SPM : I Really Need some Help Please!! (PAI and BM), Is Eng 1119=GCE-O ?

[slappyfin3]

Hello, I'm a f5 Student this year (SPM 08/09) and so far I've been dealing quite well with all my subjects.:nod
However, I have the throbbing fear of two particular subjects:( : Pendidikan Agama Islam and Bahasa Melayu. And since there are lots of A1 scorers in these subjects on these forums, I presume, I'd really appreciate some tips on both subjects. So far I've gotten borderline A's in my BM (which is very heartbreaking because I've put in so much effort:() and Straight B3's and A2's in my Pendidikan Agama Islam. Any tips/criticizm will be accepted, even mocking for not getting A1 in PAI :P.

And on that note, is the SPM Bahasa Inggeris and English 1119 and GCE-O English papers all different ? Because im only taking English 1119 and any extra paper for English would be a good Extra A for me :laugh.

Thanks in advance to all the Kind Samaritans watching over this forum. Peace :amuse

Ah by the way Im a Pure Science student taking Accs as the Extra subject for (hopefully) a 10A1 slip.

[bachok83]

i admire your effort in taking extra classes. It's been a couple of years since i took SPM, so i dont know if any of these would apply, but I did this tricks and it worked out for the best.

You should talk to the respective teachers about the subjects that you are worried about. I failed (literally, F9) in Sejarah during SPM trials. Sejarah has not been my strongest subject (i find sejarah was horridly boring), but i had never failed in any subjects before that.

That was shocking, even to my Sejarah teacher. Long story short, it turned out i didnt know how to answer essay questions.

Say for example, a question:
Why Arabs travel to Melaka? (14 points)

I would answer:
To trade. (well, i would elaborate the point slightly, but that was it).

So, that answer gave me no more than 3 points. I didnt know that i had to add more points, while, I actually know other reasons too.

So, maybe u dont quite know how to "optimize" (the keyword is optimize) your answers for more points.

Seriously though, talk to your teacher. Level with him/her.

ps: my sejarah teacher helped me achieve A2 in SPM sejarah.. i was relieved and she's glad.

[Xon]

^ English 1119 is marked twice. The first grading is what we call SPM 1119. The second grading which involves only your Essay Paper is the GCE-O Level. One can get A1 for 1119 but maybe not and A1 for GCE-O. If you manage to get A1 for GCE-O, you're for sure an A1 for SPM 1119.

[henry_yew]

^ English 1119 is marked twice. The first grading is what we call SPM 1119. The second grading which involves only your Essay Paper is the GCE-O Level. One can get A1 for 1119 but maybe not and A1 for GCE-O. If you manage to get A1 for GCE-O, you're for sure an A1 for SPM 1119.

Yes, do not be surprised that you may be given a A1 grade for SPM1119 but a C6 for GCE-O! Long story cut short, if I were to provide scholarships for students who wish to pursue their studies abroad, I would not take the SPM1119 grade as a good benchmark for good English, but rather the GCE-O standard.

Why? Because many "Tom, Dick and Harry" in my university claim that they have an A1 for SPM English but would still commit mistakes like, "I will taking examinations tomorrow." Therefore, you can see for yourselves how low the marking standard for SPM English is.

My advice: do not be so happy about getting an A1 for SPM1119 English but a C6 for GCE-O. Somewhere, things have gone horribly wrong.

[music_freak28]

For BM, you should read a lot. There is no other way to that. And always remember to elaborate a point as much as possible. Use a variety of language to do so. Keep yourself update with the latest news so that you can mention them in your essays which will improve the maturity of your essays.

And a plus point for you if you live around PJ. There is a good BM tuition in Edusmart, SS2, PJ. I benefited a lot from there. But only use this if you're really in need of help.=)

And if you are pretty confident about your English, maybe you can try taking up English Lit.

Accounts is pretty easy. If you can score in Add Maths, Accounts is a piece of cake. But do lots of practice though.

[slappyfin3]

Thanks for the advice :D
I'm pretty good with my teachers though so that's definitely not the problem here ^_^
The reason why I've never gotten an A1 in my PAI is because the grade for A1 is 85 and Above in my school =.=" ( i wonder what the SPM grade is XDD )
Its really hard even getting 80 because the PAI paper consists of two papers, each carrying 100 marks.

