Acids, Bases & Salts are very important chapter in GCE O Levels Chemistry (IB Chemistry and IP Chemistry).

In fact, there are considered heavy-weightage topics (in terms of marks as well as content) that are related to many other chemistry topics. Many students lost their interest in Chemistry as early as Sec 3 / Year 3 after their school gone through these topics – they complained that they don’t understand these topics, and no matter how well they memorise (YES! Chemistry is NOT about memorising, contrary to many beliefs), they just can’t seemed to score in it.

Starting today, i am going to share with you several questions from Up Your Chemistry Grades Now showing some of the misconceptions made by many students, year-after-year. By knowing such common errors, it allows you to be aware and avoid such mistakes at all cost. In fact, this is the one of the strategy that we used in our weekly coaching classes and topical mastery workshops.

Do you think the student’s answers are correct? Think about it before you click to see the full post that contains the Examiner’s Comments below.

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During the Organic Chemistry Mastery Workshop 2009 in July, we noticed several misconceptions by students that surfaced again for this current batch of GCE O Levels students, just like the previous years’ batches.

Just a quick note on 2 common errors (mentioned in Up Your Chemistry Grades Now) that you would need to be aware of, so that you can avoid them at all cost.

Hope you will find this information useful to you.

PS: Do leave me a comment. I would love to hear from you.

For Singapore-based O Levels’ students (both Pure Chemistry and Combine Science Chemistry), you will be taking your GCE ‘O’ Levels Chemistry Examinations in approximately 3 months time, for both Paper 1(Multiple Choice Questions, MCQ) & Paper 2 (Written Exam on Chemistry Theory) .

(Picture adapted from David Scarlett)

With your school’s Preliminary Examinations (2 weeks – 1 month time) coming, i understand that most of the O Level students are frantically trying everything to revise through what your school has gone rush through for the past months. Many are feeling lost because for the last months, you have been spending most of your time in Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) and Singapore Youth Festivals (SYF) 2009. I am glad you have stepped down on all of these activities. Many have also struggled understanding on the topics of Ammonia & Air / Atmosphere (most school skipped them totally) as well as Organic Chemistry (rushes through to finish syllabus in school). GCE O levels Examinations is just 3 months away! Let’s FOCUS!!!

For the next 3 months, i will be sharing with you on specific tips and strategies on how to Revise for your O Levels Chemistry Exam and Score your As!

Let us see what you need to know =)

The GCE ‘O’ Level Chemistry Examination not only tests the number of chemical facts and definitions you have remembered, but also if you know how to apply the chemistry concepts and solve application problems.

About 20-30% of the marks are given for recall of facts and definitions, the rest are for understanding and applications of chemistry concepts. This is contrary to the many beliefs by parents (and students) that by plain memorising at the eleventh hours, you can score well in Chemistry exams by rote-learning and memorising your way to victory. This is a definite NO-NO!

Following are Skills required to DO WELL in GCE ‘O’ Level Chemistry Exam:

• Knowledge of DEFINITIONS, CHEMICAL FORMULAE, UNITS & SYMBOLS
• Knowledge of CHEMISTRY CONCEPTS such as Reactivity Series of Metals & Its Applications
• Knowledge of FACTS such as Uses of Petroleum Fractions
• Knowledge of OBSERVATIONS that occurs in many experiments
• Ability to use FLOW-CHARTS to solve questions related to Qualitative Analysis
• Ability to SKETCH, PLOT and (more…)

Copyright issue involving reprints of past Cambridge exams has been resolved!

Ten Years Series (TYS) will be available in July 2009, after missing in the major bookstores since January 2009 due to copyright issues.

You can read the newspaper article HERE.

For those that can’t wait till July to come, cos you want a copy of Ten Years Series (TYS) immediately, you can refer to my previous blogpost on where to get a 2nd Hand “older versions” Ten Years Series (TYS).

Hope you will find this blogpost useful to you. =)

PS: Do leave me a comment on your thoughts on this latest news. I would love to hear your views on it.

Where to find GCE O Levels Ten Years Series (TYS) Questions / Books?

If you have been searching for “older versions” of the Ten Years Series (TYS), you still have a way to get it. =)

Check out the 2nd-Hand Bookstores in Brass Basah or other “older independent bookstores” to get your copy of the Ten Years Series (TYS).

Hope this information helps in your quest for academic excellence for GCE O Levels Chemistry.

For Singapore-based O Levels’ students (both Pure Chemistry and Combine Science Chemistry), you should be taking your Mid-Year Chemistry Examinations within the next 2 weeks, for both Paper 1(Multiple Choice Questions, MCQ) & Paper 2 (Written Exam on Chemistry Theory) .

