H2 PCME / H1 GP Study Guide

Hiya J2s (and J1s too) of r/SGExams!

We are two 90 RP’ers from the batch of 2019, Bing (not real name) and Cher Wei. Our subject
combination was PCME / GP. Bing also attained a Distinction in H3 Math so you can find some
tips on that below, and Cher Wei attained his results without any tuition in JC.

After having benefited so much from the information and discussions on the subreddit, we’re
really indebted to the community, and it’s now our time to give back with this study guide that is
completely based on our own individual experiences.

To the batch of 2020: with the Covid-19 pandemic getting worse each day, we cannot even
begin to imagine the added stress and uncertainty that you guys are facing. The UK has already
cancelled their national A-levels, and we don’t even know for sure if the local exams will still
proceed this year. We hope that this guide finds you well and that it will be useful to you as you
continue preparing amid this trying period. No matter what happens, remember to have faith in
yourself, because you can do so much more than you think. Take care of yourselves, and do
look out for your friends as well (though minimally from 1 metre away!).

Disclaimer: This is merely a study guide based on our own experiences and what worked for us.
This is not a substitute for your formal education in school, and please only use this to
supplement your own learning. Keep in mind that what worked for us may not necessarily work
for you, because everyone has vastly different learning styles and capacities, so do proceed
judiciously. If you’re unsure of certain points shared here, you can consult your teachers for a
second opinion.

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 Table of contents

1. General tips

1.1. Health and well-being

1.2. Making use of all your resources

1.3. It’s never too late to start

1.4. FAQs

2. Subject guides
2.1. H1 General Paper

2.2. H2 Physics
2.3. H2 Chemistry

2.4. H2 Mathematics
2.5. H2 Economics

2.6. H3 Mathematics (extra)

3. Some final words

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 1. General tips

1.1. Health and well-being

Before anything else, we need you to realise the importance of your health and well-being (both
mental and physical) during these two stressful years in JC. Your eyes are probably rolled so far
back right now, but as clichéd as it is, you’re going to need to bring the best version of yourself
to the papers.

The entire A-levels period spans a month and a half if you include the Physics and Chemistry
practicals, and trust me when I say that you’ll be pushed to your limits. You definitely do not
want to be burning out or falling sick halfway through the papers, because as harsh as it
sounds, you would be wasting all the hard work you’d put in all this time.

It’s also really important to stay mentally strong throughout the entire duration because there are
multiple papers for every subject, and it is very possible to make a comeback if you falter in the
earlier papers. I personally didn’t complete over 10 marks’ worth of questions in my Math paper
1, but managed to do better in paper 2, and still secured an A. You can find many more similar
stories on the subreddit.

Whether you’re a J1 or J2, you need to start taking good care of yourself. You already know
what to do, you just (probably) aren’t doing it. In any case, here are some reminders:

● Eat and sleep well - this means no pulling all-nighters, and utilising power-naps during
the day if needed; you’ll be way more productive than trying to power through a study
session when you’re tired out.
● Do some form of exercise regularly - sports, running, anything goes. It’s okay if you
aren’t athletic or from a sports CCA, neither were we, but find something you don’t mind
doing and stick to it. It will do wonders for your stress and energy levels.
● If you’re sick, don’t study. You’re not going to be able to absorb much when you’re
unwell, and you’d only be stressing yourself out because of how much more difficult
everything seems, which would then delay your recovery. Focus on recovering first, then
study.

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 ● Make sure you have avenues available to de-stress when things get rough. For myself,
music pacified me like a sweet baby whenever I had mini anxiety attacks, and I probably
couldn’t have kept sane without it. Find the avenues that work for you and don’t forget to
make use of them.

Essentially, you want to build up these good practices as early as possible, so you can keep the
momentum all the way to A-levels. There is a marked difference between your productivity in a
study session or an exam when you’re healthy and happy, and when you’re dealing with some
form of physical or mental ailment. The sooner you realise that and start taking better care of
yourself, the higher your odds of giving your best performance at A’s.

If you’ve made it this far in this first general tip, and don’t feel like I’m talking completely out of
my ass, take a look at these two short articles:
https://www.inc.com/betsy-mikel/1-thing-the-worlds-best-chess-player-swears-by-to-build-
mental-stamina.html
https://www.buildhabits.co/2019/03/01/keep-your-habits-in-check-like-magnus-carlsen/

The World Chess Championships are actually a pretty close comparison to the A-levels period,
since they also span around a month or so, during which you’re under intense pressure but are
still forced to keep calm and sharp. We don’t have to replicate Carlsen’s (the world chess
champion) crazy routines, cos we’d go nuts in like, 2 days. Just take it as an assurance that any
investment you put in your health will be worthwhile.

So the next time you’re tired out but feel too guilty for dropping your books, prioritise yourself
and go take that short nap.

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1.2. Making use of all your resources

Next, you’ve got to make full use of all the resources you have around you. Most JCs provide an
abundance of resources - lecture notes, tutorial sets, extra topical practices, past year papers,
even your subject tutors are valuable assets.

Maybe you feel that certain subject departments or teachers in your JC suck big time and don’t
provide you with enough support. I understand, and I know how demoralising it can feel, but you
can always outsource resources online (Khan Academy lectures, uploaded past year papers,
seniors’ notes etc) or from your friends in other schools.

By making full use of the resources, I don’t mean bulldozing through all of them blindly, but
rather drawing from multiple resources to better facilitate your understanding of tough concepts.

If you’re stuck on a particular concept or question, turn to other avenues to help you understand
better. Don’t hesitate to arrange consults with your tutors, especially if you’re lucky enough to
have patient and caring tutors; otherwise, you can always ask your friends for help. Or watch a
YouTube video, like I did when I struggled for the longest time to grasp the concept of
gravitational potential / potential energy.

If you’re having difficulty with certain topics, actively try out practice questions, and learn from
them properly, i.e. take your time to mark them and go through the solutions / corrections. Too
many people rush through tonnes of practice questions without looking through and learning
from their mistakes, which is going to seriously impede your improvement. You might even end
up reinforcing mistakes.

Or maybe you’re not sure how to study something; maybe you’re horrible at memorisation.
There are tonnes of videos out there on effective ways to memorise content (flashcards,
mnemonics, active recall, etc), you’re always free to incorporate the methods into your own
study sessions.

Essentially, don’t feel helpless because you feel that you’re not getting enough support. There is
always somewhere (or someone) else you can turn to for help, you just have to look hard
enough.

