Tuesday, 13 October 2015

Focus on Locus 1: First Things

Focus on Locus 1: The First Things

Locus is one of the most crucial questions of Math Exam and contributes more than 6% (12 marks) to the final exam score. Candidates ought to take the topic seriously and carefully attempt the question.

There are few major concepts that must be mastered on the topic

1. Learn to construct a 60, 90, and 120 degree angles

These are most common requirements of exam questions. They form the basics of loci and other angles are build upon these angles.
Candidates should be able to construct these angles using compasses and rulers only. Accuracy and visibility of arcs, labels and lines guarantee a higher score.

2. Learn to bisect a line and an angle.
Bisecting an angle means to divide the angle into two equal angles. Bisection gives two or more small, equal angles. It's an important concepts in finding equi-distance between two lines, for instance,finding an equidistance between AB and BC.
Line bisection is finding the midpoint of a line and it's the basic concept of constructing perpendicular lines (90 degrees). This is the equidistance between two points for instance, an equidistance between A and B.

Bisection of an angle helps much in constructing odd angles like 135, 150, 105 and 150.
A 135 angle can be constructed using 90 angle concept and then another bisected 90 angle (45 degree angle). An angle can bisected further into 4, 6 or more equal parts.

Thursday, 8 October 2015

Changes to Zimsec Mathematics Paper 2


Mathematics second paper will no longer be answered on separate answer sheets. The paper comes with provided spaces for workings and answers like the first paper. The structure of the paper and the questions have not been changed, the first section remains compulsory and Section B with three options.

We will only comment on the effects of this change to the paper after the exam but the likely effects can be: complexity/simplicity of the questions against the spaces provided, questions either graphs among other items.

Sunday, 4 October 2015

Tips for Non Calculator Math Candidates

Although many schools have since adopted a calculator version MATHS syllabus, a significant number of candidates are still registering for a non-calculator version. Many teachers have decided to skip teaching topics that are essential for a non-calculator syllabus.



Many candidates are getting into the exam room without perfect knowledge on how to attempt a non-calculator syllabus. Finishing the second paper is still a challenge for the candidates and they lack skills to calculate complex expressions that are easy on a calculator.

Non-calculator Math Candidate? This blog posts will help you with tips and tricks around the exam.

1. Know how to use logarithms and antilogs.
Don't ignore this topic! Antilogs and logs are used to calculate complex expressions including multiplying sines, cosines and tangents of angle and other decimal fractions. Use of antilogs makes the whole life easy for you in the exam.

2. Use a ruler to look up for a value in the table.
Many candidates make mistakes when looking up a value in the tables and eventually picks a wrong value from the table lists. Make sure you use a ruler to avoid mistakes that might costs you marks.

3. Always use tables to find squares and square roots 
If you try to find squares and square roots using other means, you will obviously not finish the exam. Learn to use tables to find square roots of numbers that are not perfect squares. 

4. Use tables when multiplying decimal fractions
Decimal fractions can eat up half of your exam time if you try to multiply or divide them the traditional way. Learn how to find a solution the shorter way through the use of tables.

5. Identify a reciprocal and use tables
A reciprocal is a decimal value of a fraction whose numerator is 1. Don't stress yourself by trying to find the decimal fraction through division process, it's right there in your reciprocal tables.

These are some of the few tips for a non calculator version. If a non calculator Math candidate understand the use of tables, they are at par with someone who registered a calculator version.