Paper 2 Regulars: General/Consumer Arithmetic

Paper 2 Regulars: General/Consumer Arithmetic

this is one of the most ignored topics during exam preps. Most students and teachers overlook some of the areas tested in the second paper on the topic.

This topic includes ratios, mixtures, proportion, percentages and fractions, basic mensuration and a bit of algebra.

The questions give a scenario that might involve use of paint on a given area or sharing of a quantity. Unfortunately, most students miss this.

The other area is that of calculating discounts , past or future cost or prices of a given item.

How to master the topic.

The most critical areas of the topic(s) can be mastered by acquiring following skills
* formation and/or use of equations
* use of ratio to find costs, prices or allocations
* use of percentages principles in calculating costs and prices.
* application of fractions to the given scenario

The value of questions

This topic might contribute between 2 - 6% of the Exam, that is 3 to 12 marks in paper 2. It is important to master this topic to score more in both papers

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Focus On Locus

Locus
Loci is a very important part of the syllabus and contributes much to your final exam score.
Many people who try to avoid this topic eventually miss an A. Its considered a score booster.

In this post, I will explain few tips on the topic that were discovered from previous examinations

1. Two main angle-constructions.
Loci is centered on two main angles which are 90° and 60°. Candidates must be accurate in constructing these angles since all angles are built upon these principles.
Angles that uses the principles are 120°, 135°, 150°, 45°, 30° to name a few.

#2 Shapes.
Candidates must be familiar with properties if different shapes like Kite, Parallelogram, rhombus, Trapezium and Triangles.
Zimsec complicates these questions by introducing unpopular shapes into a loci question.

#3 Bearing
Loci can be tested using bearing principles but the constructions are based on two main angles we discussed before.

The major tip here is to remember that bearing is measured from the North in case of a three-figure bearing


#4 Using compasses for shape completion
At times the loci question can provide an angle and all dimensions of a shape.
In this case they will be testing your ability to use compasses to complete a shape.

#5 Bisecting
Loci questions test bisection of lines and angles

#6 Distance from a point/Line.

You can be tested construct locus of points from a given point, say A. You must be able to construct a circle with that point as the center.

You must also be able to construct parallel lines if locus of points distant from a line is tested.

#7 Label your work.
Many candidates forget to label their constructions , dimensions and points. It is imperative to label all your work..

These are some of the few tips on this topic.

NB: There are videos which cover all 10 tips in the topic. If you are interested Contact the tutor on WhatsApp +263733796118.

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Online Tutorials Update: New Subject Added

Our online tutorials for Zimsec syllabi continues to grow with many students and candidates joining class of our experienced and qualified virtual tutors. From February, only Maths and Accounting classes were available for Ordinary Level students

Beginning yesterday, Commerce class is live and open for registration. The major tools used in these tutorials are Illustrative, step by step video lessons, exercises and tests. The methods are proving to be effective since students are exposed to real world examples through videos of trade and commerce. This is an advantage to students who are not familiar with business and commerce activities usually centralized in urban areas.

Like a traditional class, the virtual class will receive at least 4 lessons per week, two exercises and end-of-the-topic test. The tutor will be often available on whatsapp for enquiries and for students assistance if they have any questions. Past paper questions will also be used in exercises and tests.

Zimsec and Cambridge tutorials will continue to add more subjects until June and these includes Intergrated Science, Business Studies, geography and History. This is one of our major step to become a complete online school for home schooling and online learning for students in Zimbabwe and the region.

For more details, you can contact:
WhatsApp +263 733 796 118

Greenbook App from Zimapp Review

Zimapps, the developers of the Provisional License Test app have ventured into Educational apps. Their website notes that they have realized the potential of Edu-apps after massive market acceptance  of their Provisional Test Preparation app. Zimapps 'Green book" app is now available for download on their website.

I managed to download and install their apk file on my android device and perused through the apps contents. As a MATHS teacher I was just checking the arrangement and presentation of their questions. I expected to see past papers in pdf format and posible solution just like a hard copy green book.

Android App for Zimsec Video Lessons 

Features

The App comes at a time where many Zimbabweans in the diaspora and working class are registering for subjects like Maths, English and Science. The development of such apps provides conviniency for many since they can't buy the hard copies in the diaspora or just the portability conviniency.

DOWNLOAD THE APP NOW

Question Presentation

I was impressed by how the presentation of questions and posible answers. The questions are in large fonts and fit to screen. This is more convinient to students who use very small screens and those with poor sight. They can at least read the questions even from a distant.

Every question or part of the question displays on its page and there are three buttons for 'prev' , 'next' and 'solution'. This gives a student an opportunity to first attempt the questions and then click the 'possible solution' button to view the answers. 

