HSC Armenian Continuers common mistakes
HSC Armenian Continuers · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Writing the listening answer in English or in a mixed Armenian-English shorthand (e.g. key nouns in Armenian, verbs and connectives in English) even though the question is in Armenian.
Under time pressure candidates default to the language they think in, and they assume the marker only wants the idea, not the language; some also lack the vocabulary for abstract nouns so they code-switch mid-sentence.
What to do instead
Practise answering every listening item in full Armenian sentences from the first practice session, building a personal bank of high-frequency abstract nouns and connectives (պատճառ, հետևանք, նպատակ, սակայն, ուստի). In the exam, write the answer in Armenian first and only then check it against the question.
Giving a one-word or phrase answer ('շուկա', 'ժամը հինգին') to a question that asks for a reason, attitude or comparison.
Candidates transcribe the first content word they hear and stop listening, treating the task as dictation rather than comprehension; they also misread the question stem, which may ask 'ինչու' or 'ինչպես է վերաբերվում'.
What to do instead
Before the recording starts, underline the interrogative in each question and mark whether it needs a reason (որովհետև…), an attitude (կարծում եմ, որ…), or a comparison. Train with a rule: every answer must contain a subject and a finite verb, and reason questions must include a causal connective.
Losing the thread after the first play of the recording and leaving items blank rather than using the second play to confirm or correct.
Candidates try to write full sentences during the first hearing, so their writing lags behind the audio and they miss the next item; then they panic and stop listening during the replay.
What to do instead
Use the first hearing only for keywords, numbers and names in note form; write full sentences during the pause and the second hearing. Rehearse with timed past-paper audio so the note-then-write cycle becomes automatic.
Translating the reading passage sentence by sentence and then answering from memory of the translation rather than locating the relevant lines.
Candidates with strong translation habits spend most of the time on the first two paragraphs and rush the questions, or their translation drifts from the original and they answer a passage they imagined.
What to do instead
Read the questions first, then scan for the paragraph containing the keyword and read only that section closely. Answer with a line reference in your draft so each response can be checked against the exact wording of the text.
Answering inference and tone questions ('Ի՞նչ է ակնարկում հեղինակը', 'Ո՞րն է հոդվածի երանգը') with a literal quotation instead of an inferred meaning.
Candidates do not distinguish between 'find the sentence' and 'interpret the sentence', and they lack the metalanguage for tone (հեգնական, քննադատական, լավատեսական), so they copy text as a safe option.
What to do instead
Classify practice questions into literal, inferential and evaluative, and answer each with a fixed formula: state the inference, then cite the words that support it. Build a short glossary of tone and attitude adjectives and apply it to one editorial per week.
Summarising a whole passage when the question asks for the writer's main argument, or listing every detail when it asks for one cause.
Candidates equate length with safety and believe more text earns more marks; they also fail to identify the topic sentence, which in Armenian persuasive texts often comes after an example.
What to do instead
Practise locating the thesis statement and writing a single-sentence answer that names the argument plus one supporting point. Check each answer against the mark allocation: a two-mark question rarely needs more than two sentences.
Writing a scripted essay memorised in advance and bending the prompt to fit it, so the response answers a different question.
Candidates fear the time limit and prepare one 'safe' topic; when the prompt asks for an article, a letter or a speech on a different angle, they force the prepared content and lose marks for relevance and text type.
What to do instead
Prepare flexible content clusters (environment, technology, family, migration) with reusable evidence, but rehearse three text types - formal letter, article, speech - and always open by restating the specific prompt in your own words before writing.
Producing a text with correct ideas but no structure: no paragraphing, no introduction or conclusion, and connectives limited to 'և' and 'բայց'.
Candidates draft in English in their heads and translate linearly, so paragraph logic and cohesive devices never get planned; they also run out of time and abandon the conclusion.
What to do instead
Spend three minutes on a skeleton plan (thesis, two or three body points, conclusion) and allocate the last five minutes to writing the conclusion. Deliberately use a checklist of connectives (առաջին հերթին, բացի այդ, ի հակադրություն, ամփոփելով) and paragraph each idea.
In the conversation, reciting a memorised monologue about family or school and ignoring the examiner's follow-up question.
Candidates prepare answers to predictable questions and are thrown when the examiner probes ('Իսկ ինչո՞ւ եք այդպես կարծում'), so they return to the rehearsed script instead of responding to the actual prompt.
What to do instead
Rehearse with a partner who asks unpredictable follow-ups and interrupts; practise the pattern answer-plus-reason-plus-example so any question can be extended. Record yourself and check that every turn addresses the question actually asked.
Filling silences with English hesitation markers or long pauses, and answering in short phrases without development.
Anxiety and limited automaticity mean the candidate searches for vocabulary mid-sentence; the habit of literal translation from English also blocks fluency and produces unnatural word order.
What to do instead
Build automatic chunks for buying time in Armenian (դե, ուրեմն, ինչ խոսք, թույլ տվեք մտածել) and drill them until they replace English fillers. Practise two-minute uninterrupted turns on unfamiliar prompts, recording and counting hesitations to track improvement.