Loading…
Loading…
Guide for parents
By T-Leng, T-Leng Tuition · Checked against MOE and SEAB on 12 October 2026
| Paper 1 | Paper 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 2 h 15 min | 2 h 15 min |
| Marks | 90 (50%) | 90 (50%) |
| Questions | About 26 short questions | 9 to 10 questions of different lengths |
| Answer | All questions | All questions |
| Special | The last question applies maths to a real-world situation |
The last Paper 2 question gives information about a real situation (a phone plan, a renovation, a trip) and asks the student to decide which maths to use, work it out and explain the answer. It is usually worth more marks than the other questions, and needs reading time.
| Strand | Topics |
|---|---|
| Number and algebra | Numbers and their operations, ratio and proportion, percentage, rate and speed, algebraic expressions and formulae, functions and graphs, equations and inequalities, set language and notation, matrices |
| Geometry and measurement | Angles, triangles and polygons, congruence and similarity, properties of circles, Pythagoras' theorem and trigonometry, mensuration, coordinate geometry, vectors |
| Statistics and probability | Data handling and analysis, probability |
Both papers can test any topic from Sec 1 to Sec 4. SEAB weights the skills roughly as: using standard techniques 45%, solving problems in context 40%, reasoning and communicating 15%.
The paper gives the formulas for compound interest, the curved surface area and volume of a cone, the surface area and volume of a sphere, the area of a triangle (½ab sin C), arc length and sector area in radians, the sine and cosine rules, and the mean and standard deviation.
Everything else has to be remembered: Pythagoras' theorem, SOH CAH TOA, the areas of a circle, trapezium and parallelogram, gradient and the equation of a line, and more. See the full E-Math formula sheet, which marks what's given and what to memorise.
135 minutes for 90 marks is 1.5 minutes a mark. A 4-mark question should take about 6 minutes. If one question takes much longer, move on and come back to it.
From T-Leng's teaching: in Paper 2, leave 15 to 20 minutes for the real-world question. Students who run out of time usually lose most of its marks, and they are some of the more accessible marks on the paper once the information is read carefully.
Schools set their own lower secondary exams and subject criteria; check the details with your child's school.
Free practice at your child's level
Notes for every chapter, and practice that shows where an answer went wrong, step by step.