Tips for SPM Bahasa Melayu and English 1119

Notice:Both Bahasa Melayu and English are rather difficult to score in SPM. In SPM 2012, many excellent students in my school and college failed to get A+ for either one or both of the subjects. I also got only A for English. These 2 subjects have very strict marking scheme, and the minimum marks required to get A+ is usually high (around 85 to 90). If you are aiming to get A+ for these 2 subjects, make sure you are fully prepared. Also, because I did not get A+ for English, if you aim for A+ in English, it may be better for you to seek advice from others who got A+ rather than following my tips below.

SPM Bahasa Melayu:

1. Studying tips- To prepare for this subject, you have to continuously improve your language skills in every day life. Try to speak and write more in Malay language, and read more Malay books, magazines and newspaper.- You are adviced to attend tuition if possible. If you live in Kulim, I recommend you to go to Pusat Tuisyen Inisiatif Utama for the tuition.- Before the exam, you mainly need to prepare for Karangan and KOMSAS.- You should memorise some good Pendahuluan, Penutup and Ayat judul so that you can use them when writing your essay. It is advisable to choose those that can be used in various types of essays and contain ungkapan menarik. Your school or tuition teacher should be able to give you this.- You need revision book for KOMSAS. I recommend the KOMSAS revision book by Eastview Publications. You can also use your tuition teacher's notes if you attend tuition. You need to read, understand and remember the Tema, Persoalan, Latar, Plot, Teknik Plot, Watak & Perwatakan, Nilai & Pengajaran as well as their examples for the Novel and all Prosa Tradisional, Puisi, Cerpen and Drama for both Form 4 and Form 5.- Try to get the list of peribahasa in the syllabus from your school or tuition teacher. You should understand and remember all the peribahasa and their meaning and usage. This will help you to answer the Peribahasa questions in the Tatabahasa section. Usually 2 of the 3 questions are based on the peribahasa in the syllabus.- To prepare for Rumusan and Tatabahasa, you have to regularly do exercises. You should also do exercises for all other sections occasionally. However, avoid spending too much time writing Karangan.

2. Karangan Bahan Rangsangan- Materials will be given. Read the question and material given carefully. The question will ask you to write an essay on a particular topic. In most cases, the material given is relevant to the topic, but sometimes it may not be related to the topic. If the material given is relevant to the topic, you must use points from the materials given. If the material given is not relevant to the topic, then you should ignore the materials given and give your own ideas.- You should write 1 Pendahuluan, 3 Isi and 1 Penutup. Usually, the material given will contain 3 or more points, but sometimes it may contain only 1 or 2 points. If there are only 1 or 2 points in the material given or if the material given is not relevant to the topic, you need to add in your own ideas to make 3 Isi. If there are more than 3 points in the materials given, choose either 3 of them to write, or you can also combine 2 points in 1 Isi if they are related to each other.- Make sure your essay is more than 200 words. Marks will be deducted if your essay is less than 200 words. However, you can write more than 250 words (although the question states that your essay must be between 200 and 250 words), and there is no limit on how long you are allowed to write. Your marks will not be deducted and the examiner will continue to mark your whole essay. You are advised to write your essay between 300 and 600 words.

3. Karangan Respons Terbuka- There will be 5 questions. Usually the first 4 questions are factual/argumentative essay, while the 5th question is related to literature. Some of them may be formatted writing. Read all the questions carefully and choose the question that you are most confident in. If possible, avoid choosing the question on writing a story unless you are very good at writing stories.- In your essay, there should be 1 Pendahuluan, at least 4 Isi and 1 Penutup. You are advised to write 5 Isi if possible. If it is formatted writing, make sure that the format is correct. Make sure that your essay is more than 350 words. Marks will be deducted if your essay is less than 350 words. It is advisable to write your essay between 600 and 1000 words.

4. Both Karangan Bahan Rangsangan & Karangan Respons Terbuka- When writing your essay, use the Pendahuluan, Penutup and Ayat judul that you have memorised earlier if possible. Make some changes to them so that they suit the essay you are writing. Elaborate clearly on each Isi. Write some relevant examples as well.- Include a few Ungkapan menarik (such as Peribahasa) in your essay. If your entire essay has no Ungkapan menarik at all, your essay can be dropped by one grade of the actual grade. Use a wide variety of words in your essay, including some more difficult words. The sentence structure should be varied. Your essay should also be interesting. Avoid making grammatical errors in your essay. Refer to the question often when writing your essay to avoid writing out of topic.

5. Rumusan- The question will ask you to summarise on 2 topics, the 1st one is Isi tersurat and the 2nd is Isi tersirat. Read the question and passage given carefully. Underline the relevant Isi tersurat in the passage. You should answer in 4 paragraphs, each containing Pendahuluan, Isi Tersurat, Isi Tersirat and Penutup.- When writing the Pendahuluan, begin with 'Petikan membincangkan...'. You must replace the keyword of the question with another word of same meaning. (For example, you must replace 'langkah' with 'cara' or other words of same meaning.) You must also add either 'di Malaysia' or 'di dunia' at the end of the sentence, depending on whether the passage given involves Malaysia only or international. Write in one sentence only.- When writing Isi Tersurat, you must use relevant points from the passage given. Do not take any of the elaborations or examples. You need not use your own words and you can copy directly, but sometimes you may have to make some changes to suit your answer. When writing Isi Tersirat, you cannot directly use points from the passage. You should give your own ideas. Your ideas must be logical and relevant. You should write at least 6 Isi Tersurat and 2 Isi Tersirat. You are advised to write more isi if possible. Marks will only be given for correct isi, and marks will not be deducted for incorrect isi (But, you must not exceed 120 words).- When writing the Penutup, your answer should contain 1 Cadangan/Harapan and 1 relevant Huraian. Write in 1 sentence only. Do not repeat any isi or add in new isi in the Penutup.- Count the total number of words and make sure that your answer is not longer than 120 words, otherwise the remaining part of your answer will not be marked, and marks may be deducted. State the exact number of words below your essay. Nama khas, penanda wacana, peribahasa and kata ganda are counted as one word only. If your answer is longer than 120 words, try cancelling off the unnecessary words in your answer and replacing longer phrase with shorter phrase of the same meaning. If it still exceeds 120 words, cancel off some of the extra Isi Tersurat or Isi Tersirat you wrote.- For all parts of Rumusan, you must answer in continuous writing form and not point form, otherwise marks can be deducted. You should also write the answer in complete sentences. Make sure that the grammar is correct. Of the 30 marks for Rumusan, 20 marks is for Isi and 10 marks is for Bahasa. The marks given for Bahasa is usually half of the marks given for Isi if there are no grammatical errors.

6. Pemahaman- There are 4 parts, which are Pemahaman Petikan Umum, Prosa Moden, Prosa Tradisional and Puisi. Read the passage/extract and the questions given carefully. There are 4 types of questions, which are questions on meaning of phrases, questions based on the passage given, questions on your own opinion (KBKK) and questions on KOMSAS.- When answering question on meaning of phrases, replace every word in the phrase with

another word that has the same meaning if possible. If that is not possible, you should explain the phrase in your own sentence.- When answering questions based on the passage given, you must look for the answers from the passage/extract. You need not use your own words and you can copy directly, but sometimes you may have to make some changes to suit your answer (such as converting dialogs into text), especially for Puisi and Prosa Tradisional which you must convert into modern text when writing your answer.- When answering questions on your own opinion (KBKK), you should give your own ideas and do not look for the answers from the passage/extract given. Your ideas must be logical and relevant.- When answering questions on KOMSAS, it may ask you based on the extract given or based on the whole story/poem. Give suitable answers that you memorised from revision books. You should elaborate on every point you write by giving a suitable example.- For all Pemahaman questions, you must answer in complete sentences and not point form, otherwise marks can be deducted. Make sure that the grammar is correct. If the question does not state the number of answers you need to write, then the number of answers needed depends on the marks allocated. Basically, one answer gives one mark, and for 3 or 4 marks question, one mark is usually for Bahasa. In all cases, you can give as many extra answers as you want (except for questions on meaning of phrases, where you can give only one answer). Marks will only be given for the correct answers, and marks will not be deducted for wrong or unacceptable answers. It is advisable to write 2 or 3 extra answers for every part of question.

7. Tatabahasa- There are 5 parts. When answering, read the questions carefully. For the 1st part, you must make sentence from the words given. Your sentence must be able to show that you really understand the meaning of the words given. The sentence do not have to be very long. You cannot change the Imbuhan, add any Imbuhan or use the words given as a Kata Ganda, Peribahasa or Nama Khas (unless otherwise stated in the question). For the 2nd part, it will test you on Sintaksis. Give the most suitable answer according to the question based on your understanding of Tatabahasa.- For the 3rd and 4th part, it will test you on Kesalahan Ejaan, Imbuhan, Penggunaan Kata/Istilah and Tatabahasa. List down the mistakes and correction for every mistake. You are advised to categorise the mistakes according to the type of mistake. You do not need to recopy the sentences. For the 5th question, it will test you on Peribahasa. If the question asks you to explain the meaning of Peribahasa, your answer should be clear and detailed. If the question asks you to make a sentence using Peribahasa, your sentence must be able to show that you really understand the meaning of the Peribahasa. The sentence do not have to be very long. If the question asks you to fill in the blanks using Peribahasa or state a Peribahasa based on the situation, give the most suitable Peribahasa according to the question.- For all questions on Tatabahasa, you cannot give extra answers. If you do so, marks will be deducted if any of your extra answers is wrong.

8. Novel- The questions are based on the novels you studied in Form 4 and Form 5. There will be 2 questions. Usually the first question allows you to choose to answer based on either one of the novels, while the second question requires you to answer based on both novels, and sometimes you may be asked to make a comparison of both novels. If the question lets you choose either one of the novels, choose the novel that you are most confident of.- If the question is about facts (Tema / Persoalan / Latar / Plot / Teknik Plot / Watak & Perwatakan / Nilai / Pengajaran), give suitable answers that you memorised from revision books. You should elaborate on every point you write by giving suitable example from the novel.- If the question is about your own opinion, you have give your own ideas based on your understanding of the novel. Your ideas must be logical and relevant. You should elaborate on every idea you write and relate your ideas to the question and novel.- For all Novel questions, you must answer in continuous writing form and not point form, otherwise marks can be deducted. You should also write the answer in complete sentences. Make sure that the grammar is correct. The 1st question carries 7 marks, where 4 marks is for

Isi and 3 marks is for Bahasa. The 2nd question carries 8 marks, where 6 marks is for Isi and 2 marks is for Bahasa.- Basically, one point or elaboration gives 1 mark for Isi. In all cases, you can give as many extra answers as you want. Marks will only be given for correct answers, marks will not be deducted for wrong answers. It is advisable to write 2 or 3 extra points and elaborations. You can answer based on novel for other states, but you should do so only if you understand that novel very well.

SPM English 1119:

1. Studying tips- To prepare for this subject, you have to continuously improve your language skills in every day life. Try to speak and write more in English language, and read more English books, magazines and newspaper.- You are adviced to attend tuition if possible. I cannot recommend any tuition centre for English because I never attended English tuition. Try asking around to find out which tuition centre is the best.- Before the exam, you mainly need to prepare for Writing, Poem and Novel.- You should know and remember the format for all kinds of formatted writing. Refer to revision books or ask your teacher if you do not know the format.- You need revision notes for literature (Poem and Novel). As far as I know, no literature revision books in the market is good. You are advised use your tuition teacher's notes. You need to understand and remember the Theme, Settings, Plot, Characters, Moral values & Lessons as well as their examples for the Form 5 novel and all poems learnt in both Form 4 and Form 5.- To prepare for all sections in Paper 2, you have to regularly do exercises. You should also do exercises for Paper 1 occasionally but do not spend too much time on that.

2. Directed Writing- Materials will be given. Read the question and materials given carefully. The question will ask you to write an essay on a particular topic. You must use all the points in the material given when writing your essay.- There is no minimum word limit for Directed Writing. However, you are advised to write your essay longer than 120 words. If the question asks you to add in your own ideas or provide a suitable introduction/closing, you must do so. If the essay is formatted writing, make sure that the format is correct. Of the 35 marks for Directed Writing, 15 marks is for Content & Format and 20 marks is for Language.

