TIPS PREPARATION FOR SPM EXAMINATION

Here is how I prepared for the SPM examinations. 

It is of my understanding that the book will be available for public use around one month or so from now. You shall be able to purchase it in May, but allow me to give you a full out-of-book exposure to what the real SPM examination seems like. Personally, I think many students will agree with me that the questions in SPM are sometimes leveled as apparently 'too easy' for the likes of an SPM paper, and while this may not be entirely wrong, this is also less accurate. Over the years, the Ministry of Education has been highly insistent on implementing the Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS/KBAT) in all public examinations, and if I am not mistaken, these kinds of questions are every students worse nightmare and still continue to be. However, your teachers must have given you sufficient drilling on these kinds of questions, so you are still in the safe zone. Nonetheless, in a real SPM examination, students are evaluated on this aspect of facing a HOTS question: to be able to critically analyze the question in a span of limited time. Your ability to answer the question, be it right or wrong, is the main key to which a student's degree of critical thinking is evaluated.

But don't fret, because you must have heard that the graphs of grading systems tend to take a dip or hike depending on the level of difficulty of the questions in that particular year. For SPM 2015, I believe that most students struggled with the Additional Mathematics paper, so when a majority of students do not do well in that particular paper, the graph shoots downwards, making it easy for more students to secure their desired grade. Although this is true, I strongly advise you to never be too dependent on the MOE's grading systems, because we never know in which direction the graph will beckon to. Since the grading systems are strictly confidential, I advise you to follow the school-based grading systems which have been already set by the government. For example, if you are aiming for an A+, set your mind to get 90 marks and above on every test.

There is a fair share of easy and difficult papers, and we can never really say which paper is going to be easy for which year. However, there are usually more easier papers in contrast to difficult ones. I hope you will take the time to analyze the difficulty of each subject once the past-year papers book is published. 

MY PREPARATIONS: ACADEMIC PREPARATIONS 

While there are usually many different ways to study according to the ease and comfort of some students, I believe that studying consistently is always the best option. In this way, you do not put too much pressure on yourself while cramming all the substance at the last minute. If you choose to study consistently (highly recommended), I suggest that you should prepare a personal time-table for yourself. Make sure you study one subject at least twice a week, and your schedule should tally with your school's and tuition's time-tables. For example, if you are learning Chemistry in school on a Monday, I suggest that you don't study Chemistry on that day. Instead, replace it with something equally tough/easy like Biology or Additional Mathematics. Your time-table should also consider on how long you take to complete one subject. Try not to cram too many difficult subjects in one day as this will only put strain on your brain. Do not be bothered about how many hours you should spend on one subject; just spend as much time as you can on it. There should not be any fixed time for the subject you study, just start when you start and finish when you finish. I used to have two subjects a day on my time-table, but if you can feel you can slot in one or two more, please go ahead. Although you should be well-disciplined on following your time-table, ensure that you are able to make flexible alterations whenever necessary (e.g. sometimes when you are not feeling well or have to attend activities in school). Most of the time, please do follow it on a strict basis. Allocate at least 3 hours a day for studying, and try to study more subjects on weekends when you are free of school. 

Sometimes, there is more than one method on studying a certain subject, so take care to spend more time on a tougher and more difficult subject. Be smart in differentiating which subject requires more memorizing and and which one more practice. Here is how I dealt with each subject when I was sitting for SPM. The exercise books that I used for each subject is: Semarak A++/Modul Menguasai SPM and SMART/Effective Practice. The reference books that I used were of the same Spotlight Galaxy series (Physics, Chemistry and Biology) and Nexus for Additional Mathematics. 

