HSC Biology - How to Get a Band 6

If you’re striving for a Band 6 in HSC Biology this is definitely worth a read. Having recently just done the HSC and gotten a Band 6 in Bio, I’ve decided to share my top tips which I’m sure can get you there too:

1.DETAIL/CLARITY

For some subjects, detail in your responses isn’t always necessary, it’s more about getting the main ideas down. Bio is not one of these subjects. Annoying as it is, memorising in Biology is definitely something that allowed me to achieve my Band 6. This is because wording in your responses is extremely important in getting full marks for this subject, so even if you do understand the content, you may not be able to word it properly on the spot especially because there’s so much information to structure.

The reason I almost always got full marks in my short answers/extended responses in Bio is because, for each question, I would put as much relevant detail as I knew. By detail, I don’t mean specific dates, but I do mean e.g. names of scientists, exactly what they did. After doing a few past papers, you see exactly what the wording of the question is requiring
e.g. benefits and limitations of artificial blood (usually 7 marks):
-describe WHAT artificial blood is
-development of artificial blood throughout the ages
-describe the different types offered currently and how they work
-what are their benefits and limitations
-assessment of each – are they a good substitute for normal blood?

If it’s a 5 or more mark question, always plan out the structure of your response (either in your head or on paper).

If your option is Communication, the HSC extended response (20 marks) will usually be on a communication technology e.g. if it asks about hearing technology, include ALL the detail: how a normal person hears, what certain things may be going wrong for someone to not hear properly (i.e. how this normal process is disrupted), different hearing technologies e.g. hearing aid, cochlear implant, and of course, how they work and allow normal hearing, and their advantages and disadvantages, and finally an assessment at the end. YES, this may seem like a lot, but trust me, this is the way to full marks for your response.

If you’d like to ask me to review a structure for an extended response please don’t hesitate to ask as I can definitely help you with this.

2. STUDY NOTES – MAKE THEM AS YOU GO!

Because the detail in Bio is super important, I can’t even explain how useful really good study notes for this subject are. The best tip: MAKE THEM YOURSELF. This way you 100% understand what you’re writing, because you’re doing it in your own words which also makes it more concise. Make sure you’re writing them as you learn things, not just a week before the exam, because then the info will still be in your head, freshly learned and understood, and you’ll actually have time to review the notes throughout the year.

Handwriting is the best e.g. on palm cards (I used the bigger sizes). On one side, write the dot point (e.g. types of ectotherms and endotherms) and on the other side, write all the info under that dot point (if you’re concise but still include all the detail, it can actually all fit on one palm card per dot point!).

This study method is really effective, because whenever you have some spare time you can go through the cards in a relatively short amount of time e.g. in the morning, before bed, on the bus to school etc., and that way you can make sure you’re studying throughout the year (rather than just cramming the night before!).

Remember to study at the time you’re most effective (mine was as soon as I woke up or later in the night).

You can see my study notes that I’ve typed up – I’ll post them over the next few days.

3.LISTENING IN CLASS

Because Bio is such a content heavy subject, and as I’ve said above detail is really important, your attention in class needs to be 100%. This is beneficial because:
1.you will already understand the content and easily be able to make notes and
2.your study time is shortened because you’ll actually remember what you’ve learnt in class.

Let me tell you that this point is so important – I used to waste a lot of time in class and used to get home, basically reteach myself everything, make sure I understood it, write notes for it, and THEN studied. As you probably guess that’s really time consuming, and so if you’ve already got the first 2 steps out of the way you’ll have plenty of spare time to catch up on other work or even binge watch your favourite TV shows.

4. ARE TRIALS EVEN IMPORTANT?

Everything that you do in year 12 is going to count towards your final mark, so yes it’s important. Of course trials are not worth as much as the final HSC exam, but if you do your best in these and get a good mark, then, I can say from experience, you won’t be as stressed and pressured to get a crazy high mark in the final exam – and because you’re not freaking out so much, you’ll probably end up doing really well anyway.

Honestly, if you concentrate in class, write your notes, and study them regularly, there’s no way you can’t excel in this subject.
If your mark isn’t exactly what you expected, don’t let it get you down. Review your paper, pick out key things that you need to work on, and persevere at it until you get it! Then you’ll be set for the HSC exam.

5. DON’T FORGET A BALANCED LIFESTYLE

Remember, your brain can’t work non-stop. Trust me, you can afford yourself breaks! Do 30 mins of intensive exercise every few days, watch TV, go out with friends – give yourself time to relax and recover.

Remember to eat right and sleep at least 8 hours a night, because this way you’ll definitely be more motivated and your mind will think more clearly which is always a positive! You can always have some junk food too but don’t overdo it because you’ll feel sluggish and unmotivated.

By the time the exam comes, you should be relatively confident, so you can just read over your notes the night before and morning of the exam so it’s all fresh in your mind.

FINAL NOTE

If you’re working hard and doing your best, there’s no way you won’t be able to achieve a Band 6. If you have any questions about content or study tips, PLEASE ask because I’m so happy to help