3. Continuous Writing- There will be 5 questions. Usually the 2 questions are factual/argumentative essay, 2 questions are narrative/descriptive essay (such as story) and the other 1 question is one-word topic essay. Read all the questions carefully and choose the question that you are most confident in.- For the one-word topic essay, you are free to write it as either factual/argumentative essay or narrative/descriptive essay (such as story). But, you must make sure that the entire essay/story you write is closely related to the meaning of the word given.- If you are writing factual/argumentative essay, there should be 1 Introduction, at least 4 Body and 1 Closing. Include only one main point in each Body. Make sure your essay is more than 350 words. Marks will be deducted if your essay is less than 350 words. Avoid writing exactly the whole essays that you memorised, because if you do so and as a result you score much better in Continuous Writing compared to Directed Writing, your grade for Continuous Writing may be dropped.

4. Both Directed Writing & Continuous Writing- When writing your essay, elaborate clearly on each point you write. Write some relevant examples as well. You only need to elaborate in 1 or 2 sentences for Directed Writing, but you need to elaborate longer for Continuous Writing.- Include a few idioms and phrasal verbs in your essay. Use a wide variety of words in your

essay, including some more difficult words. The sentence structure should be varied. Your essay should also be interesting, especially for descriptive/narrative essay. Avoid making grammatical errors in your essay. Refer to the question often when writing your essay to avoid writing out of topic.

5. Paper 2 Section A- For Stimuli & Graphic Material, read the materials given and questions carefully. Cancel off the options that you consider as definitely wrong. Choose the most suitable answer among the 4 options, based on the materials given.- For Rational Cloze, it tests you on grammar. Read the passage given carefully. Cancel off the options that you consider as definitely wrong. Choose the most suitable word to fill in the blanks in the passage among the 4 options, based on your understanding in grammar.- For both parts, you should think carefully because sometimes the answers are close to each other.

6. Information Transfer- Read the materials and questions carefully. When answering, copy directly from the materials given and avoid using your own words. However, sometimes you may have to make some changes to suit your answer. Make sure the spelling in your answer is exactly the same as the spelling in the materials given. Your answers must be short and precise. Do not add in any unnecessary details in your answer or write extra answers, otherwise marks may be deducted due to overlifting. Also, you should not answer in full sentences.

7. Reading Comprehension- Read the questions and passage given carefully. Answer all questions based on the passage given. When answering, look for answers from the particular paragraph of the passage as stated in the question. If the question does not state that you must use your own words, you can copy directly from the passage and you need not use your own words. However, sometimes you may have to make some changes to suit your answer.- If the question states that you must use your own words, then you must answer in your own words. If the question asks for your own opinion, you should give your own ideas and do not look for answers from the passage given. Your ideas should be logical and relevant.- For all questions on Comprehension, you do not need to answer in complete sentences. Make sure that the spelling in your answer is correct. Your answers must be short and precise. Do not add in any unnecessary details in your answer or write extra answers, otherwise marks can be deducted due to overlifting.

8. Summary- The question will usually ask you to summarise on 2 topics. Read the question and passage given carefully. Underline the relevant points in the passage that are related to any of the 2 topics.- When answering, use relevant points from the passage given. Do not take the elaborations or examples. You must begin your answer using the 10 words given in the question. You do not need to write any Introduction or Closing. You are advised to answer in your own words by replacing words taken from the passage with other words of same meaning or by rephrasing the sentences taken from the passage. You should write a total of at least 10 points. You are advised to write more points if possible. Marks will only be given for correct points and marks will not be deducted for wrong points (But, you must not exceed 130 words).- Count the total number of words and make sure that your answer is not longer than 130 words, otherwise the remaining part of your answer will not be marked, and marks may be deducted. State the exact number of words below your essay. Proper nouns, idioms and words with hyphen are counted as one word only. If your answer is longer than 130 words, try cancelling off the unnecessary words in your answer and replacing longer phrase with shorter phrase of the same meaning. If it still exceeds 130 words, cancel off some of the extra points you wrote.- You must answer in continuous writing form and not point form, otherwise marks can be deducted. You should also write the answer in complete sentences. Make sure that the grammar is correct. Of the 15 marks for Summary, 10 marks is for Content and 5 marks is for Language & Paraphrase.

9. Poem- Read the poem and questions carefully. Answer all questions based on the poem. If the question does not state that you must use your own words, you can copy directly from the poem and you need not use your own words. However, you may have to make some changes to suit your answer. If the question states that you must use your own words, then you must answer in your own words. If the question asks for your own opinion, you should give your own ideas and do not look for answers from the poem. Your answer should be logical and relevant.- You do not need to answer in complete sentences. Make sure that the spelling in your answer is correct. Your answers must be short and precise. Do not add in any unnecessary details in your answer or write extra answers, otherwise marks can be deducted due to overlifting.

10. Novel- The question will be based on the novel you studied in Form 5. You can also answer based on the novel for other states, but you should do so only if you understand that novel very well. Read the question carefully.- If the question is about facts (Theme / Settings / Plot / Characters / Moral values / Lessons), give suitable answers that you memorised from revision books. If the question is about your own opinion, you have to give your own ideas based on your understanding of the novel. Your ideas must be logical and relevant. You should also relate your ideas to the novel.- For all Novel questions, you have to elaborate clearly on every point you write. Give suitable examples from the novel. You also need to write your personal response (your own opinion about what you have discussed in your answer). You must answer in complete sentences and not point form, otherwise marks can be deducted. Make sure that the grammar is correct.- The question carries 15 marks, where 10 marks is for Content and 5 marks is for Language. Both the Content and Language marks are given by impression, so the Content marks does not actually depend on the number of points in your answer. However, you should write at least 3 elaborations and 1 personal response in your answer. You can give more facts, elaborations and personal responses if you want to, but you must be careful not to write any wrong points. For wrong points in your answer, marks will not be directly deducted, but it can affect the Content marks in overall.

SPM 华文 作答技巧 / Answering Tips for SPM ChineseHere, I am giving some tips on how to answer SPM Chinese. This article is specially for all Form 4 and Form 5 students this year who will be taking Chinese in SPM 2014 and SPM 2015. For your information, I do not take Chinese for SPM 2012. I took it when I was in Form 4 but later I decided to drop it because it was too difficult. At last, I decided to take Chinese but in SPM 2013. I registered for SPM 2013 as a private candidate and will take Chinese only. For every school exam in Form 4 and Form 5, including the SPM Trial, I did sit for Chinese, but the marks were not included in the SAPS (Sistem Analisis Peperiksaan Sekolah). Anyway, I still managed to get 90 marks for Chinese during the SPM Trial. So, I want to share some tips with you. I am sorry that this article is written in English because it is difficult to write an article like this in Chinese. I hope everybody can get A+ or at least A in Chinese. In the tips below, I will focus more on the answering techniques and some tips on last-minute studying.

There are 2 papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2. For Paper 1, there are 2 sections. Section A is Practical Writing (应用文) and section B is Continuous Writing (作文). For Paper 2, there are 3

sections. Section A is Modern Text Comprehension (现代文理解), section B is Classical Text

Comprehension (文言文理解) and section C is Idioms (名句精华).

1. Practical Writing (应用文): 

- It will test you on formal letters (公函), reports (通告) and notice (启示). Make sure you know and remember the formats of all the three types of essay very well. Refer to revision books for

the formats. Report of meeting (会议记录) will not be tested and you can just ignore it.- Refer to the model questions and answers in revision books. Memorise the sentences that are commonly used. Use them when writing your essay. For most questions, the way of answering is similar, you just need to make some suitable changes. Get to know the important details (such as the time, date, venue, objective, invitation) that have to be included in your essay and don't forget to write them in your essay.- In the exam, there will be 2 questions. Choose the one that you are more confident. Do not answer both. If you do so, only the first one will be marked and the second will be ignored. Read the question carefully and understand what it wants you to write. Then, start writing your essay. Make sure that the format is correct for the essay you are writing. Use formal languages in your essay. Avoid using informal languages and avoid making grammatical errors and writing words wrongly. If you don't know how to write a word, try replacing it with others words with same meaning and don't write the hanyu pinyin. Refer to the question frequently when answering to avoid writing out of topic.- After you have finished writing, recheck your essay for mistakes and count the number of words. Correct the mistakes if there are any. The maximum word limit is 120 words. The words are counted from the salutation (称呼) until the name (署名). You can write up to 124 words without any marks deducted. You are advised to write your essay between 116 and 124 words. If your essay is longer than 124 words, try cutting off the unnecessary words and phrases. If it still exceeds 124 words, cut off the less important details.

Conversation of text (改写) will not be tested in the exam and you can ignore it.

(Note: 改写 and 翻译 are different.)

2. Continuous Writing (作文):- There are 5 questions and you have to choose 1 only. It will test you on a few types of essay, which is factual (说明文), argumentative (议论文), narrative (记叙文), descriptive (描写文), sentimental (抒情文) and others. Get to know the types of essay that you are better in and focus more on them. But, don't ignore the other types of essays, you should prepare for them as well. Refer to model questions and answers in revision books. Memorise some good sentences, openings and closings and use them in the exam.- During the exam, go through all the 5 questions. Choose the one that you are most confident in. Read the question carefully and understand what it wants you to write.You can list out some important points for your essay first but don't waste too much time on this. Then, start writing your essay.- If you are writing factual/argumentative essay you should have 6 paragraphs, which contains 1 opening, 4 main bodies and 1 closing. It is not advisable to write 5 or more main bodies because there is not enough time, you may make more mistakes and no extra marks will be given. Give strong points and elaborate clearly on each point. Give suitable examples. Every part of your essay should be relevant to the topic. Use formal languages.- For descriptive/sentimental/narrative essay, your essay should also have 6 paragraphs or more, depending on the essay you are writing. Your description should be very clear and detailed. You should describe as if you are in the story or incident. Your essay should be interesting.- For general topics that do not state what you have to write (such as 珍惜生命), you are free to write it as factual or descriptive essay, but it must be relevant to the topic. If you write a story using the topic given, be very careful. Make sure you address the topic in every paragraph of your story.- When writing the essay, avoid making any grammatical errors and avoid writing a word wrongly. If you don't know how to write a word, try replacing it with others words you know and don't write the hanyu pinyin. The structure of sentences should be varied. Refer to the question frequently when writing to avoid writing out of topic.- After you have finished writing, recheck your essay for mistakes. Correct the mistakes if there are any. The minimum word limit is 400 words. Your essay must be more than 400 words. You are advised to write your essay between 600 and 1000 words. 

