HSC Persian Continuers study plan

HSC Persian Continuers · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 6 hours per week

Week 1

Reading and Responding & Writing in Persian

Annotate three unseen Persian short texts of 150-200 words each, marking main idea, supporting details and inferred meaning in the margin
Build a personal vocabulary log of 60 high-frequency formal and semi-formal Persian words drawn from those texts, with English glosses and one original sentence each
Write a 150-word Persian summary of one of the texts using at least five connectives (و، اما، بنابراین، در نتیجه، سپس)
Identify and correct five common Persian spelling and orthographic errors (e.g. همزه forms, تنوین, spacing of compound verbs) in your own writing

A vocabulary log of 60 entries plus one 150-word Persian summary, checked against the source text for accuracy

Week 2

Complete four timed reading sets of two texts each in 25 minutes, then mark every wrong answer as vocabulary, grammar or inference failure
Transcribe and shadow two 3-minute Persian audio passages, noting five phrases you could not catch on first hearing
Practise scanning for specific information (dates, numbers, names) in four notices and advertisements, answering 12 detail questions
Write eight original Persian sentences using passive and causative verb forms found in the reading texts

A timed reading log showing four sets, raw scores and a tally of error types, plus a list of five listening phrases to review

Week 3

Listen to six short Persian dialogues (2-3 minutes) and answer five comprehension questions per dialogue without pausing on the first attempt
Note down key information from each dialogue in Persian shorthand (keywords only) within 30 seconds of the audio ending
Write a 200-word Persian formal letter of request or complaint using correct register, salutation and closing formula
Record yourself retelling one dialogue in Persian for 90 seconds and mark two fluency problems to fix

Six completed listening question sets with scores, plus one 200-word formal Persian letter

Week 4

Complete a full-length timed reading paper (all texts and questions) in the official time limit and record the score
Complete a full-length timed listening paper in one sitting, replaying each item only as the exam permits, and record the score
Analyse every error from both papers and write a Persian sentence or rule for each grammar point you missed
Read one Persian newspaper opinion piece and identify the writer's stance and three supporting arguments

A mock-exam scorecard for one full reading paper and one full listening paper, with an error-analysis sheet

Week 5

Write two 250-word Persian responses to different text types (an article and a narrative) in 40 minutes each, planning for five minutes before writing
Revise both pieces for cohesion, replacing repeated words with pronouns and synonyms and adding five discourse markers
Read three unseen persuasive Persian texts and answer inference questions that require distinguishing fact from opinion
Compile a personal bank of 20 Persian sentence patterns for expressing opinion, cause, contrast and concession

Two 250-word Persian texts with first drafts, revised drafts and a short self-assessment note on what changed

Week 6

Write a 300-word Persian persuasive text in 45 minutes under exam conditions, using at least eight of your 20 sentence patterns
Complete four listening tasks based on monologues (news, announcements, talks) and answer six questions each
Self-mark your persuasive text against a checklist covering task, structure, range, accuracy and register, and rewrite two paragraphs
Listen to one Persian news bulletin and summarise its three main points in Persian in 100 words

One 300-word timed persuasive text with a completed self-marking checklist and two rewritten paragraphs

Week 7

Complete a full timed reading paper and a full timed writing paper back to back in one session to build stamina
Reduce your error count on the reading paper by at least 25 per cent compared with week 4, tracking which error types fell
Write one 300-word Persian text of each of three text types (letter, article, narrative) in 45 minutes each
Proofread all timed writing for Persian-specific issues: verb-final order, را placement, agreement and spelling

A week-4 versus week-7 comparison table of reading scores and error types, plus three timed writing samples

Week 8

Sit one complete mock exam under full conditions: listening, reading and writing in sequence, with no breaks beyond the official ones
Mark the mock against the criteria and identify the two weakest skills to keep practising after the exam
Review your vocabulary log and sentence-pattern bank, drilling only entries you still get wrong
Reread your best three Persian texts and list five personal style strengths to carry into the exam

A full mock-exam result sheet with section scores, two priority skills for continued practice and a one-page exam-day plan

Week 2: Complete four timed reading sets at roughly 60 per cent accuracy and explain, in writing, the cause of every error

Week 4: Finish one full reading paper and one full listening paper in the official time limits with scores recorded and every error analysed

Week 6: Produce a 300-word Persian persuasive text in 45 minutes that meets at least four of five checklist criteria

Week 8: Achieve at least 70 per cent overall on a complete mock exam and show a measurable reduction in reading errors since week 4