Edexcel level 3 algebra help please

[copella]

Hi can anyone suggest any resources to help my DS revise for this exam. He began the syllabus in Jan after taking his gcse maths. There are very few past papers and today he has struggled to complete the practice paper edexcel have on their website. He is now going back over the workbook to go over the areas causing him particular diffs. I know it is mainly C1 and some bits of C2 from AS maths but are there any specific papers/websites that anyone knows which could help. This is the first time he has struggled with maths. I'll get him to talk to his maths teacher, but I am worried as this is the first exam, in three weeks and with hardly any time to have embedded the concepts. He says everyone is struggling. Any help much appreciated.

[Guest55]

Has the teacher shared the practice papers from the Edexcel teachers website?

This is the open access stuff:

http://www.edexcel.com/QUALS/MATHS-AWAR ... fault.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Look at the specification and then search on the topics he is stuck on.

I found this too - only about a quarter passed in January 2014!

Grade Boundaries January 2014

Subject Name Maximum mark Pass mark Percentage of candidates

Algebra Level 3 ...... 90 ............... 60 ............... 26.8%

[copella]

Thanks G55. No his teacher hasn't i will get DS to talk to him plus email him next week when term begins. A bit more peaceful as DS has used most of today going over the work book which has a checklist and ticking off what he does and does not know. Now going over the more difficult areas. Has decided to also spend majority of time on maths tomorrow and so is feeling less panicked. Some areas of his revision are going well and so he can focus more energy on the more difficult areas now. Thanks again.

[Guest55]

There are two real past paers which the teacher can also share ....

If you have specific areas where he is stuck them PM me and I'll direct you.

[aliportico]

I've found the videos on http://www.hegartymaths.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; useful.

[copella]

Thanks g55 I may pm you once he's done a bit more and we are clearer where the gaps and problems are. And thanks aliportico we have been looking at Hegarty maths. I think he was so confident with maths that he had been thinking he could get up to speed quickly and crumpled a bit this morning when he discovered it was much harder and he had to do more than he had thought. He's having a break from maths at the moment and doing physics revision, so we'll see how he feels later.

[stevew61]

I've found the videos on http://www.hegartymaths.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; useful.

Like that, the way they refer back to the exam specification.

Also recommend,

http://www.examsolutions.net/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm probably overdue another donation to examsolutions.

[copella]

DS is looking at Hegarty maths and has spent today and yesterday just going over areas he was unsure of. He feels more confident today. We've not heard of exam solutions. I will get him to look at it tomorrow. Thank you.

[russet]

We tend to use Khan academy. I began using it when I realised I was out of my depth in explaining "completing the square". It gives examples to work through, as well as videos to explain the topic.
I must admit, having had a look at hegartymaths, that seems good too.
The one thing I find in learning maths is to not worry about understanding things straight away. If you return to a topic next day and then a week or two later, your brain works on it while you are thinking of other things and it all seems much easier when you return.

[Guest55]

Some of the videos on khanacademy promote methods which are not good practice so be careful.