Copyright 2002 TecEd


Understanding
Recognition
Application
Evaluation


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Exam Guide
Skills

Analysis

If you’ve already worked through other portions of the assessment unit, then you will be familiar with the skill of analysis. In reality, the difference between application and analysis is small. However analysis is more “wide ranging” than explanation in that your answers needs to be more clinical.

Analysis requires you to figure out the key issues of a problem, whereas in explanation questions you will usually be directed down one particular path. Analysis questions are more “open ended” and you don’t get as much support from the examiner.

Your problem then is to come up with a number of key issues but then restrict yourself to two or three of the most important ones.

Task
Suppose that your teacher has asked you to carry out an analysis of the possible factors determining your success on the VCE course.

  1. Make a list of as many factors you can think of e.g. “How lazy I am...”
  2. Look for connections between each of your list of factors e.g. “How lazy I am...” and “How much paid work I do outside of school time...”
  3. See if you can reduce your list of factors into a smaller list e.g. “How lazy...” and “How much paid work...” would come under the heading of “How much effort I put in...”
  4. Produce a short oral report which clearly picks out the key possible factors affecting your success on the VCE course. Limit this to a maximum of 200 words.

Now that you’ve figured out what it takes to be successful on the course.........!