PSLE - New Format for Maths

[Tang]

eddie tan:

i think most p6 student NO HOPE to go to their dream sch already ready to go to lousy sch :love: :love: :love: :shock: :shock:

There is always hope! When overall Math average goes down, T-score goes up! So all P6 WILL GO TO THEIR DREAM SCHOOLS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For those who did not do too well for Math on Friday, they will definitely be studying diligently for the last 2 days and score exceptionally well beyond their dreams for Science to up their T-score to go to their dream schools.


p6s - CHEER !!!! WORK UP and realise YOUR DREAMS !!!!!!!!!!1

[James Ang]

Jim


Sweets - 12: Chocolate
1 : 7
Ken

Sweets : Chocolate - 18
1 : 4

Jim
Chocolate = 7u x (Sweets -12)

Ken
4u Sweets = Chocolate - 18

combine two
4u Sweets = 7u x (Sweets -12) -18
4u Sweets = 7u Sweets - 84-18
3u Sweets = 102
1u Sweets = 34

34 x 2 = 68 sweets bought


This is the simultaneous substitution concept which makes the problem sum so simple and easy to solve, this my easiest way to explain to my current P5 students how to solve this \"national level\" Maths problem sum that baffled this year's P6 students.

[atutor2001]

abc321:

My friends and I think that the paper is normal, not as difficult as you think. Most of the methods were taught by our school maths teacher. I think maybe you did not teach your students methods to solve these problems.

My personal guinea pigs are not my students. They are my very own dearest kids, in Uni and JC. Many here think that I am a tutor. Sorry I am not tutor. \"atutor2001\" stands for \"a tutor for my kids till 2001\".

I pick my kids for the test because it will be a fair assessment, knowing that they have not done such questions for the past many years and they are not that stupid.

Your assessments on the level of difficulty of the questions is biased. You have done them before. You are lucky that your teacher spotted the correct questions. Would you dare claim that if faced with any other tricky questions of the same level of difficulty (you have not done before), you will be able to solve each question within 5 min?

Undoubtedly, there are definitely math wiz-kids who can see through the questions differently. But how many are there? Unfortunately, you can't be assessed because you have done the questions before.

The strategy for solving the questions on \"speed\" and \"geometry\" is definitely not covered in the normal school curriculum. Therefore, it is definitely not fair to assess the entire cohort with such questions as some, like you, have the luxury of doing them before while most of the other poor kids have not.

If you are really a kid, you will not understand the frustration expressed by this kay poh parent. But I doubt you are a kid. Hope you are not going to post here the name of the \"Great tuition agency\" that so cleverly spotted the correct questions for you.

[atutor2001]

justsay:

My DD has lost 18 marks already... Hope this won't affect her chance of going to her dream school....

This is a factor that angered some of my friends. They fear missing their dream school because of the math paper.

There is no humans subject in PSLE. But some of the bright students excel more in humans subjects than sciences and math. Most top A level students are from the \"humans\"

Is the system not penalising these group of bright students with a disproportionately difficult math paper? They have no way to counter the advantage that students good in the sciences are having in PSLE.

[endingteen]

eddie tan:

i think most p6 student NO HOPE to go to their dream sch already ready to go to lousy sch :love: :love: :love: :shock: :shock:

please do not worry too much. you must remember that Singapore's education system is generally very similar throughout the all the levels of education under the MOE. there is always the moderation factor- the bell curve as its more commonly known. its not a reliable factor to pin all your hopes on it but its good to know that the absolute marks of what your kids may get wouldn't mean that he/she will get a certain grade. Ie to say, 75 marks does not guarantee an A. hope none of you will come to the conclusion that everyone will do badly because that will never happen. it depends on the results of your kids relative to the rest of the cohort. same applies to the O's and A's.

[Gerri]

The question about the time Lin complete the race. This is just my 2 cent thought;


Mei speed is 20km/hr
Lin is always 3.5km behind Mei.

In 1 hr, Mei would travel 20km
And Lin would travel 20-3.5=16.5km
So the speed of Lin is 16.5km/hr

We only need to know the how much faster is Mei to Lin and add the diff to the Mei’s arrival time.

Sound logical, can someone tell me if I’m right.

[atutor2001]

Gerri:

The question about the time Lin complete the race. This is just my 2 cent thought;


Mei speed is 20km/hr
Lin is always 3.5km behind Mei.

In 1 hr, Mei would travel 20km
And Lin would travel 20-3.5=16.5km
So the speed of Lin is 16.5km/hr

We only need to know the how much faster is Mei to Lin and add the diff to the Mei's arrival time.

Sound logical, can someone tell me if I'm right.

I am afraid it is not so. Lin is 3.5m behind Mei when Lin reached the mid-point. The time taken by Lin to reach the mid-point is not 1 hour. We can't find that time as we do not know the distance to the mid-point. So we cannot find Lin's speed by subtraction as 3.5m is not the difference in the distance travelled after 1h

[kiasiparent]

Some of the students are trained in maths olympiads. These kind of questions were not too difficult for them. Believe it or not, there were some students who complete the maths paper 2 in just 40 mins and have nothing to do after that.




Geometry questions: Look out for equal lines (common sense)

Speed question: Maths olympiad style (Some students can solve it in under 5 mins, believe it or not)

balloon question: Test on LCM. Almost every year, a question like this(LCM or HCF) came up.

computer question: Very obviously 25mins (so short) cant be the answer right? Just think more and one should realise the time played is 100 mins each.

cookies, curry puff: Well, these kind of questions also came up in psle last year.

[endingteen]

actually i hae no idea why they introduced the use of calculators into the PSLE. i mean i do not see the point in making tough questions to cater for the use of the calculator. i remember my psle being a test for us to use your mental calculations and the ‘model’ method to solve questions. calculators are actually only needed in the upper secondary years.

[david59]

atutor2001:

justsay:

My DD has lost 18 marks already... Hope this won't affect her chance of going to her dream school....

This is a factor that angered some of my friends. They fear missing their dream school because of the math paper.

There is no humans subject in PSLE. But some of the bright students excel more in humans subjects than sciences and math. Most top A level students are from the \"humans\"

Is the system not penalising these group of bright students with a disproportionately difficult math paper? They have no way to counter the advantage that students good in the sciences are having in PSLE.

I agree with you. I remember my younger girl who was the top student in Science in her school Prelim Exam. Wow! But you know what? She did not get an A* in the PSLE! Otherwise she would have got into a better school. Nonetheless, she is now in a top but not very top JC Hehehe. :celebrate:
Moral of the story - PSLE is not the end of the educational pursuit. There are many more chances to achieve your dream along the way up the educational ladder if you stay positive and work hard and smart.