ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => VCE Mathematics => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Mathematical Methods CAS => Topic started by: wingwong on October 17, 2009, 06:38:13 pm

Title: HELP!
Post by: wingwong on October 17, 2009, 06:38:13 pm: I've done 10+ practice exams and been getting 60-80%
I don't know what has happened to me! I've got a 90% average in SACs! I feel like someone sucked my knowledge out of me!
How do I make myself get back to 90% average?
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: TrueTears on October 17, 2009, 06:42:47 pm: Is it because you do not understand the concepts?
Do you find you're rushing too much because of time management?
Is it because of silly mistakes?
Or maybe you have forgotten how to do certain types of questions?

The best way is to go back to your notes/books and revise all the concepts first before doing exams. When you are confident with the course, do a few exams without exam conditions and then start timing yourself and find a good pace.
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: wingwong on October 17, 2009, 06:52:34 pm: I think I misinterpret questions more than misunderstand the course...
It's the wording of somethings which I overanalyse and just get confused with.
I do better in exam 2 than exam 1!
Which is very strange.
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: d0minicz on October 17, 2009, 07:05:38 pm: 80% is really good
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: StringFever on October 17, 2009, 07:23:51 pm: Quote from: d0minicz on October 17, 2009, 07:05:38 pm
80% is really good

In most subjects, yes; but in Methods, since the competition towards the top end of the bell-curve is so high, not really.
With that being said, however, an 80% can easily be pushed into a 90%+ score; it just requires some careful reading and checking (because most errors by Methods students come from "automatic" assumptions and laziness - eg. forgetting to check domains, etc).
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: d0minicz on October 17, 2009, 07:24:49 pm: well to me it is dunno about you
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: QuantumJG on October 17, 2009, 07:35:23 pm: Quote from: wingwong on October 17, 2009, 06:38:13 pm
I've done 10+ practice exams and been getting 60-80%
I don't know what has happened to me! I've got a 90% average in SACs! I feel like someone sucked my knowledge out of me!
How do I make myself get back to 90% average?

This is perfectly normal, I remember saying to my methods teacher that I can't get any good marks in my practice exams and basically you have to just do heaps of questions and you will refresh your memory, you may need to just go over your notes and make notes on your exam as to which questions you are weak at.
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: wingwong on October 17, 2009, 09:44:54 pm: Out of curiousity, what did you get in the end?

I bring specialist students to shame =(
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: TonyHem on October 17, 2009, 09:47:54 pm: Go over them. If you got something wrong ( EG: probability, log/exponentials) then go back to your textbook, read up on the topic, attempt some similar questions from the text-book to refresh/learn and then after you've covered that for every mistake you've made in that exam, go do another exam. rinse and repeat :P
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: wingwong on October 17, 2009, 11:58:12 pm: Strangest thing is, my Specialist is better than my Methods.
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: TrueTears on October 17, 2009, 11:58:55 pm: Quote from: wingwong on October 17, 2009, 11:58:12 pm
Strangest thing is, my Specialist is better than my Methods.
Not strange at all. Happens to a lot of people. Specialist is not harder than methods, it's just simply another area of mathematics and it seems like that area of maths ticks for you.
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Ilovemathsmeth on October 18, 2009, 01:43:22 am: Practice will get you that 90% + on your practice exams.

I began at 80%. For the first few, I was lucky to get low 90s. However, you will find inevitable progress - towards the end, I was getting 100% or close on exam 1, and 95+ on exam 2s. That said, you need to rely on VCAA papers for accuracy in determining how well you're going to do. Commercial exams are sometimes dodgy, with vague, ambiguous questions that are quite reasonable to get wrong.

Best of luck =) How many exams have you done?
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: wingwong on October 18, 2009, 01:16:55 pm: I've done everyone for Heffernan and neap, from 2006 onwards. I've also done a MAV one and a couple of Kilbaha. I'm trying to do all >2006 cause I don't see a point of doing anything before since that isn't part of the course anymore. Besides there's like 5 commercial companies, + vcaa ones. That's close to 30 practice exams in total.
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Lighties on October 18, 2009, 02:34:04 pm: For me I usually do better when the test/exam actually counts towards something, as opposed to just doing it for practice - maybe the added stress is somewhat helpful?

Also, if you've done so many practice exams, it should be easier to figure out what each question wants from you.

Or maybe you're just doing too many practice exams. :P
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: wingwong on October 18, 2009, 06:05:08 pm: ^ Different papers word questions differently sometimes. Also I noticed some papers focus on dif types of questions.
Just wondering, what kind of score would I get if I get like 70% for Exam 1 and 90% on exam 2?

Edit - I finally hit 80%+ I'm slowly getting there... Took me only like 15 papers...
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: Ilovemathsmeth on October 27, 2009, 02:37:27 pm: 30 sounds good! I feel really slack this year, have done no where near as many as I did for Methods :(
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: wingwong on October 29, 2009, 01:07:39 pm: I probably would hit 20 something. I'm *beeping* (Can I use course language on this forum?) my pants right now with spesh.
Title: Re: HELP!
Post by: StringFever on October 29, 2009, 09:29:46 pm: Quote from: wingwong on October 29, 2009, 01:07:39 pm
I probably would hit 20 something. I'm *beeping* (Can I use course language on this forum?) my pants right now with spesh.

Haha I love it :)
"Beeping myself right now!" :) :)

Good luck with Spesh tomorrow!