• Best of luck to the class of 2024 for their HSC exams. You got this!
    Let us know your thoughts on the HSC exams here
  • YOU can help the next generation of students in the community!
    Share your trial papers and notes on our Notes & Resources page
MedVision ad

Biggest test stuff-up ever (1 Viewer)

Focus is Key

Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2011
Messages
411
Location
Australia ;)
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Have you guys had any assessments/exams/whatever that completely deflated you at points in high school? This may be failing something or just plain failing to live up to expectations that you have set.

I'll start off...

My MX1 Year 11 Yearly. I was going in with so much confidence. I was ranked 2nd in the class which was really good for me considering Maths is generally my weakest subject. I'd gotten 75% on our first task and 97% on the second. I was really confident heading into the exam and that I would be able to maintain the rank.

I opened the hardest exam paper I'd ever seen. I opened the paper and saw the multiple choice. I felt anxious but that the questions were doable. I flicked to the next page and came unstuck, there was a knot in my stomach. Everything the teacher had told us to study wasn't in the exam. Everything I'd thought 'Oh there's no way he'd put that in there' was in the test, I'd slacked off on a few key areas. I honestly could have not studied at all and got the same result.

When I got the paper back there were no emotions. Just a cold blank stare at the paper in front of me, then I just laughed for a couple of seconds. I'd gone a bit crazy. I felt nothing much, I was just shocked. I didn't want to ever look at that paper ever again. I ended up losing my ranking and moving to 3rd and getting a bad report grade. I failed the test badly getting like 30% (the lowest I'd got ever was 60% in a test at that point).

But I think in the long run it's not too bad. I could have just dropped the subject right there, but I didn't want to let it beat me. I ended up keeping it and got 80% (ranked 3rd) in the first assessment and am confident I could have got 90+ if I hadn't ran out of time. The half-yearlies were of similar difficulty to the Prelims but I think I did a lot better in them ( hey at least I passed this time!) so its a win for me in the long run.

Lol sorry to make it so dramatic, just trying to have a bit of fun :p
 

SunnyScience

Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2011
Messages
706
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
I was pretty much exactly the same for my Year 11 MX1 Yearly. I JUST passed by persuading my teacher to give me a few half marks here and there to get my up to 54%. I seriously wanted to cry when I opened the paper whilst sitting in the hall. It had never felt more screwed for an exam when I was skipping ever second question. I was ranking in the bottom 5 of my 25 student class by the end of the year.

Then, by year 12 (through Devine intervention) i was able top the class at my highest point and finish the year at 3rd (thanks to stuffing up my trials :p)
 

Focus is Key

Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2011
Messages
411
Location
Australia ;)
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Wow those MX1 yearlies are cruel! That's the worst feeling, when you open the paper and know you're screwed.

Great recovery though, it'll motivate me (the top 2 in the class seem virtually unbeatable though but nevertheless!)
 

Aysce

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2011
Messages
2,394
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
Wow those MX1 yearlies are cruel! That's the worst feeling, when you open the paper and know you're screwed.

Great recovery though, it'll motivate me (the top 2 in the class seem virtually unbeatable though but nevertheless!)
You can beat them depending on how hard you work and how badly you want to become number 1 :)

On topic: First MX1 assessment and when I opened the paper, I wanted to flip my table. I wasn't the best at maths and I was average so after that assessment I only scored like 48-52% :/. Afterwards, I knuckled down and managed to catch up to 2nd in year 11 and then 1st overall in year 12 beating the top few guys who I thought were virtually unbeatable as well haha.
 

enoilgam

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Feb 11, 2011
Messages
11,904
Location
Mare Crisium
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2010
I think the first maths tests in Year 11 are almost always the hardest - they are usually designed to quickly encourage the lesser skilled/committed students to drop. As for my personal experiences with botched tests there are many epic fails (some of which are very recent). I find most funny now but not back then as they were pretty demoralising.