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1.3. It’s never too late to start

This is just a little personal story I’d (Cher Wei) like to share, in hope that you’ll find it somewhat
inspiring (or at least a little entertaining?).

About 3 months before A’s started, I came down with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), basically a
(mostly) stress-induced condition where your bowels go batshit crazy and you just get
stomachaches, diarrhoea and constipation on a daily basis (yes, you can get both in the same
day). It was bad enough to leave me physically exhausted every day, and I was completely out
of it.

I stopped handing in assignments, started skipping school or coming to class way past morning
assembly a lot, and began to withdraw from my friends, preferring the comfort of my trusty
earphones. I missed 4 out of 5 Common Test papers, and took most of the Prelim papers
without studying at all. I even played through an entire Steam game (Bioshock Infinite) some
time in September, which took close to a week, just to distract myself from the impending stress
and keep sane. Even having gone through BMT, I still consider this one of the lowest points of
my life.

However, I was lucky to have extremely supportive and caring people around me - my family,
tutors and close friends, and I pulled through and recovered roughly a month before A’s started.
And then I just… mugged my ass off... no other way of putting it. I knew for a fact that many
people made tremendous improvements from Prelims to A’s, and there was still enough time left
even in October and November, so I gave it my all. Even when we were left with the two
Science MCQs in the tail end of November, I didn’t stop and used all the remaining time
religiously to squeeze the most out of the 15% weightage. And somehow, I made it.

I’m sharing this to show that it’s never too late to pick yourself up and start working hard.
Countless people from past batches have improved a lot between Prelims and A-levels. You’ve
probably come across some of these miracle stories in the subreddit so… don’t feel helpless
even if you’ve been struggling all this while. You’ve still got a lot of time on your side, so make
use of it.

From Bing:

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I got a rude shock at CT2… so I decided to buck up before Prelims. It’s never too late to start.

I was really fortunate to be able to find this friend (one of my best friends since Sec 1) whom I
could turn to whenever I needed any academic help. He in many ways has the best work ethic I
have ever seen. Everyday, he would stay back in school, but when I needed help he would
always put aside his work to help me.

I joined him to study in school everyday leading up to Prelims as I felt I couldn’t focus at home
and I needed someone to motivate me. Everyday he goes to school from 10 to 6.30. I felt like I
had more to do, so I went to school at 8am every day and only left at 7. I would do paper after
paper, reviewing my mistakes immediately.

He told me one thing that still stuns me - if you treat studying like a 9 to 5 job, then you’ll be
really focused during the period of time you spend studying. He NEVER did any studying after
the evening because he was so productive during the day.

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1.4. FAQs

1. Should I make my own notes? If so, how do I make them?

You should only make notes when they serve a clear purpose - either to summarise your notes
in your own words / diagrams to facilitate future revision, or to help you grasp certain concepts
better.

For instance, if you find that making mind maps for Org-Chem reactions helps you to remember
them and you are likely to re-visit the mindmaps in the future, go ahead.

If, however, you’re doing a topical summary for Econs and catch yourself passively copying off
your lecture notes, and find it taking far too long without much returns, you probably don’t need
the notes.

Your notes should:

● Be clear and concise - don’t spam too much or too messily on one page till you dread
having to re-read the notes.
● Be paraphrased in your own words as much as possible, so you’re actively processing
and making sure you understand what you’re writing during note-making.
● Have a clear purpose - most of the time, it’s for easier reference in the future, so if you
don’t think you’re going to come back to the notes, they’re probably not worthwhile, and
you’re better off making notes for another subject or doing practices instead.
● Ideally be written (especially for Science subjects) - it helps you remember better and
you have a lot more freedom in drawing diagrams, which are also recommended.
● Be neat and colourful - if you have the time, make use of colours as extra visual aids to
help you, especially if you’re a visual learner.

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In this example, I tried to leave enough spacing between the graphs, and also paraphrased a lot
of the concepts from my lecture notes with a heavy reliance on symbols like arrows to shorten
things and make revision easier. I also re-drew the graphs manually to help me remember how
they work. On the other hand, here’s a negative example:

This is way. Too. Cluttered. I found myself squeezing information in and having to leave out
important stuff, and revising this was quite painful.

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On the other end of the spectrum, especially for the Sciences and Math, one big mistake people
make is spending too much time making notes, however aesthetic they may be, and neglecting
doing practice questions. If you’re running out of time, jump straight into the practice packages
your school gives (a basic understanding of the topic is sufficient) and work through them. Learn
along the way, because it really saves a lot of time.

2. How often should I study?

Sorry to disappoint, but there’s really no fixed figure. It will always vary from individual to
individual. Generally, though, you want to study consistently, which means don’t rush too much
in a short period of time and get burnt out, then stop studying for a long while. Pacing is
important.

Also, remember to take breaks in-between your study sessions. To progressively train up your
attention span, start off with 30-45 minute intense sessions (meaning 0 distractions, yes keep
your phone locked away) and then give yourself a break of 10-15 minutes, you can go for a walk
or listen to some music or something, then continue. Once you find that you can focus for the
entire session (you’ll know when you start feeling like the time is not enough), increase that
timing and then rinse and repeat.

The specific numbers and details aren’t important; many roads lead to Rome. Just focus on the
end goal of increasing your attention span and productivity in each study session.

3. Should I study alone or in groups?

Mostly subjective. I prefer studying alone when I’m doing the groundwork for the subject / topic,
i.e. still figuring out the basics from the lecture notes or tutorials, because I’m less likely to need
immediate help when I’m still at the basics, and can focus better alone.

Once I’m decent enough at the topic(s) to participate in discussions or answer some of my
friends’ queries, I’m more open to studying in groups, because discussions will be more fruitful
instead of one-sided where I’m the one asking basic questions all the time. Discussing too early
is also really disruptive because you’d be tempted to ask every little question that pops up in

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your mind instead of reading through the notes more carefully, where the answers might be
found.

I’m also more inclined to study discussion-heavy subjects with my friends, in particular Econs
and GP, because it’s much easier to debate an essay plan than to work together verbally on a
Math problem.

Honestly, though, it boils down to personal preference - as long as you aren’t getting distracted
by the presence of your friends (I get distracted way too easily), feel free to study in groups.

