English paper 2 - WTF?? (1 Viewer)

[SgtSlick]

What the F**k was the go with the english advanced paper two? It was nothing at all like last years HSC exam and the essay questions were sooooo broad that they just sucked in the hardest possible way. And by the way, what was the go with writing a conversation for King Lear? Man I am soo pissed @ that paper, i will be having words with the BOS knobs who wrote that exam!!

 

[peter_g43]

It wasn't like the speciman paper, the 2001 paper, the 2001 & 2 Catholic Trials or the 2001 independant paper. Now I would have thought that this was a pretty comrehensive list of exams to date and today's was nothing like them.

I'm not complaining that the exam was unreasonable, but the BOS should have told everybody if they were going to deviate so much from the trend that they and others have so far set.

 

[Morgues]

It seems they are trying to be original.........so many little surprises so far
the 4 texts in reading task, the relation between creative writing and reading task, the feature article, now general questions for each module

wonder if it will carry over into other tests

 

[jism]

hmmmmm

i think it was pretty reasonable.

the context and how it affected the values in each text was such an important element that we had to write about it no matter what. the fact the first two qquestions were specifically about these two things just make it easier for us.

i thought the conversation was good because you could pretty much write anything you knew about king lear, its values and how it is interpreted in different contexts!

so i thought the paper was good.

cept for the last question which was hell boring.

sorry guys!

 

[user]

I think it's because not many people got in band 6 for english last year. and heaps of people complained that it was not fair or something.

the questions were pretty general and vague

But what else can you expect? They do test the syllabus outcomes well.

I didn't like the Module C question, but it was fair because the module is called "reprsentation and texts" therefore they have to ask about that. Not sure where powerplay fits in though.

 

[jism]

yeh the last question sucked.
it was pretty much just what the module was called.
it applied alright to telling the truth, but i think it was just heaps too general. you could have written anything!

im just glad english is out of the way forever! yay!

 

[linny]

I was a bit thrown by the broadness of the questions aswell,

Im a little worried about the discussion, it said two people that have different values, does this mean opposite values ? like one saying its good and the other bad ? Because I had the people liking donne's poetry because of the way it is relevent to so many different contexts and the other just liking the raw poetry, it was good for getting the 20 odd quotes out of my head though,

Also didn't mention the words, events, personalities or situations in the powerplay essay, just said how my interrperetation of powerplay was shaped by the representations in my text

 

[Morgues]

Until they give students more then 2 hours they wont get many more responces that fit the band 6 criteria

 

[jism]

yeh i just found the last one ridiculus. pretty much reinstating the module. that was way too general.

for the conversation i did King Lear, but the convo was between someone from todays society and someone from shakespeares society. obviously they would interepret the play differently, due to the different values the shaped by society at that time.

so not so much opposite values (good and bad) but just more significant values in their society.

 

[mercurydrinker]

I reckon the BoS is in a lose-lose situation. If they make the exam questions specific (like last years with Lear) then everyone complains and if they make the questions broad, then everyone still complains....

As for me, I'm pretty happy the questions were braod, it made the test a breeze, well except for King Lear.... (I wrote 10 and 11 pages for the other sections and only 5.5 for Lear >_<, ran out of time)

I personally think that the test should be 2.5 hours, cos alot of people didn't have enough time, me included.

 

[quartic]

Originally posted by Morgues
the relation between creative writing and reading task, the feature article

They did that last year in a similar sort of way. I thought ours was easier though.

Personally I think it's resonable to expect there to be a few surprises each year as they are trying to test skills and knowledge and I guess one of the skills they want is the ability to adapt to a variety of questions. I stuffed up on "in the wild" though as I did it last and was tired and forgot all my points instead choosing to ramble.

 

[A_Storia]

Question 1 was excellent. Very happy with it.

Question 2 was a load of bull. Who the hell rights a conversation?

Question 3 WTF? Nothing like what we had studied for his&mem. I was screwed. We were basically assured that it would be an essay on the relationship between history and memory.

Not a happy camper.

 

[stressed02]

I also think that the questions were far too broad.. so much so that i couldn't even get down anything that sounded good because my answer became as broad as the question...

I don't think that those questions allowed people to get down what they knew and what they had studied... like for a conversation, how am i supposed to talk about how a 'misogynistic representation of women subverts the .... " yada yada, no one speaks like that! it was a stupid way to write about a Critical study of texts, even a speech or something would have been better, at least it could have flowed.... and made sense..

 

[SgtSlick]

Grrrr....

I just really disliked the way they combined all the electives and gave a very broad ranged question... Especially for In the Wild - we prepared intensively for a question to do with tensions between humanityu and the natural world - Not solely on context and values, i mean when I saw the question for In the Wild i was like "Well go and get f**ked!!" I was not at all impressed. In general I think I went really well, i didnt actually have much trouble with the exam, i just think it was a shithouse paper...

By the way Im thinking about petitioning the BOS about changing the styule of questions in the papaer without warning, would u guys sign it?

-SgtSlick

 

[shikaree_bex]

Our friggen old lady bored of studies whoever whatever people, were like, telling us our time was up when we had 10 minutes to go, there was a general HUFF and SIGH and GRUNT from the whole grade when she said:
"Pens Down"
SHe spoke really loudly into the microphone too i was like, SHUT TFU!!!


Anyway i thought the paper was alright, the first question was easy ..., not much detail in techniques needed, transformations, the King Lear one was good, but like too broad because in writing a conversation the topics just come out of no where....BLAH i totally fucked the truth essay and the girl next to me was like 6 boklets full

 

[Jenjen]

Well I thought the whle thing was hideous
I'm a pretty good English student- like my assessment mark was 93 and i'm soooo cranky at the crap questions
King Lear was ok- but I hated the other two
I came home and bawled cos I waas full counting on this stupid stupid mark
and I am soooo testy about it
Bugger!

 

[SgtSlick]

Hey JenJen, I had the same assessment mark as u and thats why i was so cut up about the questions, because I didnt feel i was demonstrating my english prowess (or showing off, however u like to say it ) Yeah anyways its over so englsih can go suck it

-SgtSlick

 

[Jenjen]

Exactly!
I was trying to say it without sounding like i was stuck up my own arse- but hey- someone with the same issues as me!
Yay!

 

[SgtSlick]

Damn the BOS Jenjen, damn them....
Im gonna write up a petition, u should join me.

-SgtSlick

 

[Jenjen]

Yup

All for cool petition thingy!

What school are you from??