On their own, exams provoke anxiety even for the most apt of pupils. Having to select which exam to submit to causes a whole new level of panic. Which one are you likely to do the best on? Which one is easier? Which one suits your future career plans the best?
Those three questions are interrelated. The easier exam might not suit your career objectives. You might earn better marks on the more difficult exam. Your future plans may not hinge on either maths exam. And none of these criteria addresses the difference between the two exams.
First, we have to determine what HSC Maths exams are all about. We need to know roughly what each exam tests you on and the direction they point you in. And we should consider how much past performance predicts future success on maths exams. Let's get started, shall we?
HSC Maths Curriculum Differences
HSC maths exams are designed with your future in mind. If you've set your sights on becoming an astrophysicist, you don't need to know anything about maths for accounting. On the other hand, if you're planning to run your own business, mastering linear equations is a maths bridge too far.
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School systems in other countries don't always make that distinction. Elsewhere, maths curricula tend to be progressive, even at the university level. Thus, exams comparable to ours become increasingly more difficult. That's not the way it works in Australia.
The terms 'standard' and 'advanced' are, in fact, misleading. They do not represent difficulty levels; one may even argue that these exams are equally hard. It might help for you to think that Mathematics Standard tests you on standard maths knowledge needed in daily life. Advanced Maths gets you ready for maths-heavy professions like engineering and theoretical physics. With that in mind, let's look at what each exam tests you on.
Standard Curriculum
We need to clarify that Maths Standard comes in two flavours: Standards 1 and 2. Standard 1 does not equip you with an Australian Tertiary Admissions rank (ATAR). It covers basic maths concepts that we use in everyday life. We'll touch on how this exam can equip your future a bit later in this article. As for the rest of this article, unless we specify Standard 1, any Standard mention means Standard 2.
Standard is an ATAR Mathematics course. It expands on the mathematical concepts of Standard 1 tests. Standard covers all of the concepts you might use every day along with:
- measurement: ratios and proportions; area and volume; conversions and more
- modelling and algebra: proportionality, graphing, some business math and other topics
- data and statistics: graphing, mark distributions and scaling, The Bell Curve
- probability: tree diagrams, basic probability, relative frequency
- maths for finance: budgeting, simple and compound interest, credit cards and loans; the Stock Exchange and more
- networks: backward and forward scanning, critical path analysis, float times, basic network terminology
This is obviously an abbreviated list of topics you'll study for your Standard maths exam. And it's a sure bet that every topic you studied in class will feature on your exam, to one extent or another. It would be best for you to review past papers and other resources to get an idea of the exam's composition.
Advanced Curriculum
The Standard curriculum is expansive because it's designed to cover a lot of ground. By contrast, the Advanced curriculum is targeted. It's geared to prepare students for university courses that lead to work in highly specialised fields. Advanced takes for granted that you have mastered basic maths. It expects that you remember the order of operations learned in your arithmetic days.
In fact, the distinction goes back to your Stage 4 maths exams. If you performed exceptionally well on that exam, you could easily follow the Advanced Maths track. If you stumble on the Year 10 exam, your advisors will likely recommend that you shunt over to the Standard track for Year 12 maths. There's no shame in that.
We'll assume you've shown mastery at every exam level. You're now preparing for your Mathematics Advanced exam. You can expect to find calculus, trigonometry, functions and statistical analysis in your test booklet.
As noted earlier, the two exams test students on different maths concepts. There's no need to wonder which is easier; they are equally challenging. If you have any doubts about your maths skills, you should consider engaging an HSC Maths tutor to maximise the probability of passing your exam.
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HSC Maths Scaling Differences
Some maths students engage in higher maths exercises to determine which maths exam to sit. For instance, they may look at marks distribution for all test takers. What's the proportion of top-ranked students compared to lower-ranked students? Which band contains the highest proportion of students?
Curiously enough, Maths Standard and Advanced scale roughly the same, particularly from Band 4 up. That means that about the same percentage of students in each group passed their exams. But that doesn't tell the whole story.
On average, more students sit HSC Standard than Advanced. Let's say that 100 students are in the Standard testing room right now. Next door, there are 40 Advanced students. Fifteen per cent from each group landed in Band 6. The Standard students may cheer that 15 of them aced the test. Only six Advanced can share their glee.
The biggest scaling difference lies in ATAR contributions. Advanced takes the cake for this indicator. But, again, there's more to the story. Mathematics Advanced is about the same difficulty level as Standard but is more academically rigorous. It might require less effort to earn an 80 on the HSC Maths Standard exam. Earning the same on the Advanced demands far more diligence and work.
What HSC Maths Exams Prepare You For
Your career path is one of the most important aspects to think about when weighing which exam to sit. We'll not deny that ATAR contributions are critical. The higher your rating, the better chance you have of landing your preferred university course preferences. But will the maths stream you select position you well for your future professional life?
HSC Mathematics Advanced prepares you for a narrow band of highly specialised professions. Any physics lab will welcome you, as would any other maths-heavy scientific endeavour. You could find your métier in any type of engineering and, possibly, in commerce or finance. Law and medicine are also open to you.
If you don't aspire to any of those fields, consider the Standard exams. This broader syllabus can afford you a career in journalism, mass communication and the music industry. You may consider working in education, particularly early child development. Or how about a career in public relations? You could also pursue your penchant for art. The Standard exam puts anything from performance to film production on the table.
The HSC Mathematics Standard study course is broad by design. It means to offer students the maximum range of possibilities for their future. If you're uncertain about which direction you'll take your life, consider the Standard exam. On the other hand, if you're certain you want to follow in Howard Wiseman's footsteps, the HSC Advanced is the exam for you.
Tips for Choosing the Right Exam
Reading this article, you've hopefully taken in lots of food for thought. You've also likely picked up on all the tips scattered throughout. To close this topic, let's lay them out clearly.
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Consider Your Career Path
Every job requires maths skills; ciphering isn't solely the purview of bankers and office workers. Chefs must calculate measures for their recipes. Tattoo artists need to know artistic proportioning. Even janitors have to calculate dilution ratios for their chemicals. Only maths-heavy disciplines demand advanced maths skills. If you're as yet unsure which direction your life will take, it's best to sit the exam that will give you the most opportunity.
Consider Your Maths Aptitude
Some students excel at Geometry and Trig but cannot get a handle on Algebra to save their skin. Maths skills are not universal in the sense that, if you 'get' one, you get them all. Maximise your chances of landing in the high bands by choosing the maths exam you're most in tune with.
Don't Think in Terms of Difficulty
Difficulty is not the question when it comes to HSC Maths exams. They are equally challenging but one is more rigorous than the other. If you have the skills and tenacity to tackle the Advanced exam and come out on top, you should have no qualms about sitting that exam. Conversely, if you're the type of thinker whose mind cheerfully explores a variety of maths-related topics, you're better suited to the Standard exam.
The Standard exams test you on a broad range of subjects. You may excel in a few but be weak in one or two. Your weaknesses won't show too badly because of your strong performance on the other topics. In many ways, the Standard exam offers you more balance. Remember: you enrolled in HSC Mathematics for a reason. Make that reason count in your exam selection.
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