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March 29, 2024, 10:30:17 pm

Author Topic: How should you approach the reading time?  (Read 3804 times)  Share 

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wewanttacos

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How should you approach the reading time?
« on: August 13, 2018, 07:37:54 pm »
+1
How should you spend the 5 minutes reading time at the start of the exam? Is it better to start answering the multiple choice or look at the harder questions at the end and get an idea of how to approach them?

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Re: How should you approach the reading time?
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2018, 08:03:06 pm »
+2
I find it most useful to read the full exam and then plan my approach to challenging questions, but this approach might not work as well for a slower reader.

I think it’s worth experimenting with a few practice exams to adapt to different approaches and see which sits best with you

jazcstuart

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Re: How should you approach the reading time?
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2018, 08:49:13 pm »
+3
I don't usually even read the multiple choice, I like to read through from the beginning of the free response questions because it gives me confidence if I look at the earlier questions and satisfy myself that I know how to do them. Then I look at questions which may require a bit of reading, like superannuation questions, or questions I will need time to work out, for example geometry questions, particularly the circle geometry in extension 1 (I often need to stare at these for a while before I figure out how to do it :-\ ).
Overall there's heaps you could be doing, so I agree you just need to try different things. I must admit I'm one of the slower readers miniturtle mentioned  ;D so I generally don't have time to read the whole paper (which is why I skip the multiple choice), so I use the time to relax myself into the exam and look at questions which may take more time to figure out. Good luck with it!
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Re: How should you approach the reading time?
« Reply #3 on: August 13, 2018, 09:52:53 pm »
0
bahahahaha i just blitz the mc during the reading time, then if i have spare time i riffle through the exam to identify questions i might have problems with, then keep a mental note of where they are
it really helps because it allows me to really speed through the exam then check my answers with the huge amount of time i have left, especially since the working for some mc questions is brutal for just 1 mark
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RuiAce

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Re: How should you approach the reading time?
« Reply #4 on: August 15, 2018, 09:12:49 pm »
+3
How should you spend the 5 minutes reading time at the start of the exam? Is it better to start answering the multiple choice or look at the harder questions at the end and get an idea of how to approach them?
I don't know about others, but not once have I tried to do many questions at all during the reading time.

The HSC maths papers are fairly long, and the only reading time I have is 5 minutes. The best I could try to do is get a few of the multiple choice out of the way, but what's the point in doing that if I'm gonna have forgotten my answers once the reading time is over? All I know is what the M/C will be like - the rest of the paper would daunt me once I got there.

When I'm in my reading time, I take the time to scan through the paper and understand what exactly is being tested. I consider what topics are being examined in which question, any questions that I would probably know how to do immediately and other questions that I'd probably need a lot of brainpower on. I read the question very quickly - I don't look out for details until I'm actually doing the question. I just figure out what I'm being examined on, and in what way is it being examined.

And I would know what questions I'd struggle on more, because I would understand what topics in the course I'd be comparatively shit at.

After that, I get a good feel about the entire paper. I have an idea about which questions I would want to do immediately, and also which questions I would rather skip and come back to later instead of burn 30 minutes staring at it potentially wastefully. Usually, because I'll ponder over the hard ones for a tad longer, by the end of it my 5 minutes will be up. Occasionally, I'm left with 1 minute to spare. In that circumstance, I try to do only two multiple choice questions, in particular those doable by inspection (not something I have to hold a calculator for). It's much easier for me to retain the answers to 2 things instead of a bundle of 10.
« Last Edit: August 15, 2018, 09:15:58 pm by RuiAce »

dermite

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Re: How should you approach the reading time?
« Reply #5 on: August 15, 2018, 09:24:41 pm »
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I don't know about others, but not once have I tried to do many questions at all during the reading time.

The HSC maths papers are fairly long, and the only reading time I have is 5 minutes. The best I could try to do is get a few of the multiple choice out of the way, but what's the point in doing that if I'm gonna have forgotten my answers once the reading time is over? All I know is what the M/C will be like - the rest of the paper would daunt me once I got there.

When I'm in my reading time, I take the time to scan through the paper and understand what exactly is being tested. I consider what topics are being examined in which question, any questions that I would probably know how to do immediately and other questions that I'd probably need a lot of brainpower on. I read the question very quickly - I don't look out for details until I'm actually doing the question. I just figure out what I'm being examined on, and in what way is it being examined.

And I would know what questions I'd struggle on more, because I would understand what topics in the course I'd be comparatively shit at.

After that, I get a good feel about the entire paper. I have an idea about which questions I would want to do immediately, and also which questions I would rather skip and come back to later instead of burn 30 minutes staring at it potentially wastefully. Usually, because I'll ponder over the hard ones for a tad longer, by the end of it my 5 minutes will be up. Occasionally, I'm left with 1 minute to spare. In that circumstance, I try to do only two multiple choice questions, in particular those doable by inspection (not something I have to hold a calculator for). It's much easier for me to retain the answers to 2 things instead of a bundle of 10.

does this apply for 3u as well?
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RuiAce

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Re: How should you approach the reading time?
« Reply #6 on: August 15, 2018, 09:26:44 pm »
0
does this apply for 3u as well?
Yes?

3U is shorter so usually that bit at the end about doing 2 questions becomes a reality. But I still use the same strategy. I need to know what projectile motion or binomial theorem question I'm being smacked in the face at in an hour or so.

dermite

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Re: How should you approach the reading time?
« Reply #7 on: August 15, 2018, 09:33:48 pm »
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Yes?

3U is shorter so usually that bit at the end about doing 2 questions becomes a reality. But I still use the same strategy. I need to know what projectile motion or binomial theorem question I'm being smacked in the face at in an hour or so.

during reading time, would you put more focus on the last question (which tends to be very hard)? or would you concentrate your efforts into places you know you can get the marks?
my strengths are induction, t-formula, trig stuff and some inverse functions. i struggle with the binomials, probability, circle geometry and locus/parametrics

what method should i be using during reading time?
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RuiAce

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Re: How should you approach the reading time?
« Reply #8 on: August 15, 2018, 09:38:43 pm »
+1
during reading time, would you put more focus on the last question (which tends to be very hard)? or would you concentrate your efforts into places you know you can get the marks?
my strengths are induction, t-formula, trig stuff and some inverse functions. i struggle with the binomials, probability, circle geometry and locus/parametrics

what method should i be using during reading time?
I never put a lot of focus into anything. I might put a tiny bit more focus on the last question, but never appreciably more focus on any question more than another (in reading time).

In your case, I'd look through the paper and see where the nicer stuff is at, maybe generate some immediate ideas about how to tackle the question, and move on. I have no time to properly solve it all in my head. And then with the hard ones, I get a feel for what I'm up against. Again, maybe I will generate some immediate ideas about how to tackle the question, but I still move on.

Note that not once did I single out any of your topics. Reason being in the reading time, I don't care about things on a topic by topic basis; I just care about what I'm good with and bad with at most.