2 units for each of Preliminary and HSC

Board Developed Course

Prerequisites:  The course is constructed on the assumption that students have achieved the outcomes in the core of the Standard Mathematics course for the School Certificate, along with the recommended options: Trigonometry and Further Algebra.

 Exclusions:     Students may not study any other Stage 6 Mathematics course in conjunction with General Mathematics.

Course Description:

General Mathematics focuses on mathematical skills and techniques, which have direct application to everyday activity. The course content is written in five areas of study, with an emphasis on application of specific skills and on tasks that involve integrating mathematical skills and techniques across a range of familiar and unfamiliar situations. These tasks may draw from more than one area of study, and encourage transfer of knowledge across the entire course, as well as linking with study in other Stage 6 subjects.

The course is fully prescribed, and is designed to support TAFE and other vocational courses. It provides an appropriate mathematical background for students who do not wish to pursue the formal study of mathematics at tertiary level, while giving a strong foundation for university study in the areas of business, humanities, nursing and paramedical sciences.

Main Topics Covered:

Preliminary Course

·         Financial Mathematics

·         Data Analysis

·         Measurement

·         Probability

·         Algebraic Modelling

HSC Course

·         Financial Mathematics

·         Data Analysis

·         Measurement

·         Probability

·         Algebraic Modelling

Assessment: Once the assessment of the HSC course has commenced, some Preliminary course work can be included in assessment tasks for General Mathematics. No more than 30% of the assessment is to be based on the Preliminary course.

External Assessment

Weighting

Internal Assessment

Weighting

A single HSC examination of two and one half hours duration.

No more than 30% of the examination will be based on the Preliminary course. Questions based on the Preliminary course can also be asked when they lead in to questions based on the HSC course. Marks from these lead-in questions will not be counted in the 30% Preliminary allowance.

100

A variety of assessment tasks across all of the content of the course.

100

100

100