2018 & 2019 HSC Syllabus Change - What's new? (1 Viewer)

[_Anonymous]

Hi.

As the title suggests, what's the new stuff in the 2019 HSC syllabus (both prelim and Year 12)? I've tried having a look at the syllabuses, but considering I have little knowledge on the current syllabus, I don't really know what the changes are. Could someone who has already done the HSC have a look at the new syllabuses (mainly for English Advanced, Biology, Chemistry and Physics) tell me what the differences are and whether it's completely different (meaning past papers would be useless) or whether it's the same (question applies to both prelim and Yr 12)?

Link to new syllabus website: http://syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au/stage-6/

Thanks in advance.

 

[donkily]

I think that the new syllabus is trying to gear people to uni in a much more effective manner as opposed to the current

English:I can't remember but they're getting rid of the area of study (now a "common module") and moving the creative to Mod C. I can't remember what english has moved more to now. No related texts anymore
Sciences: they want to prepare people for uni. It will be much harder, more experiments and less emphasis on "societal impacts" and "history". Also more maths calculations. They have included another subject called "investigating science" which is all about scientific theories and scientific skills (I think). I believe this subject has replaced senior science (I think science is getting the biggest change). Also they are adding "extension science" where you have to do a major work and a written exam (like extension history I suppose?)

 

[dan964]

Wow, maths seems to be more simplified. No conics and graphing in 4u. But adding in proofs and vectors, I guess setting ppl up for uni lvl maths.

The maths syllabus has been delayed implementation anyways.

 

[pikachu975]

Wow, maths seems to be more simplified. No conics and graphing in 4u. But adding in proofs and vectors, I guess setting ppl up for uni lvl maths.

Lol great the 2nd and 3rd hardest topic is being removed but not for us sadly.

 

[trecex1]

Lol great the 2nd and 3rd hardest topic is being removed but not for us sadly.

Personally wouldn't say conics is the 2nd hardest topic, maybe mechanics or even complex numbers (geometry questions).
From what I heard from other math teachers, conics is being removed since the questions are too standard with little variations. There are only so many properties of conics they can ask you to prove.

 

[pikachu975]

Personally wouldn't say conics is the 2nd hardest topic, maybe mechanics or even complex numbers (geometry questions).
From what I heard from other math teachers, conics is being removed since the questions are too standard with little variations. There are only so many properties of conics they can ask you to prove.

I guess it's just down to personal opinion because mechanics feels like literally the same thing every time, resolve forces then use algebra to get where you need to and same as complex numbers (at least in CSSA trials I've done it's all the same). I guess it's true that conics also doesn't have much variation but it's easy to stuff up algebra and there's a lot of algebra in it. In a girraween paper (2015) there was 2x 5 markers on conics such as proving something was a diameter and stuff which were pretty unique.

Harder 3u (I think) is probably the hardest topic for most

 

[pikachu975]

A bit off topic but what is the two topics you find hardest for 4U?

First for me would be Harder 3U, then Conics.

I agree

 

[_Anonymous]

So... Would past papers be irrelevant for practice now?

 

[_Anonymous]

I think that the new syllabus is trying to gear people to uni in a much more effective manner as opposed to the current

English:I can't remember but they're getting rid of the area of study (now a "common module") and moving the creative to Mod C. I can't remember what english has moved more to now. No related texts anymore
Sciences: they want to prepare people for uni. It will be much harder, more experiments and less emphasis on "societal impacts" and "history". Also more maths calculations. They have included another subject called "investigating science" which is all about scientific theories and scientific skills (I think). I believe this subject has replaced senior science (I think science is getting the biggest change). Also they are adding "extension science" where you have to do a major work and a written exam (like extension history I suppose?)

Would that mean there will be a narrative writing section in the HSC (you said something about Creative moving to Module C)? Does this mean Advanced English is getting harder or easier?

Phys and Chem is basically more Math-related now (that's what everyone's been saying) so does that mean it'll be much more harder than the older content (do they use Calculus in Physics)? Also, what will be in Bio? Will that stuff also be more difficult?

