You know the drill.
You know the adrenaline.
Exam seasons are not particularly fun but they do matter a lot. Especially if the subject is somewhat related to your future career pathway.
For example, you'll certainly pay more attention to Physics if you desire to pursue engineering one day.
If you are sitting for your SPM in one or two years' time, it's always good to have a clear vision and strong foundation on how to start preparing from the very beginning.
In this article, we will go through five amazing tips to equip you for all your Physics papers throughout your Form 4 and Form 5 lessons, especially your actual SPM Physics subject.
Tip 1: Review The Core Concepts And Formulas of Form 4 and Form 5 Physics Topics
Granted that you will be studying a total of six chapters for your Form 4 KSSM Physics syllabus and a total of seven chapters for your Form 5 KSSM Physics syllabus, it's important that you list them down accordingly when you're making notes or attempting sample exercises.
For example, you can list them under the following themes. Let's start with the Form 4 topics.
Theme 1: Elementary Physics
- Chapter 1: MEASUREMENT
- Core concepts: Physical quantities, Scientific investigation
Theme 2: Newtonian Physics
- Chapter 2: FORCE AND MOTION I
- Core concepts: Linear Motion, Linear Motion Graphs, Free-Fall Motion, Inertia, Momentum, Force, Impulse and Impulsive Force, Weight
- Chapter 3: GRAVITATION
- Core concepts: Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation, Kepler's Laws, Man-made Satellites
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Theme 3: Heat
- Chapter 4: HEAT
- Core concepts: Thermal Equilibrium, Specific Heat Capacity, Specific Latent Heat, Gas Laws
Theme 4: Waves, Lights and Optics
- Chapter 5: WAVES
- Core concepts: Fundamentals of Waves, Damping and Resonance, Reflection of Waves, Refraction of Waves, Diffraction of Waves, Interference of Waves, Electromagnetic Waves
- Chapter 6: LIGHT AND OPTICS
- Core concepts: Refraction of Light, Total Internal Reflection, Image Formation by Lenses, Thin Lens Formula, Optical Instruments, Image Formation by Spherical Mirrors
Now, we will move on to the Form 5 topics.
Theme 1: Newtonian Mechanics
- Chapter 1: FORCE AND MOTION II
- Core concepts: Resultant Force, Resolution of Forces, Forces in Equilibrium, Elasticity
- Chapter 2: PRESSURE
- Core concepts: Pressure in Liquids, Atmospheric Pressure, Gas Pressure, Pascal's Principle, Archimedes'Principle, Bernoulli's Principle
Theme 2: Electricity and Electromagnetism
- Chapter 3: ELECTRICITY
- Core concepts: Current and Potential Difference, Resistance, Electromotive force, (e.m.f) and Internal Resistance, Electrical Energy and Power
- Chapter 4: ELECTROMAGNETISM
- Core concepts: Force on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field, electromagnetic induction, transformer
Theme 3: Applied Physics
- Chapter 5: ELECTRONICS
- Core concepts: Electron, Semiconductor Diode, Transistor
Theme 4: Modern Physics
- Chapter 6: NUCLEAR PHYSICS
- Core concepts: Radioactive Decay, Nuclear Energy
- Chapter 7: QUANTUM PHYSICS
- Core concepts: Quantum Theory of Light, Photoelectric Effect, Einstein's Photoelectric Theory
As you have an in-depth study of the topics, do have a look at how you will be tested in terms of the latest examination structure for your SPM Physics papers.
Tip 2: Practice Topical Questions Consistently
Our second tip is often underestimated by many students.
There are many students that jump straight to model questions, and past year papers without fully grasping the pattern and types of questions that are commonly asked according to specific topics.
One way to start is to complete all the topical and summative exercises at the back of the chapter for your Form 4 and Form 5 Physics KSSM textbooks. Those questions serve as a good guideline to really gauge your understanding towards the topic.
Here are some examples that you can find in your Form 4 Physics KSSM textbook:
- Swee Lan rows a boat forward. She uses an oar to push the water backwards. Why is the boat able to move forward? [Chapter 2 Force and Motion I]
- Gravitational field strength on the Moon is 6 times lower than that on Earth. If a stone weighing 2 N is carried back from the Moon to Earth, calculate the weight of the stone on Earth. [Chapter 2 Force and Motion I]
- Arrange the following electromagnetic waves (Infrared ray, X-ray, Microwave, Gamma-ray, Radiowace) according to the order of increasing frequency. [Chapter 5 Waves]
- What is the difference between heat capacity and specific heat capacity? [Chapter 4 Heat]
Photo by Marga Santoso on Unsplash
Having said that, you can do the same thing as you are reviewing your Form 5 Physics topics too. Here are four sample topical questions that can encourage you to dive deep during your revision.
