Mathematics and Science (60 marks, Mathematics/Science stream)
The Mathematics and Science section carries 60 marks - typically 30 for mathematics and 30 for science - for candidates who choose the Mathematics/Science stream, with content drawn from Classes 6–8 plus subject pedagogy. Most items test subject knowledge; the rest test how the topic is taught, assessed and remediated.
Mathematics content and pedagogy
- Number: integers, rational numbers, exponents, ratio and proportion, percentage, simple and compound interest.
- Algebra: expressions, identities, linear equations in one variable.
- Geometry and mensuration: lines and angles, triangle congruence, quadrilaterals, perimeter, area, surface area, volume.
- Data handling: mean, median, mode, bar and line graphs, simple probability.
- Pedagogy: Van Hiele levels (visualisation → analysis → informal deduction), concrete–pictorial–abstract sequence, Polya's four steps (understand, plan, carry out, look back), error analysis.
Science content and pedagogy
- Food and nutrition, materials and separation, acids and bases, physical versus chemical change.
- Living world: cell and tissues, plant and animal processes, reproduction, health.
- Motion, force, light, electricity and circuits, sound, natural phenomena.
- Pedagogy: process skills (observing, classifying, hypothesising, experimenting), the 5E model, probing misconceptions, laboratory safety.
Worked example
A 40 m × 30 m field has a 2 m wide path running inside along its boundary. Find the path area. Reasoning: the width is deducted twice from each dimension. Inner rectangle = (40 − 4) × (30 − 4) = 36 × 26 = 936 m²; outer area = 40 × 30 = 1200 m²; path = 1200 − 936 = 264 m².
Traps
Deducting the path width once per side; averaging two speeds instead of using total distance ÷ total time; confusing mass with weight; assuming plants respire only at night.