Challenging PSLE Maths Questions Over The Years.

[ctct2021]

Hi,


Does anyone know if topic: Speed will be tested in PSLE this year?

Thanks in advance!

[tinker_bell]

STRAITS TIMES LINK : https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/tough-2019-psle-maths-paper-5-challenging-questions-over-the-years


3. PSLE 2013: One machine took 70 minutes while another took 100 minutes to print the same number of copies of a newsletter. The faster machine printed six more copies of the newsletter per minute that the slower one.

a) The slower machine completed the job at 1pm. At what time was the printing started?

b) What was the total number of copies printed by the two machines?

Answers: a) The printer started at 11.20am.

b) The total number of copies printed was 2,800.

Why it was difficult: Mr Teo said that it was a rate question but Primary 6 pupils do not learn the rate concept until secondary school.

\"So this question requires pupils to adapt the concept of speed, which they have learnt, to the concept of rate, on their own.\"

4. PSLE 2017: Jess needs 200 pieces of ribbon, each of length 110cm, to decorate a room for a party. Ribbon is sold in rolls of 25m each. What is the least number of rolls of ribbon that Jess needs to buy?

Answer: Jess needs to buy at least 10 rolls.

Why it was difficult: Mr Wong said that the solution is not obvious and requires some creative problem solving.

The ribbon problem requires a pupil to recognise that the unused portion of each roll is discarded.

Once a pupil realises that, the mechanics of solving the problem is straightforward because it simply requires division, so it does not require vigorous maths skills, he said.

5. PSLE 2019:
https://static.straitstimes.com.sg/s3fs-public/styles/article_pictrure_780x520_/public/articles/2019/10/03/yq-psle1-01102022.jpg?itok=r-N3KKzM&timestamp=1570097478\">

a) Fill in the graph above.

b) Find the total number of grey and white triangles for Figure 250.

c) Find the percentage of grey triangles in Figure 250.

Answers: a) Total number of triangles in Figure 1: 1, Figure 2: 4, Figure 3: 9, Figure 4: 16, Figure 5: 25; white triangles in Figure 5: 15; grey triangles in Figure 5: 10.

b) Figure 250 has 62,500 triangles.

c) The percentage of grey triangles in Figure 250 is 50.2 per cent.

Why it was difficult: Mr Alex Tiew, 32, who has 10 years of tutoring experience, said that typically, for such pattern questions, if a particular row's value is higher than the other, it should be consistent when moving from one figure to another, in ascending order.

But in this question, for the white and grey triangles, their values alternate.

\"From memory, I do not recall such situations occurring frequently in past years' PSLE papers,\" he said, noting that pupils generally find something challenging when they are not exposed to them often.

\"Many a time, the materials used by pupils would be past years' PSLE papers and papers from other primary schools. However, there are bound to be new kinds of questions each year, which I think differentiates the A pupils from A* ones.\"

[tinker_bell]

Compilation of TOP Math tuition centre solutions for the PSLE 2021 Helen & Ivan coin question


https://mothership.sg/2021/10/psle-coin-question/

https://static.mothership.sg/1/2021/10/maths-question-psle-difficult.jpg\">

Nicklebee math
https://www.facebook.com/nicklebee.tutors/posts/4949062438454414
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUey2z2vwLZ

Visible math
https://www.facebook.com/visiblemathacademy/posts/4373007452753073

Concept math
https://www.facebook.com/conceptmath/posts/4671369339592555

Math heuristics
https://www.facebook.com/mathsheuristics/videos/1470500730017213/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-oBNO0aFrA

[tinker_bell]

The 3 'exceptionally difficult' 2019 PSLE math questions with solutions


https://mothership.sg/2019/10/psle-maths-difficult-questions-backlash/

https://static.mothership.sg/1/2019/10/psle-1.jpg\">

https://static.mothership.sg/1/2019/10/psle-2.jpg\">

[tinker_bell]

