How to succeed in your HSC exams. (or any really)

Discussion in 'Australia, NZ, Pacific' started by LeftRightLeft, Oct 19, 2018.

  1. LeftRightLeft

    LeftRightLeft Well-Known Member

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    Maybe a bit late for this year but here is my advice.

    For 4 years I was fortunate enough to be teaching the 4 worst years maths and science for their year 10.

    I was not only the first teacher to achieve 4 years at 100% pass rate but the first one to get better than 50% in any year.

    I am not guaranteeing that success as that included not only the examination techniques but my teaching methods.

    OK the class consists of all the kids that had been expelled from all other schools, it was their last hope.

    I remember the first math lesson.

    Hello my name is xxxx
    I am your math teacher
    I am not only going to teach you math
    But teach it in a way that you will see relevant in your daily life.

    OK an ounce is 28 grams roughly and you only have enough for a q, if the q cost you $75.00. How much are you paying per stick.

    (you need to be a young pothead or know about it to get it)

    I got lots of smiles laughs and their attention for the rest of the year.

    Exam technique next post.
     
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  2. LeftRightLeft

    LeftRightLeft Well-Known Member

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    First thing, go to class, listen, do your work and study. Obvious this is about answering the paper.

    1. assess the time, ie if 50 questions in 2 hours that's 2.4 minutes a question. If 5 questions in 1 hour that's 12 minutes etc.
    2. answer all the questions you KNOW the answer to. Leave those that will take even a minutes thought.
    3. answer all the questions you have left except those that you have absolutely no idea of. Stick to your time limit.
    4. If you have absolutely no idea mark them all the same if multiple choice, that is all a, b, or c etc otherwise GUESS.
    5. you should be finished ahead of time. Check you haven't missed a question and that you have you information correct. DO NOT CHANGE ANSWERS
     
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2018
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  3. yiostheoy

    yiostheoy Well-Known Member

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    I remember ABC's and numbers 1 thru 10 and colors in preschool.

    Then there was reading and spelling in 1st Grade.

    We started doing coins of money in 2nd Grade.

    From there it keeps getting more and more complex.

    You had to pay attention. You had to practice in class.

    There was no homework until 7th Grade though. So the first 6 or 7 years were easier in terms of workload. School ran from 8 a.m. to 2:30 pm Monday thru Friday, with weekends and summers off.

    Throughout all this increasing complexity and workload you had to pay attention.

    Kids with ADD or other mental retardations did not do so well and had to retake a year or years.

    If you were fortunate to have good genes then there was no excuse. You had to pay attention. This was the key to educational success.
     
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2018
  4. LeftRightLeft

    LeftRightLeft Well-Known Member

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    I agree 100%. This was more about exam technique as it is stressful and a set of rules which guarantees they can get the opportunity to answer all the questions possible helps.
     
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2018
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  5. Bowerbird

    Bowerbird Well-Known Member

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    And remember that the longest distractor on a multichoice is usually the correct one
     
  6. LeftRightLeft

    LeftRightLeft Well-Known Member

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    I once had a student get 10% for a multiple choice paper with only two choices. I believe that that is nearly mathematically impossible as tossing a coin the odds are 50%.
    The problem was not that he didn't know the answers because he did. The problem was his confidence in himself.
     
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  7. modernpaladin

    modernpaladin Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I hate multiple choice. The only way I can pass is to hurry through it and not think. Which imo means the test process is flawed.

    All multiple choice tests should have an optional essay replacement. Studying and doing all my assignments got me a C average in high school. On the rare occassion that we were allowed to do essays instead, I got A's.
     
  8. LeftRightLeft

    LeftRightLeft Well-Known Member

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    I agree
     
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  9. Diuretic

    Diuretic Well-Known Member

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    Probably multiple choice and essay. Or should I write objective and subjective assessments, which is what they are. Objective tests are fine for skimming, you get a lot of random hits on the subject and students can work on recall and identification. Subjective tests go deeper (obviously) and can be used to allow students to demonstrate more then just recall. I took a year of undergrad psychology as part of a first degree (not psychology) and at mid-year and finals it was a four hour exam 2 hours for the objective test and 2 for the essays. Fair wrung me out but damn it covered everything.
     

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