Can I do my HSC in pencil? (2 Viewers)

[runnable]

Are you kidding? Who has time to write a draft for every question?

And I already applied for special provisions, which is why I said I wasn't allowed to use it.

I plan only for essay questions. i wouldn't waste time planning even for a 6 marker. But I remember I did plan on a 8 marker once.

 

[Just.Snaz]

Yea but in most subjects you answer the short answer questions in the exam booklet with a specific number of lines for each question

Guys, I'm pretty sure Snaz was referring to general short answer questions where you actually write in the lines provided. Coz, y'know, that would make sense when he/she said about "writing on the margins".

Edit: Beaten to it! >_>

lol yeah.. that is what i meant.. shoulda been clearer

 

[kevinx2]

+1 get a ruler and put one line straight through the paragraph. Done.

Don't use a ruler, takes up precious seconds - getting the ruler, aligning the ruler to the page, lining your pen/pencil up etc

One quick line through the paragraph will suffice

 

[Evilo]

Don't use a ruler, takes up precious seconds - getting the ruler, aligning the ruler to the page, lining your pen/pencil up etc

One quick line through the paragraph will suffice

lol getting to specifics here.

 

[darkwolfzx]

 

[cem]

As a marker I would strongly advise against using pencil for oine simple reason - the lighting in the marking centres is often not that great so it can be hard to read pencil, particularly if it is light.

Please use pen.

 

[allyoop]

i never use pencil lol, even for diagrams, filling in the blanks, crosswords, etc. hehe

i strongly think that you should use pen. if your writing is THAT messy, the markers at the centre will call in your class teacher to read it, (after all, she/he has marked your essays for 2 years, so they should know how to) my history teacher told me this, so don't worry too much about it.

i highly doubt they would have allowed you to use a laptop for this. the key reason is because people normally type faster than they write, and there is nothing wrong with your hands (e.g. if you have a broken right arm and you are right-handed, you should be entitled to one) the only excuse you have is you have messy handwriting. goodness, everyone in the state can say that too and be entitled to a laptop. i guess you'll just have to deal?

special provisions is only for seriously important cases- theres something happening at home, you're too sick to come (in that case a bos staff member must take the test to your home so you can do it), your in hospital, a friend died and you are grieving, my example earlier about breaking an arm, etc. i highly doubt that messy handwriting would have gotten you a laptop, so i'm not surprised.

anyway, i hope my somewhat long reply helped.

 

[kthxbambi]

not to hijack the thread...
is this brook steven from KCAHS!

 

[emytaylor164]

If you make a mistake use that white out tape stuff, it is cheap anyway.

 

[cem]

i never use pencil lol, even for diagrams, filling in the blanks, crosswords, etc. hehe

i strongly think that you should use pen. if your writing is THAT messy, the markers at the centre will call in your class teacher to read it, (after all, she/he has marked your essays for 2 years, so they should know how to) my history teacher told me this, so don't worry too much about it.

i highly doubt they would have allowed you to use a laptop for this. the key reason is because people normally type faster than they write, and there is nothing wrong with your hands (e.g. if you have a broken right arm and you are right-handed, you should be entitled to one) the only excuse you have is you have messy handwriting. goodness, everyone in the state can say that too and be entitled to a laptop. i guess you'll just have to deal?

special provisions is only for seriously important cases- theres something happening at home, you're too sick to come (in that case a bos staff member must take the test to your home so you can do it), your in hospital, a friend died and you are grieving, my example earlier about breaking an arm, etc. i highly doubt that messy handwriting would have gotten you a laptop, so i'm not surprised.

anyway, i hope my somewhat long reply helped.

I don't knoe where your history teacher got the idea that your teacher would be called in to read your essays.

I have been marking since 1992 and this has never happened and I have read some really awful writing - ones that required two of us to sit together to attempt to work out one or two words per line (and sometimes even less than that).

What we work out the words to be is what we mark.

Think about the cost - considering that students sit this exam all over the world. It would be unfair to call in the teachers in Sydney but not in Samoa, Italy etc.

Who would pay the airfares - the student, the teacher, the BOS.

This is an urban myth and simply doesn't happen in my experience.

I have actually read this here before and mentioned it to the Supervisor of Marking for both Modern History and English last year and they both laughed and said definitely not.