4. Do I need tuition? (I mean like, after the centres re-open)

Personally, I feel like tuition is only as helpful as you make it out to be. Take GP for example -
you can only do so much in each session, because language is something you learn over time.
Sure, you get a lot of super helpful notes, but will you actually take the time to read through and
study them? Or for the Sciences, even if you get a lot of practice questions, do you still have
enough time after class to work through them? If you can confidently answer yes to these
questions, then tuition will do wonders for you. But if you’re overwhelmed by how much school
work there is, or if you don’t feel inspired enough by your tuition teacher to put in the necessary
work, then I’m not sure if it’s worthwhile anymore. I know the latter is a reality for some people
being enrolled in way too many different tuition classes.

If you haven’t started tuition, I would recommend trying to rely on yourself and the resources
around you first, because JC tuition can get really expensive, and you don’t want to develop an
over-reliance on tuition either. If you’re really overwhelmed even after trying multiple methods
and seeking help from those around you, please go ahead and sign up for some trial classes,
it’s probably a worthy investment to get into your dream course.

If you are already in tuition, then I certainly won’t ask that you quit, but try to make use of the
additional resources it provides you, meaning do the practices, and consult your tutors as soon
as possible when you have any doubts. Make the most of those extra hours that you have to
spend in class, and make it worthwhile for your parents to continue investing money into the
class.

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P.S. I have not had any experience attending JC tuition, so this is just my personal take on
tuition and should not be taken for formal counselling. Do remember to discuss this with your
parents and teachers as well before making any decisions!

5. (UPDATE) How do I study now that there’s Home-Based Learning?

We all kinda saw this coming. Don’t be too alarmed though, it’s only a minor inconvenience and
it’s not going to severely impede your learning. Just take this as an opportunity to practise
studying on your own and without supervision, which you’ll be forced to do again in the self-
study period between Prelims and A’s.

First of all, work on finding a safe haven for studying. You should have easy access to all your
resources, and the place should be as free from distractions as possible (yes, again, put the
phone somewhere far away). If your house is too noisy, listening to more peaceful genres of
music helps, but of course don’t get carried away with the loud music.

Next, try to keep a moderately structured lifestyle, even if you don’t have to adhere strictly to a
timetable anymore. Which means continuing to pay attention in your scheduled online lessons
(don’t hesitate to ask questions through the chat if needed), and sticking to regular meals and a
decently fixed lights out timing. We all know it’s too easy to start letting ourselves go when
there’s no structure in our lives, like how I just watched Kdrama till 4am the night before writing
this, so the worst thing you can do to yourself is losing that discipline and wasting the 1 month
period.

Don’t forget to keep in contact digitally with your friends and tutors. I genuinely could not have
pulled through A-levels without the company and support of some friends whom I would text
pretty much everyday in the days leading up to A’s. If you find yourself seeking the company of
your friends, Skype study sessions are always an option.

Lastly, don’t get sucked away into the daunting world of books too much, you’ll just get burned
out quickly, so remember to reward yourself with breaks and have fun too!

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 2. Subject guides

2.1. H1 General Paper

Paper 1:
● The best way to self-study for Paper 1 would be to read the news or other interesting
sites like Wiki or Quora on a daily basis. Do this on the commute, or just substitute out
some of your other daily routines like YouTubing for this. Painful, yeah, we know, but
worthwhile, and eventually you’ll find more and more things that you find interesting
enough to follow.

Say you’re reading about the Brazilian wildfires last year on the Straits Times (or
Channel NewsAsia if you don’t have a subscription). If you follow the links in the article
or search for articles from other news providers, you’ll reach articles from different
perspectives or covering different sub-topics, e.g. the cause of the wildfires (the
farmers), why the President isn’t doing much to stop the wildfires, the environmental
impacts, international response, etc. Spend some time reading a variety of articles, or
watching relevant videos.

Invariably, in each of these articles, the key details of the event like the dates and
stakeholders will be repeated, so not only do you get to understand the topic or event
holistically and from multiple perspectives, you’re also constantly “revising” the key
details such that you’ll remember them well enough to use them as examples in your
essays.

Additionally, as you’re reading the articles, spend some time Googling for definitions to
any new words you chance upon, and take the opportunity to add them to your
vocabulary. Don’t just glance at the definitions quickly and return to the article; spend
time reading through the synonyms and example sentences, and understand why it was
used in the original article, because doing these will help to retain the words in your
memory longer.

Note: Don’t shy away from reading about your more esoteric interests like the Arts or

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 sports and fitness, because there’s always a chance that one of the 12 questions falls
under your area of expertise. The 12 questions always cover a wide range of topics, and
Cambridge doesn’t seem to be afraid to test the weirdest stuff; I mean, our AQ was on
zoos, of all things. Cambridge also seems to be trending towards questions covering
multiple sub-topics, like the question combining social media and politicians in 2019, so
don’t place all your bets on the usual few “standard” topics.

● But right before the exams, maybe about 3-4 weeks, you should zoom in on around 3
broad themes you like the most / you are most confident you would pick in the exam. Do
note that these should not be too “ulu”; try and pick the more common topics that have a
decent chance of appearing. For example, before As, I picked science & tech, media
and global poverty/food/hunger and it paid off because there was one question
combining science and global poverty! That said, don’t completely neglect the other
topics, try to still read a bit of everything because it helps with AQ (especially Singapore
topics like museums, festivals etc. Look for topics that haven’t been tested as well).

● When it comes to answering essay questions, you need to practise breaking down the
questions and identifying the key requirements or “traps”. I’m certain you will have a lot
of training doing this in your lessons, but if you can, keep this in your mind at all times.
Just missing one trap like “in today’s world” or “never / always” can lead your essay out
of point, and your marks will be capped no matter how well you write. To get better at
spotting key requirements or traps, do more essay plans (including concrete examples to
revise your content!) and take note of recurring question types, and then make a
conscious effort to address the requirements in each essay. You can do this by
repeating / paraphrasing the exact phrases (e.g. starting or ending your sentences with
“in today’s world” or “in the modern world” etc) to remind yourself not to steer off course,
and also indicate to the examiner that you’re addressing what is required.

● For language, aim for smoothness and clarity over bombastic language. It’s a common
misconception that you need to spam chim words all over your essay to score a good
language mark. Unless you can use such words or phrases effectively (in which case,
feel free to), it’s far more important to write clearly and cleanly - this means using more
signposting words (e.g. next, in addition, furthermore, for instance / example), proper
punctuation (no run-on sentences, or super long sentences joined together by too many

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 commas), and playing around with sentence syntax (not always starting sentences with I
/ the). You can definitely get a good grade with strong arguments presented in plain
language; just remember that your language is only a means or a tool to express your
thoughts, and your end goal is still to get your examiner to completely understand your
train of thought. In the words of a past teacher of mine: don’t engage in pompous
circumlocution, you’ll just sound ridiculous.

