ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => Victorian Education Discussion => Topic started by: qshyrn on August 26, 2009, 03:36:38 pm

Title: Using pen/Pencil in VCAA exams...
Post by: qshyrn on August 26, 2009, 03:36:38 pm
People say don't use pencil cuz someone nasty might rub out your answers...
this is so annoying cause i tend to make mistakes!
Do they also take marks off you if you use pencil??
Title: Re: Using pen/Pencil in VCAA exams...
Post by: mypurpleundercracka on August 26, 2009, 03:40:25 pm
i seriously doubt they'd take marks off
Title: Re: Using pen/Pencil in VCAA exams...
Post by: qshyrn on August 26, 2009, 03:44:55 pm
i seriously doubt they'd take marks off
well i suppose the examiners can't read pencil if they are old +half blind
Title: Re: Using pen/Pencil in VCAA exams...
Post by: doboman on August 26, 2009, 03:45:35 pm
People say don't use pencil cuz someone nasty might rub out your answers...
this is so annoying cause i tend to make mistakes!
Do they also take marks off you if you use pencil??

You can use pencil of you wish. I did, and didn't loose any marks for doing so. English exam, however, you MUST use pen.
Title: Re: Using pen/Pencil in VCAA exams...
Post by: qshyrn on August 26, 2009, 04:01:31 pm
why is there a 'MUST' for the english exam?
Title: Re: Using pen/Pencil in VCAA exams...
Post by: dekoyl on August 26, 2009, 04:04:47 pm
I don't think you have to use pen for any exam other then English.
Rubbing your work out? Who would do that (unless the examiner happened to be someone that knows you by recognising your VCAA number... or your teacher may lurk around the exam hall after you guys are done and sabotage your exam OH SHI)?

why is there a 'MUST' for the english exam?
Because when you write 10 pages in blunt pencil, your sweaty hands dragging across the page as you write and the examiners having to read a few hundred pages of essays, it tends to get a bit hard to read.
Title: Re: Using pen/Pencil in VCAA exams...
Post by: Fyrefly on August 26, 2009, 06:05:59 pm

I wrote Legal Studies and English in pen; Spec, Methods, Physics and Accounting in pencil... whichever you prefer, really :)
Title: Re: Using pen/Pencil in VCAA exams...
Post by: TrueTears on August 26, 2009, 06:10:08 pm
Just out of curiosity, would they take marks off if you didn't use pen for the English exam? :P
Title: Re: Using pen/Pencil in VCAA exams...
Post by: methodsboy on August 26, 2009, 06:50:52 pm
Just out of curiosity, would they take marks off if you didn't use pen for the English exam? :P
why would you though? pen is smooth (espesh a parker pen)
Title: Re: Using pen/Pencil in VCAA exams...
Post by: TrueTears on August 26, 2009, 06:56:01 pm
I make heaps of mistake I wouldn't want to cross out every 3rd word lol
Title: Re: Using pen/Pencil in VCAA exams...
Post by: Fyrefly on August 26, 2009, 07:10:47 pm
I make heaps of mistake I wouldn't want to cross out every 3rd word lol

Knowing you TT, come the actual English exam, you'll basically be regurgitating bits and pieces of the dozens of practice exams you've already done... if all goes well, only about a dozen lines of your essays will be new material.

More generally though, you really don't have time to be that much of a perfectionist... if you keep trying to re-phrase what you've written, you probably won't get finished...
Title: Re: Using pen/Pencil in VCAA exams...
Post by: polky on August 26, 2009, 07:19:07 pm
Pencil is not recommended because markers usually mark through the night to reach deadlines. This means that they will be using strong desklamp lights shining on the paper, and pencil graphite is rather reflective and hard to read.  Pen is easier to read.  Pencil creates smudges, and rubbing out pencil isn't as definite as crossing out as it leaves marks and stuff.

I used pen for all my exams except for any graph drawing.  Practiced through the year using pen for maths, chem etc (I had used pencil for math ever since grade 1) specifically for this purpose :P
Title: Re: Using pen/Pencil in VCAA exams...
Post by: iamdan08 on August 27, 2009, 09:15:56 am
I used pen for Lit and Texts & Traditions, but pencil for the rest! Just do what you feel comfortable with. As long as you make sure you're using a decent quality pen/pencil it won't matter to much.
Title: Re: Using pen/Pencil in VCAA exams...
Post by: darkphoenix on August 30, 2009, 09:06:11 pm
Yeah its probably strongly recommended to use pen for English exams because of what everyone said about smudging and the ease or rubbing out.

But for others i think pencil is fine, i used pencil for my accounting one.