Geography has one of the most demanding short answer sections in the HSC.
Learning how to nail the short answer section is one sure fire way to show what you know, and turn those 40 marks into easy marks!
Without further ado I present my step by step guide to acing the short answer section.
Read the question and reconstruct it.
You’ve probably heard this from many of your teachers already, and it is especially true for geography. So what are you looking for? First of all – pick out the key verbs. Hopefully you’re familiar with each of them and what they mean. If not you can find them here.
Make sure when you write you are doing exactly what is asked of you by the verb.
Secondly – identify the key terminology. These words specify what you are to write about.
Here’s an example, I’ve bolded the key terminology:
With reference to the stimulus booklet, describe ONE possible impact due to natural stress and ONE possible impact due to human induced modifications on the costal ecosystem.
Key verbs: describe (characteristics and features)
Key terminology: Stimulus booklet, impact, natural stress, human induced modifications, coastal ecosystem.
Link the question to the syllabus and plan
This is where you determine what information you are going to discuss. One of the great things about geography is the syllabus is so open ended, yet specific. So you’re gonna need to identify two things.
Firstly – which part of the syllabus does this link to? By identifying which dot point the question stems from this will help you know what the markers are looking for in the answer. All the questions come from a part of the syllabus. Even though you might think exam-makers are cruel sometimes, NESA are not trying to trick you.
Secondly – what aspects of the dot point are you best at explaining? No geography short answer question is going to expect you to talk about everything, so pick a few points you know well. For example, if the question asks you about the challenges of mega cities, and you happen to know a lot about transport infrastructure and housing issues, then talk about this. The number of points you should discuss is either determined by the question (as in the example question above) or by the marks and line allocation. Which leads me to my next point…
Use the marks and lines as a guide
This will guide you as to how much you need to write to get all the marks for a geography short answer. For example, if the question is:
Describe how altitude and latitude can affect an ecosystem (2 marks)
Then it’s fair enough to say that to get those 2 marks you need to describe the effect of both altitude and latitude. The same goes for those 6 – 8 markers too!
Use examples and terminology
Statistics, illustrative examples and case studies are just for the geography extended responses right? WRONG! Inserting this evidence into the short answer sections is one sure fire way to show off the complexity of your geographical knowledge. This doesn’t need to be in every answer, particularly in the 1-2 markers, but for the lengthier responses you can’t go wrong chucking some evidence. Plus, if you are struggling to fill the allocated space than this is one good way to do so. Just make sure it’s relevant and answers the question. As good as evidence is, there’s no point using it if it doesn’t enhance your response. Another tip is to be constantly gathering up to date statistics and illustrative examples that link to the syllabus, as this will help keep your short answer and extended response sections current and provide evidence of your field work and research skills.
So make it rain! With examples that is!
You’re also going to want to drop the syllabus terminology like its hot! Even if it’s not specified in the question it’s always good to use, providing it’s relevant of course. This is yet another reason why it’s important to know the syllabus like the back of your hand, so if you’re asked about the importance of ecosystem management, for example, you can rattle off those heritage, intrinsic and utility values, the maintenance of genetic diversity and the need to allow natural change to proceed.
Write!
Try and keep all your points nice and concise, with all of them directly addressing the question and elaborating on your answer. There’s truly not enough space for “waffle”. Simple sentences are good sentences, this isn’t English, so your level of sophistication in language manipulation won’t hold you back. The complexity comes through in the terminology, examples and links you make between components. Do this is a succinct manner and you’re on your way to a band 6!
In the lead up to exams it’s best to do as much practice as you can. Past papers, making up your own questions, all that jazz which I’m sure you’ve already heard.
When it comes to the actual examination though, there’s not a moment to lose! Follow the steps and get those thoughts on paper. Time to show NESA what you’re made of!
About the author:
Taylor Angelo is a star HSC student of the 2017 cohort. Taylor has been a frequent and valued contributor to ATAR Notes.com, especially on the Geography threads.
