I have a few questions in relation to doing well in the 2023 HSC. IPT and SDD question in here btw (2 Viewers)

[Master117]

I will get straight to the point here (I do Maths adv, English Standard, Physics, SDD, IPT and Ancient history):
1. Do I need to study all of the prelim content to do well or is the prelim content not really tested in the HSC exams
2. Does the IPT and SDD textbooks by Samuel Davis help for the HSC exams, as in class we get butchered content which we barely get taught. Do the textbooks have everything i need to study because from what I have seen it doesn't teach you any diagrams like context and IPO diagrams.
3. What is a good schedule to follow for the HSC, I am only just starting to become more serious with learning and want to know what the best study method is to succeed.
4. if there are any other tips in relation to studying for my subjects that'd be great.

Thanks ppl.

 

[dav53521]

I will get straight to the point here (I do Maths adv, English Standard, Physics, SDD, IPT and Ancient history):
1. Do I need to study all of the prelim content to do well or is the prelim content not really tested in the HSC exams
2. Does the IPT and SDD textbooks by Samuel Davis help for the HSC exams, as in class we get butchered content which we barely get taught. Do the textbooks have everything i need to study because from what I have seen it doesn't teach you any diagrams like context and IPO diagrams.
3. What is a good schedule to follow for the HSC, I am only just starting to become more serious with learning and want to know what the best study method is to succeed.
4. if there are any other tips in relation to studying for my subjects that'd be great.

Thanks ppl.

Hi got an 89 in IPT and a 91 in SDD so I'll give my answers to your questions

1. The prelim content is kinda of a basis for the HSC so I feel like you can probably get away with not fully knowing the prelim content because most of the prelim stuff is covered in and built upon in the HSC course but personally knowing the prelim helped a lot as I found that I didn't have to learn content from scratch and I could instead build upon it.

2. For me personally I found the Sam Davis text book extremely useful for learning content however, for stuff like diagrams, and custom logic algorithms he won't really help. But the course specs will as they show an example of what your suppose to do with a legend for diagrams. So use the course specs for that stuff and also do practice questions and get them marked with feedback. This will allow you to know where you're going wrong in your algorithms/diagrams so you know where you should improve.

3. Personally I did not have a schedule so I won't comment on that. But I will say that you should do a somewhat even spread of your subjects as even though you may be good in one you should focus on it as you don't want to become rusty in that subject due to not practicing it.

4. I personally did detailed notes for sdd using the Sam Davis text book and also the course specs where I wrote down everything in dot points and also broke down each algorithm into what each line is doing and I also had examples of each diagram in there. Then I did trial/hsc papers and handed them into my teacher for marking/feedback which then allowed me to see where were my weak areas and what I should focus on. Also doing practice papers allowed me to see what type of questions could be asked in the HSC so I mostly knew what type of questions could be asked and how to answer them
For IPT I just kinda did practice papers but if your teacher is not really teaching you then I would recommend writing notes or try learning the content from somewhere else

Feel free to ask me more questions if any more pop up

 

[jimmysmith560]

I cannot provide thoughts on Software Design and Development since I did not take this subject. You should definitely refer to the above post for thoughts on SDD. However, I will also provide my thoughts on Information Processes and Technology as well as some of your other subjects:

1. While the focus of the HSC exam will be on assessing your knowledge of the topics from the IPT HSC course (that is, the main and option topics), concepts that you learned as part of the Preliminary course can still be assessed. Examples of such concepts include:

• Social and ethical issues
• Information processes
• Software and hardware

Some questions may incorporate multiple elements originating from the Preliminary course. Consider Question 28(e) from the 2021 IPT HSC exam:

"A multimedia system is to be developed which will allow users to upload television and radio programs, podcasts, movies and music to share with other users.