3. Modern Text Comprehension (现代文理解):

There are 4 questions, 3 are text (文章) and 1 is poem (诗). It will test you on summary (概述文章), comprehension (理解) and grammar (语法).

a) Summary (概述文章):- Read the question carefully to see what it wants you to summarise on. Note the maximum word limit that you can write in your answer (Usually it is between 110-130). Read through the passage given quickly to have an idea on what it is all about. Then, read it again carefully.- Underline all the points that are related to the question. Check the points that you have underlined. If there are too few points, look through the passage again for more. If there are too many points, choose only the important points. Do not take the elaborations and examples. An important point should be directly related to the question and is able to answer the question directly and should be chosen. Points that cannot answer the question should not be chosen. The number of points required is not fixed and it depends on the question. Usually the total number of points required is between 12 and 18.- Then, start writing the answer. Write all the points that you have chosen. You need not use your own words and you can copy directly. However, sometimes you may have to make some changes (such as changing dialogs to text) so the the points are suitable in the answer. Also, try to shorten sentences especially long sentences by replacing long phrases with shorter words and by grouping similar and related words into a single word. Write as many points as possible without exceeding the word limit. Use sequence connectors to link the points but not too many.- After you have finished writing, count the number of words. You can exceed the maximum word limit by 4 words without any marks deducted. (For example, if the word limit is 120, you can write up to 124 words). If the number of is less than the word limit, add more points. If your summary is exceeds the word limit by 5 or more, try cutting off the unnecessary words, phrases and sequence connectors. If it is still more than that, cut off the less important points.- Depending on the marking scheme, 1 point may carry 1 or 2 marks. No marks will be deducted for wrong points. Starting from SPM 2011, all the marks are given for content and no marks will be given for grammar, but marks may be deducted for grammatical errors. So, avoid making grammatical errors and writing words wrongly.

b) Comprehension (理解):- Go through the questions quickly first. Read through the passage/poem given quickly to have an idea on what it is all about. Then, read it again carefully. Think carefully to understand the passage/poem. You can imagine that you  are in the situation/story to help you understand it and understand the feelings of the characters in it. Next, look through the questions.- For questions based on the passage/poem, you should get the answers from the passage. For text, you can copy directly from the passage if it is possible. Sometimes you may have to make some changes (such as changing dialogs to text) so the the sentences are suitable for the answer. For poem, you should convert it into text and do not copy the sentences directly from the poem.- However, many questions require that you fully understand the passage and give your answer based on your understanding on the passage/poem. For those questions, it is not possible to obtain the answers directly from the passage/poem and you have to answer using your own words.- For questions on your own opinion, you have to give your own ideas, based on your understanding on the passage/poem. Your ideas should be logical, suitable and relevant to the question.- Then, write your answers. When answering the questions, don't be afraid to give your answers. Write down everything that you know and understand about the passage/poem and write down all your ideas and feelings. The marks allocated for a question usually shows the number of points you have to write. 1 point may carry 1 or 2 marks, depending on the marking scheme.- If the question does not state the number of answers that you have to give, you can write as many answers as you want, but you must be careful. Marks will only be given for correct and acceptable answers. If you wrote an answer that is not acceptable but it does not contain wrong facts and is not too far away from the question, no marks will be given and no marks

will be deducted. If you wrote an answer that is not acceptable and contains wrong facts or is complete out of question, marks may be deducted (wrong cancel right). So, you should give many and long answers, but take care not to write any wrong facts and don't write answers that are completely irrelevant to the question.- If the question states the number of answers that you have to give, you cannot write extra answers. You have to give short and precise answers. If you give extra answers, those answers will not be marked and marks may be deducted.

c) For Grammar (语法),

- It will test you on type of word (词类), phrase (短语), components of sentences (句子成分),

compound sentences (复句), language & style (修辞) and idioms (熟语). Hanyu pinyin (汉语拼音) and others will not be tested. Make sure that you understand all the Grammar components above. Refer to the revision books. Look at the examples given to help you understand better.- When answering the questions, give the most suitable answer based on your understanding. You must give specific answers. Giving extra answers is not allowed. If you do so and any of your answers is wrong, marks will be deducted (wrong cancel right).

4. Classical Text Comprehension (文言文理解):

There are 2 questions, 1 is Prose (散文) and 1 is Poem (韵文). It will test you on

Comprehension (理解) and Translation (翻译).

a) Comprehension (理解):- Get to know the commonly used traditional words and their meaning and remember them. Go through as many as possible. Refer to revision books.- During the exam, go through the glossary given and the questions quickly first. Read the passage given carefully. Translate the classical text word-by-word then translate it into modern text. Use the glossary given to help you understand the meaning of some words. If you really don't understand the meaning of a sentence, skip it first and go to the next sentence. As you go through and understand the other sentences, this can help you understand that sentences. Go back to it again after you have gone through the rest of the passage. You can imagine that you  are in the situation/story to help you understand it and understand the feelings of the characters in it. Next, look through the questions.- For questions based on the passage/poem, you should get the answers from the passage/poem. You copy the answers from the passage/poem if possible, but you must translate it into modern text. Do not copy directly the traditional text from the passage/poem.  Sometimes you may have to make some changes (such as changing dialogs to text) so the the sentences are suitable for the answer.- However, many questions require that you fully understand the passage and give your answer based on your understanding on the passage/poem. For those questions, it is not possible to obtain the answers directly from the passage/poem and you have to answer using your own words.- For questions on your own opinion, you have to give your own ideas, based on your understanding on the passage/poem. Your ideas should be logical, suitable and relevant to the question.- Then, write your answers. When answering the questions, don't be afraid to give your answers. Write down everything that you know and understand about the passage/poem and write down all your ideas and feelings. The marks allocated for a question usually shows the number of points you have to write. 1 point may carry 1 or 2 marks.- If the question does not state the number of answers that you have to give, you can write as many answers as you want, but you must be careful. Marks will only be given for correct and acceptable answers. If you wrote an answer that is not acceptable but it does not contain wrong facts and is not too far away from the question, no marks will be given and no marks will be deducted. If you wrote an answer that is not acceptable and contains wrong facts or is complete out of question, marks may be deducted (wrong cancel right). So, you should give many and long answers, but take care not to write any wrong facts and don't write answers that are completely irrelevant to the question.- If the question states the number of answers that you have to give, you cannot write extra

answers. You have to give short and precise answers. If you give extra answers, those answers will not be marked and marks may be deducted.

b) Translation (翻译):- Get to know the commonly used traditional words and their meaning and remember them. Go through as many as possible. Refer to revision books.- During the exam, it will ask you to translate sentences or phrases. When translating, replace every traditional word in the sentence or phrase with a modern word of the same meaning. If the traditional word is the same as the modern word, you should convert the word into a phrase. Do not leave any words untranslated. For words that are wrongly translated, marks will not be given and marks will not be deducted.

5. Idioms (名句精华):- There are a total of 230 Idioms from Remove Class to Form 5. Make sure that you remember and understand every single one. You must know the Meaning (含义), Author (作者) and Source (出处) of all idioms. Refer to revision books. For the meaning, make sure that you understand it and not just memorise. For the Author and Source, you must memorise them. To help you memorise, simply use your imagination and creativity to relate the Author and Source with the Idioms. You can think of anything, whether it is logical or not, as long as it helps you remember the Authors and Source for the idioms.- In the exam, it will ask you to complete the idiom, explain the meaning of idiom, state the source/author for idiom, write an idiom based on the situation or make a sentence using idiom. When answering, the words you write must be correct.- When writing the meaning, don't explain word by word. Instead, give the actual meaning of the idiom. The meaning does not have to be exactly the same as in textbook/revision book. It is all right to have slight differences as long as the meaning is still the same.- When writing an idiom based on the situation, you should understand the situation given then give the most suitable idiom among the 230 based on the meaning of idioms.- When making sentences using idiom, your sentence must include the idiom and must show that you understand the meaning of idiom and know how to use it correctly. Don't make the sentence too long to avoid making mistakes.

SPM Chinese is really a difficult subject. It is especially difficult to get an A+. The minimum marks to get A+ for SPM Chinese is usually high, around 90. It is estimated that the A+ mark this year will be 90. The number of students getting A+ for Chinese in the past year SPM is not many. For SPM 2011, only 2 students in my school got A+, and for SPM 2012, only 4 students in my school got A+. That is why I chose to drop Chinese in SPM 2012 and take it in SPM 2013. But, since you have decided to take it, there is only one way. Work hard to score the best results for it. Make your fullest preparations and answer the best. I wish everybody good luck!

Tips for SPM Mathematics and Additional MathematicsFor my SPM in year 2012, I got 9A+ and 1A. I got A+ for both Mathematics and Additional Mathematics. Do you want to know how to score in SPM for these 2 subjects? Here, I am posting the complete tips for SPM Mathematics and Additional Mathematics. These tips are intended for Form 4 and Form 5 students this year who are taking SPM 2014 or SPM 2015.

Tips for other SPM subjects can be found here:http://daniellimjj.blogspot.com/2013/06/complete-tips-for-spm-examination-first.html

Notice:Although the questions for SPM Mathematics is much easier than Additional Mathematics, sometimes it may be more difficult to score in SPM Mathematics. The marking scheme for SPM Mathematics is much stricter than Additional Mathematics (For example, SPM Additional Mathematics allows multiple answers by the candidate, but Mathematics does not.). The minimum marks to get A+ for SPM Mathematics is also much higher than Additional

Mathematics. You should therefore prepare for both subjects, not only Additional Mathematics.

SPM Mathematics:

1. Studying tips- When your teacher is teaching in class, pay attention to what your teacher says. Make sure you understand everything taught by your teacher. If you do not understand anything, ask your teacher or friends.- You need a reference book because the textbook alone is not enough. I recommend you to use the Success Mathematics SPM reference book by Oxford Fajar.- When studying a chapter for the first time, read through the notes in the reference book. Make sure that you understand the concept for that chapter and relate them to what your teacher had taught in school.- You need to know how to apply what you have learnt to solve questions. Go through all the example questions in the revision book. Make sure that you understand how every question is solved.- Then, you have to do a lot of exercises. Buy exercise books from the bookshop. You can start by doing topical questions topic by topic. When you have understood all topics, proceed with doing SPM model test papers, past year SPM trial questions and past year actual SPM questions. They should be available from bookshops. After doing the exercises, refer to the suggested answer or mark scheme and do self marking.- You should sometimes refer to the mark scheme of past year SPM trial papers to find out how every question is marked and which steps need to be shown for every question. Usually, the same types of questions will have similar mark scheme, so this can help you when answering exam questions.- When doing revision before exam, you should go through the example questions for all chapters in the reference book. If you have forgotten the concept for any chapter, go through the notes in reference book for that chapter again. You should also do some SPM model test papers or past year papers.- The SPM Mathematics paper will also test on some Form 1 to Form 3 topics in addition to Form 4 and Form 5 topics. Make sure that you do not forget those topics. The Success Mathematics SPM reference books contains some example questions for the Form 1 to Form 3 topics, so you should also go through them.- For SPM Mathematics Paper 2, the pattern of questions set is similar for every year. You should familiarise yourself with the pattern by looking at past year questions.

2. Paper 1- You do not need to show any workings since the questions are objective questions. Write any rough workings on the question paper if you need to. Solve the question and choose the correct answer among the 4 options.

3. Paper 2- There are Section A and Section B. Section A consists of 11 questions where you must answer all questions, while Section B consists of 5 questions where you can choose any 4. You are advised to answer all the 5 questions in Section B if you have time. The examiner will mark all 5 questions and choose the questions where you score the highest marks.- You must show all workings for every question. You should not skip any important steps. You do not need to write down the formula used to solve the question. The number of marks allocated for a question usually shows the amount of working needed. 1 mark will be given for each important step and the final answer. Marks can only be given for the final answer if the marks for working are scored. If you do not show a particular important step, marks may not be given for that step, as well as all important steps after that step and the final answer, even if they are correct. Therefore, correct answer without working usually scores 0 mark. However, you do not need to show any working for 1 mark questions.- On the other hand, if your final answer is wrong but some of your working is correct, you may still be given some marks. You are not allowed to write extra solutions or answers for any question. If you do so and any of the answers/solutions is wrong, marks will be deducted. When copying figures from the question or from your answer for the previous part

of the question, be careful not to copy wrongly.- If the question does not state that you must or you cannot use a particular method, then you can use any suitable method to solve the question. However, you are advised to use only methods that are learnt in Mathematics, and avoid using methods learnt only in Additional Mathematics or in Form 6 / A-level or higher level unless if you do not know any other method. If the question states that you must use a particular method, then you can only that method to solve the question. If the question states that cannot use a particular method, then you cannot that method to solve the question- If the final answer is a number with infinite decimal places, you should round up to at least 4 significant figures.You can also write your final answer as a fraction if possible. However, if the question states that you must express your answer as fraction or decimal, then you must follow the instruction. If a number with infinite decimal places is involved in between the workings, you should take at least 4 decimal places (4 significant figures is not sufficient) to ensure accuracy of the final answer. Otherwise, marks can be deducted if the final answer is less accurate.- For questions involving Pi, the question may ask you to use Pi = 22/7. In that case, you cannot use Pi = 3.142 or the value of Pi from the calculator. You must also follow other instructions given in the question.

4. Both Paper 1 & Paper 2- When answering, read the question and information given carefully. For questions involving diagrams, mark any important details on the diagram. For some questions without diagram, sometimes it may be helpful to draw a diagram so that you can illustrate the information given in the question. Apply what you have learnt in mathematics in order to solve the questions and get the answer. Use the correct concept or formula for every question.- Certain formula are provided in the first few pages of the question paper, refer to them if necessary. After you have answered all questions, you should recheck your answers for mistakes. Leave at least 15 minutes to recheck your answers if possible. When rechecking, use a different method to solve the question or directly use the calculator if possible.

