1. Health & Physical Education
ACHPER NSW
Personal Development
Health & Physical Education
HSC Enrichment Days
2016
Exam Technique
Welcome students and teachers to the workshop.
Introduce yourself and your background experience with PDHPE.

2. Strategies for answering multiple choice questions
In this session we will look at preparing for the PDHPE HSC exam including:
Exam structure
Strategies for answering multiple choice questions
Tips for writing short answer and extended responses
Planning your answers
Briefly introduce what the session is about
Activity 1
In their workbooks students are to brainstorm and write down what they know about the PDHPE exam
Give them 60 seconds to do a brainstorm list.
Ask for a few responses
Explain that you will be going through the exam structure
Brainstorm examples could include:
3 hours long
5 minutes reading time
there are multiple choice questions for Core 1 & 2
there are core and option questions etc.
there are two sections

3. Exam Structure Section I: Core 1 and 2 Content (60 marks)
Part A: Multiple choice
There will be objective response questions to the value of 20 marks
Part B: Short answer questions
There will be approximately six short answer questions up to 8 marks
Section II: Options (40 marks)
There will be two questions for each of the five options
Answer both questions for the two options you have studied.
Answer only the options you have studied
Background information – see presenter’s notes for details

4. Time Allocation The PDHPE exam is 3 hours plus 5 minutes reading time
Section 1: Core 1 & Core 2
Part A: 40 minutes (multiple choice)
Part B: 1 hour and 10 minutes (Short answer questions)
Section 2: Options
Questions : 1 hour and 10 minutes
(short answer/extended response)
Background information – see presenter’s notes for details
An example
Take the time at the start of the exam to write down on the exam paper - the start and finish times for each section
For example; If the exam starts at 1.55pm, then reading time will finish at 2.00pm.
Then you should finish the multiple choice questions by 2.40pm
Short answer questions should finish by 3.50pm
The Option questions should be completed by 5.00pm.
(The actual 2016 exam timetable will be available from 27th April for students online and from 2nd May from BOSTES)
You could ask students to work out the times for a morning exam 8.55am start.
Students need to factor in reading over their answers as a part of the allocated time.
Activity 2: Plan of attack
Students complete the 3 questions in their workbook about how they will complete the HSC exam. The questions are to get them thinking about their exam preparation and plan of attack.
Activity 2

5. Multiple Choice Questions
Read each question carefully
Be systematic
Make 3 “passes”
Pass 1
answer all the questions for which the answers come easily i.e. the ‘sure things’
eliminate as many options as you can from other questions.
Pass 2
figure out the “best” of the rest of the answer options.
Pass 3
take an educated guess.
Remind students that the multiple choice may help trigger information recall for the short answer responses in part B.
I normally suggest to my students to read through the multiple choice first in the 5 minutes reading time as a settling activity – they can also start eliminating responses so they save some time during the actual exam.
It is critical that they read the questions properly.
They could use the ‘fingernail’ technique.
Activity 3: Pass practice
Using the sample multiple choice questions in the student workbook, ask students in pairs to eliminate answers that they believe are incorrect.
They are to provide reasons for the choices referring to the strategies listed in the workbook. As a pair, students select the correct answer and record the answer in their workbook.
Answers are D 2. C 3. B
Activity 3

6. Breaking down Questions
Use the acronym SELL
Syllabus content
Identify the syllabus content needed to answer the question.
Explain word – what is the key/directive word and what does it mean? E is also to remind you to use examples in your answer.
Links to the question.
Look over the question again to make sure you have covered everything and see how much the question is worth.
Background info
The following slides will use the SELL acronym to assist students to answer the questions
-SELL (Syllabus content, Explain using key words & examples, Link to the question and Look over again) i.e. you need to SELL your answer to the marker.
Activity 4a – go to next slide to work through the question.
Activity 4a