With the Mid-Year Examinations coming, i understand that most of the O Level students are frantically trying everything to revise through what your school has gone through for the past months. Many are feeling lost because for the last months, you have been spending most of your time in Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) and Singapore Youth Festivals (SYF) 2009. I am glad you have stepped down on all most of these activities. It is time to focus back on your academics. GCE O levels Examinations is just 6 months away!

And this is the reason why i have recently started a series of blogposts on “O Levels Chemistry Tips Blog Marathon” - with the Aim to share with you Chemistry Tips & Exam Strategies – in order to assist you to prepare for your Mid-Year Chemistry Examinations.

For the next 2 weeks, i will be sharing with you on specific tips and strategies on how to Revise for your (O Level) Mid-Year Chemistry Exam and Score your As!

Let us see what you need to know =)

The O Level Mid-Year Chemistry Examination not only tests the number of chemical facts and definitions you have remembered, but also if you know how to apply the chemistry concepts and solve application problems.

About 30% of the marks are given for recall of facts and definitions, the rest are for understanding and applications of chemistry concepts.

Following are Skills required to DO WELL in O Level Mid-Year Chemistry Exam:

• Knowledge of DEFINITIONS, CHEMICAL FORMULAE, UNITS & SYMBOLS
• Knowledge of CHEMISTRY CONCEPTS such as Reactivity Series of Metals & Its Applications
• Knowledge of FACTS such as Uses of Petroleum Fractions
• Knowledge of OBSERVATIONS that occurs in many experiments
• Ability to use FLOW-CHARTS to solve questions related to Qualitative Analysis
• Ability to SKETCH, PLOT and INTERPRET graphs and diagrams
• Knowledge of the SOCIAL, ECONOMIC and ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS of Chemistry such as effects of pollutions
• Ability to use CHEMICAL CALCULATIONS to solve problems related to Mole Concepts and Chemical Reactions

As you can see, a large part of the marks will come from Chemistry Definitions and essential Chemistry Concepts. You will DO WELL if you know all the above points.. Sounds like a “tall-order”?? You can do it if you put in the effort! Check with you teachers to clear any misconceptions that you have. That is what my current group of Chemistry students has been doing – asking me questions before / after class, sending me questions via email / facebook, etc..

But if you are looking for a QUICK FIX to get you the As that you truly deserve, then you would need to know exactly what the examiners are asking you so that you know how to answer accordingly to score FULL MARKS.

In October 2008, i have launched a Chemistry guidebook “Up Your Chemistry Grades Now!” that took me more than 2 years to compile. At present, hundreds of copies have been sold to over 11 countries (South Africa is the latest addition).

Q) How do you like the idea of scoring the marks you truly deserve by knowing what examiners are looking out for?  Yes! It is exactly what this book is for.

Main highlights of this book include:

- Glossary of terms & KEY DEFINITIONS you need to know
- Chemistry Tips & Exam Strategies
- Common Errors Made by Most Students & How to Avoid them
- What Examiners are really looking out for in your answers?

You can take a “peep” and download the Introductory Section by CLICKING HERE ! I am certain you will love this!

NOW! Like i always tell my chemistry students, don’t take a word i say until you are certain about it.

>> Hear what students / parents say about the book by CLICKING HERE!

Until the next blogposts, Take Care and Study Hard!

Best Regards,

Sean Chua

Master Trainer for Chemistry & Author

WINNERS Education Group (more…)

In the previous blogposts in this Periodic Table Mini Series, we have discussed on the common errors that students made when they are answering questions that are related to the Periodic Table. We have also discussed what the examiners want – i.e. what you need to write in order to score the full marks in that question. Hope you have benefited from the tips given. If you are looking for more of such “Student’s Common Errors Made” and “What Examiners Are Looking Out For in Exam”, you might want to check out Up Your Chemistry Grades Now! which was officially launched since last October, and have sold to more than 9 countries since.

Today, we will finish up Periodic Table Mini Series with an Examination Tips.

In Chemistry Exams, you are commonly being asked to predict the properties of an unknown element.

What you can do is to find the nearest element in the same group which you are familiar with. The unknown element will have almost the same properties as the familiar element.

Question:
For Barium (Ba),
(a) How would you expect it to react with cold water and what would you expect to be the pH of the solution produced?
(b) What would you expect to be the formula of its oxide?

&

Suggested Solution:
The nearest familiar element to Barium is Calcium. Thus:
(a) Just like calcium, it should react quickly with cold water and produce an alkaline solution with a strong pH, as well as liberation of Hydrogen Gas.
(b) BaO, just like we commonly have CaO (slaked lime)

This strategy always work when you encounter such questions in Chemistry Exams.

Hope you have been learning something in this mini series of Periodic Table.

Until the next post.