Understanding HSC questions

1. The following key words are used in HSC questions. Knowing their meaning will help you to understand how you must present your answer.

Account: State reasons for and narrate a series of events. Calculate: Determine an answer from information given. Clarify: To make clear. Simply, make it easier to understand. Deduce: From information given, draw conclusions. Propose: Give opinion, perspective, ideas or an argument for consideration. Define: Clarify what something is and what it does. Demonstrate: Give an example. Describe: Detail what something does, what it looks like and how it works. Discuss: Give a point of view and justify it with evidence. Analyse: Try to make sense of why something is done, how it works, what should be done and give implications for decisions. Classify: Arrange or discuss classes/categories. Distinguish: Recognise distinct differences between concepts, objects or views. Evaluate: Make a judgment based on evidence, discussion or a criteria. Examine: Look at the information, situation or scenario provided. Often followed by evaluation.

Identify: Recognise concepts, equipment, objects and name them. Recognise the correct order of things. Apply: Use skills or information given/learnt to work out a situation or scenario. Construct: Make an argument by putting together ideas. Justify: Give reasons why, use evidence to support your ideas. Interpret: Make meaning from information given. Recall: Remember information and experiences previously learnt or given. Summarise: Express relevant details in a concise manner. Recommend: Give an opinion, provide reasons for that opinion based on own knowledge or information given. Synthesise: Putting together various ideas, concepts and sources of information to make meaning. Extract: Take out the most relevant and important information to answer the question. Explain: Give reasons why and discuss how. Contrast: Look at the differences and similarities of two pieces of information, two objects or two experiences. Critically Analyse/Evaluate: Analyse and evaluate using own

knowledge and reasearched knowledge, reflect. Extrapolate: Expand upon. Add to previous information, experiences or ideas. Make concepts, ideas or information understandable. Investigate: Research information and draw own conclusions from research. Outline: In general terms, give main features, provide basic description, ideas or information. Predict: Using the information provided and your own knowledge and experiences, draw conclusions on what might happen.