7. Question Breakdown continued
Explain how different types of motivation can affect an athlete’s performance. (4 marks)
What to include in a response
Identify types of motivation
Make the relationship between the types of motivation and an athlete’s performance evident
Use relevant examples specific to the different types of motivation to assist show the affect on performance
Activity 4a
Instruct the students to do the underlining, circling and highlighting as you work through this on their copy of Slide 7 (question only)
Question breakdown
read the question
- S underline the syllabus points so you know WHAT the question is asking you about – types of motivation (click on mouse/arrow button)
E what is the key/directive word? What does it mean? Circle the key/directive word so you know HOW to answer the question (click)
– EXPLAIN = make the relationship between things evident
If students don’t know these words they can find them on the BOSTES website. Not all short answer questions will have a glossary word, some will just ask how, why or what. The marks allocated for questions with these words will assist to identify how much detail is required when answering these questions. Students will use the key word and examples to demonstrate their knowledge of the syllabus content within the context of the question.
L How do you link the syllabus content with the key word/s? Read the question again for key hints how different types of motivation affect athlete’s performance. Highlight the appropriate information. (click x3)
L Look back over the question to ensure you have got everything. - look at the marks allocated – 4 MARKS On the HSC exam the lines indicate how much you should need to write to answer this question. (approx. ½ page)
Activity 4b - in students workbook
Use the acronym SELL to work through this question from Slide 7 after you have completed activity 4a on the this slide.
Activity 4b

8. Practice Question Breakdown
Read the question
Underline the syllabus points so you know WHAT the question is asking you about
Circle the explain/key words so you know HOW to answer the question
Identify the links / key hints of the question
Look back over the question and identify the marks allocated
ACTIVITY 5
In the student workbook there are two questions.
Ask students to select one of the HSC questions in their workbook and complete the question breakdown & ‘SELL’ then use the lines provided to list the things they would include in a response to the question.
Explain to students that the more they practice these techniques the quicker they will get and the less time it will take in an exam.
Activity 5

9. PEEL – Writing a response
Once you know what to do with the question you can move on to writing a response. The following acronym can be used to develop each paragraph.
Point – state your point
Elaborate – show what you know and apply your knowledge to the key words
Example – provide examples to help show your understanding
Link – always refer back to the question to conclude paragraphs
This is just one way to develop paragraphs.
Others include SEAL, SEAR, PEER and SEXY
Go through the slide to explain the process of building the paragraphs.
Give the students a moment to read through ‘SELL & PEEL’ in their workbooks before going on to the next slide

10. Use SELL Develop a plan Write a response (PEEL)
More Practice
Use SELL Develop a plan Write a response (PEEL)
How do anxiety and arousal differ in terms of their effect on athletic performance? (4 marks)
Compare the two anaerobic energy systems. (5 marks)
Why is it important for governments to priorities health issues? (5 marks)
To what extent is taping effective in preventing sports injuries? (8 marks)
ACTIVITY 6
You may like to do this as a group work activity. It is up to you the presenter to do what you feel is most appropriate and comfortable for your style of teaching.
Suggested method
Students select one question from the slide and use the pages in their work book to;
Break down the question using SELL
Write up a mind map for their answer
Write a response to the question. (PEEL)
If time permits you can go through the main points that should be included in a response to each of these questions.
A copy of the marking guidelines for each of these questions has been provided in the presenters booklet.
Activity 6

11. Support Networks Teacher/tutor Stuvac study groups
Textbooks and study guides
BOSTES site – NSW Students Online includes tips for studying and coping with stress
HSC online PDHPE forums
BOSTES sample answers, HSC exam papers and HSC test yourself app
Students have this slide in their booklets.
Suggest that these might be some ways to deal with stress before the exam.
• Students should take advantage of these support networks
• Remind students to stay healthy and well both physically and emotionally.
• Try to maintain a social life and contact with important support networks e.g. family and friends
• Try to keep active and eat well.
Past papers HSC 2010 to 2015 and sample questions from the BOSTES are available for the current syllabus.
HSC Test Yourself App 
The BOSTES HSC Test Yourself App contains multiple-choice questions from recent exams across a range of subjects based on current HSC syllabuses.
free trials available. It costs $1.99–$3.99 per subject and works on Android phones and tablets, iPhones and iPads. Students can test themselves whenever and wherever and it allows them to track their progress 
The HSC Test Yourself App can be downloaded from Google Play or iTunes.

12. Marking the HSC Marking guidelines. Pilot marking/real marking.
Script marking.
Discrepancies.
Positive marking.
If time permits - Go through each of the points about the marking process. If you have marked before simply explain your experience of the marking process ensuring you cover the points on the slide. Reflect the rigour involved in being fair to students.
(Students have a summary of this information in their workbook if you do not have time to go through it in the presentation)
Emphasise there are lots of checks and balances in place to ensure consistency and fairness for students.
See Presenters notes for more detail