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How to Ace PSLE Maths
The document provides information about preparing for and taking the PSLE Mathematics exam in Singapore. It discusses the structure of the exam, which consists of two papers, and outlines the curriculum focus on problem solving. It also provides examples of different types of math problems students may encounter on the exam. At the end, it discusses a news article where parents complained that this year's PSLE math exam was unusually difficult, possibly because it was the first year calculators were allowed.
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How to Ace PSLE Maths
- 1. How to Acethe PSLE MathematicsYeap Ban HarNational Institute of EducationNanyang Technological University
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- 3. PSLE MathematicsPaper 1(50 min)Paper 2 (1 hr 40 min)
- 4. PSLE Foundation MathematicsPaper1 (1 hr)Paper 2 (1 hr 15 min)
- 5. PSLE Mathematics isBased on a Problem-Solving Curriculum
- 7. rationale of thecurriculumThe rationale of teaching mathematics is that it is “a good vehicle for the development and improvement of a person’s intellectual competence”.
- 8. “… over-emphasising proceduralskills without understanding the underlying mathematical principles should be avoided.” Ministry of Education 2006
- 9. Find the valueof (a) 11.98 – 2.6 (b) 43 ÷ 10 Example 0
- 10. Find the valueof 12.2 ÷ 4 .Basic Skills ItemsExample 1
- 11. 3.05312.2012.2041220 hundredths120.200.20Number BondMethod0Long Division Method
- 12. Find <y inthe figure below.360o – 210o = 150o70 o70 oy70 oExample 2
- 13. The height ofthe classroom door is about __.(1) 1 m(2) 2 m(3) 10 m(4) 20 mExample 3
- 14. “Mathematical problem solvingis central to mathematics learning.” Ministry of Education 2006
- 15. Ali paid fora 85-cent pen with a $5 note.How much change should he get?Answer: $__________Example 4
- 16. A show startedat 10.55 a.m. and ended at 1.30 p.m. How long was the show in hours and minutes?Example 5
- 17. During a sale,mugs are sold in sets of 3 for $1.45. How much must Bala pay for buying 15 mugs during the sale?$1.45 x 5 = $14.50 ÷ 2 = $7.25Example 6
- 18. Sam had 295eggs. He packed all the eggs into boxes of 9 with some left over. How many eggs are left over? 295 ÷ 9 = 32 remainder 77 eggs are left overExample 7
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- 20. Cup cakes aresold at 40 cents each. What is the greatest number of cup cakes that can be bought with $95? $95 ÷ 40 cents = 237.5Answer: 237 cupcakesBasic Skill ItemExample 8
- 21. Mr Tan renteda car for 3 days. He was charged $155 per day and 60 cents for every km that he travelled. He paid $767.40. What was the total distance that he travelled for the 3 days?$767.40 – 3 x $155 = $302.40$302.40 ÷ 60 cents per km = 504 kmExample 9
- 22. Mr Tan renteda car for 3 days. He was charged $155 per day and 60 cents for every km that he travelled. He paid $767.40. What was the total distance that he travelled for the 3 days?767.40 – 3 x 155 = 302.40302.40 ÷ 0.60 = 504 He travelled 504 km.Example 9
- 23. “Mathematical problem solvingis central to mathematics learning.” Ministry of Education 2006
- 24. ““… including non-routine,open-ended and real-world problems.”Ministry of Education 2006
- 25. 1 + 2+ 3 + 4 + 5 + … + 95 + 96 + 97The first 97 whole numbers are added up.What is the ones digit in the total?Challenging Items: Novel
- 26. 1 + 2+ 3 + 4 + 5 + … + 95 + 96 + 97The first 97 whole numbers are added up.What is the ones digit in the total?Challenging Items: Novel
- 27. 1 + 2+ 3 + 4 + 5 + … + 95 + 96 + 97The first 97 whole numbers are added up.What is the ones digit in the total?Challenging Items: Novel
- 28. 1 + 2+ 3 + 4 + 5 + … + 95 + 96 + 97The first 97 whole numbers are added up.What is the ones digit in the total? The method is difficult to communicate in written form. Hence, the problem is presented in the MCQ format where credit is not given for written method.Challenging Items: Novel
- 29. - = n where n is a whole numberThe difference between a 2-digit wholenumber and a 1-digit whole number is n. Find all the possible subtraction sentences when n = 4. Describe in words how the number of possible subtraction sentences depends on the value of n.Challenging Items: NovelExample 10
- 30. 10 - 6= 411 - 7 = 412 - 8 = 413 - 9 = 410 – 7 = 311 – 8 = 312 – 9 = 3Challenging Items: NovelExample 10
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- 32. Table 1 consistsof numbers from 1 to 56. Kay and Lin are given a plastic frame that covers exactly 9 squares of Table 1 with the centre square darkened.(a) Kay puts the frame on 9 squares as shown in the figure below.3451113192021What is the average of the 8 numbers that can be seen in the frame?
