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- Never sit idle, thinking about a question for too long. If one method doesn't work, another one has to.
- Don't jump over questions you are half-done with that easily. You might think you're saving time, but when you return to the question again later, you'll need to use time to familiarize yourself with the question again.
- While many think it's good to race through the exam for so to check all the answers in the end, I personally find it better to take my time(not too much time obviously) on each question, for so to never return to it. Using a bit more time makes me do little to no calculation mistakes, and overall I'm not using more time than if I had rushed through the question for so to return to it.
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#21
Posted May 01, 2011 - 02:08
chrypton
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- 225 posts
- Local time: 12:04 AM
Amateur Mathematician
- Exams: May 2011
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#22
Posted May 03, 2011 - 02:48
SmilingAtLife:)
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- Members
- 148 posts
- Local time: 06:04 PM
If you studied and understand the concepts, you likely DO know the answer. Don't panic. Sometimes you just have to take a different approach.
Don't rush through the exam too fast. Sometimes fixing mistakes takes longer than doing the question properly once. And you may be too tired at the end to check things over properly.
Don't rush through the exam too fast. Sometimes fixing mistakes takes longer than doing the question properly once. And you may be too tired at the end to check things over properly.
#23
Posted May 17, 2011 - 14:32
Desy Glau
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- VIP
- 3,660 posts
- Local time: 05:04 AM
The Mad Rottweiler
- Exams: May 2012
is the data booklet allowed in both paper 1 and paper 2? (and even in paper 3 for HL?) thank you!
#24
Posted May 30, 2011 - 16:36
Slovakov
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- Members
- 115 posts
- Local time: 11:04 PM
- Exams: May 2011
Hah, a bit late, but Yes it is.
#25
Posted Apr 01, 2012 - 05:03
opus92fan
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- Members
- 70 posts
- Local time: 04:04 PM
Titles make me happy
- Exams: May 2012
Math Exams in general:
-Make sure you understand the material. If there is a concept that confuses you, ask for your teacher or classmate for clarification/help sooner rather than later. Don't let your problems snowball! There is no such thing as a "stupid" question if you attend class regularly, take good notes, and attempt all of the homework. Teachers don't like it when you say "Reteach me this, I don't get it". Make an effort to understand it yourself so you can ask specific questions.
-Attend class as much as possible. Try your best to minimise the amount of class you miss, especially for math. Take care of yourself to prevent illness and avoid scheduling appointments during math class. I find it really difficult to teach myself math if I am unfamiliar with the concept. If you cannot avoid missing a day(s), be sure to tell your teacher plenty of time in advance so he/she can prepare notes/homework for you. Alternatively, you can get together with a classmate and they can give you their notes and help explain the concepts to you.
-Do the homework. Some teachers give really long homework assignments and you may be tempted to "cut corners", especially if you have tests in other classes to prepare for, a job, or other extra-cirricular activities. Even if you feel like you get it already, doing extra questions helps to reinforce the concept in your mind so when you get to the test it's automatic. Plus, some teachers like to take questions from assignments and put the exact same question on tests/quizzes. If you've already done that question, it's easy. If you skipped over that one, it won't be as easy.
-Studying for tests is NOT reading over your notes and going "Yep, I get it." You have to do questions, that's truly how you remember the process. If your teacher has given you a set of review questions, make sure you do them as you would any regular assignment! You should have organized, easy to follow notes. If your notes are messy, as part of your review, recopy and summarize your notes in a more organised manner. In units with a lot of material, I find it useful to create a one-page "review sheet" with all the concepts summarized with key words and formulae to memorise highlighted.
-Working in groups is good. If your teacher does not allow you to work in groups for homework assignments/test review in class (which sucks, if you ask me), get together with friends in your class outside of school to work on homework/test review whenever possible. Although you are evaluated as an individual, I believe that talking about the concepts is another great way to reinforce it in your mind. Plus, if you're having trouble with a question, your friends can help you and vice versa. The teacher doesn't always have to be the only source of knowledge. It's good to balance this with studying alone, you don't want to become too dependent on asking people for help!