Analyse this multimedia system in terms of technical and ethical issues and the information process of storing and retrieving."​

On the other hand, calculations and conversions that you might have studied in year 11 (such as decimal to binary) are not assessed as part of the HSC course and were not included in the HSC exam I sat back when I did my HSC (or any other HSC exam paper for that matter).

Overall, while the focus of the HSC exam will mostly be on the HSC topics, it would be a good idea to ensure that you remain familiar with some of the basic concepts taught in the Preliminary course.

2. The Samuel Davis textbook provides in-depth explanations of concepts, which can be useful if there is a particular concept(s) that you may not fully understand and wish to get clarification on. With that being said, it is not an essential part of effectively studying for IPT (although it can be useful, depending on your own needs). I personally never used the textbook and instead relied on my own notes as well as those that my teacher provided my class with. I ended up with an HSC mark in the band 6 range.

3. It would be a good idea to regularly go through the topics that you have covered so that you remember all important concepts and maintain the ability to seek clarification with any concept/topic that you may not fully understand in time. The more you do this, the less demanding IPT will become. Closer to the HSC exam period is when you can and should attempt past HSC exam papers. By then, you will have covered all topics and would thus be able to apply your knowledge to actual exam questions, allowing you to determine and address any areas of improvement in a timely manner. This also applies to your trial exam, as it can give you an indication of what the HSC exam will be like.

4. Effective preparation for Mathematics Advanced involves completing practice material (including textbook questions and past papers). The more you do this, the more you will be able to apply your knowledge to exam questions, allowing you to recognise patterns more effectively, as well as determine any areas of improvement, which you can subsequently work on addressing, such as by seeking assistance from your teacher and completing supplementary questions targeting the specific concept(s) that you may need to work on.

In terms of English Standard, it is important to ensure that you are aware of the themes/ideas/issues raised by each module and the manner in which such themes/ideas/issues are conveyed within your prescribed texts for each module. Doing so involves gaining a thorough understanding of each of your prescribed texts, including specific quotes and techniques that you believe are significant and through which you can establish links between those texts and the respective modules, ultimately allowing you to effectively respond to essay questions with high-quality responses.

Focusing on essay writing would involve attempting a number of practice essay questions (or questions that specify a particular type of writing, such as Module C questions) that fall under each module. You can then seek feedback from your teacher regarding your writing. This will enable you to identify areas of improvement and, if needed, implement any suggestions that your teacher may have, which would in turn allow you to gradually improve the quality of your writing.

I hope this helps!

 

[carrotsss]

I can answer for physics, English and maths to complete things:

1. For physics, you should try to do well and understand everything, module 1 and 2 transfer over a lot but some of the later stuff like thermodynamics isn’t too important. For English, the texts/modules themselves aren’t overly important but it is extremely important to develop your writing skills and get better at essays. For maths, pretty much everything carries over so it should be your top priority
2. Can’t answer
3. Studying consistently throughout the year is really important, trust me cramming a whole year of content before an exam sucks. For physics and maths, in prelim you can probably just do textbook questions during the year. However, there are a few past prelim papers on thsconline, which will help a ton when revising for prelims, as past papers are the best way to study for physics and maths. If you do these papers and thoroughly analyse your mistakes, you’re pretty much set for high marks. Then, once you’re in the HSC year you can go through past hsc questions during the term (see the module sorted lists on this website/from your teacher) and these are super helpful for revising. Closer to trials you’ll want to do past trial papers, but that’s ages away. For English, just do the class work and then write essays to submit for feedback, it’s pretty simple
4. See above.
   

 

[Master117]

Hi got an 89 in IPT and a 91 in SDD so I'll give my answers to your questions

1. The prelim content is kinda of a basis for the HSC so I feel like you can probably get away with not fully knowing the prelim content because most of the prelim stuff is covered in and built upon in the HSC course but personally knowing the prelim helped a lot as I found that I didn't have to learn content from scratch and I could instead build upon it.