Subjects 

On opening the app it gives you the option to chose for O Level or A Level. If you click the O level button there are currently 4 subjects with the past papers, which are Mathematics, English, Commerce and History. 

The Maths section has papers from June 2008 up to November 2014. I also checked the commerce section and there was only paper 1 for November 2014. I couldn't open the english section. The history had few papers also. 

The A level option can't open and displays the message "coming soon" 

The solutions come in a different color. The questions are in black and when you click the solution option, the possible answers come in purple/blue color. 

Areas that needs improvement 

1. There are no workings for the Maths solution.

The are just answers when you click the solution option. This makes it difficult for the student to understand how to work out the problem to arrive at the suggested solution. It's the same weakness that the Greenbook has and students find it difficult study on their own. 

2. The payment procedure is very long. They Intergrated Ecocash and Telecash wallets among other forms of payments. On Ecocash, the app directs you straight to the dialler but on TELECASH they provide a procedure which needs you to exit the app and message them at some point. 

There is need to adopt online payment systems like Paynow which accepts all debit and credit cards, including mobile wallets. 

3. On opening the App, it requires your name and surname, and the name of your school. 

There are many private candidates who can use the app than students in schools. The option might act as a restriction to the school going candidates only. 

NB: This review is based on personal experience with the app and have no strings attached to Zimapps. If you have any questions concerning the app, enquire on their website.

Graphical Functions: Exam Areas

Graphical function option is one of the easiest and most rewarding option in the second paper of Ordinary Level Maths Exam. There are just few things tested on the graph, some of which are too basic.

The major areas tested on the topic are
1. Function Table - filling up gaps
2. Drawing the graph using the function table
3. Finding a gradient of the curve by drawing a tangent at any given point.
4. Drawing a line that cuts the graph, given the equation
5. Finding the roots of the equations
6. Area under a curve
7. Translation of a curve.

There are few things to note on each question.

In the next few post, I will discuss how to easily attempt each question and garner highest possible score.

Which Section B options do you think are cheaper than this? 

New Tricks For Paper 2

New Tricks for MATHS Paper 2 

The new way of answering paper 2 poses some challenges and benefits to candidates. As we discussed before that Zimsec follows the footprints of Cambridge standards, the new paper structure is now more similar to syllabus D of Cambridge. 

The new paper provides candidates with answer spaces like the first paper. This might have been caused by the need to upgrade assessment methods and adoption of e-marking. The paper structure remains the same, with section A having compulsory 6 questions and 3 options in section B.

The second paper is well know for the complexity of its questions and how it tests principles. The most popular topics in Paper 2 include Loci, Graphical topics like Statistics, linear Programming, algebraic functions, transformation. Bearing and Vectors in Two dimensions are also part of the set. The most avoided topics by both teachers and students are Mensuration and Transformation. Unfortunately Transformation is now part of the first paper.

What are the implication of the new structure?

1. Reduced Complexity of the question.

The most complex questions were on Graphs where the candidates were required to draw a graph on a full page given the scale and function table. The answering space now limits the complexity of the questions. They must suit questions to allow simple and short graphical answers that fit into the drawn graphs and scales. 

What to expect:

- interpretation of a graphical function

Candidates are likely to be tested on the meaning, equation or identification of graph features. A graphical function will be provided and then candidates required to identify items like type of transformations,  calculation of the gradient and percentiles and quartiles.

2. Simple locus. Some parts drawn

Like the Loci usually tested in paper 1, the paper 2 question is likely to be tested in parts. A base line can be already drawn for the candidates, making it easy to know the direction of angles and sides. The only challenge is when bearing is included in the question.

Shorter measurements and scales are likely to be tested.

3. Non-graphical Questions likely to be Complex

Since questions on graph will take a large space, the simplification of questions results in fewer marks being provided. This pushes more marks to non-graphical questions. They are likely to be complex to compensate the marks. 

Sections B questions are likely to be a mixture of graphs and non-graphical questions. More focus need to be on calculations part of the topics or compensatory topics like variation, matrices, quadratic equations and similarity.

Mathematics Whatsapp Classes

Mathematics Whatsapp Classes are starting on the beginning of March.  We are trying to improve convenience of online learning through a mobile messenger.

The class is easy to join at anytime. What the student only need to do is to join a whatsapp broadcast List of the tutor. 

Messages,  video tutorials,  illustrations and exercises are received by the subscribed students only.

The major topics for March include the following :

1. Scale
2. Similarity
3. Symmetry
4. Time, Speed and Distance
5. inequalities
6. Volume and Density
7. Estimations and Approximations
8. simple Interest

If you are interested in joining the class follow link  https://m.facebook.com/groups/718907334864332?view=permalink&id=975189422569454&refid=18&_ft_=qid.6253572079134038974%3Amf_story_key.975189422569454%3Atl_objid.975189422569454#footer_action_list