-Attention to detail. Math is all about detail. When you do your assignments, make sure you do the question in full. Don't leave out any important notation, even if it saves time. If you get in the habit of skipping steps or leaving out notation/units, you might unconsciously do this on a test, preventing you from acheiving high marks. For the real IB exam, such attention to detail could increase your chances of getting a 7, as opposed to someone who consistently leaves off units.
-Never leave a question blank. If you get to a question and have no idea what to do, come back to it after doing other questions that you know. Even if you forget how to do the question or are unable to figure out the appropriate method, do as much as you can and you will still receive partial credit, which is better than nothing. On an IB exam, method marks are awarded if the process for the question was correct, even if you weren't sure what to do.
-Read the question. Feel free to circle key words and phrases on the actual test paper (If you're not allowed to write on that portion of the test paper, write in pencil and erase before you hand the test in). Make sure you do everything the question asks, nothing extra. If you are asked to find the cosx, don't find the angle measure! Stop when you have simplified the expression for cosx to lowest terms.
May/November IB exam and mock exams (if your school does them):
-All of the tips above still apply. Although you don't get credited directly on your coursework in your IB grade, you need to have that knowledge base to succeed. The harder you work during the course, the less work you'll have to do to review before the IB final.
-Keep all of your notes! You need to know two years worth of material for this exam! It wouldn't hurt to reread your older notes and possibly redo some of those assignments before jumping into IB exam papers. It is hard to remember math concepts if you have not used them for a year.
-Do as many past exam papers as possible! That is the format of the exam, so get used to the presentation, notation, wording, etc. that the papers used, it might be different from what your teacher/school/country/etc. uses. For example, when IB papers say "gradient" they mean slope.
-Get used to working in pen. Yes, doing math in pen sucks, but you're going to have to deal with it for your IB exam. Work in pencil for as long as you're comfortable, it's fine if you're just learning a new concept. You should make the switch to pen no later than 3-4 months before your IB exam and do all assignments, tests, quizzes, review, and mock exams in pen.
-Still attend class. It might be tempting to take a day off if it's near exam time and all your classes are review times, but that's the most important time to attend class. You will work better in class than at home. Your teacher might have important information and they might be kind enough as to do "mini lessons" on concepts you may have forgotten. Plus, if you're in the classroom, you can easily ask your teacher/classmates if you have a question.
-Even if your school does mock exams, do your own mock exams. When you feel ready, get a paper 1 and a paper 2 that you've never looked through. Find a minimum 2 hour block of time and go to a library or other quiet place (preferably not your house) to write this paper 1 (or 2) just like you would in the real exam. Make it as authentic as possible, don't listen to music, check your phone, peek at notes/mark scheme, etc. while you're writing. Remember to set a timer or watch a clock so you don't go over 90 minutes of writing time. After you're done, score yourself with the mark scheme. Make note of what you would do differently in the real exam and learn from it. Repeat this same process on a different day for the other paper.
-The day before/day of the exam, relax. Remember that despite your best efforts to prepare for the exam, you will not know everything on the exam. There is nobody in this world who knows "everything" about math. Be confident and try your best so you can walk away from the exam room feeling good about what you accomplished in your IB math career.
-Make sure you understand the material. If there is a concept that confuses you, ask for your teacher or classmate for clarification/help sooner rather than later. Don't let your problems snowball! There is no such thing as a "stupid" question if you attend class regularly, take good notes, and attempt all of the homework. Teachers don't like it when you say "Reteach me this, I don't get it". Make an effort to understand it yourself so you can ask specific questions.
-Attend class as much as possible. Try your best to minimise the amount of class you miss, especially for math. Take care of yourself to prevent illness and avoid scheduling appointments during math class. I find it really difficult to teach myself math if I am unfamiliar with the concept. If you cannot avoid missing a day(s), be sure to tell your teacher plenty of time in advance so he/she can prepare notes/homework for you. Alternatively, you can get together with a classmate and they can give you their notes and help explain the concepts to you.
-Do the homework. Some teachers give really long homework assignments and you may be tempted to "cut corners", especially if you have tests in other classes to prepare for, a job, or other extra-cirricular activities. Even if you feel like you get it already, doing extra questions helps to reinforce the concept in your mind so when you get to the test it's automatic. Plus, some teachers like to take questions from assignments and put the exact same question on tests/quizzes. If you've already done that question, it's easy. If you skipped over that one, it won't be as easy.
