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READ THE QUESTION CAREFULLY

 

  • Make sure you understand what the question is asking. Some questions are structured and some are unstructured – called ‘multi-step’ questions – and for these you will have to decide how to tackle them. It would be worthwhile spending a few seconds thinking the question through

 

  • Make sure you understand key words. The following glossary may help you in answering questions:

    • Write down, state – no explanation is needed for your answer

    • Calculate, find, show, solve – include enough working to make your method clear

    • Draw – plot accurately using the graph paper provided and selecting a suitable scale if one is not given. Such an instruction is usually followed by asking you to read one or more values from your graph.

 

  • The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question. This gives some indication of how many steps will be required to answer the question and therefore of what proportion of your time, you should spend on each part of the question.

Examination Tips

 



SHOW YOUR WORKING AND CHECK YOUR ANSWERS

 

  • State units if required and give your final answer to an appropriate degree of accuracy.

  • Write down the figures on your calculator and then make a suitable rounding. Don’t round the numbers during the calculation. This will often result in an incorrect answer.

  • Don’t forget to check your answers, especially to see that they are reasonable.

  • Lay out your working carefully and concisely. Write down the calculations you are going to make. You usually get marks for showing a correct method. (If you are untidy and disorganised, you might misread some of your own work and/or lose marks because the examiner cannot read your work or follow your method.)

  • Remember that if all that is written down is an answer and that answer is wrong you gain no marks. Once you have finished the paper if you have any time left check the work you have done. The best way to do this is to work through the questions again.

  • Remember that marks are given for the following:

    • using an appropriate method to answer a question

    • for facts found as you work through a question

    • for the final answer.

WHAT EXAMINERS LOOK FOR

 

The examiners look for the following:

  • Work which is legible, clearly set out and easy to follow and understand. Use a pen, not pencil, except in drawings, and ensure you use the appropriate equipment.

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  • Drawings and graphs that are neat, and correctly labeled.

  • A clear process as to how answers are obtained.

  • The right answer!

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

 

  • Practice all aspects of manipulative algebra, solving equations, rearranging formulas, expanding brackets, factorising, etc.

  • Practise answering questions that ask for an explanation. Your answers should be concise and use mathematical terms where appropriate.

  • Practise answering questions with more than one step to the answer, e.g. finding the radius of a sphere with the same volume as a given cone.

  • Make sure you can use your calculator efficiently.

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