If your work can't be read then it is marked accordingly.

People get word processors for their exams if they have a physical difficulty, not due to poor handwriting.

 

[cem]

are there consequences if you do write the exam in pencil

If you mean do you get a mark penalty - no.

If you use a light pencil it is often hard to read and markers may struggle in the poor lighting in the animal sheds at the showground.

 

[harryboyles]

Yea but in most subjects you answer the short answer questions in the exam booklet with a specific number of lines for each question

You're not restricted to using the number of lines provided for each question. It's only a recommendation of how long a concise, to-the-point, answer that answers the question should be. If you run out of lines, you can use the space below, or if you need more room than that, you can use the answer booklets that they have. I'd put a note on the actual question noting that you've continued the answer on an extra booklet, so the marker knows that there is another part of your answer (although they should already have it there, I would think).

 

[Evilo]

If you mean do you get a mark penalty - no.

If you use a light pencil it is often hard to read and markers may struggle in the poor lighting in the animal sheds at the showground.

quoted for truth.

 

[cem]

You're not restricted to using the number of lines provided for each question. It's only a recommendation of how long a concise, to-the-point, answer that answers the question should be. If you run out of lines, you can use the space below, or if you need more room than that, you can use the answer booklets that they have. I'd put a note on the actual question noting that you've continued the answer on an extra booklet, so the marker knows that there is another part of your answer (although they should already have it there, I would think).

So long as the supervisors of the exam centre and you label everything properly then the booklet will be attached to the lines pages.

You do have to ensure that things are put together properly before you leave the exam room, or at least that the form you fill in clearly has the correct number of booklets you have used on it and that you have filled in the front of each booklet properly e.g. put the correct number of the question being answered in that booklet in the right space.

If a booklet does get separated then the clerical staff will usually pick it up in the marking centre. If you do indicate that their should be a booklet and it isn't with the paper then the marker will bring that to the attention of their Senior Marker who will inform the clerical staff and they will then check things to find it.

 

[u-borat]

why would you want to write in pencil?

pen=faster.

 

[claire.bear]

never completely erase an answer, you crazy?! marker's are said to take pity, and if they see u were on the right track (or maths, were right in the first place) they are said to boost your marks... urban legend? i think not!

 

[Evilo]

People get word processors for their exams if they have a physical difficulty, not due to poor handwriting.

I know a certain private school who hands out special provisions for messy handwriting like lottery tickets. Seriously - 60 of 250 people in my school had special provisions for their hsc - I only don't believe ~25% of our year had a physical disability.

 

[cem]

I know a certain private school who hands out special provisions for messy handwriting like lottery tickets. Seriously - 60 of 250 people in my school had special provisions for their hsc - I only don't believe ~25% of our year had a physical disability.

The school doesn't hand out the special provisions - that is done by the BOS and that is their requirement, including a series of tests to 'prove' the physical problem. That some schools may recommend a high percentage is not the same thing. If doctors are signing off on the difficulty then that means the doctors aren't ethical but it is the BOS that awards the special provisions, not the school.

 

[cem]

never completely erase an answer, you crazy?! marker's are said to take pity, and if they see u were on the right track (or maths, were right in the first place) they are said to boost your marks... urban legend? i think not!

I am a marker and we are told to read everything and mark accordingly. That is not what I was referring to as an urban myth.

What I was saying was an urban myth is the idea that if the markers can't read your work they will get your teacher in to read it - that is not the case due to a range of issues, including cost and fairness.

e.g. In 2004 I was involved in the aligning process and we had our meeting with the BOS of the Thursday and ALL final HSC marks had to be sent to the BOS on the Friday. As we left the meeting we were told that the final 36 candidates papers for Modern History had just arrived from Samoa/Tonga/somewhere in the Pacific (I forget the exact place now). The Supervisor of Marking then had to spend the rest of that day marking them - this was the same for all the exams from there as they were a day or so later than expected. Had one of these students had writing that was so bad that it needed the teacher flown in then the results would have been delayed getting to the BOS until at least the Monday. That may have affected the sending of results to students.

It may have been possible in the old days - when results didn't get to students until early January and the exams were held a couple of weeks later than they are now.

 

[consta]

why would you want to do it in pencil