It's impossible to study English itself so I really see no point in a tutor. All you can really do is improve your vocabulary by reading and writing a lot...
Anyway,
- Know your texts and know them well. If you want a more in depth notes about context/belonging or whatever you're studying relating to your text - pick up some study notes (buy or borrow from a library).
- Structure/organize your essays well. My teacher says you should spend 5 minutes planning your essays before you start writing. Imo, you should know the organization and structure of your essay like it's written on the back of your hand, before you sit the exam.
- Practice. It honestly doesn't require much. Plan your essay to a general question about the topic (E.G topic is belonging, answer "How is belonging represented in both texts" or topic is context, answer "How has the context shaped the representation/appreciation of the text"). The questions in the HSC / your internal exams aren't going to be much different, you'll be able to regurgitate most of the information and if you memorize a lot of different essays
to various questions - you'll be able to write it word for word.
As someone said before, you could get a Band 5 by cramming a few days before and regurgitating your essay in the exam. English doesn't take long to study for, the most time consuming part would be knowing your text back to front.
Also - all the people saying "I'm only aiming for a band 5 because my school marks hard" or something along those lines...It's about ranks, not marks. If you got an average mark and you're ranked 1st in the subject and then do well in your HSC - you'll get a great ATAR and band 6s.