C4 and S1 Maths help?

Original post by chanda01

I find C4 pretty hard (manage to do the first 5 questions, struggle on the last 3/4) My exam board is AQA.

S1 is just a pain.

Any tips?

Have you picked up a graphics calculator yet? Those are absolute lifesavers in the stats exam, heres a few things you can do on them:

Calculate mean, median, mode, variance and standard deviation of data
Calculate binomial distribution probabilities
Calculate normal distribution probabilities
Calculate the PMCC and equation of the least squares regression line
Plot scatter graphs to easily identify outliers

Of course it doesn't help much with the probability questions involving dependent, independent and conditional probabilities, however a table or tree diagram for dependent events makes these easier.

As for Core 4, practice the integration as much as you can. These are usually the big mark questions for first order differentials. They usually don't tell you which method to use unlike Core 3. Learn the rules as to when to apply each method, such as substitution, parts, integrating using double/triple angle formulae, standard integrals and by inspection.

I also have AQA for my exam board, doing C3, C4 and S1B this year :smile:

Reply 4

chanda01

OP

Original post by Dapperblook22

Have you picked up a graphics calculator yet? Those are absolute lifesavers in the stats exam, heres a few things you can do on them:

Calculate mean, median, mode, variance and standard deviation of data
Calculate binomial distribution probabilities
Calculate normal distribution probabilities
Calculate the PMCC and equation of the least squares regression line
Plot scatter graphs to easily identify outliers

Of course it doesn't help much with the probability questions involving dependent, independent and conditional probabilities, however a table or tree diagram for dependent events makes these easier.

As for Core 4, practice the integration as much as you can. These are usually the big mark questions for first order differentials. They usually don't tell you which method to use unlike Core 3. Learn the rules as to when to apply each method, such as substitution, parts, integrating using double/triple angle formulae, standard integrals and by inspection.

I also have AQA for my exam board, doing C3, C4 and S1B this year :smile:

Ah, thanks! I'm doing S1B too.
I HATE probabilities so much!
I think trigonometry is my weakest with both C3 and C4 (I know the identities, I just can't spot when to use them >.<)

Oh, also binomial expansions in C4. Not the actual expansion, but when they ask to you for an approximation for some weird number that has roots and whatnot.

I struggle with forming differential equations and exponential questions too. >.<

Reply 5

S1 revision powerpoint.pptx2047.4KB

Original post by chanda01

Ah, thanks! I'm doing S1B too.
I HATE probabilities so much!
I think trigonometry is my weakest with both C3 and C4 (I know the identities, I just can't spot when to use them >.< :wink:

Oh, also binomial expansions in C4. Not the actual expansion, but when they ask to you for an approximation for some weird number that has roots and whatnot.

I struggle with forming differential equations and exponential questions too. >.<

You have just listed problems which most people, including myself, have with these exams at some point :tongue:

. Here's how I approach them:

The approximation to the wierd number usually involves equating the number to the value in the original expression. I don't have a specific example, but if you have a question I can work through it an explain it :smile:

When forming exponential questions, you will almost always get one mark for getting the derirative correct, for example

dh/dt

to find the rate of change of height as time increases. Then find the initial "zero value", i.e. the value of the expression when time t is equal to 0. There is usually some explanation in the exam as to what this is.

With trig in C3 and C4, list the identities down before you use them. It might be clearer then from an expression involving tan x and sec x that you might need to use an identity containing both of them and substituting one or the other...

The compound, double and triple angles are a pain in C4, however, there is one small trick you can do to work them out. The compound angle formulae are given in the formula book. If you forget the double or triple angle formulae, just replace B by A or 2A then simplify :biggrin:

.

