HSC courses are an essential part of every grade 12 student’s curriculum. All the preparation and practice that you put in during the course of the year is meant to help you ace your big biology exam.
So, what is the HSC biology exam like, and how can you make sure you’re preparing yourself to do your best on test day? Let's take a look!
What Is the HSC Biology Exam?
The HSC biology exam is simply the way students show that they are knowledgeable enough to receive the Higher School Certificate credential, which tells employers and higher education institutions that you completed a fair amount of studies.
In essence, it’s telling future employers and universities that you have a solid foundation of knowledge, and that you have what it takes to apply yourself and succeed.
Of course, not everyone learns the same way or is good at the act of taking tests, so even if you get a poor score or skip the elective exams, it doesn’t mean your life is over.
Having a higher HSC score increases the likelihood of having a higher ATAR score, but it is not the only factor to consider when calculating your ATAR.
Accepted Worldwide
The HSC examination is recognized worldwide to show that you have completed difficult studies in your secondary school years.
It is similar to the SAT and ACT exams in the US and the various entrance exams for undergrad studies in the UK.
Format
The HSC exam is always presented in a specific format. Part One A is multiple choice, Part One B is short answer, and Part Two is written answers of varying lengths. You can learn more about the format and the scoring system on the NSW Department of Education site.
Three hours are allocated for the entire exam, with 5 additional minutes for reading the content beforehand. It’s up to you to manage your time during the exam.
Rubric
Some writing prompts on the exam will have a rubric so you know exactly what type of information is expected to be shown in the response.
Otherwise, it’s good to know the rubric used to mark past exams so you have that in mind while answering.
Generally, marks are awarded for correct information conveyed precisely and coherently with relative information included.
Marks are not deducted for incorrect information or wrong answers, but you may miss out on being awarded marks if your answer is convoluted, rambling, or contains irrelevant information.
The whole exam is graded out of a possible 100 marks, and is divided into 6 bands denoting performance.
Before You Begin…
First things first: Breathe!
It’s easy to feel anxious and stressed during an exam. When you’re stressed out, you breathe less which puts the body and mind into a state that makes it harder to think critically, which is exactly what you don’t want.
So, practice calming yourself down as a habit before the exam as a way to increase your thinking ability while you’re taking it.
Remember to bring all the right equipment with you:
- black pens
- pencils (must be at least 2B), erasers and a sharpener
- a ruler marked in millimetres and centimetres
- highlighter pens
- a clear bottle of water with no label
- a non-programmable watch
- for the biology exam specifically, a NESA-approved calculator
And remember to leave forbidden items at home:
- mobile phones
- programmable watches
- electronic devices
- stopwatches
- paper or printed or written material (including your exam timetable)
- dictionaries
- correction fluid or correction tape
- wallet
Exam Best Practises
By the nature of the exam, you are also in a roundabout way being tested on your organisational and time-management skills. Here are some tips on how to take the exam in the best way possible.
Time Keeping
Using your approved watch, keep track of how much time you are spending on the different sections. The recommended timetable for the exam is 40 minutes for Part One A and 1 hour and 10 minutes each for Part One B and Part Two.
Use a blank space in your question booklet to write what time you want to be finished with each section so you can pace yourself.
The recommended times break down into:
- 2 minutes per multiple-choice question
- About 10 minutes per short answer
- As a guideline, designate about 1.5 minutes per mark, so a 1-mark question should take about 1.5 minutes to answer, and an 8-mark question should take about 12 minutes.
Skim the Material
Check all the material from beginning to end before you begin (utilising your 5 minutes of reading time) to get a general idea of what your next 3 hours will be like.
You don’t want to be taken by surprise by a really difficult question at the end that you haven’t budgeted time for!
Brain Dump
If you have something in your head you don’t want to forget about, quickly scribble it on a designated provided blank page so you can come back to it later.
Planning Your Responses
Make sure you keep a blank page specifically for planning your short and extended answers since they will often require multiple aspects to be answered completely. Follow the guidelines of what constitutes a satisfactory answer based on the rubric from the previous year.
Never Leave a Blank Space
If you are running out of time and still have some questions to finish, do your very best to include any possible information in even a one-sentence answer. You won’t get full marks, but you might be able to get 1 or 2.
And never leave any multiple-choice questions blank. Take an educated guess and you might just get it right!
Section I A: Multiple-Choice Questions
The multiple-choice section is 20 questions, worth 20% of the final mark, and it’s suggested to take no more than 40 minutes to complete the section.
