Year 10 and 11
End of Year Exams
by Ms. Shareen Bottrell, Assistant Principal
Box Hill High School
Our Year 10 and 11 exams run from Wednesday 11th November to Thursday 19th November. Straight after, Year 10 and 11 students move into Jumpstart (Monday 23rd November to Friday 27th November), where they’ll meet their teachers for next year, get a first look at their new subjects, and head home with some holiday work to start the year on the front foot.
For many students, this is the first time they’ll sit a full set of formal exams, and that’s exactly the point. We want them to walk into the exam hall in Year 12 already knowing how it feels, the silence, the reading time, the rules, the clock on the wall. Getting that experience now, when it is practice, takes a lot of the fear out of it later.
The exams also give students a reason to build a proper home study routine, and a chance to sharpen the skills each subject asks of them, whether that’s writing an analytical response under time pressure in English, setting out working clearly in Maths or knowing how to respond to a command term. It also gives us an indication of where your child is at and what we can all do to support them heading into next year.
You don’t need to be an expert in any of their subjects to make a real difference. Here are a few suggestion that may genuinely help:
A good place to study. Somewhere quiet, with a desk and decent light. Beds and couches are great for relaxing, which is exactly why they’re not great for revision.
The phone in another room. Even on silent, a phone within reach pulls attention away. If they need the internet for study, that’s fine, but notifications off.
Sleep, food and fresh air. A tired brain doesn’t remember much. Regular meals, a walk around the block and a sensible bedtime matter more than one more late night with the textbook.
Encouragement, not pressure. Let them know you care about effort rather than marks. A simple “how’s the study going?” and a cup of tea can do a lot.
Retrieval of information, not re-reading. The strongest study involves pulling information out of memory. Some suggestions are flashcards, practice questions, explaining a topic out loud to you. Highlighting and re-reading feel productive but are not effective or efficient ways to remember for an exam.
Breaks built in. Short bursts work well, for example 25 minutes of focused work and then 5 minutes off. It keeps concentration up across a long afternoon.
A calm night before. Help them pack the night before including pens, pencils, calculator, a clear water bottle, and anything else allowed for that exam. A calm, organised morning sets them up well.
The exam timetable and student instructions will be posted on the Compass newsfeed in Week 6. Please take a moment to go through them with your child.