Blitz your HSC How to succeed in the HSC: Techniques to maximize your success Year 11 and 12 can be a stressful time for many students. It seems like there is too much to learn in not enough time and everything gets boiled down to a single ATAR number. In this presentation, Jesse Whelan from Sandbox Learning Australia will outline the mindset, habits and learning techniques needed to achieve your potential. In this session you will discover: * How the ATAR is calculated and whether you should try to ‘game’ it. * How to use the syllabus to plan your study. * Why strong organisation and steady practice is crucial to success.

1. Blitz your HSC
Techniques to Maximize your Success
Jesse Whelan
Director of Learning @ Sandbox Learning Australia
jesse@sandboxlearning.com.au
www.sandboxlearning.com.au

2. Meet Alex
45%
50%
60%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Trials Target HSC Actual
Goals: Boost confidence, get
a pass!

3. Almost doubled within 3 months!
45%
50%
85%
60%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Trials Target HSC Actual

4. About me: Jesse Whelan
School University Work
Woollahra
Public
School

5. Turning a decade of experience into a new way of
learning
• Over a decade of
tutoring experience
• Taught hundreds of
students across school
and university level
• Undergrad thesis in the
science of learning
Sandbox Learning
Personalised learning. Built by science.
Maths | Science | Years 4 - 12

6. This is the 2nd of a 3 part series
Blitz your HSC –
Memory Hacking
Wed, March 20
Bowen Library
Maroubra
Blitz your HSC –
Stop wasting your
time studying
Wed, Feb 27
Bowen Library
Maroubra
Sign up on the library website
Blitz your HSC –
Techniques to
Maximise your
Success
Wed, March 6
Bowen Library
Maroubra

7. But enough
about me, why
are you here?

8. • Using the syllabus to plan your study
• Techniques to improve your study
• How the ATAR works
Agenda for today

9. • Using the syllabus to plan your study
• Techniques to improve your study
• How the ATAR works
Agenda for today

10. Every question on
an assessment
must relate to a
syllabus point

11. The syllabus is your study guide
Use the syllabus to…
• Understand what you DO and DON’T
need to learn
• How to structure your study
• Learn how to interpret questions

12. English Adv Maths 2U

13. Business Studies Physics

14. • Using the syllabus to plan your study
• Techniques to improve your study
– The Leitner method
– Creating study timetables
• How the ATAR works
Agenda for today

15. Who was here last
week?...

16. Summary of talk 1

17. Conquering the curse of forgetting - Ebbinghaus
Source: Adapted from Ebbinghaus

18. Fortunately the brain can strengthen like a muscle

19. ‘Spaced repetition’ slows learning decay
Source: Adapted from Ebbinghaus

20. • Using the syllabus to plan your study
• Techniques to improve your study
– The Leitner method
– Creating study timetables
• How the ATAR works
Agenda for today

21. The Leitner method provides a simple way to manage
spacing
Box 1 Box 2 Box 3 Box 4 Box 5
1 day 2 days 5 days 9 days 14 daysEvery…
Correctly answered cards
Incorrectly answered cards

22. You can pick a spacing that works for you
Assessment
timing
Box 1 Box 2 Box 3 Box 4 Box 5
In a year Every day Every 3
days
Every 7
days
Every 14
days
Every 30
days
Few months Every day Every 2
days
Every 5
days
Every 9
days
Every 14
days
This week 5 times a
day
4 times a
day
3 times a
day
Twice a
day
Once a day

23. And it doesn’t just have to be facts and formulas –
they could be syllabus dot points
Adding
fractions with
different
bases
1
….
2
….
3
….
4
….
Concept Questions Pass criteria
Must get ¾
correct to
proceed

24. • Using the syllabus to plan your study
• Techniques to improve your study
– The Leitner method
– Creating study timetables
• How the ATAR works
Agenda for today

25. Creating a study plan
• Set a realistic goal and make it SMART
– Specific
– Measurable
– Achievable
– Relevant
– Time-bound
• Break it down into the activities needed to achieve it…and
then break them down further (more on that to come)
• Set milestones
• Turn study into a daily habit

26. Setting a calendar
Box 1
Box 2
Box 3
Box 4
Box 5

27. • Using the syllabus to plan your study
• Techniques to improve your study
• How the ATAR works
Agenda for today

28. Summary of ATARs
• ATAR is a RANK not a score
• Focus on what you can control
– You can’t influence course scaling or how other students do
• English has to count so focus on doing well there à get help
if you need it
• Internal assessments matter
– Make sure you are prepared for every assessment (even 10%
ones)
– You can’t expect to make up for it in the exam
• Assessment rankings matter more than marksà pick up
places where you can

29. 7 steps to calculating your ATAR
1. Moderate Assessment marks
2. Calculate HSC Marks: 50% assessments, 50% exam
3. Get the course ranking
4. Scale the HSC score based on rankings
5. Add up the 10 best units including 2 of English
6. Determine the ATAR ranking of the aggregate
7. Round the ATAR to nearest 0.05

