I have an old past year Physics book in Malay , which has questions from the 80's to the 90's . Very interesting stuff , especially if you're a Physics geek like me .

Logarithms in simultaneous equations ? Wow .

Can I not use 5C4 instead , and just multiply by 5 ? This yields the same answer , but in proper Mathematics , is this acceptable ?

Thanks for the solution by the way !

In SPM , we are taught to use only Permutation for questions with key-word 'Arrange' , and Combination for questions with key-word 'Choose' or 'Select' . We are also taught to list down all possible variations .

5 because there are 5 different combinations where UE ( treated as a single unit ) can be arranged .

I see . Thank you , never thought of using Combinations in a
'permutations question' ! Always there to clear my doubts .

mingissms I remembered that you mentioned Bio P2 . So for starters , can you come up with answers for this question ?

Why do humans require cell specialisation to perform a specific function , whereas a unicellular organism like Amoeba sp. doesnt ? [3m]

This has been mentioned a few pages back . Dig 'em up , sorry , no spoon-feeding here .

They came out already lah . I'd printed Bio and Phy [ only answers ] a week ago .

'Ain't nobody got time for any text books .'

Feel like printing the quote out and sticking it on my room's wall . Haha . So , very very true . I only refer to books if the notes are not sufficient , or to revisit concepts which I've forgotten --- for example , preparing standard solution , different alloys and their composition , composite materials , etc .

Last minute modules prepared by GC from Science / SBP schools , catered for SBP students , scavenged by daily school students like us . Check them out , I really like this year's Biology .

I'll provide you with an 'official' answer as this question is from a Trial paper after I wake up . I'd also dearly , dearly want to address the 'write everything you know' method ; which is sometimes employed ( what am I saying ? most of the time for me ) when it comes to structured questions in Biology , not that succinct , but it gets the job done . To fix this 'write everything you know' issue , practising trial/past years comes to mind .

And also a few other stuff .

But before that , siesta time ! I can't live without it .

Here's the suggested answer for full [ 3 ] marks :

E1 : Multicellular organisms have many cells but unicellular organisms have one cell only
E2 : Multicellular organisms need specialised cells to perform different functions but unicellular organisms can perform different functions with its single cell
E3 : Cells of multicellular organisms are very far from environment and it's hard for diffusion but cells of unicellular organisms are near to environment to enable faster/easier diffusion

In a way , Terengganu's panel of question setters were quite stringent when they came out with the mark scheme . Normally , for Biology questions with the word 'explain' in it , there should be F , the main fact , and then E , explanations of the fact .

Back then , I used to write everything I knew ( in form four ) . After doing many trial papers , I have acquired the ability to structure my answers better ( still needs improvement ) according to sequence or facts . For example , if a question says ' Explain the effects of respiratory inhibitor like herbicide on Amoeba sp. ' , I sort my answers according to the sequence below :

1 . Respiratory inhibitor inhibits cellular respiration / Mitochondria cannot function
2 . Energy / ATP cannot be generated / produced
3 . Active transport cannot be carried out
4 . Contractile vacuole cannot contract to remove excess water
5 . Amoeba sp. dies / bursts / haemolyses

If the question awards 2 marks , any 2 would do . I would definitely write more than required for safety .

This comes from practice . I'd like to reiterate that I still need more practices as I've encountered many questions that tripped me off , for example , explain the process shown by Planarian sp. [ with a diagram of it dividing , 3 marks ] .

SPM Biology P2 is not a bed of roses . It requires high order thinking skills ( normally the last section of a question ) , where we need to apply what we've studied to come up with explanations . That's why I enjoy SPM Biology , it's not a swallow here puke there subject , it requires us to think . More examples of high order thinking skills questions :

Golgi apparatus is found abundantly in the cells of a root cap . Explain what happens to the root cap if Golgi apparatus fails to function . [2m] T'gannu 2012

Answer :

1 . Less slimy lubricant is produced
2 . Movement of root in between soil becomes more difficult

To highlight the plight I faced when answering this questions , here's my actual answer when I first encountered the question :

1 . Less mucus is produced because less extracellular enzyme is produced
2 . Root cannot penetrate deep into soil to absorb water

See ? I think everyone of us has difficulty coming up with perfect answers . If a student simply memorises the functions of organelles without knowing that mucus is an example of a protein , they wouldn't be able to answer this question . I'll try to highlight a few more , actual answers , and my answers :

