Contrary to popular sentiment, maths is not a scary subject. Nor is it particularly difficult. Neither of those statements means to discredit maths anxiety, a real condition that plagues a fair number of people.
Maths is everywhere. Roads and buildings exist thanks to maths. The meals we eat are, in essence, proportions of this ingredient in relation to that one. Even music is fundamentally mathematical. Not to discredit the maths-phobic but we have to internalise the fact that we're surrounded by maths. Luckily, the HSC Mathematics Standard curriculum helps us do just that.
Notes on HSC Mathematics Curriculum Design
The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) set national standards for public education in 1995. Since then, deciding what school curricula should include has been an ever-evolving affair. Those ongoing discussions include which level to introduce topics. That's true for all school subjects, not just maths.
Before going over HSC Maths curriculum design particulars, let's make a distinction between HSC Mathematics Standard and Mathematics Advanced. They do not represent progressive levels of maths study, as many believe. The Advanced curriculum covers all the maths future engineers, scientists and finance sector operators need to know. The Advanced course is no more difficult than Mathematics Standard; it's just more rigorous.
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The same is not true for Standard 1 and Standard 2. The Year 11 Standard curriculum teaches basic maths concepts applicable to a range of career paths. It does not provide an Australian Tertiary Assessment rating (ATAR). Standard 2 expands on the Year 11 curriculum and provides an ATAR. As Standard 2 is the most versatile of these maths programs, the rest of this article focuses on this course exclusively.
As mentioned earlier, maths is everywhere. Technology, finance, commerce and a host of other industries are maths-based to some degree. The Maths Standard curriculum aims to prepare students who intend to launch themselves into business as well as those who plan to jump from one career field to the next (nothing wrong with that!),
Consider the number of high school students who don't know what they want to do with their lives. That's probably because today's learners have more career options than ever, not due to intellectual laziness on their part. Later-life career changes likely also influenced the curriculum's design. Let's discover how accommodating the HSC Maths Standard curriculum is for all of these variables.
HSC Mathematics Standard 2 Course Particulars
When you enrol in HSC Mathematics, you'll acquaint yourself with three maths-related career fields. They are: Networking, Finance and Statistics. This course also includes two, more general topics: algebra and measurements, suitable for use in a variety of industries. What sub-topics will you explore in each?
Networks covers network concepts, scanning and critical path analyses. The Statistics portion covers distribution, scaling and Bivariate data analysis. Maths for Finance teaches you about loans, investments and annuities.
Measurements covers ratios and proportions, area and volume calculations, non-right-angled trigonometry and more. Your Algebra chapters cover graphing, proportionality, some formulas, equations and conversions.
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Course Set-Up
The debate rages over scheduling each topic. Will we learn all of the Finance topics, and then the Algebra topics, followed by Statistics? How much of the school year's calendar should each topic claim? Algebra is more wide-ranging so it should have more time, right? Not exactly. Here's roughly what the Maths Standard calendar looks like:
- from September to December: rates and ratios, trigonometric functions, algebra and (types of) relationships
- from January to April: annuities, investments and loans, the normal distribution, bivariate data analysis, network concepts
- from April to June: critical path analysis, probability, working with time
- from July to September: review and exam preparation of all topics
The first three quarters contain a balance of topics; none are accorded any greater weight. The final quarter recaps everything learnt during the years. The July-September quarter sees a spike in searches for HSC Maths tutors as students get ready to sit their exams.
Keep in mind that this is a template only. Depending on your school district's resources and other factors, some study modules may shift from one quarter. The topics studied and the last-quarter review are the only (near) certainties this overview provides.
Additional Study Resources
Students often rely on school-provided study materials to see them through their academic careers. There's nothing wrong with that. As you skate closer to your last year of high school, however, it behoves you to diversify your stash of study resources. We mentioned private tutors in the last segment; a fantastic exam prep resource. Now, let's talk about other tools you can use.
As noted above, you'll cover five topics in one year. And you won't get all of each topic's information at once. That's a lot of information to keep up with. Mindmaps make easy work of that.
You should create one map per topic. Designate each topic in the centre of each map. As you accrue more facts, turn each knowledge nugget into a map branch extending from the centre. As you learn how each bit relates to the whole, draw connections between related keywords. You may use free mapping software online or draw your maps by hand on poster board.
Mind maps create a topic overview but flashcards work better to review ahead of an exam. On one side of the card, write a keyword. On the other, the desired answer. You can sort your flashcards into decks according to sub-topic. Here, too, you have the option to create by hand or use free online software.
Past papers and marking schemes are your HSC Maths review ace in the hole. They give you a preview of what you can expect on your exam. You may argue that your coursework is already quite the preview. That's true, but your textbooks don't give you any idea how the questions are formulated or what's expected of you. Past papers give you a more concrete idea of what you're up against.
Marking feedback is an even better resource than past papers. These documents point out, question by question, what students are expected to do. It also makes suggestions for improvements. They also lay out successful students' processes and abilities. Side-by-side examination of marking schemes and past papers lets you see each exam question's potential pitfalls and how to avoid them.
HSC Maths Exams
Most of your academic career has been one long trudge from one year to the next. Every year, you revisited the same subjects: English, Maths, Science; each year, you learned more about them. That's almost over with. Your HSC exams signal your completion of compulsory education. Year 12 is not the same old trudge.
How do you express 12 years of learning in just a few hours? By capturing the highlights, of course. Those forty-one exam questions will show how well you mastered the concepts presented throughout your 12 years in class.
You likely understand some aspects of your HSC maths curriculum better than others. For instance, you might find networking more engaging than algebra. Thus, you'll probably ace all the questions relating to networking but miss a few Algebra-related ones. There's no need to worry about that.
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The variety of topics your Maths exam presents works to your advantage. You may excel in some topics but deliver only an average performance in others. Statistically, you're more likely to score better on a multiple topic exam than if you tested on one topic exclusively. That's true even if you test on a single topic you excel at.
The HSC Mathematics Standard study design takes that probability into consideration. Unlike other HSC subject exams, Mathematics deliberately casts a wide net over several maths-related topics. This gives you the greatest chance of qualifying for your preferred university study program. That, in turn, sets you firmly on the path to a satisfying professional life.
And if you don't see university studies in your future? That's okay too. Your HSC Mathematics course is designed to equip you with the skills you need for any entry-level job. From there, you can seek apprenticeships or other on-the-job training to boost your chances of promotion. You could also pursue continuing education opportunities.
The Finance components prepare you for courses in banking and accounting. You might work for the government as a data analyst thanks to HSC's statistics and data analysis components. You could set your sights on an career in corporate planning as a network specialist. The demand keeps growing for workers knowledgeable about all of these fields.
Are you concerned about climate change and the environment? Your algebra and measuring knowledge places you well to build and install green technologies. Are you a foodie? Your HSC Mathematics course taught you all about measurements, ratios and proportions.
The HSC Mathematics course design doesn't just expose you to wide-ranging subjects and offer you a chance at a lucrative and satisfying career. It introduces you to possibilities you might have never considered or thought out of your reach. In that sense, your HSC Maths exam is more of a throughway to your next phase of life.
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