New HSC Syllabus
Learn more about the New HSC Syllabus for chemistry, physics and biology!
Our New Syllabus Classes Have Already Started!
- Gain a full understanding of all New Syllabus dotpoints
Supercharge your practise with 1000’s of New Syllabus Exam Style questions
Solve new and challenging scientific theories with ease
CHANGES IN CHEMISTRY
There is a renewed focus on applying Mathematical Principles to the Study of Chemistry
A full list of the New Syllabus dotpoints being covered:
- New types of notation
- The Bohr and Schrodinger models
- The Ideal Gas Law
- Enthalpy and Hess’s Law
- Entropy and Gibbs Free Energy
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ applications of chemical practices
- Calculating the Equilibrium Constant
- Analysis of organic compounds
CHANGES IN PHYSICS
Similarly, Physics also has a much stronger emphasise on applying Mathematical Principles
A full list of the New Syllabus dotpoints being covered:
- Analysis of forces and motion in two dimensions using vectors
- Standing waves
- The Doppler effect
- Elementary thermodynamics
- Wave and quantum models of light
- Study of the Standard Model of matter
CHANGES IN BIOLOGY
Changes in biology include a focus on a variation of new modules and Aboriginal studies
A full list of the New Syllabus dotpoints being covered:
- Disease as a disruption of homeostasis
- Cells and chemical energy
- Investigating extinction events
- Paleontological and Geological investigations surrounding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures
- Evidence of past changes in ecosystems
- Single Nucleotide Polymorphism
- Genetic drift
- Pharmaceuticals and the control of infectious diseases
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ protocols for medicines
How you can succeed in the New HSC Syllabus?
1. Know Your Syllabus
Just like the old syllabus, knowing the new syllabus is crucial to any Science student
Why is it so important? Anything and everything an exam can ask is within the syllabus. A common mistake many students make is studying irrelevant content that will NEVER be tested.
At Synergy, we’ve already finished preparing our notes for you. All content is structured so that you spend minimal time studying.
2. Glossary of Keywords
Keywords will also be important in the New Syllabus
In your exams you’ll realise that keywords such as ‘Assess’, ‘Explain’ and ‘Discuss’ are very common. Each verb has a unique method of answering the question. For example:
Explain – Relate cause and effect; make relationships between things evident; provide why and/or how
Discuss – Identify issues and provide points for and/or against
Usually, it will cost 1 or 2 marks if you don’t answer a question with the correct method for the verb. That’s almost 10-15% of your exam gone!
The most effective method to maximise your marks is to practise! You will find our teachers consistently emphasise on verbs in class and you’ll become familiar with them in not time!
3. First Principles
You will never succeed in the sciences by memorising.
There is a very strong focus from NESA for students to learn sciences from FIRST PRINCIPLES.
What is the difference between Rote Learning and First Principles?
Rote learning involves the memorisation of for example a formula.
First principles involves understanding how the formula was derived. This is important because you can apply your understanding to ANY question they give you.
Here is another reminder in why first principles understanding will be crucial to your HSC success:
‘HSC examination questions will be less predictable so students must apply their knowledge and skills in their answers’.
4. Practicals
The New Syllabus will require you to perform MORE experiments and practicals. Across the sciences, it will make up 20-30% of your coursework.
Practicals is something most students DON’T study much.
For practicals you need to know how to:
– Set-up
– Method
– Interpret results
You will also need to know how to evaluate reliability, accuracy and validity for all experiments you undertake.
To help you solidify your understanding in experiments, we undertake in-class practicals. With a comprehensive guide to answering all types of experiment related questions.
This is why our students are consistently able to come top in their practical exams as well as achieve an average of 93 in both physics and chemistry.
Old vs New Syllabus Exam Questions
| Development Questions | Concept Driven | Calculation | Practicals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Syllabus Weighting | 30% | 20 – 30% | 20% | 10% |
| New Syllabus Weighting | 5 – 10% | 30 – 40% | 30 – 40% | 10 – 20% |
| Description | These are your long response type questions that are 5 – 7 marks in the old syllabus exams. In the New Syllabus there WILL still be these types of questions but much less. | These types of questions require providing definitions, concepts and derivations. As there are less development type questions in the New Syllabus, it is replaced with new concepts. | Since multiple new concepts are being introduced, there will inevitably be new calculation type questions. | Again, with new concepts being introduced there is a higher focus on experiments and conducting practicals. |
Are past papers still relevant for the New HSC Syllabus?
