When is everyone starting practice exams?

[fridge]

Our school will be finishing most courses in 4-5 weeks, after which I suppose we'll just be doing revision. But knowing how many practice exams there are available (most of which I want to complete), I'm wandering whether I should start earlier. Of course this means I'll have to self-teach myself the last few topics of my subjects, which may be pressing considering the number of SACs around this time...

When is (or maybe has already) everyone getting into practice papers? Are you starting before or after your school finishes the course? Just trying to get a gauge of where I should be. 

[Shenz0r]

Start practise exams when you finish the course. You said that you'll finish most of them by late August, that leaves 2 months and a bit to revise, which is plenty of time. You will be able to get more than enough practise exams done by then.

When I was in Year 12, I started Unit 3 practise exams in late April-Early May for midyears in early June. Then for end-of-year exams:

-Started Methods practise exams after I finished the course in September
-Started English practise essays after my last SAC in October
-Started Chemistry exams after I finished most of the course in September I think (did all NEAP review questions before my practise exams though)
-Started Biology exams in October (after Douchy's Bio podcast finished, and did all NEAP review questions before as well)
-Started French written practise exams in my week break between my Chemistry and French exams

[Yacoubb]

I'm completing all my Further Maths course + Unit 4 Biology course by the end of the term. During those holidays and up to the exams, I'll be immersed in practice exams. Also, throughout this term, I'm hoping to complete some practice exams for Bio since I did only about 5 during the mid-year. If I can do about 5 more throughout this term and have done 10 before I start unit 4 and more unit 3 practice exams.

Further Maths I'm pretty much going to do about 60 practice exams for exam 1 and 60 for exam 2 which I'll start immediately after I finish my last Matrices SAC. Unfortunately my Biology SACs span out up till my last one being exactly 10 days before the exam. Quite annoying considering my studying will be interrupted by a Biology SAC. Oh well, we just have to work with what we have!

Its overwhelming thinking I have exams in 100 days! And I only have 3 VCAA exams lol! Best of luck yr 12s.

[clıppy]

Its overwhelming thinking I have exams in 100 days! And I only have 3 VCAA exams lol! Best of luck yr 12s.

Best of luck year 12s for sure.
I feel infinitely lucky to only have 3 VCAA exams to worry about as well.

That said doing checkpoints questions for revision now and then can amount to completing a couple practice exams worth. For the science subjects since this year is different, you can already jump into any past unit 3 exams (which I should probably get around to doing) to get a headstart.

[Yacoubb]

Best of luck year 12s for sure.
I feel infinitely lucky to only have 3 VCAA exams to worry about as well.

That said doing checkpoints questions for revision now and then can amount to completing a couple practice exams worth. For the science subjects since this year is different, you can already jump into any past unit 3 exams (which I should probably get around to doing) to get a headstart.

Have you done any unit 3 practice exams? I've done about 5 for Biology and hoping to do 5 over this term. I'm planning to do 45 practice exams for unit 3 and 45 for unit 4.

[clıppy]

Have you done any unit 3 practice exams? I've done about 5 for Biology and hoping to do 5 over this term. I'm planning to do 45 practice exams for unit 3 and 45 for unit 4.

I've only done 2 chem practice exams so far. I've got to up my game.
45? You're crazy. You've got to get them. And what about the time constraints regarding doing them all and correcting them.

Unless...I just don't know how this all works

[Yacoubb]

I've only done 2 chem practice exams so far. I've got to up my game.
45? You're crazy. You've got to get them. And what about the time constraints regarding doing them all and correcting them.

Unless...I just don't know how this all works

I'm planning on (study days) doing 2 Biology practice exams and 2 Further Maths practice exams per day. On average; this gives me roughly 20 days to finish practice exams; I have about a month all up to study. Plus, integrated into that time of doing practice exams is actually revising the material (especially for Bio). It'll be really full-on, but it'll be over before we know it so its probably best we go beast!

I'm hoping to finish 45 for Unit 3 and 45 for Unit 4, and then 60 for exam 1 Further and 60 for exam 2 Further. I have about 2 days between Further exam 1 and 2, which I'll be doing about 15 exam 2s of Further over the two days so I can really familiarise myself with the set out *sighs* So much to do, so little time.

[clıppy]

Wow you're really going full on!
I feel like I have to up my game now.

So much to do, so little time.

Story of my life

[Billion]

Where do you get specific unit 3 *OR* unit 4 exams?

[Yacoubb]

Where do you get specific unit 3 *OR* unit 4 exams?

I've actually been given a LOT by a friend who did Further and Biology last year I've also found more on the internet, study guides, etc.

[shadows]

I'm planning on (study days) doing 2 Biology practice exams and 2 Further Maths practice exams per day. On average; this gives me roughly 20 days to finish practice exams; I have about a month all up to study. Plus, integrated into that time of doing practice exams is actually revising the material (especially for Bio). It'll be really full-on, but it'll be over before we know it so its probably best we go beast!

I'm hoping to finish 45 for Unit 3 and 45 for Unit 4, and then 60 for exam 1 Further and 60 for exam 2 Further. I have about 2 days between Further exam 1 and 2, which I'll be doing about 15 exam 2s of Further over the two days so I can really familiarise myself with the set out *sighs* So much to do, so little time.

Wow! doing 4 exams a day is ALOT!

Just be mindful that doing more practice exams doesn't equate to higher score. I think doing 20+ is already more than enough.

