Effective Examination Technique

The following information has been written by Senior HSC teachers and students who have achieved extremely high marks (95+) in their HSC examinations over the past five years. Although some of the points
made in each section may appear straightforward, the pressure of large examinations often causes many
students to forget these key points during an exam. Therefore, its best to name even the most obvious!

During reading time

Get an overview of the entire paper by scanning through it quickly first.

Read the instructions VERY carefully and work out how many questions you need to answer.
Calculate the time you can spend on each answer relative to its mark value. For example, if question 1 carries 20% of the marks for a 3-hour paper, you should spend about 35 minutes on it. Allow
yourself 5 minutes review time for the end.

Decide which questions are the best ones to attempt. Skim the paper again and tick any questions you feel you could attempt. Then go back and read these carefully.

Decide the order in which you will respond. The general rule is to start on the one that seems
easiest to you. Also, plan to attempt the ones worth most marks reasonably early. Leave the ones
you are least sure about until last; you may get some ideas about them along the way.

If you have any time left, analyse the questions you will attempt. Ask: What exactly is the question
asking? Can it be broken down into parts? Can I restate it in simpler terms? How does it relate to
the topics work? What information is provided? Are there any clues elsewhere in the paper?

For more information, go to

www.hscintheholidays.com.au

During writing time

As soon as you can, write a few things down:

List, in order, the questions you will attempt

Write your time allowance per question
Write out formulae, key terms, lists or plans you have memorised and
note which questions you will apply them to

Re-read your question and plan your answer. Dont rush or feel you have to begin writing an answer
straight away.

Some students prefer to write a brief outline of their planned response for each question before they begin
writing detailed responses. This may help if you know your concentration wanes over time. Also, if you have
a mental blank later, you have your outline to refer to.

Stick to your allocated time for each answer if you get stuck, move on. If, despite your best efforts, you
run out of time, jot down notes on how you would have proceeded to solve the problem or answer the
question. Point form is fine at this stage.

The biggest mistakemade every year in HSC examinations is that , despite

being told repeatedly, students do not read the question/s properly!
Some tips for specific types of exam questions
Multiple choice questions

Many students believe that to answer a multiple choice question they need only be able to recognise material
and so need only do minimal revision. A well-written multiple choice examination, however, will require you
not only to have a thorough knowledge of the subject, but also to be able to integrate information and to dis
criminate between similar answers.

Carefully note the connecting words as well as the key words, in both the question stem and answers.
Beware of double negatives. For example, the question might ask, which of the following is true?, and the
first answer may read, (a) it is not the case that...

Think carefully about sentences with words such as never and always.
Does the question contain any clues to the answer? Do the alternative answers give clues? Through careful
analysis and a process of elimination it is possible to arrive at the correct answer even if at first sight you did not
have any idea.

For more information, go to

www.hscintheholidays.com.au

 If you are not quite sure of an answer, guess. You can never lose
marks in the HSC, so you are better off attempting something!

Do not pay attention to old myths such as, if you dont know the
answer always tick the first box or, always pick the shortest or
the longest answer. An educated guess after careful consideration of all the options is more likely to score an extra point. Another popular myth is that if you change your answer you are
more likely to change it to an incorrect answer. In fact, studies
have been done which prove just the opposite.

Short answer and essay questions

Your main aim is to provide a clear, logical explanation that can be followed easily by your examiner.

Dont rush into a question: give yourself time to think about and plan your answer. Before writing, make
jotting notes or a brief outline: this will aid your memory if you have a mental block later.

Short answer: summarize the main points in the first sentence. This means that you will have to carefully
plan your answer first. Also, if you run out of time your examiner will be able to see where you were
heading with your answer.

Essay: your introduction should outline the main points of your argument. The body of the essay should
consist of a logical sequence of these ideas. Have one idea per paragraph and express the main point of
the paragraph in the first sentence. The conclusion should provide a summary of your argument.

If you run out of time or misjudge things and still have a question to go, then write notes/points. Set out
a plan of how you would have answered the question if youd had time.

Problem-solving questions

Read the question carefully: take note of each part of the question you will have to address.
Check carefully what data have been given and what have been left out.
Think about which principles could be applied to the data. List the formulae you will need to answer the
question, without placing the given values in them: this will help to avoid unnecessary mistakes.

Decide the order of the steps you will have to take in order to get to the answer.
Double check your arithmetic, etc. before moving onto the next step. Make sure you havent misplaced
any decimal points or made an incorrect substitution in the formulae.

Include all of your calculations in your answer: that way even if the final outcome is incorrect, your examiner will be able to see where the mistake was made and may still award you some marks for your approach to the question.

If the dimensions of the final result do not seem right, check your computations again and if you still
come up with the same answer write down whether or not you believe it to be valid and provide a possible explanation for such a result.
3

For more information, go to

Further tips for maximising your exam marks

Avoid spending too long on difficult questions for which your answer may or may not be correct, especially at the expense of running out of time to attempt the questions you are more confident about.
Be sure to answer the question asked. No matter how brilliant your response, it will earn ZERO marks if
it does not relate to the question.
Answer all parts of the question. Be aware that essay or short answer questions can contain parts. For
example, How and why do filmmakers incorporate multiple visual techniques to enhance their central
concerns? Be sure to discuss both how and why.
Try to identify how the marks have been allocated. For example, if you are asked to explain 4 causes of
heart disease and the question is worth 20 marks, it is likely that 5 marks are available for each of the
causes you discuss.
Make sure your writing is legible. Examiners are under time constraints too. If they are
struggling to read your writing it may seem to them your ideas are unclear.
For mathematical or scientific calculations, check your responses carefully. For written
responses, check that your ideas are clear and on target. Everyone makes simple mistakes
when under pressure and you will lose easy marks if you leave out a key word or misplace

After the exam

Some students enjoy talking with others about their answers to exam questions. Beware - this may increase your exam anxieties and shatter the confidence you had developed. Nothing you do after the exam
will change your mark for that exam so dont agonise. Do something relaxing, something you know you
will enjoy, immediately after an exam.
After youve had a break, however, its worth reviewing your performance. Remember that the aim here
is not to agonise over what you could have done but rather to identify where you could improve your
results next time. This is especially true with regard to the Trial HSC examinations. Reflect:
Were you sufficiently prepared?
Which areas of exam revision or rehearsal could you improve?
Was stress management an issue?
Did you manage your time in the exam effectively?
Also, after the exams have been marked, it may be useful to work with your teacher, other students or a
tutor to identify where you could have gained extra marks.

For more information, go to

www.hscintheholidays.com.au