SeoM wrote:I found that this exam was very different to the other section I exams in the HEAPS book and GS online exams, but I do not know why. Is there a difference in the overall phrasing, or question types ... or was it just my imagination?
This was my lowest ever scoring on the section 1 exams so I am very interested in finding what was different about this exam in comparison to all of the others, so that I can work on this style of exam.
I do now work on the content side of Section 1 but I do work on the data aspect: percentiles, scaled scores, etc. which does provide a different perspective.
ACER and GS construct exams from pools of questions. The pools of questions meet a certain standard and then are placed in exams based on certain rules. For a population, it is standardized. For an individual, there may exist exams that are more challenging by chance based on that individual's background. This is analogous to a sampling error.
Long exams reduce the risk of such an experience because the various types of units even out over the exam. However, the shorter new online exam by ACER actually increases the risk of the sense that you are being exposed to units out of the comfort zone. There is no specific preparation other than what you are doing already: Exposure to heaps of practice (of course, take notes on your experience and review those notes regularly).