Compilation of TOP Math tuition centre solutions for the PSLE 2019 Semi Circles question


https://www.mycarforum.com/uploads/monthly_2019_09/71110475_2935986559762022_6972660636601810944_o.thumb.png.8e13b006b7b5cea2fbb3b01110982168.png\">

Visible math
https://www.facebook.com/visiblemathacademy/posts/2435331003187404

Nicklebee math
https://www.facebook.com/nicklebee.tutors/posts/2935987673095244
https://www.facebook.com/capital958/videos/2378118345785888

Compass Alpha math
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1435822419902914&id=1029518567199970

Math heuristics
https://www.facebook.com/mathsheuristics/videos/1569789396496524/
https://www.facebook.com/mathsheuristics/posts/10162202186745004

[mummyof3angels]

Anybody remember this $1 math question from the 2015 PSLE exam that baffled many pupils? https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/psle-maths-question-on-1-coins-weighs-heavy-on-parents-minds


Am I reading too much into it, or does a \"difficult\" PSLE math paper happen every 2 years?

2015 PSLE $1 qn -- https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/psle-maths-question-on-1-coins-weighs-heavy-on-parents-minds

2017 PSLE ribbon qn -- https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/parents-irked-tricky-psle-maths-question

2019 PSLE circles qn -- https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/parents-upset-psle-maths-paper-leaves-pupils-tears

2021 PSLE ivan helen qn -- https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/living/psle-math-problem-got-everyone-calculating-and-asking-282256

[ChiefKiasu]

mummyof3angels\" post_id=\"2042821\" time=\"1634611311\" user_id=\"194437:

Anybody remember this $1 math question from the 2015 PSLE exam that baffled many pupils? https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/psle-maths-question-on-1-coins-weighs-heavy-on-parents-minds
...

\"How heavy are eight $1 Singapore coins? Six grams, 60g, 600g or 6kg?\"

Hmm... well, if the kid buys half kilo (500g) of \"bak kua\" and pays with $1 coins... then he'll know how light 8 $1 coins is

Lesson learnt - need to send kid to buy bak kua for CNY to train him for PSLE.

[mummyof3angels]

ChiefKiasu\" post_id=\"2042840\" time=\"1634618666\" user_id=\"3:

mummyof3angels\" post_id=\"2042821\" time=\"1634611311\" user_id=\"194437:

Anybody remember this $1 math question from the 2015 PSLE exam that baffled many pupils? https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/psle-maths-question-on-1-coins-weighs-heavy-on-parents-minds
...

\"How heavy are eight $1 Singapore coins? Six grams, 60g, 600g or 6kg?\"

Hmm... well, if the kid buys half kilo (500g) of \"bak kua\" and pays with $1 coins... then he'll know how light 8 $1 coins is

Lesson learnt - need to send kid to buy bak kua for CNY to train him for PSLE.

1kg of bak kua during CNY can be more than $50 at the popular shops! If you try and pay that amount in $1 coins, I think the seller will vomit blood! :rotflmao:

[tinker_bell]

Stumbled upon this blast from the past.


[quote]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxLEywMqnZs

Was the 2009 PSLE Math Paper too difficult? Or are parents just complaining too much?
blogtvsingapore | October 22, 2009 |

Blogtv.sg played \"Are You Smarter than a 12 Year old?\"
Find out who scored ONE out of TEN in our 2009 Blogtv Math Paper!
Was it the 31 year old BANKER? Or 12 year old Daryl?[/quote]

[tinker_bell]

Compilation of TOP Math tuition centre solutions for the PSLE 2017 Ribbon question


https://mothership.sg/2017/10/can-you-solve-this-tricky-2017-psle-math-question-on-ribbons/

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR0pLmJ0L93NZ71zWX1Cz-Ht0AaTZkjxzQPgA&usqp=CAU\">

RG Channel Education
https://rgchannel.edu.sg/education/tricky-2017-psle-math-question/

Practicle math
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_t9g7TVy7Q

Joyous Learning
https://www.joyouslearning.com.sg/post/2017/12/31/was-2017-s-psle-maths-ribbon-question-needlessly-tricky