Tawjihi Science, Technology & Engineering Field common mistakes
Tawjihi Science, Technology & Engineering Field · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
In physics free-response items, substituting given values into a memorized formula before drawing a free-body diagram or stating the physical principle, so signs, directions, and which forces act are decided by guesswork.
Students drill formula recall more than setup; under time pressure the formula is the first thing that comes to mind, and vectors are treated as scalars because direction is never written down.
What to do instead
Make the first written line of every mechanics solution an explicit statement of the principle and a labelled sketch (forces, chosen positive axis, knowns/unknowns). Only then write the symbolic equation, rearrange it algebraically, and substitute numbers in the last step with units carried through.
In chemistry stoichiometry and solution problems, applying mole ratios directly to masses or volumes, or using molarity where moles are needed, without converting to moles first.
The mole concept is abstract and students pattern-match 'grams to grams' shortcuts, skipping the balanced equation and the n = m/M or n = cV step.
What to do instead
Enforce a fixed four-line scaffold for every calculation: balanced equation, moles of known, mole ratio, moles and then mass/volume of unknown. Practise with limiting-reagent and dilution (c1V1 = c2V2) items until the scaffold is automatic, and always check the answer's order of magnitude.
In mathematics, starting to compute before identifying what is asked, then presenting an unsupported numerical answer with no justification or rejected extraneous solutions.
Exam-condition anxiety pushes students to 'get something down'; marking schemes award method marks, but students have trained mostly on final answers.
What to do instead
Spend the first 20 seconds restating the goal and listing the given data and constraints. Write each solution as claim–justification–result, and explicitly test boundary cases (domain restrictions, division by zero, squared equations) before finalizing. Practise against method-mark rubrics, not just answer keys.
In biology, answering genetics and physiology questions with vague everyday language ('the gene passes to the child', 'the blood goes around') instead of precise terms, symbols, and causal sequence.
Students study by re-reading rather than by producing definitions; terminology feels understood until it must be written under pressure.
What to do instead
Build a personal glossary of exact terms and use them in written answers. For genetics, always draw the cross with parental genotypes, gametes, Punnett square, and phenotype ratio. For physiology, answer as an ordered cause→effect chain (stimulus, receptor, pathway, response).
In Arabic language exams, writing an essay or expression piece with correct ideas but weak structure: no clear introduction and conclusion, paragraphs that drift between topics, and no linking devices.
Students prepare content and vocabulary but rarely practise planning and outlining; they compose directly onto the answer sheet and run out of space or time.
What to do instead
Before writing, spend 3–4 minutes on a skeleton outline (thesis, three body points, conclusion) and a list of connectors (من ثمّ، بالإضافة إلى ذلك، في المقابل، ختاماً). Practise timed full essays weekly and mark them against a checklist for structure, connectors, and paragraph unity.
In Arabic grammar (النحو), parsing words by their position in the sentence rather than by their grammatical function, so case endings (إعراب) are guessed from the surrounding word order.
Students memorize example sentences rather than the categories of عامل ومعمول; unusual word orders and hidden pronouns break the pattern they memorized.
What to do instead
Practise إعراب by first naming the function (فاعل، مفعول به، خبر، مضاف إليه) and only then assigning the case and marker. Work through sentences with inverted order, omitted subjects, and dual/plural forms, and justify each ending in writing.
In English, treating reading comprehension as a memory test: choosing an option that matches a word from the passage rather than one that answers the question, and ignoring the function of connectors like 'however' and 'although'.
Vocabulary-matching is faster than reading for meaning, and students under time pressure scan for familiar words instead of locating the relevant sentence.
What to do instead
Read the question first, locate and underline the sentence that answers it, and paraphrase that sentence before looking at the options. Eliminate options that are true but do not answer the question, and drill contrast/cause connectors separately.
In Islamic Education, quoting a text (Qur'anic verse or hadith) as evidence without identifying its source or context, or answering a doctrinal question with personal opinion instead of the established ruling and its evidence.
Students memorize isolated phrases for recall questions but never practise applying evidence to a new situation, and they confuse general knowledge with the specific curriculum positions.
What to do instead
For each topic, build a one-page evidence card: the ruling, the primary text, its source, and the reasoning. Practise 'apply to a scenario' questions where the answer must cite the evidence and explain how it supports the ruling.
In History of Jordan / National Education, writing narrative summaries of events with dates and names but no analysis of causes, consequences, or significance, and mixing up chronology.
The subject is often revised by reading textbooks passively; students memorize sequences of events without practising the 'why' and 'so what' that the questions reward.
What to do instead
Convert each unit into a timeline plus a cause–consequence diagram. Practise short-answer questions that demand explanation ('Explain the significance of…', 'Compare…'), and rehearse linking each event to its political, economic, and social effects.
In computer science, tracing a loop or algorithm by intuition and writing the output without tracking variable values line by line, and confusing assignment (=) with comparison (==) or array indices starting at 0.
Students read code as prose rather than executing it mentally; they lack a systematic trace habit and have not internalized indexing and operator conventions.
What to do instead
Use a trace table on paper: one column per variable, one row per iteration, updating values explicitly. For any algorithm question, state initial values, loop condition, and termination before giving the output, and test edge cases (empty input, single element, off-by-one bounds).