IN SHORT, YES THEY STILL ARE!
WHY? The fundamentals of many dotpoints are still the same except for the ones that have been removed.
Hence, about 50-70% of past paper questions are still completely relevant!
Here is a summary of dotpoints that have been REMOVED. If come across them in past papers, just SKIP THEM! To save you time, we have indicated in each of our past papers the types of questions that are still relevant.
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- identify that the biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere contain examples of mixtures of elements and compounds
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- outline and examine some uses of different metals through history, including contemporary uses, as uncombined metals or as alloys
- identify why there are more metals available for people to use now than there were 200 years ago
- analyse information to relate the chronology of the Bronze Age, the Iron Age and the modern era and possible future developments
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- outline the history of the development of the Periodic Table including its origins, the original data used to construct it and the predictions made after its construction
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- define the terms mineral and ore with reference to economic and non-economic deposits of natural resources
- describe the relationship between the commercial prices of common metals, their actual abundances and relative costs of production
- explain why ores are non-renewable resources
- discuss the importance of predicting yield in the identification, mining and extraction of commercial ore deposits
- justify the increased recycling of metals in our society and across the world
- analyse information to compare the cost and energy expenditure involved in the extraction of aluminium from its ore and the recycling of aluminium
- recount the steps taken to recycle aluminium
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- compare the state, percentage and distribution of water in the biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere
- outline the significance of the different states of water on Earth in terms of water as:
- a constituent of cells and its role as both a solvent and a raw material in metabolism
- a habitat in which temperature extremes are less than nearby terrestrial habitats
- an agent of weathering of rocks both as liquid and solid
- a natural resource for humans and other organisms
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- explain why water’s ability to absorb heat is important to aquatic organisms and to life on earth generally
- explain what is meant by thermal pollution and discuss the implications for life if a body of water is affected by thermal pollution
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- identify the photosynthetic origins of the chemical energy in coal, petroleum and natural gas
- process and present information from secondary sources on the range of compounds found in either coal, petroleum or natural gas and on the location of deposits of the selected fossil fuel in Australia
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- describe the energy transformations required in one of the following:
- Mobile telephone
- Fax/modem
- Radio & television
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- discuss how the main sources of domestic energy have changed over time
- assess some of the impacts of changes in, and increased access to, sources of energy for a community
- discuss some of the ways in which electricity can be provided in remote locationsidentify data sources, gather, process and analyse secondary information about the differing views of Volta and Galvani about animal and chemical electricity and discuss whether their different views contributed to increased understanding of electricity
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- outline the historical development of models of the Universe from the time of Aristotle to the time of Newton
- identify data sources, and gather, process and analyse information to assess one of the models of the Universe developed from the time of Aristotle to the time of Newton to identify limitations placed on the development of the model by the technology available at the time
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- compare the abiotic characteristics of aquatic and terrestrial environments
process and analyse information obtained from a variety of sampling studies to justify the use of different sampling techniques to make population estimates when total counts cannot be performed
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- identify examples of allelopathy, parasitism, mutualism and commensalism in an ecosystem and the role of organisms in each type of relationship
- describe the role of decomposers in ecosystems
- define the term adaptation and discuss the problems associated with inferring characteristics of organisms as adaptations for living in a particular habitat
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
ALL DOTPOINTS REMOVED
ALL DOTPOINTS REMOVED
ALL DOTPOINTS REMOVED
ALL DOTPOINTS REMOVED
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- outline the historical development of the cell theory, in particular, the contributions of Robert Hooke and Robert Brown
- describe evidence to support the cell theory
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- explain the relationship between the length and overall complexity of digestive systems of a vertebrate herbivore and a vertebrate carnivore with respect to:
- the chemical composition of their diet
- the functions of the structures involved
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- identify and compare the gaseous exchange surfaces in an insect, a fish, a frog and a mammal
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- identify mitosis as a process of nuclear division and explain its role
- identify the sites of mitosis in plants, insects and mammals
- explain the need for cytokinesis in cell division
Excited to learn more?
New HSC Syllabus
Learn more about the New HSC Syllabus for chemistry, physics and biology!
Enrol in our New Syllabus Classes!
Gain a full understanding of all New Syllabus dotpoints
Supercharge your practise with 1000’s of New Syllabus Exam Style questions
Solve new and challenging scientific theories with ease
What is the New HSC Syllabus?
In 2018, students undertaking the 2019 HSC will be starting the New HSC Science Syllabus in Chemistry, Physics and Biology. In 2019 you will have the opportunity to take the newly introduced Extension Science.
