extra time in exams (1 Viewer)

[tennille]

look, you have to be approved for special exam conditions. for the typing thing you have to submit two pieces of writing, one typed and one handwritten, each done in 30 mins - and they have to be signed by someone who was watching you do those pieces of writing and the board decides whether you should get it or not.
another thing I've been told you have to do it in notebook, so if you accidentally delete everything....

I guess that is understandable.

 

[ar3nbe]

The problem with this logic of time and etc, is that it still doesnt fix the problem that many people who get 90+ UAI are idiots anyway.

That is so true. How often do i see people with UAIs of over 90, and yet they have no common sense. Give them a problem they havnt seen before, and odds are, they dont have the ability to do it. Which leads to the big problem, that many exams in the HSC are simply a memory test, rather than ability test. Fine line, yes i know, but still.

Timmy, you said it would take years to fix, but im just wondering, and i mean no disrespect at all, that what will you do when you start working (if you dont already). And if your forced to work a three hour straight shift, which i believe is the minimum for a casual unless its changed. What im trying to say, is why dosnt the BOS keep this in mind, instead of mothering us all.

 

[alex_london0]

the minimum is 4 hours although they are trying to change it. it takes years to fix the problem of add as it needs to be medicated over years and the earlier it is piked up the quicker it can be fixed. although some pl in the hsc dont actually know they have add as you need to take tests to see whether or not you suffer from it.

although this is a true fact timmy you honestly can't keep refering back to the fact you have adhd and bowel watsamacalit.. i suffer add i have special provs i dont abuse it and i dont keep using add as my problem coz if u are medicated you have no excuse as the medication fixes that imbalance of chemicals.

what do u think an employer will tell you if u tell dem oh but im adhd?????

i recon they would ask u to bend over and start sucking they dun care what u got. aslong as u get the job dun das all dey care about.

 

[melsc]

If you have terrible handwriting or an injured hand/fingers, it's more common that you have a scribe who writes your essays for you.

I was a scribe for people last year and the year before and let me tell you its not easy for both involved, you get extra time but its really hard for the person doing the exam to dicate and may have to repeat for the scribe and lose their train of thought.

Someone here said you could cheat by the scribe telling the answers...you could but it would be very difficult. 1. the writer is usually one year below you so they either havent learnt that or may not even do that subject, 2. you are in a separate room so the examiners come in all the time to check you arent cheating.

I do agree that some people get special provisions for the wrong reasons, but exists for people such as my friend who is diabetic and needs to check her blood sugar and eat in the middle of exams thus wasting time, and my brother who had ADHD and can't concentrate for a long period of time

 

[waddle_828]

there are some people who have special provisions, that yes they could use them, but it isn't imperative they get them, and then there are those who don't flat out need them at all.

then there are those who do need them.

a girl at my school hs a broken tailbone and can't sit for extended periods of time, so she gets rest breaks

another girl has a muscular disorder and carpal tunnel in her wrists so she gets a computer, but got knocked back for rest breaks even though she can only type one handed, and after a while the carpal tunnel kicks in meaning she types slower and slower one handedly.

i also could have gotten provisions since i have a slipped vertebrae in my lower back, but i only have one 3 hour exam so i didn't apply for them...

so yeah, if people don't need it, then screw em, but if they have a genuine need then the should get the provisions.

 

[elisabeth]

What are people's thoughts on special provisions (special room, food/insulin checking breaks/time, only having to do 1x 3hr exam per day instead of 2) for diabetics?

 

[Valeroso]

WHAT?! You can TYPE essays nowadays? Thats EXCELLENT! That shouldn't just be a priviledge for the disadvantaged. That should be applied for EVERYONE! We're in the new world, peoples! Who the hell needs a pen nowadays? I sure don't! I type VERY fast; that would really benefit me!

 

[Danni07]

What are people's thoughts on special provisions (special room, food/insulin checking breaks/time, only having to do 1x 3hr exam per day instead of 2) for diabetics?

