I don't know why some HSC students are very conspiracy theory minded and think Board of Studies wants to await for when they fail or something with 'curveball essay questions'. The matter of fact is, if you have prepared adequately no question should be curveball because they are testing your adaptation skills and depth of understanding of a module/topic. Also curveball is EXTREMELY UNLIKELY in Area of Study-because both standard and advanced does it-the Board is not going to make half the 50/60000 students who do their HSC students tomorrow to fail just because they feel like it. If curveball ever happens, it is more likely in trials to be honest when schools have more discretion of what to put in and want to make it harder than the actual HSC, and much more likely in harder English modules/Extension One English exams where the Board expects a much deeper understanding of texts
Asking for two related text is NOT CURVEBALL, it might be unexpected, but curveball is when the essay question is very niche/hard, which is different from if people only prepared one text knowing they could FULL WELL ask for two. The Board wants to see students succeed-and it might be hard to believe it, but it is actually true. I know there will be many people disagreeing with my anti-conspiracy theory attitude, but the more conspiracy minded people are, the less likely they are going to be able to engage with the actual question because they already have the 'I am doomed attitude' which is not going to do anybody any good.
Note: I am not targeting ANY PARTICULAR HSC students but rather commenting on the general mentality of a lot of HSC students in general-so DON'T TAKE MY COMMENTS PERSONALLY BECAUSE I PROBABLY DON'T KNOW YOU, so I have no reason/foundation to attack you personally in the first place. I just want to support students and make you guys know that people want you guys to succeed, not fail. Think the best of people rather than the worst-I know the Board being this overarching organisation that most people don't connect with, but it is still within your power to think the best of them and do yourself a favour and stop scaring yourself on highly speculative potential HSC scenarios.
