SBC Syllabus and Teachers Guide PDF | Papua New Guinea Education Department

 Teachers, parents and students can now download SBC Syllabus and Teachers Guide Pdf for all the subjects at the education department's website. 

PNG Insight has a dedicated maths resource website where you can download the resources you need for teaching mathematics. See links to the website below.

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Maths resources and SBC Syllabus and Teachers Guide Pdf

PNG Insight has all the SBC syllabus and teachers' guide as well as the OLD syllabus and teachers' guide. 

Access the resources via the links.

• SBC Syllabus and Teachers Guide Pdf
• OLD Syllabus and Teachers' Guide Pdf
• Past Maths Exam Papers
• Latest Maths Exam Papers
• Teachers' Apps and resources

Visit the PNG Maths Exam Resource Centre.

Maths Syllabus and Guides

Mathematics resources for teachers are a useful collection of teaching materials for Primary (Grades 7 & 8) and Secondary School (Grades 9, 10, 11 and 12) Mathematics teachers in Papua New Guinea. 

Whether you are a new graduate teacher or a seasoned mathematics teacher, you’ll find some of the most often used resources here.

Standard Based Curriculum (SBC)

The new SBC is in the implementation stage in the earlier schooling years. The implementation is in phases and will cover the secondary years. We believe the school syllabus and teachers' guides for Grades 3 – 8 are complete. And the Grades 9 – 12 SBC syllabus is a work-in-progress.

What you can get at the Maths resources website?

 We had some great features to enhance math exam revision. 

Some of them include:

• Old Exam Papers for Grades 8,10 and 12 students to download.
• Study Guides for Grades 8, 10 and 12
• Outline of Exam Units and Topics You should know
• Teachers' Mathematics revision resources for use with students 
• Education department Apps and Links to on-demand webpages
• Maths Examinations Tips and Guides

We are adding to this resource base, check out the home page for the new resources.

2022/2023 VCCA Study Design Further Maths 1 and 2 Specifications

Victoria Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s (VCCA) Mathematics Study Design 2016–2022 is an ideal document to read.  It gives details to the development of exams and focuses on ‘Further Mathematics Units 3 and 4’).

 Study Design Further Maths

VCCA Study Design Further Maths Exam 1 & 2 Specifications

Here is what VCCA said about this important document:

“Mathematics Study Design 2016–2022 is for the development of the examination. All outcomes in ‘Further Mathematics Units 3 and 4’ will be examined.

All content from the areas of study, and the key knowledge and skills that underpin the outcomes in Units 3 and 4, are examinable.

• Further Maths Exam 1 will cover both Areas of study 1 and 2. The examination is designed to assess students’ knowledge of mathematical concepts, models and techniques, and their ability to reason, interpret and apply this knowledge in a range of contexts.
• VCCA Further Maths Exam 2 will cover both Areas of study 1 and 2. The examination is designed to assess students’ ability to select and apply mathematical facts, concepts, models and techniques to solve extended application problems in a range of contexts.” (VCCA Further Maths Exam Specification, PDF)

More information on this year's VCCA exams 1 and 2 is available via the link, including where to get the 2021 Further Maths Exam 1 solutions.

Further Maths Exam 1 Solution

The link to the 2021 Further Maths Exam 1 solution, including the 2016 VCCA Maths Paper 1 solutions, is given below, you will find the solutions helpful as you revise for the 2023 exams. 

These are complete solutions that you can download onto your device now, do the questions and check the answer. Take a look.

• 2021 Further Maths Exam 1 Solutions PDF
• 2016 Further Maths Exam Solutions PDF

HOW TO DOWNLOAD THE PAST EXAM PAPERS (VIDEO GUIDE)

How to download the past mathematics exam papers using the password provided. There are two categories of Grade 8 Maths Exam Past Papers:

1) Past (OLD) Papers (2009 - 2014)

2) Latest (2015 - recent Maths Exam Papers)

1) How to download OLD PAPERS

On the information page of the Mathematics Resources website, 

i) Click on the link to download

ii) Check your Gmail Account

iii) Access the OLD PAPER in your Gmail Account

Video Instruction 

2) How to download RECENT (LATEST) PAPERS

At the download page of Mathematics Resources website,

i) Copy the PASSWORD

ii) Click download

iii) Enter this password in the download 'popup window'

iv) Click download

v) Wait for the math paper to download

vi) Check your Gmail Account

Video Instruction 

PNG Insight YouTube channel aims to showcase Papua New Guinea in a positive light. Our channel's videos are original travel videos, educational and inspiring!