The most important part is the correction process. You need to learn from your mistakes or you will keep making them.

My teacher said that you need to fully correct and understand every single question from that exam paper before you move onto the next. Be prepared to spend quite a lot of time actually correcting it, and noting your mistakes so that you can avoid making them in the future.

4 practice exams + correction is really crazy. Maybe you can try it for yourself but I honestly think it will be counterproductive. (I'm not sure how long the exams are for further or bio. Say, 90 mins, 4 exams. thats 6 hours without taking correction into consideration.

It is a period of time where you need to be a optimum performance. Working soo hard, (esp the 15 exams over the 2 days before your Further Exam 2) can really play a big detriment to your score. You will be really exhausted! When exam period beings, I think light reviewing is fine, but don't do anything that will make you exhausted.

This is only my point of view and what I've heard from others. I haven't started practise exams, I might be wrong.
Maybe past year 12s can agree/ disagree with what I think... because I would hate to give you bad advice...

[Yacoubb]

Wow! doing 4 exams a day is ALOT!

Just be mindful that doing more practice exams doesn't equate to higher score. I think doing 20+ is already more than enough.

The most important part is the correction process. You need to learn from your mistakes or you will keep making them.

My teacher said that you need to fully correct and understand every single question from that exam paper before you move onto the next. Be prepared to spend quite a lot of time actually correcting it, and noting your mistakes so that you can avoid making them in the future.

4 practice exams + correction is really crazy. Maybe you can try it for yourself but I honestly think it will be counterproductive. (I'm not sure how long the exams are for further or bio. Say, 90 mins, 4 exams. thats 6 hours without taking correction into consideration.

It is a period of time where you need to be a optimum performance. Working soo hard, (esp the 15 exams over the 2 days before your Further Exam 2) can really play a big detriment to your score. You will be really exhausted! When exam period beings, I think light reviewing is fine, but don't do anything that will make you exhausted.

This is only my point of view and what I've heard from others. I haven't started practise exams, I might be wrong.
Maybe past year 12s can agree/ disagree with what I think... because I would hate to give you bad advice...

I see what you mean. Look, I say I'm doing that many but I guarantee you I wont be doing them all. Of course, corrections are imperative; I spent about 3 hours correcting a practice STAV Biology exam which I dismally screwed up on and basically took not of all the things I got wrong, placed them on a piece of paper.

And for me I do better with the more application; i.e. more practice exams. I think that I do want to do the 60 for Further though; its because I'd rather do practice exams and expose myself to so many questions. Biology, though, would be more-so revising notes and going over correcting practice exams.

I appreciate your advice though

[Alwin]

Hmm, well it does kind of depend on what subject you are preparing for, and whether you are in year 11 or 12 (@fridge).

Personally, last year I did 25-35 practise exams each for methods and physics, beginning ~2 months before each exam (remember I had a mid year for physics) but that's just me.
It also does nicely tie in with my next point, if you are studying for a subject that used to have a mid-year (the sciences + accounting) then I would do unit 3 practise exams as soon as I finished unit 3. For me, this year I have done some 5-6 unit 3 chem exams. This is especially important because some unit 3 subjects are completely different from the unit 4 (eg physics), and you need to do the practise exams in order to effectively remember the unit 3 content.

My next point is checkpoints. Again, with my anecdotes: I actually have 3 checkpoints for spesh haha, 2013, 2009 (finished already) and 2004. A bit excessive I know, but the overlap of the three books contains pretty much all the past vcaa qs from 1994 - 2012. I'm completely each section of the checkpoints book (in order of topics we're learning). This gives me a good idea of the exam-style questions.

English is a bit different, I personally would NOT do endless practise exams. Instead, I would practise planning responses, 5min per prompt since I find this more productive than mechanically writing essays. But that's just my personal view!

Finally, just two last point on practise exams:
1. To them under time conditions
2. KEEP A RECORD OF YOUR MISTAKES!! Right it down in a book, or on a specific sheet of paper!! This makes sure I don't keep on making the same mistakes and learn from them!

And good luck!

[Shenz0r]

100 exams for Units 3 and 4 is a bit of an overload for Biology. You don't need to do that much.

I recall doing like 15-25 exams for each unit of Biology and Chemistry. You don't need to do all exams under practise conditions in Year 12. Just do all the VCAA ones under practise exam conditions, at least 4-5 of the VCAA past exams should be enough for you to practise your timing.

For methods, you probably will end up doing much more practise exams - maybe around 30 or so? I didn't even take count, but I only ever did the VCAA exams under conditions. I just did all the other commercial exams as normal revision.

Also, remember guys: learning from your exams is much more beneficial than just doing a heap of practise exams for the sake of it. Keep a logbook with every single one of your mistakes from every practise exam you complete, and write down why you were wrong and what you should do to avoid the mistake next time.

During SWOTVAC in Year 12, I would do something like 3-4 practise exams + logbooking a day. That was my absolute limit, my bran would turn into mush after that.

Anyway guys, make sure that with each practise exam you learn something new - there's no use just doing an exam, writing down your mark and discarding it!

EDIT: On the note of English, I agree with Alwin - practise your essay writing first, and then once you're comfortable with your writing and you feel as if you've hit your limit, start writing detailed plans for the practise text response and context prompts!

[shadows]

For methods, which company papers did you start with?

Do you do VCAA last?

How did you get all your practice exams?
Does your school provide it or do you have it get it on your own?