30. 1. Moderate Internal Assessment marks
• Schools use different internal assessments
– Some schools use really hard assessments, others easier
• There needs to be a way to compare assessments across schools
Process
1. Moderated top assessment mark = top exam mark
2. Moderated mean of assessments = exam mean
3. If possible the moderated lowest assessment = lowest exam mark

31. 1. Moderate Internal Assessment marks

32. 1. Moderate Internal Assessment marks
1
2
3
Process
1. Moderated top assessment mark = top exam mark
2. Moderated mean of assessments = exam mean
3. If possible the moderated lowest assessment = lowest exam mark

33. 2. Calculate HSC Marks: 50% assessments, 50% exam
Subject Units Exam mark Assessment
Mark
HSC mark
Business Studies 2 83 77 80
English Advanced 2 77 73 75
Maths 2U 2 75 83 79
Modern History 2 88 86 87
Visual Arts 2 85 83 84
French Continuers 2 88 86 87

34. 3. Get the course percentile ranking
Subject Units HSC mark Median Percentile
Business Studies 2 80 75 66
English Advanced 2 75 82 21
Maths 2U 2 79 81 46
Modern History 2 87 77 86
Visual Arts 2 84 80 68
French Continuers 2 87 83 66

35. Courses are scaled to reflect how difficult they area
Subject Units Scaled Mean
Business Studies 2 48.2
English Advanced 2 63.0
Maths 2U 2 62.4
Modern History 2 51.8
Visual Arts 2 43.8
French Continuers 2 69.2
This is the
‘easiest’ course
This is the
‘hardest’ course

36. Scaling – measuring apples and oranges

37. 4. Scale the HSC score based on rankings
Subject Units HSC mark Percentile Scaled mark
Business Studies 2 80 66 58.6
English Advanced 2 75 21 49.4
Maths 2U 2 79 46 62.5
Modern History 2 87 86 75.8
Visual Arts 2 84 68 54.8
French Continuers 2 87 66 77.4

38. 5. Add up the 10 best units
Subject Units HSC mark Percentile Scaled mark
Business Studies 2 80 66 58.6
English Advanced 2 75 21 49.4
Maths 2U 2 79 46 62.5
Modern History 2 87 86 75.8
Visual Arts 2 84 68 54.8
French Continuers 2 87 66 77.4
Which 2 units should we remove?

39. 5. Add up the 10 best units including units of English
Subject Units HSC mark Percentile Scaled mark
Business Studies 2 80 66 58.6
English Advanced 2 75 21 49.4
Maths 2U 2 79 46 62.5
Modern History 2 87 86 75.8
Visual Arts 2 84 68 54.8
French Continuers 2 87 66 77.4

40. 5. Add up the 10 best units including units of English
Subject Units HSC mark Percentile Scaled mark
Business Studies 2 80 66 58.6
English Advanced 2 75 21 49.4
Maths 2U 2 79 46 62.5
Modern History 2 87 86 75.8
Visual Arts 2 84 68 54.8
French Continuers 2 87 66 77.4
Aggregate 323.7

41. 6 & 7. Determine the ranking of the aggregate and
round
ATAR Aggregate
99.95 477
99.00 447
98 432
95 404
90 372
85 345
80 320
75 296
70 273
65 249
60 227
323.3 ≈ 80 ATAR

42. Summary of ATARs
• ATAR is a RANK not a score
• Focus on what you can control
– You can’t influence course scaling or how other students do
• English has to count so focus on doing well there à get help
if you need it
• Internal assessments matter
– Make sure you are prepared for every assessment (even 10%
ones)
– You can’t expect to make up for it in the exam
• Assessment rankings matter more than marksà pick up
places where you can

43. Takeaways

44. Summary of today’s talk
1. Don’t game the ATAR – do your best
2. The syllabus is your universe and map
3. The real objective of the HSC is to keep remembering
4. Use the Leitner method to prioritise what to study
5. Keep a schedule to stay organised

45. This is the 2nd of a 3 part series
Blitz your HSC –
Memory Hacking
Wed, March 20
Bowen Library
Maroubra
Blitz your HSC –
Stop wasting your
time studying
Wed, Feb 27
Bowen Library
Maroubra
Sign up on the library website
Blitz your HSC –
Techniques to
Maximise your
Success
Wed, March 6
Bowen Library
Maroubra

46. Need some more support? Sandbox is here to help
Sandbox Learning
Personalised learning. Built by science.
Talented
tutors
Evidenced-based
practice
Supporting
technology

47. On average students’ performance has increased by
25 grade points in school
For as long as I can remember, he has failed
English. All we wanted for this exam was a
pass but to achieve 80% it is so quantifiable
and attributed to you.
Yesterday [M] had a maths test at school on
mixed topics, multiple choice. He got
36/37!!!!! Very happy boy!!
50%
75%
Before Sandbox End of year

48. Trusted by parents across Sydney

49. Need some more support? Sandbox is here to help
Subjects Services
Maths,
Science,
English,
And more…
1-on-1
• $80/hr
Group classes
• $25/hr
www.sandboxlearning.com.au

50. If you want the slides
leave your
email/business card
with Liz.
Questions?
info@sandboxlearning.com.au
www.sandboxlearning.com.au
0409 989 008