So when I sit for my 1119, im actually sitting for two papers then? Woohoo :D ! So how do i find out what my GCE-O level is ? It'd be very nice to have a slip to help differentiate me from the oceans of SPM English A1 Scorers.

By the way, anybody know where i can get the English Literature Books XD ? I guess its not too late to start on this subject eh (SPM Impending in around 10 months)

[extreme]

Thanks for the advice :D

So when I sit for my 1119, im actually sitting for two papers then? Woohoo :D ! So how do i find out what my GCE-O level is ? It'd be very nice to have a slip to help differentiate me from the oceans of SPM English A1 Scorers.




It will be stated inside your SPM result when you get it.I am a little shocked that you do not know about the english paper marking scheme though.Anyway when you take your actual result slip years later.You will have 1 slip for your SPM result and another slip for GCE-O level paper.Still waiting to get mine..:)

:)):))

[WilsonCWJ]

Thanks for the advice :D
I'm pretty good with my teachers though so that's definitely not the problem here ^_^
The reason why I've never gotten an A1 in my PAI is because the grade for A1 is 85 and Above in my school =.=" ( i wonder what the SPM grade is XDD )
Its really hard even getting 80 because the PAI paper consists of two papers, each carrying 100 marks.

So when I sit for my 1119, im actually sitting for two papers then? Woohoo :D ! So how do i find out what my GCE-O level is ? It'd be very nice to have a slip to help differentiate me from the oceans of SPM English A1 Scorers.

By the way, anybody know where i can get the English Literature Books XD ? I guess its not too late to start on this subject eh (SPM Impending in around 10 months)

English literature book? U can get the textbook or reference book in a bookshop. Ur GCE-O level will be stated beside your English grade... there is a column with GCE-O written on it.

From your avatar, it seems like u are studying in MRSM.. I know that the grade to get A for PNG in PAI is very high. So dont worry, I think if u maintain a result of around 80 it should be fine. Many of my friends in MRSM did well for PAI in SPM.

[slappyfin3]

English literature book? U can get the textbook or reference book in a bookshop. Ur GCE-O level will be stated beside your English grade... there is a column with GCE-O written on it.

From your avatar, it seems like u are studying in MRSM.. I know that the grade to get A for PNG in PAI is very high. So dont worry, I think if u maintain a result of around 80 it should be fine. Many of my friends in MRSM did well for PAI in SPM.


I have been looking for the Eng. Lit. book for a long long time, but to no avail. I think the book you may be referring to is the Baby Steps book XD?

Yeah I'm studying in MRSM, (I just sent the application because all the 'cool kids' were doing it in f3) XD Its a real experience to relish.

Anyway thanks again for the replies everybody!

P.S. Yes, i have never heard about the English Paper marking scheme =.="

[CCY_to_the_top]

^ English 1119 is marked twice. The first grading is what we call SPM 1119. The second grading which involves only your Essay Paper is the GCE-O Level. One can get A1 for 1119 but maybe not and A1 for GCE-O. If you manage to get A1 for GCE-O, you're for sure an A1 for SPM 1119.

true....

i admire your effort in taking extra classes. It's been a couple of years since i took SPM, so i dont know if any of these would apply, but I did this tricks and it worked out for the best.

You should talk to the respective teachers about the subjects that you are worried about. I failed (literally, F9) in Sejarah during SPM trials. Sejarah has not been my strongest subject (i find sejarah was horridly boring), but i had never failed in any subjects before that.

That was shocking, even to my Sejarah teacher. Long story short, it turned out i didnt know how to answer essay questions.

Say for example, a question:
Why Arabs travel to Melaka? (14 points)

I would answer:
To trade. (well, i would elaborate the point slightly, but that was it).

So, that answer gave me no more than 3 points. I didnt know that i had to add more points, while, I actually know other reasons too.

So, maybe u dont quite know how to "optimize" (the keyword is optimize) your answers for more points.

Seriously though, talk to your teacher. Level with him/her.

ps: my sejarah teacher helped me achieve A2 in SPM sejarah.. i was relieved and she's glad.

here my 2 cents for scoring str As...

