GCSEMATHEMATICSHOWTOIMPROVEYOURGRADETHEEASYWAYEQUIPMENT:Moststudentsbringallthecorrectequipment(Pens,Pencils,Ruler,Anglemeasurer/protractor,Calculator)Howeverthereisalotofevidencewhichshowstheysimplydon’tuseit!DIAGRAMS:AlmostalldiagramsareNOTdrawntoscale.Manystudentsignorethisfact.Theysimplymeasureanglesandlineswithoutcalculatingthemandconsequentlygetnomarks.READTHEQUESTION:ItisrecommendedthatyoureadthequestionTWICE.Thereisplentyoftime.YoucanunderlinetheimportantpartsofaquestionifyouwishtoCALCULATORSMakesureyoucanreadadisplaythatisinStandardForm.Nocreditisgivenforwritinganansweras1.6306.MakesureyourcalculatorissetintheDEGmodeFAMILIARISEYOURSELFWITHYOUROWNCALCULATORBRINGITTOSCHOOLEVERYDAYDON’TRELYONTHESCHOOLSCALCULATORWHICHMAYHAVEADIFFERENTLOGICSYSTEMTOYOURS.METHODS:WorkingoutMUSTbeshown.Therearealotofmethodmarksavailableanditisrecommendedthatallrelevantstagesofworkingareshown.IncorrectanswerandnoworkinggainsnomarksIfcorrectworkingisshownandacarelesserrorresultsinanincorrectansweryoucouldgain4outof5marksavailableMATHSSPECIFICERRORSPROBABILITYAverylargenumberofanswersarestillgivenas1in2or5outof1O.Theseareincorrect.Answersshouldbedecimals,fractionsorpercentages.Asageneralruleifthequestionusesfractionsthengiveyouranswerasafraction.Reminder:Aprobabilityanswercannotbegreaterthan1!UNITSYouwillhavetogiveyourownunitsforatleastonequestion.Unitsoflength,volumeandareaarefrequentlymixedupbystudents.Learnthem.LearncommonMetrictoImperialconversions.eg1kg=2.2lbs,1mile=1.6Km.1Gallon=4.55Litresetc.Reminder:Thereare52weeksinayear.(Manystudentsuse50)UNITSEvenifnotaskedtoalwayswritedownunitsattheendofaquestionIfaquestioncontainsmmandcmitIsagoodideatoconvertalltothesameACCURACYDonotroundanswersoffuntiltheverylastlineofworking.Usethecalculatormemoryfunctionandnotationsuchas16.534…..Thisisespeciallyimportantintrigonometryquestions.(Thereisasignificantdifferencebetween23x1.66and23x1.66666666)Ifyouareaskedtomeasurealineanditmeasures9.1cmuse9.1cm.Donotassumethatthelineissupposedtobe9cmlong.TRIALANDIMPROVEMENTUsuallytherewillbeatableforyoutowriteyourattemptsin.Youdonotneedtofillinalltherows.Youmusthaveatleastonetrialaboveandonetrialbelowthecorrectanswer.ANSWERSIfthequestionasksyoutogivetheanswerto1dp,2sforinStandardformyouwillloseatleastonemarkeverytimeyoufailtodoso.PERCENTAGECHANGEWhenaskedforasalepricemanystudentsworkoutthereductioncorrectlybutthenfailtotakeitawayfromtheoriginalpricelosingatleast1markFORMULASHEETSMakesureyouknowwhatisgoingtobegivenyouonaformulasheet.Intermediate:Onlytheareaofatrapeziumandvolumeofaprismaregiven.Whatformulaedoyouneedtoknow?ForborderlinegradeCstudentsItisalsousuallybesttoavoidtheveryhardestgradeBtopics(egTrigonometryandSimultaneousEquations)Thesecantakeupalotofrevisiontime.Theyactuallyaren'tworththatmanymarksandtherearequickerandeasiertopicstorevisefirst.Youneedaround55%intheIntermediateGCSEMathsexampapertogetaMathsGCSEgradeC.Don'tjustconcentrateontheCgradequestions.Justasimportantaretheearlier(andeasier)questionsontheexampaper.MakesureyouhaverevisedthoroughlytheseeasiergradeDandgradeEquestionsTheseareworth50%oftheIntermediateGCSEMathsmarks.HIGHERPAPERSONLYHOWTOGETGRADEA:RevisetheeasierquestionsYouneedaround60%intheHigherMathsGCSEexamtogetagradeA.CoverthoroughlytheeasiergradeCandgradeBquestions,asthesecoverthefirst50%oftheHigherMathsGCSEexamITHASBEENESTIMATEDTHATBYFOLLOWINGTHESEGUIDELINESSTUDENTSCANIMPROVETHEIRMARKSBYUPTO10°/oTHEAVERAGEDIFFERENCEBETWEENAgradeDANDAgradeCISONLY4%!!
