How To Use Math Assessment Books To Boost Your Study Routine

Lots of parents are familiar with the concept of giving their children assessment books as extra practice. But is it enough to just hoard assessment books and drill as many questions as possible? Is quantity all that matters?

In fact, how you use the assessment book matters! Also, some assessment books are designed to offer more than just practice questions.

Despite the many assessment books already on the market, last year we decided to create our own series of Secondary Math Assessment books catered for G3 and IP students, as we felt that there was a lack of comprehensive assessment books that could serve as an independent study resource while also challenging high-ability learners.

Read on to find out the ways in which you can fully utilise our book to make the best bang for your buck!

Review must-know skills before and after lessons

Assessment books can be used as an independent study resource to  regularly review key skills after each lesson. Our Advanced Mathematics series contains study notes, worked examples, and step-by-step solutions that help you review each chapter easily. You can even learn ahead independently as the notes are comprehensive enough to guide you in your self-study sessions.

One crucial aspect of choosing any assessment book is knowing how reliable the content and solutions are. We know how important it is to disseminate accurate information in an easy-to-understand manner, so our assessment book series is co-authored by our top IP Math tutors (ex-HCI Math HOD and ex-RGS Math teacher). With their teaching experience and math expertise, they have thoughtfully crafted the explanations and answers in a way that is accurate, up-to-date with the marking conventions, and accessible to students.

Prepare for tests with topical quizzes and mock tests

Many students exclusively use assessment books before their tests and quizzes as revision practice. With this in mind, the Advanced Mathematics series contains several quizzes that students can use to test their knowledge and exam-readiness. Some of these mock tests contain questions across a few chapters, similar to how Weighted Assessments and exams are done in school.

Here are some suggestions for using these mock quizzes:

• Do these quizzes timed to emulate exam conditions. You will be surprised at how the time pressure can cause you to forget things and make more careless mistakes! Training your mind to focus and be fast is as crucial as knowing your content.
• Review your answers after the quiz. Don’t just look at the final answers, but also the workings that will be awarded marks, and presentation of the answers.
• Reflect on your performance and note down things you need to work on. These may include weak topics, or also skills like presentation, accuracy, or speed.
• Make an action plan to work on those weaker areas, or consult a tutor to find out how to work on them.
• After reviewing your paper, try redoing the questions which you have gotten wrong (without looking at the solution). Can you do it now?

Challenge yourself with high-level questions

If you have no trouble passing your math tests, but you think you can do better and aim for A1 – then you need to work on tackling higher-level questions! Most assessment books are designed to provide practice for common exam-style questions. But in a real exam, a small percentage of questions are slightly more tricky or unusual – and these are the questions that differentiate the A2 from the A1s!

The Advanced Mathematics series is designed with high-ability students in mind, so we have included a good portion of high-level questions for those who are reaching for those A1 grades. We recommend working your way up gradually, gaining familiarity and confidence before attempting the more difficult questions!

Conclusion

Assessment books are an excellent tool for studying, but its effectiveness is dependent on which assessment book you choose and how you use it! As a tuition centre in Singapore, we have used our experience to design a Math Assessment book series that we think would suit learners today. We hope our tips and assessment books provide a helpful framework for your math revision!

And what’s even better would be to join us personally to enjoy expert guidance, regular progress reviews and study advice straight from our secondary school math tutors. With every sign-up of our 13-lesson package (1 term), students will receive a free assessment book of level of your choice (terms and conditions apply). Contact us today to book your class with us!