The students have spoken and they want their pictures back.
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Those comments came outside the hall at James Sheahan Catholic High School on Wednesday morning after the year 12 cohort finished their first HSC exam for 2023.
As is customary, English was number one on the agenda and although they felt confident after the two hour test, there were a couple of students questioning the exam material, albeit with a hint of sarcasm.
"When I opened the unseen text and there were no pictures, that really annoyed me," Bprem Zakaria, who took the advanced English exam, said.
![James Sheahan Catholic High School students Bprem Zakaria and Jyothis Jojo inside the exam centre after completing their English exam as others were happy to come out of the building. Pictures by Carla Freedman James Sheahan Catholic High School students Bprem Zakaria and Jyothis Jojo inside the exam centre after completing their English exam as others were happy to come out of the building. Pictures by Carla Freedman](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/YN4FA67iw2pXwXjwm2vmnJ/acbd4645-68eb-4b97-bed5-7286ce97c6f3.png/r0_0_1920_1079_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"I think I speak for everyone when I say we want pictures, we want pictures in our HSC exam."
This same sentiment was shared by Jyothis Jojo who also took the advanced English test.
"I was really mad that there wasn't a picture," she added.
"HSC did us badly with that because there usually is a picture, and that's easy marks."
It is common practice - although not a necessity - that the first section of the HSC English paper will contain at least one visual text.
When there is a picture present, the students are required to analyse it. These can range from book covers to stills from movies.
![Nick Gaeta, Orlando Manca, Naomi Wright, Hugh Sheardown, Joseph Brindley, Ben Kiho, Jenna Wright. Picture by Carla Freedman Nick Gaeta, Orlando Manca, Naomi Wright, Hugh Sheardown, Joseph Brindley, Ben Kiho, Jenna Wright. Picture by Carla Freedman](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/YN4FA67iw2pXwXjwm2vmnJ/7782b096-85c3-4c09-a3e1-ca16160e7c7f.JPG/r440_1082_7834_5082_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Despite that shock to the system, the pair were still fairly confident in how they went for the first of two English papers.
"It was different to trials. I felt more prepared for trials than I did the HSC," Jyothis said.
"This week has basically been revising a lot of quotes and its analysis for English. I've also tried to make sure I'm still addressing some of my other subjects as well, but the two days before the exam I was English-focused."
As for Bprem, the teenager wanted to take what he learned from the trial exams and expand on that.
![James Sheahan Catholic High School students exit the exam hall after their first HSC test of 2023. Picture by Carla Freedman James Sheahan Catholic High School students exit the exam hall after their first HSC test of 2023. Picture by Carla Freedman](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/YN4FA67iw2pXwXjwm2vmnJ/37583d7c-51dd-40c4-b002-d3945701afad.JPG/r1193_1266_7541_4935_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
To do this, he spoke to teachers and other students because at the end of the day, they're "all working together" to get the best result possible.
On top of the second English paper on Thursday, Bprem will also have his music test.
All in all, he won't face an exam longer than two hours, something he is very pleased about.
"I feel like I've totally finessed the system," he said with a smile.
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