Is additional mathematics hard?
It's not surprising to hear that Add Maths isn't everyone's favourite subject: not only are there a lot of formulas to remember but just applying those concepts requires deep critical thinking skills, too! Nonetheless, if you do like the subject and are passionate about the field of mathematics, you are already several steps closer to acing your schoolwork and exams.
Many students believe that they need to devote many hours per day doing practice exercises or any past paper in order to score well in their SPM Add Maths exams. While we at Superprof do agree that practice makes perfect, we also understand that you have other subjects to tackle at school, too! It would be impossible to simply devote all your time and energy to this one subject, right?
What if we told you there's a way to make that learning process easier?
Did you know you can obtain more marks in your exams if you are familiar with the mark scheme? Even students who are good in additional mathematics can sometimes miss out on important working steps when answering the written paper. At the same time, it's also crucial that you know the format of your 2022 SPM Add Maths paper.
If you'd like to know how to perform well in your SPM Add Maths examinations, then it's time to keep reading.
What is the mark scheme for SPM Add Maths Paper 1?
The difference between Paper 1 and Paper 2 of your SPM Add Maths is that Paper 1 is considered the "straightforward" paper, whereas Paper 2 often requires HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills), as often emphasised in the Malaysian secondary school syllabus. What do we mean by "straightforward"?
Answering the questions in Paper 1 is fairly simple if you've gotten all your additional mathematics topics down - that's because you just need to know how to apply your basic concepts and formulas in the subject. You heard us right: if you know how to use the formulas already provided in the first few pages of your written paper, you'll likely be able to generate the solutions you need for all the questions.
Let's get the marking scheme down first.
SPM Add Maths Paper 1 is divided into Section A and Section B. In Section A, you'll find 12 questions that comprise a total of 64 marks. Answer all the questions in Section A - this is unlike Section B, which has just 3 questions. You need to answer only 2 questions in Section B for a maximum of 8 marks. Thus, you can earn a total of 80 marks from your Paper 1.
So how is this paper marked?
As we mentioned earlier, the format is indeed straightforward: either state the answer to each question or if needed, show your workings and then state the answer. In the Functions graph below, which often comes out as Question 1 of your SPM Add Maths Paper 1, you may be asked to (a) state the object of 3, and (b) state the range.
If you haven't figured it out already, the object of 3 is 7 and the range is = {-3, -1, 1, 3} (a high-five to you for trying and congratulations if you've got that right!), and simply stating that would give you 4 marks for Question 1. Apart from questions that begin with "State...", you will also come across questions that begin with "Find the..." or "Express _ in terms of...".
For these kinds of questions, remember to write your working steps. If you can complete one past paper every week, you can quickly learn how to show your workings. Would you like to try practising with the best Add Maths reference papers of 2022?
Is there a passing mark for SPM Add Maths Paper 2?
Now that you've made it through Paper 1, what is Paper 2 all about?
Did you know that your SPM Add Maths Paper 1 will not cover these five topics?
- Equations Systems
- Solution of Triangles
- Index Numbers
- Linear Programming
- Kinematic Linear Motion
And that's another tip for you - you will be running into these topics in Paper 2.
Here's how it will go. First, answer all 7 questions in Section A and earn up to 50 marks in this section. Each question gives you roughly 5 to 8 marks. In Section B, you will only have to answer 3 out of 4 questions to get up to 30 marks. Finally, answer just 2 out of 4 questions in Section C and you can get a maximum of 20 marks. Hence, you can accumulate up to 100 marks in Paper 2.
Notice that Paper 2 carries a heavier weightage in marks as compared to Paper 1, and that's because there are more steps to answer the questions in Paper 2. If you look at the mark scheme from any past paper, notice that most correct answers require an accurate usage of additional mathematics formulas and extensive working steps apart from just providing the right answers.
In the below example taken from Question 5 of the SPM 2021 Add Maths Selangor trial paper, students are asked to:
(a) show that the length of OA = 9.889 cm, given that OD = 8 cm. [1 mark]
(b) calculate: [6 marks]
(i) the difference between the length of arc AC and arc DE.
(ii) the area of the blue-coloured region in Diagram 4(b).
For this question's mark scheme and other questions in Paper 2, these are the necessary steps to answer this written paper: apply the correct formula, provide the working steps, and generate the right answer. Given that all these steps are achieved and you have come up with the correct answer, you will have earned 7 marks for this question.
Check out our tips for scoring your Add Maths Paper 2 to find out what topics will be coming out in the paper.
How many marks do you need for add maths SPM?
Apart from each written paper in your SPM Add Maths examination, you should also look out for the project work or the Kerja Projek Matematik Tambahan. This project work is another compulsory part of the SPM syllabus and will contribute marks towards your final SPM results. If done properly and accurately, you can easily attain the full score in your Add Maths project work.
Unlike Paper 1 and Paper 2, you will be asked to complete this project work outside of the examinations. Before the actual SPM examination, your additional mathematics teacher will provide you with the set questions and guidelines to complete this project work, which can be done in groups. However, the report for this project work must be completed individually. You may also be asked to give an oral presentation of your findings.
The mark scheme for the project work report follows this basic format:
- Introduction - what the project work is all about
- Part 1 - answers Question 1 of the project work
- Part 2 - answers Question 2
- Part 3 - answers Question 3
- Further Exploration - answers Question 4 about applications to everyday life
- Reflection - what you have learned from the project work
- Conclusion - what you can conclude from the project work
Of course, this excludes the front page, acknowledgements and table of content that you need to include at the start of your report. The great thing about this project work is that you can freely discuss the workings with your peers and subject teacher, allowing you to better understand the questions and how to answer them.
Remember that aside from each mark scheme you should pay attention to, it's always helpful to start by focusing in class. Read here for everything you need to know about Add Maths in 2022.
Where to find add maths tuition near me
If you'd like to improve your skills in additional mathematics, getting quality lessons in the subject is the way to go!
You may find that some tuition centres are not worth the price.
Fortunately, you don't have to break your budget when you learn with a Superprof tutor - did you know you can look for a price range that fits you best? For as low as RM15, you can look for skilled tutors who have experience teaching Add Maths at the SPM level! Even if you'd like to explore our full catalogue of quality tutors, the average price for an Add Maths lesson is only RM41 per hour.
Even if you have all the answers for a past paper, it is essential that you learn the right steps to answer additional mathematics questions first. A Superprof tutor can walk you through the right step-by-step approach to answer these questions, as well as guide you through complex concepts in the subject. In fact, you don't have to go through the learning process alone - why not opt for group lessons on Superprof?
Whether or not you employ a one-on-one or group-learning style, you have the choice to learn virtually or have an in-person class with your tutor. Get to know us on our Superprof Tutors page to find out more, and earn a chance to have your first lesson for free!
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