Welcome back to our HSC edition of our blogs that aim to cover each aspect of the new papers and the required modules.
After reading about our blog that deconstructed Module C, next up we are going to look through what is required for each section of Paper 1.
More specific information will be provided in the following blogs about Section 2 and the essay requirements so for now we limit ourselves to Paper 1 and the 2 specific sections.
If you haven’t already checked them out, NESA have released sample papers for the new HSC format.
Here is a link to Paper 1 for Advanced English: https://syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au/assets/english_advanced/files/sample-questions-new-hsc-english-adv-paper-1-exam-2019.pdf
Here is a link to Paper 1 for Standard English:
How is this different from the previous HSC?
- The previous HSC Paper 1 was common for Advanced and Standard students. That meant that all students received the same questions and unseen texts. Paper 1 has now been modified so that Standard and Advanced students receive separate papers with texts and questions aimed at their level and abilities.
- The new Paper 1 is only an hour and a half and has 2 sections (taking 45mins each). The previous HSC was 2 hours long and had 3 sections. The section that has been ‘taken away’ is the creative writing task which has effectively been absorbed by Module C – Craft of Writing.
- There are more short answer questions (section 1) in the new paper and the responses required are longer and more detailed compared to the previous HSC paper.
- Section 2 (the former section 3) remains an essay question on the Common Module – Texts and Human Experiences. The previous HSC had a requirement for a related text in your essay. This requirement is no longer needed. The question in this section is common for both Advanced and Standard students. Hoverer, the previous HSC question was a conceptual statement derived solely from the rubric. In the new syllabus, the question can be a variety of three different structures (we will explore more below).
Paper 1, Section 1 (Advanced and Standard)
One of the driving purposes of making this section longer was to avoid and deter students from bringing into the exam pre-prepared responses. In the previous HSC, students would often ‘memorise’ their creative piece and essay and then simply manipulate it to the question on the day. It became apparent that this didn’t test the genuine abilities of the student because they had prior preparation and did not test the knowledge on the spot. So to overcome this and ensure that the real abilities of students are tested, there are more questions and tests.
The below are our best tips to achieving your best in this section
- Reading Time: More texts means more to read during the reading time. Remember that you cannot make any markings of the paper during this time. We suggest reading over the questions, then each text and then re-read each of the questions. If you read the question first it will be sitting at the back of your mind so that you read the text with purpose.
- Order of Questions: There are no rules about the order that the questions have to be answered. If you feel confident about a particular one, we suggest starting with that. Make sure it is clearly marked at the top of the page. That way, you can get through the questions you are confident with quicker which leaves more time for you to complete the harder and challenging questions.
- Marks: Give some consideration for the amount of marks a question is awarding. It is usual that a simple question awarding 4-5 marks are looking for a brief introduction sentence, followed by evidence and then a short analysis. However, the longer compare/contrast questions that award 7 or more marks are looking for a slightly longer response, usually with a mini thesis and two seperate paragraphs that include extended analysis.
- Read the Question: The new style questions are very specific and ask students to deeply engage with the material and texts. We therefore reiterate to students that they should read the question more than once before writing their response to make sure that they are giving the most appropriate answer. Once you have your answer, read over it again with reference to the question and point out the keywords that you have used for self-satisfaction that your response is the best possible answer.
- Evidence and techniques: Each question will ask you to provide textual evidence to support your answer. This is a key aspect in ensuring that you are awarded the most marks. The more marks awarded for a question is usually an indication of how many pieces of evidence and techniques and required. There are no specific guidelines on this as the marks are awarded holistically but naturally the more evidence and analysis presented will allow for more marks.
Paper 1, Section 2 (Advanced and Standard)
This section involves writing an essay based on the text you studied as part of the common module Texts and Human Experiences. We will be publishing another blog post on that specific essay so here we are going to provide a brief outline of what is expected.
Although some of the questions from section 1 will be tailored to Advanced and Standard students, in this section the essay question is common to all students. That means that you want to interact with the question to the best of your ability as the markers don’t know if you are an Advanced or Standard student when marking so you have the opportunity to make a good impression.
If you have a read of the sample papers, they provide the different types of ways that the questions can be structured. So let’s break them down (each of the questions have been taken from the sample paper):
Example A
How has your understanding of the challenges of the human experience been shaped by the director’s use of mise-en-scène in your prescribed text?
Example A is specific to the form of the prescribed texts, in this case film
This means that if you have studied a film for your prescribed text, this is the question you will be answering.
If this example is adopted on the day, the paper will include a specific question for each of the text types prescribed for the common module. Take care to read each individually as you want to make sure you are answering the question for your text. Often students rush past and don’t take the time to understand what they are doing and as a result, they have answered the wrong question.
If you are not studying a film, you can adapt the question to your text type to formulate a practice question. Consider changing mise-en-scène to characterisation if you are doing a novel and perhaps structure for a poetic piece. As this is the first year the papers will be tested, the questions could be a variety of options so best to be creative and practice as much as possible so you become comfortable with the different types. This also means that you should prepare a wide variety of evidence to use on the day of the exam.
Example B
Analyse how the representation of the natural environment shapes your understanding of family in Past the Shallows.
Example B is specific to the prescribed text
As the above question is specific to the prescribed text, it means that each text will have its own individual question on the day. This may go two different ways – each question may be distinctly unique and different from the next. Or, it could also be a generic question that is modified to suit each of the texts. Either way, it is critical that you interact with the question on a deep level and provide analysis that demonstrates your understanding of the question and your text.
Example C
Through the telling and receiving of stories, we become more aware of ourselves and our shared human experiences. Explore this statement with close reference to your prescribed text
Example C uses a statement as a stimulus. It is generic for all prescribed texts
This type of question is based from the rubric and framed in a conceptual tone so that it can be related to all texts generally. Some students like these types of questions because it means that they can present their own take on the question and argue a particular point of view. Other students find this slightly daunting as the question is so open they are unsure where to begin. Either way there is nothing to stress about and if you are finding this an issue, feel free to contact us and one of our tutors will gladly assist.
So, what next?
Some students are of the view that the new paper is harder than the old one while others prefer its change in structure and feel more comfortable with only two sections. So long as you feel comfortable with each of the sections and understand what is required from you, then you are in the best possible position going into the exam.
Of course, if you have any questions you can contact us and we will do our best to help. If there are any areas or topics you would like us to blog about please let us know as we would love to hear from you.
Till next time!