chosen contemporary crisis. Lesson: Contemporary Crises — Human Rights, Armed Conflict and Mass Movement of People
A6 (3 marks, class average 60%): Use one example to explain how diplomacy has been used to try to resolve your crisis. Lesson: Contemporary Crises — Human Rights, Armed Conflict and Mass Movement of People
A7a (4 marks, class average 68%): Explain one global actor's ability to respond effectively to your crisis. Lesson: Contemporary Crises — Human Rights, Armed Conflict and Mass Movement of People, Global Actors — States, Intergovernmental Organisations, NGOs and Transnational Corporations
A7b (6 marks, class average 65%): Contrast two global actors' perspectives on your crisis (different actors from part a). Lesson: Contemporary Crises — Human Rights, Armed Conflict and Mass Movement of People, Global Actors — States, Intergovernmental Organisations, NGOs and Transnational Corporations
A8 (2 marks, class average 55%): Outline one example of your Indo-Pacific state's use of cultural power. Lesson: Power and the National Interest in the Indo-Pacific
A9 (3 marks, class average 50%): Describe one consequence of your Indo-Pacific state's use of foreign aid. Lesson: Power and the National Interest in the Indo-Pacific
A10 (3 marks, class average 57%): Explain one challenge to your Indo-Pacific state's pursuit of regional standing. Lesson: Power and the National Interest in the Indo-Pacific
A11 (7 marks, class average 54%): Analyse the political significance of your Indo-Pacific state's use of military power for security. Lesson: Power and the National Interest in the Indo-Pacific
B1 (3 marks, class average 67%): Outline Source 2's perspective on how Australia pursues regional relationships. Lesson: Australia in the Indo-Pacific — National Interests and Foreign Policy Instruments
B2a (2 marks, class average 95%): Identify two foreign policy instruments shown in Source 1. Lesson: Australia in the Indo-Pacific — National Interests and Foreign Policy Instruments
B2b (3 marks, class average 57%): Explain how Australia used one of those instruments to pursue security or prosperity. Lesson: Australia in the Indo-Pacific — National Interests and Foreign Policy Instruments
B3 (7 marks, class average 59%): Discuss how effective Australia's cooperation is with two Indo-Pacific states (one a PIF member). Lesson: Australia in the Indo-Pacific — National Interests and Foreign Policy Instruments
C1 (10 marks, class average 51%): Extended response on the ways states have made a global issue and a crisis harder to resolve. Lesson: Global Issues, Global Responses — Climate Change, Other Global Issues — Development, Economic Instability and Weapons, Contemporary Crises — Human Rights, Armed Conflict and Mass Movement of People, Politics Exam Strategy — Evidence, Extended Responses and Evaluation
C2 (10 marks, class average 53%): Evaluate how effectively your Indo-Pacific state and Australia have pursued regional relationships. Lesson: Power and the National Interest in the Indo-Pacific, Australia in the Indo-Pacific — National Interests and Foreign Policy Instruments, Politics Exam Strategy — Evidence, Extended Responses and Evaluation

2024 Exam

A1 (3 marks, class average 67%): Describe one case of a state's sovereignty being challenged by a contested border. Lesson: Key Concepts — Power, Sovereignty, National Interest and Global Governance, Contemporary Crises — Human Rights, Armed Conflict and Mass Movement of People
A2 (5 marks, class average 66%): Explain how the United Nations tries to achieve two of its aims. Lesson: Global Actors — States, Intergovernmental Organisations, NGOs and Transnational Corporations
A3 (7 marks, class average 63%): Compare how a non-state actor and a transnational corporation can challenge state sovereignty. Lesson: Global Actors — States, Intergovernmental Organisations, NGOs and Transnational Corporations, Key Concepts — Power, Sovereignty, National Interest and Global Governance
A4 (2 marks, class average 60%): Describe one factor shaping your Asia-Pacific state's pursuit of economic prosperity. Lesson: Power and the National Interest in the Indo-Pacific, Australia in the Indo-Pacific — National Interests and Foreign Policy Instruments
A5 (5 marks, class average 52%): Discuss your chosen state's use of political power for its national security. Lesson: Power and the National Interest in the Indo-Pacific, Key Concepts — Power, Sovereignty, National Interest and Global Governance
A6 (8 marks, class average 36%): Analyse how far pragmatism shows in your state's use of power for regional relationships. Lesson: Power and the National Interest in the Indo-Pacific
A7 (3 marks, class average 57%): Use one example to describe how realism can limit the pursuit of justice. Lesson: Contemporary Crises — Human Rights, Armed Conflict and Mass Movement of People
A8 (5 marks, class average 62%): Explain how one actor's cosmopolitan response relates to a law on your ethical issue. Lesson: Contemporary Crises — Human Rights, Armed Conflict and Mass Movement of People, Other Global Issues — Development, Economic Instability and Weapons
A9a (1 mark, class average 78%): Identify a debate within a second ethical issue. Lesson: Contemporary Crises — Human Rights, Armed Conflict and Mass Movement of People
A9b (6 marks, class average 58%): Analyse two sides of that debate. Lesson: Contemporary Crises — Human Rights, Armed Conflict and Mass Movement of People
A10 (8 marks, class average 53%): Discuss how one state and one non-state actor have helped or hindered resolving a global crisis. Lesson: Global Issues, Global Responses — Climate Change, Global Actors — States, Intergovernmental Organisations, NGOs and Transnational Corporations
A11 (7 marks, class average 54%): Analyse how two global actors have responded to a second global crisis through cooperation. Lesson: Contemporary Crises — Human Rights, Armed Conflict and Mass Movement of People, Global Actors — States, Intergovernmental Organisations, NGOs and Transnational Corporations
B1 (20 marks, class average 59%): Essay on how far multilateralism helps states achieve their aims. Lesson: Key Concepts — Power, Sovereignty, National Interest and Global Governance, Global Actors — States, Intergovernmental Organisations, NGOs and Transnational Corporations, Global Issues, Global Responses — Climate Change, Politics Exam Strategy — Evidence, Extended Responses and Evaluation
B2 (20 marks, class average 59%): Essay on how effectively one Asia-Pacific state's foreign policy instruments achieve its interests. Lesson: Power and the National Interest in the Indo-Pacific, Australia in the Indo-Pacific — National Interests and Foreign Policy Instruments, Politics Exam Strategy — Evidence, Extended Responses and Evaluation
B3 (20 marks, class average 59%): Essay on whether upholding international law leads to effective responses to an ethical issue. Lesson: Contemporary Crises — Human Rights, Armed Conflict and Mass Movement of People, Other Global Issues — Development, Economic Instability and Weapons, Politics Exam Strategy — Evidence, Extended Responses and Evaluation
B4 (20 marks, class average 59%): Essay on whether a crisis's key aspects are its main causes. Lesson: Global Issues, Global Responses — Climate Change, Contemporary Crises — Human Rights, Armed Conflict and Mass Movement of People, Politics Exam Strategy — Evidence, Extended Responses and Evaluation

