Everything you need to know about Trials

Now that Term 3 has started, it means that Trials are right in front of most of us and tbh… that’s pretty scary. So, let’s make them a whole lot less scary by locking down exactly what they are so you know exactly what to expect. And hey, maybe you already know everything there is to know about Trials and you’re just reading this to feel good about yourself 🤷‍ 🤷‍. We don’t judge.

If what you really need is some help with how to prepare for Trials then feel free to check out our step-by-step guide here.

Otherwise, here you have it: everything you need to know about Trials:

1. They form part of your internal assessment mark

So Trials might feel a lot like the HSC but they are definitely an internal assessment and are going to make up a pretty decent percentage of your HSC assessment mark (not your exam mark). It definitely depends on the school and subject but the ballpark is around 20-30%. If you need a quick refresh on how the whole internal/external/assessment/exam nonsense works, check that out here.

It means that it will be your own teachers marking and maybe even writing the exams (so make sure you take note of all their feedback and tips from the year) and also that Trial exams are your last chance to push up your rank in each subject so if you’ve got a goal rank, time to step up! 🏃 🏃 🏃

2. There are different Trials papers going around

Now, because Trials are internal, it means that different schools are going to use different exams AND all schools do Trials at different times. In fact, a few of you guys have actually already done your Trial exams last term... lucky you, I guess?? 💁 Anyway, it means that some Trials exams might be harder than others and might focus on different content - don’t stress about this too much because the wizards at NESA have a way of making it all work out and you know that everyone will be in the same boat for the HSC exams.

Anyway, it’s super important to find out the exact dates of your exams from your school and it’s also worth asking your teachers which company they use for their exams. E.g. A lot of Catholic Schools in NSW will use the Trial exam papers from the CSSA so you can look as past CSSA papers to get a feel for what’s coming. The Independent School Trials are another popular option if you want to check out some of their past papers.

3. It will cover everything you have learned so far

So for most schools, your Trials exams are going to cover every topic you’ve studied so far going alllllll the way back to term 4 last year. Great 👍 . This is probably going to end up being a lot of content for you to get your head around so it’s extra important that you study smarter, not harder. It’s important that you recap all that long forgotten content but also get across the stuff you’ve just learnt. That’s the challenge. Focus on making sure you understand the different ideas and you know how to apply all that knowledge to an exam question. And hey, if you need more study tips then you know where to find them.

4. Trials are not the end of the world

A sneaky bit of motivation coming up here… So you hear a lot about Trials being ‘harder than the HSC’ or ‘the hardest exams you’ll ever sit’ which is exactly the kind of thing that will psych you out and make it a lot harder to study. The truth is, Trials can be really tough but they are 100% manageable. You’ve probably been sitting end-of-year exams all high school so you are used to big exams and you’ve been doing assessments all the way through this year, so you have a bit of practice with HSC level exams.

In saying that, if you do get caught up in the pressure of Trials and the stress of studying while still at school then that sucks and we’re sorry! But hey, you haven’t completely ruined your HSC. Trials can go a fair way in changing your rank in a subject but they still won’t cause you to fail your HSC if you’ve been doing okay so far and can pull it back together for the final exams.

5. Trials are usually in the same format and on the same content as the HSC exams

So the best news about Trials is that once you’ve done them, you know you can do the HSC exams too because they’re usually the same format and they’re on the same content. It’s such a killer opportunity to practice your exam technique, to know exactly what to expect from HSC and to prove to yourself that you can do things like write three essays in two hours in the English Paper II exam. The really good news? The HSC isn’t going to be any harder than what you’re going to get through in Trials. It will take a whole lot of pressure off you because you’ll have already done the exams once, you’ll know what to expect, you’ll have a tonne of feedback and you’ll have an extra two months to perfect your study 🙌 . It really is the biggest perk of Trials so take some comfort from it!

6. Trials are a good time for nailing technicalities

Last but definitely not least, Trials are a really good time to lock down any little technicalities you need to know for HSC. What that means is there are basically some subjects like History and Studies of Religion where you have different options to study under each topic and it’s super important to know what questions to answer in each section. Like in Ancient History, you might have done Egypt: New Kingdom Egypt to the death of Thutmose IV under Historical Periods but Spartan society to the Battle of Leuctra 371 BC under Ancient Societies. So, you really need to make sure you don’t get confused and answer an Egypt question in the Ancient Societies question 👀 . If you think this might be relevant to you, ask your teacher to show you a past paper and walk your class through exactly which options you need to look out for in each section.

Remember

Trials are going to be a big challenge but as long as you’re prepared and have a decent idea of what’s coming, they really won’t be the end of the world. Make the most of the slightly less-than-fun experience by trying to push up your subject ranks a little more and learning from the exams so you’re extra prepared and know what to expect when the HSC rolls around. You’ve got this. 👊