Need advice on how my trials/ranks can be reflected in my ATAR (1 Viewer)

[dannyo1]

Hi everyone,
So gotten marks back now for trials, and I'm pretty disappointed. Especially when I put a shit ton of work into it, only to not have that reflected in my results but oh well. At the moment, I'm ranked in top 20 or so for Geo/Drama, for which I scored 85% and 90% respectively. However, Maths Adv I'm right down the bottom of the cohort with an 60% and English Adv (infuriating cos I spent SO LONG STUDYING FOR THIS) I got 73% overall which puts me very middle of the pack in terms of ranking. So yeah - doing alright in some subjects and atrocious in others. For what it's worth I've already finished Aboriginal Studies with a HSC mark of 91.

So my question is - how much do you all think my ATAR has been damaged by this, and to what extent can my HSC marks be rectified in externals?

 

[jimmysmith560]

The fact that your performance seems rather favourable in some of your subjects and the fact that your trial exams only contribute a specific percentage towards your final rank (it would be good to include how much your trial exams were worth) means your ATAR will likely not be damaged by this to the extent that you think it would, particularly if you can ensure optimal performance in the HSC exams. This is because HSC exams are worth 50% of your final mark for your respective subjects, meaning that they constitute a great opportunity for you to obtain great final marks, allowing you to achieve a great ATAR. Additionally, the fact that you have already completed Aboriginal Studies and achieved a final mark of 91 is quite important because it can make a favourable contribution to your ATAR.

Overall, I believe that, provided you have performed well in the rest of your internal assessment tasks and exams, the effect your trial exam results in some of your subjects will have on your ATAR will likely be minimal, because assuming you performed well in the rest of your tasks, your final rank will likely still be advantageous, which puts you in a good position as you approach the HSC exams. As I mentioned, the extent to which you can achieve great final marks by performing well in your HSC exams is quite high, mainly due to the fact that the HSC exams are worth 50% of your final marks, meaning that your focus must now shift to the HSC exams, implying the need to do your utmost in order to perform well in those exams, resulting in great final marks, and ultimately a great ATAR.

I hope this helps!

 

[dannyo1]

Thank you! Unfortunately for English - I'd been doing literally the same throughout the year, in fact I threw everything into these trials to save my ranking a bit, but to no avail. So honestly, my final rank for English will be very much middle of the pack average and Maths will be at the bottom as well. I guess I'd like to know if an improvement to a final HSC mark of 80 in English is feasible for me? I don't know how all the NESA maths work to change the marks, but can average rankings with band 4 performance be boosted to an 80 come final HSC?

Edit: Trials were 30%

 

[jimmysmith560]

Thank you! Unfortunately for English - I'd been doing literally the same throughout the year, in fact I threw everything into these trials to save my ranking a bit, but to no avail. So honestly, my final rank for English will be very much middle of the pack average and Maths will be at the bottom as well. I guess I'd like to know if an improvement to a final HSC mark of 80 in English is feasible for me? I don't know how all the NESA maths work to change the marks, but can average rankings with band 4 performance be boosted to an 80 come final HSC?

Edit: Trials were 30%

No worries. This is definitely an area of improvement that you must prioritise going forward, mainly because English can significantly affect your ATAR. A final mark of 80 in English Advanced may not be easy considering your current position, but it is definitely achievable, especially if you are able to perform well in the HSC exam (and also considering the generally favourable alignment of English Advanced). Your goal should be to achieve at least a band 5 (80+) in your HSC exam. Anything higher than that is favourable and will maximise your chances of achieving a band 5 as your final mark in English Advanced.

The same applies to Mathematics Advanced. The HSC exam will be a great opportunity for you to receive a good final mark. For this, you will need to ensure you have a thorough understanding of all the concepts/topics, which you can do by going through your textbook and completing relevant questions from each chapter (if applicable). Once you feel you are comfortable with all the concepts/topics, you should move on to completing past exam papers. Doing so will allow you to apply your knowledge to previous HSC exams and will better prepare you for your own HSC exam. While you're doing this, you need to make sure you are constantly identifying areas of improvement and addressing those. Being able to effectively do this while at the same time being able to complete multiple past papers will prepare you much better and make you much more confident as you sit your exam, hopefully allowing you to perform well!