What you wish to know before exam (1 Viewer)

[lyounamu]

HSC is drawing near! I am pretty sure there will be people out there not knowing what to do, not sure about how to prepare for the 2 Unit Mathematics exam or how to maximise their marks in exam. READ THIS!

This is simly written but I am sure it will prove useful for some people. Knowing and not knowing about something makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE. Read it, learn it and know it. And you will succeed!

PRIOR TO EXAMS
1. KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE EXAM (INCLUDES 1 WEEK BEFORE HSC)
The date hasn't come out yet. But it is always good to know when you have exam. Following link is very brief one and does not tell us when the Mathematics exam is.
http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/events/pdf_doc/event-timetable-hsc-2008.pdf
But you have to be aware that HSC starts on Thursday 16 October. And if we assume that Mathematics is on 16 October (which is very very unlikely) you can set your timetable like this:

12 October: Finish HSC Mathematics 2005 (check solution)
13 October: Finish HSC Mathematics 2006 (same here)
14 October: Finish HSC Mathematics 2007 (same here)
15 October: Be prepared (get all the stuff needed and just relax and make sure you know all the relevant formula and every other bits and pieces).

IMPORTANT NOTICE: It is important that you take past HSC Mathematics exams in EXAM CONDITION for 3 hours. AND if you get some questions wrong/make mistake, you can always improve. Do at least 20 Past papers before exam starting from 1987 ones. Also note that on 11 October or prior to that, you can study for subject that comes after Mathematics (DO PAST PAPERS). Following link only has few exam papers. You better buy past papers that comes with SOLUTIONS!
http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/hsc_exams/exam-papers-2007/index4.html#m.

2. Year before HSC:

1. Do your homework! Homework is important particularly in Mathematics.
2. Do extra homework. Regard homework as 'minimum work'. There is just NO FINISH in Mathematics.
3. Get good textbooks/study guides such as EXCEL, FITZPATRICK, CAMBRIDGE (NOT REALLY BUT PRETTY GOOD) AND COUCHMAN.
4. PUT 1 hour a day (recommended)

3. 6 months before HSC:

1. Do your homework as always. But build on that homework. Advance further than everyone else! (i.e. do more work)
2. Put more than 1 hour a day. 1-1.5 hour is recommended.
3. Start some easy past papers starting from as old as you can get your hands on. I started with 1986 one where I got 96% in 1 hour 50 minutes. Do them in exam condition! IF YOU CAN'T DO SOME QUESTIONS BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T LEARNT IT, THEN LEAVE THEM AND DO THE QUESTIONS YOU CAN DO.
4. You have to realise that old past papers are much easier than recent ones so you may want to set the exam time frame to 2 hours to 2 hours and 30 minutes.

4. 3 months before HSC:

1. You should know alll the formulas and relevant information by now. IF YOU DON'T STUDY FOR YOURSELF. Get a good person to explain it to you or you can basically put time for yourself to understand since 2 Unit Mathematics is not that difficult.
2. You really have to put 1 hour 30 minutes a day. That will basically cover some exercises and some challenging questions.
3. Do more past papers and learn from it. There is nothing better than doing the REAL ONES.

5. 1 month before HSC:

1. Know your formulas. You have to be able to KNOW WHERE YOU USE YOUR FORMULAS AND WHEN YOU USE THEM. DON'T BE CONFUSED WITH VELOCITY, ACCELERATION AND DISPLACEMENT.
2. Keep doing your past papers. Can't stress this enough. Learn from it and set your own goals for each exam. ALSO try to do it under the time given to you in real HSC.

DURING EXAM
6. ATTEMPT ALL QUESTIONS!
I cannot stress this enough. ATTEMPT ALL QUESTIONS! If you get stuck with one question, leave it for the time being and move on to another question. You may have better luck in other questions.

7. BE AWARE OF THE MARKS ALLOCATED TO EACH QUESTION!
Marks allocated to each question reflects how difficult it is and how much you have to write. You don't have to spend 30 lines explaining 2 marks-value question.

8. USE BOARD-APPROVED CALCULATORS (YOU HAVE TO ANYWAY)
Get board-approvaed calculators. Following link shows the name of board-approvaed calculators. Make sure you read it if you don't have one.
http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/manuals/calculators_hsc.html

9. YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO WRITE FORMULAS DOWN
Write your formulas down when you are doing complicated ones that involve many numbers. It will be of large benefits.

