HSC: Agriculture

Agriculture aims to develop your understanding about the production and marketing of both plant and animal products and how to manage and market these resources in a sustainable manner.

It brings together physical, chemical, biological, historical and economic factors and applies them to agricultural production systems. You are taught to manage systems for agricultural production and to research and communicate the results of that research.

Other big-picture concepts are the impact of innovation on farming and how ethics impacts on the design and development of Australian agricultural systems

 In studying HSC agriculture you spend approximately 80 per cent of your time on the core of plant and animal production and the farm product study.  These include:

• Soil, nutrients and water
• Animal nutrition
• Sustainable resource management
• Animal ethics and welfare.

When considering your farm product study, look at the farm as a business, the decision making and management, marketing and the impact of agricultural technology.

Fifty per cent of the time, and therefore 50 per cent of your study effort, should be focused on plant/animal production and 30 per cent on your farm product study.

Your elective (either Agri-food, Fibre and Fuel Technologies, Climate Challenge, or Farming for the 21st Century) should occupy approximately 20 per cent of your time.

Agriculture is a challenging course that can lead to careers as diverse as horticulture, farm management, forestry, fisheries, environmental science, agricultural engineering, or park rangers.

In the exam

The syllabus is flexible, enabling students to learn about different plants, animals and strategies. Know how the syllabus relates to your area.

• Be sure to understand the examples you studied, including your farm product study, and adapt them to particular questions.
• Don't forget your experimental design for both plants and animals.
• Be critical: understand how to design and report on a fair and effective experiment. Your preliminary work is important as you may have completed a plant experiment in Year 11 and an animal one in Year 12 or vice versa.
• Know and understand the BOSTES Glossary of Key Words

 For example, evaluate means make a judgement based on criteria; determine the value of. If the question states a plural, eg 'marketing strategies', make sure you evaluate more than one strategy.
Get motivated! The only person who can study is you. Plan your study to focus on your needs. Write it down, add it to your phone and stick to it.
See BOSTES for more about the HSC and Agriculture including the syllabus, past papers and marking guidelines, and Students Online for more study resources and exam advice.