HSC German Extension exam-day guide
HSC German Extension · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo identification
Bring the ID document your school or the supervising authority requires. The exact accepted forms (school card, passport, driver licence) can differ between venues, so confirm the accepted list with your teacher or the provider before exam day.
Exam admission or timetable notice
Carry the printed or digital notice showing your name, the exam, the room and the start time. If you are unsure whether a printed copy is needed, confirm with the provider.
Several black or blue pens
Bring at least two or three working pens plus a spare, since written responses in German are handwritten at most centres. Check whether correction fluid or erasable pens are permitted; confirm with the provider if unsure.
Pencils and eraser
Useful for planning notes and for any multiple-choice or shading sections. Keep planning notes clearly separated from your final answers.
Clear water bottle and a light snack
Hydration and a small snack for before or after the exam help concentration. Check the venue's rules on bringing drinks into the exam room; confirm with the provider if unsure.
No prohibited devices
Leave phones, smart watches, earbuds and any other connected devices switched off and stored as directed. Do not rely on being allowed to keep a phone on your person.
Know the room and travel plan
Confirm the building, room number and arrival time in advance and plan to arrive with a comfortable buffer for transport delays. If the venue or reporting time is unclear, confirm with the provider.
Review the prescribed text and topic notes
Re-read your own summaries and key quotations from the prescribed works and the issues you studied, rather than trying to learn new material the night before.
Practise timed writing in German
Do at least one timed response under exam conditions so you know how much you can write in the allotted time and how long to spend planning.
Sleep and a normal breakfast
A full night's sleep and a usual meal support recall and sustained writing in a second language far better than last-minute cramming.
Check permitted reference materials
If you believe a dictionary, glossary or set text is allowed, verify this with the provider in advance; do not bring unauthorised materials into the room on the assumption they are permitted.
Plan the day
Consolidate rather than expand: re-read your summaries of the prescribed texts and topics, memorise a small set of flexible phrases and connectives, and write at least two timed responses in German. Identify your recurring errors (verb position, cases, tense) and make a one-page correction list to review.
Do a light review of your correction list and key quotations, confirm transport and room details, pack your bag with ID, pens, water and your notice, and stop studying early enough to sleep properly. Avoid learning new vocabulary lists that you cannot consolidate.
Eat a normal breakfast, arrive early, and skim only your summary sheet. Once seated, read the paper carefully, note the mark allocation and any choice of questions, and allocate minutes to planning, writing and checking before you begin.
Plan each response briefly in German or in note form, answer in the register and text type required, and watch the clock so that no question is left blank. Leave time to check verb endings, word order in subordinate clauses, and agreement. If a question is unclear, re-read the instructions and use the mark allocation to judge how much to write.
Rules to check
Follow all instructions from supervisors and invigilators immediately, including seating, timing and collection of papers.
Bring and display the identification required by your school or provider; if you are unsure what counts as acceptable ID, confirm with the provider before the day.
Do not bring phones, smart watches, earbuds or other connected devices into the exam room; switch them off and store them as directed.
Bring only permitted materials. Whether dictionaries, glossaries or set texts are allowed varies, so confirm with the provider rather than assuming.
Ask a supervisor if you need to leave for a break; do not leave the room without permission, and follow the venue's rules on returning.
Write your answers in German as required by the task, and use the text type and register specified in each question.
Use the reading time and mark allocation to manage the paper; do not spend disproportionate time on any single question.
If you believe there is an error or ambiguity in the paper, raise it with a supervisor rather than guessing silently, and continue with the remaining questions.