Which book is better?

[dinosaur93]

Is anyone here still using the Cambridge essentials Mathematical Methods 3/4 3^rd edition?

Is it better than the 4th edition?

because I think there is more analysis and application type Qs in the old book rather in the newer edition and might come in handy for analysis type Qs in SACs, what do you guys think?

[jaydee]

ive seen the analysis/extended response questions for 3rd edition. It's the exact same (that's why the solutions supplement book can be used for both editions), pretty much the only difference is the"how to" on your calculator

[LOLs99]

Lol, don worry the stuff is the same
but just some more advance calculator stuff.

[paulsterio]

Since when was methods (cas) already up to 3rd edition? :S

[paulsterio]

There is no "this study design" for non-cas, it doesn't even exist anymore it's been CAS-only for two years now

And no, methods non-cas is NOT methods (cas) without calculator instructions, the courses are quite different, well there's enough difference to warrant getting a cas book

[samad]

@elvin.lam1

The textbook you use isn't the most important part of methods. its's goog that your using Essentials instead of MQ. but, the application questions in any textbook are usually not comparable to those in SACs and the VCAA exam. THE MOST important thing is practice exams, followed by past SACs. you should look to complete the book and understand the topics as quickly as possible and then move straight into the practice exams- these will truly hone your skills to avoid mistakes and tackle the harder/ more complex exam questions without getting bogged down for time (twoof the main reasons why methods is easy to stuff up).

[LOLs99]

@elvin.lam1

The textbook you use isn't the most important part of methods. its's goog that your using Essentials instead of MQ. but, the application questions in any textbook are usually not comparable to those in SACs and the VCAA exam. THE MOST important thing is practice exams, followed by past SACs. you should look to complete the book and understand the topics as quickly as possible and then move straight into the practice exams- these will truly hone your skills to avoid mistakes and tackle the harder/ more complex exam questions without getting bogged down for time (twoof the main reasons why methods is easy to stuff up).

Essential is better than MQ?coz I'm using MQ.I thought it would be better than Essential in explanation and solid foundation while Essential is good in ques/extended response.

[samad]

Good point wenhao . forgot to mention that it doesn't hurt to have both. MQ for understandable explanations and in-depth CAS tips. Essentials for the hard questions and additional advanced theory (which comes in handy for SACs, since your teachers might prefer essentials and draw from it heavily when constructing SAC Q's.

[LOLs99]

Good point wenhao . forgot to mention that it doesn't hurt to have both. MQ for understandable explanations and in-depth CAS tips. Essentials for the hard questions and additional advanced theory (which comes in handy for SACs, since your teachers might prefer essentials and draw from it heavily when constructing SAC Q's.

+1. So the essential question can't actually compared with the VCAA acutal exam question(hardness,trickyness)?
and what is in a SACs for maths subject?

[mr.politiks]

Hey wenhao, i'm samad's twin bro 
VCAA is VCAA. Though some essential will be harder than VCAA, VCAA have their own style and their own tricks. If you have done VCAA questions you will begin to see recurring approaches, techniques, tricks and themes. So, essentials not necessarily harder, but it is different.
In SACs, the questions are usually very much exam like, so study guides and practice exams are the best revision tools (no point in doing book qs for SAC revision). However, the teacher who sets the SACs may also have their own particlar taste, so do past SACs as well. Get to know your teacher well. Sometimes, the SAC teacher will give something off the course, so past SACs may be the only tool (think Melbourne High School SACs and Uni Maths...)

[soccerboi]

Hi, istafa and samad, could u guys possibly provide a list of resources( which study guides) u used for methods and spesh that helped u obtain such good scores? Thanks

[LOLs99]

Hi, istafa and samad, could u guys possibly provide a list of resources( which study guides) u used for methods and spesh that helped u obtain such good scores? Thanks

Lol, I think they just do exam papers from different company+hardwork
Wow soccerboi, seems that you are dedicated into study

[pi]

Hi, istafa and samad, could u guys possibly provide a list of resources( which study guides) u used for methods and spesh that helped u obtain such good scores? Thanks

Lol, I think they just do exam papers from different company+hardwork
Wow soccerboi, seems that you are dedicated into study

That's the main one (bold), they also went to Derrick Ha lectures (i think)

[LOLs99]

Yeah it might help you boost up 2-3 points and it's still helpful (derrick ha lectures)