2023 Exam

A1 (3 marks, class average 70%): Describe how one regional grouping has challenged a state's sovereignty. Lesson: Global Actors — States, Intergovernmental Organisations, NGOs and Transnational Corporations, Key Concepts — Power, Sovereignty, National Interest and Global Governance
A2 (5 marks, class average 60%): Explain how globalisation affects one non-state actor pursuing one of its aims. Lesson: Global Actors — States, Intergovernmental Organisations, NGOs and Transnational Corporations
A3 (7 marks, class average 60%): Compare the power of two of the UN, IMF and ICC. Lesson: Global Actors — States, Intergovernmental Organisations, NGOs and Transnational Corporations
A4 (3 marks, class average 70%): Outline how one foreign policy instrument served your state's economic prosperity. Lesson: Australia in the Indo-Pacific — National Interests and Foreign Policy Instruments, Power and the National Interest in the Indo-Pacific
A5 (6 marks, class average 45%): Explain two differing views of your Asia-Pacific state's international standing. Lesson: Power and the National Interest in the Indo-Pacific, Australia in the Indo-Pacific — National Interests and Foreign Policy Instruments
A6 (2 marks, class average 65%): Outline one factor influencing your state's interest in regional relationships. Lesson: Power and the National Interest in the Indo-Pacific
A7 (4 marks, class average 65%): Describe one way your state has tried to maintain its sovereignty. Lesson: Power and the National Interest in the Indo-Pacific, Key Concepts — Power, Sovereignty, National Interest and Global Governance
A8a (1 mark, class average 90%): Name one international law relevant to your chosen ethical issue. Lesson: Contemporary Crises — Human Rights, Armed Conflict and Mass Movement of People, Other Global Issues — Development, Economic Instability and Weapons
A8b (8 marks, class average 53%): Analyse two challenges to that international law's effectiveness. Lesson: Contemporary Crises — Human Rights, Armed Conflict and Mass Movement of People, Other Global Issues — Development, Economic Instability and Weapons
A9 (6 marks, class average 58%): Discuss one global actor's response to a second ethical issue. Lesson: Other Global Issues — Development, Economic Instability and Weapons
A10a (2 marks, class average 65%): Outline the chosen key aspect of a global crisis. Lesson: Contemporary Crises — Human Rights, Armed Conflict and Mass Movement of People
A10b (5 marks, class average 50%): Analyse how that key aspect has made the crisis harder to resolve. Lesson: Contemporary Crises — Human Rights, Armed Conflict and Mass Movement of People
A11 (8 marks, class average 56%): Evaluate how effectively two states have responded to a second global crisis. Lesson: Global Issues, Global Responses — Climate Change
B1 (20 marks, class average 50%): Essay on whether problems needing multilateral solutions are the biggest challenge to state power. Lesson: Key Concepts — Power, Sovereignty, National Interest and Global Governance, Global Actors — States, Intergovernmental Organisations, NGOs and Transnational Corporations, Global Issues, Global Responses — Climate Change, Politics Exam Strategy — Evidence, Extended Responses and Evaluation
B2 (20 marks, class average 50%): Essay on the gap between intentions and results when a state pursues its national interests. Lesson: Power and the National Interest in the Indo-Pacific, Australia in the Indo-Pacific — National Interests and Foreign Policy Instruments, Politics Exam Strategy — Evidence, Extended Responses and Evaluation
B3 (20 marks, class average 50%): Essay on whether cosmopolitanism mainly shapes actors' views in ethical debates. Lesson: Contemporary Crises — Human Rights, Armed Conflict and Mass Movement of People
B4 (20 marks, class average 50%): Essay on whether weak international cooperation is the biggest obstacle to resolving crises. Lesson: Global Issues, Global Responses — Climate Change, Contemporary Crises — Human Rights, Armed Conflict and Mass Movement of People, Politics Exam Strategy — Evidence, Extended Responses and Evaluation