Bahasa Malaysia: I used to go for tuition for this subject, and needless to say, my teacher was extremely good. He outlined every spotted question for my particular year and prepared essays for us which already contain metaphors and use of bombastic words. A bitter lesson that I learnt for this subject and basically for all the others, is to never be too dependent on any spotted questions, even if they come from the best sources. There were a few spotted questions that never even came close to those questioned in the real SPM paper (yes, sometimes, this does happen). So, I highly advise you to stock up on many different interesting Malay phrases, metaphors, sayings, words and of course, current issues. This will help greatly for BM1, and might even help to elevate your score in the subject altogether, because BM2 is reasonably difficult to do very well in, so seize that chance in BM1 which is worth more marks. Also, be fully equipped with all the elements in your literature, including 'tema', because the theme of a poem was actually questioned for the first time in the history of SPM BM paper in 2015 and was worth 4 marks. Make sure that the foundation of your written and spoken Malay is good, and try to score the maximum marks in your BM oral test. The two areas that are considerably easy to score in BM2 is the 'rumusan' and 'novel' part, so try to attain maximum marks in there, also. For your Section A, BM1, even if stated that the length of your essay should be between 200-250 words, you are allowed to write even 500 words or more. Take care not to spend too much time here, though, because you have your 100-mark essay to think about in Section B. If possible, allocate one page for one paragraph in Section B (difficult, I know, but possible). Right before the SPM exam, just go through all the phrases, sayings and metaphors one more time. Make sure you have full understanding of the novel. 

English: Basically, if your spoken and written English is good and you have no problem deciphering a passage from a book and can engage in fully English conversation with another person, there is seriously nothing to worry about in this subject. Do be careful with certain tricks that may be put in the SPM paper, aiming to deceive students. Read the question thoroughly and if you regularly choose the narrative type of essay in Section B, BI1, make sure you copy entirely that the words that they have given you, because even if one word is left out, the score is reduced to half. Please take care to have exactly 130 words in your summary, because a penalty will be given if you exceed the number of words. You can stock up on catchy phrases and metaphors if you like, but if you are from an English-speaking community, there is absolutely no problem and you can score A+ easily. Right before the SPM exam, just go through all the phrases, sayings and metaphors one more time. Make sure you have full understanding of the novel.  

Sejarah: Nicknamed as the most boring subject in the world, Sejarah tends to have an uncanny affinity to force students into memorizing several long and tedious facts. However, now with the implementation of HOTS, questions with facts have reduced significantly in terms of quantity and weightage. This doesn't mean you must ignore the facts completely. Try to remember most of them if possible and of course, the only way to study Sejarah is to read, read and read it again. I know you'd much rather read something more interesting, but sometimes Sejarah gives us no choice (sadly!). Try to have short Sejarah notes so you do not have to study the textbook. Make sure that although the notes are short, they are compact and not of those 'nota poket' types. After studying a chapter, I used to do exercises immediately after so that I wouldn't forget the facts. Spend at least 3 hours on this subject. I suggest that not only for this subject, but for all, purchase MRSM and SBP books at least two months before the SPM examination and complete all the questions. Write the essays in an exercise book and mark them yourself. This is so on the day of SPM, you can just go through all the essays that you have written and not the whole textbook again. If I am able to find any exercise books that I wrote my essays in, I shall send a picture to you so you can have a guideline on how to write your essays so you can study them easily. 

Mathematics: Practice makes perfect, so just drill on lots and lots of questions, including the ones from all over the states. Terengganu is especially good, but the other states are okay as well. Drill on MRSM and SBP questions too, because they are usually of high difficulty and will give you more confidence in preparing for tough questions. Right before the SPM examination, go through your previous mistakes, and ensure you have everything that you need, because most of the students panic when they are short of several mathematical equipment (e.g. protractors, long rulers). We don't want you to panic in the exam hall, because panicking is a recipe for disaster. It can disrupt your thoughts and form a block (technically speaking) in your brain, making your brain look at even easy questions difficultly. If you are unable to answer a question, calmly move to the next and come back to it later. Beware of careless mistakes. NEVER leave any question unanswered, even if you are point blank. Try to score the maximum number of marks in MT1, and make sure you master all the topics in the syllabus itself. Be it HOTS or not, the scope of the questions will not differ from everything that you have learnt. 

