Attention to the students that will be sitting for the upcoming SPM 2021 examination; in this particular entry we will provide you with the guide you need to do well in your SPM.
Divided into two major parts — we will focus on general subjects and science subjects for this entry. General subjects will cover Bahasa Melayu, English, Sejarah and Mathematics. Meanwhile, for science subjects, we will include the subject of Biology, Physics and Chemistry.
We hope this entry will help!
SPM General Subjects
Bahasa Melayu
1. Study Tips
- Read and watch materials in Bahasa Melayu language
Read and listen. You may want to find reliable materials such as newspapers, eg: Berita Harian. Other than reading, it may be helpful to start watching the news in Bahasa Melayu language. Reason being, these materials use a proper Bahasa Melayu language that you will need to utilise in your SPM paper. Other than exposing you with new words, you will also learn the correct usage of a certain word in different contexts.
- Pay more attention to the essay
Students usually lose marks in the essay questions simply because it requires you to write using a proper Bahasa Melayu in conveying your message. However, essays will actually help you boost your marks if you know how to properly answer the questions. They carry more marks, hence it’s better to invest more time to enhance your writing skill in Bahasa Melayu. You can start by reading a lot of examples of essays and get familiar with the structure and different types of essays.
- Use advanced words
Come up with a useful list of peribahasa, simpulan bahasa, perumpamaan, pepatah, etc. Make sure you understand them and know when and where to use them. Synonyms will also help in giving you extra marks for using different words with the same meaning — this shows your proficiency in the language.
- Finish both Form 4 and Form 5 novels.
In order for you to be able to answer the questions in the novel section, you need to make sure you have read both the novels — understand the storyline, the characters and the setting of the novel before doing any practices. You will not be able to answer the question if you failed to grasp the message of the novel. This is to say, you can only find your answer in the novel textbook.
2. Youtube Video/Channel
You might want to check out this Youtube video or head on to this Youtube channel cikgu suguz,
3. Past Year Paper
English
1. Study Tips
- Collect a list of proverbs and inspirational quotes;
As mentioned previously in the tips for Bahasa Melayu, you may also want to make a list of proverbs and inspirational quotes that can be used especially in essays. The list can go up to 10-15, as many as you can memorise and utilise in your paper, This will help you in making your essay more educational and interesting. Make sure to be familiar with its correct usage.
- Take note of your grammar; spelling and punctuation
Here is where students often lose marks, grammar errors, spelling mistakes. They may look small but they can actually contribute to a decrease in your marks. This is to say you need to be careful with those and make more revision or exercises if you feel like you are lacking in them. You need to also remember to avoid abbreviations — you might be used to using them in daily lives, sometimes we tend to write it in a short form without realizing.
- List down key points before proceeding with the essay
This is important to ensure that you know your topic, take the first 10 minutes to quickly jot down the key points that you want to include in your essay before you start writing an essay. Keep in mind that you must make sure you have enough points in your essay to get points accordingly, fewer points will give you lesser marks.
- Read the question a few times before answering the questions
Do not read the question halfway, as much as you feel like you are running out of time — you must understand the questions fully before you answer them. There are a lot of instances where students went astray with the topic simply because they did not understand the question. Read the question and underline the important information to avoid writing a whole essay that does not answer the question accurately.
2. Youtube Video/Channel
You might want to check out this Youtube video!
3. Past Year Paper
Sejarah
1. Study Tips
- Do tables and mindmaps
Since Sejarah is 100% theories and it relies on the textbook — you need to learn how to make your own notes interesting. Do a lot of tables and mindmaps, you can even add in pictures depending on how you would like your notes to be. Make it pocket-sized so that you can bring it anywhere. Read them constantly — some people prefer to read it out loud, some people come up with a storytelling learning style.
- Don’t study last minute
Sejarah needs a lot of memorisation and comprehension. It involves facts therefore you need time to digest all the information. You can’t possibly remember everything in a week. Avoid studying last minute because it will not give you the best mark you want. Memorising needs consistency for a long duration — make sure to constantly revise Sejarah whenever you have the time in order to retain the information.
- Memorise the names
You might also want to create a list of the names that you need to memorise and put it in a separate paper that only consists of names. Include their biography and contributions under their names so that it will be easier for you to remember not just who they are, but also what they do in the Malaysia history.
2. Youtube Video/Channel
You might want to check out this Youtube video!
Mathematics
1. Study Tips
- Don’t over-complicate the question
Students often fail to answer a question simply because they overcomplicate it — this is to say students will be nervous when answering the question hence it will lead students to think that a question is more complicated than it actually is. In order to avoid this from happening, students need to read through the question and truly understand what the question is all about — if it looks complicated to you, just remember that every question will be based on the topic you have learned, always and all the time. Don’t panic.
- Don’t skip a difficult question
Don’t leave any question unanswered, don’t ever leave a blank in your answer. If you encounter a difficult question that you can’t seem to answer at all, try to calm yourself and rethink. Recall the topics that you have learned and try out different formulas one by one to see which one might be suitable. No matter what, always try. Don’t just simply give up and skip difficult questions. You will thank yourself for that later on.
- Recheck your answer
A lot of students lose their marks due to careless mistakes and miscalculation. The possibility of making a mistake will always be there because students are rushing to finish the questions on time and your mind works faster than your hands. In order to ensure that your answers are free from careless mistakes — recheck them, recalculate them. You might want to note the positive and negative sign as well, one wrong sign can affect your answer.
2. Youtube Video/Channel
You might want to check out this Youtube video or head on to this Youtube Channel ymx+c.
3. Past Year Paper
SPM Science Subjects
Biology, Physics, Chemistry and General Science
1. Study Tips
- Find the right reference book
What is the most important thing to do is to make sure you have the right reference books throughout your study session, ensure that they are reliable sources and do some research about the reviews on the reference books. There are tons of reference books but you want to find the one that will help you the most. Here are a few important things to consider in choosing a reference book —
- Make sure the book covers both Form 4 and Form 5 syllabuses
- Make sure the content are parallel with the current syllabus
- Make sure you get yourself a book where you can easily understand.
- Identify which part you don’t understand and ask around
Science needs a thorough understanding of the concepts in order for you to be able to visualise it in your head and get the clear picture of them – especially the processes, the characteristics, the functions, Hence, you need to make sure that you understand the topic you are studying. If you find yourself struggling to understand, ask. You can ask your teachers, search for it online or ask your friends. Whichever it is, you need to make sure you ask them until you understand. Do not just skip a topic you don’t understand, and do not only memorise the whole thing without comprehending them.
- Do past year papers
For science subjects, students always find it difficult to score because they are not exposed to various kinds of questions beforehand. This is why past year papers are important. It is to give students the privilege of identifying the popular questions, the repetitive questions and the correct way of answering the questions. Other than just memorising the theories and facts, make sure to do past year papers as much as you can, as many times as you can — this will help you retain your memory and familiarise you with the format of the paper.
2. Youtube Video/Channel
You might want to check out this Youtube video!
3. Past Year Papers
The General Entry Requirements for Pre-University Programs and equivalent
STPM | Minimum a credit in Bahasa Melayu and pass in Sejarah |
Foundation/Pre-University/A-Level | Minimum 5 credits including English and a pass in Bahasa Melayu and Sejarah |
Diploma | Minimum 3 credits and a pass in Bahasa Melayu and Sejarah |
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Heather
I seek peace and knowledge in discovering myself.