When skimming the multiple choice questions, answer any that immediately stand out to you as easy that you know for certain. Then, you’ll have fewer questions to fret about later on.
How to Tackle Multiple-Choice Questions
When facing multiple-choice questions, there are a few techniques you can use to make sure you’re answering correctly.
- Re-read the Question
Make sure you read and re-read the question at least 2 or 3 times. Sometimes when we are nervous or under pressure we read too quickly and misread or misinterpret what the question is asking. Be sure you’re absolutely clear on the question before you consider the answers. - Eliminate Wrong Answers
If you're not 100% sure what the right answer is, try to eliminate wrong answers. Think critically and eliminate answers that simply make no sense. - Envision the Lesson
If you can’t quite remember the answer to a question, try closing your eyes and actually envisioning being in class or writing the notes that pertain to the topic. This is why handwriting your notes can be especially helpful for recall! You’re more likely to be able to remember actually writing the words down later and jolting your memory of the information. - Skip It and Come Back
For questions you can’t quite answer, try thinking about them for about 30 seconds and then moving on. Your brain will continue working on the problem in the back of your mind, and you might just remember the information later on.
Remember that wrong answers do not count against you, so if you still don’t know the answer, take an educated guess; you might just score that point by chance! Try not to leave any multiple-choice questions blank.
Section I B: Short-Answer Questions
Short-answer questions can be intimidating, but if you know what is expected of you, it’s much easier to approach them with confidence.
Avoid overanswering and overexplaining; it only complicates your answer, takes your time away from other questions, and dilutes your message. Markers want to see that you can give prudent information clearly and concisely.
Planning Your Response
Circle, highlight and underline the important parts of the question. This way you ensure that you completely understand what is being asked and you can make sure that you answer each element.
Use your blank page to plan an outline or write key terms you need to include in your answer if needed.
In your answer, you’ll need to ensure that you include the main point (the main answer), plus key terms and evidence that you know what they mean, plus supporting ideas.
Unless a question specifically asks for dot points, do not use them. Incorporate the information in paragraph form.
Check the Marks Allocation
If you’re struggling with a question, check how many marks it’s worth. If it’s a 2-mark question, skip it for now and return if you have time. You’ll need to tackle the questions worth more marks first.
Prepare for exams with a private tutor on Superprof for biology tutoring today!
Section II: Extended Answer Questions
As you might expect, the extended answers are similar to the short answers.
The biggest differences are that the questions have more parts, and you need to be more careful with the directive verbs.
Some questions might relate to labs or experiments you've performed in your HSC biology class so be sure to take thorough notes!
NESA Directive Verbs
Learn to understand what the NESA directive verbs in questions are asking of you. If you answer a question, but not in the way the verbs are directing you, you risk not getting full marks.
One of the aims of the exam is to test your comprehension skills. So, you need to comprehend the question and answer it directly, not spit out a memorised answer.
The common NESA verbs and what they are asking are:
- Explain: Show a cause and effect with a linking phrase, such as “as a result”
- Discuss: Explain the pros and cons
- Analyse: Identify a trend or relationship and explain why it’s occurring
- Assess: Explain the pros and cons and provide a judgment of the situation
- Evaluate: Explain the pros and cons and provide a judgment based on an established set of criteria that you also explain
Create an Outline
Just like when you plan your response for a short answer question, you’ll need to do the same for the extended answers. Identify the important words and verbs in the question and plan on writing a paragraph about the main points. When marking, markers are looking to see if you understood the question and were able to formulate a correct and concise answer from overall knowledge you learned during the year.
Use your blank paper to make an outline so you can ensure to cover all germane information in a way that flows and makes logical sense.
Remember to time yourself and spend more time on questions that give more marks!
What is a written response asking you to do? The most important thing to do is answer the question. The idea is not just to write down everything they know about the topic, but to answer a specific query. -NSW Government
Study and Practice Tips
Take the time to write high-quality notes during your course and review them often.
When taking practice exams, have the rubric at hand so you can practice writing with those goals in mind. Practice answering in accordance with guidelines associated with the NESA verbs.
And, remember to time yourself when taking practice exams so you know what it feels like to answer questions in a suitable amount of time!
The HSC exam is just another test to evaluate your knowledge. Have confidence that you can handle the exam format as well as the information being tested and you will find yourself more relaxed! Practice and study beforehand and you can give yourself the best chance to feel confident on test day.
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