If afferent neurone in spinal cord breaks down , what would happen ? [3 marks ] T'gannu 2012

Answer :

1 . Impulse cannot be transmitted from receptors to CNS / Brain and spinal cord
2 . Brain cannot detect / interpret / integrate the impulse / information
3 . Stimulus cannot be detected

My answer :

1 . Impulse cannot travel to the brain and spinal cord to be interpreted
2 . No impulse is sent to the effector
3 . No response is carried out

One example from SPM 2010 :

Silk is an example of protein . A silk garment crumples when it is washed with hot water at a temperature of 65 deg C . Explain this statement [3m] :

Answer :

1 . Silk is a protein fibre
2 . High temperatures will reduce the strength of the hydrogen bonds and disrupt the structure
3 . Denaturation of proteins occur

My answer :

1 . Proteins denature at high temperatures
2 . Three dimensional shape of protein molecule is altered

( my answer would only gain 1 mark . personally , I'd never have thought of hydrogen bonds , and wouldn't think that by mentioning the fact that silk is a protein fibre , 1 mark would be awarded as it's in the question ! )

In your answer , mentioning Amoeba sp. and humans is unnecessary . You've also rephrased your answer when you said that Amoeba sp. has higher TSA/V ratio , and humans have low TSA/V ratio . By mentioning higher , it's understood that the latter has a lower TSA/V ratio . Mentioning oxygen and carbon dioxide is also unnecessary .

When answering questions in all three sciences , I never care about grammar . In fact , if I can give a shorter answer with incorrect grammar , I'll gladly commit to it . For example , a student who wants to write in perfect grammar would answer like this :

The presence of respiratory inhibitor would inhibit cellular respiration , thus energy in the form of ATP will not be generated . This causes active transport to stop which causes the contractile vacuole of Amoeba sp. to stop functioning . Thus , Amoeba sp. dies due to excess water . [ I used to answer like this , in my first ever Biology exam when I was in form four . ]

How I'd answer now , and in SPM :

Respiratory inhibitor inhibits cellular respiration . Energy cannot be produced . Active transport stops . Contractive vacuole cannot contract . Amoeba sp. dies .

Simple , saves time , saves space , win-win situation as examiners would prefer shorter answers . They look at the key points only to award marks . No point coming up with coherent sentences to sound fancy .

But when in doubt , always , always write everything you know . A+ students do this . In fact , if you look at Kupasan Mutu Jawapan SPM published by LPM , Excellent candidates never give 'ngam-ngam' answers . They always give more than required . In many cases , doing this would save you from scoring zero marks in Section A . I've even asked seniors and they consistently gave the same advice : In Biology , ALWAYS WRITE MORE !

To become more familiar with questions like this , practising trial papers / past years is absolutely vital . There are many students who didn't read reference books and relied solely on trial / past years' mark schemes and scored A+ in SPM . Why ? Answers are usually succinct ( when you ignore atrocious grammar ) , you're able to remember keywords and points . Reference books have paragraphs and paragraphs of incessant rambling sometimes .

I think that would be it for now .

A quick share : When asked to compare in Physics P2 , I always write like this :

Frequency of wave in Diagram 1.1 > 2.1
Pressure at X > Y

I never write long sentences in Physics . If there's room for explanations using diagrams or equations , I'd gladly choose that . That's why I love Physics . You can answer using diagrams and symbols , provided that you label them .

For definition questions , there are 2 ways .

1 . Write complete sentence --- Impulse is the product of force and time
2 . Equation --- I = Ft , where I = Impulse , F = Force , t = time

That's about it for now . I'm actually taking the time off from studying to share everything with all of you . I see no point in keeping them to myself ; we're all facing the same battle , one way or another . I hope some of you would do the same too , if you have stuff to share . I actually am planning to take photos of my BM Module KOMSAS questions and share them here tomorrow or the day after . And the IMBAKUP technique I mentioned , I'll try snapping photos of the papers and share them here also .

This post has been edited by maximR: Oct 18 2013, 09:34 PM

You're most welcome ! My absolute pleasure .

Who knows we might end up meeting each other at Sunway ?

Sure thing ! Please bug me on FB if I ever forget , or don't get it done by Sunday . And you're welcome !

