Maths calc GCSE; DD poised to fail what 8 things should she try and learn

[Alternativelyviewed]

What few things can we focus on in a last ditch attempt please

What do you mean Maths calc GCSE? Is she sitting an exam with only calculator papers or is it the calculator papers she is struggling with?

Following

How about working through a past paper together and noting down the areas she struggles with, then targeting those. Try mathsgenie.co.uk as it has videos and practice questions for each area.

3 paper's, math's calculator paper comes first.

Are you sure? With the GCSEs with 3 papers it is normally the non-calculator paper first, and then 2 calculator papers.

Past papers are good practice

She needs to read each question twice.

Work through what she knows - eg if it’s an angle question what does she know about angles?

Which board?

Noble you're correct, I've got it the wrong way round. 🙈

What 8 things shall we concentrate on?

Sorry, still need to check, if it's the first paper she is struggling on then she wants to focus on non-calculator topics, if it's the calculator papers that's a different kettle of fish!

I’d strongly recommend Maths Genie (https://www.mathsgenie.co.uk/gcse.php) in addition to just past papers.
Broadly, strategy needs to be:

1. Pick a topic, attempt some practice questions
2. If she’s got no idea where to start, watch the relevant Maths Genie videos, concentrating and pausing the video where needed
3. Re-try the questions
4. Mark the questions! If she is correct and confident, repeat for a new topic. If not, try some more practice.

question practice. Go through an exam paper together, then get her to do the same paper by herself. Do that a couple of more times.

Not a teacher.
DD resitting maths.

1. Times tables - our plan is DD writes out a times table grid at the start, as the more tired she gets the less reliable her times tables become

2-5) Percentages, decimals, fractions, ratios. Including knowing how to do eg 15% without a calculator

6. Working methodically through the wordy questions, underlying key info and making sure you use it.

7. Give it a go even if you don't know where you are going.

8. Don't panic.

But very interested to see what @noblegiraffe suggests!

@TeenToTwenties thanks that's really helpful.

I was wondering whether for instance she should go to equations, algebra or ratios.

And in terms of measuring, triangles or circles.
I know no one can predict a paper but those with experience may know x always turns up

Repeating. Not a teacher.

I think the things I mentioned come up multiple times all over the place.

Anything pretty much can come up on the non calculator paper, even trig as there are certain values they are meant to just know. Though why someone only capable of foundation maths needs to know trig is beyond me.

However obviously the numbers for calculations on the non calc paper are more straightforward. (My DD struggles because she forgets she knows how to do 15% as 10% plus 5%.)

That's the trouble with the maths papers compared to other subjects, in theory anything can come up on any paper. Once paper 1 is done, teachers will predict topics for the other papers, and refine again for paper 3.

However noble's comment about 'non calculator topics' makes me guess there are certain things far more likely to come up on paper 1, so I would love to see her list.

Due to the potential to fail here I am assuming the Foundation paper

Non calc (almost) guaranteed
Factors and multiples
Calculations with fractions and mixed numbers (+ - x / ) including fractions of amounts
Finding percentages of amounts, including increase and decreasing by a percentage
Using money (e.g. Bob goes to the cafe and buys two teas and a bun with a £20 note, how much change should he get?)
A long multiplication or division, possibly with decimals (this could be worth 3 marks and they get method marks even if they make a mistake so worth a try)
BIDMAS (e.g. what is 4 + 6 x 2)
Basic powers and square roots (e.g. what is the square root of 64 or what is 2^3)
Arithmetic with negative numbers
'Estimate...' where you have to round all the values to an easier calculation
You could get more difficult powers like 3-2 or 250.5 as well, but only look at those if you've nailed the rest.
Exact trig values - guess the answer is 1/2. Put no more effort into it than that!

Calc paper only
Using your calculator to e.g. put in a complicated fraction with roots. Make sure they can use the fraction and power buttons and know how to 'finish' a square root sign. This will often be followed by a 'round your answer to 2d.p.
Compound interest (there is a formula for this in the formula booklet that might be worth explaining)
Don't bother with trig, it ain't worth it

Everything else is pretty much fair game for both papers.

Major topics that always come up in some form:

Simplifying algebra - collecting like terms when adding or subtracting, sorting out indices when multiplying or dividing or raising to a power
Solving equations
Subbing into formulae
Mean, median, mode, range (use the song to remember which is which )
Angle rules (basic ones like straight lines, triangles, around a point) and something involving parallel lines.
Basic probability
Ratio, including simplifying and sharing in a ratio
Converting between fractions, decimals and percentages
Calculations with time
Circles - circumference and area - the formulae ARE ON THE FORMULA SHEET (on the non-calc paper this will probably ask for answers in terms of pi)

Other topics also come up most of the time but you wanted some focus...

Things that need to be memorised
Times tables (or a times tables grid)
Prime numbers up to 50 is best (not the whole song!) up to 30 is most useful. 1 is NOT A PRIME
Names of shapes - do they know their trapezium from a parallelogram? Hexagon from an octagon? Cuboid from a cone? Flash cards and self-testing help here
The difference between a factor and a multiple
Metric conversions - how many cm in a m etc.

The most important thing about getting a 4 is remembering each mark is equally valuable. There is no point in spending weeks learning trig which will be worth a couple of marks and then losing a couple of marks on the first page because you can't remember the name of a pentagon.

The first double page is key, those are the easiest marks to get, and yet most students won't get them all meaning they have to pick up harder marks later on to make up for it.

So go to mathsgenie and do all the pages 1-2. If anything is wrong there, fix it first!
https://www.mathsgenie.co.uk/papers.php

And use https://www.mathsgenie.co.uk/gcse.php for topic focused revision. Watch the video, do some questions, mark your answers. Only look at grade 1-4 topics, leave the grade 5.

@noblegiraffe Fab. Thank you.

I would also suggest spending some time of HOW TO do the exam papers ie exam technique, looking to both build confidence during the exam (and reduce stress) and ensure that they focus their time on where they can get hte most marks

• I'm sure @noblegiraffe may have some better tips, but these really helped my daughter....

1. Go through the paper and mark up the questions (including part questions):
2. easy ones I can do - eg A
3. easier ones I can probably do - eg B

These seems to both help calm them if they are nervous - I'm looking for the stuff I CAN DO - and reassure them there is stuff for them

1. Then do all A questions and part questions
2. Then do all B questions - not spending too long on a question if it turns out not to be as easy as you think - you can come back to it

I would go through a paper with them doing this and seeing how far they get... this may be it, or they may have time left over... if so:

Then go through paper again for questions where they think they can get some of it right

The key thing is to help them feel calm and confident, and able to influence the outcome by focusing on what they can do

@noblegiraffe Thank you, your post is really helpful- I have saved it for future reference!

I suggest they read the bloody questions and underline the key words which are often numerical values. Before they move on to another question, re-read the question 1 more time so they are certain they have done what the question asks them to do.

There, 5-10 marks gained across the papers.

If you can get a tutor, then do so. Even if it’s just to pass and get the grade 4. They will go through past papers and concentrate on exam technique.
if she fails, she will have less choice and probably have to resit Maths GCSE at college, which is tedious.