HSC Stuff > HSC Software Design and Development
HSC Software Design and Development Question Thread
liam.berkovsky:
How should I be preparing and studying for upcoming HSC and Trials?
Also is this a subject where I should be making study notes? I have made notes on the first two chapters of the Samuel Davis textbook but they are very long and time-consuming
Personally, my best areas are questions relating to algorithms, I sometimes struggle with diagrams and those long difficult short answer questions
Thanks!!
DrDusk:
--- Quote from: liam.berkovsky on May 21, 2019, 06:49:52 pm ---How should I be preparing and studying for upcoming HSC and Trials?
Also is this a subject where I should be making study notes? I have made notes on the first two chapters of the Samuel Davis textbook but they are very long and time-consuming
Personally, my best areas are questions relating to algorithms, I sometimes struggle with diagrams and those long difficult short answer questions
Thanks!!
--- End quote ---
Don't bother making notes, it is not necessary. What I would suggest is hammer out hard algorithms and chart questions, especially ones from Independent trials. If you don't have them I can email them to you. Then about say 2-3 weeks before your trial you want to start memorizing the Sam Davis textbook.
You need to be really selective with what to memorize because the Sam D textbook sometimes has useless information, so in each chapter look at each sub-heading memorize the relevant lines relating to:
Purpose
Effect on society/developer etc
Advantages & Disadvantages
When you feel like you've memorized some relevant sections, go on a website called hscsearch.com which was actually developed by my SDD teacher. Type in a keyword and you should get questions relevant to what you have memorized.
The best way for most to understand theory is probably what I mentioned above but personally I did something different, and this is slightly dodgy. I just went through each paper starting from 2001 to 2017 and looked at each short answer question, found its relevant section in the textbook, and memorized the sample answer and what the textbook said.
If your best area is questions relating to algorithms then you've already got all the hard stuff nailed down.
What do you mean when you say long difficult short answer questions? give me an example
Coolmate:
Hi everyone,
I'm in year 11 and I have a test coming up on content for CH 4 : Defining and Understanding the Problem Designing and Planning the Solution (Samuel Davis book) Systems Modelling Tools, Representation of integers in Decimal, Binary, Hexadecimal formats, Data Types, Data Structures and Structured Algorithms. Does anyone have any past advice or helpful tips on what the crucial/ main elements of each are so I can study effectively?
Cheers ;)
DrDusk:
--- Quote from: Coolmate on May 23, 2019, 06:30:38 pm ---Hi everyone,
I'm in year 11 and I have a test coming up on content for CH 4 : Defining and Understanding the Problem Designing and Planning the Solution (Samuel Davis book) Systems Modelling Tools, Representation of integers in Decimal, Binary, Hexadecimal formats, Data Types, Data Structures and Structured Algorithms. Does anyone have any past advice or helpful tips on what the crucial/ main elements of each are so I can study effectively?
Cheers ;)
--- End quote ---
That's so weird how your test is just based on one chapter..
System Modelling tools:
Know their brief definitions, how they convey the software/system and their purpose like how they help the developer etc
Know how to draw each of them for a given scenario. Most likely you will be asked a DFD/Context Diagram, and Structure chart, so make sure you pay most attention to them. System flowcharts and IPO's aren't asked as much but make sure you can draw them as well.
A very common question is asking you to convert code to the structure chart/flowchart and vice versa, especially in the MC
Representation of integers:
This parts very basic, just know whatever the textbook says. Quite straightforward
Formats, Data Types, Data Structures
Data types is quite straightforward, just know them all and the different types of data they represent. E.g Double can contain an int but they are different.
Data structures is the same, know them and what type of data each can store, noting restrictions such as an array which can only have one data type. Know why one would be favourable over another etc. A very common type of question would be where they give you a scenario and tell you to recommend a data structure - there was one in the 2018 HSC q28! Make sure you know how to use them properly in writing algorithms.
Know your control structures as those are common MC questions
Structured algorithms
This section is quite basic in the prelim course but gets really difficult in the HSC course. You may have to reproduce these algorithms in an exam so make sure you have them memorised. However it would be more helpful if you understand how they work so you can reproduce one without the need to memorise.
A very common question would be they give you an algorithm and ask you to identify the mistakes and correct them, so its important for you to be able to analyse code for errors.
If you need help with a question just post it up here and I'll get to you.
Other than that practise your algorithm writing skills and good luck! :)
saloni.aphale:
Hi,
could someone please email harder chart and algorithm questions please. Thank you
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