10. MAKES SURE YOUR WRITINGS ARE READABLE AND NEAT.
Write neatly and make sure your writings are READABLE. Be clear in your answer (e.g. 0.7 rather than .7)

11. SHOW ALL NECESSARY WORKINGS
Some people don't do this. EVEN THE EXAM SAYS THAT YOU NEED TO SHOW ALL WORKINGS. Therefore, do all your workings especially for PLANE GEOMETRY AND CIRCLE GEOMETRY. Even if you write stuff on diagrams write them down in your working out. You are advised to do that. You are also encouraged write stuff such as "thefore", "so", "i.e." and etc to allow markers to follow you!

12. BE SPECIFIC WHEN YOU GIVE THEOREMS IN GEOMETRY QUESTIONS.
Don't just say "the angles in an isoceles triangle add to 180 degrees"
You have to be specific. For example, "x =70 degrees, the base angles of an isoceles triangle are equal".

13. IF A THEOREM HAS 'RECOGNISED NAME'. IT IS SUFFICIENT TO QUOTE THE NAME
i.e. "Ratio of Intercepts theorem" or "Pythagoras's theorem"

14. GIVE ENOUGH SPACE FOR EACH QUESTION. ALLOW HEAPS OF SPACE!
HAVE lots of space. It is always good to have lots of space to prevent UGLINESS AT THE END.

15. In Q1, WHEN YOU GET SUBSTITUTION QUESTION, YOU MUST SHOW THE STEP OF SUBSTITUTION IMMEDIATELY BEFORE USE OF CALCULATOR

16. IN Q1, WHEN YOU GET CALCULATOR-BASED QUESTION, YOU HAVE TO WRITE EVERYTHING ON YOUR CALCULATOR BEFORE ROUNDING OFF

17. DRAW DIAGRAMS & SKETCHES EVEN IF THEY WERE GIVEN IN THE QUESTION. SPEND HALF A PAGE DRAWING IT!
You are highly encouraged to draw your diagram. They are also useful aids in solving problems. When drawing it, PLEASE USE RULER AND NECESSARY ITEMS.

18. WRITE YOUR ANSWER IN AN APPROPRIATE PLACE SO MARKERS CAN SEE IT. DON'T EXPECT THEM TO FIND IT
Write them in an appropriate place and make sure markers can find it.

19. READ OVER YOUR EXAM AND DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME
You just spend 10 years at school to get to here. Don't waste one moment of it. Read over your exam and fix all the writings if yourself can't read it. Be clear, specific, neat and right.

20. KNOW HSC TERMS:
'state' or 'write down' or 'give example of': no explanation required - just write your answer
'find' or 'determine': provide reasoning, explnation
'verify': should test the truth oof a statement, usually by substitution
'hence': student should use the preceding result or information to answer the question
'prove' or 'show': establish in detail the truth of a statement. Full reasoning is needed and NEVER try to prove something by assuming at the start
'solve': work out the anwer or solution to a problem. Write them in appropriate forms (e.g. in decimal, pi or fraction form)

GOOD LUCK In your HSC Mathematics exam and know you stuff!
NEVER PANIC!



PM ME IF NEED HELP

EDIT: BRING LOTS OF GOOD PENS (VARIETY OF COLOURS AND 2 FOR EACH COLOUR) AND BRING 2 CALCULATORS SUCH IN CASE.

 

[advanced sam]

thanks 4 that

 

[lyounamu]

Some people have asked me about HOW TO STUDY Mathematics. This is how I study:

1. Get someone to explain the formula (if it is easy to be explained and easy to understand)

• It is good to understand the formula rather than memorising it. It makes you thinking (but don't over-think)

2. To memorise the formula. Get a clean A4 paper and keep writing them. And as long as you memorise it, use it!

3. If you don't understand the question, ask someone such as teacher, peers and even parents.

• Ask someone if you need help. Don't leave the problem behind, ask it whenever you have to.

4. Use a lot of available source of materials. Look at different examples and questions and learn how they did them. Use them as 'model answers'

• Try to be familiar with different questions by covering as many examples as you can from different textbooks. I recommend Fitzpatrick (good questions, explanations), Excel (good summary, good questions), Cambridge (good explanation and pretty challenging questions) and SUCCESS ONE PAST PAPERS.

5. Do a lot of questions.

• Most important point. Cannot stress this enough.
• It is more important to large variety of questions that stacks of questions relating to one type of question.

6. Learn where to use formula

7. Also do similar questions. It will help you work out questions faster

• Being familiar with topic will enable you to work at faster rate. SPEED IS VERY IMPORTANT IN HSC

8. Practise your own writings to make it seem more neat and organised

9. Learn to draw diagrams with necessary items

• Draw all the diagrams when needed and practise them and familiarise with that habit.

10. DO PAST PAPERS!

• MOST important point. Do as many as you can!

