ATAR Notes: Forum
National Education => General National Education Discussion => Topic started by: owidjaja on June 03, 2018, 04:13:48 pm
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Hey guys, (not sure if this is the correct place to ask my question)
I picked up a Monash University Undergrad guide from Career Expo and I forgot to ask the Student Ambassador the HSC equivalent of these VCE subjects (that also happen to be prerequisites). Can anyone here name the HSC equivalent of these VCE subjects:
English: Units 3 and 4 (study score of at least 30 in English EAL or 25 in English other than EAL)
Maths: Units 3 and 4 (study score of at least 25 in Mathematical Methods (any) or Specialist Mathematics)
Plus, what exactly does 'units 3 and 4' mean in the context of chemistry and physics?
Thanks in advance :)
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Hey guys, (not sure if this is the correct place to ask my question)
I picked up a Monash University Undergrad guide from Career Expo and I forgot to ask the Student Ambassador the HSC equivalent of these VCE subjects (that also happen to be prerequisites). Can anyone here name the HSC equivalent of these VCE subjects:
English: Units 3 and 4 (study score of at least 30 in English EAL or 25 in English other than EAL)
Maths: Units 3 and 4 (study score of at least 25 in Mathematical Methods (any) or Specialist Mathematics)
Plus, what exactly does 'units 3 and 4' mean in the context of chemistry and physics?
Thanks in advance :)
I think that they would translate roughly into a band 3 in English, a Band 3 in Maths Ext 1 or Ext 2.
Unit 3/4 is just the Units that are normally completed in year 12.
Most people do, say, Physics 1/2 in Year 11 and Physics 3/4 in Year 12.
Units 3 and 4 are the respective equivalent of the HSC level subjects.
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Hey guys, (not sure if this is the correct place to ask my question)
I picked up a Monash University Undergrad guide from Career Expo and I forgot to ask the Student Ambassador the HSC equivalent of these VCE subjects (that also happen to be prerequisites). Can anyone here name the HSC equivalent of these VCE subjects:
English: Units 3 and 4 (study score of at least 30 in English EAL or 25 in English other than EAL)
Maths: Units 3 and 4 (study score of at least 25 in Mathematical Methods (any) or Specialist Mathematics)
Plus, what exactly does 'units 3 and 4' mean in the context of chemistry and physics?
Thanks in advance :)
For Maths- Methods is equal to 2U, and Specialist is equivalent to 3U :) (We don't have an VCE equivalent of 4U unless you count uni extension maths haha :) )
For English- I believe that's just equivalent to English Std or Adv :)
Units 3 and 4 are just the terms VCAA (the governing VCE body- similar to NESA I think) use to represent semester 1 and 2 of a school year for year 12, similar to units 1 and 2 are just semester names for year 11 here in Vic, so U3/4 VCE Chem and Physics would just be equivalent to your HSC Chem and Physics :)
+S200 beat me to explaining the study scores :)
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Just on this, would people be interested in learning more about other states' systems?
So like, Victorians could learn about how the NSW subjects work and stuff, and vice versa. This forum has so much collective knowledge - it seems a shame for things to be isolated by state. And each state has some interesting things. For example, NSW doesn't have Psychology as a subject, but has way more enrolments for History subjects.
Could be interesting?
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Just on this, would people be interested in learning more about other states' systems?
So like, Victorians could learn about how the NSW subjects work and stuff, and vice versa. This forum has so much collective knowledge - it seems a shame for things to be isolated by state. And each state has some interesting things. For example, NSW doesn't have Psychology as a subject, but has way more enrolments for History subjects.
Could be interesting?
I’d be down! Sometimes the Victorian system is confusing – would love to learn more :-)
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Just on this, would people be interested in learning more about other states' systems?
So like, Victorians could learn about how the NSW subjects work and stuff, and vice versa. This forum has so much collective knowledge - it seems a shame for things to be isolated by state. And each state has some interesting things. For example, NSW doesn't have Psychology as a subject, but has way more enrolments for History subjects.
Could be interesting?
I have actually just assumed the other states have a very similar system. Now that I know that they do vary quite a bit I am Intrigued to learn more.
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I have actually just assumed the other states have a very similar system. Now that I know that they do vary quite a bit I am Intrigued to learn more.
The curriculum is set to mostly be the same. However, the actual way it gets run is VERY different, especially in the final 2 years of high school.
I think it was still fairly recent when education got moved from each states' individual responsibility to being a Federal one?
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Queensland's system is very interesting -- I had a friend who studied in Queensland and got an OP of 3 which is equivalent to a ~95 ATAR but for those interested, here's the general overview on how they calculate the OP.
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Queensland's system is very interesting -- I had a friend who studied in Queensland and got an OP of 3 which is equivalent to a ~95 ATAR but for those interested, here's the general overview on how they calculate the OP.
I forgot. Does Lauren approve of the Qld system again?
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I forgot. Does Lauren approve of the Qld system again?