Additional Mathematics: Please do not be deceived into your seniors' classic admonishing of how 'tough' this subject is. While I am not saying that this is actually very easy, it's not too tough either. With sufficient practice, you can do it as well as the other subjects. Put more practice into this subject, and have it in your time-table at least thrice a week. Just like Mathematics, make sure you master all the chapters in the syllabus and if you find that you struggle with certain chapters (namely calculus: differentiation and integration), determine in which exact area you struggle in (Is it the calculation of area under the curve? The volume?). Once you know where you're weak in, you can know how to improve. Although you will be given a list of formulas in the SPM paper, I advise you to memorize all. Analyze the pattern of questions in the past-year series (although they may undergo several changes). For this subject in particular, you must finish the past-year series, and if possible SBP and MRSM as well. This is not only for your self-satisfaction, but it gives you maximum confidence to face any question. Time yourself when doing questions so you do not struggle in the hall. Make sure you're able to do a question quickly and carefully. Beware of careless mistakes. I used to go for tuition for this subject for extra help, and I received all the help that I needed. Right before the SPM examination, go through your all previous mistakes and most importantly, DO NOT PANIC when you're unable to answer a question. This happens regularly, but any doubts that you have should be cleared immediately before you enter the hall. 

Physics: Frankly speaking, I hated this subject when I was sitting for SPM because of its overly excessive formulas and sometimes bewildering questions. Fortunately, I had a very good tuition teacher who could explain the reason behind each formula and that is what I advise you to do: before answering a question, find out the elements given (e.g. time, length) and then find the formula best suited to all the elements in the question. Although you will be given a list of formulas in the SPM paper, I advise you to memorize all or at least, know the meaning behind all of them. Do more exercises in MRSM and SBP papers so that you're familiar with the type and difficult questions. If you find Physics tough, and that you're not confident of being able to do well in Paper 2, then try to score the maximum number of marks in Paper 3. In comparison to all the Science Paper 3, Physics is actually the easiest, so try to score there. Don't forget Paper 1 as well. If you're aiming for an A+ in all your Science subjects, be sure that you score at least 37/40 in Paper 1 and 47/50 in Paper 3. Remember, Physics is all about formulas and once you understand how that formula works and where it can be applied, it's not too bad. If possible, remember all the formulas by the chapter (e.g. F = ma is the formula for force in Chapter 2, Form 4). Memorize all if possible. Right before the SPM examination, just go through your mistakes again. Ensure that your elaborations are in point form and not lengthy essays, and ensure each point is written in complete sentences for all your Science subjects. 

Chemistry: This is more or less the same method in which you use to study Physics, only do the same with chemicals: reactants and products. Ensure that you know the color, physical and chemical properties of every element tested in your syllabus because this always comes out in SPM. Most importantly, make sure you master Chapter 3, Form 4 (Chemical Equations) because this is basically the foundation to every other chapter that you will face in both Form 4 and Form 5. I went for tuition for this subject, and my teacher made me fall in love with it. Do exercises in MRSM and SBP papers and if possible, try to persuade your school into choosing you to attend workshops and seminars on answering techniques, especially around the September-October period, because this is usually when examiners receive the latest information on marking schemes. Try to join them throughout the year. If you struggle with this subject, I advise you to please find a good teacher who can explain thoroughly to you. The reason I am saying this is that in SPM 2014, most of the students did poorest in two subjects: Chemistry and Prinsip Perakaunan. I am not entirely sure about SPM 2015, because they have not completed the post-mortem on SPM 2015 papers, but I shall let you know. Chemistry can be a very enlightening subject and very easy to score A+ in given the proper method and technique. Right before the SPM examination, go through your previous mistakes and also the essays that you have written in short exercise books in the similar way as Sejarah.

