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How to avoid stupid mistakes?

I have my AQA stats s1b exam tomorrow, and I understand all the content, but I always seem to make some sort of stupid error. Any tips on how to avoid them? :smile:
Reply 1
Original post by ummm
I have my AQA stats s1b exam tomorrow, and I understand all the content, but I always seem to make some sort of stupid error. Any tips on how to avoid them? :smile:


write your steps out clearly and logically. that way, you can run back through your steps, plug your numbers back in if you need to, and deduce:

a) if you have the right answer

b) if you don't have the correct answer; where did you go wrong?

hopefully from this you'll either know you have the right answer - or be able to find out where you went wrong and correct for it accordingly. good luck in your exam.
Reply 2
You'll make less mistakes in the exam as you're more focused. Good luck 2moro.
Reply 3
Original post by POWW!
You'll make less mistakes in the exam as you're more focused. Good luck 2moro.


Yeah, hopefully! Thanks! I think I'm going to make sure I double check everything I put into my calculator, and try to go through my whole paper again if I have enough time. :smile:
Reply 4
Have the same issue make the most stupidest mistakes especially in s1, got edexcel one 2moro good luck on ur aqa exam
Reply 5
Reply 6
Original post by 0range
Have the same issue make the most stupidest mistakes especially in s1, got edexcel one 2moro good luck on ur aqa exam


It's just so easy to type a number into your calculator wrong! And thank you! Good luck with yours too!
Reply 7
Original post by ummm
It's just so easy to type a number into your calculator wrong! And thank you! Good luck with yours too!


Don't rush. If you use a calc, you have plenty of time.

Can we write the answers without showing the method (I use a calc too) ?
Reply 8
Original post by ummm
Yeah, hopefully! Thanks! I think I'm going to make sure I double check everything I put into my calculator, and try to go through my whole paper again if I have enough time. :smile:


Hope your exam went well :smile:
Reply 9
Original post by POWW!
Hope your exam went well :smile:


Yeah, I think it did thanks! I double checked everything I put into my calculator, and reworked through the paper as I had some extra time. :smile:
Reply 10
Original post by Dog4444
Don't rush. If you use a calc, you have plenty of time.

Can we write the answers without showing the method (I use a calc too) ?


Hey, sorry, I didn't see this last night! But yeah, you get all the marks if you get the right answer, but if you get the wrong answer then you don't get any. :smile: Hope yours went well!
Reply 11
Original post by Dog4444
Don't rush. If you use a calc, you have plenty of time.

Can we write the answers without showing the method (I use a calc too) ?


of course not. You'll need some working out, to show you know how to arrive at an answer, then the actual calculations can be done on a calculator.

what I mean is, say you have a quadratic formula you're meant to solve, don't just type it into the calculator. You can use the calculator to help you factorise, or to confirm the answer, but you need to show you've factorised or used the formula, then for the actual arithmetic, you can type it in and write the answer in.

hope that makes sense.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 12
Original post by Pride
of course not. You'll need some working out, to show you know how to arrive at an answer, then the actual calculations can be done on a calculator.

what I mean is, say you have a quadratic formula you're meant to solve, don't just type it into the calculator. You can use the calculator to help you factorise, or to confirm the answer, but you need to show you've factorised or used the formula, then for the actual arithmetic, you can type it in and write the answer in.

hope that makes sense.


:frown:
Hope, you're wrong.
Reply 13
Read the question and make sure you know exactly what you need to do.
Then reread it.

Ask for scrap paper if necessary, or use the extra space that you usually get at the back of exams
Reply 14
Original post by |Alex
Read the question and make sure you know exactly what you need to do.
Then reread it.

Ask for scrap paper if necessary, or use the extra space that you usually get at the back of exams


This is so true.
Reply 15
Original post by Dog4444
:frown:
Hope, you're wrong.


Occasionally in earlier questions you'll get marks for just writing the answer.

However, most of the time you will need to show how you got there to prove you understand what you are doing.

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