2. For me personally I found the Sam Davis text book extremely useful for learning content however, for stuff like diagrams, and custom logic algorithms he won't really help. But the course specs will as they show an example of what your suppose to do with a legend for diagrams. So use the course specs for that stuff and also do practice questions and get them marked with feedback. This will allow you to know where you're going wrong in your algorithms/diagrams so you know where you should improve.

3. Personally I did not have a schedule so I won't comment on that. But I will say that you should do a somewhat even spread of your subjects as even though you may be good in one you should focus on it as you don't want to become rusty in that subject due to not practicing it.

4. I personally did detailed notes for sdd using the Sam Davis text book and also the course specs where I wrote down everything in dot points and also broke down each algorithm into what each line is doing and I also had examples of each diagram in there. Then I did trial/hsc papers and handed them into my teacher for marking/feedback which then allowed me to see where were my weak areas and what I should focus on. Also doing practice papers allowed me to see what type of questions could be asked in the HSC so I mostly knew what type of questions could be asked and how to answer them
For IPT I just kinda did practice papers but if your teacher is not really teaching you then I would recommend writing notes or try learning the content from somewhere else

Feel free to ask me more questions if any more pop up

Follow up question:
1. What is this course specs?

 

[dav53521]

Follow up question:
1. What is this course specs?

Basically it's where all of the information relating to algorithms and diagrams are found it gives you diagrams and their legends and the standard algorithms.

I have attached it for your convenience but the course specs, syllabus and Sam Davis text book are kinda of a holy trinity for me at least as it gave me almost everything I needed to know

 

[Master117]

I cannot provide thoughts on Software Design and Development since I did not take this subject. You should definitely refer to the above post for thoughts on SDD. However, I will also provide my thoughts on Information Processes and Technology as well as some of your other subjects:

1. While the focus of the HSC exam will be on assessing your knowledge of the topics from the IPT HSC course (that is, the main and option topics), concepts that you learned as part of the Preliminary course can still be assessed. Examples of such concepts include:

• Social and ethical issues
• Information processes
• Software and hardware

Some questions may incorporate multiple elements originating from the Preliminary course. Consider Question 28(e) from the 2021 IPT HSC exam:

"A multimedia system is to be developed which will allow users to upload television and radio programs, podcasts, movies and music to share with other users.

Analyse this multimedia system in terms of technical and ethical issues and the information process of storing and retrieving."​

On the other hand, calculations and conversions that you might have studied in year 11 (such as decimal to binary) are not assessed as part of the HSC course and were not included in the HSC exam I sat back when I did my HSC (or any other HSC exam paper for that matter).

Overall, while the focus of the HSC exam will mostly be on the HSC topics, it would be a good idea to ensure that you remain familiar with some of the basic concepts taught in the Preliminary course.

2. The Samuel Davis textbook provides in-depth explanations of concepts, which can be useful if there is a particular concept(s) that you may not fully understand and wish to get clarification on. With that being said, it is not an essential part of effectively studying for IPT (although it can be useful, depending on your own needs). I personally never used the textbook and instead relied on my own notes as well as those that my teacher provided my class with. I ended up with an HSC mark in the band 6 range.

3. It would be a good idea to regularly go through the topics that you have covered so that you remember all important concepts and maintain the ability to seek clarification with any concept/topic that you may not fully understand in time. The more you do this, the less demanding IPT will become. Closer to the HSC exam period is when you can and should attempt past HSC exam papers. By then, you will have covered all topics and would thus be able to apply your knowledge to actual exam questions, allowing you to determine and address any areas of improvement in a timely manner. This also applies to your trial exam, as it can give you an indication of what the HSC exam will be like.

4. Effective preparation for Mathematics Advanced involves completing practice material (including textbook questions and past papers). The more you do this, the more you will be able to apply your knowledge to exam questions, allowing you to recognise patterns more effectively, as well as determine any areas of improvement, which you can subsequently work on addressing, such as by seeking assistance from your teacher and completing supplementary questions targeting the specific concept(s) that you may need to work on.

