HSC Std2 Teachers … updates you will want to know

This is an update on developments of our Maths Standard 2 database, following on from our EXT1 and ADV updates over the past 3 weeks.

Although Std2 is now in its 2nd HSC examination year, a few points on recent database developments warrant attention.

Firstly, we have continued to research and cherry-pick questions in nearly all databases, with the most notable growth in Networks.

Secondly, NESA releases on the Advanced course provide really useful information that should be noted by all Std2 teachers, in our view. Here’s why.

There are many common content areas. If a common content question is asked in Advanced, it is highly likely to be quite a challenging question in Std2, and revision in these areas must reflect the likelihood of tougher questions.

This has implications in S4 Bivariate Data Analysis, S5 Normal Distribution, F5 Annuities and A4 Types of Relationships to name just a few topics. The NESA Advanced Maths releases help inform our database development in these areas.

Another added feature hot off the press is the introduction of paperclip icons that represent common-content. We don’t want your screen to look too busy, but thought this addition was worthwhile.

Finally, EQ-Bank Questions now also appear in Std2. This stands for “exemplar question” and represents concepts and question-types that are informed by official syllabus and topic guidance documents, but have no HSC history.

To all interested Standard2 teachers, recent developments are summarised below:

N2 & N3 Networks

  • Our database has grown to now provide over 6 hours of HSC standard questions. This topic contributed an impressive 10% to the 2019 Std2 HSC paper and our database now delivers the quality, depth and variation that studying and revising it demands.
  • Questions straight out of Victoria in this topic area require a significant amout of filtering and (sometimes) adjustment to fit the new HSC syllabus. We have done all that (VCAA copyright approved) and subscribers will further benefit from analysis that highlights common question types and pitfalls for each sub-topic.

F5 Annuities

  • This subtopic provides a fertile common content area with the Advanced course. Past Std2 HSC questions that now represent common content with Advanced are flagged with a paperclip icon.
  • NESA Advanced Maths sample exams and other exemplar questions in these common syllabus areas can also provide valuable direction for Std2 revision, in our view. Recent NESA Advanced course releases have helped inform the growth of our Std2 database.
  • A case in point: We note that the 2019 HSC Std2 Annuities question required a deeper conceptual understanding than previous “Gen2” questions (mean mark 27%) and a similar question appeared in the Advanced sample HSC paper. Our database has responded to this fair warning.

S4 Bivariate Data Analysis

  • The crucial areas of interpreting gradients and correlation coefficients are major themes that run through the growth of the database.
  • Using the calculator “Statistics” functions (we use the fx-82 calc) grows in importance in our view. This area now has the history of a poorly answered 2019 Std2 question (mean mark 40%) and inclusion in the Advanced sample exam.
  • Our database has been beefed up in this specific area. Students must be competent, and just as importantly, efficient and mistake free in executing these calculator skills to find least square regression lines and Pearson correlation coefficients.

A4 Types of Relationships

  • Advanced Maths Topic Guidance releases from NESA in March have flagged that non-linear “proportional” questions that have appeared in past Std2 HSC’s are now common content. Our database has responded to this.

M1 Measurement

  • Trapezoidal Rule questions now contain past HSC “Simpson Rule” questions adjusted to the new syllabus, which preserves the challenging follow-up questions that have caused major issues in the past.
  • Energy and Mass database a very skinny HSC history, but has now been beefed up to just under 1 hour of HSC-standard questions.

S1 Data Analysis

  • Pareto Charts (common ADV content with STD2) were examined in the 2019 STD2 HSC with a shockingly low mean mark. Numerous EQ-Bank questions now cover this area, along with the 2019 STD2 example (see “S2 Other Chart Types“).

SmarterMaths is now in a majority of NSW high schools.

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Posted in HSC All Courses (Non-Customer)

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