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Generally an easy topic, but beware of certain kinds of questions such as:
(a) Questions involving reciprocals of x and y, such as
Solve 3(1/x) + 1/y = 1; 1/(x^2) + 1/(y^2) = 5
Ans: x = 1, y = -1/2 or x = -5/2, y = 5/11
Do not make common denominators and cross-multiply; the better technique is to let p = 1/x and q = 1/y.
(b) Questions involving coefficient matrices that are singular (determinant = 0), such as
Given that x and y satisfy the simultaneous equations mx + (m-1)y = 10 and (m-2)x + 3my = 20,
(i) if the equations have no unique solution, find the values of m; (ans: 1/2, -2)
(ii) if the equations have no solution, find the value of m.(ans: 1/2)
(adapted from Additional Math, EPB Panpac, p. 13)
Generally an easy topic, except for students who do not understand or memorize the laws of indices and logarithms properly. I find that quite a number of weak students do not know the meaning of logarithm, thus not appreciating and enjoying the topic. Weak students do not realize that while Indices is concerned with the answer or expression obtained when a power is applied to a base number, Logarithms is about the power itself; the power that is needed to be applied to a base to give a certain number.
For eg, why is lg1000 = 3? ‘Evaluate lg1000’ or ‘What is lg1000?’ is the same as asking, “What is the Power that must be applied to the number 10 (the base) to obtain 1000?” Since 10^3 = 1000, therefore the answer is 3.
Weak students almost always make one or more of the following mistakes, thinking that (i) logA x logB = logA + logB, (ii) log(A + B) = logA + logB, (iii) logAB = logA x logB, (iv) (logA)^n = nlogA, (v) logAB^n = nlogAB, (vi) (a^m)^n = a^(m+n). All these are wrong.
How to be good in Indices and Logarithms? READ AND UNDERSTAND THE LAWS OF INDICES AND LOGARITHMS CAREFULLY. Yes, there is such a thing as READING MATH, not just practising Math.
Some of the points to note are:
(1) Understand that alpha and beta by themselves also satisfy the quadratic eqn because they are the roots of the equation! So it’s not just abt finding the sum and product of roots;
You must be able to solve questions like:
If α is the root of the equation x^2 = 2x – 1, show that α^4 – α^2 = 2α – 2.
(2) Understand that the discriminant (b^2 – 4ac) is less than or equal to zero when the question involves the phrase “for which the function is never positive or never negative”;
(3) Understand that sometimes you are required to solve an inequality involving the discriminant but at other times the inequality involves the function itself;
(4) Understand how to complete the square to determine the maximum or minimum value of a quadratic function;
(5) Recognise that “real and distinct roots”, “real and equal roots”, and “no real roots” have other names that express the same meaning.
TO BE CONTINUED ……….. (by Mr Ilyasa)
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For our latest timetable, click here => 
For our latest timetable, click here =>
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ORIGINAL POST(OUTDATED):
The details of the 2-day, 6-hr programme are as follows:
Date/Time (choose one pair of sessions only):
(1) Sat 24 Nov (10 am to 1 pm) and Sun 25 Nov (10 am to 1 pm);
(2) Sat 8 Dec (10 am to 1 pm) and Sun 9 Dec (10 am to 1 pm);
Location: Blk 627, Bukit Batok Central, 07-640.
Class size: Max 6 students.
Investment amt: $150 total for both days (6 hrs).
Topics: Electrostatics, Current Electricity
Tutor: Mr Ilyasa; M.Ed (NIE), PGDE (NIE), BSc (NUS), A-Level (RJC); ex-sch teacher, full-time tutor (8 years) of PSLE, O and A Level Math and Physics.
To book a place in the programme, sms to or call Mr Ilyasa at 97860411.
IP students always give me headaches because they come from different schools and have their own syllabi, to the point I’ve kind of decided not to take in any IP students anymore. I’ve taught students from RV, ACS(I), NJC, RI, RGS, HCI and NYGS.
