Minimum Requirement for a D in Ordinary Level Maths?

fufureida

I know my post sounds desperate people, but things havnt been going that great for me this year after getting glandular fever and maths is a killer, all I want to do it to pass it. I dont need the pass I dont think for my degree that I am pursuing in the UK but I have decided to work on it just enough to get a D1
Someone please advise me as I have to get 4B's and a C too in all my other subjects at higher level which I know I can do I just have to concentrate on them...my year as a repeat is not going so well seeing I have so much to cover in what 5 months? However Im confident I can get what I need.

Thanks, advice greatly appreciated.

CorkMaths.ie

focus on the topics you will answer which is 6 per paper and don't forget in paper 2, you must answer one of the section B questions. Look to your junior cert and see what you were best at, flick through the papers and see the layout and decide is it area or algebra or statistics. And finally, discuss with your teacher and they will advise you on the best approach. Good luck

fufureida

My maths teacher has an undying hatred for me as I have not passed a single maths test in the past 2 years ( been getting 38% everytime ) so she wont advise me. I even tried and she kinda ignored me and told me to get to my next class and that I shouldnt be thinking about getting a D. She just doesnt seem to understand that Anthropology and Sociology don't require an A in maths in the slightest.

It would be good to know what questions people would reccomend from paper 1 and 2 JUST in order to get a D. No more than that!

CorkMaths.ie

Sorry to hear about your poor relationship with your teacher.
Telling you which questions is a bit tricky because it depends on what you are good or kinda good at.
The easier ones to pick up marks would always be arithmetic, drawing graphs, complex numbers and series (i mean pick up earlier parts of questions easy enough to get a D), also area, volume, line, parts of trigonometry can be ok.
You would really have to sit down with someone who is experienced with exams who can tell you based on how easy you pick each topic. Sorry I can't be of much help in this respect but each student is different depending on what you find easy to pick up.
Feel free to ask any questions.

goldenlady131

Grinds really help too, they're pricey but well worth the 30e as you get a one to one and you can ask any question and be bound to get an answer!
Also don't worry about that teacher, most of them are like that:rolleyes:
Just do your best- ha, haven't we all heard that one before.
I'm also hopeless at maths and probably will always be, but i'm aiming for at least a D3 and i'll be more than happy with that- considering I can't even add simple numbers in my head. :eek:
My maths has definetly improved this year and it is a lot less daunting when you actually open up the papers and just give them a go. Sorry for the rambling, I just feel you pain!

~me~

hey, if you can get the revise wise book (and actually use it!) then that should help. i did my leaving three years ago and that book was a lifesaver!

Professional Griefer

Dropped down to pass this week. Love it, its not even funny how easy it is when compared to higher level, jesus, there is such a massive difference.

I guess I just actually did work for the JC and stuck with HL and got pretty lucky. I love Maths, always have.:D

fufureida

CorkMaths.ie wrote: »

Sorry to hear about your poor relationship with your teacher.
Telling you which questions is a bit tricky because it depends on what you are good or kinda good at.
The easier ones to pick up marks would always be arithmetic, drawing graphs, complex numbers and series (i mean pick up earlier parts of questions easy enough to get a D), also area, volume, line, parts of trigonometry can be ok.
You would really have to sit down with someone who is experienced with exams who can tell you based on how easy you pick each topic. Sorry I can't be of much help in this respect but each student is different depending on what you find easy to pick up.
Feel free to ask any questions.

I don't think people understood what I meant with this thread or maybe I wasn't clear. I am very well awarare of which questions to do which are relatively approacable, I just want to know * how many * do I have to do to get a minimum of a D1 grade. I'm investing in a revise wise book and I have a brilliant maths cd too. I just want to know how many questions from paper 1 & 2 done efficiently will give me a D. If I know this I will go ahead and choose the questions I find the most approachable.

How many questions do I need to do on order to get a D?

pathway33

fufureida wrote: »

I don't think people understood what I meant with this thread or maybe I wasn't clear. I am very well awarare of which questions to do which are relatively approacable, I just want to know * how many * do I have to do to get a minimum of a D1 grade. I'm investing in a revise wise book and I have a brilliant maths cd too. I just want to know how many questions from paper 1 & 2 done efficiently will give me a D. If I know this I will go ahead and choose the questions I find the most approachable.

How many questions do I need to do on order to get a D?

the smart answer is you need to do 40% of the questions correctly to get a D.

so that's one option. Focus on less than half the course and absolutely nail it. 100% in everything you do on half the questions you are asked to do will get you a D

the better option is to focus on the easier parts (parts (a) and (b)) of all the questions you are asked to do, and then attempt the parts (c) as best you can. ATTEMPT EVERYTHING! Look at the marking scheme on www.examinations.ie and see how they can give 2 or 3 marks (not percent) for very little.

on paper 1 theres 8 questions and you have to do 6. so immediately you can leave out 25% of the paper 1 course.

on paper 2 you have to do 5 from 7 and 1 from 4.

in a nutshell you are giving yourself a much better chance of a D if you attempt all questions and you can't do this unless you cover about three quarters of the course.

by all means focus on your favourite topics first and try to nail them. this will take the pressure off you for the harder questions but don't throw away attempt marks.

I promise you will pass out when you see what marks are given for

part (a) is generally 10 marks and parts (b) and (c) 20 marks each. the entire exam is 600 marks with 300 for each paper. So you need 240 marks to pass. It has been said in the past that 38% is a pass in pass maths. Don't know if that's still true. John Brennan said that before on 2fm 'getting it right'

fufureida

Thanks guys, I'm gonna try and get good at just the part a's an b's...