1st, read read read and then try question!!!its work for 99% of the students out there...some they read but didnt try questions..so its like...useless...

2nd, are u from boarding school???MRSM??if not, tuition is always a good choice...ok, lets get it straight, i dont go for any tuition...but i think tuition can help in some parts..but juz remember something,tuition doesnt mean u understand a topic fully,u still need to apply rule 1...some students go for tuition and think they are great, so...that kills...

3rd, have a good teacher...doesnt matters how poor ur results are, with good teacher, ur results will be good...

4th,make sure no computers game...no excessive internet...it isnt the time u wasted in front of the computer, its the time u wasted thinking about a certain game and not concentrating at ur work...that destroy ur future..trust me, i saw many examples..

5th, to me , the most important rule...know the format....FORMAT!!!for subject like BIO MORAL(sorry, u do not take it) and EST...FORMAT is the key...let me be serious, its all about correct format+knowledge...seriously..

~~for EST, write longggggg, not short...always mistaken by most of u out there...

~~BIO, write everythg u know in the essay part...and for structure, always give ur answer a conclusion...for example---
QUES:why does XXX happen(3marks)
ANS:bla bla bla(1m)
bla bla bla bla(1m)
therfore, XXX happen(1m)(depends on scheme..sometimes, no mark is given)

on a whole, there lots of format in doing paper like BIO...ask around...seriously





PS...BM is nut...most of you will score...its not EST or BIO or BC...

PAI imo needs memorizing...second sejarah..

[DoomScythe]

Hello, I'm a f5 Student this year (SPM 08/09) and so far I've been dealing quite well with all my subjects.:nod
However, I have the throbbing fear of two particular subjects:( : Pendidikan Agama Islam and Bahasa Melayu. And since there are lots of A1 scorers in these subjects on these forums, I presume, I'd really appreciate some tips on both subjects. So far I've gotten borderline A's in my BM (which is very heartbreaking because I've put in so much effort:() and Straight B3's and A2's in my Pendidikan Agama Islam. Any tips/criticizm will be accepted, even mocking for not getting A1 in PAI :P.


I also took my SPM a few years ago, so things might be a little different. Can't help you with PAI, cause I didn't take it. Anyway, for BM, I too had lots of difficulty. But try these few pointers below, it worked for me, so I hope it works for you.

1. Figure out a way to score for BM essay writing. You need to find a niche way for you to do well. For me, I opted for the factual/argumentative way. When it comes to the essay questions, I will always pick factual essays to write. This way, when I practice my writing skills, I will always tune it towards this path. My vocabulary, writing style and essay tone will always be optimised for factual essays. Doing this allows you to concentrate your effort more efficiently.

However, do have some backup. This is quite a gamble. Unless you're like me, who reads a lorry load of serious/junk/bullshit/funny/... articles everyday, better to have a backup plan. I can safely say that there will be a factual essay every year, but it might not be the one that you can answer. :)

Btw, BM IS tough. SPM level is quite a nutty level, don't know why they set the standard so high. :(

2. Find out the way to answer the Sastera component. This is something only a teacher can tell you. It helps in marks boosting a lot.

3. It might be a bit late, but try to read more newspapers, novels. It helps with the flow of the essay.

4. Most importantly, don't die before taking the BM paper. xD Nah,.... seriously, don't give up. Good luck. :)

[chenchow]

Great to see a bunch of ReComers helping positively to a fellow ReComer in need! Lets keep on cultivating the sharing and learning culture!

On English, slappyfin3, you can browse through ReCom.org on other threads talking about how to improve on English (and I won't be surprised if there are threads that talk more specifically on GCE "O" Level English)

Having a solid command of English would be a great advantage to you in the long run, especially in terms of furthering studies, and also after you join the workforce. So, don't find short cut.

Do try to build up various aspects of English. This applies to many of us here in ReCom (including myself). Speaking, Listening, Writing all require different skill sets and we have a lot of room to get ourselves improved. Vocabulary, Grammar, Comprehension etc too!

