WACE Maths Applications study plan

Build a one-page formula sheet covering consumer arithmetic (simple and compound interest, appreciation and depreciation, percentage change) from your own notes

Work through 20 scaffolded consumer-arithmetic problems, writing the full substitution step before calculating

Set up a mistake log and record every error with its cause (misread, formula slip, unit slip)

Practise converting between weekly, fortnightly, monthly and annual rates without a calculator 10 times

Solve 15 compound-interest and depreciation problems that require choosing the correct compounding period

Compute loan repayments and total interest paid using a recurrence or table method for at least 5 scenarios

Explain in writing why a quoted annual rate differs from the effective rate in three worked examples

Complete a timed 25-minute set of 10 mixed consumer-arithmetic questions under exam conditions

Construct and interpret matrices representing real data such as travel times or costs between locations

Perform matrix addition, scalar multiplication and multiplication by hand on 10 exercises, checking dimensions first

Apply matrices to solve 5 two-step network or costing problems

Identify and correct three common order-of-operations errors in matrix work

Draw and interpret network diagrams, identifying vertices, edges, paths and cycles

Determine minimum spanning trees using Kruskal's algorithm on 6 networks and verify each result

Find shortest paths using Dijkstra's algorithm on 5 weighted networks, showing the label updates

Distinguish between spanning-tree and shortest-path questions when reading unfamiliar wording

Construct and read scatterplots, describing strength, direction and form of association in words

Calculate and interpret correlation coefficients for 5 datasets, noting the effect of outliers

Fit a least-squares line by eye and by formula, then use it to make and critique a prediction

Explain in writing why correlation does not imply causation using two concrete examples

Solve 15 problems involving the normal distribution, including standardising values and finding proportions

Use z-scores and tables or technology to answer inverse questions such as finding a cut-off value

Interpret standard deviation and mean in context for 5 different real-world datasets

Complete a mixed statistics set of 12 questions in 40 minutes

Assemble a two-page condensed summary linking all four strands (consumer arithmetic, matrices, networks, statistics)

Redo every item in your mistake log from weeks 1 to 6 without notes

Complete two full-length practice papers under strict timing, marking against the official rubric

List the five question types that cost you the most marks and write a fix for each

Drill the five identified weak question types with 10 fresh problems each

Rehearse showing working, units and rounding to the required precision on 20 answers

Simulate a full exam session once more and review timing per section

Finalise a one-page exam-day checklist covering calculator use, rounding and time allocation