Check out our tutor’s Thomas’s experience with VCE Maths Methods and how he got a raw 50. Thomas has shared his most effective tips and strategies that helped him succeed, so you can put yourself in the best position to excel.
What score did you achieve in VCE Maths Methods?
I completed VCE Maths Methods in 2019 with a perfect study score of 50.
How did you study for VCE Maths Methods? What techniques did you use to study?
As others have probably told you many times before: it’s a marathon, not a sprint! Frantic last-minute cramming might just get you past the line, but it’s doing consistent small improvement that will push your score to the next level. Having structure to you study routine is key: A well-structured study session is more beneficial than longer stress-filled sessions in the long run. Aim for a consistent, productive yet achievable session every day, whether that’s doing some questions, writing your bound reference, or revising topics that you didn’t fully comprehend. Most importantly, keep your sessions to something that you can reliably complete. There’s no point aiming to study 5 hours of Methods a day when you have school, other subjects, sleep, and a social life to squeeze in. Designating half an hour or an hour is perfectly fine if you can consistently make it work.
Throughout the year, there are many other things you can do to study other than simply listening in class and reading textbooks. Your bound reference should be a document that’s ever-evolving, always being updated with new knowledge, tips, and tricks you learn throughout the year. I highly recommend handwriting your notes and trying to make your notes as presentable as possible. By putting time into presentation, you’ll also consider the best way to present your working out and better synthesise information. Over the year, I also recommend keeping a record of the types of mistakes you make and add them to your bound reference. Personally, I always forgot that solving for x2 = a has two solutions for the positive and negative square root, so I wrote in my bound reference to remind myself to check for it. Making mistakes is totally okay, as long as you know how you made them and act to avoid them next time.
If you have friends that are also doing Methods, teaching is the best way to consolidate what you have learnt. The greatest test is teaching the topics that many people struggle with, such as finding the domain and range of composite functions, transformations, and probability. If you can teach these topics well, it’s a great sign that you truly understand them. Remember the saying: see once, do once, teach once!
What is your advice for VCE Maths Methods students for the SACs?
Studying for SACs can be confusing as since every school makes their own, advice from outer sources might not be the most applicable to your SACs. Your best source of info is your teachers: don’t be afraid to ask your teachers for practice SACs (you might need to nag them), and their own preference as to how to answer different types of questions as ultimately, they’ll be the ones marking your SACs. Pay attention to how your teacher teaches worded solutions, as the best way to make your teacher happy is to copy their wording (but make sure it’s appropriate for the question!). The first SAC in Methods is usually the hardest, as it lasts for over 4 hours over multiple sessions. Having a short-term memory helps, refrain from pondering over all your mistakes that you might have not even made and go into the next part of the SAC fresh and ready to smash it the best you can!
What is your advice for VCE Maths Methods students for the end of year exams?
Somewhat counterintuitively, what will make or break your marks in Methods is how proficient your CAS calculator skills are. I know it’s a weird feeling after years of being told to make sure you can do tricky equations by hand, but only 20% of your Study Score is determined by your ability to do questions by hand. Some simple but time-saving tips (for Ti-nspire CX CAS users)
- define your functions at the start of questions ((menu) à 1 à 1)
- create a new problem for every new extended response question ((doc) à 4 à 2)
- learn shortcuts for common functions (for example, shift à - gives derivative and shift à + gives integral)
- pressing up to highlight previous solutions, and then pressing (enter) to copy it into the current line of working to save you writing the same function again
Speed without compromising accuracy will come naturally as you use your CAS more and more, so don’t avoid using your CAS because it feels unnatural.
As exams get closer, this is when you want to get on top of doing practice exams as soon as possible. Many schools will have access to practice papers and tutors at Apex Tuition have access to a massive number of practice papers, way more than one could possibly do! Start as early as possible, even before you’ve covered everything in class. Don’t feel pressured to know everything from the start: the point of doing practice exams is to get familiar with the exam structure, figuring out where your holes are, and seeing as many types of questions as you can. The start of term 3 where calculus is still fresh and right before you start probability is a good time to start practicing papers. Furthermore, when starting out, it is not necessary to practice in proper time conditions: find a practice paper, grab a coffee and a snack, slowly make your way through the questions with your textbook and notes with you, and check your answers as you go. Starting practice exams should be a stress-less experience of familiarising yourself with what you will be tackling come year-end. As you get closer to exams, start slowly simulating the exam environment in practice. An easy way to do this is by adding parts one by one, including:
- Completing a paper from cover to cover before checking the answers
- Finding a quiet space without your phone to simulate the exam room
- Not using notes and calculator for non-calculator papers
- Timing yourself strictly (including giving yourself the correct amount of reading time)
- Double checking your answers if time permits
How did you balance study with the rest of your life during VCE?
Year 12 will feel like both the shortest and the longest year in your school life. There will be many moments for fun and celebration but also many moments that demand grit and discipline. Discipline is tough to maintain for a whole year and there will be times where you’ll start to feel overwhelmed and burnout starts to kick in. As important as studying is, don’t be afraid to take breaks throughout the year. Organising your time into studying and breaks is a great way to both make sure you’re keeping on top with things whilst making sure your brain has adequate time to rest and recover.
More information about Thomas
Thomas is an accomplished VCE maths tutor with hundreds of hours of experience. Thomas achieved a raw study score of 50 in General Maths, which he was awarded the Premier’s award for. He also achieved a raw study score of 50 for Math Methods, a raw study score of 49 in Specialist Maths and finished year 12 with an ATAR of 99.75. He is currently studying in his fifth year of his Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine (MD) at Monash University. As a tutor, Thomas is a patient, enthusiastic and adaptable tutor whose goal is to make tutoring as personalised and as enjoyable for his students!
If you would like to organise a session with a tutor like Thomas, please submit an application today.