Biology: Because of my love for both reading and the study of life, I warmed up to Biology very quickly and if you have the same kind of love for it too, well done. Most students react by saying this subject is difficult, but what they really mean is some terms can be confusing and never known in the past (e.g. the scientific name for heart attack is myocardial infarction), and there is basically a lot to study. But don't worry so, because with a lot of practice, these terms can come smoothly to you. For this subject and every other as well, I suggest that you always make sure that you are one chapter ahead of the class and your teacher in school. In this way, even if you do not understand certain things in the subject, you may be able to understand it when the teacher explains in class. The key to studying Biology is reading and understanding. There is no specific analysis on how you can spot Biology questions for SPM because there is a different hype for different topics every year. However, make sure you enhance your understanding on the plants section in all the Biology topics because it's not usually a tested area and also it's gaining popularity these past few years. Drill on a lot of SBP and MRSM questions, and also on the past-year series. There are not many formulas in Biology, but you should know them as well. Right before the SPM examination, go through both your mistakes and the essays. Also, on tips for your Paper 3 for all the Science subjects, I advise that you study them one week prior to the week of the Science examinations. It's not advisable to study them one week before your initial SPM papers (BM, BI and Sejarah) because you are more likely to forget them. This is because trust me: you will not have enough time to study them on the actual day of the examinations. Instead, save the day of the examination for a final glance of all the experiments. If you are using a reference book to study Biology and all the other Science subjects, extract, photostat and compile all the experiments on their own so you don't waste your time flipping the book when you wish to study them. Although it is true that the hardest Science subject to attain an A+ in is Biology, it is not impossible, so don't ever give up.

Pendidikan Moral: Personally, I feel that the nickname 'killer paper' is more apt for this subject because its secret weapon is that it is a closed paper. Nobody knows exactly what goes on behind closed doors on this subject and due to its high confidentiality, I just advise you to do your very best in this paper and leave the rest of it to God. Although, an important tip on scoring this paper (as dictated to me by an examiner) is to read the textbook. This may sound absurd, but trust me, all the current issues are mostly in the textbook. In SPM 2014, Dasar Kebudayaan Kebangsaan came out as the first question, and most students panicked because they had no idea what it was when it was already in the textbook (Chapter 6, Form 4 if I am not mistaken). While memorizing the list of 'nilai's  and 'kata kunci's were considered compulsory in the past, there is basically no questions related to this in SPM. But DON'T ignore them altogether because there are still one or two questions about definitions. However, most of the questions now are HOTS-oriented, which explains the Moral paper's status as '95% KBAT'. Always write extra answers for each question so that there is almost- if not any- chances of getting a zero. Also, answer all three essays in Section B. I also strongly advise you to get in touch with an examiner if you are having any doubts about the Moral paper such as the proper technique on answering, the proper elaborations to each 'nilai' and so on. Nonetheless, as I said, this is a very subjective paper and usually quite hard to secure an A+ in, do not forget to do your very best and pray to God for lenient examiners and not-too-rigid answer schemes for that particular year.

Ekonomi Asas: My father taught me this subject all by himself, and all in all, I can say that this subject is quite easy to understand if you understand your subject matter and all of the economic terms given. If possible, memorize the definitions for each important term (e.g. tabungan). When you are answering questions, try to not go entirely for the questions which require you to write long essays (do remember, you are allowed to give your elaboration in point form just like your Science subjects). Instead, do for the type of questions that enable you to calculate because aside from earning bonus marks, calculations in EA are relatively easier. Of course, you must memorize all the formulas so you can do the calculation questions. You may find a little difficulty in Form 5 because the Form 5 syllabus usually leans toward macroeconomics, while the Form 4 syllabus which concentrates mainly on microeconomics is relatively easier because it is not set on a global scale. Hence, do not hesitate to ask for help if you are unable to understand certain topics, be it in Form 4 or Form 5. Manage your time wisely, because I used to struggle with my EA2 in terms of time management. At most, make sure that you spend an average of only 30 minutes on one question. Ensure that you master completely Chapter 1, Form 4 (Pengenalan kepada Ekonomi) because this literally comes out for EA2 every year as the first question. Understand certain keywords in the questions so you will know how to answer that particular question (e.g. if a question asks you to 'bezakan' something, your explanation MUST be in the form of a table). Consult the help of an examiner if you want to know more about the marking scheme and more techniques. SBP and MRSM books are not available for EA, so make full use of the past-year series. Most importantly, if you are targeting an A+ in SPM, make sure you try to achieve 40/40 in EA1. This is because in comparison to EA2, EA1 is much easier to score in, so try out for the maximum score there. At worst, ensure that you do not score below 38/40 for an A+.

