About the optional questions in N level Mathematics Paper 2

About the optional questions in N level Mathematics Paper 2

This article explores the optional contents, which will appear in the N level Mathematics Paper 2 and how students can exercise their options to score full marks in Section B of Paper 2.
This article aims to help students who are struggling with Math to maximise their time by studying mininal contents in order to get a good grade.
Students who are strong in Mathematics and aspiring to go on to do O levels at Sec 5 should study everything and make sure their foundation is strong to cope with the demands of O levels.

First, let’s look at the Scheme of Assessment in the photo below for the N Level Mathematics Papers.

Notice in section B of Paper 2, students are require to choose only one out of two questions and the two questions are from each of the strands ‘Geometry and Measurement’ and ‘Statistics and Probability’. That is, one question from the ‘Geometry and Measurement’ strand and one from the ‘Statistics and Probability’ strand.

Let’s first take a look at what are the topics under each strands which will appear in Section B.
Underlined portions in the photos taken from the syllabus are the optional contents which will apear in Section B only.

From Geometry and Measurement 

As we can see, the three main optional topics from the Geometry and Measurement strands are

1. Properties of Circles
2. Further Trigonometry – Sine Rule, Cosine Rule, Angle of Elevation and Depression, Bearings.
3. Radian measure of angle

From Statistics and Probability

From the Statistics and Probability strand, the optional topics are

1. analysis and interpretation of cumulative frequency diagrams and  box-and-whisker plots (inlcuding quartiles and percentiles)
2. range, interquartile range and standard deviation as measures of spread for a set of data • (including calculation of the standard deviation for a set of data (grouped and ungrouped))

3. compare two sets of data using the mean and standard deviation

4. probability of combined events (including using possibility diagrams and tree diagrams) and addition and multiplication of probabilities (mutually exclusive events and independent events)

Since each of the 2 questions in Section B will be fully from one strand only and will not involve the other strand, if you are going to give up on one particular part from one strand then you must study the entire part of the other strand. 

For example, if I decided to give up on Properties of circles from the Geometry and Measure strand, I will need to study all of Statistics and Probability. It then makes sense to also give up on Further Trigo and Radian Measure since I’ve given up on Properties of Circles since these will not come out anywhere else on both papers except in the question with Properties of Circles. I must, however, study everything in Statistics and Probability and not give up anything in this strand.

I cannot choose to study probabilties for combined events but give up on quartiles and percentiles because they are going to come out in the same question. Just as I cannot just study Radian Measure and give up on Properties of Circles.

I also cannot just study Probability of Combined Events and Properties of Circles but not study Quartiles, Percentiles, Standard Deviation and Sine Rule, Cosine Rule, Radian Measure. If I do so, I will then only know how to do half of each of the options.  

So to make sure you score the full 7 to 8 marks for Section B of Paper 2, you have to make sure you study the full set – either all of ‘Geometry and Measurement’ or all of ‘Statistics and Probability’.

If you ask me which strand is better, I’ll say it really depends on you. I’d say Statistics and Probability is easier since it’s mostly calculations, which can be easily done on the calculator and comparison of two sets of data is really limited, usually just two things – mean or median and spread. It is also a lot less to learn then the stuff in Geometry and Measure. However, some people just don’t get probability of combined events. So In this case you’ll have to consider Geometry and Measure. On the other hand, some people just don’t get bearings or radian measure so they’ll have to go for Statistics and Probability.

With this, I conclude and wish you all the best in preparing for you N level examinations.


For more about the N level Math syllabus, read https://arielsmathworkshop.blogspot.sg/2016/07/differences-in-new-n-level-emath.html