GCSE Maths Exam Guide
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Revision
Undertake revision regularly. Doing questions is much better than reading them. Use web sites such as my maths (login) Lytham (password) expand to revise topics at the correct level for your ability. Make sure all formulae that need memorising are learnt. Don’t keep putting off starting revision, there is no such thing as too much. Undertake as many past papers as you can, before the exam and regularly look through ones previously completed. Some topics come up every year ensure your confident on these topics in particular. If you have two final exam papers, speak to your teacher after the first exam to see what topics they expect to see on the second paper.
Coursework
Ensure your coursework is complete and of the highest standard, this can lift your final mark by an entire grade. Ask your teacher what grade they think you have achieved on each piece and whether this should be improved upon. Give up some of your time after school to ask your teacher for guidance.
Always read the question carefully
Don’t rush straight in. It can often be a good idea to highlight or underline each point as you read it, so that you don't miss anything. Have a quick read of the question at the end, just to make sure you have answered what was asked.
Setting out your work-units
Always show your working as this is likely to give you method marks. No working and you could be throwing away marks. Try to give an introduction to a calculation, such as Area of rectangle = l x w = 50x2 = 100 cm².Ensure all your answers include appropriate units.
Accuracy
Always check after you finish a question that you gave the answer to required degree of accuracy that was asked for, 3 significant figures, 1 decimal place etc. Never round until the end of a question.
Equipment
Ensure you have a calculator, pencils and ruler in all lessons and exams. Use your calculator as often as possible to get used to all the features. Ask for some tracing paper for rotating shapes about a point.
Useful Definitions
Probability- When calculating a probability, check that your answer always lies between 0 and 1. Never give answers as ratios (you will score nothing), generally work in fractions.
Mean- When calculating the mean from a set of data make sure your answer lies between the lowest and highest values of the set of data. If it is outside this range it must be wrong.
Simultaneous equations- Most questions that are set will give nice answers. If you get horrible decimals then check your work.
Cumulative frequency graphs- Always plot points based on the upper bounds of any class intervals, NOT midpoints.
Pythagoras' Theorem- When finding a shorter side of a right angled triangle check that the answer is smaller than the hypotenuse. If not then the chances are you added rather than subtracted the squares of the two other sides.
Trigonometry- When calculating an angle make sure you have pressed ‘inverse’ or ‘2nd F’ first. If you haven’t the angle will be less than 1° so isn’t sensible!
Solving Quadratic Equations- When a question says ‘solve the following quadratic giving answers to 3 significant figures’ then do not waste time trying to factorise - use the quadratic formula.
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Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 Time: 5:34 AM
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