HSC Polish Continuers case studies
HSC Polish Continuers · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The HSC Polish Continuers examination is an external, written assessment offered within the New South Wales Higher School Certificate system for senior secondary students who already have a working background in Polish. It suits candidates who speak or hear Polish at home, have lived in a Polish-speaking environment, or have studied the language outside school, and who want their skills recognised as part of the HSC pattern of study. It is not a beginners' course: the syllabus assumes prior knowledge and builds on it. The examination assesses three areas: listening and responding, reading and responding, and writing in Polish, with the writing component carrying substantial weight. The HSC Polish Continuers case studies are 5 cases and about 1,522 words.
1The Overheard Voicemail About the Babcia's Move
You hear a voicemail from your friend Kasia to her brother, Marek. Kasia speaks quickly and the recording has background noise from a tram.
316 words, about 2 min2Two Shops, One Return Deadline
You read two short online notices. Notice A (a small shoe shop): 'Zwrot przyjmujemy w ciągu 14 dni od zakupu, wyłącznie z paragonem.
393 words, about 2 min3The Scholarship Letter With a Hidden Condition
You read a letter from a Polish community foundation awarding you a small stipend for a summer language course. The relevant sentences: 'Stipendium wypłacamy w dwóch ratach.
280 words, about 1 min4Writing an Apology That Does Not Overpromise
You must write a short formal email in Polish to a community choir director, Pani Nowak. You agreed to sing at a charity concert on Saturday but your employer has just scheduled a mandatory shift.
260 words, about 1 min5The Listening Task Where Two Speakers Disagree
You hear a radio interview with two guests discussing a local council plan to close a small library. Speaker 1 (a councillor) says the closure will save money and that 'mieszkańcy mogą korzystać z biblioteki w sąsiedniej dzielnicy, to tylko dwadzieścia minut autobusem'.
273 words, about 1 min