-Studying for tests is NOT reading over your notes and going "Yep, I get it." You have to do questions, that's truly how you remember the process. If your teacher has given you a set of review questions, make sure you do them as you would any regular assignment! You should have organized, easy to follow notes. If your notes are messy, as part of your review, recopy and summarize your notes in a more organised manner. In units with a lot of material, I find it useful to create a one-page "review sheet" with all the concepts summarized with key words and formulae to memorise highlighted.
-Working in groups is good. If your teacher does not allow you to work in groups for homework assignments/test review in class (which sucks, if you ask me), get together with friends in your class outside of school to work on homework/test review whenever possible. Although you are evaluated as an individual, I believe that talking about the concepts is another great way to reinforce it in your mind. Plus, if you're having trouble with a question, your friends can help you and vice versa. The teacher doesn't always have to be the only source of knowledge. It's good to balance this with studying alone, you don't want to become too dependent on asking people for help!
-Attention to detail. Math is all about detail. When you do your assignments, make sure you do the question in full. Don't leave out any important notation, even if it saves time. If you get in the habit of skipping steps or leaving out notation/units, you might unconsciously do this on a test, preventing you from acheiving high marks. For the real IB exam, such attention to detail could increase your chances of getting a 7, as opposed to someone who consistently leaves off units.
-Never leave a question blank. If you get to a question and have no idea what to do, come back to it after doing other questions that you know. Even if you forget how to do the question or are unable to figure out the appropriate method, do as much as you can and you will still receive partial credit, which is better than nothing. On an IB exam, method marks are awarded if the process for the question was correct, even if you weren't sure what to do.
-Read the question. Feel free to circle key words and phrases on the actual test paper (If you're not allowed to write on that portion of the test paper, write in pencil and erase before you hand the test in). Make sure you do everything the question asks, nothing extra. If you are asked to find the cosx, don't find the angle measure! Stop when you have simplified the expression for cosx to lowest terms.
May/November IB exam and mock exams (if your school does them):
-All of the tips above still apply. Although you don't get credited directly on your coursework in your IB grade, you need to have that knowledge base to succeed. The harder you work during the course, the less work you'll have to do to review before the IB final.
-Keep all of your notes! You need to know two years worth of material for this exam! It wouldn't hurt to reread your older notes and possibly redo some of those assignments before jumping into IB exam papers. It is hard to remember math concepts if you have not used them for a year.
-Do as many past exam papers as possible! That is the format of the exam, so get used to the presentation, notation, wording, etc. that the papers used, it might be different from what your teacher/school/country/etc. uses. For example, when IB papers say "gradient" they mean slope.
-Get used to working in pen. Yes, doing math in pen sucks, but you're going to have to deal with it for your IB exam. Work in pencil for as long as you're comfortable, it's fine if you're just learning a new concept. You should make the switch to pen no later than 3-4 months before your IB exam and do all assignments, tests, quizzes, review, and mock exams in pen.
-Still attend class. It might be tempting to take a day off if it's near exam time and all your classes are review times, but that's the most important time to attend class. You will work better in class than at home. Your teacher might have important information and they might be kind enough as to do "mini lessons" on concepts you may have forgotten. Plus, if you're in the classroom, you can easily ask your teacher/classmates if you have a question.
-Even if your school does mock exams, do your own mock exams. When you feel ready, get a paper 1 and a paper 2 that you've never looked through. Find a minimum 2 hour block of time and go to a library or other quiet place (preferably not your house) to write this paper 1 (or 2) just like you would in the real exam. Make it as authentic as possible, don't listen to music, check your phone, peek at notes/mark scheme, etc. while you're writing. Remember to set a timer or watch a clock so you don't go over 90 minutes of writing time. After you're done, score yourself with the mark scheme. Make note of what you would do differently in the real exam and learn from it. Repeat this same process on a different day for the other paper.
-The day before/day of the exam, relax. Remember that despite your best efforts to prepare for the exam, you will not know everything on the exam. There is nobody in this world who knows "everything" about math. Be confident and try your best so you can walk away from the exam room feeling good about what you accomplished in your IB math career.
Edited by opus92fan, Apr 01, 2012 - 05:06.