Mathematics Exam Resources Website for PNG students and teachers

Your initiative (Mathematics Examination Resources website) is welcomed as an approach students can prepare themselves well ahead of examinations.

Consequently, the issues and challenges are briefly discussed to deepen members of the public perceptions of the examination papers, examination, teaching and learning, school curriculum, memorisation and thinking strategies.

Readers' note: The comments are by/from the former PNG Education Department Secretary Dr Michael Tapo in response to the new initiative we spearheaded - making online resources for teachers and students. We thank Dr Tapo for reaching out and for the comments below.

The math resource website is called Mathematics Examination Resources (MER). Here is why (The Reason) we created this Maths resource website. Take a look and let us know what you think.

An in-depth article from Dr Tapo was published on the PNG Insight parent website titled 'Thinking Strategies' Help Students Solve Problems' - read here.  

Immediate challenges in educational approaches

Central to all of the approaches taken, the century-long learning phenomenon of Thinking versus Memorising of facts in the late 1960s -1980s is worth revisiting. Approaches such as:

• students were routinised memorising of facts, and
• learn to remember and then display this in Grade 6, Grade 8, and Grade 10 examinations. 

When they fail to understand the examination questions and cannot remember the facts they fail to meet the achievement level for high school or tertiary and university education.

Problem Solving and Thinking Strategies

School education examination in Papua New Guinea (PNG) from 1975 to 2020 and beyond is all about Knowledge Gathering and Remembering and is significant and very much dependent on the quantity of teaching, quality of teaching, and teacher quality.  

The problem has been and continues to be so and is an urgent and acute problem associated very much to Problem Solving or best described as Thinking.

Almost all high and secondary school education in Papua New Guinea failed to focus Problem Solving Strategies. And have limited teaching and learning strategies that address the scientific approach (of teaching thinking strategies) required to solve problems.  Hence, its an apparent strategy and definite means to know the facts from knowledge and skills taught and learned in primary, high and secondary examinations.

We know revising for exams is important because it helps to stop anxiety and stress. We created a Maths website where you can download Grade 8, Grade 10 and Grade 12 General Maths and Advanced Maths Exam Papers. GET THEM HERE.

Importance of teaching the syllabus 

The amount of time spent in teaching and learning mathematics, Science and Grammar is interconnected to the number of multiple practices each child assumes in class in these subjects is significant to avoiding dependency on past and recent examination papers. 

The current culture of schooling and learning is dependent on schools and teachers must teach children more and make them work harder to increase their information on the level of knowledge and skills planned around the subject learning being learned.  

Foremost, the level of individual child intelligence and termly achievements in a subject learning area must be corrected with the facts (knowledge and skills acquisition). Students primarily learn best if they can remember these facts. 

Knowledge and skills being examined 

The ambiguity of language and phrases used in the past and more recent examination papers indicate the facts of knowledge and skills being examined can or could lead to confusion.

Some questions can mislead students to select or choose to answer a question in future examinations because of a similar question and answer from the past examination papers and likely answer that is expected in the 2020 or 2021 examination papers.

The quest for high and secondary examinations is placing more emphasis on the thinking strategies which lead children to creativity, problem-solving, inquiry, and critical approach to thinking in a subject learning area being learned. 

Expectations and clarity of examinations 

Papua New Guinea children in the 21st Century must be encouraged and have a voice in determining what is taught in the National Curriculum, what is examined and the rules applied to assessing and measuring of facts in knowledge and skills in examinations.

Quality of teaching and teacher quality needs major shifts towards thinking strategies and say goodbye to the current heavily dependent ideology of the 'chalk-talk and certainty principle which is central to the there is a right and wrong answer to every question! 

Dr Michael F Tapo, EdD 

EXAM RESOURCE FOR GRADE 8, 10 and 12 STUDENTS | Download Old Exam Papers

We know times are hard. Schools have been struggling this year. That is why we made this website - PNG Maths Exam Resources (MER) Website.