Good Luck! Keep up the positive helping and learning together culture! :)

[slappyfin3]

4. Most importantly, don't die before taking the BM paper. xD Nah,.... seriously, don't give up. Good luck. :)


LOL That was a good laugh alright XD

Thanks all for the immense help, I'm truly lucky for accidentally stumbling upon this site while browsing aimlessly a couple of days back. I wish you all the best of luck in what ever you're pursuing and hopefully with the wise words i've just seen (ESP the one on the Internet Games xD) i'll be able to overcome my small (and quite irrational) fears.

"Good Luck! Keep up the positive helping and learning together culture! :) "
Agreed!

[DoomScythe]

Great to see a bunch of ReComers helping positively to a fellow ReComer in need! Lets keep on cultivating the sharing and learning culture!


Heyyyy, what's that supposed to mean? I just got active about a few weeks ago, and all I see here is people helping each other. You tone implies as if for the rest of the time, we're stucked-up selfish individuals.:P

Lol, I do understand what you meant. I was here in 2007, and I remembered back then that there was a lot of trolls and flamers around in the forums. Couldn't have a decent conversation in the forums at all. What happened to them by the way? Did they got tired of playing games or got banned?

I know my discussion is a bit out of topic, but since the OP already has his answer, I think this should be fine here. :)

[Athersin]

It will be stated inside your SPM result when you get it.I am a little shocked that you do not know about the english paper marking scheme though.Anyway when you take your actual result slip years later.You will have 1 slip for your SPM result and another slip for GCE-O level paper.Still waiting to get mine..:)

:)):))

Are u sure?. i havent claim my extra GCEO result slip yet and i havent heard before though.
:wink

I also took my SPM a few years ago, so things might be a little different. Can't help you with PAI, cause I didn't take it. Anyway, for BM, I too had lots of difficulty. But try these few pointers below, it worked for me, so I hope it works for you.

1. Figure out a way to score for BM essay writing. You need to find a niche way for you to do well. For me, I opted for the factual/argumentative way. When it comes to the essay questions, I will always pick factual essays to write. This way, when I practice my writing skills, I will always tune it towards this path. My vocabulary, writing style and essay tone will always be optimised for factual essays. Doing this allows you to concentrate your effort more efficiently.

However, do have some backup. This is quite a gamble. Unless you're like me, who reads a lorry load of serious/junk/bullshit/funny/... articles everyday, better to have a backup plan. I can safely say that there will be a factual essay every year, but it might not be the one that you can answer. :)

Btw, BM IS tough. SPM level is quite a nutty level, don't know why they set the standard so high. :(

2. Find out the way to answer the Sastera component. This is something only a teacher can tell you. It helps in marks boosting a lot.

3. It might be a bit late, but try to read more newspapers, novels. It helps with the flow of the essay.

4. Most importantly, don't die before taking the BM paper. xD Nah,.... seriously, don't give up. Good luck. :)

Bm is definetely easier than u would think if u play with flowerish words throughout ur writting. It is going to help a lots if u can memorise and applies the word like simpulan bahasa and peribahasa and try to make ur sentences flow smoothly. avoid using other repetitive words or phrases like selain itu and so forth.

[extreme]

Are u sure?. i havent claim my extra GCEO result slip yet and i havent heard before though.
:wink

I'm quite sure about that.
Initially i do not know that the result paper existed.I knew about this from my friend.WE gotta wait for at least 2 years for the paper to arrive.I took SPM06 but the result slip for GCEO is not there yet but SPM05 is there already.
:)):)):))

[Miracle_seed]

:wink

I'm quite sure about that.
Initially i do not know that the result paper existed.I knew about this from my friend.WE gotta wait for at least 2 years for the paper to arrive.I took SPM06 but the result slip for GCEO is not there yet but SPM05 is there already.
:)):)):))I didn't get the GCE'O' result slip when I took my SPM certificate, then I didn't bother to check back with school again. I guess I should pay a visit to my school when I go home next time... It has been few years...

