Spesh with no 1/2?

[Darth Vader]

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[nice!]

I'd say it's not impossible if you work hard enough, but it's unlikely. This also depends on what you mean by "pretty well" due to the scaling.

A lot of the content is building on from the 1/2 such as complex numbers, vectors, and mechanics (as well as the 1/2 being assumed knowledge), so you would probs have to do a fair bit of work to overcome this problem. However, the content from 1/2 itself isn't too difficult, so maybe you should look over what's relevant from the 1/2 and do some chapter reviews from the textbook??

I know one person who did do the 3/4 without the 1/2 and scored a 29, scaled to about 40, so if you're happy with that, a good score is possible.

Additionally, if you've already completed methods 3/4 you would be better equipped for spec 3/4 without the 1/2 (especially due to the probability and stats topics).

[Vaike]

Hi!! It's definitely possible, I didn't do Units 1/2 and got 43, and I had a friend who didn't do 1/2 either and got 48! So its definitely still possible to do well without 1/2, although it is definitely more difficult, I wished multiple times throughout the year that I had, as it required large time investments. Either way, if you enjoy math and think you'll have the time or passion to really invest yourself in the subject, I think it's a great option to consider.

[manti27]

Hey I was in the same boat with "Darth Vader" and was wondering if there were any topics I should cover beforehand from 1/2 before starting Spesh 3/4 or just start 3/4 on its own.

[Sine]

I think starting 3/4 spec on it's own is alright if you are doing decently enough in maths. The topics you should probably cover from 1/2 are complex numbers, basics of vectors, graphing conic sections (circle/ellipses/hyperbolas). If you don't know them already learn the rules of differentiation and integration.

[Vaike]

Yeah I agree with Sine, it is possible to pick up everything as you do the course with 1/2 Methods knowledge. However, I do wish that I had covered vectors in particular, as the concepts involved are unlike any of those studied in Methods, and can be quite difficult to understand conceptually the first time you learn it. Thus, I'd suggest having a look at vectors if you have any spare time over the break.