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Be
prepared!
Clement Radcliffe,Contributor
Last
week I presented a list of materials
which must be available to ensure
success in the CXC examinations. The
materials include:
(a)
Syllabus - including amendments
(b)
Hardcover notebooks
(c)
A 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 General Proficiency (GP) level
or the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary
Level Competence. (CCSLC). The records
have shown that most students are
opting to do the GP level irrespective
of their standards. The GP 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. It is widely felt that
many students would fare better had
they been prepared for the CCSLC.
It follows then that you should consider
objectively the level for which you
should register in November 2009.
All
students pursuing the GP level should
begin immediately to ensure that you're
adequately prepared for the examinations.
You will be required to do two papers:
(a)
Paper 01 - multiple-choice questions
(b)
Paper 02 - essay-type questions
Each
of these papers requires different
approaches.
Last
week I presented four multiple-choice
items as practice lessons. I hope
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:
(a)
It is in the best interest of students
to try and gain as many marks as possible
on this paper.
(b)
Among the four responses given for
each question are three distracters
(wrong answers) and a key (correct
answer). The three distracters given
are usually based on a popular error
made on the topic being tested. Random
guessing is, therefore, not a recommended
strategy.
(c)
The correct answer may be determined
by any of the following strategies:
1.
Working the problem to determine the
answer.
2.
Eliminating the distracters by testing
each answer until the correct one
is found.
3.
A combination of 1 and 2.
Let
us now review Paper 02.
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 Pythagoras' 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 on studying information,
using appropriate methods and practising
problems.
For
your homework, please attempt these
additional 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
Clement
Radcliffe is principal of Glenmuir
High School. Send questions and comments
to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
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