Paper 2:
● On paraphrasing: This is probably one of the hardest things to master in Paper 2. You
can't improve overnight and you'll need to work on this consistently. The earlier Paper 1
tip about learning synonyms along with new words applies here too, because it helps
you associate certain words together, and build up a more versatile vocabulary over
time. Do more practices, especially summaries, and learn from the answer keys. There
will invariably be a few recurring paraphrases (compulsory-mandatory, widespread-
ubiquitous, etc) and you want to have those in your arsenal.

● For Compre:
○ Familiarise yourself with the different question types. Even though Cambridge
likes to deviate from the standard question types (like asking about literary
devices in the 2019 paper), there will still inevitably be a few of the standard
question types like tone / attitude / purpose of author, compare A and B, etc. You
can prepare a few standard answering formats: for comparison questions do not
lump multiple properties together, but compare them one at a time; or for
questions on metaphors / analogies, start off with an explanation of the metaphor
before linking it to the context, and so on.

○ Give yourself enough time to read and understand the passage. It's better to read
through once slowly than scan through too quickly and miss key information,
following which you would need to keep flipping back and forth to re-read. It's up
to you if you wish to annotate, but I only find it necessary when there are sections
I struggle to understand.

● For Summary:

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○ Pro-tip: draw vertical lines with pencil down your writing space to create 10 boxes
across each horizontal line for a total of 12 horizontal lines. One word per box,
and you won't need to waste time counting to 120, something like the photo
below.

○ Doing a full draft is not necessary and is too time-consuming. Where necessary,
make use of any blank spaces around the passage to do rough work, and then
write your final version decisively.

○ Do not get stuck for too long on one paraphrase. Most exercises have way more
than 15 points, so either find something else, or as a last resort, lift the point
word-for-word; not every point needs to be paraphrased. Note: remember that
certain types of words need not be paraphrased - find out what those are.

○ Do not be restricted to paraphrasing specific words while maintaining the exact

same sentence structure - feel free to re-structure entire clauses as long as the
meaning (does your paraphrase change the original message?) and intensity
(does your paraphrase capture the scale / depth / gravity of the original?) are
captured. Quick example: “do not charge their users any fees” → “provide free
services”. It’s tempting to play safe and try to paraphrase the original to
something like... “do not collect any payment from their users” but it’s not the
most efficient way.

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 ● For AQ:
○ For content, same advice as Paper 1, just that you're going to be reading more
local news.

○ Prepare an answering format for both single and double-passage AQs; 2019's
paper was double-passage.

○ One crucial skill here is evaluation (also critical for Paper 1!) - you need to
appreciate the different ways of evaluating your points and how it adds depth to
them. There are many ways - examining the duration (short vs long term) or
scale (large or small, local or regional, reversible or not, etc) of impact, bringing
in conflicting points of view from different stakeholders, providing a prediction for
a future trend, bringing in historical precedents, etc. Keep a few of these in your
arsenal and remember to employ them where you're able to. As mentioned
previously, Cambridge seems to be deviating from standard topics, so there's a
higher chance you'll get caught off guard with no chance to use your prepared
content knowledge, in which case you’ll have no choice but to fall back on your
fundamental skills - argumentation and evaluation.

Other tips:
● Plan. Your. Answers. No. Buts. Even if you need to take 20 minutes to plan your essay,
do it! It's better than rushing in and realising halfway through that you missed a key
question demand or two. Same applies for summary and AQ. Sometimes I find the S P
E R M format for idea-generation (Social, Political, Economic, Racial/Religious,
Military/Medical) useful, especially when you’re forced to write an essay on a broad
topic.

Also, be decisive in your planning. The moment you flip over your essay question paper,
you should immediately be striking out questions that you definitely cannot do. Then
hone in quickly on a suitable question once you have generated enough points for it, and
start drawing up a concrete essay plan. Don’t keep glancing over at the other questions
and thinking twice about your question choice; the more you do that, the more likely you
are to eventually switch over, which wastes a lot of valuable planning time. And for

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 paraphrasing exercises, don’t keep second-guessing your answers either, it’s a tough
call to make, but necessary if you want to ensure that you complete the papers.

● Time management - may seem contrary to the previous point, but it's possible to finish
the papers even with proper planning. For Paper 2 in particular, one common mistake
people make is rushing through SAQs to bank time for Summary+AQ. If you look at the
mark breakdown, SAQs are worth 17 marks while the other two are worth only 18 marks
combined, so it makes no sense to rush through the SAQs.

● Lastly, develop an interest for the subject by actively learning more about the world
around you. The more you learn the easier it gets because you connect more and more
dots in your knowledge, and it's a cool feeling to be able to complete an essay with your
own examples!

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2.2. H2 Physics

● The best way to study Physics is through ruthlessly understanding concepts, then
practising a variety of questions to test your understanding. Which sounds obvious, but
there's no other way around it. Ruthlessly understanding means prioritising concepts
before anything else - it's better to spend more time figuring something out than
spamming practices before you've fully understood and just memorising answering
techniques or reinforcing misconceptions.

There's no limit to the number of ways Cambridge can twist and turn questions around,
especially for less structured topics like Kinematics or Dynamics. In 2019 Paper 3 for
example, there was a question which mixed both Superposition and Quantum Physics
together, so memorising question types isn't the most worthwhile investment.

Figure out your fundamentals first - drawing of accurate diagrams; memorising your
formulae and what each and every variable means (this is especially important because
it's too easy to substitute wrong values!); getting good at basic skills like vector
resolution or forming equations for resultant force; knowing some basic FAQs like why
the sign for GPE is negative, why there is acceleration in uniform circular motion, etc…
Once you’re good at the fundamentals, you’ll find yourself getting better and better at
applying them to novel situations.

● Memorise your definitions! A lot of people end up neglecting definitions all the way till
right before A-levels, myself included, even though Cambridge has been consistently
testing them pretty much every year so far (including 2019). I would recommend keeping
your definitions on a mobile flashcards app and periodically looking at or updating them,
at least once before every major exam, so you'll have them mastered by the time A's
comes around. These are free marks that you do not want to miss.

In addition, I found that memorising definitions helped with the appreciation and
application of some formulae, and vice versa, knowing the formulae also helped me
memorise the definitions. For example…

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 ○ Simple harmonic motion: “Simple harmonic motion is defined as the motion of a
particle about a fixed point such that its acceleration is proportional to its
displacement from the fixed point and is always directed towards the point.”
Just knowing this reminds us of the formula a = -ω 2x, where “proportional”
corresponds to the ω2 term, and “always directed towards the point” corresponds
to the negative sign.

