How to study for bio? (1 Viewer)

#RoadTo31Atar

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I have a skills test coming up and don't really know how to study for bio in particular because it's not like maths where there are questions and chapters to learn (my school doesn't have textbooks for bio so all our resources are printed worksheets) and it's not like modern where you can plan essays. Is my best way to study to just revise stuff and remember as much as I can? I'm good at pedigrees, punnet squares and everything else except meiosis and DNA if that helps. Thanks
 

fet

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since you have a skills test coming up (100% skills as opposed to 20%skills + 80%content), I will give you tips on studying biology skills. before my skills test, my teacher told us that she would try her best to NOT include any content-based questions to ensure the exam is PURELY skills. this means that memorising notes and reading textbooks won't help for a skills test. instead, you need to be consistently practicing skills questions. these may include:
  • drawing scaled diagrams
  • graphing (know when to use a line vs. column/bar graph, ensure you have a title, labelled axes with units etc.)
  • method-writing (methods for models, first-hand investigations and epidemiological studies have different structures, ensure you address validity, reliability, accuracy)
  • go over what makes an experiment AND a source (primary/secondary) valid, reliable and accurate
  • pedigrees and punnet squares
  • allele frequencies
  • other scientific report elements (know how and when to write an aim, hypothesis, conclusion)
I suggest looking for such questions in past HSC exams, trial exams (if you have access), books etc. Personally, I prepared for my skills test by doing past HSC questions. if you manage to do all the skills questions from every HSC exam while correcting and refining your technique (+speed, timing can mess with you), you will be more than ready. it's really a matter of practice and exposure to the many types of skills questions out there. preparing for skills exam = do skills questions

Hope this helps!
 

#RoadTo31Atar

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2019
Messages
322
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2020
since you have a skills test coming up (100% skills as opposed to 20%skills + 80%content), I will give you tips on studying biology skills. before my skills test, my teacher told us that she would try her best to NOT include any content-based questions to ensure the exam is PURELY skills. this means that memorising notes and reading textbooks won't help for a skills test. instead, you need to be consistently practicing skills questions. these may include:
  • drawing scaled diagrams
  • graphing (know when to use a line vs. column/bar graph, ensure you have a title, labelled axes with units etc.)
  • method-writing (methods for models, first-hand investigations and epidemiological studies have different structures, ensure you address validity, reliability, accuracy)
  • go over what makes an experiment AND a source (primary/secondary) valid, reliable and accurate
  • pedigrees and punnet squares
  • allele frequencies
  • other scientific report elements (know how and when to write an aim, hypothesis, conclusion)
I suggest looking for such questions in past HSC exams, trial exams (if you have access), books etc. Personally, I prepared for my skills test by doing past HSC questions. if you manage to do all the skills questions from every HSC exam while correcting and refining your technique (+speed, timing can mess with you), you will be more than ready. it's really a matter of practice and exposure to the many types of skills questions out there. preparing for skills exam = do skills questions

Hope this helps!
Thanks for the reply, this definitely improves my confidence for my knowledge since this stuff is all pretty easy. I don't think epidemiology will be in the test since that's Mod 6 stuff and this test is just Mod 5, the only thing I'm not very good at is DNA and the how genes/alleles go from parent cell to gametes and I haven't found much to help me with that so if anyone has the time/effort to explain it that would be helpful. From what you said it sounds a lot like the Y11 Bio skills test I did in term 1 and I did really well then.
 

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