HSC maths whiz’s simple tricks for the perfect score
One of the state’s most gifted mathematics students has revealed the simple methods he uses to get the highest marks. See his top tips to help HSC maths students ace their exams.
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Josh Abelev topped the state in Mathematics Advanced in 2020.
Now he has revealed how students can get an edge in next Thursday’s exam
HOW TO ACE THE HSC MATHS EXAMS
1. Make a list of the types of mistakes you typically make. This isn’t to specific questions, but patterns of mistakes. Try ‘codifying’ your errors in a way that makes it impossible to make them again. I liked having a list of these mistakes that I could read before going into my exams.
2. Be comfortable in leaving a question for later. Earn as many marks as you can in the first run through and don’t get too hung up on tricky questions. Often it just takes fresh eyes to see the solution.
3. In multiple-part questions, where the first part is a tricky proof, try go on to the next parts using that equation instead of doing the question in order. This is especially useful in Maximum/Minimum questions or trigonometry identities.
4. Finish the question, then read the question again! This will help you ensure you haven’t missed any part of the question in your answer, and that your answer is complete, with the correct units and rounding.
5. When you aren’t sure where to start, just put pen to paper. Write out a relevant formula or manipulate expressions that you are given.
6. Diagram, diagram, diagram. Always draw a diagram. Having the information that you gather from the question in a visual form always helps to figure out in which direction to move forward. This is particularly helpful in motion questions, calculus and trigonometry.
7. Checking your answers is the most important part of doing your exam. While it may seem like you have every completed question correct, this is never the case. Allocate about 15-20 minutes to properly check every question with the mindset that they are bound to be mistakes.
Use checking strategies like substituting answers back into the question or using a secondary, perhaps longhand, method to verify your solution.
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