As a mathematics teacher in the Eastern suburbs of Sydney I have been helping students prepare for HSC maths exams for over 10 years in Standard, Advanced, Extension 1 and 2 mathematics.
Here are the most important study tips and strategies to improve your confidence and prepare you for the HSC so you can achieve the ATAR you need to get into Science, Engineering and other university courses.
Practice past papers
Past HSC papers are available online to download from NESA and you can also purchase a book of past papers if you prefer working from a printed copy. It is an imperative part of your preparation that you complete as many past papers as possible. You will gain valuable practise and experience solving unfamiliar multi-step problems that cover multiple topics. Something that you won’t get from just completing questions from a textbook.
There are 2 ways to do past HSC papers.
- Complete questions throughout year 12 as you complete topics. Use the guide on the inside cover of a past HSC paper book to identify which past HSC questions are from which topics.
- Complete a whole past HSC paper. This will help you become familiar with the structure of the exam & the style of questions. When you sit down to do a past paper under exam style conditions and time yourself you will be able to work on both your accuracy and speed so you will be more likely to finish the real HSC exam in time with extra time to check over your work.
From the July school holidays on you should aim to complete at least 1-2 past papers per week. If you are doing the Standard course you may want to do more past trial papers that include the new topics like networks. I have a folder of past Standard trial papers I share with my students.
Create a Study plan
The HSC is challenging. It is like an ultra iron man. With each subject being like the different disciplines except there are 5 sometimes 6 different legs to train for. It’s intense and it is long. You can’t leave everything until the last minute. You need to start training now and create a study plan.
Time management in the lead up to your exams is critical to maximise the time you have. The key to planning is deciding what to do in each study block in advance and making sure you have all the resources in advance. If you don’t plan what you are going to do you might waste 10-15 minutes deciding which past paper to do & finding/ downloading it. Study in 2-3 hour blocks so you can simulate exams.
Syllabus audit
Review the syllabus and make sure you understand each dot point. Give yourself a rating of 1,2 or 3 on your level of understanding of the content.
1 – No idea. Need to review.
2 – Yep I can do most questions on this.
3 – Solid understanding. I could teach this!
It will end up looking like this.
<PIC>
Familiarise yourself with any changes in the syllabus so that when you’re doing past papers you know whether or not the content is still in the current course.
Networks was only added to the new Standard maths syllabus recently so only the 2019 & 2020 papers have questions on networks.
Cheat sheet
Create an annotated formula/notes sheet. This can be as detailed as you need it to be. Include examples, diagrams and common mistakes to avoid. Use ‘remember to do this’ and ‘don’t do this’. Handwriting these out will help you learn. Keep it to a 1 page summary that is a simple visual reference you can look at right before the actual HSC exam. When I was doing the HSC I put my cheat sheets in plastic sleeves and stuck them in the shower. Even better if you can laminate it. I also had them on the wall next to my bed so they were the last thing I saw before going to sleep and the first thing I saw when I woke up. These cheat sheets certainly helped me remember formulae.
Identify your weaknesses
As you do past papers and you have to look up a formula, add these to your cheat sheet. Schedule in one of your study blocks time to review the topic/ dot points that you haven’t mastered yet. Use the inside cover of the books of past papers that lists questions by topic and plan a study session on any topics you are struggling with. Note any specific questions down that you need help with so you can ask your teacher, a friend or your tutor.
Experiment with different time limits
Try doing past papers with different time limits such as an extra hour, 30 minutes less or unlimited time.
When you give yourself an extra hour you won’t feel as rushed and can complete the whole paper carefully without too much time stress.
When you give yourself 30 minutes less you’ll be able to identify which questions are taking up too much time and topics you need to do focused study sessions on.
When you give yourself unlimited time, possibly broken up over multiple days and study sessions to finish a paper you can ensure you don’t skip any questions and are thorough in your working out.
Check your own work
As you practice past HSC questions don’t look at the answers until the end. You need to practise checking your own work so that you can pick up any errors like leaving out a minus sign or other silly mistakes. Ask yourself if the number you found is reasonable. Could the height of a tree really be 500 metres? Substitute your answer back into the equation to see if it is a solution. After you find an integral, differentiate your answer to check you get back to the question. Make it easier for yourself and the exam markers by writing legibly. It will make it easier for you to check your work. Check you have copied down any expressions or equations from the paper correctly to avoid transcription errors.
Mark your work
Use the marking guidelines from NESA to mark your past papers. Identify if you made a transcription error, silly mistake or did not know how to do it. This will help you identify which topics or dot points you need to revise or get extra help with. Remember mistakes are opportunities for you to learn.
Use your calculator and reference sheet
Learn how to use the different memories in your calculator so you don’t get any rounding errors. Make sure you know how to use Stats mode and how to see if your calculator is in degrees or radians. This will change the value of your answers for Trigonometry so it’s really important you are familiar with your calculator. Go through the reference sheet you are given in the exam and make sure you know what each formula is used for. Annotate a copy with notes and tips and put this in your shower too.
Ask questions
There is never a silly question. Asking questions helps you to clarify concepts so you understand WHY. This understanding, rather than rote learning processes, is what is needed to apply content to unfamiliar problems in the HSC exam. Ask your teacher or tutor questions. Make sure you understand why you do each step.
Help others
Explain concepts to your friends or family. This will help you have a better understanding of the content & make you more confident.
Take breaks
Go for a run, walk or swim. Play some music and dance around your bedroom or follow a free workout on YouTube. Move your body to get your oxygen pumping. Try and find a balance between study and breaks.
Nourish your brain and body
Have healthy snacks like carrot, celery, cucumber and capsicum sticks already cut up in the fridge so you can just grab them with some hummus for a quick break. Limit processed biscuits, crackers, cereal and chocolate. These are loaded with sugar and additives that can impact your focus and concentration. Instead cut up fruit like banana & pineapple and freeze them on a flat tray so they are ready for smoothies or a sweet treat by themselves. Make a big jar of chia pudding with frozen berries and almond milk so it’s ready for a quick nourishing snack. Consider having salmon for dinner the night before the HSC exam as it’s good brain food.
Drink water
Your brain and body needs water. Keep a large bottle on your desk and sip on it throughout your study sessions. Aim for 1.2 litres throughout the day so your brain is fully hydrated and functioning optimally.
Sleep
Sleep is important to rejuvenate your body. Aim for at least 8 hours of sleep every night especially the night before your HSC maths exam. This will ensure your brain is functioning fully, you are able to concentrate and have enough energy. Trust that you’ve done the work and it will come to you during the exam.
Visualise your result
Print out an ATAR certificate and HSC results certificate. Write the ATAR you would like to see and Band 6 or whatever your goals are on the certificates and stick them on the fridge or create an electronic version in canva as your phone’s background cover. This will be a daily reminder of your goal and will help you do the work to achieve the goal and attract it to you. Close your eyes and imagine how you will feel when you receive the SMS with your HSC results. Embody this feeling throughout your day.
Use ‘I am’ statements
I am good at maths. I am a great problem solver. I am a band 6 maths student. I am confident. I am motivated. I am persistent. I am intelligent. I am worthy.
Look at yourself in the mirror and say I am statements every morning.
These study tips can help you create positive studying behaviours, self improve and reach your potential.
Looking for some extra help with HSC mathematics?
Get one on one personalised tutoring from an experienced maths teacher. Anita offers tutoring in her home in North Bondi as well as online tutoring which may be more convenient for you and will save travel time.
To find out more and get started with a professional maths tutor contact Anita here.