How I got a 99.95 ATAR in the 2020 HSC
Who am I?
Hey! I’m Julina. I completed my HSC in 2020, the first year that NESA was assessing their new syllabi, and got a 99.95 ATAR. I completed 10 units or 5 subjects for my HSC, including English Advanced, Mathematics Extension 1, Mathematics Extension 2, Economics and Chemistry. I am completing my Honours degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of New South Wales, and have my research thesis to complete before I graduate.
Tip 1: Practice exams, practice exams and more practice exams!
Volleyball players train by playing volleyball and basketball players train by playing basketball. They don’t train by playing oz tag, swimming, gymnastics or any other sport. Likewise, if you want to do well in your HSC exams, you need to mimic exam conditions as closely as possible. This means printing out a practice exam and doing it with black pen under timed conditions with no distractions. If you are preparing for the HSC trial or HSC exams, you need to be printing out 3-hour exam papers and giving yourself 5 or 10 minutes reading time depending on the subject.
“Do practice exams in timed conditions for your internal assessment tasks too, and make the experience as close to what your teacher says it will be in the task notification.”
I would take it a step further. Don’t wait until your HSC trial or HSC exams to begin doing this. Do practice exams in timed conditions for your internal assessment tasks too, and make the experience as close to what your teacher says it will be in the task notification. Usually, the task notification from school will tell you how long the exam is and what topics it includes. I know this is easier said and done, and finding practice exams for internal assessments is a lot harder. I got around this by compiling questions from different test papers together to make my own test paper that would closely match my school’s task notification. Nowadays, my students at Curie Chemistry have the opportunity to share their task notification with me early and receive a topic test written especially for them.
Also, when you’re in exam conditions, be very conscious of how you think and feel. Make a mental note of the common silly mistakes you make so you are aware of them in the exam and consciously try to avoid them. A big part of exam taking is mentality. Many smart students can underperform in a test because of stress and its effects on your thinking process.
“A big part of exam taking is mentality. Many smart students can underperform in a test because of stress and its effects on your thinking process.”
Tip 2: Look for your mistakes like a hawk
Pay attention to your performance in class, in practice exams and in real exams. Make a mental and physical notes of small or big mistakes you make, and be conscious of them next time you are doing questions. In essence, put deliberate effort into correcting your mistakes every chance you get. Don’t cover your mistakes with liquid paper so it becomes illegible. Instead, use a red pen or yellow highlighter to cross out or circle your mistakes so you know to redo it but you still have a record of what not to do. This practice is especially important if you are prone to making silly mistakes in an exam and it is not conceptual misunderstandings that are costing you the marks.
“Put deliberate effort into correcting your mistakes every chance you get.”
Tip 3: Be sustainable
Your Year 12 or HSC year is like a marathon, not a sprint. There are smaller, internal assessment tasks you have to complete each term before you reach your final HSC trial and HSC exams. It is important that you live and study sustainably this year to ensure that you can perform at your best in the HSC exams. It’s almost like how an athlete won’t overexert themselves in training to ensure they are at their peak for a big event like the Olympics. You have to time yourself carefully.
Similar to the previous tip, be conscious of how your mind and body feels each day. It is good to follow a study schedule but also let your mind and body tell you when you need to take a break. Do not wait for the feeling of complete burnout to take a break. Taking small breaks multiple times is more sustainable than taking one long break.
“Let your mind and body tell you when you need to take a break. Do not wait for the feeling of complete burnout to take a break. ”
Order your to-do list in terms of what has the earliest due date. Start on take-home assessment tasks early so you can complete a little bit each day and not feel stressed out or pressured to complete an entire task one or two days before it is due. Reward yourself and say yes to outings with family and friends.
Good luck, Year 12! I believe in you!
