Every Second Counts

Every Second Counts: Tips on maximising time in the Mathematics external assessment.

The QCE Mathematics external examinations can seem like a daunting prospect, but they don’t need to be if you’re well prepared.

In 2024, Tadej Pogacar won the Tour de France by a margin of 6 minutes 17 seconds. In cycling terms, this was considered an easy victory, but when you consider that the entire three-week race took 83 hours and 39 minutes, that winning margin represents 0.1% of the total race time.

In his book titled "Every Second Counts," Lance Armstrong discusses his journey to his first Tour de France win in 1999 and continues up until his fifth win in 2003 (Armstrong, 2003). While Armstrong's story is marred by controversy, the principle of every second counts, can be applied to sitting an external examination.

Like the Tour de France, many our Year 12 students will be sitting their QCE examinations over a three-week period. In the lead up to the assessment day, being prepared is essential, however during the examination, understanding how to make every second count is critical.

Tips Leading up to Examination Day

1. Make a resource book of notes

Imagine that you are going to prepare a book of notes that you can take into the examination. Of course you are not allowed to take notes into the exam, however, the process of creating a book of individual notes that are useful to you, is an excellent way consolidate knowledge and understanding. It is also an excellent way to highlight concepts you need to focus on.

2. Complete past exams

Start with the QCE past papers and, if you can, work with friends to check and comment on each other’s answers. Closer to the exam day, try completing exams under timed conditions. If you want to see how students have performed across the state on the multiple-choice questions, you can read the Examination Report section of the Subject Reports from 2022 and 2023.

https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/senior/senior-subjects/mathematics

3. Don’t try and cram at the last minute.

Draw up a revision schedule that makes best use of the exam lead-up period and remember that it is better to get more sleep than stay up late studying.

Tips for Examination Day

The reality of sitting the external assessment for mathematics, is that students will only have approximately 20 minutes of deep-thinking time during the exam. With this in mind, how they approach the exam is based on an understanding which underscores the importance of strategic planning and time management.

1. Use perusal time effectively

During perusal time, students are not allowed to write on the test paper or the response book, or use a calculator, however in exams with multiple-choice questions, you can use the perusal time to ‘mentally’, answer questions.

2. Don’t spend too long on the multiple choice

Aim to complete each multiple-choice question in around 1 minute. For Mathematical Methods and Specialist Mathematics, this means finishing the 10 multiple-choice questions in around 10 minutes. Train for this by completing past papers under timed conditions.

3. Answer questions you know first

You don’t have to start the exam at Question 1. It can be helpful to start with an ‘easy’ question first - of course the idea of “easy” is relative, however, beginning with questions you are most confident with, will calm your nerves. Prioritise questions you are confident about to secure those marks first.

4. Never leave a multiple-choice question blank

In the QCAA external assessment, you have a 25% chance of guessing the correct answer. If time is running out, remember that you can guess a multiple-choice question, but not a short response one.

5. Know your calculator shortcuts

Familiarise yourself with your calculator’s functions and shortcuts. This can save valuable time during the exam.

6. Understand how exams are marked

Markers will typically mark from top to bottom, left to right, so ensure your work is clear, logical and well-organised. Some questions award a mark for logical setting out. In addition, remember to show all your working out for questions worth more than one mark.

7. Know which formulas are not on the formula sheet

Ensure you have memorised any key formulas that are not provided on the formula sheet. For example, the quadratic formula would be useful to know for the Specialist and Methods examinations.

8. Read each question carefully

Highlight key words and instructions. Misreading a question can lead to mistakes, costing you valuable marks.

9. Re-read questions

After solving a problem, re-read the question to ensure your answer is complete and addresses all parts of the question.

10. Reasonableness

If asked to check the reasonableness for a question you are unable to solve, assume an answer and comment on the reasonableness of your assumption. Remember to use mathematical reasoning.

11. Stay calm when disaster strikes

Exam-induced anxiety and stress can lead to a mind blank, making logical cognitive activity difficult to undertake (Aukland, 2023). When an exam is interpreted as a threat, a stress response is triggered, clearing our working memory and disrupting recall mechanisms. Emotionally charged cognition, guided by the hypothalamus and other subcortical areas, can overpower the typically rational thinking governed by the prefrontal cortex. (Pelegrina, Justicia-Galiano, Martín-Puga and Linares, 2020). If you go blank, realise you’ve answered a question incorrectly, or discover you’ve misread a question, do not panic. Pause and remember to breath. Focusing on the things you can control, might help you to feel more calm and relaxed Writing down things you know about the topic can potentially trigger your memory.

12. Think you've finished… use all available time.

If you finish early, check, check and check again. When checking answers, cover up your original response and do the question again. This will help to avoid making the same errors.

Just as in the Tour de France, where every second can determine the winner, every minute of your exam time is precious. Success in the external assessment can be determined by the most strategic and those who manage their time well. Careful planning can make all the difference. Approach your exam with the mindset of an elite athlete; be prepared, stay focused, and use every second wisely. With these strategies, you can cross the finish line confidently and successfully. Remember, every second counts.

References:

Aukland, L. (2023) Understanding the stress response in exams – what happens in your brain? https://www.oxfordaqa.com/news/understanding-the-stress-response-in-exams-what-happens-in-your-brain/

OxfordAQA.

Pelegrina S, Justicia-Galiano MJ, Martín-Puga ME and Linares R (2020) Math Anxiety and Working Memory Updating: Difficulties in Retrieving Numerical Information From Working Memory. Front. Psychol. 11:669. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00669

Armstrong, L. (2003). Every Second Counts. Broadway Books.

Texas Instruments. (2022). Graphing Calculator Guide.

Cycling Weekly. (2021). Tour de France History. Retrieved from Cycling Weekly Website.

Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (2022). Mathematics Examination Guidelines. QCAA Publications.