26 replies to this topic

[George]

If you can't afford to buy a £5 calculator, I don't see how it helps that you can currently use a more expensive one - and use it to cheat!

If it's well known that you can only use a Casio FX-83 (or maybe a choice of basic scientific calculators from Casio, Sharp and TI), then everyone will have the chance to get the right one in time.

Plus, I'm sure schools would have a supply to loan to people who couldn't afford one.

[John]

That is where the school comes in, they shall supply as many calculators as possible, even if they have to borrow from the Science faculty or individual teachers.

When ever there is a maths exam on in my school, all the Scientific Calculators disappear from the departments.

Oh and if you cant afford a basic calculator by the time you are sitting your Higher, you should be recieving an EMA, so therefore be able to afford one.

[celticfcz]

for a tip - if you blank out during one question my teacher always told us to think to ourselves "what can i do" even if its wrong just think what you can do and do it. It should get you somewhere even if it is just an extra mark.

[ad absurdum]

Remember to add on "C" when you are integrating something that is not on a definate integral!

Other than that I would say to make sure that you put down as much detail as possible, and get your notation right. For example you may not specifically get a mark for having "dx" at the end of your line before you integrate, but it does show the marker that you know what variable you are integrating with respect to and its always useful to make yourself clear.

Remember to explain why you are doing something too. For example, don't just randomly set a line and a curve equal to each other then take the discriminant of the function and evaluating it to show it is equal to zero and then finish with one line saying "so the line is a tangent to the curve". Introduce everything you are doing, I would put stuff in like "When the line meets the curve, they produce the same values of x and y, thus setting the values for y equal to each other to obtain an equation for x", "If the line is a tangent to the circle, then there are real and equal roots for when the lines are equal to each other, so using the discriminant to determine the roots of the equation", "Since the discriminant is equal to zero, this suggests one point of contact between the line and the curve so the line must be a tangent to the curve."

Another one is when you are proving stuff, put "Q.E.D." (quod erat demonstrandum, which was to be demonstrated) or something else to show that you have finished your proof. It makes your argument easier to follow, and it will also help you to look at the question and make sure that you actually have shown what was meant to be demonstrated.

Can't really think of any other tips right now, but good luck all!

[loved-up-loon]

Thanks for the tips. I always seem to forget the +C bit, lost me a mark in my nab and in the prelim as well. So now I know to make sure to add it on to the end.
Showing all of your working is another thing thats important, especilly in paper 2, not just typing it into the calculator and writing the answer, you have to show what you typed into the calculator. And writing things like 'perpendicular when a.b=0' or 'perpendicular lines when M1xM2=-1' and all that jazz.

[The Wedge Effect]

Remember to add on "C" when you are integrating something that is not on a definate integral!

Other than that I would say to make sure that you put down as much detail as possible, and get your notation right. For example you may not specifically get a mark for having "dx" at the end of your line before you integrate, but it does show the marker that you know what variable you are integrating with respect to and its always useful to make yourself clear.

Remember to explain why you are doing something too. For example, don't just randomly set a line and a curve equal to each other then take the discriminant of the function and evaluating it to show it is equal to zero and then finish with one line saying "so the line is a tangent to the curve". Introduce everything you are doing, I would put stuff in like "When the line meets the curve, they produce the same values of x and y, thus setting the values for y equal to each other to obtain an equation for x", "If the line is a tangent to the circle, then there are real and equal roots for when the lines are equal to each other, so using the discriminant to determine the roots of the equation", "Since the discriminant is equal to zero, this suggests one point of contact between the line and the curve so the line must be a tangent to the curve."

Another one is when you are proving stuff, put "Q.E.D." (quod erat demonstrandum, which was to be demonstrated) or something else to show that you have finished your proof. It makes your argument easier to follow, and it will also help you to look at the question and make sure that you actually have shown what was meant to be demonstrated.

Can't really think of any other tips right now, but good luck all!

Yeah, sound good, but you don't really have to write a mini-essay each time you're putting a statement in. You could simplify it, so you save a bit more time. "As b²-4ac=0, the line must be a tangent to the curve" instead of "Since the discriminant is equal to zero, this suggests one point of contact between the line and the curve, so the line must be a tangent to the curve"...it saves a lot of time, and can still be followed easily.

[ad absurdum]

Yeah, sound good, but you don't really have to write a mini-essay each time you're putting a statement in. You could simplify it, so you save a bit more time. "As b²-4ac=0, the line must be a tangent to the curve" instead of "Since the discriminant is equal to zero, this suggests one point of contact between the line and the curve, so the line must be a tangent to the curve"...it saves a lot of time, and can still be followed easily.

Yeah, good point I've always been told that I write alot. Not necassarily too much, but I get told that I could write less if I want to. As long as the marker has a good understanding of what the person is trying to do then I guess it's fine.