VCE General Mathematics exam 2026: date, time and cram sheet

When and how long

General Mathematics · Examination 1Friday 30 October 20262.00 pm to 3.45 pm1 h 30 min plus 15 min reading time
General Mathematics · Examination 2Monday 2 November 20262.00 pm to 3.45 pm1 h 30 min plus 15 min reading time

VCAA: the reading period is included in the times shown, and each examination starts with a 15-minute reading period unless otherwise specified. Arrive at least 30 minutes before the start time. A few language exams run earlier in October.

Source: 2026 VCE examination timetable (VCAA), checked Wednesday 23 September 2026. Where a start time, reading time or duration isn't shown, the timetable doesn't publish it: check your personal timetable and the front of your paper.

Most-examined dot points

Dot points where we reproduce real past VCAA exam questions. This shows where real questions have landed, not how often each topic is examined.

Night-before and exam-morning checklists

The night before

Check the start time of each exam; the 15-minute reading period is included in the timetable times.^[2]
Pack a transparent pencil case: pens, pencils, highlighters, erasers, sharpener and a ruler.^[1]
Pack your approved calculator and spare batteries (CAS only where allowed: General Maths, Methods Exam 2, Specialist Exam 2).^[1]
Still water in a clear plastic bottle, labels removed, no more than 1500 mL (it stays off your table).^[1]
Stop revising around 8 pm, set two alarms and sleep.^[1]

Exam morning

Eat a real breakfast.^[1]
Arrive at least 30 minutes before the start time.^[2]
If you are up to 30 minutes late you still get full writing time, but no reading time.^[1]
Leave phones, smart watches and fitness trackers outside the exam room.^[1]
In reading time: read and plan, but don't write or use your calculator.^[1]
You can't leave before 30 minutes of writing time or in the last 5 minutes.^[1]

Exam-week survival kit: The last 7 days · The night before and exam morning · What to bring, and what's banned · How to use reading time · If you're sick or something goes wrong · Handling exam-week stress.

Last-week revision

Syllabus by module

VCE General Mathematics cram sheet

Key formulas, definitions and facts copied from our General Mathematics syllabus pages. One page when printed.

Unit 3 Data analysis

For an approximately symmetric distribution with no outliers, summarise with the mean and standard deviation. For a skewed distribution or one with outliers, use the median and IQR, because they are resistant to extreme values. Always give values with units, and only round when told to.

From: Summary statistics

Seasonal index $= \dfrac{\text{value for the season}}{\text{seasonal average}}$ ; indices sum to the number of seasons. Deseasonalised $= \dfrac{\text{actual}}{\text{seasonal index}}$ . Actual $=$ deseasonalised $\times$ seasonal index. Deseasonalising multiplies a value by $\dfrac{1}{\text{index}}$ .

From: Seasonal indices and deseasonalisation

A logarithmic (base 10) scale is an axis on which equal distances represent equal multiplications by ten (or equal ratios), rather than equal additions. Each whole unit on the scale is a power of ten: 1 is $10$ , 2 is $100$ , 3 is $1000$ , and so on.

From: Logarithmic (base 10) scales for VCE General Mathematics Unit 3 Data analysis

Residual $=$ actual $-$ predicted. For a least squares line the residuals always sum to zero, so a residual plot is always centred on the horizontal axis. A random residual plot supports a linear model; a clear pattern (especially a curve) means the association is non-linear, whatever the value of $r^2$ .

From: Residuals and residual analysis for VCE General Mathematics Unit 3 Data analysis

Unit 4 Matrices

$PS$ : a 1 in row $i$ , column $j$ puts element $j$ into position $i$ . Diagonal 1s mean "stays in place". $P^{-1} = P^T$ . With $S_{n+1} = PS_n$ : $S_n = P^nS_0$ . If $P^n = I$ the order repeats every $n$ steps, and the smallest such $n$ is the LCM of the cycle lengths.

From: Permutation and binary matrices

Sum of degrees $= 2 \times$ number of edges. Connected graph: all degrees even $\Rightarrow$ Eulerian circuit; exactly two odd $\Rightarrow$ Eulerian trail between them; more than two odd $\Rightarrow$ neither.

From: Euler and Hamilton paths and circuits

Path capacity $=$ the smallest capacity on the path. Cut capacity $=$ sum of capacities of edges from the source side to the sink side (ignore edges pointing back). Any flow $\le$ any cut. Maximum flow $=$ minimum cut capacity.

From: Maximum flow and minimum cut

Earliest finish $=$ EST $+$ duration. EST $= \max$ (earliest finish of immediate predecessors). LST $= \min$ (LST of immediate successors) $-$ duration. Float $=$ LST $-$ EST. Critical activities have float $0$ ; the critical path is the longest path, and its length is the minimum completion time.

From: Critical path analysis, dummy activities and crashing