Transcript 2008 English Trial Exams

Purpose of today’s seminar:
 To remind you about the big picture in terms of scaling
 To explain the HSC papers
 To inform you about your Trial Examinations
 To suggest some study strategies
 To build your confidence about your ability to
succeed in English
Questions to be answered
1.
How does scaling apply to English?
2.
What can you expect of HSC English papers?
3.
What can you expect of your Oxley Trial Exams?
4.
How can you prepare for The Trial?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Information session
Past questions and sample responses
Mock exams
The ratio: 1:2:3
Staff and Peer feedback
Independent study suggestions
Your family
Exam Technique
scaling
Mr Armstrong says…
English in the HSC:
 Scaling processes separate for different courses –
cannot influence each other
 Not compared to other students but to the outcomes
for the course
 Your internal assessment is moderated against your
HSC English exam results
Why English is important to your UAI?
 It is the only common course
 Impacts on other courses through scaling
 UAI calculated using separate marking process: marks
are spread from 0-100 while in HSC they are only
spread from 50-100
 No courses are scaled up! Elastic band analogy.
 English sets the standard for each course for UAI
scaling
 UAI is not scaled according to other years but how
every ‘biology’ (eg) student has performed in all their
other subjects
 It is possible to get a UAI in the 80s-90s while doing
Standard English
 Your best two units of English must count in your UAI
HSC English papers
40 min
Module A
Writing Task
40 min
Reading Task
Comparative
Long Response
Extension 1
Creative Task
Critical Task
60 min
Paper 2
60 min
Paper 1
40 min
HSC English Exams
Module B
Module C
Paper 1 : Area of Study
 All Students – Standard and Advanced!
 40%
 15 marks per section
 1 x 120 min exam (+ 10 min reading time):
 40 min part A: reading task
 40 min part B: writing task
 40 min part C: long response: set text + own choices
Part 1: Reading
Part 2: Writing task
Part 3: Comparative Long
Response

Journeys
Paper 2 : Modules
 Different for Standard and Advanced
 60%
 20 marks per section
 1 x 120 min exam (+ 5 min reading time):
 40 min Module A
 40 min Module B
 40 min Module C
Module A
Module B
Module C
Additional texts?
Standard:
Advanced:
 Area of Study: 2+
 Area of Study: 2+
 Module A: 2+
 Module B: NONE
 Module C: 2+
 Module A: NONE
 Module B: 2+ critical
perspectives
 Module C: 2+
Extension 1
 25 marks per section
 1 x 120 min exam (+ 5 min reading time):
 60 min writing
 60 min reading
 texts:
 2 of 3 set texts
 3+ additional texts
your Oxley Trial Papers
Dates
 Paper 1:
Monday 16th June
 Paper 2: Tuesday 17th June
 Ext 1:
Monday 23rd June
Content of Oxley Trial
Paper 1
 Standard
 Reading task
 Writing task
 Module A
 Advanced
 Reading task
 Writing task
 Comparative long
response
Content of Oxley Trial
Paper 2
 Standard
 Advanced
 Module A*
 Module B*
 Module B
 Module C
 Module B
 Module C
*
*
Content of Oxley Trial
Ext 1
 Creative Task + Critical Task
prepare
Suggestions for your
study strategy:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Information session
Past questions and sample responses
Mock exams
The ratio - 1:2:3
Staff and Peer feedback
Independent study
Your family
1. Information Session
 This PowerPoint will be available on the Oxley
Learning site to be downloaded.
 Explain it to the people who support you in your study
and use it as part of a discussion about how you will
study successfully for all your exams.
2. Past questions and
sample responses
 Handouts available today:
 Past HSC papers for each course
 High-range and mid-range sample responses published by
the Board of Studies
 Markers’ comments
 Attempt the questions – within time limit, by hand
 Make a table analysing markers’ comments
 Critique the sample answers according to the marking grids
3. Mock Exams
Do I really have to?
When and where?
 Paper 1:
Wednesday 4th June
3:45-5:50
room 14
 Paper 2:
Tuesday 9th June
3:45-5:50
room 14
 Ext 1:
Thursday 11th June
3:45-5:50
room 14
4. The Ratio 1:2:3
 You all know how to structure paragraphs, but have
you used enough evidence in them?
 Verbal learners: SETEEL, SEE…
 Visual learners and mathematical logical learners will
benefit from using this ratio
Have you used enough
evidence?
point
1:2:3
techniques
quotes
Total of 6 “marks” per paragraph.
 Underline where you have used each of these things
and give yourself a “total score” for each paragraph, 1
mark for each underlined thing.
5. Staff and Peer Feedback
 Submit completed, timed, hand written responses for
marking by your teacher.
 Trust each other! Use the set marking guidelines or
nominate 3-4 a few things you’d like your friends to
comment on, eg:





Focus on key terms of the questions
Focus on key terms and requirements of the module
Register, tone, vocabulary
Links between texts
Quantity and depth of supporting evidence
6. Independent study
 Rewriting notes
 Summarising and re-sorting existing notes
 Re-reading and re-viewing texts to gain BETTER info
(not just more info) NB: ipods
 Study groups… useful for some learners
 WHOLE PAST PAPERS, TIMED FOR 2 HOURS
AND 5 MIN
Selection of additional texts:
 Choose texts which are RICH in RELEVANT CONTENT
 Choose texts which MAKE YOU LOOK GOOD!
 RANGE of text types
 Make links between CHARACTERS and SETTINGS - not just
plot - in terms of:
 Concepts
 Use of language forms and features
7. Your family
 If family members are willing to assist you, prepare
meaningful things that they can help you with:
 Verbal Testing / Memorisation:
 Lists of quotations + the techniques employed
 Venn diagrams or tables you want learn by heart
 Key terms of the Area of Study/Modules from syllabus
documents and other vocabulary (eg linking words,
comparing words...)
 Creating an exam environment
 Ask them set up silent exam-style sessions for you to
complete past papers
Also, with respect to (and for) your family:
 Manage your stress well; Direct it appropriately.
 Give ‘n’ take: when you need a break from study, do
the vacuuming, wash the car, mow the lawn…
8. Exam Technique
 Read the whole paper, especially all instructions
 As soon as you are allowed to write:
 circle the questions that apply to you
 make notes on the exam paper
 Make a conscious decision about the order in which
you will answer the sections of the paper (eg. easiest to
most difficult? most time consuming first?)
 Use time well:
 Deliberately allow time for reviewing answers and
editing
 Write a breakdown of time on a spare piece of paper,
Eg. 9:00 Section 1, 9:38 Section 2; 10:16 Section 3; 10:54 check
 Use mnemonics as memory cues
 Plan ALL your extended responses (10+ lines) on the
inside cover of the exam booklet, then cross out plans
once you have completed the answer.
Purpose of today’s seminar:
 To remind you about the big picture in terms of scaling
 To explain the HSC papers
 To inform you about your Trial Examinations
 To suggest some study strategies
 To build your confidence about your ability to
succeed in English
?