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FIRST THE COMMAND WORDS!
FIRST THE COMMAND WORDS!
During the preparation of our exam, we have found out that command words are very essential to understand fully the questions that you read. Many students, including us, can be confused with some terms that in Italian mean something else. So understanding well the meaning of these keywords will help you to take all the points that the question offers.
Analyse: examine in detail to show meaning, and identify elements and the relationship between them.
Calculate: work out from given facts, figures or information.
Comment: give an informed opinion.
Compare: identify/comment on similarities and/or differences.
Define: give a precise meaning.
Demonstrate: show how or give an example.
Describe: state the points of a topic / give characteristics and main features.
Develop: take forward to a more advanced stage or build upon given information.
Evaluate: judge or calculate the quality, importance, amount or value of something.
Examine: investigate closely, in detail.
Explain: set out purposes or reasons / make the relationships between things clear / say why and/or how and support with relevant evidence.
Identify: name/select/recognise.
Justify: support a case with evidence/argument.
Outline: set out the main points.
Predict: suggest what may happen based on available information.
Sketch: make a simple freehand drawing showing the key features, taking care over proportions.
State: express in clear terms.
Suggest: apply knowledge and understanding to situations where there are a range of valid responses to make proposals/put forward considerations.
Summarise: choose and present the main points, without detail.
EXAMPLES
SUGGEST the name of the white solid formed when potassium and chlorine react.
-It is potassium chloride.
PREDICT two properties of two elements E and F that form an ionic compound.
-They have a high melting point and when melted they conduct electricity.
DESCRIBE the changes in electron configuration when sodium atoms (2,8,1) react with chlorine atoms (2,8,7) to form sodium chloride.
-When sodium chloride is formed, the sodium atoms lose an electron to become a positive ion (Na+), while chlorine atoms gain an electron to form a negative ion (Cl-).
Metallic potassium can be produced by electrolysis of molten potassium chloride, In this process, potassium forms at the cathode.
EXPLAIN why potassium ions travel to the cathode and not to the anode during electrolysis.
-Potassium ions (K+) travel towards the cathode because are positive. This electrode instead, is negative. So opposite charges attract each other.
SIX TIPS FOR STUDY AND REVIEW
1) LOOK AT THE SYLLABUS:
https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/Images/329756-2019-2021-syllabus.pdf
> It contains useful information that you have to know before doing the exam.
> It contains the assessment objectives:
AO1 knowledge with understanding
AO2 Headlining information and problem-solving
AO3 Experimental skills and investigations
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2) ACTIVE LEARNING:
> You have to study in an active way, through a process that makes you build your own knowledge and understanding, not only fill the bucket.
> Here are some examples to learn in that way:
The questions: select a key term and make more questions as possible related to that term.
-ex: CO2
>What type of bond it forms?
>In which reaction, respiration or photosynthesis, it is a product?
>Write the equation of a general combustion reaction.
>Explain its role in the global warming effect.
Summarize: try to summarise a lesson in one Tweet. Make schemes!
The odd one out: select three words and try to find as many ways as possible to identify the “odd one out”.
-ex: ATOM / ION / CATION
Linking terms: given a number of terms, try to produce a short paragraph using all/most/some of the terms in the current context.
Taboo: try to describe a concept to a friend without mentioning 3-4 key terms.
Tools: as Scribble, Coggle, Padlet
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3) REGULAR REVIEWS
>The various exam papers could be in different weeks, so it would pass a month from one to the other. Regular reviews help you to memorize for a long-time period.
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4) VIRTUAL PRACTICAL WORK:
> You have to practice what you are learning by using:
Interactive simulator (as Phet: https://phet.colorado.edu/ )
Do home experiments
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5) OVERCOMING MISCONCEPTIONS:
>METACOGNITION: consider each question from 2 new perspectives.
check that you understand what you are reading
re-reading slower to better comprehension.
(ex. think about the most wrong answer or the answer that might deceive to overcome misconception)
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6) USE USEFUL WEBSITES
COMMON MISTAKES
These are some common mistakes that students frequently make during the paper 4 session of the IGCSE Science Combined exam.
Mistake 1: too long / unnecessary answers
The examiners want to see that you have understood the question and that you are able to give a precise answer, so don't give more informations or details that you need to. Short answers save you time for others.
Mistake 2: out of question
It is so common that students are not answering what is asked for. For example, the question might asks: "How did he get there?". The common mistake here is by answering: "He got there because he wanted to...". By answering like this, the student is showing the reason and not the method. So make sure you get what is asked from the beginning. It might be helpful to make a circle on these wh-questions, to help to remind you when you put your answers down.
Mistake 3: confusing answers
(Sometimes students might just copy the whole phrase from the passage as the answer. It is ok to do so, but you might just give a confusing answer to the examiners. So use your own words to communicate the answers. It is best to check that your answers can be understood by someone else clearly. )
Mistake 4: listing a number of possible answers
When students don't know the answer to a question, they tend to list as many as possible answers they could find in the passage. Listing a number of possible answers is not a good idea, you will just waste your time. Moreover (if the question asks only one point) you should write down only one point.
Mistake 5: estimate own conclusion
Be careful not to offer an inference or try to come up with your own conclusion than what is stated in the text. So just look for the information that is in the text. Remember that all the answers nedeed sometimes are in the text.
Mistake 6: insufficient number of answers
Make sure you have read carefully how many points you need to provide for a question. Be aware not to use "and" on each line, because you might have included more points in one line. So be clear on how many answers are required, because the question will state it clearly.
Mistake 7: ignoring map, chart or diagram
Don't think that a map, a chart or a diagram is just there as a decoration. It is likely that the answer to one of the questions will be found there. So make sure you read through all the resources you are given carefully, including a map, a chart or a diagram.
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