I also hate probability in stats, by far my worst section. If the events are dependent, then a table of probabilities are amazing. You can just read off the table to get the right values. If there are conditional probabilities, then just draw a probability tree diagram like the ones from GCSE and apply the addition or multiplcation rules where necessary. Independent events are much simpler though, with easier rules for addition and multiplication laws

Reply 6

Haddar

6

Original post by chanda01

I find C4 pretty hard (manage to do the first 5 questions, struggle on the last 3/4) My exam board is AQA.

S1 is just a pain.

Any tips?

Hope this helps.

Reply 7

samb1234

Original post by Dapperblook22

Have you picked up a graphics calculator yet? Those are absolute lifesavers in the stats exam, heres a few things you can do on them:

Calculate mean, median, mode, variance and standard deviation of data
Calculate binomial distribution probabilities
Calculate normal distribution probabilities
Calculate the PMCC and equation of the least squares regression line
Plot scatter graphs to easily identify outliers

Of course it doesn't help much with the probability questions involving dependent, independent and conditional probabilities, however a table or tree diagram for dependent events makes these easier.

As for Core 4, practice the integration as much as you can. These are usually the big mark questions for first order differentials. They usually don't tell you which method to use unlike Core 3. Learn the rules as to when to apply each method, such as substitution, parts, integrating using double/triple angle formulae, standard integrals and by inspection.

I also have AQA for my exam board, doing C3, C4 and S1B this year :smile:

I don't really think a graphics calculator is that useful for stats- with the exception of plotting scatter graphs and binomials they don't do anything a standard £10 casio doesn't, yet cost upwards of £60 depending on the model. Further more, exams are written in the knowledge that some people will have calculators that can just straight up answer the question for you so a lot of the marks tend to be for methods, so having a calculator tell you the answer isn't really that helpful as you are going to need to know how to answer the questions regardless of whether your calculator can just tell you the answer. In short, a graphics calculator maybe could get you 1 or 2 extra marks but I wouldn't say getting one will transform your s1 marks

Reply 8

harper_

10

RE C4 Trig identities, always try to use the simplest ones first (i.e tanx = sinx/cosx and cotx = 1/tanx = cosx/sinx etc. etc.)

Reply 9

Original post by samb1234

I don't really think a graphics calculator is that useful for stats- with the exception of plotting scatter graphs and binomials they don't do anything a standard £10 casio doesn't, yet cost upwards of £60 depending on the model. Further more, exams are written in the knowledge that some people will have calculators that can just straight up answer the question for you so a lot of the marks tend to be for methods, so having a calculator tell you the answer isn't really that helpful as you are going to need to know how to answer the questions regardless of whether your calculator can just tell you the answer. In short, a graphics calculator maybe could get you 1 or 2 extra marks but I wouldn't say getting one will transform your s1 marks

Actually in AQA S1 graphics calculators are encouraged by examiners and they will award full marks for just the answer alone. They recommend this in the examiners reports and give ranges of answers for which certain marks will be awarded. For example, if there is a 3 mark question to calculate the PMCC, AQA will award 3 marks for a correct answer alone, 2 marks if the answer is off by a bit and 1 mark if it is off by a fair amount.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 10

samb1234

Original post by Dapperblook22

Actually in AQA S1 graphics calculators are encouraged by examiners and they will award full marks for just the answer alone. They recommend this in the examiners reports and give ranges of answers for which certain marks will be awarded. For example, if there is a 3 mark question to calculate the PMCC, AQA will award 3 marks for a correct answer alone, 2 marks if the answer is off by a bit and 1 mark if it is off by a fair amount.

Clearly AQA mark schemes are slightly different then, but a £10 casio calculator can also do PMCC calculations and I still think it is a better idea to know what you are doing than to rely on your calculator

Reply 11

Original post by samb1234

Clearly AQA mark schemes are slightly different then, but a £10 casio calculator can also do PMCC calculations and I still think it is a better idea to know what you are doing than to rely on your calculator

The difference with a graphics calculator is this is all done immediately, no need to calculate Sxx, Syy or Sxy. Just put all the data into the calculator and it does it for you

Reply 12

samb1234