[vaanbalthier]

You'll get your GCE'O' slip. Go ask the school clerk for it. My brother took his after waiting for 2 years plus. Not sure when will my be sent. Not sure about this though but I heard that the GCE'O' result slip is from Cambridge. Can't remember well because I had totally forgotten about this result slip until I opened this thread. Well, sorry couldn't help much, everyone given you their tips, should be enough for you. Do remember that you should always relax, do not force yourself if you cannot study anymore. Take a nap, it works for me. Take things slow and easy, do not be so "kiasu". And another thing, NEVER compare yourself with the others too much. It's good to have competition but NEVER get into it too much. As long as you are satisfied with your marks then it'll be alright.
p/s: Don't take all of my words though, I'm a bad influence by nature, haha @<hidden>(^_^)@<hidden>

[CCY_to_the_top]

Heyyyy, what's that supposed to mean? I just got active about a few weeks ago, and all I see here is people helping each other. You tone implies as if for the rest of the time, we're stucked-up selfish individuals.:P

Lol, I do understand what you meant. I was here in 2007, and I remembered back then that there was a lot of trolls and flamers around in the forums. Couldn't have a decent conversation in the forums at all. What happened to them by the way? Did they got tired of playing games or got banned?

I know my discussion is a bit out of topic, but since the OP already has his answer, I think this should be fine here. :)

yaya!!i remembered..some of the mods alwiz argue among themself..and i can see they hate chen chow(althought i love him..i listen to his scholarship talk 1 time from this ivy league student)..where is thirdshifter??and the rest??lolz..

still remember they scolded chenchow for trying to promote MENSA..so lolz

[DoomScythe]

yaya!!i remembered..some of the mods alwiz argue among themself..and i can see they hate chen chow(althought i love him..i listen to his scholarship talk 1 time from this ivy league student)..where is thirdshifter??and the rest??lolz..

still remember they scolded chenchow for trying to promote MENSA..so lolz

Lol, really? I must have missed that. I'm MIA from this site for about a year I think. Things must have changed a lot... :) Now all I see is nice and peaceful discussion, interuppted sometimes by controversial threads, that's all. I guess the greatest 'controversial topic' starter must be IQing, if I remember correctly.

[Alexis Ma]

Slappyfin3 (may I call you Slappy? :D), I'd better put in my 2sen worth.

1. On the GCE-O level English paper marking, it used to be marked in England. This only applies to the essay section :)
(So, technically, you can get a lower grade for your SPM cert. Just write a wonderful essay and leave all the other sections blank)
However, the open secret is that it is marked in Malaysia nowadays, so it doesn't carry the same weight anymore.

2. For essays, read read read read read. However, don't bother reading books if you're in a hurry. Lord of the Rings has great language, but you'll probably never used it in the SPM. You'd be better off with the reference books and newspaper articles.
Read them with a pen in hand. I used to do that to circle points and note down good words/phrases.
Very useful practice.

3. When outlining your essay, write down all the simpulan bahasa/idioms that can be used. I tried that. When you're writing your essay in SPM, the mind is blank. So write them down before you start!

4. English is a subtle language... BM is much the same, but English is more so. Look at how words have double meanings and even "levels of appropriateness". Condescend has much the same meaning as deign, but deign is a "stronger" word.
It's difficult to get it down to a fine art, but it's possible!
To get the hang of it, read read read. :)

[CCY_to_the_top]

1 easiest way....pick FAKTA karangan...and try to hafal some pendahuluan and kesimpulan...its normally the same...

[senksiang90]

Dude, jz continue to work hard and u'll do fine! Remember this, SPM is nt to test extremely smart people but its to test average people. As long as ur marks are maintained 70 plus all the while its fine already... Oh yeah.. btw, my dad has a teacher marking Biology papers.. he is marking the paper 2 Biology for SPM 2008. He said for them, they will mark and decide whether the candidate scores an a, b, c etc. For those who got 68/100 in paper 2, an A is guaranteed. whether or nt its A1 or A2 will depend on ur paper 1 and paper3.. Hope this helps a little. Good luck!

[BernardK]

Hey! Im new here, sorry if i have made my post at the wrong section.But Does anybody know the difference between 1119 and GCE level? Im currently form 5, preparing to take my SPM this year so I would really like to know how is the Marking Scheme of the GCE!

My English teacher told me for GCE and 1119 examinations, there are two diff certs. but it is automatically taken when we take our SPM.. is it true?

and there is also some differences when comes to marking.Especailly When the "directed writting" section, I heard that there some certain critireas to be fulfilled.
like begin each paragragh with the content points, followed by 2 or 3 elaborations such thg..then the words or expressions cannot be repeated or soever..

