HSC PDHPE exam questions can be difficult to decode. Breaking the HSC PDHPE exam questions down into its various sections can help ensure the answer you write addresses the question – providing what the question wants. There are normally three sections to the HSC PDHPE exam question: The directive term, the syllabus key term, and a connection or link (often to health, wellbeing, or performance)
Identify the directive term
The directive term, in the HSC PDHPE exam question, is the term that is either from the BOSTES glossary or a common word such as “what”, “why”, “when”, “how”, “where”, or “who”. These terms should be identified either by highlighting, circling or underlining and then defined. It is important that you know what these terms are asking you to do. They can be asking you to present both sides of an argument (discuss) or relate causes and effects (explain) and you need to ensure your answer to this HSC PDHPE exam question does what it is asking you to do. Eg)
Question 22 (continued) 8 marks
(b) Argue the benefits of applying the Ottawa Charter to ONE health promotion initiative.
PDHPE HSC Exam 2010
Argue = give reasons or evidence to support
Identify the syllabus key terms
The next thing to do in breaking down the exam questions is to identify the syllabus key terms. These terms are often straight out of you HSC PDHPE syllabus and tell you the content you need to include in your answer to the question. Continuing our example above:
Question 22 (continued) 8 marks
(b) Argue the benefits of applying the Ottawa Charter to ONE health promotion initiative.
PDHPE HSC Exam 2010
Though this entire question is almost word for word from the learn to column under Health promotion based on the five actions areas of the Ottawa Charter, the key term to identify is green: “Ottawa Charter”. Recalling the syllabus here we note that the Ottawa Charter has five (5) action areas, that this question will want to see used. The syllabus also says that you should have learnt the importance of the Ottawa Charter for health promotion, and analysed specific health promotions in Australia. The learn to states:
- argue the benefits of health promotion based on:
- individuals, communities and governments working in partnership
- the five action areas of the Ottawa Charter
- critically analyse the importance of the five action areas of the Ottawa Charter through a study of TWO health promotion initiatives related to Australia’s health priorities
Stage 6 PDHPE Syllabus
The connections between this and the HSC PDHPE exam question are red and should help you to know what to include when answering the question. This question wants the answer to argue the benefits of the five (5) action areas of the Ottawa Charter, applied to a specific health promotion initiative related to Australia’s health priorities.
Here it would be important for you to list the five (5) action areas of the Ottawa Charter and the specific health promotion you are going to use in your answer. You may even provide a few key points or examples form your initiative that link with the five (5) action areas.
Link the syllabus to the question
This final step in breaking down HSC PDHPE exam questions is quite self-explanatory in this question, but may not always be. Let’s look at the exam question again.
Question 22 (continued) 8 marks
(b) Argue the benefits of applying the Ottawa Charter to ONE health promotion initiative.
PDHPE HSC Exam 2010
Now we identify what the question wants you to do with the Ottawa Charter action areas. The terms are identified in blue. So your focus in using the five (5) action areas of the Ottawa Charter is to show the BENEFITS of these in ONE specific HEALTH PROMOTION INITIATIVE. One of the two you studied in class, either ATSI or one other.
Thus, breaking down this exam question has shown that the question wants you to provide evidence of the benefits that come with using the five (5) action areas of the Ottawa Charter in a specific health promotion initiative that you studied in class.
Review the question
Of course, as you break down HSC PDHPE exam questions, it is always important to review your break down to make sure you have not missed anything. Ensure you have identified what the question wants you to do and what information it wants you to do it with. Then you are ready to write.
I must add, that when you finish writing you should once again look at your break down of the HSC PDHPE exam question and ensure that your answer provides the information it has asked for. If not, add what is missing.