SPM Additional Mathematics:

1. Studying tips- When your teacher is teaching in class, pay attention to what your teacher says. Make sure you understand everything taught by your teacher. If you do not understand anything, ask your teacher or friends.- You need a reference book because the textbook alone is not enough. I recommend you to use the Success Additional Mathematics SPM reference book by Oxford Fajar.- When studying a chapter for the first time, read through the notes in the reference book. Make sure that you understand the concept for that chapter and relate them to what your teacher had taught in school.- You need to know how to apply what you have learnt to solve questions. Go through all the example questions in the revision book. Make sure that you understand how every question is solved.- Then, you have to do a lot of exercises. Buy exercise books from the bookshop. You can start by doing topical questions topic by topic. When you have understood all topics, proceed with doing SPM model test papers, past year SPM trial questions and past year actual SPM questions. They should be available from bookshops. After doing the exercises, refer to the suggested answer or mark scheme and do self marking.- You should sometimes refer to the mark scheme of past year SPM trial papers to find out how every question is marked and which steps need to be shown for every question. Usually, the same types of questions will have similar mark scheme, so this can help you when answering exam questions.- When doing revision before exam, you should go through the example questions for all chapters in the reference book. If you have forgotten the concept for any chapter, go through the notes in reference book for that chapter again. You should also do some SPM model test papers or past year papers.- The Additional Mathematics topics may require knowledge and understanding of the

Mathematics topics. Make sure that you understand all the topics in SPM Mathematics.

2. Paper 1- It is not compulsory to show the workings. If your final answer is correct, full marks will be given and the workings will not be marked. However, you are strongly advised to show all workings. If your final answer is wrong but some of your working is correct, the workings will be marked and you may still be given some marks.

3. Paper 2- There are Section A, Section B and Section C. Section A consists of 6 questions where you must answer all questions, Section B consists of 5 questions where you can choose any 4, while Section C consists of 4 questions where you can choose any 2. You can answer extra questions in Section B and Section C if you have time. The examiner will mark all questions and choose the questions where you score the highest marks.- You must show all workings for every question. You should not skip any important steps. You do not need to write down the formula used to solve the question. The number of marks allocated for a question usually shows the amount of working needed. 1 mark will be given for each important step and the final answer. If you do not show a particular important step, marks will not be given for that step. Marks can still be given for all other steps and the final answer if they are correct. Correct answer without working usually scores only 1 mark. If your final answer is wrong but some of your working is correct, you may still be given some marks. However, you do not need to show any working for 1 mark questions.

4. Both Paper 1 & Paper 2- When answering, read the question and information given carefully. For questions involving diagrams, mark any important details on the diagram. For some questions without diagram, sometimes it may be helpful to draw a diagram so that you can illustrate the information given in the question. Apply what you have learnt in mathematics in order to solve the questions and get the answer. Use the correct concept or formula for every question. Certain formula are provided in the first few pages of the question paper, refer to them if necessary.- You are allowed to write extra solutions or answers. Marks will only be given for the correct answers/solutions, and marks will not be deducted for wrong answers/solutions. When copying figures from the question or from your answer for the previous part of the question, be careful not to copy wrongly.- If the question does not state that you must or you cannot use a particular method, then you can use any suitable method to solve the question. You can also use methods that are learnt only in Form 6 / A-level or higher level, if you know them. If the question states that you must use a particular method, then you can only that method to solve the question. If the question states that cannot use a particular method, then you cannot that method to solve the question.- If the final answer is a number with infinite decimal places, you should round up to at least 4 significant figures. You can also write your final answer as a fraction if possible. However, if the question states that you must express your answer as fraction or decimal, then you must follow the instruction. If a number with infinite decimal places is involved in between the workings, you should take at least 4 decimal places (4 significant figures is not sufficient) to ensure accuracy of the final answer. Otherwise, marks can be deducted if the final answer is less accurate.- For questions involving Pi, the question may ask you to use Pi = 3.142. In that case, you cannot use Pi = 22/7 or the value of Pi from the calculator. You must also follow other instructions given in the question. After you have answered all questions, you should recheck your answers for mistakes. Leave at least 15 minutes to recheck your answers if possible. When rechecking, use a different method to solve the question or directly use the calculator if possible.

Tips for SPM Chemistry and PhysicsFor my SPM in year 2012, I got 9A+ and 1A. I got A+ for both Chemistry and Physics. Do you want to know how to score in SPM for these 2 subjects? Here, I am posting the complete tips for SPM Chemistry and Physics. These tips are intended for Form 4 and Form 5 students this

year who are taking SPM 2014 or SPM 2015.

Tips for other SPM subjects can be found here:http://daniellimjj.blogspot.com/2013/06/complete-tips-for-spm-examination-first.html

Notice:SPM Chemistry and SPM Physics may have different mark schemes and requirements for similar types of questions. For example, when recording the reading of an instrument in Paper 3, SPM Chemistry requires number of decimal places EQUAL TO HALF of the smallest division of scale of the instrument, while SPM Physics requires number of decimal places EQUAL TO the smallest division of scale of the instrument. You should be sure of that and do not get confused. It is not difficult to get A+ for SPM Chemistry and Physics. You just need to understand everything that you learnt.

SPM Chemistry:

1. Studying tips- When your teacher is teaching in class, pay attention to what your teacher says. Make sure you understand everything taught by your teacher. If you do not understand anything, ask your teacher or friends.- You need a reference book because the textbook and practical book are not enough. I recommend you to use the Longman Essential Chemistry SPM reference book by Pearson Longman.- When studying a chapter, read through all the explanations in the reference book sentence by sentence. Make sure that you truly understand each sentence before moving on to the next sentence. Certain topics may require understanding of earlier topics, so make sure you understand those topics. You should also try to relate them to what your teacher had taught in school.- You also need to read through all the experiments and activities in the reference book. You have to understand the Aim, Problem Statement, Hypothesis, Variables and List of Materials & Apparatus, Procedure, Tabulation of Data and Conclusion for all experiments. For the Procedure, read through it step by step. Make sure that you truly understand each step before moving on to the next step. To help you understand, try to imagine that you are carrying out the experiment. Understanding the Procedure will make it very easy for you to remember the List of Materials & Apparatus. You are also advised to be actively involved in all experiments carried out in school because this can help you understand and remember the procedure of experiment.- Then, you have to remember everything that you understood. You can memorise the sentences in the book, or you can also create your own sentences that have the same meaning and memorise them. If you create your own sentences, make sure that you do not change the original meaning, do not leave out any important points and do not change the important keywords and scientific terms. However, do not just memorise without understanding. Once you have understood, it will be quite easy to remember and you will be unlikely to forget any of the points.- For certain facts, there may be no explanation for them so it is not possible to understand them. In that case, you have to remember and memorise those facts.- For the calculations, you need to know how to apply what you have learnt to solve the questions. Go through all the example questions in the revision book. Make sure that you understand how every question is solved.- You have to regularly revise every topics again and again. When revising, go through all the explanation, facts, experiments and examples for calculation questions in the book. Make sure that you do not forget anything that you have understood previously. Regular and repeated revision will help you to remember all the explanation and facts for a long time.- Then, you have to do exercises. Buy exercise books from the bookshop. You can start by doing topical questions topic by topic. When you have understood all topics, proceed with doing SPM model test papers, past year SPM trial questions and past year actual SPM questions. They should be available from bookshops. After doing the exercises, refer to the suggested answer or mark scheme and do self marking.

- You should sometimes refer to the mark scheme of past year SPM trial papers to find out how every question is marked and which points need to be included in the answers for every question. Usually, the same types of questions will have similar mark scheme, so this can help you when answering exam questions.- For Chemistry Paper 3, the pattern of questions set is similar for every year. You should familiarise yourself with the pattern by looking at past year questions.- When doing revision before exam, you should first go through the subtopics and experiments that you think is more difficult or that you may have forgotten. Then, go through other topics as well if possible.

2. Paper 1- Read the question and all the options carefully. Write any rough workings on the question paper if you need to. Cancel off the options that you consider as definitely wrong. Then, choose the most suitable answer among the 4 options.

3. Paper 2 Section A, B & C- Section A consists of 6 structured questions where you must answer all questions while Section B and Section C consist of 2 essay questions each and you can choose any 1 for each section. You can answer extra questions in Section B and Section C if you have time. The examiner will mark all questions and choose the questions where you score the highest marks.- When answering, read the question and all information given carefully. Make sure that you know what the question is asking for. Answer the questions based on your knowledge and understanding on the relevant topic in Chemistry. Certain questions may test you on more than one topics. For some questions, you may have to apply what you have learnt in Chemistry in order to answer them. You have to think carefully and relate the question to what you have learnt. You may also be asked to give your own opinions.- When writing your answer, you can use the same or similar words or sentences as those in revision books / textbooks if possible. However, sometimes you may need to make some changes in order to suit the question. You can also answer in your own sentences that have the same meaning. If the question asks on something that is not in revision books (the question requires you to apply what you have learnt in Chemistry or give your own opinion), then you have to answer in your own sentences. For all questions, your answer must be specific and not too general. Give the most suitable answer according to the question.- You should use the correct Chemistry terms in your answer. Do not replace them with other terms that are inappropriate, even if their meaning are the same. The spelling for all Chemistry terms must also be correct, otherwise marks may be deducted. For other non-Chemistry terms, marks is not deducted for wrong spelling. If your make grammatical errors in your answer, marks will not be deducted as long as the examiner can understand what you are writing. Do not use any short forms in your answer, except when writing units for quantities or when writing working for calculation For all chemical substances, you should write the complete name and do not write only the chemical formula, unless if the question asks you to write the chemical formula or if you are writing a chemical equation.- It is not compulsory to answer in continuous writing form. You are allowed to answer in table form or other suitable forms. In suitable cases, you can also use diagrams, equations or graphs in your answer. However, you are not advised to answer in point form. There is not penalty for answering in point form, but some inexperienced examiners may deduct your marks if you do so.- When answering questions on calculation, you must show all workings. You should not skip any important steps, otherwise marks may be deducted. You must also write the correct unit for the final answer. The number of marks allocated for the question usually shows the amount of working needed. 1 mark will be given for each important step and the final answer. You are not allowed to write extra solutions or answers. If you do so and any of the answers or solutions is wrong, marks will be deducted.- If the question says 'Explain', 'Describe', 'Discuss', 'Justify', 'Give Reasons' or something similar, you should give facts and elaborations in your answer.  Your answer must be very detailed. You are advised to answer in complete sentences so that your answer can be easily understood. The number of marks allocated for the question usually shows the number of points needed in your answer. 1 mark is given for each correct point. Do not miss out any important points in your answer. You are allowed to write extra points in your answer, but you

must be careful not to write any points with wrong facts. Marks will only be given for the correct points. For points that are not acceptable but does not contain wrong facts, no mark will be given or deducted. However, for points that contain wrong facts, marks may be deducted.- If the question says 'State', 'Give', 'Name' or something similar, you only need to write facts without elaboration. Write the answer straight away. You need not answer in complete sentences. The number of marks allocated for the question usually shows the number of answers needed. If the question states the number of answers you have to write, then you are not allowed to write extra answers. If you do so and any of them is wrong, marks can be deducted. If the question does not state the number of answers you have to write, you are allowed to write extra answers, but you must be careful not to write any answers with wrong facts. Marks will only be given for the correct answers. For answers that are not acceptable but does not contain wrong facts, no mark will be given or deducted. However, for answers that contain wrong facts, marks may be deducted.- When answering questions on describing experiment, your answer should include the List of Materials & Apparatus, Diagram of set-up apparatus, Procedure, Tabulation of Data, Conclusion and other information as stated in the question. When writing the procedure, you must include all the steps to carry out the experiment, including the precautionary steps. You must state the amount and concentration of the substances used. You are advised to answer in complete sentences so that your answer can be easily understood. When tabulating the data of experiment, you can leave blank for the results of the experiment.- When plotting graph, draw both the horizontal and vertical axis on the graph paper correctly. Label both axis correctly and state the unit (if any). Use a suitable scale for both axis. Plot all points on the graph accurately. Then, draw the correct curve or straight line. When drawing the curve or straight line, it should pass through all points on the graph if possible. If this is not possible, the line or curve should pass through as many points on the graph as possible, all the points should be close to it and the number of points above and below the line or curve should be almost equal. The graph should cover at least half of the graph paper.- When drawing diagrams, make sure that all important details are included in the diagram you draw. You have to label correctly all parts in the diagram. Your diagram should be clear and neat.