○ First Law of Thermodynamics: “The First Law of Thermodynamics states that the
increase in the internal energy of a system is equal to the sum of the heat
supplied to the system and the work done on the system, and the internal
energy of a system depends only on its state.” This is an example of how
crucial knowing the full definition is to using the formula correctly, because we
need to know exactly what each of the terms in U = Q + W refer to so we can
substitute the right values. The last part about the energy depending on state is
also an important reminder that internal energy only changes with state (i.e. p, V,
or T).

○ Magnetic flux density: “The magnetic flux density of a magnetic field is

numerically equal to the force per unit length of a long straight conductor
carrying a unit current at right angles to a uniform magnetic field.” This
definition corresponds to the formula B = F/IL. This is a particularly difficult
definition to memorise, but you can use the formula to your advantage: “force per
unit length” and “unit current” point you towards F/L and 1/I respectively, so
remember them together. Also, there’s an important reminder that the current
has to act at right angles to the magnetic field, so you won’t forget to resolve
either the field or current direction with some trigo when you’re using F = BIL.

● Compile a list of definitions and memorise them word for word before the exam. This is
really important. If you can’t memorise word for word, try to capture the key phrases (see
above).

● Don't hesitate to draw diagrams in your answers. Free body diagrams, graphs, circuit
diagrams, whatever goes. They help a lot in studying and visualising tough concepts,
and the more you draw them, the better and faster you'll get at them. In some cases, if

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 you fail to get the correct answer, the examiners may even give partial credit for your
diagrams: I once wrote the direction of a vector wrongly in the answer blank but labelled
the angle correctly in a diagram, and actually got credit for the diagram.

● For Practical:
○ The most practical advice I can think of is paying attention to all the little nitty-
gritty requirements - s.f./d.p. rules, labelling and scale of graph axes, standard
headings of planning report, precision of standard apparatus, common prefixes
(nano, micro, milli…), etc. These are all guaranteed marks because they're
constant across any experiment, so make sure you get them down during your
practical sessions.

○ Also, unethical tip: just fake results if you're spending too long carrying out the
experiments, e.g. only recording "loading" mass and then giving a guesstimate
for "unloading". Always remember that e.c.f. is your best friend in Physics and
Chemistry papers, whether theory or practical, so if you're stuck just put a logical
value and move on to places where you can continue collecting marks. Honestly,
just think of Practical as a mark-collection drive, and prioritise the hotspots that
give you the greatest yields. For As we both (and almost everyone we know)
faked results because the experiment was so hard to conduct!

○ Time management: if you're stuck setting up the apparatus, please don't wait too
long before asking for help. You get 1-2 marks deducted depending on how
much help is administered, but at least you get to finish the rest of the paper.
Also, leave 30 minutes for the planning section no matter what. You can usually
get quite a few marks there since there are typically more possible points than
total marks, much like GP Summary.

○ If you don’t know how to tie simple knots/loops, learn to! You can easily practise
this at home with a few strings.

● Tip (also applies to H2 Chemistry): if you’ve got spare time, it’s useful to download the
syllabus documents and use the topical course outlines as a checklist to guide your

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 studying. Having the specific learning objectives in hand will make sure that you cover all
ground, and also don’t spend too much time on things that are out of syllabus.

Another tip for doing practice papers for Physics, and also Chem / Math: What I found
personally very useful was keeping track of my progress using an Excel spreadsheet.

If I keyed in a score means I did the paper already, or if I highlight it in yellow if I’ve gone
through the mistakes already. I also make to-do lists and try to adhere to the times:

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From being a chore, I decided to try and “enjoy” studying cos such a national exam will never
come again, might as well make the best use of the opportunity right. I still have fond memories
of heading to a library near my neighbourhood to read GP for an entire day with my friends, and
enjoying a good Subway meal in between :)

My learning style may not be for everyone and I did get lucky in finding someone who was so
good at acads whom I could depend on. What’s important is you find what works for you and
stick to it. Track your progress and you can even go a step further in noting down the topics you
tend to make mistakes in and working on those as you go through practice papers.

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2.3. H2 Chemistry

H2 Chemistry is another kind of beast altogether. It’s the second hardest subject I’ve ever
encountered in all my years of schooling so far (still can’t beat Higher Chinese! at least I can
actually understand the questions) so don’t be discouraged if you find yourself struggling at it.
The jump from O-levels to H2 Chemistry is massive, I felt it too, and I’ve probably spent the
most time in JC studying this subject. In any case, besides doing consistent topical practices
(which is a must for any Science subject), here’s what worked for me.

For Physical Chem:

● The first few topics (Atomic Structure, Chemical Bonding, Periodic Table, Mole Concept)
are especially important because they cover basic concepts that will be used again and
again, even in Org sometimes. One super important example would be the different
types of bonds or intermolecular forces - you’ll re-visit these so often, in Ideal Gas,
Periodic Table, physical properties of Org compounds, rate of Org reactions, etc. Or the
concepts of nuclear charge, shielding and effective nuclear charge - they can be used to
explain so many different things. And if you haven’t mastered the Mole Concept by now,
it’s about time to work on it, because it’s used literally everywhere, including Practical.

Similarly to Math, you will be dealing with more complicated concepts in H2 Chem, so if
you don’t get these basics mastered, or have certain misconceptions, it will hinder your
understanding of the tougher concepts. I recommend consulting your tutor or friends
whenever you come across something that you’re unsure of.

● Get a decent understanding of how to read the Periodic Table. I don’t mean memorising
individual elements, but understand general trends down groups or periods, the s/p/d
blocks and how to write their configurations fast, where non-metals and metals are
placed, what the two numbers on each element mean, etc. You’ll be having to refer to
the Table a lot regardless of topic, so it would be helpful if you could read it efficiently
and accurately. On this note, you should also be familiar with what is and isn’t in the
Data Booklet, much like the MF26 - you’ll be referring to this for pretty much every Chem
paper, and for so many topics, so it will save you a lot of time and memory space if you
knew where to locate required information in the booklet.

