What it takes to ace VCD?

[Cammmeron!]

Hey Guys.

One of my biggest concerns for year 12 this year is that the study score for VCD drops a significant amount of points. I've always been passionate when it comes to design and VCD is one of my favorite subjects, however I really want to score at least 40 or more in the subject. For anyone who has managed to get a 40+ in the subject or even a 50, what tips can you give me to ensure I achieve a high study score? and how can I ensure at least an A in my folio and SACS?

[Dejan]

I have no tips for VCD since I've never done VCD before if you want a 40+ aim for A+ on your sacs and exam

[Yendall]

Top Mark your folios but remember to smash the exam. I know people who got 100% on both folios and ended up with 28 SS because they stuffed up the exam.

[Lolly]

(How much percentage of SS is the exam worth?  )

[brenden]

(How much percentage of SS is the exam worth?  )

Your folios get moderated by the exam iirc.

[Yendall]

It all depends on the exam as well. You need to match or come close to the grades you receive on your folio in order for an unmoderated folio. It will affect your SS dramatically if you perform badly.

[Wu]

The exam is worth 45 or 55% IIRC and like what was mentioned above me, your exam score moderates your SAC marks (example: if you bomb the exam, your SAC marks get dragged down because it seems as if your teacher marked you above your actual ability or you ace the exam but your SAC marks were low - the effect is that your SAC marks get marked up because it seemed as if your teacher marked you too harshly and did not match your actual potential).

Have a look at this to see where you think you would be at.
The exam is by far the hardest component.
For now, try and have a clear idea and direction as to where you want your folios to be headed. Do plenty of previous exams and don't be afraid to ask for help on concepts such as: orthogonal, converting from isometric/oblique to orthogonal, shading/shadow/lighting and the elements and principles.

I also highly recommend reading the textbook (the red and yellow Nelson one) because it has all the basics and has an entire chapter that will help you on the SAC about professionals.

Good luck, have fun.

[Cammmeron!]

So I guess the exam is the be all end all regardless of whether or not I do really well in my SACS. For Units 1 and 2 of VCD last year I was the top of my class in terms of grades but then again I applied so much effort compared to other students who were only doing the class because they wanted a "easy" or "kick back" subject. Hopefully If I put the same amount of effort this year the results will show.

The exam is whats worrying me the most to be honest, only because I've heard so many past students complain that the time given to complete the exam isn't enough, apparently that was the case in the 2012 exam. Are there any particular area the VCAA always exam? and what are the best preparation tips?

I know the school year hasn't even started but I'm so stressed out I thought knowing how to be prepared now would pay off in the long run. One last thing, when assessors are marking my folio, do they take into consideration the artistic elements of it? for example do they give higher grades to students who add borders, do some scrap booking etc? or do you only gain a A+ if you've followed the design process really well?

[Wu]

So I guess the exam is the be all end all regardless of whether or not I do really well in my SACS. For Units 1 and 2 of VCD last year I was the top of my class in terms of grades but then again I applied so much effort compared to other students who were only doing the class because they wanted a "easy" or "kick back" subject. Hopefully If I put the same amount of effort this year the results will show.

To simplify, I would answer yes (not to scare you, but to hopefully boost your morale). I was also the top of my class and here is my suggestion: it's better to overdo things with the SAC rather than underdo.
What I mean by that is with your folio, don't be afraid to annotate the hell out of everything. I had a huge paragraph of annotation attached to all of my images in my folio. Annotate what thoughts were going through you while you were changing and creating -- don't forget to underline or highlight the elements and principles.
Go the extra damn mile. For the SAC on professionals, our teacher only required a 300 word essay or powerpoint. I wrote up 3,000 words. Put in enough effort for you to not leave any regrets, whether the SAC is worth 8%, 10% or 50% of your total mark.
Assuming that you are a person that likes writing, you should always answer your theory SACs (which are similar to what you will get on the exam) in full sentences and use the formula of TEEL or Name-Describe-Why-Effect to ensure that you get full marks.

