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HSC English - How to Choose and Prepare
Not sure which level of English to choose?

Hear from our Academic Team, who are HSC experts, 99+ ATAR achievers, NESA accredited teachers and subject matter specialists.


Hi Transformers, 


To be honest, our visionary Educators have not always been top students. We understand the stress and struggles, but we have also learnt so much from our HSC experiences. Not only about English, but about ourselves. Fuelled by our passion for educating, we proudly help students achieve success through accessible and transformative education at Marquis. 


We know how it feels to go through the HSC, and throughout our 13+ years of teaching and developing effective pedagogical practices, we intimately understand what students need to grow. This is all ingrained in Marquis' approach to transformative learning, evident in our enriching programs, our team of scholarly Educators, and our burgeoning community. 


We have been asked, time and again, how did we do it? How did we excell in English, manage our time, work efficiently, and succeed? So, these are our top 6 insider tips. 

1 Choosing your English subject level

 

  • Understand your relationship with English –analytical or imaginative aspects? 
  • Consider the pre-requisites you may need for your desired course or career. 
  • Scaling has a significant impact on results. If you are capable in English, consider studying at an Extension level. If you are deciding between Standard and Advanced and are competent in both, we advise choosing Advanced. 


English is the only compulsory HSC subject; two of your English units will be counted, regardless of your mark. In Years 11 and 12, you repeatedly think and rethink your decision – Standard, Advanced, Extension 1, or Extension 2? Before making your decision, it is paramount that you understand yourself and your relationship with English, whether you enjoy the analytical, critical, or imaginative aspects of the subject. Consider what you would like to do in the future if your desired course has any English level pre-requisites or assumed knowledge. 


Scaling should also factor into your decision. If you are proficient in English, choosing to study at the Extension level can be advantageous as it is higher scaling, and your best two units of English contribute to your ATAR. If you are less confident in English and are deciding between Standard and Advanced but think that you are capable of both, we advise you to choose English Advanced. A student performing in the top 10% will lead to a scaled English Advanced mark of 41.9/50, compared to an English Standard mark of 31.9/50 (a 10-mark difference). You can always go from Advanced to Standard quite easily, but the other direction may be more difficult. 

2 Time management during your HSC year

  • Set time aside each day to study and aim for consistency over perfection. 
  • In your study period, you should: Write out your study goals, break them down, and prioritise. 
  • Be proactive in your holidays by reading your texts, watching informative videos, researching online, reading journal articles, writing out your notes, thoughts, and analyses. 


The workload can be intimidating, which is why it is vital to organise your time and prioritise your study schedule. High achieving students consistently set aside time in their calendar to dedicate to studying, whether it be working on assessments, revising the concepts learnt in class, or doing homework. Everyone is different, so do what works for you and maximise your productivity – from time and study location to setting regular breaks. In your study period, write your goals down. Once your goals are on paper, you can go through them and start to break them down into smaller, more doable tasks. 


Use your holiday time to be proactive. To gain a thorough understanding of your HSC texts, take the initiative to read through the texts in the holiday before your upcoming term. Break up your reading by watching enlightening videos and reading other reliable online sources; this can help encourage your interest in your texts. While reading, write out your notes, thoughts, and analyses; this way, you will be ready once school resumes. 


Throughout the term, you can also focus on getting ahead. Marquis Education offers in-depth text-specific HSC programs each term to teach and guide your knowledge and understanding.

3 Adopt a growth mindset to focus on doing your best



  • Understand yourself as a learner because success is a process. 
  • Try to see challenges, failures or criticisms as a springboard for growth. 
  • A growth mindset will positively impact your relationship with success and failure. 


The saying, “hard work pays off”, is incredibly applicable to the HSC. People who work hard and smart achieve incredible things because simply put, success is a process. It is essential to understand yourself as a learner and adopt a growth mindset. But you also need to work smart by defining your ‘why’, collaborating with like-minded and ambitious peers, and reflecting upon your journey and tweaking your strategy as needed. 


To have a growth mindset is to thrive on challenges and see them less as a barrier and more as a platform to learn from. Failures and criticisms stop becoming indications of ‘not smart enough, but instead as a springboard for growth and for stretching your abilities. 


Ultimately, try to adopt this mindset and perspective, and this will reflect on your approach and behaviour towards the HSC. This is easier said than done, but having a growth mindset will positively impact your relationship with success and failure, not only in terms of studying but in your personal life in general. 

4 Focus on the transformative aspects of English

  • Studying canonical texts will allow you to transform your understanding of yourself and your world.
  • English improves your ability to communicate your perspective and have creative thought. 


It might not seem like it sometimes, but HSC English develops your skills for the future. English can be transformative – and it starts with understanding yourself. In terms of personal growth, imagination is more important than knowledge, and emotional intelligence (EI) is more vital than IQ. 


In HSC English, being able to explore pivotal and important texts will help you grow as a person and allow you to differentiate yourself from others, especially when it comes to University, extra-curriculars, your careers, and just communicating yourself to others clearly, concisely and with confidence. In our increasingly technological world, the ability to communicate your message and have creative thought is an essential skill. From employers to friends to colleagues, communication skills and the ability to creatively problem-solve are becoming highly valued traits.