4. Paper 3 Structured Question- When answering, read the question and all information given carefully. Make sure that you understand the experiment given and know what the question is asking for. Answer the questions based on the experiment and its observations and results. You may need to apply your Chemistry experimental skills to answer some questions. Certain questions may require your knowledge and understanding in Chemistry to answer them. You may also need to give your own opinions. For all questions, your answer must be specific and not too general. Give the most suitable answer according to the question.- You should use the correct Chemistry and experimental terms in your answer. Do not replace them with other terms that are inappropriate, even if their meaning are the same. The spelling for all Chemistry and experimental terms must also be correct, otherwise marks may be deducted. For other terms, marks is not deducted for wrong spelling. If your make grammatical errors in your answer, marks will not be deducted as long as the examiner can understand what you are writing. Do not use any short forms in your answer, except when writing units for quantities or when writing working for calculation. For all chemical substances, you should write the complete name and do not write only the chemical formula, unless if the question asks you to write the chemical formula or if you are writing a chemical equation.- When answering parts of the question on calculation, you must show all workings. You should not skip any important steps, otherwise marks can be deducted. You must also write the correct unit for the final answer. You are not allowed to write extra solutions or answers. If you do so and any of the answers or solutions is wrong, marks will be deducted.- When answering parts of the question that require explanation or description, your answer must be very detailed. You are advised to answer in complete sentences so that your answer can be easily understood. The number of marks allocated for each part of the question is always 3. The marks are given based on the quality of your answer, so it does not actually depend on the number of points in your answer. However, you should not miss out any important points in your answer. You are allowed to write extra points in your answer, but you

must be careful not to write any points with wrong facts. Marks will only be given for the correct points. For points that are not acceptable but does not contain wrong facts, no mark will be given or deducted. However, for points that contain wrong facts, marks may be deducted.- When answering parts of the question that do not require explanation or description, write the answer straight away. You need not answer in complete sentences. You are not allowed to write extra answers. If you do so and any of them is wrong, marks can be deducted. For the Constant Variable, you only need to write one answer although there may be many.- When recording numerical data from an instrument used in the experiment, the number of decimal places used should be equal to half of the smallest division of scale of the instrument, unless if there is special instruction in the question. (For example, if the instrument's smallest division of scale is 0.1, you should record the data to the nearest 0.05, which is 2 decimal places) Usually, the last decimal place of the recorded data can only be 0 or 5. Do not give more or less number of decimal places. You must also write the correct units.- When plotting graph, draw both the horizontal and vertical axis on the graph paper correctly. Label both axis correctly and state the unit (if any). Use a suitable scale for both axis. Plot all points on the graph accurately. Then, draw the correct curve or straight line. When drawing the curve or straight line, it should pass through all points on the graph if possible. If this is not possible, the line or curve should pass through as many points on the graph as possible, all the points should be close to it and the number of points above and below the line or curve should be almost equal. The graph should cover at least half of the graph paper.

5. Paper 3 Essay Question (Design Experiment)- When answering, read the question given carefully. You have to design a suitable experiment based on the question. Your answer must include all the necessary details stated in the question. When writing the Aim, Problem Statement, Hypothesis, Variables and List of Materials & Apparatus, give the answer based on the experiment. You need not answer in complete sentences.- When writing the procedure, you must include all the steps to set up the apparatus, steps to handle the manipulated, responding & fixed variable and the precautionary steps. You must state the amount and concentration of the substances used. You are advised to answer in complete sentences so that your answer can be easily understood. You do not need to draw the diagram of set-up apparatus.- When tabulating the data of experiment, you should include all the manipulated variables and the header for both the manipulated & responding variable, and you can leave blank for the results of the experiment (responding variable).- You can use the same or similar words or sentences as those in revision books if possible. However, sometimes you may need to make some changes in order to suit the question. You can also answer in your own sentences that have the same meaning. You are not allowed to write extra answers. If you do so and any of them is wrong, marks can be deducted. For the Constant Variable, you only need to write one answer, even though there may be many.- You should use the correct experimental terms in your answer. Do not replace them with other terms that are inappropriate, even if their meaning are the same. The spelling for all experimental terms must also be correct, otherwise marks may be deducted. For other terms, marks is not deducted for wrong spelling. If your make grammatical errors in your answer, marks will not be deducted as long as the examiner can understand what you are writing. Do not use any short forms in your answer. For all chemical substances, you should write the complete name and do not write only the chemical formula.

SPM Physics:

1. Studying tips- When your teacher is teaching in class, pay attention to what your teacher says. Make sure you understand everything taught by your teacher. If you do not understand anything, ask your teacher or friends.- You need a reference book because the textbook and practical book are not enough. I recommend you to use the Success Physics SPM reference book by Oxford Fajar.- When studying a chapter, read through all the explanations in the reference book sentence

by sentence. Make sure that you truly understand each sentence before moving on to the next sentence. You also need to know and understand all formulas. Certain topics may require understanding of earlier topics, so make sure you understand those topics. You should also try to relate them to what your teacher had taught in school.- You also need to read through all the experiments and activities in the reference book. You have to understand the Inference, Hypothesis, Aim, Problem Statement, Variables and List of Materials & Apparatus, Diagram of Set-up Apparatus, Procedure, Tabulation of Data and Analysis of Data for all experiments. For the Procedure, read through it step by step. Make sure that you truly understand each step before moving on to the next step. To help you understand, try to imagine that you are carrying out the experiment. Understanding the Procedure and Diagram of Set-up Apparatus will make it very easy for you to remember the List of Materials & Apparatus. You are also advised to be actively involved in all experiments carried out in school because this can help you understand and remember the procedure of experiment.- Then, you have to remember everything that you understood. You can memorise the sentences in the book, or you can also create your own sentences that have the same meaning and memorise them. If you create your own sentences, make sure that you do not change the original meaning, do not leave out any important points and do not change the important keywords and scientific terms. However, do not just memorise without understanding. Once you have understood, it will be quite easy to remember and you will be unlikely to forget any of the points.- For certain facts, there may be no explanation for them so it is not possible to understand them. In that case, you have to remember and memorise those facts.- For the calculations, you need to know how to apply what you have learnt and use the correct formula to solve the questions. Go through all the example questions in the revision book. Make sure that you understand how every question is solved.- You have to regularly revise every topics again and again. When revising, go through all the explanation, facts, experiments and examples for calculation questions in the book. Make sure that you do not forget anything that you have understood previously. Regular and repeated revision will help you to remember all the explanation and facts for a long time.- Then, you have to do exercises. Buy exercise books from the bookshop. You can start by doing topical questions topic by topic. When you have understood all topics, proceed with doing SPM model test papers, past year SPM trial questions and past year actual SPM questions. They should be available from bookshops. After doing the exercises, refer to the suggested answer or mark scheme and do self marking.- You should sometimes refer to the mark scheme of past year SPM trial papers to find out how every question is marked and which points need to be included in the answers for every question. Usually, the same types of questions will have similar mark scheme, so this can help you when answering exam questions.- For Physics Paper 3, the pattern of questions set is similar for every year. You should familiarise yourself with the pattern by looking at past year questions.- When doing revision before exam, you should first go through the subtopics and experiments that you think is more difficult or that you may have forgotten. Then, go through other topics as well if possible.

2. Paper 1- Read the question and all the options carefully. Write any rough workings on the question paper if you need to. Cancel off the options that you consider as definitely wrong. Then, choose the most suitable answer among the 4 options.

3. Paper 2 Section A, B & C- Section A consists of 8 structured questions where you must answer all questions while Section B and Section C consist of 2 essay questions each and you can choose any 1 for each section. You can answer extra questions in Section B and Section C if you have time. The examiner will mark all questions and choose the questions where you score the highest marks.- When answering, read the question and all information given carefully. Make sure that you know what the question is asking for. Answer the questions based on your knowledge and understanding on the relevant topic in Physics. Certain questions may test you on more than one topics. For some questions, you may have to apply what you have learnt in Physics in

order to answer them. You have to think carefully and relate the question to what you have learnt. You may also be asked to give your own opinions.- When writing your answer, you can use the same or similar words or sentences as those in revision books if possible. However, sometimes you may need to make some changes in order to suit the question. You can also answer in your own sentences that have the same meaning. If the question asks on something that is not in revision books (the question requires you to apply what you have learnt in Physics or give your own opinion), then you have to answer in your own sentences. For all questions, your answer must be specific and not too general. Give the most suitable answer according to the question.- You should use the correct Physics terms in your answer. Do not replace them with other terms that are inappropriate, even if their meaning are the same. The spelling for all Physics terms must also be correct, otherwise marks may be deducted. For other non-Physics terms, marks is not deducted for wrong spelling. If your make grammatical errors in your answer, marks will not be deducted as long as the examiner can understand what you are writing. Do not use any short forms in your answer, except when writing units of quantities or when writing workings for calculation.- It is not compulsory to answer in continuous writing form. You are allowed to answer in table form or other suitable forms. In suitable cases, you can also use diagrams, equations or graphs in your answer. However, you are not advised to answer in point form. There is not penalty for answering in point form, but some inexperienced examiners may deduct your marks if you do so.- When answering questions on calculation, you must show all workings. You should not skip any important steps. You must also write the correct unit for the final answer. You do not need to write down the formula used to solve the question. The number of marks allocated for the question usually shows the amount of working needed. 1 mark will be given for each important step and the final answer. You are not allowed to write extra solutions or answers. If you do so and any of the answers or solutions is wrong, marks will be deducted.-  If the question says 'Explain', 'Describe', 'Discuss', 'Justify', 'Give Reasons' or something similar, you should give facts and elaborations in your answer. Your answer must be very detailed. You are advised to answer in complete sentences so that your answer can be easily understood. The number of marks allocated for the question usually shows the number of points needed in your answer. 1 mark is given for each correct point. Do not miss out any important points in your answer. You are allowed to write extra points in your answer, but you must be careful not to write any points with wrong facts. Marks will only be given for the correct points. For points that are not acceptable but does not contain wrong facts, no mark will be given or deducted. However, for points that contain wrong facts, marks may be deducted.- If the question says 'State', 'Give', 'Name' or something similar, you only need to write facts without elaboration. Write the answer straight away. You need not answer in complete sentences. The number of marks allocated for the question usually shows the number of answers needed. If the question states the number of answers you have to write, then you are not allowed to write extra answers. If you do so and any of them is wrong, marks can be deducted. If the question does not state the number of answers you have to write, you are allowed to write extra answers, but you must be careful not to write any answer with wrong facts. Marks will only be given for the correct answers. For answers that are not acceptable but does not contain wrong facts, no mark will be given or deducted. However, for answers that contain wrong facts, marks may be deducted.- When answering questions on suggesting suitable characteristics or modifications, you are advised to answer in table form. Give all the characteristics/modifications and suitable explanation for each characteristic/modification. If you are asked to make a selection, select the most suitable one based on the characteristics. When writing the reason for your choice, just repeat all the characteristics.- When plotting graph, draw both the horizontal and vertical axis on the graph paper correctly. Label both axis correctly and state the unit (if any). Use a suitable scale for both axis. Plot all points on the graph accurately. Then, draw the correct curve or straight line. When drawing the curve or straight line, it should pass through all points on the graph if possible. If this is not possible, the line or curve should pass through as many points on the graph as possible, all the points should be close to it and the number of points above and below the line or curve should be almost equal. The graph should cover at least half of the graph paper.- When drawing diagrams, make sure that all important details are included in the diagram

you draw. You have to label correctly all parts in the diagram. Your diagram should be clear and neat.

