Tuesday, 03 January 2012
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Intermediate GCSE Maths Revision - Mistakes to prevent within the Maths GCSE Exam
Have more Marks Not understanding Anymore!
Intermediate GCSE Mathematics examines grades E, D, C and B. Each grade may be worth 25% of the marks around the exam paper. Each Intermediate Maths GCSE exam paper starts off with the easier grade E questions and finishes with the harder grade B questions. Approximately 55% is required for grade C, and approximately 75% for grade B, (these percentages change from year upon year based on the difficulty of the exam). Many students who revise thoroughly, forget to invest time around the simplest way to gain and lose marks within the exam. Candidates have to be conscious of these 9 very simple steps as both a resource of super easy marks, so that as a way to prevent losing marks needlessly.
1. Show All Procedures in Any Calculations
This is the advice given to candidates around the front of the Intermediate GCSE Maths exam paper. This is the number one reason for losing marks. For some reason, many candidates (which is more regularly boys), think that everything they are doing is going to be perfect and mistake free, so why bother depleting precious energy writing needlessly, when they can work out the answer faster their own way? Unfortunately, this is the quickest way of losing marks.
Let us consider a two mark question in which you need to work out the length of one car. The student works out in their head, or on their calculator, the length is 0.45 m and writes this answer down. Unfortunately the student will get no marks at all for this when the question stated the answer ought to be given in centimetres. The 2 mark real question is comprised of 1 method mark for the method used, and 1 accuracy mark for the correct answer. A student will therefore not get the accuracy mark for that correct answer, nor the technique mark as no working out has been confirmed. So even though they can undoubtedly do the question and might have got one mark when they had shown their working out, they ended up with no marks whatsoever. Instead of staying on target for any grade C through getting one mark out of two, they have fallen behind with an easy question. The exam is as much about how to prevent losing marks, because it is about gaining them.
2. Provide the Final Answer as Asked For within the Question
The exam question will frequently state the level of accuracy required for the final answer. For example to give your answer correct to 1 decimal place, in order to 1 significant figure. If you don't give your answer in the form asked for within the question, you will not obtain the final accuracy mark (1 mark). In algebra or ratio questions, it often states to provide your answer in its simplest form. Altogether around the average Intermediate GCSE Maths exam paper, around 10% (10 %!) of all of the marks are for giving your answer in the form asked for in the question. Once you start spotting this and ensuring all your answers are in the correct form that's been requested, you will stop throwing away lots of marks.
3. Make use of the Marks Given to Help You
There's a factor between a 1 mark question, along with a 4 mark question. If for example you are doing a 3 mark question in 1 line, then beware, as you have either not shown all your working out (and will lose marks), or you haven't spotted correctly how to proceed, so look at the question again. Like a rough guide try to do one more type of working than the quantity of marks in the question:
2 mark question: 3 lines of working out
3 mark question: 4 lines of working out
This will ensure that you show all the steps needed to get full method marks.
4. Don't Cramp your Exercising
As candidates write on the Intermediate GCSE Maths exam paper itself, enough room isn't necessarily provided. You shouldn't be lured to squash your work into a small space - request extra paper. If you're squashing your projects in, then it is common for candidates to depart some steps out - these steps are often the method steps the examiner must see to obtain the method marks!
5. Watch out for Mixed Units
Frequently different units are used to measure quantities in the same question, for example:
cm and mm
m and cm
km and m
The golden rule is to always work with just one unit throughout, either all centimetres or all metres or all kilometres. Change any different measures at the beginning of doing the question to the same unit.
6. Beware the Calculator Paper!
The GCSE Mathematics exam consists of a Calculator exam paper and a Non-Calculator exam paper. GCSE Mathematics is the hardest GCSE exam to get the grade you need, and from making the exam easier, utilizing a calculator often leads to more mistakes along with a lower mark than in the non-calculator paper. It's much more important to show all of your exercising on the Calculator paper as it is very easy to complete two or three lines in your calculator without showing any working out. You would lose all your method marks, and if you have made a mistake you will not get any marks at all. As the exam paper includes more method marks than accuracy marks it is crucial that you show all your exercising.
7. Not being in DEG Mode
Ensure your calculator is always in DEG (degrees) mode, otherwise you won't ever get Trigonometry questions correct!
8. Don't Measure Diagrams
Whether it states "diagram not accurately drawn" then don't bother measuring the diagram, it will not help you, and it will spend your time. "Diagram not accurately drawn" means you have to find a calculating method (not measuring method) to get the answer.
9. Jot down Measuring Units
Remember to write down the units you're using e.g. cm, m, km if they're not given after the question. Should you forget, you'll lose 1 super easy mark. (It's very easily forgotten though!).
Conclusion
If you practise and don't forget these 9 simple steps, it is possible to prevent losing up to 10% of the exam marks needlessly. Good examination technique ought to be practised included in Intermediate GCSE Maths exam preparation, so when revising the most essential exam questions and exam topics.
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Intermediate GCSE Maths Revision - Mistakes to prevent in the Maths GCSE Exam
Have more Marks Without Knowing Anymore!