Probably the one that stands out was my year 8 term three maths test - I had always been pretty lazy, but I could coast until year 8. That exam was pretty much the worst in a line of bad stuff-ups caused by laziness. I think that exam was my biggest turning point, because I pretty much drew a line in the sand at that point and started putting in effort, which built the habits for the later years. So that exam was probably the most important exam for me - I dont think I would be here making this post without it (one day I hope to find where it is, I wouldnt mind keeping it on my desk).
 

Focus is Key

Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2011
Messages
411
Location
Australia ;)
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
I'll give it my best shot! We still have another round of assessments (worth 20%), then the trials (worth 35%) and then the actual HSC itself so I've still got some time. It would be amazing if I could be the number 1 in either 2U or 3U, or maybe even both because I've never managed it so far in high-school. It'd be an awesome achievement after placing first in the other subject areas in the past (Eng, Science, Humanities, Social Science) because Maths is the one where I want it most of all.

In Year 8 I came second and was a few marks off 1st. In Year 10 I was third and literally two marks away from 1st. If there's any time to go for it it's now!
 

enoilgam

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Feb 11, 2011
Messages
11,904
Location
Mare Crisium
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2010
In the spirit of this thread, we should make a clutch performances thread.
 

Focus is Key

Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2011
Messages
411
Location
Australia ;)
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
I think the first maths tests in Year 11 are almost always the hardest - they are usually designed to quickly encourage the lesser skilled/committed students to drop. As for my personal experiences with botched tests there are many epic fails (some of which are very recent). I find most funny now but not back then as they were pretty demoralising.

Probably the one that stands out was my year 8 term three maths test - I had always been pretty lazy, but I could coast until year 8. That exam was pretty much the worst in a line of bad stuff-ups caused by laziness. I think that exam was my biggest turning point, because I pretty much drew a line in the sand at that point and started putting in effort, which built the habits for the later years. So that exam was probably the most important exam for me - I dont think I would be here making this post without it (one day I hope to find where it is, I wouldnt mind keeping it on my desk).
Good on you! I remember in Year 8 I'd been off for 2 weeks and came into Year 8 maths as they were having a topic test which I was then forced to do for I topic I hadn't learnt at all (I'd been to literally one lesson of it). I don't remember the mark but I beat quite a few people. Can't really remember if I failed but I don't really count it lol.
 

RealiseNothing

what is that?It is Cowpea
Joined
Jul 10, 2011
Messages
4,591
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
In year 10 for a maths test I was going pretty bad compared to what I was used to getting. 15 minutes before the test was about to finish our school had a bomb threat and so we had to evacuate and the test got postponed. I then came back the next day and knew all the answers because I bothered to actually look up what I didn't know at home lol.

#winning
 

Troller

Lol
Joined
Dec 11, 2012
Messages
116
Gender
Male
HSC
2014
In year 10 for a maths test I was going pretty bad compared to what I was used to getting. 15 minutes before the test was about to finish our school had a bomb threat and so we had to evacuate and the test got postponed. I then came back the next day and knew all the answers because I bothered to actually look up what I didn't know at home lol.

#winning
Lol nice
 

Focus is Key

Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2011
Messages
411
Location
Australia ;)
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
In year 10 for a maths test I was going pretty bad compared to what I was used to getting. 15 minutes before the test was about to finish our school had a bomb threat and so we had to evacuate and the test got postponed. I then came back the next day and knew all the answers because I bothered to actually look up what I didn't know at home lol.

#winning
LMFAO! Never been that lucky!
 

RivalryofTroll

Sleep Deprived Entity
Joined
Feb 10, 2011
Messages
3,805
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Uni Grad
2019
After finishing Year 11 as 5th in MX1 (topping one assessment with 98%), I was a heavy favourite to do something in Year 12.

Then I screw up first Year 12 MX1 assessment, getting 69% (yes, such a number) and being tied 51st. (the biggest choke in my high school career)

Then Year 12 HY, I get only around 83% due to tonnes of sillies (still lower than my lowest result in Year 11). And I was expecting to rip it to make a comeback but comebacks don't just happen like you want them to.

Yeah, let's say I'm very deflated for maths in general. Pretty much a maths 'depression' or ''recession'' at the moment for me.
 

