HSC Indonesian Extension (NSW) exam-day guide
HSC Indonesian Extension (NSW) · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo ID and exam admission details
Bring current photo identification and any admission or confirmation notice your school or the exam authority has issued. Requirements vary by venue, so confirm with the provider which documents are accepted and whether a printed copy is needed.
Exam timetable and room location
Write down the date, start time, room number, and reporting time for the Indonesian Extension written paper. Check the official timetable rather than relying on memory, and confirm the reporting time with the provider.
Black or blue pens plus spares
Bring at least two pens that write cleanly and a spare. Confirm with the provider whether pencil is required for any section and whether correction fluid or tape is permitted.
Highlighters and a pencil
Useful for marking key words in stimulus texts and planning responses. Keep them in a clear pouch if your venue restricts what is on the desk.
Clear water bottle
Bring water in a transparent, label-free bottle if the venue allows drinks on the desk. Check the provider's rules on what may be brought into the room.
Approved translation or monolingual dictionary
Confirm with the provider whether a dictionary is permitted for this paper and which types are allowed. If approved, check it for loose notes before entering, since annotations may be prohibited.
Watch that is not a smart device
A simple analogue or digital watch helps you pace long writing tasks. Smart watches and phones are usually banned from the desk, so confirm the provider's device rules.
No notes or prepared materials at the desk
Leave revision notes, phones, and smart devices outside the exam room unless the provider's rules allow otherwise. Plan where you will store them before you arrive.
Arrive early with time to settle
Aim to arrive well before the reporting time so you can find the room, use the bathroom, and settle without stress. The exact reporting time should be confirmed with the provider.
A plan for the reading time
Decide in advance how you will use any reading or planning time: skim the whole paper, note the task types, and allocate minutes to each section before writing begins.
A rough time budget per section
Work out how many minutes each response deserves based on marks and expected length. Leave time at the end to check language accuracy and completeness.
Transport and backup plan
Confirm your route, travel time, and a backup option in case of delays. This is practical planning rather than an official rule, so adjust it to your own circumstances.
Plan the day
Move from broad revision to targeted practice. Re-read your summaries of the prescribed topics and themes, then complete one or two timed responses in Indonesian under exam conditions. Focus on the task types you find hardest, such as extended writing or responding to a stimulus text. Review your own error patterns in grammar, register, and vocabulary rather than trying to learn large amounts of new material. Confirm your exam details, transport, and permitted items with the provider.
Do light consolidation only: skim vocabulary lists, useful sentence structures, and connectives for formal writing. Practise planning two or three responses in outline form without writing them fully. Prepare your bag with ID, pens, permitted dictionary, water, and watch. Check the venue location and reporting time one more time. Eat well, avoid late-night cramming, and aim for a full night's sleep.
Eat a proper breakfast and arrive early. Do a short warm-up by reading a paragraph of Indonesian and noting a few useful phrases, but stop well before the exam to stay calm. Leave phones and notes outside the room as required. Once seated, follow the supervisor's instructions, check that the paper is complete, and write your details carefully.
Read the whole paper first so you know the number and weighting of tasks. Identify which questions require shorter answers and which require extended writing. Note key words in the questions, including the required text type, audience, and purpose. Sketch a quick time allocation and decide the order in which you will answer.
Answer the highest-value or most familiar question first if that helps you settle, but keep to your time budget. For writing tasks, spend a few minutes planning structure and key vocabulary before drafting. Write in clear Indonesian, matching register to the task, and use varied sentence structures. Watch the clock at set checkpoints, and reserve the final minutes to check agreement, verb forms, spelling, and whether every part of each question has been addressed.
Rules to check
Follow all instructions from exam supervisors. If you are unsure about a procedure, raise your hand and ask rather than guessing, since rules vary between venues.
Bring the identification and admission documents the provider requires. Confirm with the provider in advance what counts as acceptable ID and what happens if you forget it.
Do not bring phones, smart watches, or unauthorised notes into the exam room. Confirm with the provider where such items must be stored and what counts as a banned device.
Use only permitted equipment, including any approved dictionary. Check with the provider whether dictionaries are allowed and whether annotation or loose inserts are prohibited.
Stay in your seat and do not communicate with other candidates during the exam. If you need to leave the room for any reason, follow the supervisor's instructions exactly.
Breaks are usually not permitted during a written exam, but procedures differ. Confirm with the provider whether supervised toilet breaks are allowed and how they affect your time.
Write your answers in the spaces or booklets specified and make sure your candidate details are correct. Ask a supervisor if a page is missing or unclear rather than improvising.
Scoring is based on the official marking guidelines for the paper, including content, organisation, range, and accuracy of language where relevant. Confirm the weightings and task requirements with the provider rather than relying on rumour.