Welcome to theHSC Study Day

For Science

Session Outline The Content The Syllabus The Biggest Secret of All! The Biggest Mistake of All! The Exam ~ Sections, Parts and General Info Diagrams The Questions Where to Now! E-Day Check Me Out

The Content This is the area that you and your teacher have been

preparing since beginning the preliminary course. You have practiced and refined it in lessons and through

homework and assessment tasks. It is specified very clearly in the syllabus. It is made up of two areas: knowledge and skills.

The ContentThe Biology HSC core includes:• Maintaining the Balance• Blueprint of Life• Search for Better Health

And ONE HSC Option chosen from:• Communication• Biotechnology• Genetics: The Code Broken?• The Human Story• Biochemistry

The ContentThe Chemistry HSC core includes:• Production of Materials• The Acidic Environment• Chemical Monitoring and Management

And ONE HSC Option chosen from:• Industrial Chemistry• Shipwrecks, Corrosion and Conservation• The Biochemistry of Movement• The Chemistry of Art• Forensic Chemistry

The Syllabus Use the syllabus to make a summary of your work. If you do not have a copy of the syllabus, you can find it

at www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au Don’t forget section 9.1 … the skills you need to be able

to demonstrate

Science Syllabus

The Biggest Secret of All!If you have the syllabus, you have all the questions and all the answers for the exam

The Biggest Mistake of All!Apart from not preparing well enough to give yourself the best possible chance for success …

answering MORE THAN ONE option!

The Exam All of the science exams are 3 hours long, with 5

minutes reading time.

All exams have the same format.

All are worth 100 marks in total.

All have two sections.

Section One has two parts

Section 1 ~ Part A Part A has 15 multiple

choice questions which are based on the core modules.

Allow 30 minutes for this section (about 1 ½ minutes per question)

A multiple choice answer sheet will be provided for your answers. Make sure you use it and mark your answers correctly.

Section One ~ Part B Part B is worth 60 marks. These questions will be a mix of short-answer and

extended response type questions. Marks for the individual questions will be shown

on the exam paper. The maximum marks for one question will be no

more than 8 marks. Answers are to be written in the spaces provided

following the question Markers Hint … if I can’t read it, I can’t give

marks for it!)

Section One ~ Part B Like Part A, these questions will be based

on the core modules. Allow 1 hour and 45 minutes for this

section, or about a minute and a half per mark.

Section Two Section Two contains questions based on the

options of the syllabus. There are 25 marks for this section. ATTEMPT ONLY ONE QUESTION. Allow about 45 minutes for this section. There are a variety of question types.

Section Two Each question may consist of several parts. Opportunities will be provided for candidates to

demonstrate a range of skills across all levels on the performance scale.

A writing booklet will be provided for your written responses. Additional booklets will be available if you need them.

General Information Correct statements will not score marks if they do

not answer the question asked. Check you have not provided a response that

rewords the information provided in the question. If you make a mistake, do not waste time with

liquid paper! Neatly cross out what you do not want the examiner to mark and rewrite your answer.

Ask for a new booklet if you need it.

Diagrams Keep them simple. Two dimensional line

diagrams are generally enough.

Make a diagram large enough to show the detail required.

Use a pencil (see instructions)

The Questions Identify the keywords. What is the verb? (What does it mean?) What is the noun? What is the content of the question? Plan your answer including the points that you

have identified in the question. Write your response.

Quick Quiz Time

Where to Now?For each topic: Make a list of important terms and write down

their definitions. Match examples and or diagrams to these terms. Construct a concept map to see the relationships

between terms in the context of the topic. Know what the syllabus is asking you to be able

to do. Make study notes based on the syllabus

statements.

Where to Now? Go through assessment tasks, topic

tests, past HSC and specimen papers to practice questions.

Learn the meaning of the verbs. Write your own questions using

different verbs to test yourself and your friends.

Practice drawing graphs. Make sure to include a title, axes labels, units and correct scales. Use a ruler to join plots or to draw a line of best fit.

Where to Now? Recall experiments conducted. Write out

the aim, procedure, results and conclusion. Justify each step taken. Consider safety aspects. Consider variables, controls, validity and reliability.

E - Day Give yourself plenty of time to get to the exam. Arrive early. This will give you time to quickly

review your study notes. Make sure you have all of your equipment and

that it all works properly.

When You Start the Exam Read the directions carefully. Quickly skim the entire exam

and figure out how much time to allocate to each section.

Do the easy questions first. Work on one at a time. Don’t leave early. Use any extra time to go over

your answers. Check your answers by reading

with your mouth moving.

Check Me Out Board of Studies

http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au

Uniserve Sciencehttp://science.uniserve.edu.au/schools/curric/stage6

HSC Onlinehttp://www.hsc.csu.edu.au/

OTENhttp://www.tafensw.edu.au/oten

In Your Handout ~ Helpful BitsIn your handout, which you can collect on the way out, you will find the slides used today PLUS:

Scaffolds for 8 Key Words Helpful Words and Phrases

Glossary of Key Words & Points to Remember

A Final Word …We wish you all the very best for your exam.