“About 70% of the New Syllabus will cover topics from the old HSC Syllabus and about 30% will be entirely new concepts and topics”
Amir Sirder, PhD Candidate for Physics and Synergy Education resource co-ordinator
Topics in the New Science Syllabus
| Chemistry | Physics | Biology | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Module 1 | Properties and Structure of Matter | Kinematics | Cells as a basis for life |
| Module 2 | Introduction to Quantitative Chemistry | Dynamics | Organisation of Living Things |
| Module 3 | Reactive Chemistry | Waves and Thermodynamics | Biological Diversity |
| Module 4 | Drivers of Reaction | Electricity and Magnetism | Ecosystem Dynamics |
scroll right 🙂
CHANGES IN CHEMISTRY
There is a renewed focus on applying Mathematical Principles to the Study of Chemistry
A full list of the New Syllabus dotpoints being covered:
- New types of notation
- The Bohr and Schrodinger models
- The Ideal Gas Law
- Enthalpy and Hess’s Law
- Entropy and Gibbs Free Energy
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ applications of chemical practices
- Calculating the Equilibrium Constant
- Analysis of organic compounds
CHANGES IN PHYSICS
Similarly, Physics also has a much stronger emphasise on applying Mathematical Principles
A full list of the New Syllabus dotpoints being covered:
- Analysis of forces and motion in two dimensions using vectors
- Standing waves
- The Doppler effect
- Elementary thermodynamics
- Wave and quantum models of light
- Study of the Standard Model of matter
CHANGES IN BIOLOGY
Changes in biology include a focus on a variation of new modules and Aboriginal studies
A full list of the New Syllabus dotpoints being covered:
- Disease as a disruption of homeostasis
- Cells and chemical energy
- Investigating extinction events
- Paleontological and Geological investigations surrounding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures
- Evidence of past changes in ecosystems
- Single Nucleotide Polymorphism
- Genetic drift
- Pharmaceuticals and the control of infectious diseases
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ protocols for medicines
How you can succeed in the New HSC Syllabus?
1. Know Your Syllabus
Just like the old syllabus, knowing the new syllabus is crucial to any Science student
Why is it so important? Anything and everything an exam can ask is within the syllabus. A common mistake many students make is studying irrelevant content that will NEVER be tested.
At Synergy, we’ve already finished preparing our notes for you. All content is structured so that you spend minimal time studying.
2. Glossary of Keywords
Keywords will also be important in the New Syllabus
In your exams you’ll realise that keywords such as ‘Assess’, ‘Explain’ and ‘Discuss’ are very common. Each verb has a unique method of answering the question. For example:
Explain – Relate cause and effect; make relationships between things evident; provide why and/or how
Discuss – Identify issues and provide points for and/or against
Usually, it will cost 1 or 2 marks if you don’t answer a question with the correct method for the verb. That’s almost 10-15% of your exam gone!
The most effective method to maximise your marks is to practise! You will find our teachers consistently emphasise on verbs in class and you’ll become familiar with them in not time!
3. First Principles
You will never succeed in the sciences by memorising.
There is a very strong focus from NESA for students to learn sciences from FIRST PRINCIPLES.
What is the difference between Rote Learning and First Principles?
Rote learning involves the memorisation of for example a formula.
First principles involves understanding how the formula was derived. This is important because you can apply your understanding to ANY question they give you.
Here is another reminder in why first principles understanding will be crucial to your HSC success:
‘HSC examination questions will be less predictable so students must apply their knowledge and skills in their answers’.
4. Practicals
The New Syllabus will require you to perform MORE experiments and practicals. Across the sciences, it will make up 20-30% of your coursework.
Practicals is something most students DON’T study much.
For practicals you need to know how to:
– Set-up
– Method
– Interpret results
You will also need to know how to evaluate reliability, accuracy and validity for all experiments you undertake.
To help you solidify your understanding in experiments, we undertake in-class practicals. With a comprehensive guide to answering all types of experiment related questions.
This is why our students are consistently able to come top in their practical exams as well as achieve an average of 93 in both physics and chemistry.