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 ● While Physical Chem is a lot more concept-heavy and arguably easier for Physics
students, there’s actually quite a lot you can memorise to secure some standard marks,
something that Bio students would be no stranger to. Some examples:
○ Standard answer templates (also applies for Org): effective nuclear charge and
trends, intermolecular forces and their factors, VSEPR theory, accounting for
physical properties like m.p./b.p., compounds in Periodic Table topic and their
reactions.
○ Definitions: I don’t strictly mean definitions written in prose like those in
Energetics, this includes equations as well, like Gibbs’ Free Energy, different
order rate equations and units for k, half-life equation, reactions for the various
Acid-Base definitions, pH/pOH, solubility vs ionic product, etc. Knowing all these
like the back of your hand is merely a pre-requisite, not a good-to-have, because
like Physics, there are many ways Cambridge can twist the questions, and in
order to apply the concepts to new situations you first have to be familiar with
them.
○ Standard graphs: how to manipulate ideal gas equation and corresponding
graphs, trends for I.E., activation energy, kinetics graphs (including effects of
catalyst / temperature), etc.
○ Diagrams: This applies to Org Chem too, of course. I cannot understate how
important diagrams are in H2 Chem. There’s a diagram out there for probably
half of the concepts that you can think of, or even more, so use diagrams to help
you understand or visualise things!

● Tip for exams (also applies to “explain” questions in Org Chem): make it a habit to write
briefly and in a focused manner. To do this, make sure you know the standard templates
for each type of question. Many people make the mistake of spamming their content
knowledge in every answer, because they get carried away with the momentum, only to
end up running out of time. I’m guilty of this too - it’s too tempting to just keep buffering
your answers with additional information to show that you’ve covered everything.
However, it’s a waste of precious exam time, so make it a habit to focus on keywords, do
away with unnecessary details, and move on once you’ve answered the question.

For Org Chem:

26
● I would recommend making your own notes for easier reference in your study sessions,
especially mind maps for the various reactions and conditions (r&c). The note-making
process helps you memorise the first time, too. It’s useful to group certain things
together, like the oxidising / reducing agents, or making cross-topical mindmaps so you
can connect the dots better.

● You should get into the habit of being meticulous and detailed in your notes or answers
where r&c is concerned; no shortcuts. This means instead of writing that the reaction is
“oxidation”, you write “oxidation of secondary alcohol into carboxylic acid”; instead of
“hydrolysis”, you write “acid hydrolysis of nitrile into carboxylic acid”; if you’re practising
elucidation or synthesis questions, don’t omit the r&cs, just write them in to test yourself
and then revise anything you’re unsure of, and so on. If you’re up for it, whenever you
start on a new topic, or are revising an unfamiliar functional group, go one step further
and list out the full mechanisms or r&cs where possible, even if not specifically asked for
in the tutorial or practice questions. It will help you memorise the topic so much faster
because you’re constantly revising specific things, and you will also cover a lot of gaps in
your knowledge this way such that you won’t end up omitting key details and losing
marks for it.

● Make sure you’re familiar with how mechanisms work, which means instead of just
memorising the standard mechanisms, appreciate what terms like “homolytic /
heterolytic fission” or “electrophile / nucleophile” mean, and how they translate to the
structures and arrows. Cambridge occasionally trends away from standard mechanisms,
and instead provides you with written clues about some novel mechanisms, leaving you
to draw out the schematics on your own. Something else they seem to be starting to do
is introducing an entirely new mechanism altogether along with some clues, leaving you
to understand how the mechanism works and then apply it to a different situation (this
was done in the 2019 paper as well), so it will serve you well to be very familiar with
arrow-pushing and the like.

● For elucidation questions, use the standard template of “evidence” and “deduction”. It is
crucial that you present your work neatly, i.e. start on a fresh page and make sure each
piece of evidence is lined up next to its corresponding deduction.

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 In many cases, we don’t actually have time to finish elucidating the final products,
especially when Cambridge feels sadistic and decides to throw in a completely new, out-
of-syllabus mechanism and include it in the elucidation question (ahem 2019). However,
you can still get the bulk of the marks from just writing elucidation points - it’s similar to
GP Summary or Physics Planning, where there are (typically) more points than marks,
so you can still do decently even if you cannot get the final products. So ALWAYS start
by writing down ALL the elucidation points from the question before you start trying to
deduce the products. This is also why it’s essential to present your answers (both
evidence and specific deductions! see earlier point) neatly and in detail - it’s easier for
your marker to give you partial credit. It also makes sure that you don’t overlook any key
information that you noted down, because sometimes there may be just one missing
puzzle piece keeping you from figuring out all the products.

Lastly, be generous with the space provided and do draft work with a pencil (applies for
other puzzle questions like synthesis). It’s better to sketch out some possible structures
and eliminate the incorrect ones, or tweak the possible ones using one piece of evidence
at a time, than to try and work out the structure from scratch in your mind.

For Practical:
● There’s quite a lot of theory to memorise for Practical, so do start as soon as possible
and don’t make the mistake of cramming like I did. Ideally, you should be consistently
revising the content to prepare for each upcoming Practical session. Even if you don’t
have the time to do so, just make sure you walk away from each Practical having
learned something new, because your sessions are actually so limited and precious.
And your end goal should be having all your H2 content revised before your A-levels
Practical, because Cambridge has been trending towards analysis-heavy questions that
require decent content mastery.

Next, pay close attention to your fundamental skills in your Practical sessions like
titration, heating, preparing standard solution, etc. Your tutor would likely be sharing a lot
of different “hacks” to make your life easier, such as doing some questions when you’re
waiting for a QA mixture to settle so you don’t waste any time just waiting, or keeping the
first titration solution as reference for the colour of the second one, etc. You don’t want to

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miss these, because the timing for Chem Practical is super tight and you need all the
help you can get to finish the paper efficiently.

Lastly, similarly to H2 Physics, always manage your time and spare 30 minutes for the
Planning question, because there are usually more possible points than marks, so you’re
likely to get the most returns from moving on to Planning. It’s also crucial that you’re
pretty good at the H2 content for Practical, especially in basics like stoichiometry, or in
specific topics like Energetics or Kinetics; it’ll feel super relieving if something that you’ve
already studied extensively gets tested.

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2.4. H2 Mathematics

● The best way to study Math is to do consistent practices. Emphasis on consistent,

because it's easy to forget past topics even if you'd mastered them previously. It helps to
do full timed practice papers on top of just topical exercises because it trains you to
handle multiple topics at once and lets you revise previous topics. Making notes will help
you gain a better understanding of the topics but will not improve your grade unless you
actually do questions.