EDIT: SPEND QUALITY TIME FOR Mathematics. In my case, I do 2-3 hours a day in a very quiet environment. IT HELPS HEAPS! TRUST ME.

 

[me121]

15. In Q1, WHEN YOU GET SUBSTITUTION QUESTION, YOU MUST SHOW THE STEP OF SUBSTITUTION IMMEDIATELY BEFORE USE OF CALCULATOR

16. IN Q1, WHEN YOU GET CALCULATOR-BASED QUESTION, YOU HAVE TO WRITE EVERYTHING ON YOUR CALCULATOR BEFORE ROUNDING OFF

You don't HAVE to, but it would be better if you did.

PS. Please don't write in CAPS LOCK it looks like you are SHOUTING and it is hard to read.

EDIT: BRING LOTS OF GOOD PENS (VARIETY OF COLOURS AND 2 FOR EACH COLOUR) AND BRING 2 CALCULATORS SUCH IN CASE.

Technically, you are only allowed to used pencil for diagrams, and then blue or black pen, so you really only have 2 or 3 colours to choose from.

18. WRITE YOUR ANSWER IN AN APPROPRIATE PLACE SO MARKERS CAN SEE IT. DON'T EXPECT THEM TO FIND IT
Write them in an appropriate place and make sure markers can find it.

Well, technically, the marker will read everything you write and mark it, even if it is in the wrong place. If you run out of space, just right on the left side, or another booklet.

If you right something in the wrong place (such as two questions in the same booklet), don't worry about it, just keep going. The supervisor will help you to sort it out when you finish, and the markers will find it and mark it. There are procedures in place by the marking comities to ensure every question is marked.

4. Use a lot of available source of materials. Look at different examples and questions and learn how they did them. Use them as 'model answers'

• Try to be familiar with different questions by covering as many examples as you can from different textbooks. I recommend Fitzpatrick (good questions, explanations), Excel (good summary, good questions), Cambridge (good explanation and pretty challenging questions) and SUCCESS ONE PAST PAPERS.

5. Do a lot of questions.

Well, in my opinion you don't really need these. DW with the text books. However the books with past paper solutions are handy, however you can get the questions and answers for free, but not all of the solutions.

Apart from that, the other advice is pretty good.

 

[lyounamu]

You don't HAVE to, but it would be better if you did.quote]

According to Marker's response, you have to write the substitution where given.

And caps were used to highlight. But appreciate your comment.

Thanks

 

[me121]

According to Marker's response, you have to write the substitution where given.

which year/question did they say this?

Ohh.. and just another thing I can add, remember that your HSC is usually higher than your raw mark. For example in 2007 2U, approximately a raw mark of 85% was aligned to 93%. ([thread=164144]Source[/thread])

 

[lyounamu]

which year/question did they say this?

1988 report from Markers said that 'Given the need by...candidates must show the step of substitution immediately before use of the calculator'

Question was 1(c). Where formula and variables were given.

Will inform you of other examples later.

 

[me121]

1988 report from Markers said that 'Given the need by...candidates must show the step of substitution immediately before use of the calculator'

Question was 1(c). Where formula and variables were given.

Will inform you of other examples later.

gee thats old. maybe it is the case, but i was under the impression that if you had the correct answer, you got full marks.

 

[lyounamu]

which year/question did they say this?
higher than your raw mark. For example in 2007 2U, approximately a raw mark of 85% was aligned to 93%. ([thread=3259715]Source[/thread])

85% to 93%? That's ridiculous (not that your comment is ridiculous). That's pretty damn good treat for us!

P.S. what about 3 unit? Have any information on that?

 

[lyounamu]

Well, technically, the marker will read everything you write and mark it, even if it is in the wrong place. If you run out of space, just right on the left side, or another booklet.

I am not sure about this. But I think you have to write your answer in the appropriate place. And according to the Marker's response, you can be penalised if the answer is like in the middle of working out and never mentioned again at the end.

I read a lot of Marker's responses because they do have good points.

 

[me121]

These are only aprox. but see my original thread [thread=164144]here[/thread] for more details.
3U Maths:
Total Raw Mark: 67-71/84 = 39.9-42.3/50
Aligned Exam Mark: 47/50=(approx)94/100

Remember that for each band, the relationship is linear. For both my 2u and 3u, I got top band, and you know that 100/100 raw equates to 100/100 aligned, so you can kinda calculate an aproximate relationship for all top band marks. but there is a rounding error incurred and also an error because i don't actually know my raw marks, only what I have calculated from examination of my scripts, forensic analysis of censored information, and marking of my own scripts based on marking guidelines, ,marker comments and actual answers.