4. Paper 3 Section A- When answering, read the question and all information given carefully. Make sure that you understand the experiment given and know what the question is asking for. Answer the questions based on the experiment and its observations and results. You may need to apply your Physics experimental skills to answer some questions. Certain questions may require your knowledge and understanding in Physics to answer them. You may also need to give your own opinions. Your answer must be specific and not too general. Give the most suitable answer according to the question.- You should use the correct Physics and experimental terms in your answer. Do not replace them with other terms that are inappropriate, even if their meaning are the same. The spelling for all Physics and experimental terms must also be correct, otherwise marks may be deducted. For other terms, marks is not deducted for wrong spelling. If your make grammatical errors in your answer, marks will not be deducted as long as the examiner can understand what you are writing. Do not use any short forms in your answer.- When answering parts of the question on calculation, you must show all workings. You should not skip any important steps. You must also write the correct unit for the final answer. You do not need to write down the formula used to solve the question. The number of marks allocated for the part of question usually shows the amount of working needed. 1 mark will be given for each important step and the final answer. You are not allowed to write extra solutions or answers. If you do so and any of the answers or solutions is wrong, marks will be deducted.- When answering parts of the question that require explanation or description, your answer must be very detailed. You are advised to answer in complete sentences so that your answer can be easily understood. The number of marks allocated for each part of the question usually shows the number of points needed in your answer. 1 mark is given for each correct point. Do not miss out any important points in your answer. You are allowed to write extra points in your answer, but you must be careful not to write any points with wrong facts. Marks will only be given for the correct points. For points that are not acceptable but does not contain wrong facts, no mark will be given or deducted. However, for points that contain wrong facts, marks may be deducted.- When answering parts of the question that do not require explanation or description, write the answer straight away. You need not answer in complete sentences. You are not allowed to write extra answers. If you do so and any of them is wrong, marks can be deducted. For the Constant Variable, you only need to write one answer although there may be many.- When recording numerical data from a measuring instrument used in the experiment, the number of decimal places used should be equal to the smallest division of scale of the instrument, unless if there is special instruction in the question. (For example, if the instrument's smallest division of scale is 0.1 , you should record the data to the nearest 0.1, which is 1 decimal place.) Do not give more or less number of decimal places. You must also write the correct units.- When plotting graph, draw both the horizontal and vertical axis on the graph paper correctly. Label both axis correctly and state the unit (if any). Use a suitable scale for both axis. Plot all points on the graph accurately. Then, draw the correct curve or straight line. When drawing the curve or straight line, it should pass through all points on the graph if possible. If this is not possible, the line or curve should pass through as many points on the graph as possible, all the points should be close to it and the number of points above and below the line or curve should be almost equal. The graph should cover at least half of the graph paper.

5. Paper 3 Section B- Section B consists of 2 questions and you can choose any 1 of them. You can answer both questions in Section B if you have time. The examiner will mark both questions and choose the question where you score the higher marks.- When answering, read the question and situation given carefully. Based on the situation given, you should come up with a suitable inference and hypothesis. Then, you have to design a suitable experiment to investigate your hypothesis. Your answer must include all the necessary details stated in the question.- When writing the Inference, Hypothesis, Aim, Problem Statement, Variables and List of

Materials & Apparatus, give the answer based on the experiment. You need not answer in complete sentences. When drawing the set-up apparatus, show all the apparatus and material used in the experiment and label them correctly.- When writing the procedure, you must include the steps to change the manipulated variable and to measure the responding variable. You need not write the precautionary steps. You are advised to answer in complete sentences so that your answer can be easily understood.- When tabulating the data of experiment, you should include all the manipulated variables and the header for the manipulated & responding variable, and you can leave blank for the results of the experiment (Responding Variable). For the analysis of data, you should show a graph of Responding Variable on the y-axis against Manipulated Variable on the x-axis. You only need to draw both axes but you need not sketch the graph.- You can use the same or similar words or sentences as those in revision books if possible. However, sometimes you may need to make some changes in order to suit the question. You can also answer in your own sentences that have the same meaning. You are not allowed to write extra answers. If you do so and any of them is wrong, marks can be deducted. For the Constant Variable, you only need to write one answer, even though there may be many.- You should use the correct experimental terms in your answer. Do not replace them with other terms that are inappropriate, even if their meaning are the same. The spelling for all experimental terms must also be correct, otherwise marks may be deducted. For other terms, marks is not deducted for wrong spelling. If your make grammatical errors in your answer, marks will not be deducted as long as the examiner can understand what you are writing. Do not use any short forms in your answer.

Tips for SPM Sejarah and Pendidikan MoralFor my SPM in year 2012, I got 9A+ and 1A. I got A+ for both Sejarah and Pendidikan Moral. Do you want to know how to score in SPM for these 2 subjects? Here, I am posting the complete tips for SPM Sejarah and Pendidikan Moral. These tips are intended for Form 4 and Form 5 students this year who are taking SPM 2014 or SPM 2015.

Tips for other SPM subjects can be found here:http://daniellimjj.blogspot.com/2013/06/complete-tips-for-spm-examination-first.html

Notice:Sejarah is one of the most difficult subjects to study, because there are so many facts to remember, so studying it requires a lot of time. In order to be able to cover all topics, you must start your revision at least 2 weeks before the exam date. However, Sejarah is not difficult to score. The mark scheme for Sejarah Paper 2 is quite lenient, and the minimum marks to get A+ for Sejarah is quite low, usually between 75 and 80. For Pendidikan Moral, there are rumours that the minimum mark to get A+ may be as high as 95. However, that is not true so please do not believe that. The minimum mark to get A+ for Pendidikan Moral is usually only 90. It is also not difficult to score in Pendidikan Moral, you just need to master the correct answering techniques.

SPM Sejarah:

1. Studying tips- Both the Form 4 and Form 5 textbooks are 100% complete. If you are in Form 5 and you do not have the Form 4 textbook, I would recommend you to buy one from the bookshop or borrow one from your friends and photostat it. However, studying using the textbooks can be boring, difficult and slow because they contain too much text in essay form. Therefore, you should also get a reference book. I recommend you to use the Success Sejarah SPM reference book by Oxford Fajar. However, the reference book is only about 95% complete.- When studying a topic for the first time, read though the facts and explanations in the reference book. If possible, you should read it as a story to help you remember it and also make it more interesting to study. Try to understand every sentence that you read because this can help you to remember them. However, it may not be possible to understand some

facts because there is no explanation for them. You should have an idea on what you have read and understood.- Then, you have to remember everything that you have read. Do not memorise exactly all sentences because it is almost impossible to do so since there are so many sentences in the book. Instead, you should memorise the keywords for every sentence which can give you the idea on what that sentence is about. You can then use those keywords to create your own sentence. Make sure that you can remember what every sentence is about.- For events or incidents, the sentences are often related to each other by 'cause-and-effect', where the event in one sentence is caused by another event in the previous sentence, and will cause another event in the following sentence. Try to find out that relationship because it can help you remember the events. You should also try to remember it as a story that you have read. For facts, you should remember it based on your understanding if there is explanation for them. If there are too many facts for a particular subtopic, you can try to group two or more similar facts together and remember them as one.- You need to do revision for every topics regularly in order to ensure that you remember everything for a long time. The more revision you do, the more you can remember. Revise as many times as you can until you are sure that you have remembered everything. When doing revision, go through all the facts and explanations in the reference book. You should find out what you still remember and what you have forgotten. For anything that you have forgotten, you must memorise it again.- Since the reference book is only about 95% complete, after you have understood and remembered everything in the reference book, you should go through the textbooks as well. Look for facts in the textbook that are not found in the reference book, especially those in the Sudut Maklumat. You should read though and understand them, then remember them.- You also have to do exercises. Buy exercise books from the bookshop. You can start by doing topical questions topic by topic. When you have understood all topics, proceed with doing SPM model test papers, past year SPM trial questions and past year actual SPM questions. They should be available from bookshops. After doing the exercises, refer to the suggested answer or mark scheme and do self marking.- You should sometimes refer to the mark scheme of past year SPM trial papers to find out how every question is marked and which points need to be included in the answers for every question. Usually, the same types of questions will have similar mark scheme, so this can help you when answering exam questions.- When doing revision before exam, you should first go through the subtopics that you think you may have forgotten. Then, go through other topics as well if possible.- Every year, there are predictions made by teachers on the subtopics that will be tested in the SPM Sejarah Paper 2. Usually, only some but not all of the predictions are true. You should not rely on those predictions and you should prepare for all topics if possible. Besides that, subtopics that have been tested in the previous year Paper 2 are usually not tested again in the following year Paper 2, but this is not always true. You can skip those topics if you do not have time, but avoid doing so if possible.- One months before the exam, a general topic will be released for Sejarah Paper 3. You should look for materials that are relevant to the topic in books, newspapers, magazines, the internet and other sources. You should also discuss with your teacher and friends about that topic.

2. Paper 1- Read the question and all the options carefully. Cancel off the options that you consider as definitely wrong. Then, choose the most suitable answer among the 4 options.

3. Paper 2 Bahagian A- You need not answer in complete sentences. You are allowed to write extra answers for all questions. Marks will only be given for the correct answers, and marks will not be deducted for wrong or unacceptable answers. There is no limit on how many answers you are allowed to write.

4. Paper 2 Bahagian B- You must answer in continuous writing form. You are not allowed to answer in point form, table form, mind map, flow chart or any other forms. If you do so, half of the marks you scored for that question will be deducted. (For example, if you get 6 marks, 3 marks will be

deducted.) You should also answer in complete sentences so that your answer can be easily understood.- If the question says 'Nyatakan', 'Berikan', 'Namakan', 'Tuliskan' or something similar, you only need to write facts without elaboration. If the question says 'Jelaskan', 'Terangkan', 'Huraikan', 'Bincangkan' or something similar, you should give facts and elaborations. The number of marks allocated for the question usually shows the number of points needed in your answer. 1 mark is given for each correct point. Do not miss out any important points in your answer. You are allowed to write extra points in your answer. Marks will only be given for the correct points, and marks will not be deducted for wrong or unacceptable points. There is no limit on how many points you are allowed to write.

5. Paper 2 both Bahagian A & B- Bahagian A consists of 4 structured questions where you must answer all questions while Bahagian B consists of 7 essay questions and you can choose any 3 of them. You can answer extra questions in Bahagian B if you have time. The examiner will mark all questions you answer and choose the questions where you score the highest marks.- When answering, read the question carefully. Make sure that you know what the question is asking for. For questions on facts, answer based on your knowledge and understanding on the relevant topic in Sejarah. You can use the same or similar words or sentences as those in the textbook. You can also answer in your own sentences that have the same meaning. You are not advised to give facts that are not found in the textbooks. For questions on your own opinion, you have to give your own ideas, based on your knowledge in Sejarah or your general knowledge. Your ideas must be logical and relevant. You can also give facts from the textbook or revision books if they are relevant. For all questions, your answer must be specific and not too general.- Avoid making spelling errors in your answers. For minor spelling errors, marks is usually not deducted, but for major spelling errors, marks may be deducted. If your make grammatical errors in your answer, marks will not be deducted as long as the examiner can understand what you are writing. Avoid using any short forms in your answer, especially short forms that are not found in the textbook. If you use short forms that are found in the textbook, marks is usually not deducted, but if you use short forms that are not found in the textbook, marks may be deducted.

6. Paper 3- Paper 3 consists of 1 question with several parts. It is an open-book test. For Paper 3, bring both the Form 4 and Form 5 textbooks and revision books into the examination hall. You should also bring in any other materials that are relevant to the general topic released one month before the exam.- When answering, read the questions carefully. Make sure that you know what the question is asking for. Usually, questions on facts carry the first 50 marks, while questions on your own opinion (KBKK) carry the other 50 marks. For questions on facts, look for the answers from the textbook. You can copy the sentences directly from the textbook. You can also answer in your own sentences that have the same meaning. You are not advised to give facts that are not found in the textbooks. For questions on your own opinion, you have to give your own ideas, based on your knowledge in Sejarah or your general knowledge. Your ideas must be logical and relevant. You can also give facts from the textbook, revision books or other materials if they are relevant. For all questions, your answer must be specific and not too general.- Avoid making spelling errors in your answers. For minor spelling errors, marks is usually not deducted, but for major spelling errors, marks may be deducted. If your make grammatical errors in your answer, marks will not be deducted as long as the examiner can understand what you are writing. Avoid using any short forms in your answer, especially short forms that are not found in the textbook. If you use short forms that are found in the textbook, marks is usually not deducted, but if you use short forms that are not found in the textbook, marks may be deducted.- You must answer in continuous writing form. You are not allowed to answer in point form, table form, mind map, flow chart or any other forms. If you do so, marks will be deducted. You should also answer in complete sentences so that your answer can be easily understood. Organise your answer into different paragraphs. Answer for different parts of the question should be written in different paragraphs.

