AQA Mathematics Core 1 on Wednesday 18th May 2016

I understand most of the concepts for this paper but my problem is that some questions have really weird wording and I find it hard to answer the question sometimes. Does anybody have any ideas of what I could do to stop this from happening in the exam? (without saying practicing papers papers because I've literally done all of them!) . Thanks

Reply 1

zetamcfc

19

Original post by Arun99

I understand most of the concepts for this paper but my problem is that some questions have really weird wording and I find it hard to answer the question sometimes. Does anybody have any ideas of what I could do to stop this from happening in the exam? (without saying practicing papers papers because I've literally done all of them!) . Thanks

In what way are they weirdly worded?

Reply 2

Arun99

OP

They will ask you to do something like use the factor theorem to show that for example x + 1 fits into an equation. I do it using the factor theorem so multiplying everything out:

ax3 + bx2 +cx... and so on. But then when I check the mark scheme it shows a completely different method. So instead they sub in that number directly into the equation; even though it says use the factor theorem. I don't understand why.

Reply 3

Sirelis

8

you're supposed to sub x = -1 in for factor theorem for that example.. I'm not quite sure what you're doing :redface:

Reply 4

Arun99

OP

Okay. I haven't been taught that way. I'll do some more examples. Thanks

Reply 5

zetamcfc

19

Original post by Arun99

They will ask you to do something like use the factor theorem to show that for example x + 1 fits into an equation. I do it using the factor theorem so multiplying everything out:

ax3 + bx2 +cx... and so on. But then when I check the mark scheme it shows a completely different method. So instead they sub in that number directly into the equation; even though it says use the factor theorem. I don't understand why.