Old vs New Syllabus Exam Questions
| Development Questions | Concept Driven | Calculation | Practicals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Syllabus Weighting | 30% | 20 – 30% | 20% | 10% |
| New Syllabus Weighting | 5 – 10% | 30 – 40% | 30 – 40% | 10 – 20% |
| Description | These are your long response type questions that are 5 – 7 marks in the old syllabus exams. In the New Syllabus there WILL still be these types of questions but much less. | These types of questions require providing definitions, concepts and derivations. As there are less development type questions in the New Syllabus, it is replaced with new concepts. | Since multiple new concepts are being introduced, there will inevitably be new calculation type questions. | Again, with new concepts being introduced there is a higher focus on experiments and conducting practicals. |
scroll right 🙂
Are past papers still relevant for the New HSC Syllabus?
IN SHORT, YES THEY STILL ARE!
WHY? The fundamentals of many dotpoints are still the same except for the ones that have been removed.
Hence, about 50-70% of past paper questions are still completely relevant!
Here is a summary of dotpoints that have been REMOVED. If come across them in past papers, just SKIP THEM! To save you time, we have indicated in each of our past papers the types of questions that are still relevant.
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- identify that the biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere contain examples of mixtures of elements and compounds
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- outline and examine some uses of different metals through history, including contemporary uses, as uncombined metals or as alloys
- identify why there are more metals available for people to use now than there were 200 years ago
- analyse information to relate the chronology of the Bronze Age, the Iron Age and the modern era and possible future developments
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- outline the history of the development of the Periodic Table including its origins, the original data used to construct it and the predictions made after its construction
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- define the terms mineral and ore with reference to economic and non-economic deposits of natural resources
- describe the relationship between the commercial prices of common metals, their actual abundances and relative costs of production
- explain why ores are non-renewable resources
- discuss the importance of predicting yield in the identification, mining and extraction of commercial ore deposits
- justify the increased recycling of metals in our society and across the world
- analyse information to compare the cost and energy expenditure involved in the extraction of aluminium from its ore and the recycling of aluminium
- recount the steps taken to recycle aluminium
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- compare the state, percentage and distribution of water in the biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere
- outline the significance of the different states of water on Earth in terms of water as:
- a constituent of cells and its role as both a solvent and a raw material in metabolism
- a habitat in which temperature extremes are less than nearby terrestrial habitats
- an agent of weathering of rocks both as liquid and solid
- a natural resource for humans and other organisms
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- explain why water’s ability to absorb heat is important to aquatic organisms and to life on earth generally
- explain what is meant by thermal pollution and discuss the implications for life if a body of water is affected by thermal pollution
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- identify the photosynthetic origins of the chemical energy in coal, petroleum and natural gas
- process and present information from secondary sources on the range of compounds found in either coal, petroleum or natural gas and on the location of deposits of the selected fossil fuel in Australia
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- describe the energy transformations required in one of the following:
- Mobile telephone
- Fax/modem
- Radio & television
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- discuss how the main sources of domestic energy have changed over time
- assess some of the impacts of changes in, and increased access to, sources of energy for a community
- discuss some of the ways in which electricity can be provided in remote locationsidentify data sources, gather, process and analyse secondary information about the differing views of Volta and Galvani about animal and chemical electricity and discuss whether their different views contributed to increased understanding of electricity
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- outline the historical development of models of the Universe from the time of Aristotle to the time of Newton
- identify data sources, and gather, process and analyse information to assess one of the models of the Universe developed from the time of Aristotle to the time of Newton to identify limitations placed on the development of the model by the technology available at the time
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- compare the abiotic characteristics of aquatic and terrestrial environments
process and analyse information obtained from a variety of sampling studies to justify the use of different sampling techniques to make population estimates when total counts cannot be performed
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- identify examples of allelopathy, parasitism, mutualism and commensalism in an ecosystem and the role of organisms in each type of relationship
- describe the role of decomposers in ecosystems
- define the term adaptation and discuss the problems associated with inferring characteristics of organisms as adaptations for living in a particular habitat
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
ALL DOTPOINTS REMOVED
ALL DOTPOINTS REMOVED
ALL DOTPOINTS REMOVED
ALL DOTPOINTS REMOVED
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- outline the historical development of the cell theory, in particular, the contributions of Robert Hooke and Robert Brown
- describe evidence to support the cell theory
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- explain the relationship between the length and overall complexity of digestive systems of a vertebrate herbivore and a vertebrate carnivore with respect to:
- the chemical composition of their diet
- the functions of the structures involved
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- identify and compare the gaseous exchange surfaces in an insect, a fish, a frog and a mammal
Syllabus Dotpoints that are removed in the New Syllabus
- identify mitosis as a process of nuclear division and explain its role
- identify the sites of mitosis in plants, insects and mammals
- explain the need for cytokinesis in cell division