In terms of English Standard, it is important to ensure that you are aware of the themes/ideas/issues raised by each module and the manner in which such themes/ideas/issues are conveyed within your prescribed texts for each module. Doing so involves gaining a thorough understanding of each of your prescribed texts, including specific quotes and techniques that you believe are significant and through which you can establish links between those texts and the respective modules, ultimately allowing you to effectively respond to essay questions with high-quality responses.

Focusing on essay writing would involve attempting a number of practice essay questions (or questions that specify a particular type of writing, such as Module C questions) that fall under each module. You can then seek feedback from your teacher regarding your writing. This will enable you to identify areas of improvement and, if needed, implement any suggestions that your teacher may have, which would in turn allow you to gradually improve the quality of your writing.

I hope this helps!

Thx, also when doing English standard I have noticed that my writing is at an alright level, but the teachers suggest linking in the rubric more. How do I link the rubric to what write in my responses. Do i link the rubric as if it were a source of some sort (like saying "according to the rubric") or do I link it in some other way?

 

[Master117]

Basically it's where all of the information relating to algorithms and diagrams are found it gives you diagrams and their legends and the standard algorithms.

I have attached it for your convenience but the course specs, syllabus and Sam Davis text book are kinda of a holy trinity for me at least as it gave me almost everything I needed to know

Wow man that's epic, il defiantly use this trinity to study the subject. I have ever seen this document once its never really talked about at my school. Another question: In previous years I would just remember what I did in class and write notes about it but in senior years I have seen that this reliance on natural talent and class time doesn't cut it at all for me anymore. Is it best to structure my study notes according to the syllabus and if so how would i do this for any subject.

 

[dav53521]

Basically it's where all of the information relating to algorithms and diagrams are found it gives you diagrams and their legends and the standard algorithms.

I have attached it for your convenience but the course specs, syllabus and Sam Davis text book are kinda of a holy trinity for me at least as it gave me almost everything I needed to know

Also just a quick fyi for the binary search in the second pass the lower arrow should be pointing to element 5 (26) not element 4 (19)

 

[Master117]

I can answer for physics, English and maths to complete things:

1. For physics, you should try to do well and understand everything, module 1 and 2 transfer over a lot but some of the later stuff like thermodynamics isn’t too important. For English, the texts/modules themselves aren’t overly important but it is extremely important to develop your writing skills and get better at essays. For maths, pretty much everything carries over so it should be your top priority
2. Can’t answer
3. Studying consistently throughout the year is really important, trust me cramming a whole year of content before an exam sucks. For physics and maths, in prelim you can probably just do textbook questions during the year. However, there are a few past prelim papers on thsconline, which will help a ton when revising for prelims, as past papers are the best way to study for physics and maths. If you do these papers and thoroughly analyse your mistakes, you’re pretty much set for high marks. Then, once you’re in the HSC year you can go through past hsc questions during the term (see the module sorted lists on this website/from your teacher) and these are super helpful for revising. Closer to trials you’ll want to do past trial papers, but that’s ages away. For English, just do the class work and then write essays to submit for feedback, it’s pretty simple
4. See above.

Thanks man

 

[dav53521]

Wow man that's epic, il defiantly use this trinity to study the subject. I have ever seen this document once its never really talked about at my school. Another question: In previous years I would just remember what I did in class and write notes about it but in senior years I have seen that this reliance on natural talent and class time doesn't cut it at all for me anymore. Is it best to structure my study notes according to the syllabus and if so how would i do this for any subject.