SEE LINK IN THE ARTICLE

PNG Insight created this website to give teachers and students the opportunity to access materials - especially revision materials  old exam papers for Mathematics Examinations - with ease. It is a community service as such the resources are made available for FREE.

The website is mobile friendly and interactive, which means you can take some tests online and get the scores and feedback at the end of the test. 

Features of PNG Insight's MER

 We had some great features to enhance math exam revision. Some of them include:

• Old Exam Papers for Grades 8. 10 and 12 students to download
• Online Practice Test Questions with Answers. Feedback is also provided at the end of each test.
• Teachers Mathematics revision resources for use with students 
• Education department Apps and Links to on-demand webpages
• Maths Examinations Tips and Guides

Latest features of MER: Online Skill Practice Test and Answers

There are two latest additions to the MER website. First, the Basic Numeracy Skill Online Test/Assessment. It is basically a check-point of the functional ability (learnt skill) of students at upper primary and lower secondary schools - Grades 5 - 8. 

There are 50 multiple choice questions arranged by difficulty level from low to high. The test is split into 4 parts - each takes less than 5 minutes to do. See it here.

Latest features of MER: Free Download of Grade 10 Old Exam Questions & Answers (2010 - 2014 Math Exam Qtn Compilation)

 The second feature is the compilation of 2010 - 2014 Math Exam Questions by Unit. Free to download and use. Great for both teachers and students at Grade 10 

If your child, a sibling, friend or someone you know is in Grade 10 encourage them to check out the past exam papers and revision materials on the *new* website, MER. 

The resource booklet is 33 pages, but quick to download as the PDF was compressed to just 3.45 MB (from a 16.9 MB). 

It is watermarked to protect the originality of the document. If you want to remove the watermark and use it in class or for other educational purposes, please email us at info@pnginsight.com

Visit the Grade 12 General math and Advanced math old exam papers pages here> GM/AM revision materials

Please do share the work or leave a comment. Enjoy!

Factorising and Solving Quadratic Equations - GCSE Basic Algebra Questions

Students often find certain topics like Algebra challenging. I’d like to identify the difference between simple and complex quadratic equations and solve them as examples. The questions are real GCSE (UK/Edexcel) exam questions. 

To solve a quadratic equation (equation of the highest power of 2), one MUST first know how to factorise the equation.

Factorising and solving simple quadratic expressions

Factorising and solving simple quadratic expressions (and equations) like x² – 4 (difference of 2 squares) and x² + 4x + 4 can be easy. 

But such this work, introduced in Grade 9 or 10, often paves way for harder questions in later years. 

See the illustrations below on how to solve quadratic equations. You can relate these examples to the questions your teachers set for you.

Solving Simple Quadratic Equations

Factoring Method or Quadratic Formula (Part I)

The factoring method is introduced early in Year 7 and covered extensively in the later years at secondary schools.

More on Solving Complex Quadratic Equations

Find out either to Factorise and solve or use the Quadratic formula in Part (II)

Download GCSE Maths past papers

You can download the past GCSE exam papers online. Here are some websites that many students prefer to use.

• Maths Genie
• Maths Watch
• Dr Frost maths
• Cobette Maths
• GCSE maths in four weeks

Stationery items you will need for exams are available at Ryman: GCSE maths stationery items

How to Solve Problems involving Fractional Powers

Fractional powers appear past GCSE maths papers. To get the questions right, you must know how to use the Index Law, Surds and rules for solving the algebraic problems. 

This may sound overwhelming, but it is not that hard. See the illustrations (x3 questions) below.

How to Solve Fractional Powers Using Index Laws & Surds

If you need more illustrations like these, check out the free maths resources here.

Let’s have a look at 3 Higher Maths Exam Questions

Top tip:

All you need to do is to pull apart the powers and simplify them.

Check out the past maths questions & study guides here.

Download GCSE Maths past papers

You can download the past GCSE exam papers online. Here are some websites that many students prefer to use.

• Maths Genie
• Maths Watch
• Dr Frost maths
• Cobette Maths
• GCSE maths in four weeks

Stationery items you will need for exams are available here: GCSE maths stationery items

Show your working out clearly and logically. Where there are 3 or more marks, do not only write the answer.