HSC 2025: Professional Economists and AI Try the Economics Exam
Australian Financial Review
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Details
- Date Published
- 30 Oct 2025
- Priority Score
- 2
- Australian
- Yes
- Created
- 2 Nov 2025, 04:26 pm
Description
We asked AI and Australia’s top economists to answer the 10 hardest questions put to NSW year 12 students this week. Test yourself in our interactive quiz.
Summary
The article examines how artificial intelligence models and professional economists performed on the 2025 New South Wales Higher School Certificate economics exam, known for its rigorous assessment of economic concepts such as inflation and free trade. By comparing AI capabilities and expert human analysis, the piece highlights the current limitations and advantages of AI in complex problem-solving scenarios. However, the focus is primarily educational and does not directly address existential or catastrophic AI risks, instead offering insights into AI's potential in educational assessments rather than frontier AI advancements with existential implications.
Body
Luke KinsellaandDaniel RetiOct 31, 2025 – 4.34pmSaveLog inorSubscribeto save articleShareCopy linkCopiedEmailLinkedInTwitterFacebookCopy linkCopiedShare via...Gift this articleSubscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber?LoginThe NSW year 12 economics exam is a high-stakes three-hour test of newsy concepts such as inflation, free trade and unemployment.Considered one of the hardest exams in the NSW Higher School Certificate, it’s designed to stretch even the best. The 2025 exam was a challenge not just for students, but for artificial intelligence models and professional economists.Loading...SaveLog inorSubscribeto save articleShareCopy linkCopiedEmailLinkedInTwitterFacebookCopy linkCopiedShare via...Gift this articleSubscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber?LoginLicense articleFollow the topics, people and companies that matter to you.Find out moreRead MoreHigh schoolTeachingCareersGraduatesAFR WeekendHSCSkillsData InvestigationsData AnalysisLuke KinsellaReporterLuke Kinsella is a journalist based in The Australian Financial Review’s Sydney office. He was previously a policy analyst at Treasury.EmailLukeatluke.kinsella@nine.com.auDaniel RetiVisual stories engineerDaniel Reti specialises in data wrangling, developing interactive visuals and digital storytelling.EmailDanielatdaniel.reti@nine.com.auFetching latest articlesWe met a professional shoplifter to understand this crime’s popularityGreg Bearup and Carrie LaFrenzShaken, stirred and a little smoky: three cocktails to define summerThis restaurant is stuck in the past. That’s what makes it greatWhy the boss of this $21b company has a two-part career ruleSally PattenWant to be a top performer? Work lessWhy this CEO says 45 minutes is too long for a meetingHow Gabriella Khalil creates desire – from Cayman resorts to jewelleryZoe SuenHere are some dazzling (and unexpected) ways to drip in diamondsBored with your car interior? How about one that can change colourHarry Triguboff books $222m profit as rental income jumpsNick LenaghanHow a mistake led to one family’s $13m trust tax billGina Rinehart pockets $1.4b payout despite Hancock profit slide