Journey to a 99.60 ATAR: Josh’s Steps to Tackling Silly Mistakes

Josh reveals his 6 handy steps that helped him avoid making silly mistakes throughout his HSC year and achieve an ATAR of 99.60!

Me, Myself and I

School: St Pius X College

ATAR: 99.60

University Course: Bachelor of Actuarial Studies and Computer Science at UNSW

My HSC Results

Hi, my name is Josh, and I recently graduated from St Pius X College, being a Vice Captain of my cohort. In my spare time, I like to play basketball, watch NBA and AFL games, and spend time exploring new places with friends.

I completed the HSC in 2023, achieving a 99.60 ATAR, and trust me, I know there’s nothing more frustrating than losing marks on questions you know how to do. I’m sure almost every student has made a silly mistake at some point, and it was no different for me. From Year 7 to 10, I never managed to achieve full marks in a maths assessment because of these silly mistakes. However, following these 6 steps allowed me to maximise my marks and get 100% in three of Year 12 assessments for Maths and Chemistry.

Step 1: Make sure you know your content

I found that in the exams where I knew the content thoroughly, I was able to make fewer mistakes. This was because I was less focused on how to approach the question and instead focused on how I would structure my answer. 

Not only will knowing your content assist you in gaining more marks, it will boost your overall confidence in the exam. I recommend completing past papers and revising the topics that you are the weakest in, which links to the next step.

My most effective study strategy was to learn the content as early as possible and start revising almost 5 weeks out from assessments. Yes, I understand that it may not be possible for all of your subjects, but use the holidays as a time to get ahead of other students who would typically take a break. This meant I would make notes from my textbook and watch videos online. Although the assessment notification had not been released, I made sure to ask teachers and look at my school’s assessment schedule to find out when my assessment would be, and what would be in it. 

For my second internal Physics and Chemistry assessments, I spent the summer holidays learning the content in Matrix Holiday Courses so that when I got back to school I was ready to start revising. This also meant that my knowledge was being consolidated in class, giving me an advantage over my peers just by learning the content. Instead of learning the content by myself, there is no doubt that Matrix provided a more efficient and advantageous approach to gaining knowledge of the content earlier. The teachers and resources at Matrix possess in-depth knowledge, enabling me to learn my subjects ahead of time.

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Step 2: Analyse your previous mistakes

A must for minimising silly mistakes is to analyse how you made previous mistakes. By going over what you did wrong, you are less likely to make the same mistake again. For example, in Chemistry, if you constantly forget to balance your equations or include states, recognising this mistake will mean you are less likely to make it again. In my opinion, it is not beneficial to do a past paper and not mark it! Instead, get out a red pen and fix your response by applying the marking guidelines and sample answers.

For me, I used a tabulation method to register all the different mistakes I made (silly mistakes as well) in my exam:

Before I sat my trials and HSC exam, I went over these tabulations. This meant that when I sat my exam, the silly mistakes I had made in the past were fresh in my mind, thus I would be less likely to make them again.  

And remember that if you’re stuck, ask questions! You must, must, must ask peers, teachers, and tutors about the things you are unsure about. Matrix teachers will no doubt answer your questions, so if you need assistance, always feel free to ask them.

Step 3: Stay relaxed before and after your exam

Relax! Exams are only to assess what you know, and they are not the be-all or end-all. 

I found that the more relaxed I was entering the exam room, the less I would panic, and thus I would make fewer silly mistakes. 

I would tell myself: “You know the content, and I know what mistakes I’ve made in the past,” which would calm my nerves. Not only will this help in limiting easy mistakes, but it will also improve your general performance.

Step 4: Read the question, slowly!

Far too many times I simply rushed into a question, not reading it in depth. In my revision, simply not reading the question contributed a lot to the silly mistakes I made in my exam.

Take your time, seriously! Look at the NESA verb, identify the key phrases and parts of the question, and think before you write your answers. What unit will my answer be in? Why have they added this extra bit of text? These are some of the questions you will have to ask yourself in order to ensure you are addressing all aspects of the question.

For me, this meant I annotated every question I did, forcing me to slow down and identify all the information I needed to gain full marks: 

This example may be a bit excessive, but it certainly meant that I didn’t forget anything, and I actually answered the question.

Even if you know all of the content, without reading the question thoroughly, you run the risk of making an easy mistake! 

Step 5: Intuition

This idea is addressed in another Matrix article, but using your own instincts can be a clear indicator that you have made an easy mistake in your exam. 

For example, in projectile motion, if you calculate that a ball takes 10 seconds to drop 1 metre, you’ve probably made an easy mistake somewhere. Basically, use your prior knowledge to make a good judgement of what your answer should be. 

For Maths, it’s a bit harder to use intuition, but nonetheless possible. For example, the probability of an event occurring is always between 0 and 1, and consider reasonable deposits for loan repayment questions. 

Step 6: Check over your answers in the exam

I’m sure it’s been drilled into you that you must always check your answers after you’ve completed your exams, but this is an extremely important part of minimising your silly mistakes. 

I would almost treat my written answers as grounds for an investigation, searching for any mistake I could have made. Line by line, like a detective, I would try and see if I had made a mistake. Did I forget a minus? Did I multiply instead of divide? 

This is also generally where you can check for significant figures, states, and units, all very common easy mistakes that can be avoided.    

A note from my own experience

One thing that is so, so, so important is that the HSC is about balancing all your activities, such as studying, working, sports, and socialising. Find the right balance that works for you, and this will improve your overall well-being and performance in exams. 

With that said, I wish all of you the best of luck!