That's why I said Isu doesn't gain you marks . You write the isu to 'feel good about yourself' .

I've to clarify that I'm not from KL . I'm from P.D , the once sleepy-town known for its beaches ( not anymore ) , and from a rural school that came about just 20 years ago .

Is it necessary , the kita part ? I've always written my structured answers like this :

Nilai rasional . Kita harus boleh berfikir tentang kepentingan berkebun . Contohnya , menanam bendi di halaman rumah pada waktu lapang .

Let's just say my school has a very rural-like mentality . Efforts have been made to lift it up these few years , but results are still pretty much the same . Most of our upper-secondary teachers are complacent , my Maths/Add Maths teacher is highly incompetent , you won't even believe me . She can't even solve certain PMR questions .

Most of the students from P.D aim for PD High School , the 'top' one --- mine is considered the worst . Perceptions , you can change them .

Oh and we have one Pure Science class only ( no sub-science ) , it's supposed to be the elite class right ? Almost half of us failed in subjects like English , BM , Maths , Add Maths , Chemistry , and Biology . Also , none of the candidates ( 2012 ) scored an A+ for English last year .

I was pretty much thrown into a sea and had to teach myself to swim or let myself drown , when I was in form one . I chose this school simply because it would be convenient for me to travel back and forth , and also partly because I wanted to prove everyone wrong , that I could excel even in one of the worst schools in P.D ( big ambitions I know , I was 12 ) .

Amidst all these , I don't have any regrets --- I have made great friends who are so honest and pure due to their upbringing ( we don't have any students with rich parents here , at most , middle-income parents )

I wrote a very long 'essay' about my experience at NSC 2012 ( how we struggled at the national level as the only team from a rural school , pitting our wits against cluster schools , science schools and boarding schools ) to remind juniors that no matter how difficult things are , things will come out fine if we persevere , but I accidentally pressed 'Backspace' and that entire piece vanished before I could hit ' Add Reply ' . Not sure what to feel now .

I guess it's a sign that I should reserve my stories for now , and discuss more about SPM ?

We only had 6 straight-A PMR scorers in 2011 , believe it or not .

This post has been edited by maximR: Oct 19 2013, 03:32 PM

No , I haven't . How to start if I haven't finished memorising all the chapters ?

Thank you . All the best to you too .

I see there's still some minor confusion when it comes to B.M . Hopefully this will clear things up :

Marks are awarded to ISI only . No need pendahuluan , penutup , or anything [ you'll need those for English only ] .

Elaborations should be short and succinct . No need specific snippets of the novel , not even in teknik plot ! LPM isn't so cruel . Here are some examples :

Berdasarkan satu novel yang anda telah kaji , huraikan dua latar masyarakat yang terdapat dalam novel tersebut . [7m]

Jawapan :

Novel yang saya kaji ialah Papa ... ( akhirnya kau tewas jua ! ) . Antara latar masyarakat yang terdapat dalam novel ini ialah masyarakat yang tabah menghadapi dugaan hidup . Buktinya , Jeffri tabah menghadapi dugaan iaitu isterinya Intan Maliana yang jatuh koma setelah melahirkan anak kembarnya . Latar masyarakat seterusnya ialah masyarakat yang gigih berusaha untuk mencapai kejayaan . Buktinya , Intan Julia gigh meneruskan pelajarannya walaupun terpaksa menerima hakikat bahawa ibunya koma sehingga mencapai keputusan yang cemerlang dalam peperiksaan SPM .

ISI : 2 + 2 = 4 marks
BAHASA : 3 marks

Berdasarkan dua novel yang telah anda kaji , huraikan teknik plot yang terdapat dalam novel tersebut .

Novel yang saya kaji ialah Papa dan Konserto Terakhir . Teknik plot yang terdapat dalam novel Papa ialah teknik imbas kembali . Contohnya , Mak Cik Noraini mengingati kembali peristiwa Intan Maliana yang mengalami komplikasi yang serius setelah melahirkan Intan Julia .

Teknik plot yang terdapat dalam novel Konserto Terakhir ialah teknik dialog . Contohnya , Hilmi berbual-bual dengan Hayati di kebun sayuran milik Datuk Johari pada waktu malam .

ISI : 2+2 = 4 marks
BAHASA : 4 marks

You don't need to memorise specific quotes from the novel to support teknik plot dialog .