- What are the advantages of using a mercury manometer compared to a water manometer? [Chapter 2 Pressure]
- List the factors that affect the resistance of a wire. [Chapter 3 Electricity]
- Use Faraday's law to explain the effect of the speed of rotation of the coil on the magnitude of the induced e.m.f in a current generator. [Chapter 4 Electromagnetism]
- Explain how a nuclear reactor generates electrical energy. [Chapter 6 Nuclear Physics]
Don't forget to discover these learning resources for your SPM Physics.
Tip 3: Form A Study Group (Save Time!)
We know that the revision journey can be quite overwhelming when you have so many topics to cover.
That's why we highly suggest you form a study group with your classmates and buddies to have a productive studying session.
This way, everyone can take turns preparing the revision materials, facilitate the discussion and even offer instant tutorials that cover all the topics for your Form 4 and Form 5 Physics syllabus.
For example, if there are five of you in a group, each one can take one chapter from the Form 4 and Form 5 topics. What happens is that every week all of you will review the same topic and do the topical questions together until all the topics are covered.
We assure you if you do this consistently, it will not only help build self-discipline but also enhance your overall memory and concentration.
That's because when you need to prepare for the sharing session, you have to plan the structure of the notes, gather the relevant learning materials and be well-versed in the topic first before you actually "teach" your friends.
Tell me, and I forget. Teach me, and I remember. Involve me, and I learn. – Benjamin Franklin
Don't forget, another bonus of studying with your friends is that you also get to boost each other's morale to keep going when the going gets tough.
You can start reviewing some of these Form 4 Physics topics listed here during your study group sessions!
Tip 4: Gather Past Year's Questions To Build Familiarity
You have pretty much headed towards the right direction already. Now it's time to solidify your momentum and confidence so that you will have a smooth answering process during the actual paper.
Let's be real. Examination stress can be dreadful.
There are many students who come out of the examination fall feeling defeated because their minds simply went blank all of a sudden.
One way to overcome this is to pace yourself with a similar intensity to the actual examination questions. This means two things.
Firstly, you need to time yourself to complete all the questions for SPM Physics Paper 1, and SPM Physics Paper 2. Secondly, you need to familiarise yourself with the varied difficult level of questions that will be asked in the examination.
In general, the examination instrument for SPM subjects including Physics follow the level of difficulty according to this scale:
- Low [5]
- Medium [3]
- High [2]
This means, for example in your SPM Physics Paper 1, you can expect 20 low-level difficulty questions, 12 medium-level difficulty questions and 8 high-level difficulty questions.
Also, when we talk about high-level difficulty questions, we are referring to questions that optimize Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)which cover the following levels such as remembering, understanding, applying, analysing, synthesizing, evaluating and creating.
Photo by Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu on Unspla
The key here is to consistently review and repeat the questions until you can immediately spot what the question requires and answer them accordingly to the marking scheme (given by sample answers).
It's not an impossible feat. You just have to start somewhere.
Get a glimpse of what you'll learn throughout your Form 5 Physics syllabus.
Tip 5: Connect With A Physics Tutor
So you have done all the four tips as mentioned above. We are pretty certain that you're 80% ready for the actual examination.
But what if, you still have some doubts or you are in need of further clarification on some of the core topics or structured questions answering techniques?
Perhaps, you would still prefer to have one-to-one Physics guidance as you prepare for your final revision lap.
It's never too late to find a reliable Physics tutor.
Let us introduce to you, Superprof!
At Superprof, you can easily connect with a Physics tutor that matches your tutoring expectations in terms of the tutor's experience, qualification, methodology as well as hourly rates.
In other words, you get to decide how much you want to spend on an hour of Physics tutoring session. Let's say your maximum budget is RM50 an hour, you can just indicate this when you are filtering the tutors' profiles and you will be directed to a selection of Physics tutors that offer their lessons within that price range.
So there's absolutely no pressure on both party!
Having a private tutor also means you can have a personalised and flexible learning experience.
Prefer to focus on only SPM Physics Paper 2 questions via online lessons? That's not a problem with our Superprof Physics tutors! All you need to do is connect with your desired tutor and discuss with them your intended lesson structure and they will take it from there.
There you have it. Five effective studying tips to conquer your SPM Physics papers. We hope you'll have a smooth and victorious answering session!
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