5 Passion is the genesis for genius.

  • Research related texts, critics, literary theories and textual analyses that you are interested in. 
  • Your essays will reflect your passions to the reader and marker. 


Can you imagine curling up in bed with a book in hand? Longing for more with Mrs Dalloway and being terrified for Winston Smith, entering the heart of darkness with Mistah Kurtz, seeing through Scout Finch's eyes - so many things happen on pages. 


Do what you like, and you will do it well. Similarly, read and research related texts, critics, literary theories and analyses for your texts. This will allow your essays and writing to reflect on what you are interested in and what you want to say. Your passion will come across to the reader and marker.


For example, in Module C, you are required to choose to write in a specific form. If your strength is critical writing and you have an analytical mind, you should hone your persuasive skills. On the other hand, if you love exploring imaginative worlds, complex characters, and interesting concepts, then write an imaginative text. 


6 Don't be afraid to ask for help

  • Establish a strong support network of family, friends, teachers, educators, mentors etc. 
  • Having the right team of educators is key to success. 


No one succeeds alone. 


It is essential to work together, and this is never truer than during the HSC. Therefore, it is more productive to think of your cohort as advocates rather than competitors. 


Having the right team of Educators is the key to success. Our Online essay marking service allows you to receive additional feedback on essays within 2 - 3 days, while our individual lessons allow you to go through assessments, essays, and other work in-depth with our specialised Educators. 


Most importantly, whether you seek feedback, help, or emotional support, make sure you establish a strong support network. Teachers, Marquis Educators, mentors, friends, relatives, older students – after all, behind every successful person is a great team. 


Good luck!


After reading through our insider tips, we hope you feel more motivated and prepared in tackling HSC English (and all those practice essays). Here at Marquis, we do not promise a 99.95 ATAR for everyone. Instead, if you follow and trust our process, show up and do the work, we know that you will reach your full potential and achieve your personal best. 


We will be there to guide you through each step of the HSC and support you through your personal journey to HSC success. To transform and achieve, maybe even beyond what you know yourself.



We hope you will find this blog useful and insightful along with our Facebook and Instagram channels as we continue to share more updates and stories across Marquis Education, our innovative Educators and inspiring students journeys.


Did you know you can book a consultation with our team to discuss your study goals and learn more about our tailored learning programs that guide students to HSC success in English, Maths and the UCAT. Enquire online here.

Mastering HSC Mathematics

25 Aug, 2021
Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why. — Bernard Baruch From the Golden ratio, present in all nature, to the Burj Khalifa towering 830m over the Dubai skyline, and from counting change at the cash register, to budgeting out your trip. Mathematics is everywhere. Almost all careers use skills learned in Mathematics on a daily basis. It’s no surprise that almost all students study some level of maths for the HSC, whether it be Standard, Advanced, Extension 1 or Extension 2 Mathematics. As a senior student, you may have many questions about HSC Maths. What level of Maths should I take? Is Extension 2 Mathematics worth it? How do I improve my marks? And most commonly, how do I stop making careless mistakes? At Marquis Education, we understand the HSC Mathematics syllabus and journey in microscopic detail. We, too, had asked those countless questions about HSC Maths. As Educators at Marquis, we believe in supporting students to achieve their best results. So, here are our insider tips on choosing which level of Maths to study at, improving marks, and stop making those careless errors. Choosing your Maths level for the HSC Our quick tips on selecting your Math level: Research and understand all the available Math levels Consider the importance of scaling Mathematics Extension courses are the highest scaling subjects in the entire HSC The first question you may ask yourself is: “What level of Maths should I study?” When making your choice, you should take into account your own Mathematical confidence, interest, abilities, as well as the subject’s scaling. Mathematical Ability Each Mathematics subject requires different levels of Mathematical competency and ability. We have created a flowchart to show a brief overview of the different Math levels that can be chosen in Year 11 and Year 12.

