HSC extension mathematics 2023: Exam tips rom Ian Bradford, Knox Grammar head teacher

The head of mathematics at Knox Grammar School has led classes with some of the state’s best results. He reveals his tips for success ahead of the extension-1 mathematics exam.

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Acing the extension mathematics exams isn’t just about hitting the books, it’s also about when you choose to do so, according to one of the subject’s top teachers.

Knox Grammar, one of the state’s most expensive private schools, has among the highest number of Band 6-achieving students in mathematics courses – second only to the academically selective Sydney Boys High School.

Knox Grammar maths teacher Ian Bradford. Picture: Supplied

The school’s head of mathematics, Ian Bradford, said students rarely think about the physiological side of the HSC examinations, but with the extension maths exams scheduled to run as late as 4 and 5pm, practising under afternoon test conditions is hugely beneficial.

“Do a mock exam in the same time slot, so your body gets used to doing a paper that lasts until five in the afternoon, because you’ll realise that you might need a bit more water, or food, so you don’t end up with a headache going into the third hour.

“All these little things – the ‘one percenters’ – are all important.”

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Here are Mr Bradford’s other ‘dos and don’ts’ for the extension maths exams.

DO

Be realistic: Mr Bradford always tells students – even the top ranked ones – to expect to make mistakes. “In other words, have a realistic view of going into the exam when it comes to performance, because sometimes students wrap up so much of their persona in getting a perfect score … that type of thinking is unhealthy.”

(File image) Set realistic expectations – chances are you’re not going to get full marks for the very challenging extension papers.

Be selective: Previous Extension 1 and 2 papers have been set at a benchmark where getting 100% is nearly impossible. “A typical student wouldn’t be able to finish the paper anyway, so they have to be selective in the questions they attack … the difficulty of the papers does vary from year to year, and (NESA) factors that in.”

Failing to answer every question doesn’t mean you won’t get a good mark – or ATAR.

Maximise reading time: Using reading time to figure out which questions you’re going to answer first is critical, Mr Bradford says. “It’s 10 minutes: for most other courses it’s five minutes. That’s critical time for the students to be able to forage into the paper and recognise which questions are familiar.”

DON’T

Panic: Mr Bradford says it’s important to keep calm, because more likely than not there will be a question that stumps you. “Both extension papers last year were quite stern, so … if you know you’re in for a fight, the idea is really not to panic. Don’t get flustered if you can’t, during reading time, understand how to do a question.”

This question from the 2022 Extension 2 paper stumped many students. Picture: NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA).

Take the paper in order: Answer the questions you feel confident with first, to give yourself a win and calm your nerves.

“There is no expectation that you answer the questions in the order in which they appear – in the marking centre, Question 11 goes into a different pile than Question 12, they’re marked by different people.”

Rush through multiple choice: Mr Bradford advises against doing the multiple choice section first, as it often contains “distracters” that trip students up.

“Some of the alternative answers are designed for students to use some incorrect logic or an incorrect process or make careless errors.”