Focus is Key

Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2011
Messages
411
Location
Australia ;)
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
After finishing Year 11 as 5th in MX1 (topping one assessment with 98%), I was a heavy favourite to do something in Year 12.

Then I screw up first Year 12 MX1 assessment, getting 69% (yes, such a number) and being tied 51st. (the biggest choke in my high school career)

Then Year 12 HY, I get only around 83% due to tonnes of sillies (still lower than my lowest result in Year 11). And I was expecting to rip it to make a comeback but comebacks don't just happen like you want them to.

Yeah, let's say I'm very deflated for maths in general. Pretty much a maths 'depression' or ''recession'' at the moment for me.
We'll both make Maths comebacks don't you worry! Yeah it comes with steady improvements. Don't let those feelings that you aren't good enough get you down. You've done it before and you can do it again :)
 

RivalryofTroll

Sleep Deprived Entity
Joined
Feb 10, 2011
Messages
3,805
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Uni Grad
2019
We'll both make Maths comebacks don't you worry! Yeah it comes with steady improvements. Don't let those feelings that you aren't good enough get you down. You've done it before and you can do it again :)
That's what some people say, maybe it can happen but the statistics (exam weightings + consistency of tough competition) are against me. Statistically, it's pretty much impossible to get 5th again even if I smash an upcoming exam. (I basically need to smash all three upcoming exams - next wave, trials, externals- no choking permitted even once and let's say I'm most vulnerable to ups and downs in MX1)

In reality, I don't think comebacks WILL happen just because you've done it before. Sure, it might be possible if I spend all my time on MX1/MX2 but I have my other subjects to worry about too. One of the most crucial things for my success in year 11 eng + MX1 was that I started off well (or at least didn't stuff up).

The trend is - for me to do extremely well, I really need a good start.

Not to mention how tough the competition is. Not saying I'm giving up on it but realistically, my Year 11 form (for MX1 that is) was something of the past.
 

enoilgam

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Feb 11, 2011
Messages
11,904
Location
Mare Crisium
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2010
That's what some people say, maybe it can happen but the statistics (exam weightings + consistency of tough competition) are against me. Statistically, it's pretty much impossible to get 5th again even if I smash an upcoming exam. (I basically need to smash all three upcoming exams - next wave, trials, externals- no choking permitted even once and let's say I'm most vulnerable to ups and downs in MX1)

In reality, I don't think comebacks WILL happen just because you've done it before. Sure, it might be possible if I spend all my time on MX1/MX2 but I have my other subjects to worry about too. One of the most crucial things for my success in year 11 eng + MX1 was that I started off well (or at least didn't stuff up).

The trend is - for me to do extremely well, I really need a good start.

Not to mention how tough the competition is. Not saying I'm giving up on it but realistically, my Year 11 form (for MX1 that is) was something of the past.
You still have the externals though and that's pretty much 50% of your mark which is totally on you. Plus, you go to a selective school so you should be ok even if your rankings arent the greatest. Also keep in mind, it's your positioning that matters, not just the rank - it's better to be 30th and be 15% off first than to be 30th and 40% off first. So a comeback is definitely still possible, it's just a different type of comeback if that makes sense.
 

planino

Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2012
Messages
559
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Y11:
English task 1, half yearlies, yearlies, eco half yearlies + yearlies, bio research task + yearlies, a chem research task, maths.. everything

Y12 (haven't got half yearlies back, so these are predictions)
English short answers, Bio task 1, chem half yearlies ( :( :( ), eco task 1 (big time) and half yearlies, 2U task 1 and 3U half yearlies


Yep, I'm pretty fucked
 

laura-jayne14

Active Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2012
Messages
472
Location
Wollongong
Gender
Female
HSC
2014
Uni Grad
2017
I am going pretty well so far with year 11. I got 15.5/20 for my English short answers and 17/20 for my story on change. 14/15 for my Italian speaking interview and 100% in my CAFS case study. Got 80% in my first maths test - just silly mistakes :(
Hopefully I'll go better in half yearlys.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top