This may be a biased opinion on my part, because I have a good friend who is diabetic, but I agree with it. The food and insulin checks can be imperitive, as often stress and anxiety can lead to problems with blood sugar, and it would be more distracting to me if someone went into a diabetic coma than if they had a little food. As for the special room, I haven't heard of this so I can't really comment, same with the 1 3hr exam per day.
Anyway, that's just my two cents

 

[elisabeth]

It's a valid two cents, I agree mostly. One of my friends is diabetic too. The only parts that make me think are the 2 exams per day thing, if the unfair advantage to other students by one doing it a week later is worth making the student stay back an hour to get it done - and also, surely other situations can be as stressful, like driving, work... Then again, that's just coming from a non-diabetic perspective, maybe I need to research it more.

 

[goan_crazy]

I think its fair enough people who get it for diabieties or ADHD
Its the people that rought the system that shit me.

 

[jebbie]

I have to agree with you. There is no excuse for typing essays, even if it is bad handwriting. They need to learn to fix their writing, etc. But do these people have more problems than that? These students might have more problems than what there appears to be.

Actually as someone who doesnt have this special provision I can understand where your coming from. but there are some people, (my brother is one) where you CANNOT read his writing when he writes at a normal rate. To write legabilly he needs to slow down. This is due to a fine motor skill he just cant learn. The same as some people are better at maths then english, he just cannot write fast AND have the ability for his markers to understand him.

I actually hold my pen wrong, this is due to the fact I never learnt to hold it correctly and thus it actually puts more strain on my hand, I didnt even apply for special provisions because I know that the markers can read my writing and also Ive lived with this for 12 years at school and so my hand is used to writing large amounts even with the added pain (I wrote roughly 15 to 17 pages in the english trial). All Im simply saying is, it depends on the situation. Some things cant be helped and I believe they need this added time or typing on a computer etc. However I also believe some people abuse this system which is made to try and be just. I know some people who dont need special provisions yet have it. But please dont judge all of them. Sometimes they actually do need it.

 

[Casmira]

I been wanting to get this of my chest for a while now. Extra time for certain students. I think its totally uncalled for that these students get extra time in HSC exams. Im not trying to me rude, or mean, or cold hearted here, i just think it disadvantaging thost students that have less time.

To put into context, its like me sayin "Hey, i cant remember all my formulas for maths, im going to bring them all into the exam". OR, me going to try out for a football team, and during the fitness test, the coach makes me run 200m because im not fit, and tells other people to run 1000m. It dosnt work, if i want to improve, i need to get better.

Whats more, and what really annoys me, is that one particular studnet at our school, whose coming first in 2U Maths, third in 3U, and top 10 for everything else gets extra time. What the hell for. Did anyone stop to think maybe his doing this well because he has the extra time. Theres another studnet, coming first in ext english, and he types his essays. If only i was allowd to type, i could type twice asmuch as i write.

Now look, the way i see it, everyone should be treated the same, dosn't matter if someone has A.D.D., or bad handwriting.

I didnt write this to affend anybody, infact, ive had extra time once (due to an injury), but i think there is a serious flaw in the system. I would love to hear peoples coments on this.

I get extra time, 5 minutes in total for any exam 2hours and over, but I requested that I spend that time taking a break away from my exam so I can refocus :uhhuh:

this is thanks to a ball hitting side of my head and knocking out my concetration span for a good 2 years at least, this happend to me in year 8, i had my skull drilled because of a blood clot internally caused by the ball hitting the vein, only half way into year 10 was i starting to get my concetration back ... but the problem with me is that I get overwhelmed, Im not retarded nor do I have a mental condition, its just in my nature to get overwhelmed, and its not overwhelmed by fainting, but overwhelmed of curiosity, and to think I never used to give a shit about my surroundings before!

 

[er123456]

I don't get whats the huge fuss with aids that levels the playing field for people who would otherwise be disadvantaged through no fault of their own. Social justice is one of the fundamental concepts of our society.

EDIT:

-had really really bad writing
-would have loved to be able to type
-handwrote my essays anyway

/+SARCASM
Big deal!
/-SARCASM

 

