Checkpoints:

[lazaward]

Does checkpoints spoil VCAA exams when the time has come to start practicing full exams? I found checkpoints really helpful in year 11 but should I just use outside resources to practice for SACs?

[Bri MT]

I would continue to use checkpoints anyway. You don't need every VCAA exam to be completely unseen until you're ready to do whole papers.

My teacher (who lectures at TSSM) would regularly expose us to exam questions despite not completing the paper yet. However, this wasn't done for any question on the 2016 exam which she wanted to be all new. I believe that checkpoints doesn't show questions from the most recent exam throughout the book and instead keeps them all at the end.

[Sine]

Does checkpoints spoil VCAA exams when the time has come to start practicing full exams? I found checkpoints really helpful in year 11 but should I just use outside resources to practice for SACs?

yeah they do "spoil" vcaa exams, whether that is alright or not is really up to you.
If you want to keep VCAA exams unseen you can get an older copy of checkpoints. E.g. I had 2007 specialist maths checkpoints in 2016.

[TylerD9]

What even are these checkpoints? I always hear about them but I'm not sure what they actually are! Google tells me they're just study guides, what's so bad about them?

[sweetcheeks]

What even are these checkpoints? I always hear about them but I'm not sure what they actually are! Google tells me they're just study guides, what's so bad about them?

They are not bad. They are study guides that group questions (from past VCAA exams and their own) by topics. They are really handy for preparing before an assessment or revising an area where you have trouble.

[TylerD9]

They are not bad. They are study guides that group questions (from past VCAA exams and their own) by topics. They are really handy for preparing before an assessment or revising an area where you have trouble.

So would it be worth buying some for unit 1/2 subjects?

[cookiedream]

So would it be worth buying some for unit 1/2 subjects?

Personally, maybe not for units 1/2, since a lot of what makes up 3/4 methods and spesh comes up in 1/2. If you want practice material (on top of doing chapter review questions), you can ask your teacher for extension work and/or look up the 3/4 exams and do questions that encompass content you've learnt so far

[TylerD9]

Personally, maybe not for units 1/2, since a lot of what makes up 3/4 methods and spesh comes up in 1/2. If you want practice material (on top of doing chapter review questions), you can ask your teacher for extension work and/or look up the 3/4 exams and do questions that encompass content you've learnt so far

Thank you, but what about for chem and business?

[cookiedream]

Thank you, but what about for chem and business?

Off-topic, since this is in the VCE Mathematics board

Same for chem imo. Didn't do bus man, so I can't give an opinion on that, unfortunately.

[TylerD9]

Off-topic, since this is in the VCE Mathematics board

Same for chem imo. Didn't do bus man, so I can't give an opinion on that, unfortunately.

Thank you

[Yertle the Turtle]

Unless you repeatedly practice your techniques and methods throughout the year, they will not stick in your long-term memory. That is why doing these Checkpoints questions throughout the year is useful. It will not spoil the VCAA previous exams because only a sprinkling of questions from each previous exam will be in there, so only a couple of questions from each individual exam. That is why Checkpoints are such a great resource.