We will need to have all the basic mathematical instruments such as
- Pen
- Pencil
- 30cm transparent ruler
- Compass set
- Blank A4 paper without lines for normal lessons
- Lined A4 paper for examination prep lessons
- Graph paper
- Casio FX-95MS/SG Plus, SHARP EL-509VM/WM/WS calculators*
* Of the approved calculator list, these 5 are the most useful one as far as I am aware. If you have been using SHARP, buy a SHARP. If you have been using CASIO, buy a CASIO. All these are capable of solving simultaneous equations with 2 or 3 unknowns. All 4 are capable of solving quadratic or cubic equations. Note that the ability to do so does not mean you solve such questions MERELY with the calculators as essential workings will be omitted due to over reliance on the calculator. The calculator is meant to be an aid and a checking tool for such questions.
In addition, we will also need
- Shing Lee Additional Mathematics 8th edition textbook
- Shing Lee Elementary and Additional Mathematics GCE O level Examinations Topical arrangement
- Dyna Elementary and Additional Mathematics GCE O level Examinations Paper by Paper arrangement
- 1980-2000 Additional Mathematics GCE O level Examinations questions Topical arrangement (provided)
The Shing Lee Additional Mathematics textbook is well organised and more closely match the standards of the GCE O levels A Maths papers than the other textbooks.
The Shing Lee Elementary and Additional Mathematics GCE O level Ten Years' Series as compared to other topical arranged TYS are well arranged. This TYS will be used when learning topics and for quick reference to concepts. For concept reference, you want to find all the concepts listed. Ideally, the textbook should do that but most don't. The concepts and formulas are spread all over the pages thus making it a chore to find what you want to find in... thus use this TYS for that purpose.
The Dyna TYS is arranged in paper by paper format. We need to train our brains to switch topics... thus the need to apply our knowledge in paper format instead of by topic. This is usually needed from June of Sec 4.
The 1980-2000 Additional Mathematics GCE O levels questions are available in the download section of this website. It is only available because these questions are not available in TYS available on the market. We will need this TYS to broaden the pool of THINKING questions available to us. Every year, you get only 1 or 2 thinking questions in the O level... thus the ShingLee/Dyna TYS will only have like 20 "need to use your brain" questions. Textbooks are not suitable generally as they seem to have thinking questions which don't match the purpose. In addition, the current topical TYS are horrible in my personal opinion, the questions are not comprehensive... in fact you get only like 4 years' worth of questions.
