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'Interactive Workout - Mathmo' printed from https://nrich.maths.org/
You can use this workbook to practise your core mathematical
skills. This will be very useful both whilst at school and when you
move on to higher study, where a high degree of algebraic fluency
is really useful.
Here are some hints and tips to improve your skills:
- Don't be tempted to look at the answer if you think that you
can do the question unless you have actually done the question, on
paper with a pen.
- Try not to use your calculator for the simple arithmetical
parts of a question - this is a bad habit to get into.
- If you are stuck, don't give up immediately. Think about the
problem. Perhaps look at one or two answers and ask: how does this
answer work?
- Accuracy is important, but speed is also important. This
workbook is good for speed training.
- If your answer differs from the answer given then think: is my
answer wrong, or is it merely represented in a different form?
- Use your skills in some interesting rich mathematical problems
from NRICH. You might want to look at the core
mathematics curriculum document for suggestions or just browse
the stage 5 content on the site.
- Keep a record of your best times. See how quickly you can
complete one of each question type from each section.
What is a good time to aim for?
Fluency with mathematics means the ability to perform routine calculation BOTH quickly AND accurately. One without the other will hamper your progress, especially once you reach university.
To give you a feel for where you might be aiming, here are some average times for some of the questions as recorded by Judith, a second year mathematics undergraduate who worked with NRICH over the summer:
Algebra |
Curve sketching |
Differentiation |
Quadratic equations |
8s |
Modulus function for linear |
20s |
Stationary points for quadratic |
10s |
Completing the square |
8s |
Modulus function for quadratic |
1m 10s |
Stationary points for cubic |
50s |
Inequalities for quadratics |
10s |
|
|
Implicit differentiation |
1m 10s |
Inequalities for cubics |
1m 10s |
|
|
|
|
Partial fractions |
1m 30s |
|
|
|
|
Powers |
1m |
|
|
|
|
Logarithms |
20s |
|
|
|
|
Solving trig equations |
40s |
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
5m 6s |
|
|
|
|
Can you match or beat Judith's times?
More times from other brave solvers will be posted periodically.