Mind to share with me abt the Writting tech for GCE essay writting?
Thanks! =)

[ninjamole89]

Em...i took SPM 2 years ago...could vaguely remember abit...so, dunno if this helps...

To me, 119 is basically malaysian-standard English test...just do some practices of English papers (hmm, i didn't study for english though, just did some summary practises, coz, gawd...i suck in summary)
As many ppl have said in here, 1119 is set and marked in malaysia, by malaysians, so, the paper is fairly damn simple.

For GCE, my teacher told me that it would be teachers from England marking ( i think she was joking...i think it's just really strict Malaysian teachers marking...)
They just mark paper 2, section B SPM paper for GCE.

I did a comparision between me and my friends (em...not to blow my horn...i got A for GCE), and what seperates those that score in GCE and those that do not is...they have this special personal touch in the essay...as though the marker can FEEL the essay...they want essays which read as though YOU are beside them telling what you say...

what makes normal Essays: I noticed my chinese educated fren's essays basically have all the facts, but is presented as incredibly generic. The marker can even guess what the student wrote just by reading till the second paragraph, heave a sigh, and give their marks. No personal presentation, basic vocabulary, some grammar mistakes (but, i don't think they care about grammar so much), not amusing (boring!), just...no feeling at all, its just like reading a 500-page book on...god forbid...the Constitution?

What makes good essays(which is...mine? Im so sorry~~~!!!):
I chose essays which gives me the opportunity to write down what I feel and think, my believes and opinions. Throw in some good vocabulary, write as though you are talking passionately to the marker, make the marker stay alive, entertained and enlightened, not drool over your essay because he slept!
Chose topics where you can make up stories, not the factual type of essays. There's bound to be hell lot of students choosing factual topics coz it's the safest and easiest to write, but thats the downfall...too much students answering the same topic with the same style will not make any marker happy at all.
The reason so many students dare not choose topics that are not factual, and based on imaginary , is because they have to wrack their brains for the correct vocabulary to describe whatver they want, and malaysians student's imagination just isn't that good at all~ (gawd~! Read story books please~! and Russel Lee books does not count!)
About grammar...don't spend too much concern over it, really..after all, almost all publications out there do have a grammar mistake or two, and we don't really care (right?)
Oh...try writing inspirational type of essays...(maybe chicken soup for soul type?)...but don't do a sermon.


So, start:
-watching English movies,
-read newspapers (skip "Nation", go to "World" section please, markers love students that are AWARE of the happenings of world right now, and also read musings by editors(who reads Kevin Cowherd's articles in the StarTwo pullout~?)), and...
-listen to English station radios (but their grammar sucks, really sucks).
-English essay reference books? Maybe you should go for Singapore o-lvl sample essays, i enjoy reading those.

And also, when conversing with friends, try not using too much manglish..i had my english detiorate due to lack of reading books, and more chatting with my friends...time to read Wind in the Willows as rehabilitation~!!

(p.s: so sorry for this incredibly long piece of advice~~!! sorry, so sorry~!!)

[hrixenz]

read those reader's digest stories..and try to write it in your essay..surely u'll score ur gce..when i was in f5,i used to go my school library just to read the magazine lol..

[DoomScythe]

read those reader's digest stories..and try to write it in your essay..surely u'll score ur gce..when i was in f5,i used to go my school library just to read the magazine lol..

Lol.... Reader Digest is a joke IMHO. It is popular amongst the generation older than us due to the fact that they do not have a lot of reading materials available at that time. Reader Digest was one of the main ways to read up about news from the overseas and has a decent level of English.

However, in recent years (not so recent actually), their readership has been falling. And now, most of the things that they publish are stories that most of the time, seems quite ridiculous. That's my opinion anyway.

If you wanna improve your English, all you need is the newspaper. Just make sure you read it everyday and read at least 70% of it. You'll be amazed how much your English will improve if you keep at it.

