problem with topic tests.. (1 Viewer)

[kangarulz]

hi, i have real big problems with my in-class topic tests - i fail them all!!!
the thing is, i can do all the problems set out in the books i have and i use to revise and study (jones and couchman is the one used at school, and i use excel, maths in focus for back up) and i can do all those correctly..
but i just can't seem to do a topic test in class. i think it may be because of the wording used in the test - i'm not sure - but i really want to pick up on these because its pretty degrading getting Ds and Es in maths when i use to get As and Bs in years 7-10.

does anyone have any tips? i know i'm not the only one with this problem.

 

[pLuvia]

Just set your time out for each question don't spend too long on one question just move on a do it later. You'd be surprised that you can do it later.

Some questions relate to each other, so if you can't do one, look at the one below and that just might give you a hint.

 

[kangarulz]

we can normally have all the time we want.. just go into lunch time to do the test, but it just totally fries your brain and u give up lol

i'll post a copy of it on here when i geti t back, thanks!

 

[bananasmoothy]

A really good way to practice, if going through all the textbooks doesn't appear to be helping, is to go through past assessments. If it's the wording that's troubling you, practicing past assessments will help. Ask your teacher for some.

Perhaps you may also be having some trouble with nerves? Being ultra-nervous can freeze up your brain... and, of course, one of the best remedies for this is past papers.

 

[Riviet]

*waits patiently for kangarulz's paper*

 

[Srixon]

yeah u aint the only one with this problem
i failed every maths test over yr 11 and 12 always getting in the 40 -49% range( we never had topic tests though)
i used to get 90's and 80's in yr 10 and that but these days i just couldnt pass but i done well in all my other assesments so that should help my assesment mark

 

[Mr. Bean]

I remember when I failed my test on Trigonometry. I ran out of time, i believe practicing a lot with many questions will help, just keep practicing. Perhaps snuggling with teddy will help!

 

[YBK]

*waits patiently for kangarulz's paper*

lol, *waits too*

bah, i should be sleeping now..

 

[kangarulz]

some questions off the paper

here are the questions i got wrong off the paper...

* jarrod has four pairs of socks in a drawer, each pair a different colour. he selects socks one at a time and at rando from the drawer.
(i) the probability that he does NOT have a matching pair after selecting the second sock is 6/7. explain why this is so
(ii) determine the probability that he does NOT have a matching pair after the 3rd sock
(iii) determine the probability that the first three socks include a matching pair

*for a geometric series, the sum of the third and fourth terms is 5/27 and the sum of fourth and fifth terms is 10/81. determine the first three terms of the series

*determine the sum of the numbers up to 100, which are not divisible by 4

*emma is earning a salary of $78000p/a and is paid fortnightly. at the age of 22, she starts to contribute 8% of her fortnightly pay into a superannuation fund, with the first contribution exactly on ther 22nd birthday. her employer matches this with an equal contribution to the fund. assuming that she returns 6.5p/a and her salary remains exactly the same over the 38years to her retirement, determine how much her contributions would be worth on her retirement.

 

[bananasmoothy]

here are the questions i got wrong off the paper...

* jarrod has four pairs of socks in a drawer, each pair a different colour. he selects socks one at a time and at rando from the drawer.
(i) the probability that he does NOT have a matching pair after selecting the second sock is 6/7. explain why this is so
(ii) determine the probability that he does NOT have a matching pair after the 3rd sock
(iii) determine the probability that the first three socks include a matching pair

*for a geometric series, the sum of the third and fourth terms is 5/27 and the sum of fourth and fifth terms is 10/81. determine the first three terms of the series

*determine the sum of the numbers up to 100, which are not divisible by 4

*emma is earning a salary of $78000p/a and is paid fortnightly. at the age of 22, she starts to contribute 8% of her fortnightly pay into a superannuation fund, with the first contribution exactly on ther 22nd birthday. her employer matches this with an equal contribution to the fund. assuming that she returns 6.5p/a and her salary remains exactly the same over the 38years to her retirement, determine how much her contributions would be worth on her retirement.

Ok, so do you understand where you went wrong, or would you like solutions posted up?

 

[bananasmoothy]

I'll do the first one for you...

* jarrod has four pairs of socks in a drawer, each pair a different colour. he selects socks one at a time and at rando from the drawer.
(i) the probability that he does NOT have a matching pair after selecting the second sock is 6/7. explain why this is so

Jarrod has four pairs of sock => eight socks altogether.
Thus, when he selects one sock, it's:
8S - 1S = 7S (if "S" = socks)
P(NOT matching sock) = 1 - P(E)
=1 - 1/7
= 6/7


etc.

 

[kangarulz]

we've been thru it as a class, which clarified some things. but i think i just have trouble detecting which methods to use for the questions
e.g. i know to use complementery events for questions asking for atleast one.. etc

 

[bananasmoothy]

we've been thru it as a class, which clarified some things. but i think i just have trouble detecting which methods to use for the questions
e.g. i know to use complementery events for questions asking for atleast one.. etc

Best way to fix up this problem? Practice. As many different types of questions as possible.

 

[[Damo]]

practise.. find more questions... do all q's in the text bks..

 

[Riviet]

Yep, practise makes perfect! :uhhuh:

 

[pLuvia]

Yep, practise makes perfect! :uhhuh:

Well said mate