HSC Tips and Tricks

HSC Tips & tricks
General Tips
 Make sure you have a calculator
 Make sure you have something to eat and drink before going into an exam (low GI
food to sustain your energy)
 Take a water bottle into the exam
 Take multiple pens (in case one runs out)
 If something if hard for you to remember then look at it right before you go into the
exam and then as soon as you can pick up a pen, write it down.
 If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a break!
 The best preparation for the HSC is practising past papers.
 If you’re shy/scared of your teacher, email them!
Multiple choice
 M/C section is generally structured from the easiest question through to the hardest
questions.
 DO NOT leave a multiple-choice question unanswered EVER!
 First, cancel out any options that you think/ know are irrelevant or false, and then
make a good decision on which one is the one closest to being accurate.
 Remember, you have 3 hours. So, do not stress if you have taken a long time on a
question.
 If you’re the type of person to be very anxious to look at the paper in reading time,
read the first 5 questions of the multiple-choice questions and answer them in your
head. That way, you get a booster!
Skills questions
 Skills is a bigger focus since the implementation of the new syllabus.
 If you need to draw a flowchart, make sure you draw boxes and connect them with
ARROWS.
 When drawing a graph, USE A RULER. (Always keep a ruler in your pencil case, and
if you don’t have a pencil case, GET A CLEAR ONE NOW!!)
 Validity is related to variables in a FIRST-HAND investigation and setting up an
experiment using correct scientific method.
 Reliability is related to repetition in a FIRST-HAND investigation and showing trends
in the data collected.
 Validity in a SECONDARY source relates to if the information is unbiased, relevant
to the question being investigated and comes from a reliable source.
 Reliability in a SECONDARY source requires the information to be confirmed by
other sources, be created by someone or something that has the credentials to speak to
that subject, is current and again does not show bias.
 Some of the questions in the exam will provide you with the information to answer it-
this is a skills question. Some questions in the exam will be both skills and content.
 Any question that has a graph or some data to interpret you need to make sure you
take the time to understand the information and then go back to the question and see
EXACTLY what you need to do with it.
Long response answers

o Students who plan their responses for questions worth 4 or over, do better.
HSC Tips & tricks
o Any planning on the page (notes in the margins) will be marked if it adds to your
response.
o Students need to identify the verb in a question but also consider the entire question to
ensure they meet all areas required.
o Explain: cause and effect (how? and why?)
o Students who use correct metalanguage (terminology) gain more marks.
o Look for the plural in the question and make sure you provide at least TWO examples
if present.
o If you are provided with some sort of stimulus-refer to it in your answer.
o You are allowed to give a negative evaluation of something if that is your educated
opinion/assessment.
o If it is a compare question, you must compare and contrast.
o Make direct comparison- don’t leave it to the markers to scan ahead to find it.
o If the question does not have a verb but has a WHY? - it is normally an explain (how
& why) question (but look at the whole question to work out what to do).
o If you need to differentiate, you need to show the differences and set apart the two
concepts.
o ALWAYS provide examples to back up your answers.
o Do not leave an answer blank as some relevant information normally gets 1 mark.
MOST IMPORTANTLY- Exams are

stressful and some people are better at taking
them than others. Just do it your best and go
into the exam prepared!
At the end of the day, you tried your best and
that’s what matters; trying.
AND if you stuff it up, it is NOT the end of

the world and you be will ok.

HSC Tips and Tricks

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HSC Tips and Tricks

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HSC Tips & tricks

Long response answers

MOST IMPORTANTLY- Exams are

AND if you stuff it up, it is NOT the end of

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