General Science, Technology, and Mathematics: Reasoning Under Time Pressure
What the examiner expects
Science items test concepts, not memorised trivia: units and measurement, Newton's laws, work-energy-power, electricity and magnetism, light and sound, the periodic table, acids and bases, cell biology, human organ systems, and basic ecology. Technology items cover computers, the internet, AI, and cybersecurity basics. Mathematics covers arithmetic (percentage, ratio, profit-loss, interest), algebra, geometry, and data interpretation.
Traps to watch
Unit conversions are the commonest trap - km/h to m/s, watt to kilowatt, litre to cubic metre. In physics, distinguish mass from weight and speed from velocity. In chemistry, do not confuse atomic number with mass number. In biology, separate mitosis from meiosis. In maths, the trap is misreading 'percentage of' vs 'percentage increase' and forgetting to convert units before applying formulas.
Rule of thumb
Always write the units and convert to a single system before calculating. In percentage problems, identify the base first; the base is whatever follows 'of' or 'than'.
Worked example
Stem: 'A train travels 72 km/h. What is its speed in m/s?' Rule: multiply by 5/18. 72 × 5/18 = 20 m/s. The trap answer 72/3.6 = 20 is the same, but watch options that give 25.8 (using 3.6 incorrectly). Answer: 20 m/s.