exam. Many students treat it as a chance to calm down or skim for familiar questions. The 2023 and 2024 examinations show very clearly that students who did this were at a disadvantage.
The Examiner’s Reports from both years indicate that a significant proportion of lost marks came not from lack of knowledge, but from misinterpreting what questions were asking. Reading time is where most of those errors could have been prevented.
The kinds of mistakes that reading time is meant to prevent
Across the 2023 and 2024 exams, the Examiner’s Reports repeatedly note the same issues:
Students answered only part of a multi-part question.
Students performed a correct calculation but failed to apply it.
Students ignored stated restrictions or conditions.
Students gave a numerical value when interpretation was required.
None of these errors are mathematical in nature. They are instruction errors.
Reading time is the only opportunity students have to identify these traps before the pressure of writing begins.
What strong students were doing differently in reading time
Although Examiner’s Reports do not describe individual student behaviour, the structure of the marking schemes makes it clear what successful students must have done.
In both 2023 and 2024, many questions included a final instruction that was easy to overlook. For example, questions that asked students to find a derivative and then use it to determine a value, or solve an equation and then state what the solution represents.
Students who lost marks almost always stopped at the calculation stage. Students who gained full marks clearly identified, during reading time, that the question required an additional step.
Identifying command terms before writing
One of the most effective uses of reading time is identifying command terms.
In the 2024 Examination 1, several questions included phrases such as “hence”, “use this result”, or “show that”. Examiner commentary indicates that students often ignored these signals and treated each part as independent.
During reading time, students should be mentally flagging these words and recognising that later parts depend explicitly on earlier ones. This changes how the question should be approached.
Recognising where interpretation marks are placed
In both years, interpretation marks were commonly placed at the end of questions that otherwise involved routine mathematics.
For example, after finding a value using calculus, students were often required to state what that value meant in context. The Examiner’s Reports note that many students omitted this final statement, losing a full mark.
Reading time allows students to see where interpretation is required so they do not stop prematurely once the mathematics feels complete.
Spotting restriction and domain conditions early
Another recurring issue in both 2023 and 2024 was failure to apply domain restrictions, particularly in questions involving logarithmic and rational functions.
These restrictions are often stated early in the question. Students who do not register them during reading time frequently accept extraneous solutions later.
Strong students use reading time to note any stated conditions so that they can be applied automatically when solving.
Exam 2 reading time and CAS judgement
In Examination 2, reading time is particularly important for identifying where CAS can and cannot be trusted.
The 2023 and 2024 Examiner’s Reports both note that students often relied on CAS output without checking whether it satisfied the conditions of the problem. This includes accepting decimal approximations where exact values were required or failing to exclude invalid solutions.
During reading time, students should be identifying which questions will require judgement after CAS use, not just calculation.
Why reading time matters more than speed
Many students believe that success in Mathematical Methods depends on writing quickly. The 2023 and 2024 exams show the opposite.
Students lost marks because they rushed into writing without fully understanding what was required. Those marks were not recovered later.
Reading time is where students can slow the exam down before it speeds up.
A practical way to use reading time effectively
Based on the structure of the 2023 and 2024 papers, effective reading time involves:
Identifying multi-part questions where later parts depend on earlier results.
Noting command terms that require explanation or interpretation.
Registering any restrictions, conditions, or contextual requirements.
Mentally predicting where marks are allocated beyond calculation.
This preparation does not take long, but it changes how students write once the clock starts.
An ATAR STAR perspective
ATAR STAR trains Mathematical Methods students to use reading time strategically, not passively.
We teach students how to scan for instruction traps, identify interpretation points, and anticipate where marks are actually awarded based on recent exams and Examiner’s Reports. This approach benefits students who feel rushed and those who consistently lose “silly marks” despite strong understanding.
In Mathematical Methods, reading time is not optional thinking time. It is where many exams are won or lost.