Which trial papers are usually the most difficult? (1 Viewer)

5uMath

Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2019
Messages
62
Gender
Male
HSC
2023
You could treat a b c as roots to a cubic polynomial then make a statement from that as well. True, under pressure is different.
Where are these exams taken, and how do you enrol? Ive always been interested!
 

Drdusk

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Feb 24, 2017
Messages
2,022
Location
a VM
Gender
Male
HSC
2018
Uni Grad
2023
Where are these exams taken, and how do you enrol? Ive always been interested!
Every year a committee of users from Bos develop the paper and some time before the HSC they put up a post here on BOS which tells you how to register and what not. Enrolment is basically done by just sending a PM to the authorised user, and then just turn up at the venue. The papers are marked and results are given out before the HSC.
 

5uMath

Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2019
Messages
62
Gender
Male
HSC
2023
Every year a committee of users from Bos develop the paper and some time before the HSC they put up a post here on BOS which tells you how to register and what not. Enrolment is basically done by just sending a PM to the authorised user, and then just turn up at the venue. The papers are marked and results are given out before the HSC.
Have this years enrolments closed, and do you get the paper back? Thanks!!
 

Drdusk

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Feb 24, 2017
Messages
2,022
Location
a VM
Gender
Male
HSC
2018
Uni Grad
2023
Have this years enrolments closed, and do you get the paper back? Thanks!!
Yeah you just take the paper home. Enrolments open later on in the year. There’s still a few months.
 

Isomorph

Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2020
Messages
30
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2020
That's what a lot of people think because things turn out different when you physically sit an exam under time pressure and know it's the real deal. I have yet to see any high school paper come close to bos trial level difficulty. Even Sydney Grammar doesn't come close. When you actually sit the Bos trial under time pressure man it is insanely hard. I still remember sitting the paper lol
You are probably right that the constrained time limit probably did have an effect on performance and perception of difficulty. However, I only have done the topics relevant to the new 4U syllabus of the BoS trials (i.e no conics or geo, where insane BoS trial questions tend to come from), hence that probably lowered their difficulty a bit.

However, I am fairly confident that it is way harder than any paper in the past 10 years from our school, and any Sydney Grammar trials I've done (almost all, I think all students found it very challenging as well).
 

5uMath

Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2019
Messages
62
Gender
Male
HSC
2023
Sure you can.
Thank you so much for your time!!! Ill definitely consider this challenge.
You are probably right that the constrained time limit probably did have an effect on performance and perception of difficulty. However, I only have done the topics relevant to the new 4U syllabus of the BoS trials (i.e no conics or geo, where insane BoS trial questions tend to come from), hence that probably lowered their difficulty a bit.

However, I am fairly confident that it is way harder than any paper in the past 10 years from our school, and any Sydney Grammar trials I've done (almost all, I think all students found it very challenging as well).
Did you do the test this year or last year?
 

CM_Tutor

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Mar 11, 2004
Messages
2,642
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
We haven't received them back yet! I'm not sure if I'm yet at liberty to reveal exam questions, so I'll err on the side of caution.

However, here's a question of comparable difficulty to the moderate to harder (but not hardest) questions of the exam:

Suppose a, b, c > 0 and abc=1. Now prove that a^2+b^2+c^2 >= a+b+c
Pretty sure that this is straight out of Fitzpatrick's textbook (the first edition, not sure about the editions since).
 

Isomorph

Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2020
Messages
30
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2020
Pretty sure that this is straight out of Fitzpatrick's textbook (the first edition, not sure about the editions since).
Yep, you're right! Hence, why it is only an indication of the difficulty and didn't appear in the test.
 

Isomorph

Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2020
Messages
30
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2020
Speaking about BoS trials, it'll be an interesting one this year, especially with the new syllabus, to see what sort of crazy hybrid questions you guys come up with!

I'm excited!
 

5uMath

Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2019
Messages
62
Gender
Male
HSC
2023
Speaking about BoS trials, it'll be an interesting one this year, especially with the new syllabus, to see what sort of crazy hybrid questions you guys come up with!

I'm excited!
I think they are going to kill the vectors topic - perhaps introduce matrices during the exam and look at the cross product. Definitely think they will ask to prove dot product in relation to area, and will have a 3D killer geometrical proof. Im thinking to enrol - are you allowed to do these year after year as I could possibly do 3 of these before HSC time comes for me.
 

Isomorph

Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2020
Messages
30
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2020
Yeah I fully see some insane geometrical proof vectors coming up, giving that synthetic geometry is out this year! Although probably not matrices or cross product, as that isn't within the syllabus and not really "fair game".

I don't see why you can't do these year after year, though DrDusk would have to confirm. Just curious, are you doing the extension 2 course accelerated this year?
 

5uMath

Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2019
Messages
62
Gender
Male
HSC
2023
Yeah I fully see some insane geometrical proof vectors coming up, giving that synthetic geometry is out this year! Although probably not matrices or cross product, as that isn't within the syllabus and not really "fair game".

I don't see why you can't do these year after year, though DrDusk would have to confirm. Just curious, are you doing the extension 2 course accelerated this year?
Currently, I am in Year 9 but my school cant open up resources for acceleration at this level. They are definitely working for it for next year though. Ill just gain experience from the years I miss so Im not too disappointed.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top