For students who started tuition with me when they are in Secondary 3, roughly 80-90% end up with A1 or A2 in the Singapore GCE O level Elementary Mathematics and Additional Mathematics. For those who started maths tuition with me in beginning of Secondary 4 with failing grades in mathematics in school examinations prior to lessons with me, they will end up with A1/A2/B3 if of average aptitude provided effort is put in. The distinction rate for students who started math tuition only in Secondary 4 is still reasonable high at an estimated 3 out of 5 managing a distinction. None of my students have ever flunked their mathematics papers( even those who started lessons with me only after they failed their preliminary examinations) in the O levels.
How to score distinctions in the Singapore GCE O levels A Maths papers?
Scoring distinctions in the Singapore Cambridge GCE Ordinary level Additional Mathematics papers depends more on proficiency, consistency and carefulness rather than IQ. If you let me choose between a smart student who would skip lines of workings and an student of average mathematical aptitude who carefully show all workings. I would take the average student anytime. This is because the Singapore GCE O level Additional Mathematics papers seldom pop up with more than one unique "unseen before in previous years" question, that being the case, intelligence have little or no opportunity to be put on display while consistency in approach will result in faster completion and time to check for error.
Questions which requires direct application of single concept are Core Questions( 1 step thinking process). Questions which require indirect common sense are Secondary Questions (2 step thinking process). Questions which require longer train of thought are the Killer questions. Typically, the actual GCE O levels A Maths papers consist of 80% Core Questions, 15- 20% Secondary Questions and 0-5% Killer questions.
In total, there are approximately 30 Core Question types in the Singapore GCE O level Additional Mathematics syllabus. Basically, all the individual topics have from 1 to 3 core standard answering techniques to questions which comes out repeatedly in the Singapore GCE O level Additional Mathematics papers. As long as the concepts/steps are mastered, the questions asked in the examinations are just the same questions disguised with different numbers. Merely ensuring that the student is able to answer this 30 question types guarantee at least a B3 and bring him/her within striking distance of an A1/A2. My approach is to make sure you get consistent enough with the Core Questions ( 90% correct at the very least) so that you can be calm, confident and have enough time to attempt what I term as Secondary Questions.
Next we have the Secondary Questions which are mainly concentrated in Trigonometry, Integration, Geometric Proof and the occasional tough question in the other topics. When faced with these questions, I aim to tutor you to be at least 75% success in these questions. Secondary Questions require understanding of concepts and flexibility/reaction on your part.This is why a distinction is always the students' effort, never the teacher's or the tutor. Only eagerness for success will result in an A1/A2.
Finally, we have the Killer Questions... Let's be very clear that it is very unlikely that EVEN A SINGLE question of this category will come out in the actual Singapore GCE O level Additional Mathematics papers. Such questions are only likely to appear in the preliminary papers of the toughest quality. These questions usually involve flexibilty and strong understanding of the underlying concepts of the topics involved. As a matter of fact, I do not teach this type of questions with strong emphasis to my students unless they are in schools which are likely to attempt to shock their students into more effort( sort of like a wake up call by making them fail their school exams). I teach my students how to answer this type of questions only to encourage a deeper understanding of the topics at hand. My approach is to refuse to guide them through the questions and give only hints to guide them along the way.
The ability to manage to get killer questions right in the examinations depends very much on the students themselves. In fact, the ability to answer this type of questions is not necessarily the best outcome. Let me just share a little tale. I once have a student who was top of her class in Sec 3 and 4 in one of the top girls' schools in Singapore. In Sec 4, she recommended a classmate who manage to score single digit results in the Sec 3 year end examinations. This classmate of hers put in effort with the Core and Secondary questions whereas she disregarded my advice to show workings and check solutions carefully. As a result, the schoolmate got a A1 and she got a A2.
How to score distinctions in the Singapore GCE O levels E Maths papers?
Now about the Singapore GCE O level Elementary Mathematics papers, it is a test of basic mathematical manipulations skills and common senses. Unlike the Singapore GCE O level Additional Mathematics, much less abstract concepts are used. More important here are concepts which apply to real life and thus rely more on common senses. As for the topics which are difficult to relate to real life situations, mere manipulation skills are usually required.
Thus my effort here consist largely of encouraging students of thinking how does the concepts apply in real life, ensuring consistency in approaches, ensuring proficiency in more abstract concepts by demanding a standard approach( a choice of possible approaches as felt most comfortable to the individual) to each type of questions for weaker students whom I deem likely to make errors in examinations conditions, providing shortcuts methods (provided that a basic understanding of the concepts is achieved first, no understanding no shortcuts allowed), providing common approaches to nominally different topics so as to lessen the scope of question answering technique required. And as usual, examination technique skills is an area not to be neglected. The questions in the actual Singapore GCE O level Elementary Mathematics papers consist roughly 70% of simple questions, 20% questions which require proficiency in mechanical mathematical manipulations skills and 10% thinking questions which require the ability to apply concepts to question. For simple questions, the most important skills required are consistency and carefulness. For mechanical questions, proficiency and carefulness are the key to getting them right. For thinking questions, aptitude and prior experience determine whether the student can get the answer right.
Like Additional Mathematics, students can still get a distinction grade as long as the basic and secondary questions are done correctly. Students who take only Elementary Mathematics are HIGHLY UNLIKELY TO GET AN A1 as their Additional Mathematics rivals DOES TWICE THE AMOUNT OF WORK BY DEFAULT AND STUDY IN DEPTH INTO MANY RELATED TOPIC.
Individual one to one GCE O level Mathematics Tuition
Tuition lessons are conducted at students' home for students staying near Potong Pasir (Toa Payoh, Bishan and Serangoon areas ). For further location, higher charges will apply to compensate for traveling time and expenses. Should you be interested in engaging my services, please feel free to call me at 97228288 for a no obligation discussion. You may also email me using the contact link on the main menu.
