If you took an 8th paper this semester, you've got one more final to fit into an exam period that's already full. For most HSFY students it's STAT115, MAOR102 or MATH130. The tricky part is deciding how much time it deserves, because the 8th paper works differently from your core seven.
This post covers that decision first, then how to revise each of the three.
How much is your 8th paper worth?
For Medicine and Dentistry, Otago uses the average of your best seven paper marks. Your 8th paper counts only if it beats one of the other seven, and when it does, it replaces your lowest mark. Our post on choosing an 8th paper goes into why people take one.
Here's what that looks like with numbers. Say your other seven marks come out at 91, 88, 85, 84, 83, 82 and 79. That adds to 592, an average of 84.57.
- If your 8th paper is 90, it replaces the 79. The total becomes 603 and the average is 86.14, up 1.57.
- If your 8th paper is 82, it replaces the 79. The average becomes 85.00, up 0.43.
- If your 8th paper is 78, it doesn't count. Your average stays at 84.57.
So the useful question is how likely your 8th paper is to beat your lowest core mark, and by how much. If your semester 1 results already include a weak mark, a strong 8th paper can make a real difference, and it deserves proper time. If your marks are all close together and high, the 8th has less to gain, and your core papers should come first.
One thing not to do is ignore it completely. You don't know your semester 2 marks yet, and the 8th is your insurance against one of them going badly.
STAT115
STAT115 is introductory biostatistics with no maths prerequisite, and it uses R throughout. The final tends to reward three skills more than calculation.
Choosing the right method
Given a scenario, can you say which test or model fits? Is it a comparison of two means, paired data, proportions, a relationship between two numeric variables? Our post on how to know which statistical test to use has a decision process for this.
Reading R output
You'll be shown output and asked what it means. Practise with regression output in particular. For example, if a fitted line has a slope of 0.45, that means each one-unit increase in the explanatory variable is associated with an average increase of 0.45 in the response. The p-value for the slope tests whether that slope could plausibly be zero. R-squared tells you what proportion of the variation in the response the model explains.
Interpreting in words
Many marks come from a correct sentence, not a number. For example, a 95 percent confidence interval for a difference in means of 2.1 to 5.3 doesn't include zero, so it gives evidence of a real difference at the 5 percent level, and the true difference is plausibly between 2.1 and 5.3 units. Practise writing interpretations like that until they're quick.
A good session: take five past-style scenarios, name the method for each, then interpret one piece of output in full sentences.
MAOR102
MAOR102 is assessed half internally and half by the final. The paper runs through foundations like tikanga, whakapapa, mana and tapu, histories including He Whakaputanga (1835), Te Tiriti o Waitangi (1840), raupatu and Parihaka, and futures like te reo Māori revitalisation and Māori health models.
Strong answers do more than define. A pattern that works:
- Explain the concept or event accurately, using te reo terms correctly.
- Give a specific example or detail from the course.
- Say why it matters, either at the time or for Māori today.
Practise by picking one concept per area and writing a full answer under time, then checking it against your notes for accuracy. Our post on writing strong MAOR102 answers goes further into structure.
The other thing worth doing is a timeline. Write the main events of the histories section in order with a line on each. It's quick to build and it helps you link events together in an answer.
MATH130
MATH130 covers calculus (limits, differentiation and integration), vectors and lines, matrices and linear systems, and complex numbers. The key difference from the other two is that it isn't all multiple choice. Some questions need your working, and the working carries the marks.
That changes how you practise. Getting the right number on a calculator isn't enough. Write each step, the way a marker would want to see it. For example, to differentiate x squared times e to the x, say that it's a product, apply the product rule, and show both terms: 2x times e to the x, plus x squared times e to the x. Then factor if the question asks for it.
For revision, rotate through the topics with a few full written questions each, and mark yourself against a worked solution. Pay attention to where you lose method marks, like skipped steps, missing limits on a definite integral, or not stating the rule you used.
Fitting it into the exam period
Look at where your 8th paper falls on your timetable. A short daily block (30 to 60 minutes) keeps it warm without taking from your core papers. Then give it the day or two directly before its exam, as you would any other paper.
FAQ
Does the 8th paper count toward my HSFY average?
Only if it lands in your best seven, in which case it replaces your lowest mark.
Can a bad 8th paper mark hurt me?
Not your best-seven average for Medicine or Dentistry. It still appears on your academic record, so it's worth doing properly.
Which 8th paper is easiest to revise in a short time?
It depends on your strengths. STAT115 and MATH130 reward practice questions, while MAOR102 rewards writing practice and knowing the content accurately.
For STAT115, MAOR102 and MATH130 practice with worked solutions, see how Cutline HSFY works.
Cutline is not affiliated with the University of Otago and doesn't hold or reproduce University exam papers. Check your own course outlines for this year's assessment, and Otago's admission guidelines for how your average is calculated.