But now I’m in a dilemma, because my existing IP students are asking me to continue guiding them. Two YR4 RI boys and a YR4 RGS girl (plus her friend) are asking me to have a headstart programme in Nov/Dec to intro them to H2 Math. A YR2 NYGH student is asking me to do the same for her YR3 Math. The problem is, they may not all fit into the same session because of differences in availability and level.
If I were to proceed, it would be 2-hr sessions, lecture cum discussion style, and if they are spread out across several sessions in the same week, I would need a few more students to join us to avoid boring and expensive one-to-one tuition. So if you are an IP student and in the same level (preferably even same school) as them in 2013 (YR5 or YR3) and you need a headstart in Math, please consider joining us. You may contact me at 97860411. Thank you.
My resume: Mr Ilyasa
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For our latest timetable, click here => 
For our latest timetable, click here =>
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ORIGINAL POST (OUTDATED):
Objective: Intensive Revision or Crash Course for O-Levels 2013
Focus: Understanding Key Concepts, Problem-Solving Techniques, Difficult Topics
DETAILS:
Available Time Slots:
Mon 4pm – 7pm
Thur 1.30pm – 4.30pm, 8pm – 10pm
Fri 6pm – 8pm
Sat 9am – 11am
Investment Amt: $80 per hr
Tutor: Mr Ilyasa; M.Ed (NIE), PGDE (NIE), BSc (NUS), A-Level (RJC); ex-sch teacher, full-time tutor (8 years) of PSLE, O and A Level Math and Physics.
Location: Blk 627 Bukit Batok Central #07-640
Average Class Size: 2-6 students
For appointment, call or sms to 97860411. Thank you.
For our latest timetable, click here => 
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ORIGINAL POST (OUTDATED):
Objective: Intensive Revision or Crash Course for A-Levels or Promos 2013
Focus: Understanding Key Concepts, Essay Writing Skills, Answering Skills & Techniques for Case Studies.
DETAILS:
Location: Blk 627, Bukit Batok Central, #07-640
Investment Amt: $100 per hr
Available Time Slots: Mon 4 pm – 7 pm; Thur 1.30 pm – 4.30 pm.
Tutor(s):
Mr Jay Lim, Masters of International Management, experienced full-time tutor
Mr Ilyasa; M.Ed (NIE), PGDE (NIE), BSc (NUS), A-Level (RJC); ex-sch teacher, full-time tutor (8 years) of PSLE, O and A Level Math and Physics.
For appointment, call or sms to 97860411. Thank you.
Objective: Intensive Revision or Crash Course for A-Levels or Promos 2013
Focus: Essay Writing Skills, Answering Skills & Techniques for Paper 2.
DETAILS:
Investment Amt: $100 per hr
Location: Blk 627, Bukit Batok Central
Available Time Slots: Sun 9 am – 11 am.
Tutor: Experienced, committed tutor / current JC GP teacher with 11 yrs’ experience. Website: http://generalpaperlessons.wordpress.com/
For appointment, call or sms to 97860411. Thank you.
For our latest timetable, click here => 
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ORIGINAL POST (OUTDATED):
If you are interested in Mr Iskandar’s Science or Math PSLE (2013) Headstart programmes in Nov/Dec 2012, click here.
For our latest timetable, click here =>
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ORIGINAL POST (OUTDATED):
Register here to give your child a headstart for the PSLE!
FAQ for the PSLE Maths Headstart Programme, click here.
FAQ for the PSLE Science Headstart Programme, click here.
FAQ for the PSLE Science Process Skills workshop, click here.
PRIMARY MATH & SCIENCE DAILY HOMEWORK SUPERVISION AND TUITION (DHST)
Be aware that there are Mathematics gaps that need to be handled with care:
The following is derived from my eight years of teaching mathematics from
Primary 1 level to JC 2.