The exam is whats worrying me the most to be honest, only because I've heard so many past students complain that the time given to complete the exam isn't enough, apparently that was the case in the 2012 exam. Are there any particular area the VCAA always exam? and what are the best preparation tips?

It depends on the person. You would have an advantage in the exam if you're a fast writer, an organised person and can manage your time well.
The exam consists of both theory and practical work. Many people don't manage their time well and spend too much time on rendering, shading and perfecting the practical section of the exam.
I thought that the 2012 exam was definitely stranger than previous exams-- just pray that you get a harder exam so that each mark lost is a smaller percentage.

Particular areas:
Orthogonal - this has been on almost every single exam these past few years
Converting oblique/paraline to orthogonal, vice-versa - for example, they give you the orthogonal of a treehouse and wants you to draw it in oblique
Rendering - familiarise yourself with textures, in particular wood, fabric, glass and metal. Minor details such as light reflections give you the extra mark required to get full marks for these types of questions
Answering theory related questions in general - refer to the stickied threads on the forum. Get to know the elements and principles - learn how to answer them. Include what the e/p is, where it is used, why it is used (to draw attention? To emphasise a certain feature?) and what effect it will have on the audience.

I know the school year hasn't even started but I'm so stressed out I thought knowing how to be prepared now would pay off in the long run. One last thing, when assessors are marking my folio, do they take into consideration the artistic elements of it? for example do they give higher grades to students who add borders, do some scrap booking etc? or do you only gain a A+ if you've followed the design process really well?

Stressing is a good thing-- it means that you're willing to commit to a great year of Vis Com ahead of you.
My folios look terrible because I focused on the content rather than the aesthetics. Pick your poison. They should not have any bias in terms of marking but if you want to submit your stuff into Top Arts, pretty them up.

[Cammmeron!]

Thanks for the information Soliloquy, means a lot. I noticed you achieved a 41 in Vis Com, was that before or after scaling? either way its an amazing score. Could you share any study techniques of yours that helped you get 40+ in the class? would mean a lot.

Side note, did you use any particular Vis Com text book? or do you know of one that you could recommend?

Thanks.

[Wu]

Thanks for the information Soliloquy, means a lot. I noticed you achieved a 41 in Vis Com, was that before or after scaling? either way its an amazing score. Could you share any study techniques of yours that helped you get 40+ in the class? would mean a lot.

Side note, did you use any particular Vis Com text book? or do you know of one that you could recommend?

Thanks.

No need to thank me. I got 41 raw/before scaling. It will probably drop down to 38 or so.

Advice, aye?

- There are some study books such as Checkpoints that might assist you as well by giving you extra exam-like questions and suggested solutions. Check the resource section in your school library -- they would probably have it and let you lend it for a few days.
- If it's the exam you're worried about, ask your teacher to give your class a few practice exam runs and spend a lesson or two on going through the answers, why they are correct and why you got some marks taken off. My class did two practice exams. During those two runs, I tried doing the practical questions and ones that have the highest marks first and then doing the exam in order of how it is assembled. You should also try attempting the theory questions first, then the practical ones after and vice-versa to see which way you are most comfortable with.
- Don't be afraid to ask your other classmates for help. Chances are that there will be people that are truly gifted in art who could help you with the practical side of VCD and those who are great with answering theory-type responses.

My school used this:

I can't speak for any other textbooks but this one is quite helpful and informative.

Good luck for the upcoming year of drawing!

[D27RII]

Hey cam

I would say, the most important thing (and maybe even the only thing) required to ace VCD is passion and motivation. It is crucial to be unique and independent and really pursue what you want. The folios offer you a lot of freedom, make sure you are truly selecting a brief that you are 100% interested in rather than choosing something that seems like a "sensible" thing to do.