- If the question says 'Nyatakan', 'Berikan', 'Namakan', 'Tuliskan' or something similar, you only need to give facts without elaboration. If the question says 'Jelaskan', 'Terangkan', 'Huraikan', 'Bincangkan' or something similar, you should give facts and elaborations. The number of marks allocated for the part of question usually shows the number of points needed in your answer. 1 mark is given for each correct point. Do not miss out any important points in your answer. You are allowed to write extra points in your answer. Marks will only be given for the correct points, and marks will not be deducted for wrong or unacceptable points.

SPM Pendidikan Moral:

Note: These tips for SPM Pendidikan Moral have been updated due to changes in the format and style of the questions in Bahagian B from SPM 2013 onwards.

1. Studying tips- You should have a list of all the 36 Nilai in the syllabus and their Definisi and Kata Kunci. If you don't have one, get it from your teacher.- You need to understand the meaning and usage for every Nilai. Read the Definisi of every Nilai and try to understand it. The textbook also contains some explanations and examples that can help you understand the Nilai. You should also pay attention when your teacher is teaching in class. If you still do not understand the Nilai, ask your teacher.- You have to remember every Nilai and its Definisi and Kata Kunci. You must memorise them exactly as in the syllabus, especially for the Nilai and Kata Kunci. All spellings, Imbuhan and order of words in the Nilai and Kata Kunci must be exactly the same as in the syllabus. For other parts of the Definisi that is not part of the Kata Kunci, slight differences may be allowed, but you are strongly advised to memorise them exactly. This will help you to answer questions on Nilai.- You teacher should to able provide you with notes for the academic content of every Nilai when teaching in class. If your teacher does not provide you with any notes, you should either take down your own notes in class or request your teacher to give you notes.- You should read through and understand everything in your teacher's notes. Then, you have to remember them. You should also read and understand the textbook and remember the facts that can be found in the textbook. This will help you to answer questions on facts and on your own opinion (KBKK).- You have to regularly do revision. When revising, go through all the 36 Nilai, Kata Kunci and Definisi. Make sure that you remember all of them exactly as in the syllabus. You should also go through your teacher's notes and the facts in the textbook. Regular and repeated revision will help you to remember everything for a long time.- Then, you have to do exercises. Buy exercise books from the bookshop. You can start by doing topical questions. When you have understood all Nilai, proceed with doing SPM model test papers and past year SPM trial questions. They should be available from bookshops. After doing the exercises, refer to the suggested answer or mark scheme and do self marking.- You should sometimes refer to the mark scheme of past year SPM trial papers to find out the acceptable Nilai and answers for every question. Usually, the same types of questions will have similar mark scheme, so this can help you when answering exam questions.- You must know the correct answering techniques for SPM Pendidikan Moral, especially for the Nilai questions. Refer to the Answering tips below.

2. Bahagian A-  When answering, read the questions and situation carefully. Make sure that you know what the question is asking for.- When answering questions on Nilai, you must use the Nilai in the syllabus. Choose the Nilai among the 36 that are most suitable and relevant to the question, based on the definition of every Nilai. Look at the number of Nilai you need to write as stated in the question and the marks allocated for the question. For 1 Nilai 1 Mark, 2 Nilai 2 Marks or 3 Nilai 3 Marks questions, you only need to give Nilai without Penerangan or Contoh. For 1 Nilai 2 Marks, 2 Nilai 4 Marks or 3 Nilai 6 Marks questions, you need to give Nilai and Penerangan without Contoh. For 1 Nilai 3 Marks or 2 Nilai 6 Marks questions, you need to give Nilai, Penerangan and Contoh. 1 mark is given for each correct Nilai, Penerangan and Contoh. However, marks

can only be given for Penerangan if the Nilai mark is scored, and similarly, marks can only be given for Contoh if the both the Nilai and Penerangan marks are scored.- When writing the Nilai, you can write down the Nilai straight away. You should include the word 'Nilai' in front of the Nilai you wrote.- When writing the Penerangan, you should include the Watak / Situasi and one Kata Kunci of the Nilai. For 1 Nilai 2 Marks, 2 Nilai 4 Marks and 3 Nilai 6 Marks questions, you also have to relate the Penerangan to the question. The best way to do so is by giving an example from the question (similar to writing Contoh). You can repeat the same example when relating the Penerangan for other Nilai to the question. For 1 Nilai 3 marks and 2 Nilai 6 Marks questions, you do not need to relate the Penerangan to the question. You must write the Penerangan in one complete sentence. Begin the sentence with the Watak / Situasi, followed the Kata Kunci of the Nilai and then relate the Penerangan to the question (if necessary).- When writing the Contoh, begin with 'Contohnya' and give an example that is relevant to the Penerangan. You must write the Contoh in one complete sentence. You are advised to relate the Contoh to the Penerangan. If there are examples in the question, you can use them. You can also use other suitable examples that are not in the question. However, you cannot repeat the same example when writing the Contoh for other Nilai, unless if you make some changes by relating the Contoh to the Penerangan in a different way with different meaning.- When writing the Nilai, Penerangan and Contoh, the spelling for all Nilai, Kata Kunci and Watak/Situasi must be correct, otherwise marks may be deducted. For other words, marks is usually not deducted for wrong spelling. The imbuhan and susunan of the Nilai and Kata Kunci must also be exactly the same as in the syllabus. (For example, you cannot write 'Mematuhi Peraturan dan Undang-undang' as 'Pematuhan Peraturan dan Undang-undang' or 'Mematuhi Undang-undang dan Peraturan' ) Do not give any Nilai that is not among the 36 in the syllabus. If your make grammatical errors in your answer, marks will not be deducted as long as the examiner can understand what you are writing.- When answering questions on Definisi Nilai, you must give the complete definition of the Nilai, including all the Kata Kunci. Make sure that Definisi is exactly the same as in the syllabus, especially for the Kata Kunci. If the Kata Kunci is not exactly the same as in the syllabus, marks may be deducted. For other parts of the Definisi, slight differences is usually not penalised.- When answering questions on your own opinion (KBKK), you have to give your own ideas. Your ideas must be logical and relevant. You can also give facts from the textbook, revision books or your teacher's notes if they are relevant, and sometimes you have to make some changes to suit the question. Your answer must be specific and not too general. For 1 Answer 1 Mark, 2 Answer 2 Marks, 3 Answer 3 Marks and 4 Answer 4 Marks questions, you only need to give facts without elaboration. For 1 Answer 2 Marks, 2 Answer 4 Marks and 3 Answer 6 Marks questions, you have to give facts and elaboration for every facts.- When answering questions on facts (Akta / Tokoh / Pertubuhan), give your answer based on your general knowledge as well as relevant facts in the textbook, revision books or your teacher's notes. You should give the full name of the Akta, Pertubuhan or Tokoh. For Akta, you are advised to include the year of the Akta. For Pertubuhan, avoid writing only short forms in your answer, especially short forms that are not officially used by that Pertubuhan. If you write short forms that are officially used, marks is usually not deducted, but if you write short forms that are not officially used, marks may be deducted. All spellings should be correct, otherwise marks may be deducted.- For all questions in Bahagian A, you are allowed to write only one extra answer for every part of the questions. Marks will only be given for the correct answers, and marks will not be deducted for wrong or unacceptable answers. If you write more than one extra answers, those extra answers will not be marked.

3. Bahagian BWhen answering, read the question and situation carefully. The question may ask you to give Nilai or others. Make sure than you know what the question is asking for.a) When answering questions on anything other than Nilai,- You have to give your own ideas. Your ideas must be logical and relevant. You can also give facts from the textbook, revision books or your teacher's notes if they are relevant, and sometimes you have to make some changes to suit the question. Your answer must be specific and not too general.- For questions requiring 5 answers, you should give 5 Fakta and a Huraian for each of the

Fakta. For questions requiring 3 answers, you should give 3 Fakta, as well as a Huraian and a Contoh/Huraian Lanjut for each of the Fakta.- You must write each of the Fakta and Huraian/Contoh in complete sentence. The Fakta and Huraian/Contoh should be written in separate sentences. 1 mark is given for each correct Fakta and Huraian/Contoh. However, marks can only be given for Huraian if the mark for Fakta is scored.- Some questions may first ask you whether you agree or disagree with something, whether something is correct or not, or something similar. In that case, you should first answer that (For example, by stating that you agree or disagree) before proceeding with the rest of the question. 1 mark may be given for that.- Marks is usually not deducted for incorrect spelling or grammatical errors, as long as the examiner can understand what you are writing. You must answer in continuous writing form. You are not allowed to answer in point form, table form, mind map, flow chart or any other forms. If you do so, marks will be deducted.- You should not include any Nilai in your answer unless if the question says otherwise. You are allowed to write 1 extra Fakta for every question. Marks will only be given for the correct Fakta, and marks will not be deducted for wrong Fakta. If you write more than 1 extra Fakta, those extra Fakta will not be marked.- For every Fakta, you are allowed to write extra Huraian/Contoh in your answer. Marks will only be given for the correct Huraian/Contoh, and marks will not be deducted for wrong or unacceptable Huraian/Contoh. There is no limit on how many Huraian/Contoh you are allowed to write.b) When answering questions on Nilai,- Usually, you have to give 2 Nilai based on the question. In rare cases, the question may ask you to give 3 Nilai. You must use the Nilai in the syllabus. Choose the Nilai among the 36 that are most suitable and relevant to the question, based on the definition of every Nilai.- For each of the Nilai, you need to give 2 Penerangan and 2 Contoh. 1 mark is given for each correct Nilai, Penerangan and Contoh. However, marks can only be given for Penerangan if the Nilai mark is scored, and similarly, marks can only be given for Contoh if the both the Nilai and Penerangan marks are scored.- When writing each Nilai, you should include the Watak / Situasi. You must write the Nilai in one complete sentence. Begin the sentence with the Watak / Situasi, followed by the Nilai. Do not forget to include the word 'Nilai' in front of the Nilai you wrote.- When writing each Penerangan, you should include the Watak / Situasi and one Kata Kunci of the Nilai. You do not need to relate the Penerangan to the question. You must write the Penerangan in one complete sentence. Begin the sentence with the Watak / Situasi, followed the Kata Kunci of the Nilai.- When writing each Contoh, begin with 'Contohnya' and give an example that is relevant to the Penerangan. You must write the Contoh in one complete sentence. You are advised to relate the Contoh to the Penerangan. If there are examples in the question, you can use them. You can also use other suitable examples that are not in the question. However, you cannot repeat the same example when writing the Contoh for other Nilai, unless if you make some changes by relating the Contoh to the Penerangan in a different way with different meaning.- When writing the Nilai, Penerangan and Contoh, the spelling for all Nilai, Kata Kunci and Watak/Situasi must be correct, otherwise marks may be deducted. For other words, marks is usually not deducted for wrong spelling. The imbuhan and susunan of the Nilai and Kata Kunci must also be exactly the same as in the syllabus. (For example, you cannot write 'Mematuhi Peraturan dan Undang-undang' as 'Pematuhan Peraturan dan Undang-undang' or 'Mematuhi Undang-undang dan Peraturan' )- Do not give any Nilai that is not among the 36 in the syllabus. If your make grammatical errors in your answer, marks will not be deducted as long as the examiner can understand what you are writing. You must answer in continuous writing form. You are not allowed to answer in point form, table form, mind map, flow chart or any other forms. If you do so, marks will be deducted.- You are allowed to write up to 3 Nilai for every question. Marks will only be given for the correct Nilai, and marks will not be deducted for wrong Nilai. If you write more than 3 Nilai, those extra Nilai will not be marked. However, if the question asks you to give 3 Nilai, then you can write up to 4 Nilai.- For every Nilai and Penerangan, you are allowed to write extra Contoh in your answer.

