Exam tips

Daniel123 · 2007-05-26 00:18:25

Hello!

My maths GCSE exam is not too far away... and I was just wondering if anyone has any tips/exam techniques that could help me? There are two 2 hour exams, with roughly 20 questions in each (calc and non-calc), which gradually increase in difficulty.

Thanks :):)

Big Mac · 2007-05-26 02:14:52

Hi Daniel - I teach maths at a secondary school so if you have specific problems then just let me know.

A couple of questions for you :
1. What board are you doing, edexcel, OCR or AQA? normally

2. Are you doing the Higher Tier level of entry?

Don't frget that you have already done 20% of the exam in coursework format.

My advice at this stage is to stay calm and just organise your revision properly.
I guess that you enjoy maths and are pretty competent at it already just by the sheer fact that you are using this maths forum in the first place..... so don't worry too much.

Good Rule for revision -1 hour revision then a break...1 hour revision....etc (no distractions)
Make sure that you have a go at plenty of Past Paper questions which will really improve confidence and aid your progress.

By the way,at our school we do the edexcel exams but it doesnt really matter.

Anyway, good luck... but just remember that if you want help then just post further messages on this thread.

Hope this helps mate.

Daniel123 · 2007-05-26 02:31:07

Thanks so much! I'm doing Edexcel as well, Higher tier. Im predicted A*, and my coursework was really good - so i just really need to make sure i get that A*. My main problem is working out how to answer the more difficult questions towards the end. I find that when i know what to do, i can do it, but its finding out what do that is hard! I have no specific questions at the moment, but if i come across any i will be sure to ask you . Thanks a lot.

Devantè · 2007-05-26 03:04:21

Did you manage to log on to samlearning.com? If so, try some of the mock GCSE Exam papers (Higher Tier), and, if you manage to complete ALL of the mathematical revision AND Mock Exams (KS2, KS3, GCSE), have a go at some of the A-Level mathematics exams. I believe that there are 2+ papers for each of the areas of mathematics for the A-Level section; Algebra, Calculus, Mechanics, Statistics and Trigonometry.

Daniel123 · 2007-05-26 03:54:32

Yeh i did... its really good! the revision parts arent too great, but the past questions were really helpful thanks! I also had a look at the A-level stuff, but ive decided to wait until after my exams to do it. So in the summer i will get as far ahead as i can, so i can always be pushing myself in class. I might need you guys' help though to try and teach me some of the work . Oh Devantè, by the way... I'm a full member now ! 50 posts it was!

Devantè · 2007-05-26 04:04:18

Yeah, they could've included a variety of revision instead of the standardised drag-'n'-drop presentationally-unentertaining slideshows.

Daniel123 · 2007-05-26 04:06:33

Like your use of vocabulary

Big Mac · 2007-05-26 08:51:06

Daniel - Just had brief look at BBC bitesize. You can download an exam suitable for your tier of entry if you want extra practice. That website looks pretty thorough to me with interactive online assignments so might be worth having a look.

Don't worry too much about the end questions, they are supposed to be challenging. Estimated for A* - sounds impressive to me - you wanna come and have a look at the standard of work my set 4 are up to....Let's just say its not easy! lol.

Reading your mind here: I bet you that you find transforming graphs the hardest topic to do. Yes?
probably followed by probability and 3D trigonometry.

What coursework you do....Mayfield High and Borders??

Anyway, try to keep to your revision schedule and get back anytime -all the best.

Daniel123 · 2007-05-26 09:24:45

Sounds great, i will definitely have a look. Im actually in set 3! i should be in 1, but i joined late in the year and there was no room in set 1 or 2. I did Mayfield High School, and the Fencing Problem. I got full marks on the Fencing Problem, but i havent found out my marks for Mayfield High. I think Ive done well though - included standard deviation, regression, correlation coefficient etc. I actually dont find transforming graphs that hard - it is just basically learning what the different functions give you. 3D trig is hard, so is algebraic probability and some of the other algebra towards the end... but i think the difficult vector questions are by far the hardest - i always seem to forget that vectors are displacement and not distance! As long as trial and improvement, simultaneous equations, surds, indices and proportionality come up I'll be fine - easy marks! Thanks for all the advice

Big Mac · 2007-05-26 10:20:10

Your Statistical methods sound well in line with A* although how they are used in the analysis and evaluation in relation to your initial hypothesis would prove of interest. Dont worry, bet you got at least two 7's and a 6 for it which should guarantee the highest grade anyway.

As regards your choice of topic areas - dont worry - they will all come up! lol
Similarity and changing the subject can be tricky too.

Just as matter of interest for me Daniel, would you mind spending a couple of mins on these 5 questions- see if you get all 5 right (will send answers next time as dont know how to hide info in message areas yet - or get my logo upand running!)
All these cropped up in my lessons recently (year 10) and all not that straight forward ie Most couldnt do them!!

1. 24 divided by 1/3 ?
2. 0.3 x 0.3 ?
3. Change 15 sqm into sqcm
4. What is 1 divided by 0 ?
5. What is the sine of 45 ?(no calculator)

mathsyperson · 2007-05-26 11:45:39

(Off-topic: To Big Mac, you can put text in boxes with the hide tag.
For example, {hide=Click me!}I am a secret message{/hide} gives:

If you replace {} with [])

On-topic: I can't really think of any advice that other people haven't said already.
At the risk of sounding boring, just work on the subjects that you're not as confident about. My method of revision revolves mainly around past papers. I look over one, and then revise the subjects about all the questions that I can't do.