Intermediate GCSE Mathematics examines grades E, D, C and B. Each grade may be worth 25% of the marks on the exam paper. Each Intermediate Maths GCSE exam paper starts off with the easier grade E questions and finishes with the harder grade B questions. Approximately 55% is needed for grade C, and approximately 75% for grade B, (these percentages change from year to year based on the impossibility of the test). All students who revise thoroughly, forget to invest time on the simplest way to achieve and lose marks within the exam. Candidates need to be conscious of these 9 quite simple steps as both a resource of very easy marks, so that as a method to prevent losing marks needlessly.
1. Show All Procedures in Any Calculations
This is actually the advice given to candidates on the front of the Intermediate GCSE Maths exam paper. This is also the number one cause of losing marks. For some reason, many candidates (and it is more regularly boys), believe that everything they do will be perfect and mistake free, so why bother using up precious energy writing needlessly, when they can exercise the answer faster their very own way? Unfortunately, this is the fastest way of losing marks.
Let's consider a two mark question where you need to exercise the length of a model car. The student calculates in their head, or on their own calculator, the length is 0.45 m and writes this answer down. Unfortunately the student will get no marks at all for this if the question stated the answer should be given in centimetres. The two mark real question is comprised of 1 method mark for the method used, and 1 accuracy mark for the correct answer. A student will therefore not obtain the accuracy mark for that correct answer, nor the technique mark as no working out has been confirmed. So even though they can undoubtedly perform the question and might have got one mark if they had shown their working out, they were left with no marks whatsoever. Rather than staying on target for any grade C through getting one mark out of two, they've fallen behind with an easy question. The test is really as much concerning how to prevent losing marks, because it is about gaining them.
2. Give the Final Answer as Asked For within the Question
The exam question will often state the level of accuracy required for the ultimate answer. For instance to provide your answer correct to 1 decimal place, or to 1 significant figure. If you don't give the way to go within the form asked for within the question, you won't obtain the final accuracy mark (1 mark). In algebra or ratio questions, many times, it states to provide the way to go in its simplest form. Altogether on the average Intermediate GCSE Maths exam paper, around 10% (10 %!) of all of the marks are for giving your answer within the form asked for within the question. Once you start spotting this and ensuring all your email address details are within the correct form that's been asked for, you'll stop throwing away plenty of marks.
3. Use the Marks Given to Help You
There is a factor from a 1 mark question, and a 4 mark question. If for example you are doing a 3 mark question in 1 line, then beware, as you've either not shown all of your working out (and will lose marks), or else you haven't spotted correctly what to do, so look at the question again. As a rough guide try to do yet another type of working compared to quantity of marks within the question:
2 mark question: 3 lines of exercising
3 mark question: 4 lines of exercising
This will make sure that you show all of the steps required to get full method marks.
4. Don't Cramp your Exercising
As candidates write around the Intermediate GCSE Maths exam paper itself, enough room is not always provided. You shouldn't be tempted to squash your work right into a small space - request extra paper. If you are squashing your projects in, then its common for candidates to leave some steps out - these steps are often the technique steps the examiner must see to get the method marks!
5. Watch out for Mixed Units
Frequently different units are used to measure quantities in the same question, for example:
cm and mm
m and cm
km and m
The golden rule would be to always use just one unit throughout, either all centimetres or all metres or all kilometres. Change different measures at the beginning of doing the question towards the same unit.
6. Beware the Calculator Paper!
The GCSE Mathematics exam consists of a Calculator exam paper along with a Non-Calculator exam paper. GCSE Mathematics is the hardest GCSE exam to get the grade you need, and far from making the exam easier, utilizing a calculator often leads to more mistakes along with a lower mark than in the non-calculator paper. It is much more important to show all of your working out around the Calculator paper as it is very easy to complete 2 or 3 lines in your calculator without showing any working out. You would lose all your method marks, and if you have made an error you will not have any marks at all. Because the exam paper includes more method marks than accuracy marks it is essential that you show all your exercising.
7. Not being in DEG Mode
Make sure that your calculator is definitely in DEG (degrees) mode, otherwise you will never get Trigonometry questions correct!
8. Don't Measure Diagrams
If it states "diagram not accurately drawn" then do not bother measuring the diagram, it will not help you, and it will spend your time. "Diagram not accurately drawn" means you have to find a calculating method (not measuring method) to get the answer.
9. Jot down Measuring Units
Make sure to write down the units you're using e.g. cm, m, km if they're not given at the end of the question. Should you forget, you will lose 1 super easy mark. (It's very easily forgotten though!).
Conclusion
If you practise and remember these 9 simple steps, it is possible to prevent losing up to 10% of your exam marks needlessly. Good examination technique ought to be practised as part of Intermediate GCSE Maths exam preparation, so when revising probably the most essential exam questions and exam topics.
Monday, 02 January 2012
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Hi everyone! I'm just getting started on Xanga... Drop me a comment if you've got some ideas on what to do first - or just to say, "Hi!"