I can’t remember how many times I have had to re-visit old topics that I had practised a
lot and got confident at, just because I put them aside for a while, or how many times I
had looked at my old tutorial answers and gotten surprised that I used to be able to solve
the questions. Which was super inefficient, and took a lot of extra effort to go through the
recalling process over and over again. On this note, I think it’s useful to make your brief
own summary / formula sheets for all the topics, because you’re going to need to refer to
them constantly.

● Another equally important thing is to learn from your mistakes - spend time reviewing
your past practices. Even if you managed to get the answers, if you had difficulty solving
at any point in time, or if you feel even a little uncertain about your method, it's worth
looking at the suggested solutions because chances are there are shorter and more
efficient methods out there, especially for concept-heavy topics like P&C, Probability, or
good old Vectors. Over time, you'll get more proficient at using these more efficient
methods, and you can save a lot of valuable time in your papers.

● Tip 1: Get yourself a handy copy of MF26 for reference during your study sessions, and
be very familiar with what is inside there. You'll save so much time without having to flip
around aimlessly during exams because you know exactly what is (and isn't!) in there
and where exactly it is, and you can also lighten your memory load so you can focus on
memorising other formulae not found inside.

● Tip 2: Get good at using your GC. Too many people neglect their GCs and prefer to use
their trusty Scientific calculators, and consequently miss out on many features that the
GC provides. There are so many little shortcuts that you can take with your GC,

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 especially for topics like Vectors, graphing, and stats, and you can even do cool things
like checking your answers for integration.

Personally, at some point in J1, I forced myself to use only my GC for all my calculator-
work so I could master it as quickly as possible, and I kept up the habit till A’s. You don’t
need to do the same, but start paying more attention to any tips and tricks that your tutor
shares or that you come across on your own, and work on getting proficient at using the
GC. I mean, you paid over a hundred dollars for it, might as well start playing with it,
yeah?

● Master your fundamental skills (yes, including O-levels topics!). These are so crucial
because they will be used time and time again, and you only need to master them once
since you will be using them so often that they quickly become second nature. Some
general examples so you know what I’m talking about:
○ Manipulation of equations and inequalities: factorisation, cross-multiplication
method, polynomial expansion or long division, BODMAS, crossing out common
terms, partial fractions, flipping of inequality signs;
○ Basic trigo: Toa-Cah-Soh and their corresponding graphs, key identities outside
of MF26, effects of A and B in AsinBx; solving for angles using A-S-T-C
quadrants; appreciating why -sinx = sin(-x) etc;
○ Manipulation of surds and indices: knowing that ∛ is the same as power of ⅓, or that
√2 * √3 = √6;
○ Basics of quadratic equations (Ax2 + Bx + C): discriminant, number and nature of
roots, strictly positive / negative functions, stationary points;
○ Some geometry: recognition of similar triangles, alternate angles, formulae for
volume and surface area of common shapes.

These basic skills are especially important because in H2 Math you’re dealing with
much, much tougher concepts, so if you’re struggling with any of these, it will impede
your understanding of the new concepts and make things even more difficult than they
already are. Whenever you encounter any of your weak points in your practices, spend
some time working on them by consulting your tutors or friends.

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 ● On carelessness: First of all, carry on praying that Cambridge eventually implements
e.c.f for Math. Next, realise that carelessness is probably one of the biggest problems
people face in Math, especially with the gruelling 3-hour duration, and it can really make
a difference in your grade. So here are some tips:

○ See general tip 1 on health and rest - it's so much easier to make stupid mistakes
like misreading the question or copying values wrongly when you're fatigued,
mistakes that you feel like beating yourself over.

○ Don’t skip too many steps. Take the time to write out intermediate steps, and make full
use of the space provided (A-levels will be in booklet form so there is plenty of space).
And please write legibly to facilitate your own checking, it’s just not worth misreading
your own numbers. Lastly, remember to note down important details conspicuously in
your working, like x > 0 or x ∊ ℝ, etc, so you don’t forget them and pay for it.

○ After super complicated intermediate steps, or after you key in a particularly long
expression into your calculator, it’s worth a quick review before you proceed,
because there’s a higher chance that mistakes are made at these complicated
steps.

○ Get into the habit of checking your final answers after you’re done with the paper.
There are different efficient ways of checking for different topics, so for instance
instead of checking through each and every step, you can just plug your final
values into any available formulae to check if the results tally.

○ Do not hesitate to take toilet or stretching breaks during the paper, and hydrate
yourself sufficiently. 3 hours is a very long time to be focusing so intensely, and
even the best of us can get fatigued after a while, so remember to take mini-
breaks and get back into the game.

2.5. H2 Economics

For Paper 1:

32
 ● The first thing you need to do is get the basic concepts down. In a typical case study, the
first 12 marks are run-of-the-mill questions which are definitely “muggable”, and
questions can be as straightforward as describing a trend, comparing two data sets, or
identifying a supply / demand factor. You need to secure as many of these 12 marks as
possible as a safety net for the other more difficult 18 marks. Learn the proper answering
structures for answering these “lower order thinking questions” and make sure you don’t
lose any wasted marks here.

● Time management is especially important (for Paper 2 as well clearly), because H2

Econs is a paper that many struggle to finish. This may seem contrary to the previous
point, but don’t spend too much time on the first 12 marks. Ideally, you should be familiar
enough with the concepts such that you can generate responses almost immediately,
and write them down briefly, and leave as much time as possible for the harder 18
marks. And do not spend too long on the first case study; the maximum I would
recommend is 1hr 15min on the first case study, then you absolutely have to move on to
the second, because there are so many more marks to collect.

Look at it this way - if you start on the new case study, you’re starting from the initial 12
marks that are a lot easier and faster to get than the last 1-2 marks of your first case
study, which are typically evaluation marks that require a lot of brainstorming.

At the same time, spend just a little bit of time planning your responses, even for the
shorter questions; it’s much more efficient than rushing through and realising you’re
completely wrong halfway through and having to restart.

● Best way to study Paper 1 is… wait for it… doing more case studies. There’s really no
way around it. It’s your most efficient option, because not only does each case study
allow you to learn different answering techniques or structures, it also lets you revise
multiple topics at the same time. And always dedicate enough time to going through and
learning from the suggested answers.

For Paper 2:

33
● Best way of studying is first being decently familiar with the content knowledge, then
moving on to essay plans. There’s no point rushing essays or essay plans when you
don’t know the content and concepts well enough to generate enough points, and there’s
also no use memorising too much content when you’re not sure how to apply or
structure them in proper responses. Key point is: both are important, so work on both in
tandem.