- 33. Table 1 consistsof numbers from 1 to 56. Kay and Lin are given a plastic frame that covers exactly 9 squares of Table 1 with the centre square darkened.(a) Kay puts the frame on 9 squares as shown in the figure below.3+4+5+11+13+19+20 = 9696 ÷ 8 = 12345Alternate Method4 x 24 = 9696 ÷ 8 = 121113192021What is the average of the 8 numbers that can be seen in the frame?
- 34. (b) Lin putsthe frame on some other 9 squares. The sum of the 8 numbers that can be seen in the frame is 272. What is the largest number that can be seen in the frame?123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839403441424344454647484950515253545556
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- 41. “Skill proficiencies includethe ability to use technology confidently, where appropriate, for exploration and problem solving.”Ministry of Education 2006
- 42. 32 x 46= 23 x 6423 is obtained when the digits in 32 are reversed. 64 is obtained when the digits in 46 are reversed. Find three other pairs of 2-digit numbers where AB x CD = BA x DC.Example 15
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- 44. Mrs Hoon madesome cookies to sell. 3/4 of them were chocolate cookies and the rest were almond cookies. After selling 210 almond cookies and 5/6 of the chocolate cookies, she had 1/5 of the cookies left.How many cookies did Mrs Hoon sell?almond cookies5/83/8210chocolate cookies1/53/8 – 1/5 = 7/40 210 1/40 30Example 1732/40 960She sold 960 cookies.
- 45. Five Core CompetenciesNumberSensePatternsVisualizationCommunicationMetacognition
- 46. Try to doas you read the problems. Do not wait till the end of the question to try to do something.Try to draw when you do not get what the question is getting at. Diagrams such as models are very useful.Do more mental computation when practising Paper 1.Some Strategies
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- 48. 156 kgBeforeShop AShopB156 kg – 72 kg = 84 kg72kg3 units = 84 kg1 unit = 84 kg ÷ 3 = 28 kg72 kg – 28 kg = 44 kgShop B sold 44 kg of rice.Shop A sold 44 kg of rice.
- 49. The total numberof stamps in Album A, Album B and Album C was 444 at first. Dennis gave away 3/5 of the stamps from Album A, put 24 more new stamps into Album B and added some stamps into Album C until the number of stamps in Album C became three times its original number. The ratio of the number of stamps in Album A to that in Album B to that in Album C became 2 : 5 : 9. How many more stamps were there in Album C than Album A in the end?(TeckWhye Primary School, Grade 6)Album AAlbum BAlbum CExample 19
- 50. The total numberof stamps in Album A, Album B and Album C was 444 at first. Dennis gave away 3/5 of the stamps from Album A, put 24 more new stamps into Album B and added some stamps into Album C until the number of stamps in Album C became three times its original number. The ratio of the number of stamps in Album A to that in Album B to that in Album C became 2 : 5 : 9. How many more stamps were there in Album C than Album A in the end?(TeckWhye Primary School, Grade 6)7 units ?7 units 36 x 7 = 210 + 42 = 252There were 252 more stamps in Album C than Album A in the end.Album AAlbum BAlbum C46813 units 444 + 24 = 4681 unit 468 ÷ 13 = 36 39078
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- 52. Parents Up InArms Over PSLE Mathematics Paper TODAY’S 10 OCT 2009SINGAPORE: The first thing her son did when he came out from the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) maths paper on Thursday this week was to gesture as if he was "slitting his throat". "One look at his face and I thought 'oh no'. I could see that he felt he was condemned," said Mrs Karen Sng. "When he was telling me about how he couldn't answer some of the questions, he got very emotional and started crying. He said his hopes of getting (an) A* are dashed." Not for the first time, parents are up in arms over the PSLE Mathematics paper, which some have described as "unbelievably tough" this year. As recently as two years ago, the PSLE Mathematics paper had also caused a similar uproar. The reason for Thursday's tough paper, opined the seven parents whom MediaCorp spoke to, was because Primary 6 students were allowed to use calculators while solving Paper 2 for the first time. …Said Mrs Vivian Weng: "I think the setters feel it'll be faster for them to compute with a calculator. So the problems they set are much more complex; there are more values, more steps. But it's unfair because this is the first time they can do so and they do not know what to expect!" …"The introduction of the use of calculators does not have any bearing on the difficulty of paper. The use of calculators has been introduced into the primary maths curriculum so as to enhance the teaching and learning of maths by expanding the repertoire of learning activities, to achieve a better balance between the time and effort spent developing problem solving skills and computation skills. Calculators can also help to reduce computational errors." …Another common gripe: There was not enough time for them to complete the paper. A private tutor, who declined to be named, told MediaCorp she concurred with parents' opinions. "This year's paper demanded more from students. It required them to read and understand more complex questions, and go through more steps, so time constraints would have been a concern," the 28-year-old said.
- 54. chocolatessweets12Jim12121212121818Ken3 parts 12 + 12 + 12 + 12 + 18 = 661 part 22Half of the sweets Ken bought = 22 + 12 = 34So Ken bought 68 sweets.