Me = puppy
Stairs = the Qld curriculum
(https://i.imgur.com/h0c1mwB.gif)
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Me = puppy
Stairs = the Qld curriculum
(https://i.imgur.com/h0c1mwB.gif)
In that case we do not ever bring the Qld curriculum up on the forum ever again :D
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For Maths- Methods is equal to 2U, and Specialist is equivalent to 3U :) (We don't have an VCE equivalent of 4U unless you count uni extension maths haha :) )
For English- I believe that's just equivalent to English Std or Adv :)
Units 3 and 4 are just the terms VCAA (the governing VCE body- similar to NESA I think) use to represent semester 1 and 2 of a school year for year 12, similar to units 1 and 2 are just semester names for year 11 here in Vic, so U3/4 VCE Chem and Physics would just be equivalent to your HSC Chem and Physics :)
+S200 beat me to explaining the study scores :)
Specialist actually equals to both 3/4U in HSC level since in 3U you don't cover topics like complex numbers (besides specialist maths do get a reference sheet on things like complex numbers and further integrals if I could remember correctly, however us doing 4U/Ext 2 do not have that luxury so it may potentially be harder for us doing the highest HSC maths lvl
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Specialist actually equals to both 3/4U in HSC level since in 3U you don't cover topics like complex numbers (besides specialist maths do get a reference sheet on things like complex numbers and further integrals if I could remember correctly, however us doing 4U/Ext 2 do not have that luxury so it may potentially be harder for us doing the highest HSC maths lvl
Just because the topics (i.e. the content) look like they're in 4U, doesn't mean the difficulty is. Complex numbers and mechanics are the only 4U things I know of that are in spesh, and to varying extents I feel like the complex numbers they do is easier.
Content doesn't equate to much. It's the difficulty that does. Just like how VCE have the better sciences with reasonable difficulty, HSC have the better maths.
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Just because the topics (i.e. the content) look like they're in 4U, doesn't mean the difficulty is. Complex numbers and mechanics are the only 4U things I know of that are in spesh, and to varying extents I feel like the complex numbers they do is easier.
Content doesn't equate to much. It's the difficulty that does. Just like how VCE have the better sciences with reasonable difficulty, HSC have the better maths.
Yeah I agree, I really disliked the way the science syllabus is structured for the HSC (the one I am doing right now).... I kinda wish I did the new syllabus since it is so much better and far more interesting
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Question. How does VCE Physics compare with HSC Physics?
Remember you will get a formula sheet you can substitute into on the day, so no need to memorise anything! :)
Are you allowed to take in your own summary sheet on top of this?
Are you allowed as many pages as we are?
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Question. How does VCE Physics compare with HSC Physics?
Are you allowed to take in your own summary sheet on top of this?
Are you allowed as many pages as we are?
The only way I can describe HSC Physics is that there are a lot of short answer questions and most of the time, you need to include the formulae in your response and explain how the formula helps explain the concept. For example, they can ask about special relativity question (usually subbing numbers into a formula) then the second part will ask you to explain the limitations of one of the special relativity formulae and you generally need to include the formula itself in your response. But history based questions are common, like they can ask a 6-mark question on the social and political forces on Planck and Einstein. It's kinda an inside joke that physics is essentially a history subject. But supposedly, the old syllabus took out most of the math components to accomodate for those who don't do math, but I would argue that math is essential in physics (like how the periodic table is essential in Chemistry). However, they're bringing back math in the new syllabus.
We don't get summary sheets, we get formula and data sheet, and the periodic table. These are the only things the examiners will provide so we're not allowed to bring anything into the exam.
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But history based questions are common, like they can ask a 6-mark question on the social and political forces on Planck and Einstein. It's kinda an inside joke that physics is essentially a history subject.
So Modern history is and Physics are interchangeable? ??? :)
We don't get summary sheets, we get formula and data sheet, and the periodic table. These are the only things the examiners will provide so we're not allowed to bring anything into the exam.
???
I haven't used a periodic table in ages. Is HSC really heavily focused on nuclear stuff?
And no summary sheet? That sucks! We get a double sided A3 sheet we can take in!
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So Modern history is and Physics are interchangeable? ??? :) ???
Kinda. There are some questionable dot points like the example I gave you, or the development of AC and DC and discussing the roles of Westinghouse vs Edison. But those questions aren't the majority- they're usually in the multiple choice or there's one question on the development of something. Most questions are either asking you to sub numbers into a formula or explain how a formula works when applying it to a real-life situation. So, there's barely any math, but you need to have a strong understanding of the formulae.
I haven't used a periodic table in ages. Is HSC really heavily focused on nuclear stuff?
Tbh, I barely use the periodic table. It's probably needed if there's a question on doping semiconductors but I've never used it. Physics doesn't really focus on nuclear stuff. If a school chooses to study Quanta to Quarks as an elective (there are other electives to choose from), you study particle physics and get into a bit of quantum physics (e.g. quarks, muons), a bit on nuclear fusion/fission, and then you look at applications of radioisotopes and the uses of particle accelerators but you only study how they work and its applications rather than go into the chemistry of specific elements. And then there's a syllabus dot point on the Manhattan Project.
Essentially, physics likes to look at how a specific concept works (on a general basis) and then apply it to real-life situations (e.g. medical, agricultural applications) and then they like to ask its impacts on society and environment (these kinds of questions are common since they like to ask you to discuss its uses).