General
The following is from the report written by the head marker of 2012 NCEA Mathematics Level 2Candidates who persisted throughout the papers were well rewarded for their efforts.
The use of a Graphics Calculator was not essential but definitely assisted candidates in this assessment.
It is important that students show evidence (working) at all levels so that full or partial credit can be awarded, particularly when incorrect rounding has occurred or final answers have not been correctly presented for the context of the question.
Guess and check methods are not appropriate for demonstrating the required level of skills required.
The papers highlighted the need for students to be prepared in all areas of learning determined by the Achievement Standard as a lack of learning or understanding in one or more areas compromised the final result.
Candidates should write answers to a suitable degree of accuracy.
Lack of appropriate number and algebra skills often let candidates down. Candidates who were able to draw on mathematical skills at lower levels were at an advantage.
Algebra
Scope of the Algebra StandardThis goes through the techniques required for the Algebra unit.
Algebra flip cards
Flip cards, for memorising the key ideas and techniques.
Practice 1 Practice 2 Practice 3
Practice 4 Practice 5 Practice 6
Practice 7 Practice 8 Practice 9
Practice 10 Practice 11 Practice 12
Each worksheet is one page of questions, plus one of worked answers. Each represents the Achieved and lower Merit of an exam. You should try to complete them in 40 minutes.
Excellence 1 Excellence 2 Excellence 3
Excellence 4 Excellence 5 Excellence 6
Some problems working on skills required for Excellence (although some of the questions are only hard Merit). See me if you need help with these.
Specific Skills
Basic Rules for ExponentsExponents 1 Exponents 2 Exponents 3
Some problems working on exponents at Achieved level, with a sheet of the basic rules you need to learn.
Basic Rules for Algebraic Fractions
Fractions 1 Fractions 2 Fractions 3
Some problems working on fractions, mostly at Achieved level, with a sheet of the basic rules.
See the video section for rules on factorisings
Factorising 1 Factorising 2 Factorising 3
Some problems working on factorising with the leading coefficient not being 1, mostly at Achieved level but with a couple of curlier ones thrown in.
Calculus (Differentiation)
Scope of the Calculus StandardThis explains the techniques required for the Calculus unit.
Practice 1 Practice 2 Practice 3
Practice 4 Practice 5 Practice 6
Practice 7 Practice 8 Practice 9
Practice 10 Practice 11 Practice 12
Each is one page of questions, plus one of worked answers. Each represents the Achieved and lower Merit of an exam. You should try to complete them in 40 minutes.
Excellence 1 Excellence 2 Excellence 3
Harder questions, some of which are very hard.
Probability
Practice 1 Practice 2 Practice 3Practice 4 Practice 5 Practice 6
Revision 1 Revision 2 Revision 3
Revision 4 Revision 5 Revision 6
Each is one page of questions, plus one of worked answers. Each has three questions, in three parts to more or less Achieved, Merit and Excellence. You should try to complete them in 40 minutes.
Risk 1 Risk 2 Risk 3
Some questions focusing on risk, and in particular the concepts around relative risk.
Distributions 1 Distributions 2 Distributions 3
Worksheets looking at distributions and how closely they approximate to Normal, plus estimating mean and standard deviation.
Probability Excel Spreadsheet zip file
This randomises questions on Probability and Normal distributions.