Welcome from Marquis Education

25 Aug, 2021
Hi fellow dreamer, Welcome to Marquis Transformative Education! Our dream is to provide equal access to a genuinely high quality of education. That means collaborating with a dream team of the brightest minds in education, including seasoned PhD qualified industry experts, NESA accredited teachers, English scholars and 1st in NSW achievers. Together, we have created leading-edge course programs by developing rich content and building innovative technology to deliver this content seamlessly to our students in online and blended classrooms. When students experience the atmosphere of creativity, compassion and challenge, they know that Marquis is not like any other tutoring company – we are an integral part of their team, working together towards their BIG dreams and helping them achieve exceptional results throughout their secondary education and the HSC. Our students’ learning, personal progress, and results are as important to us as their happiness, mental health, and engagement in their growth and development. Our personalised and holistic approach to delivering high-quality content in the most conducive and aspirational learning environment is exactly why we are one of the fastest-growing learning communities within Australia. The Purpose of Transformative Education Marquis course programs are designed to help students achieve their personal best. Whatever that means for them. At Marquis, our English and Maths programs are deeply integrated with the key outcomes of the NESA school syllabus, but it may feel challenging at first, as it is one term ahead of most schools. We firmly believe that learning ahead provides a second time learning advantage at school. Essentially, it is meant to be slightly challenging when students learn it with Marquis because it’s their first moment of discovery. By design, we educate ahead of school to help our students build their confidence, work on areas of weakness and have an edge amongst their peers to achieve excellence at school and in their final exams. Marquis, Theory Workbooks are designed to complement the students learning at school and help them gain confidence in their academic skills. Our yearly course programs incorporate all learning outcomes of English and Maths within the National and NSW Curriculum and deliver it in condensed and comprehensive lessons to inspire learning both in class and in your own time. Your assigned Educator will help guide you through rich content and a workbook in each lesson and structure the delivery of content by tailoring it to your personal goals and learning needs. Not everyone learns at the same rate. Therefore, we capture weekly analytics of each pupil through formative assessments , which allows their Educator to address their individual challenges and aptitude and give them an unparalleled advantage to thrive and succeed. Through our bespoke learning scheme, you will learn all topics, modules, and concepts mapped to the NESA syllabus, and your Educator will focus on maximising your results. The accompanying Tutorial and Homework tasks are designed to take your independent investigation and study of texts into greater depth in your own time. We encourage students always to be curious and personally engage with their subject matter to master creative and critical writing skills. Aim Higher and Dream Bigger We want each student to know that it is vital to dream BIG dreams and work hard towards reaching your dreams, even when times are difficult and your efforts seem futile. You can achieve all of your dreams through knowledge and know that you can only gain knowledge through education. Work both smart and hard in school and achieve the greatest marks you can. Excellent results are the key to great success. Remember that success starts with you, and it can start right now. Only YOU have to believe that you can succeed, believe that you can be whatever your heart desires and mind can conceive, and you will have it. Don’t ever let anyone or anything hold you back from doing your absolute finest. Be brave, aim high and most importantly - make your mark! With love, Marquis Team

Welcome to Marquis Education's Blog

25 Aug, 2021
Hi Transformers, At Marquis, we love to focus on solving your learning challenges and needs to achieve real results that translate into the final HSC. Sometimes practically and other times with wild, imaginative or even highly unexpected ideas. These ideas are born through education when curiosity meets access to information and nurtured through guidance. That’s why we have a vested interest in, and commitment to, learning in all forms and offering a truly democratic education. It’s also why we’re starting this Marquis Education Blog: a new destination to share our insights and first-class study tips to help you get ahead. Insider Tips from Scholarly Industry Leaders In our blog, you’ll hear straight from our dream team of Academic Head of Subjects, Educators and subject matter experts who are the brightest minds in education, including seasoned PhD qualified industry experts, NESA accredited teachers, English scholars, HSC Markers and 1st in NSW achievers. Together, we have created leading-edge course programs by developing rich content and building innovative technology to deliver this content seamlessly to our students online and in centre blended classrooms. “When designing and developing the Marquis HSC English program, I sought to create an intellectually, creatively, spiritually and poetically enlightening course, which was tethered to my own experience of transformation through education. I drew from my extended marginalia on the search for meaning across literature, art, sociology, philosophy, and the various other tentacles of the human experience.” - Dr Tim Hanna, Head of Content at Marquis Dr Hanna is one of education’s greatest masterminds, and his knowledge of literature and pedagogy propelled him and his profound teaching style to a status many students would only describe as legendary. He is an inspirational Educator with over 20 years of teaching and content, developing experience, and has guided many students to top state ranking and Band 6 success. In our blog, you’ll get to read his breakdown of HSC texts through his engaging analogies and enlightened perspective. Always be Curious One of our goals is to help more students feel engaged and love learning, encourage their curiosity, let them work together, do something new, create things, and always try again. Through our termly English, Maths & UCAT programs and our school holiday programs, Marquis Book Club and Marquis Maths Olympiad, we strive to help students discover the problems they are passionate about solving. Time and time again, our students prove that those of any age can conjure extraordinary solutions. This blog will be a place to hear about our talented young pupils, innovative programs and impassioned Educators. Our blog will also be rich with informative articles and ingenious advice covering English, Maths and UCAT written by our Content Specialists. A Vision Forward for 2030 When we think about the job prospects of 2030, creativity, emotional intelligence, and complex problem solving will be paramount. These are all skills we are dynamically imparting our students with, as each lesson is a cross-pollination between the intellectual and experiential. The renaissance of education is in full force at Marquis, where our teachers of tomorrow engage in each pupil’s artistic, imaginative and critical reasoning endeavours. Our vision is of a new world of learning based on the compelling truth that improving education is the key to the survival of the human race. It’s a world of dreams, inspiration, and ambition informed by evidence and experience. It’s a world where our students become lifelong learners and develop 21st-century skills for a global workplace. It’s a world where innovation is the rule, not the exception. It’s a world where our programs provide a collaborative culture of academic, social and emotional learning and access to new technology. It’s a world where our students, their families, Educators and Head of Subjects, are empowered with a shared vision to offer excellence in education for all. We strongly believe that these three skills are fundamental for our students’ future careers:
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