9 Maths exam tips - a good guide for kids

9 Maths exam tips and tricks

Examinations are a daunting time for any student, but there are definitely some things your child can take note of to be exam-ready and attempt the paper in the best state-of-mind possible. We share with you nine tips to help your child get exam ready for their Maths paper.

Be prepared

Have your child pack their bag the day before. Make sure they have their calculator, Maths sets and stationery in order before the exam. You don’t want them to panic and stress about not having the necessary instruments on the morning of the exam.

Memorize formulas

Ensure your child has memorised all the basic Maths formulas and know the basic concepts. Once they get the paper, they should write down the formulas on the front page, so they can always refer to them throughout the paper and even while checking.

Instill confidence

If Maths is not your child's strongest subject, have him attempt the topics/questions that he is more comfortable with to build up his confidence during the exam. This will mentally prepare him for the tougher questions.

Method marks

Your child should do all working on the paper itself as examiners will award marks for calculation. This is known as method marks and is especially important for problem sums that can have up to five marks each. Even if your child does not know how to answer the question, they should just do the calculations, as they might still get marks for their working.

Watch the clock

Your child should not spend more than two minutes on a question the first time round. If they are stuck at a particular question, move on to the next one. This allows him to attempt all questions instead of not completing the paper due to a lack of time.

They should also take note of the marks allocated for each question, as this will give them a gauge of how much calculation and working needs to be done as well as how much time they should spend on the question.

Underline important information

Each problem sum will give a lot of information, so it is important your child underlines those that are relevant to the question he needs to answer.

The need for speed

For questions on speed, it is important to focus on the unit of measurement required. It is also better to use fraction instead of decimal as there are 60 minutes to an hour and not 100, thus minimising confusion. As an added bonus, calculations using fraction are usually easier.

Look out for common mistakes

Your child should not forget to convert his units. There will be questions that state multiple units, for example, 10m and 20cm, see that they convert to one basic unit to minimise careless mistakes.

Check, check, check

Your child should check their work and write as legibly as possible to minimise careless mistakes. Careless mistakes are the bane of every math student.

Written by

Wafa Marican

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