● Familiarise yourself with some common ways of evaluating (applies for Paper 1 as well).
In every essay, at least 5 marks are dedicated to evaluation, which is actually a pretty
sizeable amount. Many people tend to spend too much time on regurgitating content and
end up compromising on their evaluations due to a lack of time. It’s not uncommon to
score only 1-2 out of 5 for evaluation, or sometimes even 0, meaning there’s a whole lot
of room for improvement here.

Some examples of common techniques include comparing the short and long term,
bringing up limitations of policies, challenging key assumptions made (not just the ceteris
paribus assumption), explain how the real-life context differs from theory, comparing the
effectiveness of different policies discussed, recommending an alternative or a combined
approach with multiple policies working in tandem, etc. Find out what the techniques are,
practise them, and remember to always devote enough time to them in your exams.

● Sometimes if you can’t think of an alternative for evaluation, you can actually use one of
your points from your limitations/antithesis (especially if you have multiple) so it looks
like your essay is more balanced. This is because for the higher order case study
questions / essay questions, there are always marks set aside for evaluation, so you
don’t want it to be empty.

● This applies for Paper 1 as well: don’t feel too compelled to draw diagrams in every
single response. Diagrams are just a useful tool to facilitate your written analysis, but
there’s no hard and fast rule that every answer must be accompanied by at least x
number of diagrams. There are guidelines, sure, but it’s more important that you get your
message across clearly, and finish the paper on time.

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 This doesn’t mean you should neglect your diagrams; keep practising them regularly and
get proficient at drawing them, but don’t spam everything you know, just pick and choose
the most suitable and clearest (meaning not too many lines or curves per set of axes)
diagrams to accompany your answers.

Also on diagrams, keep in mind to make close reference to them in your analysis. For
instance, if you label DWL as ABC, or consumer surplus as OP1Q1, stick to the notation,
and make reference to it in your response. Just a hand-waving reference to the diagram
is insufficient, plus you would be wasting your effort drawing the diagram in the first
place. Make sure your analysis follows the diagram closely, and step-by-step, such that
it would be pretty much impossible to understand the diagram without the analysis and
vice versa.

● Remember to include balance in all your essays (plus the longer case study questions).
You’re probably familiar with the standard Thesis-Antithesis-Synthesis format. As
Science-stream students, we’re not used to essays that demand arguments for both
sides, and it’s very easy to get our marks capped because we focus too much on
answering the question at hand and forget to include balance.

Balance comes in many forms, depending on the question type - you could be both
agreeing and disagreeing with the question from different perspectives, or bringing up
salient limitations of the policies that you discuss, etc. Having a balanced response also
makes evaluating a lot easier, because it opens up new grounds for comparisons to be
made.

● As a final tip, it’s better to cover more topics and concepts than bank on a select few and
neglect the rest. You get plenty of choice in your questions at the A-levels - 3 micro, 3
macro, choose any 3 with at least 1 of each type. Each year, the questions typically vary
widely in difficulty (like, if the micro questions are easy, the macro questions might be
hard), and you should exercise good judgement in picking out the more standard or
straightforward questions.

In order to maximise your chances of being able to answer all the easier questions,
make sure you cover as much ground as possible in your revision, and choose your

35
questions wisely, meaning don’t jump head-first into any question without first giving the
others some consideration.

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2.6. H3 Mathematics (extra)

● There’s really no way to do well in H3 Math other than to practise, practise and practise.

● If you sleep during lectures do make sure you rewatch the lectures online and fill in ALL
the blanks to help with revision.

● When preparing for exams, I actually didn’t spend so much time trying to read the lecture
notes themselves but instead dived straight into the practice problems. Do remember to
spend a lot of time actively TRYING OUT the lecture examples too instead of just
reading through the solutions to them.

● Cliché, but don’t give up if you can’t solve it the first time! It’s normal to be spending
hours just on a question cuz that’s how we learn :) When you are not doing timed
practise, would suggest that you try the problems in a way such that you give 5 min for
every mark allocated to the problem. For example if a part question is four marks, give it
a serious attempt for 20 minutes. Then, take the answer key, and look at ONLY the first
line/first step. Then, give yourself another 5min/mark, then repeat, then repeat….. This
will take HOURS, and will be truly tedious and frustrating, but it will eventually help you
learn.
● One more thing about doing practices and looking at answers. You have to realise that
solutions are never important. The important thing is always the motivation behind each
solution. For example, if a question has a five step solution, you should always try to see
why you are proceeding this way in these five steps. This kind of metacognitive thinking
is crucial. If a solution begins with pairing elements in a set together, you should always
reflect on what makes people think that pairing works, where in the question hints that a
pairing is a possible approach etc... Every problem in your H3 exam has a solution. This
means that every problem must have been first solved by someone. Try to delve into
their minds, try to see what kind of clues enabled them to solve these problems in the
first place. This will then make you a better problem solver yourself.

● Lastly, if you feel that the resources given by your school is insufficient, you can always
go to the library to look for math books. In particular, books teaching basic math

37
 olympiad will be very helpful. I would personally recommend the relevant sections in
Arthur Engel’s Problem Solving Strategies, or Koh Khee Meng’s Counting (both can be
found online). You can also go to artofproblemsolving.com (although resources from this
site may be very hard). The point is, the only way to do well is to follow these steps
1. Sit down
2. Open a set of problems
3. Begin to do the problems
4. Realise that the problems are very hard
5. Continue to solve the problems
6. Rage
7. Smash table
8. Smash Chair
9. Calm down and continue to solve the problems
10. Rage even more
11. RIP the tables and chairs
12. Finally solves problem
13. Repeat steps 1 to 12

All the best!

●

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 3. Some final words

If you’ve made it to the end, thank you. We hope that this guide serves you well! Once again,
take good care of yourselves, look out for your friends, and work hard such that you won’t have
any regrets on the day of your last paper.

In any case, though, remember that the A-levels are just another set of exams that we have to
go through; look at them as an entrance ticket to Uni where most of us are headed. There is so
much more to life than results, so even as you put in your best effort, don’t forget to play hard
and have fun. It’s easy to get sucked into the world of studying and books especially when
you’re doing it on a daily basis, which makes us forget that other things matter out there, so
keep reminding yourself of this fact, too!

Lastly, no matter how things turn out, keep your head held high, and remember that whenever a
door closes, a window opens, or something like that, I’m not the best at speeches, but yeah,
keep smiling and have faith in yourself and those around you!

From your seniors in the batch of 2019,

All the best!

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