HSC Software Engineering study plan

Write and trace by hand a 60-line program using classes, inheritance and polymorphism, predicting output before running it

Implement encapsulation correctly by making fields private and exposing behaviour through methods, then justify each access modifier chosen

Map the phases of the software development life cycle onto a small program you have written, naming the artefact produced at each phase

Compare waterfall, iterative and agile approaches by listing two situations where each is the better choice

Implement a stack, a queue, a linked list and a binary search tree from scratch without library collections, each with insert, delete and traverse operations

Trace recursive algorithms by drawing the call stack for at least three functions including a tree traversal

Distinguish abstract data types from their implementations and explain the trade-off between array-backed and node-based structures

Write unit tests that cover empty, single-element and full structure cases for each data structure

Classify the time complexity of ten given code fragments by counting dominant operations and stating the Big-O result with reasoning

Implement bubble, insertion, merge and quicksort, then benchmark them on input sizes of 100, 1000 and 10000 and plot the results

Explain why average-case and worst-case complexity differ for quicksort and describe an input that triggers the worst case

Apply a testing strategy to your sorting code that includes boundary inputs, duplicates and already-sorted data

Produce UML class and sequence diagrams for a system of at least six classes and check them against the code for consistency

Translate a written scenario into use cases with actors, preconditions and main success paths

Apply user-centred design by drafting three personas, then derive and prioritise five functional requirements from them

Evaluate two interface prototypes against Nielsen's usability heuristics and record the defects found

Build a small multi-page web application with server-side form handling and validation on both client and server

Demonstrate and then fix three common web vulnerabilities in your own app: SQL injection, cross-site scripting and insecure direct object reference

Explain how prepared statements, output encoding, HTTPS and password hashing each mitigate a specific attack

Apply the principle of least privilege to a database account and document what the change prevents

Implement authentication with hashed and salted passwords plus session handling, then test session expiry and logout behaviour

Create a version-controlled repository with a branching workflow, meaningful commit messages and a merged pull request

Estimate the effort for the remaining features using a work breakdown structure and record assumptions behind each estimate

Identify three risks in your project and assign each a likelihood, impact and mitigation action

Describe how a sensor, controller and actuator loop works in an automated system and write pseudocode for a control loop with error handling

Analyse two case studies of software failure and identify the engineering and process causes behind each

Apply the Australian Privacy Principles and copyright law to a scenario involving user data and third-party code, stating the obligations that arise

Argue both sides of one ethical dilemma in software engineering and reach a defensible position using a recognised ethical framework

Complete two full-length practice papers under timed conditions and mark them against the syllabus weighting

Rewrite your weakest three explanations so each states the concept, gives an example and links to a consequence

Build a one-page summary sheet of formulas, complexity classes and legal principles from memory, then check it against your notes

Identify the two domain areas with the lowest practice scores and schedule targeted revision for each