Hi, I am just wondering what the scaling looks like for extension. In terms of how this subject has gone in other states is it expected to scale really high? Will it scale equivalent to specialist maths? Choosing between the two.
Thanks
Hi e_grace!
So no one really knows what scaling is going to look like for QCE (including QTAC!) because they'll be working things out for the first time at the end of 2020! Each other state works slightly differently, but in general, yes you can definitely expect English and Lit Extension to scale up, though my guess would be that Specialist Maths would scale up by more.
HOWEVER, I would
definitely advise against just choosing the subject that
might scale better - not just because we aren't sure what the exact scaling factors will look like, but also because
you should ALWAYS pick subjects based on your interests and skills!*Unless you need a subject like Methods or Chemistry as a prerequisite for uni
If you feel like you could easily tackle both English Extension and Specialist Maths, that's amazing! (And as an English nerd with 0 maths skills, I envy you!!) But the best thing you could do to help make up your mind is to look through the
English Ext and
Spesh syllabuses.
Which one has more interesting topics? Do you like the idea of learning more complicated maths than you do in Methods, or do you like the idea of taking your English/Lit skills a step further with more independent projects?
Personally, I think the biggest difference is that English Ext requires much more self-directed learning. You're basically required to conduct university-level academic research, and construct your own literary interpretations, and a teacher can only help you so much with this. By contrast, Spesh is much more grounded in coursework (though you would still benefit from guiding your own learning in approaching each topic).
Hope this helps you narrow things down - let me know if you have any questions!