MY PREPARATIONS: PHYSICAL AND MENTAL PREPARATIONS

Since SPM 2015, I have found a profound belief and bliss in prayer so I think that the first step for you to succeed is to pray regularly. Ask God for whatever you want and if you work towards it, God will surely grant you what you want. You do not have to keep a strict regime for prayer, but how you pray and when you do it is up to you. Just make sure you pray to God before every SPM examination; ask Him to give you solace and peace when answering the questions, prevent any misfortune from happening to you during the examination and more importantly, restore what you have learnt. At the end of the SPM examinations, you should pray harder for lenient examiners, lenient answer schemes and of course, that your paper in in good hands. 

Try to stay away from electronic gadgets and phones during your SPM year because they are the main culprits that disrupt your focus and attention. I did not have a phone at all during my SPM year, and I think that greatly contributed to my attention and success. Reduce the amount of time that you spend with your friends, but do not desert them completely. Always bring an extra revision book to school so that you will have something to study when a teacher is absent or not in class. This is so you do not waste your time talking in class and spend that valuable time on something beneficial. Attend your tuition classes regularly and try not to miss any classes because this will just add to doubts and confusions. Be humble and polite to everyone, even you enemies because any sour relationship can leave a negative effect on your mind. Do not pick a fight with any classmate, friend or relative a month prior to the examinations, even if you are right. However hard it may be, just suck it in and keep a straight face. Do not hesitate to ask for help when in doubt. 

Ensure that you stay healthy throughout the year because being sick does not only deteriorate your body's activity, but also your study progress. Follow a well-balanced diet and increase the intake of memory-serving food and beverages. When I was sitting for SPM, my mother used to mix almonds in my milk every morning which can apparently enhance memory power, so I suggest you try that too. If you do not have time for exercise, just make sure that you're healthy in the least. Get enough sleep, preferably 8 hours every day and NEVER stay up late to study the day before your SPM examinations, even if you are capable of doing so. Let your brain and mind rest well every day and take care not to put too much stress on it. Accept your parents' judgments and occasional suggestions and seek their blessings the day before the SPM examinations. Try to join many competitions in school because although you should pay attention to your studies, do not avoid your co-curricular activities. If possible, try to achieve the NILAM target because the NILAM certificate and competitions are of very high value and weightage. Your SPM year is usually an immense struggle, but that struggle will pay off eventually when you receive your equally wonderful results that you have worked so hard for, and during that time, everything will seem like it is worth it.  

In a nutshell, all I can say is, do whatever you think is right for yourself. You are mature enough to make your own decisions, so do you best and surely you shall get whatever you aspire for. God willing. Consider my methods, but do not be restricted to them. You can even add your own creative ideas and improvise on mine. Any grammar mistakes, rude and brash phrases and inconvenience caused is entirely unintentional and regrettable. Although this e-mail may be long and lengthy, consider this not as a day-guide, but as your personal study guide and emotional mentor throughout the year.

Here's wishing you all the very best in your future undertakings, and may you find success the same way I found mine. Best of luck, and have a blessed year ahead!