For me I just structured it based off of the sam davis text book so each chapter would be a new section in my notes although sam davis can go a bit off course e.g. he talks about big o even though it's not in the syllabus so just be careful with what you note down as some of it might be useless garbage that Davis put in

 

[Master117]

For me I just structured it based off of the sam davis text book so each chapter would be a new section in my notes although sam davis can go a bit off course e.g. he talks about big o even though it's not in the syllabus so just be careful with what you note down as some of it might be useless garbage that Davis put in

Thanks man ur so helpful

 

[jimmysmith560]

Thx, also when doing English standard I have noticed that my writing is at an alright level, but the teachers suggest linking in the rubric more. How do I link the rubric to what write in my responses. Do i link the rubric as if it were a source of some sort (like saying "according to the rubric") or do I link it in some other way?

No worries. It essentially needs to flow with your writing, meaning that a direct statement such as this would probably not be a good idea. However, you can definitely use terms and expressions from the rubric as you establish the links. For example, while you should not write “according to the rubric”, you can incorporate expressions such as “challenge assumptions, ignite new ideas or reflect personally.” into your writing (where relevant of course). I did this back when I did my HSC and my essays ended up being of relatively good quality.

 

[dav53521]

Thanks man ur so helpful

No problem also I just uploaded my own hsc sdd notes so you can find it in the notes and resource section. It is a 139 pages long tho so it might be bit of a hefty download. But I will still say create your own notes as I personally found that processing and writing the content down helped me learn the course more than just reading a set of notes

 

[Master117]

Basically it's where all of the information relating to algorithms and diagrams are found it gives you diagrams and their legends and the standard algorithms.

I have attached it for your convenience but the course specs, syllabus and Sam Davis text book are kinda of a holy trinity for me at least as it gave me almost everything I needed to know

In terms of this holy trinity, how would I use the syllabus, ik the textbook and course specs is for content but would the syllabus be like a check list to mark off what ik?

 

[Master117]

No problem also I just uploaded my own hsc sdd notes so you can find it in the notes and resource section. It is a 139 pages long tho so it might be bit of a hefty download. But I will still say create your own notes as I personally found that processing and writing the content down helped me learn the course more than just reading a set of notes

Thanks man and yeah i agree making my own notes is a good idea, last year's y11 yearly was a test the sdd teacher used money to purchase, the best student ended getting up 65% due to its difficulty. This year its like 50 pages i reckon. Any tips to get better at desk checking as thats one think ik im bad at.

 

[dav53521]

In terms of this holy trinity, how would I use the syllabus, ik the textbook and course specs is for content but would the syllabus be like a check list to mark off what ik?

Yeah it basically tells you what can be tested and how they might test it so if you look at the syllabus you'll be able to see what you'll learn and how you will be expected to apply it so as you know exactly what NESA is allowed to test you on so you don't get surprised by the paper suddenly asking you to do something like explain how the fetch-execute cycle works

 

[dav53521]

Thanks man and yeah i agree making my own notes is a good idea, last year's y11 yearly was a test the sdd teacher used money to purchase, the best student ended getting up 65% due to its difficulty. This year its like 50 pages i reckon. Any tips to get better at desk checking as thats one think ik im bad at.

Draw up a table and dedicate a column to each variable, input and output and then go through the code line-by-line and use each row to show how the process changes in one line only.

And desk-checks requires you to know the basic fundementals of programming such as branching, loops etc, etc, so make sure to learn them first. The standard algorithms will help and if you give me a somewhat simple problem i'll try to show you the way I handle desk check because tbh it's kinda hard to explain it with words

 

[Master117]

Draw up a table and dedicate a column to each variable, input and output and then go through the code line-by-line and use each row to show how the process changes in one line only.

And desk-checks requires you to know the basic fundementals of programming such as branching, loops etc, etc, so make sure to learn them first. The standard algorithms will help and if you give me a somewhat simple problem i'll try to show you the way I handle desk check because tbh it's kinda hard to explain it with words

These are some questions my teacher gave me.

 

[dav53521]

These are some questions my teacher gave me.
View attachment 38295

Not 100% sure if that is the correct answer but it does show my process on how I do this stuff