Mathematics
What the exam tests
Expect arithmetic (fractions, percentages, proportion, powers and roots), algebra (linear and quadratic equations, systems, factorization, inequalities), functions (affine and quadratic graphs), basic geometry (triangles, circles, areas and volumes) and elementary statistics (mean, median, mode). Trigonometric ratios in right triangles and the Pythagorean theorem appear frequently.
Traps to expect
- Order of operations: multiplication and division before addition and subtraction; parentheses first.
- Sign errors when solving equations, especially distributing a negative.
- Percentage of increase vs decrease: a 20% rise followed by a 20% fall does not return to the original value.
- Units: converting cm² to m² requires dividing by 10 000, not 100.
Rule of thumb
For any word problem, write the unknown, translate each sentence into an equation, then check the answer against the original wording.
Worked example
A rectangle has perimeter 34 cm and length 3 cm more than twice the width. Let width = w, length = 2w + 3. Then 2(w + 2w + 3) = 34 → 6w + 6 = 34 → w = 14/3 ≈ 4.67 cm, length ≈ 12.33 cm. Always verify: 2(4.67 + 12.33) = 34. ✓