|
Ensuring
success in your examination
Clement
Radcliffe, Contributor
 |
| Prime
Minister Portia Simpson Miller greets Sean Douglas (left) and Serena Pettigrew,
students of Haile Selassie High School track team during a courtesy call at Jamaica
House. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer | I
presented last week a list of materials which must be available to ensure success
in the CSEC examinations. The materials include: syllabus - including amendments,
hard cover notebook, suitable textbook(s) and, past papers. It is critical that
each student has these available as we approach this series of lessons and indeed,
use them appropriately. A
review of the syllabus will indicate that students can enter at either the basic
or the general proficiency level. The general proficiency level was never intended
for all students. Indeed, it was designed for those who will pursue further education,
especially in mathematics or a related field. It is also required to gain entry
to some courses in tertiary institutions, for example, engineering at the University
of the West Indies or at the University of Technology. The basic proficiency,
on the other hand, is designed for those who wish to use mathematics in certain
jobs, for example, working as a cashier. This is due to the emphasis which is
placed upon the practical areas in the basic examination. I should warn, however,
that a pass at the general proficiency level is given wider recognition. It is
widely felt that many students would fare better had they been prepared for the
basic proficiency. It follows clearly then that you should consider objectively
the proficiency level for which you should register in November. Students
pursuing the basic or the general proficiency level are required to do two papers
as follows: Paper 1 - Multiple Choice and Paper 2 - Essay-type questions.
Each of these papers requires different approaches. Last
week, I presented four multiple choice items as practice lessons. I do hope that
you had no difficulty in completing them. If you have not yet done them, please
do so now. You
are asked to note the following with respect to multiple choice items. It is in
the best interest of students to try and gain as many marks as possible on this
paper. Among the four responses given for each question are three distractors
(wrong answers) and a key (correct answer). The three distractors given are usually
based on a popular error made on the topic being tested. Random guessing is, therefore,
not a recommended strategy. The correct answer may be determined by any of the
following strategies: (1) working the problem to determine the answer, (2) eliminating
the distractors by testing each answer until the correct one is found, and (3),
a combination of (1) and (2). We
will apply them in the following examples. STRATEGY
1 EXAMPLE:
If a * b  3a + b, then
1 * 3 = a)
10
b) 9
c) 4
d) 6 SOLUTION
Since
a * b 3a + b
then
1 * 3 = 3 x 1 + 3 = 6
ANSWER
is (d). STRATEGY
2 EXAMPLE:
If 45 -
2x = 2x - 3, then x = a)
7
b) 24
c) 12
d) 0 SOLUTION
You
can substitute the various values of x until the equation is satisfied. If
x = 0, then 45 = -3. The equation is not satisfied, therefore (d) is incorrect.
If x
= 7, then 45 - 14. = 14 - 3. The equation is not satisfied, therefore (a) is also
incorrect. Trying
x = 12, then 45 - 24. = 24 - 3 = 21.
ANSWER
is (c). Please
remember that a very good performance in the less complex multiple choice items
can make a difference between 'pass' and 'failure'. Using
the above, let us review the solutions to the multiple choice questions given
last week. 26
- 3 3 = a)
3
b) 8
c) 27
d) 37 SOLUTION
Using
strategy 1, 26 - 3 3 = 64 - 27 = 37.
The
answer is (d). 2.
If 5n is an odd number, which of the following is an even number? (a)
5n - 2
(b) 5n + 2
(c) 5n + 7n
(d) 5n - 1 SOLUTION
Using
strategy 2, if 5n is odd, then 5n - 2 is odd, but 5n - 1 is even.
Answer
is (d) 3.
41/2 = 16 a)
. 1/8
b) 1/2
c) 3/32
d) 1/4 Using
Strategy 1, 41/2 = 9/2.
ie.
9/2 ÷ 16 = 9/32
Answer is (c) 4.
23. 96 x 0.25 is approximately: a)
0.6
b) 2
c) 20
d)0.06 SOLUTION
23.
96 is approximately 24 and .25 is 1/4 .
ie.
24 x 1/4 = 6.
Answer
is (b) Let
us now review paper 2. This paper contains 'essay type' questions and requires
that students display competence at three cognitive levels. These are recall,
method and reasoning. RECALL:
This
requires the presentation of basic facts and formulae, and the working out of
simple calculations. Marks can be earned at the recall level for the presentation
of formulae and/or for calculating the correct answer. METHOD:
Students
are credited for correct use of appropriate methods in solving a given problem,
for example, the student who correctly applies Pythagorean' Theorem will earn
'method' marks. REASONING:
This
involves the correct selection of an appropriate method for complex problems,
or the correct interpretation of given information. The
above underscores the fact that in order to prepare effectively for examinations
in mathematics a student has to place emphasis upon studying information, using
appropriate methods and practising problems. For
your homework, please attempt some additional multiple choice items. 1.
8² - 6²
= a)
2
b) 4
c) - 4
d) 28 2.
The least number of sweets which can be shared equally among 5, 10 or 15 children
is a)
15
b) 30
c) 45
d) 60 3.
1/5 expressed as a percentage is a)
5%
b) 10%
c) 20%
d) 25% 4.
39. 98 x 0.5 is approximately equal to: a)
0.2
b) 2.0
c) 20.0
d) 200 | 
