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.