HSC Biology: How to ace the HSC Short Response Question Section!

10 Mins Read | Written by Sara Lowe

Key Points Summary

• Understanding the demands of NESA verbs is key to answering HSC questions
• To practice your responses, try scaffolding your answers in a manner which directly addresses the NESA verb
• The best way to get better at answering HSC questions is to practice and receive feedback on your work
• Use the marks dedicated to a question as a guide for how long to spend on it 

The Key to Answering NESA HSC Questions 

In order to successfully answer HSC questions you need to be able to identify the NESA verb and understand what the verb is asking of you. For example, in a compare question you need to ‘show how things are similar or different’ but for a ‘contrast’ question you need to ‘show how things are different’.

Knowing the different NESA verbs and their demands is key to answering questions. It is worthwhile reflecting and developing your approach to different question types so that you have an understanding and pre-determined approach to different question types in the exam.

More complex verbs, such as evaluate and analyse, are typically worth more marks in the exam and require a more detailed response. Simple verbs, such as ‘identify’, are usually worth minimal marks and require only a one word response.

Key Verbs in Biology

In biology, there are a few common NESA verbs which you are bound to come across. These popular biology NESA verbs are shown below, but a full list of NESA verbs can be found here: https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/hsc-student-guide/glossary-keywords

Verb	Definition
Compare	Show how things are similar or different
Contrast	Show how things are different or opposite
Describe	Provide characteristics and features
Discuss	Identify issues and provide points for and/or against
Evaluate	Make a judgement based on criteria; determine the value of
Explain	Relate cause and effect; make the relationships between things evident; provide why and/or how
Identify	Recognise and name
Outline	Sketch in general term; indicate the main features of

For a guide on how to answer long responses check out: (INSERT LINK TO RAYASH’S BLOG)

Steps to Acing HSC Short Answer Questions 

1. Identify the verb and look how many marks the question is worth 

This will give you an idea of what things yous need to include in your response as well as indicate to you how much time you should spend on the question. 

Dymocks Top: 1.5 minutes per mark is the suggested guideline for the HSC 

2. Identify the key words and phrases

Key words and phrases will tell you what you need to include in your response. Try to use these key words and phrases in your answer as this will allows the marker to see that you have directly answered the question. 

3. Have a strategy for how you will approach the question 

Structuring your response is key to writing a clear and articulate answer which will stand out to the marker. To do this, have an idea in your head about the order in which you will write your response. 

For example, in an explain question you need to address ‘cause and effect’ and may choose to structure it the following way:

Step 1: Identify and define the key words in the question 

Dymocks tip: If you do not know how to start your response it is always a good idea to start by defining some of the key words in the question.

Step 2: Go into ‘cause’

Step 3: Go into ‘effect’ 

For a guide on how to answer explain responses check out: (INSERT LINK TO RAYASH’S BLOG)

Practice Answering and Breaking Down a HSC Short Answer Question

2020 HSC Biology Question 22: Answering an Outline Question 

Let’s have a look at this question, using the steps outlined to break it down:

1. Identify the verb and how many marks it is worth 

This question is an outline question meaning I have to ‘sketch in general terms’. This means I do not need to go into great detail in my response, rather I just need to provide an overview of key points. 

This question is worth 3 marks, so using the rule of 1.5 minutes per mark, I should not spend longer than 4.5 minutes on it

2. Identify key words and phrases

Immediately 2 key words stand out: ‘benefit’ and ‘limitations’. This means that in my response I need to talk about the pro’s and con’s. 

The other key phrase is ‘pharmaceuticals …. to treat infectious disease’. 

The question has suggested ‘antibiotics’ as a potential topic, however, you can choose another pharmaceutical if you wish. 

Dymocks tip: pay attention to the wording of the question. If the question says ‘such as antibiotic  or ‘like antibiotics’ then these are suggestions and you have some flexibility in what you choose to speak about. If the questions says ‘with reference to antibiotics’ or ‘speak about antibiotics’ then you MUST refer to antibiotics in your response.

3. Have a strategy for how you will approach the question 

Now that I have broken down and identified key words and phrases, I can start to think about how I will structure my response. 

Dymocks Tip: If you are struggling with trying to structure your response, try to rewrite the question in your own words. 

To give me a better idea of what I have to write about, I am going to rewrite the question in my own words (*in the exam just do this in your head – do not waste time by re-writing the question onto your page):

Give an overview of the pros and cons of using antibiotics to treat infectious diseases 

Now I am going to write down my steps for how I plan to formulate my response:

Step 1: Define what an antibiotic is and what it is used for 

Step 2: Talk about one PRO of antibiotics in treating infectious disease 

Step 3: Talk about one CON of antibiotics in treating infectious disease

Now have a go writing it out!

Step 1: An antibiotic is a pharmaceutical product used to combat bacterial infections. They serve to kill bacteria which causes infectious diseases, like chlamydia. 

Step 2: Antibiotics can be extremely effective in killing bacteria causing disease. This is beneficial as it helps patients get rid of infections and make them feel better. Furthermore, as antibiotics kill bacteria, infected individuals can no longer spread it to others making it useful in controlling the spread of infectious diseases. 

Step 3: However, there are some limitations and issues with antibiotics. Most pressingly is the worry of antibiotic resistance, where certain bacteria become resistant to antibiotic medications allowing infections to persist. Antibiotics can also be expensive, making them accessible to those who can’t afford them, and can also have serious side effects on the patient. 

Then put it all together:

 An antibiotic is a pharmaceutical product used to combat bacterial infections. They serve to kill bacteria which causes infectious diseases, like chlamydia. Antibiotics can be extremely effective in killing bacteria causing disease. This is beneficial as it helps patients get rid of infections and make them feel better. Furthermore, as antibiotics kill bacteria, infected individuals can no longer spread it to others making it useful in controlling the spread of infectious diseases. However, there are some limitations and issues with antibiotics. Most pressingly is the worry of antibiotic resistance, where certain bacteria become resistant to antibiotic medications allowing infections to persist. Antibiotics can also be expensive, making them accessible to those who can’t afford them, and can also have serious side effects on the patient. 

Conclusion

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