[nemosmknimh]

this is an advive from my teacher.....

for english 119 and gce o-level....
well,gce o-level is basically abut our writing skill.....
so try to polish our grammar and vocabulary....
my teacher also said we need to create comple sentence(the examiners will be impressed)
and put some idioms would be a great help......
oh yeah....if you want a safe essay for gce 0-level,
prepare 2 or 3 story essay with different story line and theme...
then keep on practicing this 3 essay untill you get a very good 1....
by that time,im sure you have memorize how to write it...
and during spm,you propably can fit in 1 of your essay into 1 of the questions!!
(4 of the questions usually can be imagination story)
but to practice how to fit in is hard also....
so try many essay questions and learn how to manipulate your story to fit in the questions.

[foodlover]

BM- I think it's good to use quite a number of bombastic words. Try to find them.
For eg "diimplementasikan instead of digunakan or something like that" and.. urrmm... can't think of any. Thanks to this long holiday. HUhh. Oh, furthermore, find out on simpulan bahasa n peribahasa as well. If you want the easy way, try to remember only some of them n use them in ur essays, repeatedly.

PAI- I think the answers are mostly common sense. You just have to understand what they are all about. Like, Ciri2 muslim berjaya. I think you can answer it without referring to any books.

Good luck in SPM :)

[nemosmknimh]

yeah for PAI....
basically what u must memorize are the ayat2 hafazan and the meanings,tajwid and some istilah.....
while others like hikmah,implikasi all can anwered logically....
most of the answers are the same....
be sure to memorize sirah!!!!!

[jianyi_crystal]

actually i trust that u are quick intelligent student:nod, u can get most of them B means that u already basically understand those subject. u still have few month time, u need to study consistently, don't bore if u can't understand the the text at the first time, but read the second, third or forth time, look in up the dictionary or use another reference book with difference explanation, it will help.

remember don't go for the tuition, at least u think the tuition teacher is good to let u understand the text, is not, u better study yourself rather than wasting ur time and money:notrust. and do not tuition for those subject u confident, that also a waste, u can do more exercise book, the more question u explode, the more understand of the text. for a form 5 student time is very very important, please catch every second that u have.

entertainment may need to reduce, but u can do it when u really need it, may be when stress:amazed. because after SPM u hav long long time to rest(if u don't think to have January intake in college) so just don't worry u can take the good rest after SPM.:amuse

to sucess u need to put in 100% of hardwork, i trust that u already hav basic, it is not hard to acheive the better result, as long as u do it hard do it for ur dream..... i really hope u can sucess in ur study just remind no need always online, good use of ur time.:wink

[yanno_yamster]

what makes normal Essays: I noticed my chinese educated fren's essays basically have all the facts, but is presented as incredibly generic. The marker can even guess what the student wrote just by reading till the second paragraph, heave a sigh, and give their marks. No personal presentation, basic vocabulary, some grammar mistakes (but, i don't think they care about grammar so much), not amusing (boring!), just...no feeling at all, its just like reading a 500-page book on...god forbid...the Constitution?

I got A1 for GCE-O level (Not trying to be a snob here) and I chose an argumentative essay for last year's SPM in the continuous writing section. I'll use the topic I chose as an example.

The question was fairly simple and typical:Examinations. Good or Bad? Markers obviously expect similar answers from candidates, so think out of the box! Give opinions based on various perspectives and your own experience! Think forward and contemplate on the past as well. Compare and contrast the good and the bad side but not until you yourself are not sure which side you're on anymore. Use knowledge from other subjects such as history to elaborate your points like how the ancient Chinese empire used public exams as a method to select quality government officers. Present points in a light-hearted yet firm manner and yet not beating about the bush! Then your essay will be outstanding.

What makes good essays(which is...mine? Im so sorry~~~!!!):
I chose essays which gives me the opportunity to write down what I feel and think, my believes and opinions. Throw in some good vocabulary, write as though you are talking passionately to the marker, make the marker stay alive, entertained and enlightened, not drool over your essay because he slept!

I agree.

Chose topics where you can make up stories, not the factual type of essays. There's bound to be hell lot of students choosing factual topics coz it's the safest and easiest to write, but thats the downfall...too much students answering the same topic with the same style will not make any marker happy at all.