[lucigrace]

hey jebbie im pretty sure thats u jess.. i hope your not impling i am one of the people you know who does have the special provisions.. and doesnt need it because i most certainly do...its lucy btw. i get provisions of 5 minutes/half hour extra time, plus 5minutes/half hour of rest breaks due to basically the same reason as jebbie.. not holding pen correctly('poor pen mechanic){yes it does have a proper name} and having 'premature pain'.... im not wroughting the system by getting extra time for 'writing slow' as some people may say.. but its actually a problem in subjects where there is enormous amounts of writing.. and it was my teachers not me who told me to sought out special proviosions as they thought it was putting me at a disadvantage as in essays i was physically only able to write approx 2 and a bit pages in 40minutes...it wasnt a problem of running out of things to say... i still had more too say but not enough time to write it in.. i frequently experience pain after about a parargraph of writing .. i ikeep writing.. but i often have to pause and shake my arm numberous amounts of times during the writing period eating away from my writing time (thus i need extra time and rest breaks).. i do use my extra time especially for english and those exams with long responses eg geography... but it only just means i am able to write just as much as everyone else i still on write maybe 1 and abit extra pages but at least it gives a more accurate account of what i am able to write.. my rest breaks i use too but not ever the full amount of time..(30minutes for a 3hr exam) i only used today about 10minutes extra for my 3hr business paper.. it just gives my hand a rest in order for me to fully get through my next extended reponse... but even towards the end of exams i end up having to write with abit of pain cuz i just want the exam to be over and am sick of frequently being by myself still doing the exam whikle everyone has finished..

some people may argue about me getting extra time but it just means i am put at the same level as everyone else and means i can write a decent amount about wat i know..instead of not having enough time due to my stupid arm hurting soo damn much.. i had to do a hell of alot to get it from getting an OT to write a full report on my condition as well as doing handwriting tests with her.. then back at school i had to do 2 30 minute writing tasks to send with my appplication to the board of studies (which i only wrote 2 and 1.5 pahes for may i add)... its not something u can just get without having a genuine problem..

soo i think all u guys should give people who have genuine reasons for special provions a break.. there arnt many people out there without
a guenuine reason for them..

 

[Mandy101]

I guess the difference is that a sports race is optional, while the HSC is compulsory if you're aiming to get into a competitive uni course..

I know that there are some people who abuse the system, but I do know a few people who need extra time for various reasons. One of my friends has a thing where she needs to go to the bathroom regularly for a medical reason. Why should she be disadvantaged?

If you're smart and you work hard, you won't be disadvantaged by people who get 'more time'. Given, if they're just faking it, well then karma will come around and boot them up the ass anyway!

 

[InFeRn0]

lets just say the WHOLE HSC THING IS UNFAIR

*all it tests is your ability to remember stuff
*you get scaled just because you do extensions or some unknown language
*people who get to accelerate in some schools, while others can't even if they have the capabilities
*rich people who get 3 or 4 tutors per subject
*stupid teachers who won't teach so you have to work twice as hard to get the same results

well well well... thats life now isnt it

 

[holla back girl]

lets just say the WHOLE HSC THING IS UNFAIR

*all it tests is your ability to remember stuff
*you get scaled just because you do extensions or some unknown language
*people who get to accelerate in some schools, while others can't even if they have the capabilities
*rich people who get 3 or 4 tutors per subject
*stupid teachers who won't teach so you have to work twice as hard to get the same results

 

[holla back girl]

I get extra time, 5 minutes in total for any exam 2hours and over, but I requested that I spend that time taking a break away from my exam so I can refocus :uhhuh:

this is thanks to a ball hitting side of my head and knocking out my concetration span for a good 2 years at least, this happend to me in year 8, i had my skull drilled because of a blood clot internally caused by the ball hitting the vein, only half way into year 10 was i starting to get my concetration back ... but the problem with me is that I get overwhelmed, Im not retarded nor do I have a mental condition, its just in my nature to get overwhelmed, and its not overwhelmed by fainting, but overwhelmed of curiosity, and to think I never used to give a shit about my surroundings before!

yep...after hearing the above...i guess its not that good to generalise people...

 

[lol_1]

I used to do reader writer for a few people when I was in yr 10 and 11, and I can tell you, they NEED the extra time because they have to dictate their answer to me. Its much harder when you have a reader writer, because you have to stop and think about how you are going to structure your sentences and ask the person to read things over a few times.
This is on top of the fact they have other problems themselves. I did one exam last year, and the girl didn't even finish the test even though she got extra time.
They're disadvantaged, give them a break.

 

[anita_wax]

i can type like 2x or more faster than i write, i wish i could type mine up i would beable to do so much more. in the modules exam today i managed
5nhalf for A
3nhalf for B
6n half for C

and if i tried writing anymore i wouldnt of fit it in the time. i hate it =(