When I'm doing a past paper, I often just think to myself how I would go about answering the question, rather than actually doing it. That saves a lot of time and I can often work through a paper thinking up outline solutions in about 10 or 15 minutes, which then allows me to work through more. So that's an idea if you're confident enough to believe that you can do a question without doing it.

Daniel123 · 2007-05-26 22:10:28

Oh yeh, i forgot about similarity!

I mainly related them to the spread, consistency, accuracy etc.

Of course... I will be happy to:

1. 24 ÷ 1/3 = 24/1 x 3/1 = 72/1 = 72

2. 0.3 x 0.3 = 0.3 x 0.1 x 3 = 0.03 x 3 = 0.09

3. 15 x 100² = 150000cm² (or 3m x 5m = 15m², so 300cm x 500cm = 150000cm²)

4. Undefined?? 8 ÷ 4 is 2, because 2 x 4 is 8. But if you divide 1 by 0, there is no number that 0 can be multiplied by to give 1?

5. I dont know off the top of my head, but if i draw the curve with the values i do know (sin30=0.5, sin90=1, sin180=0 etc), then i guess it is around 0.75ish?

Another way could be to use a right-angled isosceles triangle with sides 1, 1, and √2.
If sin45 = opposite/hypotenuse
sin45 = 1 / √2
to rationalise the denominator: 1/√2 x √2/√2 = (√2)/2
I know that √2 is roughly 1.41, so sin 45 ≈ 0.705? (shows my graph was a bit rubbish!)

Im not 100% about these last 2...

Last edited by Daniel123 (2007-05-26 22:47:50)

Daniel123 · 2007-05-26 22:46:20

mathsyperson wrote:

When I'm doing a past paper, I often just think to myself how I would go about answering the question, rather than actually doing it. That saves a lot of time and I can often work through a paper thinking up outline solutions in about 10 or 15 minutes, which then allows me to work through more. So that's an idea if you're confident enough to believe that you can do a question without doing it.

Thats a really good idea! We have been given quite a lot of past papers, especially in maths (14!). So ive been rushing through each one in about an hour, making stupid mistakes... but your way is a much better way! Ive also started to miss out the easy questions at the beginning, and concentrate on the more difficult ones at the end. Thanks.

Identity · 2007-05-26 23:53:39

Everything in Post #12 looks correct

Big Mac · 2007-05-28 09:39:57

Cheers mathsy. I'm not that good on comuters so appreciate the assistance - will try it out.

Daniel, good answer that suggest a very high level of understanding. Rationalising the denominator is AS level in year 12.

Those 5 questions, although basic and not top end of GCSE, students always find tricky.... as well as perennial pitfall -3 (x - 4 ) = -3x - 12. Careful.

Last two answers: 4. Infinity (always when dividing by 0) and 5. was supposed to be a joke.
See answer under box ....just trying out mathsy's advice, hold on.
[hide = click here] When you start getting gray hair! hehehe [/hide]

Big Mac · 2007-05-28 09:42:18

Why didn't the hide box work? - what am I doing wrong?
{hide=help!} Is this it? {/hide}

Daniel123 · 2007-05-28 09:50:24

Hey Big Mac!

Woops... joke kinda went over my head lol!

I can understand why those might seem hard... but ive learnt from previous mistakes so i now recognise them!

The hide thing... i think its because you're putting spaces between the 'hide', '=' and 'click here'.

Thanks for all the help. Ill be sure to tell you how the exam goes

Last edited by Daniel123 (2007-05-28 09:50:51)

Big Mac · 2007-05-28 10:03:02

Anytime with help Daniel - keep in touch.

Having another go at hide now:

If this doesn't work, open to sggestions....pressing submit now.

Big Mac · 2007-05-28 10:06:03

Success

danielle-1991 · 2007-06-04 06:17:09

:|hiya!! OMG did the exam today!! Non calc, how did you lot find it?

I found it reasonably ok, however the last 5 questions were a real struggle... especially the last one with the graph and (f)x thing!

Daniel123 · 2007-06-05 04:01:55

I thought it was the easiest maths exam I've ever done - so much easier than all the past papers. Im pretty confident that I've got around 98% - I made a stupid mistake on the sphere and cone one (!) but the rest were OK. What did you put for the third last question, where you had to sketch the curve?

Ellie91 · 2007-11-03 01:44:00

Could anyone help me on Mayfield coursework?

Daniel123 · 2007-11-03 11:30:49

What specifically do you need help with? (I thought they stopped doing maths coursework? obviously not).

Devantè · 2007-11-04 01:10:41

Ellie91 wrote:

Could anyone help me on Mayfield coursework?

Mathematics coursework? English? The sciences? Law?

mason777 · 2007-11-05 14:52:53

Dude one thing you need to know is "Dont worry its only a test if i flunk its not the end of the world." And study,study,study if you dont study its all for nothing And the most important of all think possitive!
if you dont do those things you test will go "CAPOOY" and get enough rest thats important to

Math Is Fun Forum

#1 2007-05-26 00:18:25

Exam tips

#2 2007-05-26 02:14:52

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