Mathematics: A Practice Plan and How to Check Your Work

You cannot learn Mathematics by reading it. You learn it by solving problems, getting stuck, and then understanding why. A steady plan works better than long sessions before the exam.

A weekly practice plan

• Learn: read the concept and the solved examples, copying a few into your notebook with your own notes.
• Practise: solve the exercise questions without looking at the answers. Start with easy ones and move to harder ones.
• Review: each week, redo the questions you got wrong or could not solve.
• Mix: once a week, solve random questions from older chapters so you do not forget them.

Aim for at least 30 to 40 minutes of problem solving every day instead of three hours once a week.

Learn formulas properly

Keep a formula sheet for each chapter and understand where each formula comes from. A formula you can rebuild is harder to forget. Write it, cover it, and test yourself.

In the exam: show your working

Check your answers

• Re-read the question to be sure you answered what was asked.
• Substitute your answer back into the equation when you can.
• Check signs (plus and minus) and units.
• Ask whether the answer is reasonable. A negative length or a probability above 1 is a warning.

When you are stuck

Do not stare at one question for ten minutes. Move on, finish the rest, and come back. Often the idea appears while you are working on something else.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping steps and making a small arithmetic error.
• Copying the question wrongly from the paper.
• Leaving questions blank. Write the formula and the first step, because partial marks are often given.