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- Thread starter speedo
- Start date
Here you go again! Do you have to stress out, or imply that you are stressing your hair out about the School Certificate as well as NSW competitions???
Anyway in quick response:
It is not too early to start any School Certificate practice, unless your school has not taught some concepts and topics needed for it.
As for NSW science competition, why bother preparing? You can't really study for it, since they'll ask anything. Its just a test of your general knowledge of science and basic skills involved.
Assuming that you are stressing out about the School Certificate, I'll say it again, RELAX, CALM DOWN and DON'T WORRY. If you're planning to go on to Year 11 and 12, the School Certificate isn't really of any value. Just follow the minimum requirements for it and you'll do just fine. If you're this worried about the School Certificate, then you'll probably be thinking about suicide rather than the appropriate content, if you keep this up for the Higher School Certificate, since it should be more significant than the School Certificate for most.
Anyway in quick response:
It is not too early to start any School Certificate practice, unless your school has not taught some concepts and topics needed for it.
As for NSW science competition, why bother preparing? You can't really study for it, since they'll ask anything. Its just a test of your general knowledge of science and basic skills involved.
Assuming that you are stressing out about the School Certificate, I'll say it again, RELAX, CALM DOWN and DON'T WORRY. If you're planning to go on to Year 11 and 12, the School Certificate isn't really of any value. Just follow the minimum requirements for it and you'll do just fine. If you're this worried about the School Certificate, then you'll probably be thinking about suicide rather than the appropriate content, if you keep this up for the Higher School Certificate, since it should be more significant than the School Certificate for most.
I assume you mean practice papers?
For practice, its never too early to start, especially for an accelerated student. Obviously the syllabus relating to the School Certificate must be covered in order to do the examinations. But in just about every case, the questions asked are no more than common sense and basic skills.
I'd say English-Literacy, Mathematics, Science and Computing Skills (from next year) can be practiced right now. I was given English-Literacy practice papers to do as an assessment in Year 9 anyway.
As for Australian History, Geography Civics and Citizenship, the main topics tested (especially for Australian History) change every year or every two years. The topics in the syllabus must be covered completely in order to practice for this exam, since the examination (especially short-long responses) will be likely to ask things that should be kept on memory and specific topics or research done in the classroom. For example in Australian History, you might be tested on a sight study of the heritage of specific site you may have researched in class & in Australian Geography you might be tested on a fieldwork assignment you may have conducted during class.
In general, you can practice for any School Certificate examination other than Australian History Geography Civics and Citizenship, since classwork/research can be a potential examination question (or questions) in the Australian History Geography Civics & Citizenship examination. Most students are only truly prepared on the day of the examinations anyway.
Plus for an accelerated student, you seem like you're really stressing a lot as if it were the Higher School Certificate. Don't worry you'll do just fine. If I can get 3 x band 6 and 2 x band 5 in the 2004 School Certificate without much study so can you, if not better.
For practice, its never too early to start, especially for an accelerated student. Obviously the syllabus relating to the School Certificate must be covered in order to do the examinations. But in just about every case, the questions asked are no more than common sense and basic skills.
I'd say English-Literacy, Mathematics, Science and Computing Skills (from next year) can be practiced right now. I was given English-Literacy practice papers to do as an assessment in Year 9 anyway.
As for Australian History, Geography Civics and Citizenship, the main topics tested (especially for Australian History) change every year or every two years. The topics in the syllabus must be covered completely in order to practice for this exam, since the examination (especially short-long responses) will be likely to ask things that should be kept on memory and specific topics or research done in the classroom. For example in Australian History, you might be tested on a sight study of the heritage of specific site you may have researched in class & in Australian Geography you might be tested on a fieldwork assignment you may have conducted during class.
In general, you can practice for any School Certificate examination other than Australian History Geography Civics and Citizenship, since classwork/research can be a potential examination question (or questions) in the Australian History Geography Civics & Citizenship examination. Most students are only truly prepared on the day of the examinations anyway.