 

[InteGrand]

Would that mean there will be a narrative writing section in the HSC (you said something about Creative moving to Module C)? Does this mean Advanced English is getting harder or easier?

Phys and Chem is basically more Math-related now (that's what everyone's been saying) so does that mean it'll be much more harder than the older content (do they use Calculus in Physics)? Also, what will be in Bio? Will that stuff also be more difficult?

I don't think they'll put calculus into HSC Physics.

 

[pikachu975]

Would that mean there will be a narrative writing section in the HSC (you said something about Creative moving to Module C)? Does this mean Advanced English is getting harder or easier?

Phys and Chem is basically more Math-related now (that's what everyone's been saying) so does that mean it'll be much more harder than the older content (do they use Calculus in Physics)? Also, what will be in Bio? Will that stuff also be more difficult?

There is already a creative in HSC.

I don't think they'll put calculus into HSC Physics.

Sadly though

 

[_Anonymous]

There is already a creative in HSC.

What's the creative section about? Is it just writing narratives?

 

[pikachu975]

What's the creative section about? Is it just writing narratives?

Any creative form, e.g. poem, short story, diary entry, based on a stimulus (image, quote, etc).

 

[_Anonymous]

Any creative form, e.g. poem, short story, diary entry, based on a stimulus (image, quote, etc).

Oh, I thought students only wrote essays in the English papers, nothing else. Not a fan of narratives, oh well.

 

[donkily]

Would that mean there will be a narrative writing section in the HSC (you said something about Creative moving to Module C)? Does this mean Advanced English is getting harder or easier?

Phys and Chem is basically more Math-related now (that's what everyone's been saying) so does that mean it'll be much more harder than the older content (do they use Calculus in Physics)? Also, what will be in Bio? Will that stuff also be more difficult?

Ok so in Mod C (I think for both Standard and Advanced, or maybe advanced I don't remember) there will be a creative as the module is called "the craft of writing" (if I remember correctly). It can be studied in conjunction with the common module, Module A or Module B (but I'm not 100% sure of how teachers will teach it, I assume every school will do it differently as for the HSC I have no idea)

Yes, the sciences are more maths related now, as well as more experimental based (and I guess theory based can come in that as well). Yes the sciences will be much more difficult than the current syllabus

As for Bio idk but since there's not many maths calculations I assume there might be more maths calculations and I guess more scientific experiments and theory?

Oh, I thought students only wrote essays in the English papers, nothing else. Not a fan of narratives, oh well.

You had to do one for the Area of study (discovery). You also had to do a short answer response for the area of study. The area of study is "paper 1" wheras the Modules is "paper 2" where you have to write 3 essays

Each paper is worth 3 hours long

As for the new English syllabus, I have no idea how they will set the exam out. I assume it will be the common Module as "paper 1" and the other modules as "paper 2"

 

[_Anonymous]

Ok so in Mod C (I think for both Standard and Advanced, or maybe advanced I don't remember) there will be a creative as the module is called "the craft of writing" (if I remember correctly). It can be studied in conjunction with the common module, Module A or Module B (but I'm not 100% sure of how teachers will teach it, I assume every school will do it differently as for the HSC I have no idea)

Yes, the sciences are more maths related now, as well as more experimental based (and I guess theory based can come in that as well). Yes the sciences will be much more difficult than the current syllabus

As for Bio idk but since there's not many maths calculations I assume there might be more maths calculations and I guess more scientific experiments and theory?



You had to do one for the Area of study (discovery). You also had to do a short answer response for the area of study. The area of study is "paper 1" wheras the Modules is "paper 2" where you have to write 3 essays

Each paper is worth 3 hours long

As for the new English syllabus, I have no idea how they will set the exam out. I assume it will be the common Module as "paper 1" and the other modules as "paper 2"

Well that kinda sucks. But I'm guessing they won't make the Science stuff too crazy right, (they should all be doable)?

Relating back to English, was Paper 1 (AOS) the Creative section? Did you have to write narratives or are we going to be the unlucky bunch who will have to write narratives?