Marks will only be given for the correct Contoh, and marks will not be deducted for wrong or unacceptable Contoh. There is no limit on how many Contoh you are allowed to write.

Tips for SPM Biology and ICT

For my SPM in year 2012, I got 9A+ and 1A. I got A+ for both Biology and Information And Communication Technology (ICT). Do you want to know how to score in SPM for these 2 subjects? Here, I am posting the complete tips for SPM Biology and ICT. These tips are intended for Form 4 and Form 5 students this year who are taking SPM 2014 or SPM 2015.

Tips for other SPM subjects can be found here:

http://daniellimjj.blogspot.com/2013/06/complete-tips-for-spm-examination-first.html

Notice:

It is more difficult to get A+ for SPM Biology and ICT compared to other SPM subjects. In SPM 2010 especially, very few candidates got A+ for Biology, and no one in the whole Malaysia got A+ for ICT. Nobody in my school got A+ for either subject on that year. In SPM 2011 and SPM 2012, only less than 20 candidates in my school got A+ for Biology, and only 3 candidates in my school got A+ for ICT. The minimum marks to get A+ for SPM ICT is very high, usually 95. The mark scheme for SPM Biology is rather strict, and some questions can be quite difficult. If you aim to get A+ for these two subjects, you need to understand them very well and master the answering techniques.

SPM Biology:

1. Studying tips

- When your teacher is teaching in class, pay attention to what your teacher says. Make sure you understand everything taught by your teacher. If you do not understand anything, ask your teacher or friends.

- You need a reference book because the textbook and practical book are not enough. I recommend you to use the Success Biology SPM reference book by Oxford Fajar.

- When studying a chapter, read through all the explanations in the reference book sentence by sentence. Make sure that you truly understand each sentence before moving on to the next sentence. Certain topics may require understanding of earlier topics, so make sure you

understand those topics. You should also try to relate them to what your teacher had taught in school.

- You also need to read through all the experiments and activities in the reference book. You have to understand the Aim, Problem Statement, Hypothesis, Variables and List of Materials & Apparatus, Technique, Procedure, Tabulation of Data and Conclusion for all experiments. For the Procedure, read through it step by step. Make sure that you truly understand each step before moving on to the next step. To help you understand, try to imagine that you are carrying out the experiment. Understanding the Procedure will make it very easy for you to remember the List of Materials & Apparatus. You are also advised to be actively involved in all experiments carried out in school because this can help you understand and remember the procedure of experiment.

- Then, you have to remember everything that you understood. You can memorise the sentences in the book, or you can also create your own sentences that have the same meaning and memorise them. If you create your own sentences, make sure that you do not change the original meaning, do not leave out any important points and do not change the important keywords and scientific terms. However, do not just memorise without understanding. Once you have understood, it will be quite easy to remember and you will be unlikely to forget any of the points.

- For certain facts, there may be no explanation for them so it is not possible to understand them. In that case, you have to remember and memorise those facts.

- For the calculations, you need to know how to apply what you have learnt to solve the questions. Go through all the example questions in the revision book. Make sure that you understand how every question is solved.

- You have to regularly revise every topics again and again. When revising, go through all the explanation, facts, experiments and examples for calculation questions in the book. Make sure that you do not forget anything that you have understood previously. Regular and repeated revision will help you to remember all the explanation and facts for a long time.

- Then, you have to do exercises. Buy exercise books from the bookshop. You can start by doing topical questions topic by topic. When you have understood all topics, proceed with doing SPM model test papers, past year SPM trial questions and past year actual SPM questions. They should be available from bookshops. After doing the exercises, refer to the suggested answer or mark scheme and do self marking.

- You should sometimes refer to the mark scheme of past year SPM trial papers to find out how every question is marked and which points need to be included in the answers for every question. Usually, the same types of questions will have similar mark scheme, so this can help you when answering exam questions.

- For Biology Paper 3, the pattern of questions set is similar for every year. You should familiarise yourself with the pattern by looking at past year questions.

- When doing revision before exam, you should first go through the subtopics and experiments that you think is more difficult or that you may have forgotten. Then, go through other topics as well if possible.

2. Paper 1

- Read the question and all the options carefully. Write any rough workings on the question paper if you need to. Cancel off the options that you consider as definitely wrong. Then, choose the most suitable answer among the 4 options.

3. Paper 2 Section A & B

- Section A consists of 5 structured questions where you must answer all questions while Section B consists of 4 essay questions where you can choose any 2 of them. You can answer extra questions in Section B if you have time. The examiner will mark all questions and choose the questions where you score the highest marks.

- When answering, read the question and all information given carefully. Make sure that you know what the question is asking for. Answer the questions based on your knowledge and understanding on the relevant topic in Biology. Certain questions may test you on more than one topics. For some questions, you may have to apply what you have learnt in Biology in order to answer them. You have to think carefully and relate the question to what you have learnt. You may also be asked to give your own opinions.

- When writing your answer, you can use the same or similar words or sentences as those in revision books if possible. However, sometimes you may need to make some changes in order to suit the question. You can also answer in your own sentences that have the same meaning. If the question asks on something that is not in revision books (the question requires you to apply what you have learnt in Biology or give your own opinion), then you have to answer in your own sentences. For all questions, your answer must be specific and not too general. Give the most suitable answer according to the question.

- You should use the correct Biological terms in your answer. Do not replace them with other terms that are inappropriate, even if their meaning are the same. The spelling for all Biological terms must also be correct, otherwise marks may be deducted. For other non-Biological terms, marks is not deducted for wrong spelling. If your make grammatical errors in your answer, marks will not be deducted as long as the examiner can understand what you are writing. Do not use any short forms in your answer, except when writing units for quantities. For all chemical substances, you should write the complete name and do not write only the chemical formula.

- It is not compulsory to answer in continuous writing form. You are allowed to answer in table form or other suitable forms. In suitable cases, you can also use diagrams, equations or graphs in your answer. However, you are not advised to answer in point form. There is not

penalty for answering in point form, but some inexperienced examiners may deduct your marks if you do so.

- When answering questions on calculation, you must show all workings. You should not skip any important steps, otherwise marks may be deducted. You must also write the correct unit for the final answer. The number of marks allocated for the question usually shows the amount of working needed. 1 mark will be given for each important step and the final answer. You are not allowed to write extra solutions or answers. If you do so and any of the answers or solutions is wrong, marks will be deducted.

- If the question says 'Explain', 'Describe', 'Discuss', 'Justify', 'Give reasons' or something similar, you should give facts and elaborations in your answer. Your answer must be very detailed. You are advised to answer in complete sentences so that your answer can be easily understood. The number of marks allocated for the question usually shows the number of points needed in your answer. 1 mark is given for each correct point. Do not miss out any important points in your answer. You are allowed to write extra points in your answer, but you must be careful not to write points that contradict one another. Marks will only be given for the correct points. For points that are not acceptable, whether they contain wrong facts or not, no mark will be given or deducted. However, for points that contradict one another, no mark will be given for both the points, even if one of them is correct. You are advised to write extra points if you are not completely sure of what the question is asking for.

- If the question says 'State', 'Give', 'Name' or something similar, you only need to write facts without elaboration. Write the answer straight away. You need not answer in complete sentences. The number of marks allocated for the question usually shows the number of answers needed. If the question states the number of answers you have to write, then you are not allowed to write extra answers. If you do so and any of them is wrong, marks can be deducted. If the question does not state the number of answers you have to write, you are allowed to write extra answers, but you must be careful not to write answers that contradict one another. Marks will only be given for the correct answers. For answers that are not acceptable, whether they contain wrong facts or not, no mark will be given or deducted. However, for answers that contradict one another, no mark will be given for both the answers, even if one of them is correct.

- When plotting graph, draw both the horizontal and vertical axis on the graph paper correctly. Label both axis correctly and state the unit (if any). Use a suitable scale for both axis. Plot all points on the graph accurately. Then, if it is possible to draw a curve or straight line that passes through all points on the graph, you should do so. If it is not possible, you can just use straight lines to join them point-to-point. The graph should cover at least half of the graph paper.

- When drawing diagrams, make sure that all important details are included in the diagram you draw. You have to label correctly all parts in the diagram. Your diagram should be clear and neat.

4. Paper 3 Question 1

- When answering, read the question and all information given carefully. Make sure that you understand the experiment given and know what the question is asking for. Answer the questions based on the experiment and its observations and results. You may need to apply your Biology experimental skills to answer some questions. Certain questions may require your knowledge and understanding in Biology to answer them. You may also need to give your own opinions. Your answer must be specific and not too general. Give the most suitable answer according to the question.

- You should use the correct Biological and experimental terms in your answer. Do not replace them with other terms that are inappropriate, even if their meaning are the same. The spelling for all Biological and experimental terms must also be correct, otherwise marks may be deducted. For other terms, marks is not deducted for wrong spelling. If your make grammatical errors in your answer, marks will not be deducted as long as the examiner can understand what you are writing. Do not use any short forms in your answer, except when writing units for quantities. For all chemical substances, you should write the complete name and do not write only the chemical formula.

- When answering parts of the question on calculation, you must show all workings. You should not skip any important steps, otherwise marks can be deducted. You must also write the correct unit for the final answer. You are not allowed to write extra solutions or answers. If you do so and any of the answers or solutions is wrong, marks will be deducted.

- When answering parts of the question that require explanation or description, your answer must be very detailed. You are advised to answer in complete sentences so that your answer can be easily understood. The number of marks allocated for each part of the question is always 3. The marks are given based on the quality of your answer, so it does actually depend on the number of points in your answer. However, you should not miss out any important points in your answer. You are allowed to write extra points in your answer, but you must be careful not to write any points with wrong facts or points that contradict one another. Marks will only be given for the correct points. For points that are not acceptable but does not contain wrong facts, no mark will be given or deducted. However, for points that contain wrong facts or points that contradict one another, marks may be deducted.

- When answering parts of the question that do not require explanation or description, write the answer straight away. You need not answer in complete sentences. You are not allowed to write extra answers. If you do so and any of them is wrong, marks can be deducted. For the Constant Variable, you only need to write one answer, although there may be many.

- When recording numerical data from an instrument used in the experiment, the number of decimal places used should be equal to the smallest division of scale of the instrument, unless if there is special instruction in the question. (For example, if the instrument's smallest division of scale is 0.1, you should record the data to the nearest 0.1, which is 1 decimal place.) Do not give more or less number of decimal places. You must also write the correct units.

- When plotting graph, draw both the horizontal and vertical axis on the graph paper correctly. Label both axis correctly and state the unit (if any). Use a suitable scale for both axis. Plot all points on the graph accurately. Then, if it is possible to draw a curve or straight line that passes through all points on the graph, you should do so. If it is not possible, you can just use straight lines to join them point-to-point. The graph should cover at least half of the graph paper.

5. Paper 3 Question 2

- When answering, read the question given carefully. You have to design a suitable experiment based on the question. Your answer must include all the necessary details stated in the question. When writing the Aim, Problem Statement, Hypothesis, Variables, Technique and List of Materials & Apparatus, give the answer based on the experiment. You need not answer in complete sentences.

- When writing the procedure, you must include all the steps to set up the apparatus, steps to handle the manipulated, responding & fixed variable and the precautionary steps. You should state the amount and concentration of the substances used. You are advised to answer in complete sentences so that your answer can be easily understood. You do not need to draw the diagram of set-up apparatus.

- When tabulating the data of experiment, you should include all the manipulated variables and the header for the manipulated & responding variable, and you can leave blank for the results of the experiment (responding variable).

- You can use the same or similar words or sentences as those in revision books if possible. However, sometimes you may need to make some changes in order to suit the question. You can also answer in your own sentences that have the same meaning. You are not allowed to write extra answers. If you do so and any of them is wrong, marks can be deducted. For the Constant Variable, you only need to write one answer, even though there may be many.

- You should use the correct experimental terms in your answer. Do not replace them with other terms that are inappropriate, even if their meaning are the same. The spelling for all experimental terms must also be correct, otherwise marks may be deducted. For other terms, marks is not deducted for wrong spelling. If your make grammatical errors in your answer, marks will not be deducted as long as the examiner can understand what you are writing. Do not use any short forms in your answer. For all chemical substances, you should write the complete name and do not write only the chemical formula.