1st Gap – From Lower Primary to Upper Primary:
Somewhere in Primary Three problem sums that require the drawing of simple
models begin to appear and in some schools, this happens in P2 and even P1.
However, these problems tend to be simple enough so as not to cause problems for
students who don’t draw models. Generally, parents report their children doing
badly and losing interest in math in P4. This is because in P4, complex problem
sums begin to appear. It also coincides with the appearance of Decimals. Thus
students who have not mastered Fractions as well as simple models by the end of
P3 will find P4 a tough and demoralising year, with some probably staying away
from Math for the rest of their lives. However, in P4, Section C (problem sums)
still only take up about 20% of the marks, so pupils will still survive and
scoring above 75% is not a problem for the hardworking student who is not
careless.
However, this ecstasy is short-lived. In P5, Ratio, Average and
Percentages start to appear, on top of decimals and fractions, and only the
well-taught and discerning student will understand that they are all roughly the
same thing in different forms. To add to the agony, Section C in P5 takes up
about 45% of the total marks! It is a very big jump from P4; students can no
longer afford to just concentrate on their short questions in order to score a
Band 1. P5 is the year that separates the men from the boys (or the women from
the girls). In P6 or PSLE, Section C’s weightage is increased to about 55%,
wiping out all remaining students who have not mastered complex problem sums and
non-routine questions. That is NOT the bad news yet. The worse news is, the
joy of quite a number of students who scored A-star in math at PSLE is also
short-lived (I have encountered quite a number of students doing badly in
secondary math even though they scored A-stars or A’s at PSLE).
2nd Gap – From P6 to Sec 1:
Why is it that some students can score A-stars or A’s at the PSLE yet become average or even failures in math at the secondary level? The answer lies in two words – Algebra and presentation. It’s unfortunate that even at the upper primary level, students are not taught to form and solve equations using algebra, and they are also not taught how to present their answers in logical and coherent mathematical statements. Thus I find that many Sec 1 students provide math workings that will not earn full marks by ‘O’ level standards, and these habits are hard to change. Inability to use algebra properly also means inability to master important fundamentals such as algebraic expansion, factorisation and manipulation, resulting in poor performance at the upper secondary and JC levels.
Whenever I ask an upper secondary or JC student to state the main reason why he thinks he’s doing badly in math, the reason given is almost always that he had difficulty handling algebraic concepts and formulae while in Sec 1 and Sec 2. Thus parents and students need to comprehend fully the importance of mastering algebra in the lower secondary years.
3rd Gap – From Sec 2 to Sec 3:
Even students who perform well in Sec 1 and Sec 2 may suddenly suffer a drop in their math performance by the middle of Sec 3. This is largely due to the full impact of Additional Math and the pure sciences taking place and finally being felt by students around that time. A. Math can be a shock to some students who are not used to algebra-intensive questions with solutions that are one-page long. Trigonometry in A. Math is also substantially more difficult to grasp than it’s counterpart in elementary Math.
4th Gap – From Sec 4 to JC 1:
H2 Math is more shocking to new JC students than A. Math is to new Sec 3 students. H2 Math is significantly more difficult than A. Math and from my experience, students who do not get an A1 for A. Math will have a hard time even in completing their JC tutorial worksheets. This is because on top of having to write out solutions that are often more than one page long, students have to familiarise themselves with a new graphical calculator. Many topics in H2 Math are also completely new to students, such as Complex Numbers, Series and Sequences and Probability Distributions, just to name a few. H2 Math is also difficult for most students because some parts of its topics are taken from the former subject Further Math, which was meant for only top students in Math. Thus it is not surprising to find many students failing in Math tests in their first year in junior college. From my experience, two topics in H2 Math that most JC students complain about are Complex Numbers and Vectors. This is largely because these topics speak their own language.
My main point is – Concerned parents must monitor their children’s
mathematical development extra closely when the kids go through the above
stages.
Good luck.
Best Regards,
Ilyasa
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