Bacon, eggs and Bowie: NSW year 12 students tackle 'human strength and vulnerability' in HSC English paper

The question, put to students in the English 1 paper, read: 'How does the composer of your prescribed text offer you opportunities to examine assumptions about human strength and vulnerability?'

Among those who sat the test was Kayden Tran, 18, a student at Canley Vale high school in Sydney's west. After a breakfast of rice, bacon and eggs, Tran said he initially felt stressed but left the exam room content. 'I feel perfectly fine, I feel content, like I did the best I possibly could,' he said.

Fellow student Mary Alnimry, 17, revealed her pre-exam ritual: listening to David Bowie's 'Heroes,' a song she discovered through a year 10 assessment. 'Every time, before every English exam, I listen to that song and it just reminds me of English,' she said. Alnimry described the paper as 'pretty fair' with 'nothing out of the ordinary.'

Roughly 75,000 students across NSW are completing their final exams, with about 200 from Canley Vale among them. On social media, some students expressed less confidence. One Reddit user commented: 'Honestly I think that'll kick most people in the ass, the fact the question had so much to unpack I personally found it hard to address it all.'

Analysis

Why This Matters

The HSC is the culmination of secondary education for about 75,000 NSW students, and the English paper sets the tone for the entire exam period.
Student responses highlight the emotional and psychological pressure of final exams, as well as the coping strategies they develop.
The perceived difficulty of the question may influence how future cohorts prepare for the English paper and how examiners calibrate subsequent tests.

Background

The Higher School Certificate (HSC) is the credential awarded to students in New South Wales after completing year 12. The English exam is a compulsory component, typically sat over multiple papers. The first paper, English 1, focuses on common module content, with questions requiring analysis of prescribed texts. This year's module is 'Texts and Human Experiences,' which explores themes of human strength and vulnerability.

Key Perspectives

Students: Some, like those at Canley Vale, found the question manageable and expressed relief after completing the paper. Others, as reflected on Reddit, felt the question was demanding and difficult to address fully within the time limit. Educators and examiners: The question aligns with the syllabus focus on 'human experiences' and 'assumptions,' aiming to test critical analysis rather than rote learning. The range of student reactions suggests the question achieved its goal of differentiating between levels of understanding. Critics: The potential for the question to 'kick most people in the ass' raises concerns about fairness and whether the phrasing was unnecessarily complex. Some may argue that such open-ended questions disadvantage students who struggle with abstract thinking under exam pressure.

What to Watch

Results for the English paper, expected later this year, will show how students performed overall on this question compared to previous years.
Feedback from teachers and marking reports may clarify whether the question was considered appropriately pitched.
The reaction of future exam cohorts: whether similar question styles are retained or adjusted based on this year's experience.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Background

Key Perspectives

What to Watch

Sources