On the contrary, most of my friends avoided topics of factual sorts. I know cos I always read my friends' essays (It helped me improve my editing skills and writing style). I remembered in one exam I was the only one in class who wrote about the demerit system in school. :P They preferred story-telling because marks allocated for factual essays largely depend on the number and elaboration of points. So, since they didn't have that much facts to elaborate they opted to be penglipur lara instead. But the fact is there is no such thing as a safer essay. You need to be versatile, knowledgeable and imaginative (plus a bit of luck to get easier topics) to write any good essay.

The reason so many students dare not choose topics that are not factual, and based on imaginary , is because they have to wrack their brains for the correct vocabulary to describe whatver they want, and malaysians student's imagination just isn't that good at all~ (gawd~! Read story books please~! and Russel Lee books does not count!)

However, story-telling essays generally give you the advantage in terms of:
1. You are able to show-off your vocabulary by using numerous adjectives to describe people or situations.

2. Markers enjoy reading stories compared to facts or opinions.

3. Having a unique and good story in mind can give you plus points in originality easily. Make sure your plot flows well. One important note though, AVOID writing stereotype stories like I met this guy, fell in love with him, dated with him, planned to marry him, suddenly on wedding day he met with accident OR he told me he's got leukemia out of the blue and might not live long, and then it's up to you whether he lives or dies and then, the end.

4. Your essays can be more lengthy easily. I wrote story type essays before and they can span up to 5 pages without myself realising it. BUT, you must be able to think quickly to avoid writer's block, write fast and accurate and your handwriting should be ligible as well (it doesn't have to be beautiful) so you can end your story well and not too abruptly; be it a cliffhanger, tragedy or happy ending.

[Scrmath]

And on that note, is the SPM Bahasa Inggeris and English 1119 and GCE-O English papers all different ? Because im only taking English 1119 and any extra paper for English would be a good Extra A for me :laugh.

Thanks in advance to all the Kind Samaritans watching over this forum. Peace :amuse

They r same paper.But diffrent ppl mark it.For your continuos essay,it is marked by spm examiner first,then it is sent to be marked by GCE examiner.So u might get A1 4 spm but A2 for GCE o..and 1119 is same as GCE O..but now all ppl call it GCE o..

[Miracle_seed]

However, story-telling essays generally give you the advantage in terms of:
1. You are able to show-off your vocabulary by using numerous adjectives to describe people or situations.

2. Markers enjoy reading stories compared to facts or opinions.

3. Having a unique and good story in mind can give you plus points in originality easily. Make sure your plot flows well. One important note though, AVOID writing stereotype stories like I met this guy, fell in love with him, dated with him, planned to marry him, suddenly on wedding day he met with accident OR he told me he's got leukemia out of the blue and might not live long, and then it's up to you whether he lives or dies and then, the end.

4. Your essays can be more lengthy easily. I wrote story type essays before and they can span up to 5 pages without myself realising it. BUT, you must be able to think quickly to avoid writer's block, write fast and accurate and your handwriting should be ligible as well (it doesn't have to be beautiful) so you can end your story well and not too abruptly; be it a cliffhanger, tragedy or happy ending.I agree on this. If you are not confident of writing argumentative or factual essays, which requires real factual points and elaboration, writing stories is the best way out.

Prepare an interesting storyline, and stick to it, of course it should be a flexible one, which can be adapted into numerous different questions. Look through more essay titles and try to fit in your story. Of course, this isn't enough, as you must read more stories or novels to pick up the style, phrases and vocabularies. You may want to jot down some useful phrases and sentences as well as useful words. Adjective and verbs are important. For example, a similar action can have different words and fit in different situations: look, stare, see, peek, peep, glare, gaze etc... instead of using only "look", which sounds monotonous.

Don't get tired of your own storyline as you have to practise it many times, and even your school teacher might be bored, it's definitely fresh for your examiner. Be creative and prepare something special, don't try to copy plots from books. I'm pretty sure the examiner will be happy to read that. At least horror/suspense elements worked well for me.

Of course, everything has to be built on the good grammar basis.

This doesn't really go along with the purpose of learning, but it's a way to tackle examination strategically.

[yanno_yamster]

Ish, tak acilah... They allocate 2 1/2 hours for karangan BM and only 1 3/4 hours for English essay... Oh well... When life gives you lemons make lemonade... All da best juniors!!!