Plus for an accelerated student, you seem like you're really stressing a lot as if it were the Higher School Certificate. Don't worry you'll do just fine. If I can get 3 x band 6 and 2 x band 5 in the 2004 School Certificate without much study so can you, if not better.
School Certificate is a cakewalk compared to Year 11 and the HSC. It's good that you're going to practice and do papers etc; but at the same time, don't forget that this should be where you do your last bit of mucking around before the Preliminary and HSC courses. You won't get much chance to muck around/relax/slack off then so do it now while you can afford to.
Trev
stix
why the hell would you prepare for a science competition? eh?
school cert. papers can be found here: http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/schoolcertificate/index.html
school cert. papers can be found here: http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/schoolcertificate/index.html
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Just familiarise yourself with the structure of the School Certificate external examination for 2005, that's all you need.
Here's how it was set out in 2004 (well at least I recall):
ENGLISH-LITERACY: 2 hours + 10 minutes reading time
Section 1 - Reading/Viewing multiple choice: 45 marks
Section 1 - Reading/Viewing visual text analysis: 15 marks
Section 2 - Two extended response writing tasks: 40 marks
MATHEMATICS: 30 minutes + 1 hour 30 minutes + 5 minutes reading time
[calculators and Section 2 placed in an envelope before exam starts]
Section 1 - Non-calculator short response: 25 marks (NB: You only get 30 minutes to do this section as a separate test)
[Short break or collection of exam papers and calculators picked up]
Section 2 - Multiple choice: 50 marks
Section 2 - Multiple choice with more than one answer: 5 marks [You don't get any marks if you choose too many or too little answer choices]
Section 2 - Short responses in detailed questions: 20 marks
SCIENCE: 1 hour 30 minutes + 10 minutes reading time
Section 1 - Multiple choice: 50 marks
Section 2 - One word/number short respsonses: 10 marks
Section 2 - Detailed short reponses: 40 marks
AUSTRALIAN HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, CIVICS AND CITIZENSHIP: 2 hours + 10 minutes reading time
Section 1 - Australian History multiple choice: 20 marks
Section 1 - Australian History short responses: 15 marks
Section 1 - Australian History extended respsonse: 15 marks
Section 2 - Australian Geography multiple choice: 20 marks
Section 2 - Australian Geography diagram drawing/analysis: 5 marks
Section 2 - Australian Geography short responses: 10 marks
Section 2 - Australian Geography extended respsonse: 15 marks
Here's how it was set out in 2004 (well at least I recall):
ENGLISH-LITERACY: 2 hours + 10 minutes reading time
Section 1 - Reading/Viewing multiple choice: 45 marks
Section 1 - Reading/Viewing visual text analysis: 15 marks
Section 2 - Two extended response writing tasks: 40 marks
MATHEMATICS: 30 minutes + 1 hour 30 minutes + 5 minutes reading time
[calculators and Section 2 placed in an envelope before exam starts]
Section 1 - Non-calculator short response: 25 marks (NB: You only get 30 minutes to do this section as a separate test)
[Short break or collection of exam papers and calculators picked up]
Section 2 - Multiple choice: 50 marks
Section 2 - Multiple choice with more than one answer: 5 marks [You don't get any marks if you choose too many or too little answer choices]
Section 2 - Short responses in detailed questions: 20 marks
SCIENCE: 1 hour 30 minutes + 10 minutes reading time
Section 1 - Multiple choice: 50 marks
Section 2 - One word/number short respsonses: 10 marks
Section 2 - Detailed short reponses: 40 marks
AUSTRALIAN HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, CIVICS AND CITIZENSHIP: 2 hours + 10 minutes reading time
Section 1 - Australian History multiple choice: 20 marks
Section 1 - Australian History short responses: 15 marks
Section 1 - Australian History extended respsonse: 15 marks
Section 2 - Australian Geography multiple choice: 20 marks
Section 2 - Australian Geography diagram drawing/analysis: 5 marks
Section 2 - Australian Geography short responses: 10 marks
Section 2 - Australian Geography extended respsonse: 15 marks