How the Exam Structure Steal your Time. (The First Paper)
Zimsec mathematics exams come in 2 papers, a structured and short questions that test more than 80% of the syllabus (Paper 1) and solid, long questions including a section with choices (Paper 2).
Paper 1 has about 25 - 27 structured short questions that carry a total of 100 marks. It is the most important paper as it has no options and the candidate is forced to attempt every question if he or she is to score higher marks.
The paper contributes 50% percent of the total score, which implies every percent is worth 2 marks.
The most common comments after the exam is "I didn't finish the paper", "I wasted my time in the middle of the paper", "I don't think it's possible to attempt all the questions,they are just too many for 150 minutes( 1,5 minutes for every mark)", "I lost my concentration just after the easy questions " and so on.
In this post, I will briefly analyze how the paper steal your time and effort and eventually fail you.
MATHS is a tricky exam, without effective exam strategy you are bound to fail.
Let's first look at the structure of the paper:
- 25 up to 27 questions
- more than 35 concepts are tested
- starts with low value questions (General Arithmetic) that are worth 1 mark
- high value questions are at the end of the paper
Marks Distribution Bias :(Refer June Paper 1, 2013)
- first question carries [3 marks]
- first 13 questions Carry [36 marks]
- from No. 17 up to No. 25 carry [49 marks]
- last three questions carry [20 marks]
- last question carries [8 marks]
Facts of the data:
* first half of the paper is worth 36%
* last third(last 9 questions) of the paper is half of the exam
* last question carries marks that are for three questions in the begin of the paper
The above analysis exhibits that the paper is structured in a way that makes you leave the valuable part of the paper, if you don't finish up. The first questions serves the purpose of tiring you before the real test. You will have to attempt the last part loaded with lots of marks tired, wasted and prone to making silly mistakes. Your motivation for the exam will have been wasted when you reach the last part.
What strategies can be employed to ensure highest score in the exam? Check out the next posts.
We will analyze the second paper in the next post
Don't forget to share this with friends #Math_Tutor_Tips_Bank_2015
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