Although I got 100% on both my folios, there is a marked difference between my first unit 3 folio (a water bottle) and my unit 4 folios (A space ship for a halo-esque fps game) - the first was a sensible, "aw it seems like a nice thing to design" idea while unit 4 was more of a "fuck, I want to make a spaceship" moment. Needless to say, my unit 4 folio was and still is in many respects the pride of my entire time at high school.

I got full marks in both my folios and all my SACs, but as everyone here pointed out - the exam does influence a lot. In the end, I only managed a mid A+ on the exam and got 48 raw - I don't mean to be arrogant. I was stoked with the score in terms of an SS etc etc, but VCD meant more than a subject to me - so I was kind of furious that I did not full mark the exam and get a 50 haha.

For the exam, do as many trial exams as you can - make sure they are all timed and get your teacher to go through them all. I was astonishingly lucky in that my teacher was the second in command to the head VCD assessor, and that year she took a leave from exam writing and hence was allowed to teach VCD to year 12s - she marked all my trial exams, and to have such an experience VCAA assessor go through my exams was invaluable - I suggest trying to get your teacher to go through your trial exams later in the year as well - they help immensely, just make sure you do them timed.

[Cammmeron!]

Thanks for the tips D27RII, and congratulations on the raw 48 SS, that's amazing. I would love to get at least a 45 in VCD, its on of my goals for the year . From someone who managed to get 100% on both folios, have you got any tips that I can use to get 100% or there about? What do the assessors look for? and does scrap booking, making border, decorations etc influence your grade? or is it strictly how well you follow the design process?

One last question, and im sorry to ask so many, does what you design also influence your grade? Hope to hear from you soon,

[D27RII]

Thanks for the tips D27RII, and congratulations on the raw 48 SS, that's amazing. I would love to get at least a 45 in VCD, its on of my goals for the year . From someone who managed to get 100% on both folios, have you got any tips that I can use to get 100% or there about? What do the assessors look for? and does scrap booking, making border, decorations etc influence your grade? or is it strictly how well you follow the design process?

One last question, and im sorry to ask so many, does what you design also influence your grade? Hope to hear from you soon,

DEFINITELY put emphasis on scrap booking and making your folio look pretty. And no, that counts for nothing - assessors don't care about it, but it does two things

1. it let's you have more pride in your folio, which makes a humongous difference in the overall quality
2. it makes it an absolute pleasure for the assessor to go through your folio regardless

Also - don't stress research too much, just integrate it into generation. Keep idea gen very sketchy and fluid, NO NEAT diagrams in idea gen - just pages and pages of endless scribbles. Don't forget to make a brain storm and annotate your design brief to fulfil the design process stage of "understanding the communication need"

Have fun with idea development - polish your ideas into 3 main concepts, and select one - this should be a short section

GO CRAZY at idea refinement, should be the longest part of you folio - post looooots of screenshots of you hard at work on the adobe cs suite into your folio to show digital refinement and progression of your ideas

[Teacher17]

I am a VCD teacher with many years experience.

Please note that there is a new course in 2013. While much of the content is similar, there are new course requirements. The text book mentioned above is excellent but was written for the previous course. There are two new texts - i have only bought one to date -'viscomm' by Jacinta Patterson and Joanne Saville. It is very good and written by very experienced VCD teachers. You can get it on the Cambridge Books website.

My tips: don't waste too much time on prettying-up your developmental work. Keep page layout neat and consistent and include plenty of content - show lots of varied and imaginative ideas, using all elements and principles and a good range of methods, media and materials. Include meaningful annotations that show genuine confidence and familiarity with VCD terminology.

The students of mine who get the high exam marks are always the ones who work hard all year, get passionate about the subject, do plenty of prac exams, get me to mark them and make appointments to go through them with me one-on-one. Write concise information-laden responses to short answer questions - examiners can see through waffle (ie. Don't say "in this design the elements used are...." and similar word-wasting phrases; get to the point.

It's the best subject...enjoy!