In Part 1 of our Pre-Trials Blog, we spoke about motivation, mindset, and taking the first steps.
Now? It’s time to move.
Your HSC Trials are fast approaching, and if you’re still tinkering with your notes, waiting for motivation, or saying “I’ll start next week”—this is your wake-up call.
You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to do the right things every day from here on in.
The July School Holidays presents the perfect opportunity to get on top of your Trials Prep without the distractions of attending school, school commitments, sports etc.
The 3 Non-Negotiables for Trial Preparation
If you want to walk into your exams with certainty and confidence, these are the three study actions you must be doing each week (ideally each day):
1. Practice Questions
This is where real progress happens. Start by completing 20-30minutes of practice questions each day and build up from there. You may need to start by answering these questions Open Book but you will want to quickly move to a more Closed Book environment where you are really testing yourself. The exam room won’t let you open your notes up for a quick peek so try get in the habit of making a first attempt without your notes.
Mistakes at this point should be embraced! It’s okay to get questions wrong. This will help you identify gaps and close them fast.
2. Active Recall & Mindmaps
Notes won’t help you if you can’t remember the content in the pressure of exam conditions. You need to train your recall muscles. Use:
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Flashcards
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Daily quote and definition tests
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Topic-based mindmaps
The HSC CoWorks Mindmap is a tool designed to help students visually organise their understanding of syllabus topics and make visual maps/connections between ideas.
✅ Syllabus-Aligned Structure – Students build their mindmaps based on syllabus dot points, ensuring they cover all required content.
✅ Interconnected Ideas – The mindmap helps students connect concepts, reinforcing deeper understanding rather than rote learning.
✅ Active Recall & Memory Boost – By creating and regularly reviewing the mindmap, students strengthen recall, which is essential for essay-based subjects and exams.
How Students Use It
- Start with a Central Topic – Each mindmap begins with a syllabus module or key theme in the centre.
- Branch Out with Key Ideas – Each branch represents the key syllabus dot points, themes, and important facts.
- Make Connections – The order in which you write it out is important as the brain craves and remembers patterns. You will be visually recalling your mindmap in the exam to support you answer any question thrown your way.
- Use It for Exam Preparation – The mindmap becomes a revision tool, helping students recall information quickly in exams. Write out as much as you can from memory. 10 minutes of mindmap training per day will get you much closer to knowing your foundational content as well as any other student!
- Get ahead – Creating a mindmap using the syllabus dot points does not require you to have covered the topic at school, allowing you to get ahead of the pack!
Which Subjects is this best for?
Essay-Based and Concept Heavy Subjects such as: English, History, Legal Studies, Business Studies, Economics, Science, PDHPE, Legal Studies, Gepgraphy, SOR etc
Download the HSC CoWorks Mindmap Pad template below or purchase your own 50 page printed pad here.
3. Timed Essays to Unseen Questions
Write at least one new essay each week, under timed conditions, on an unseen question. Then get feedback. Repeat. You will feel uncomfortable. That’s the point. Push your Comfort Zone now and feel 1000% more prepared for the exam room!
💡 Tip: Essays should be handwritten, not typed, so that you can assess your ability to stay within the exam timeframe.
HSC CoWorks Students – Don’t Forget: You’re Not Doing This Alone
HSC CoWorks has built an entire program around your success:
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💬 Zoom an Expert – One-on-one subject support available every day
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💻 Ask a Coach – Drop-in sessions Mon & Thurs, 6:30–8:30pm
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📄 72-hour Essay Feedback – Submit essays to be marked by real HSC markers
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📅 Holiday Bootcamps – Extra time, extra support, zero excuses
- 🧠 Weekly Support Sessions – Work with the Coaches
You’ve got this. Finish strong!
