‘Best exam it could be’: Could you beat a year 12 student in HSC Studies of Religion?

Cerdon College students Karen and Janessa after their Studies of Religion II exam.

Despite some calling it an ‘easy’ HSC exam, some students tied themselves up in knots over a brain-bending question on the nation’s fastest-growing faith communities.

Religion students have tied themselves up in knots over a brain-bending HSC exam question on the nation’s fastest-growing faith communities.

Despite being described by a few disgruntled students as “sick” and “twisted” Monday’s Studies of Religion exams were broadly well-received, with some even going so far as to call them “easy”.

Students sat either a 90-minute or three-hour exam depending on whether they chose the one-unit or two-unit version of the course.

All Year 12 students must complete at least ten units to obtain the Higher School Certificate and more subjects count for two units each, with the exception of ‘extension’ subjects and Studies of Religion I.

It was the “best exam it could be” one student said in a chat group, while another said they were “in heaven” when they read the multiple choice questions.

HSC Studies of Religion I students at Cerdon College in Merrylands (left to right) Isabella Wagner, Catlyhn Duong, Jia Pandya and Lexavier Amankwatia.

The 10th question in the first multiple choice section threw some test-takers through a loop, however, after they were given two statements about the last Census and asked if both were true, both were false, or if one was true and the other false.

The first statement read “a finding of the 2021 Australian Census was that Christianity decreased by more than one million people, but it was still Australia’s largest religious tradition,” while the second said “from 2016 to 2021, Hinduism was the fastest growing major religious tradition in Australia”.

“At first glance, it seems like it would be okay … (but) a million adherents is a big number, considering our population is only like 27 million,” Cerdon College student Catlynh Duong said.

“Usually we get statistics (in percentages), but this time we got a proper number,” her classmate Lexavier Amankwatia added.

Both students ultimately answered correctly, however in online forums other students debated whether the very premise of the question was accurate.

Instead they argued Yezidis – an ancient religious minority from Iraq, numbering 4100 people in Australia – technically had higher proportional growth over the same period.

Studies of Religion II (two-unit) students (left to right) Karen Selwanis and Janessa Georges.

Equally controversial was an extended response question requiring students to analyse the ethical teachings of a major religious tradition they studied, and how they “guide adherents to navigate the world today”.

Two-unit student at Cerdon College Janessa Georges said it was “the most surprising” question in the exam.

“We were prepared for (it), so it was doable, but not expected – I would’ve wanted an integrated response,” she said.

Her teacher, Religious Education co-ordinator Michelina Schinella, said such a specific question “is a little bit” unusual.

“Normally … they tend to do an integrated essay where (students) are able to show their knowledge about a significant person, a significant practice, (and) a significant ethic,” she said.

“This one’s a bit harder … it means you need to know a lot of content just on that one area.”