People have been saying these exams will help prepare for Uni even more, how come? Was the old syllabus easy for people and useless for Uni?

One last thing, usually HSC students practice stacks on stacks of past papers, how will the 2019 candidates study if all the past papers will be useless? Isn't it kind of unfair (we're less prepared)? Our school said BOSTES will only give them one sample paper, only one!

 

[bujolover]

Well that kinda sucks. But I'm guessing they won't make the Science stuff too crazy right, (they should all be doable)?

Relating back to English, was Paper 1 (AOS) the Creative section? Did you have to write narratives or are we going to be the unlucky bunch who will have to write narratives?

People have been saying these exams will help prepare for Uni even more, how come? Was the old syllabus easy for people and useless for Uni?

One last thing, usually HSC students practice stacks on stacks of past papers, how will the 2019 candidates study if all the past papers will be useless? Isn't it kind of unfair (we're less prepared)? Our school said BOSTES will only give them one sample paper, only one!

Of course they're going to be doable.

Paper 1 currently consists of 3 sections - a reading task (unseen texts that you have to write shorter responses to); a creative writing question; and an essay question relating to your prescribed and related texts for the AOS. We have all had to write narratives, and I don't think it's changing for you guys.

Apparently, the old syllabus is too easy to help with uni for a lot of subjects. Dunno much about this new one.

I have briefly checked the new science syllabuses before, and they basically have the exact same content as our current syllabus, so the past papers will still help you guys, I'm sure. Yes, they're not going to have exactly the same content, but they'll still remain a vital tool for a while to come.

 

[donkily]

Well that kinda sucks. But I'm guessing they won't make the Science stuff too crazy right, (they should all be doable)?

Relating back to English, was Paper 1 (AOS) the Creative section? Did you have to write narratives or are we going to be the unlucky bunch who will have to write narratives?

People have been saying these exams will help prepare for Uni even more, how come? Was the old syllabus easy for people and useless for Uni?

One last thing, usually HSC students practice stacks on stacks of past papers, how will the 2019 candidates study if all the past papers will be useless? Isn't it kind of unfair (we're less prepared)? Our school said BOSTES will only give them one sample paper, only one!

Of course they're going to be doable.

Paper 1 currently consists of 3 sections - a reading task (unseen texts that you have to write shorter responses to); a creative writing question; and an essay question relating to your prescribed and related texts for the AOS. We have all had to write narratives, and I don't think it's changing for you guys.

Apparently, the old syllabus is too easy to help with uni for a lot of subjects. Dunno much about this new one.

I have briefly checked the new science syllabuses before, and they basically have the exact same content as our current syllabus, so the past papers will still help you guys, I'm sure. Yes, they're not going to have exactly the same content, but they'll still remain a vital tool for a while to come.

yes im certain it will be doable or else students would start complaining to NESA and they'd have to write the syllabus again to make it both doable and a way to prepare students for uni

You will still have to write a narrative but in Mod C

The "old syllabus" is retarded imo, mainly because it contained a tonne of bullcrap which would not prove any proper understanding. Sciences in particular when you have to know the scientists' history and random usefulness to society crap which has no relevant to uni. English was also retarded because u had to choose 2 related texts for advanced (3 for standard) and you had to do an area of study bullshit of manipulating the concept of "discovery" which had no usefulness to anything and answering short answer responses, a creative and an essay. I mean the essay was ok because I guess you are debating your side but the creative wasn't useful at all

The reasons for why the syllabus is changing (imo):
-prepare students for uni better
-getting rid of so much useless information in the current syllabus
-try to get people more involved the real world (i think)
-most schools can't seem to get all of content taught by HSC trials so by changing the curriculum, they make it more "time efficient"

As for past papers, don't worry if there's not heaps, I'm sure u can still do well. Know your content inside out and every syllabus dotpoint. People still did well in 2015 when there were hardly discovery past papers (although there was belonging)

 

[_Anonymous]

Ahh I see. Maybe it's not so bad after all, thanks a lot for your help guys

 

[Jaxxnuts]

Hey guys

When will the new maths syllabus get released?

Thanks all x