Tips for other SPM subjects can be found here:
http://daniellimjj.blogspot.com/2013/06/complete-tips-for-spm-examination-first.html
SPM BAHASA MELAYU (For SPMU 2021, SPM 2020 and earlier only):
Note: Starting from SPM 2021 onwards, there are significant changes to the examination format for Bahasa Melayu, so the tips here may no longer be applicable.
1. Studying tips
- To prepare for this subject, you have to continuously improve your language skills in every day life. Try to speak and write more in Malay language, and read more Malay books, magazines and newspaper.
- You are adviced to attend tuition if possible. If you live in Kulim, I recommend you to go to Pusat Tuisyen Inisiatif Utama for the tuition.
- Before the exam, you mainly need to prepare for Karangan and KOMSAS.
- You should memorise some good Pendahuluan, Penutup and Ayat judul so that you can use them when writing your essay. It is advisable to choose those that can be used in various types of essays and contain ungkapan menarik. Your school or tuition teacher should be able to give you this.
- You need revision book for KOMSAS. I recommend the KOMSAS revision book by Eastview Publications. You can also use your tuition teacher's notes if you attend tuition. You need to read, understand and remember the Tema, Persoalan, Latar, Plot, Teknik Plot, Watak & Perwatakan, Nilai & Pengajaran as well as their examples for the Novel and all Prosa Tradisional, Puisi, Cerpen and Drama for both Form 4 and Form 5.
- Try to get the list of peribahasa in the syllabus from your school or tuition teacher. You should understand and remember all the peribahasa and their meaning and usage. This will help you to answer the Peribahasa questions in the Tatabahasa section. Usually 2 of the 3 questions are based on the peribahasa in the syllabus.
- To prepare for Rumusan and Tatabahasa, you have to regularly do exercises. You should also do exercises for all other sections occasionally. However, avoid spending too much time writing Karangan.
2. Karangan Bahan Rangsangan
- Materials will be given. Read the question and material given carefully. The question will ask you to write an essay on a particular topic. In most cases, the material given is relevant to the topic, but sometimes it may not be related to the topic. If the material given is relevant to the topic, you must use points from the materials given. If the material given is not relevant to the topic, then you should ignore the materials given and give your own ideas.
- You should write 1 Pendahuluan, 3 Isi and 1 Penutup. Usually, the material given will contain 3 or more points, but sometimes it may contain only 1 or 2 points. If there are only 1 or 2 points in the material given or if the material given is not relevant to the topic, you need to add in your own ideas to make 3 Isi. If there are more than 3 points in the materials given, choose either 3 of them to write, or you can also combine 2 points in 1 Isi if they are related to each other.
- Make sure your essay is more than 200 words. Marks will be deducted if your essay is less than 200 words. However, you can write more than 250 words (although the question states that your essay must be between 200 and 250 words), and there is no limit on how long you are allowed to write. Your marks will not be deducted and the examiner will continue to mark your whole essay. You are advised to write your essay between 300 and 600 words.
3. Karangan Respons Terbuka
- There will be 5 questions. Usually the first 4 questions are factual/argumentative essay, while the 5th question is related to literature. Some of them may be formatted writing. Read all the questions carefully and choose the question that you are most confident in. If possible, avoid choosing the question on writing a story unless you are very good at writing stories.
- In your essay, there should be 1 Pendahuluan, at least 4 Isi and 1 Penutup. You are advised to write 5 Isi if possible. If it is formatted writing, make sure that the format is correct. Make sure that your essay is more than 350 words. Marks will be deducted if your essay is less than 350 words. It is advisable to write your essay between 600 and 1000 words.
4. Both Karangan Bahan Rangsangan & Karangan Respons Terbuka
- When writing your essay, use the Pendahuluan, Penutup and Ayat judul that you have memorised earlier if possible. Make some changes to them so that they suit the essay you are writing. Elaborate clearly on each Isi. Write some relevant examples as well.
- Include a few Ungkapan menarik (such as Peribahasa) in your essay. If your entire essay has no Ungkapan menarik at all, your essay can be dropped by one grade of the actual grade. Use a wide variety of words in your essay, including some more difficult words. The sentence structure should be varied. Your essay should also be interesting. Avoid making grammatical errors in your essay. Refer to the question often when writing your essay to avoid writing out of topic.
5. Rumusan
- The question will ask you to summarise on 2 topics, the 1st one is Isi tersurat and the 2nd is Isi tersirat. Read the question and passage given carefully. Underline the relevant Isi tersurat in the passage. You should answer in 4 paragraphs, each containing Pendahuluan, Isi Tersurat, Isi Tersirat and Penutup.
- When writing the Pendahuluan, begin with 'Petikan membincangkan...'. You must replace the keyword of the question with another word of same meaning. (For example, you must replace 'langkah' with 'cara' or other words of same meaning.) You must also add either 'di Malaysia' or 'di dunia' at the end of the sentence, depending on whether the passage given involves Malaysia only or international. Write in one sentence only.
- When writing Isi Tersurat, you must use relevant points from the passage given. Do not take any of the elaborations or examples. You need not use your own words and you can copy directly, but sometimes you may have to make some changes to suit your answer. When writing Isi Tersirat, you cannot directly use points from the passage. You should give your own ideas. Your ideas must be logical and relevant. You should write at least 6 Isi Tersurat and 2 Isi Tersirat. You are advised to write more isi if possible. Marks will only be given for correct isi, and marks will not be deducted for incorrect isi (But, you must not exceed 120 words).
- When writing the Penutup, your answer should contain 1 Cadangan/Harapan and 1 relevant Huraian. Write in 1 sentence only. Do not repeat any isi or add in new isi in the Penutup.
- Count the total number of words and make sure that your answer is not longer than 120 words, otherwise the remaining part of your answer will not be marked, and marks may be deducted. State the exact number of words below your essay. Nama khas, penanda wacana, peribahasa and kata ganda are counted as one word only. If your answer is longer than 120 words, try cancelling off the unnecessary words in your answer and replacing longer phrase with shorter phrase of the same meaning. If it still exceeds 120 words, cancel off some of the extra Isi Tersurat or Isi Tersirat you wrote.
- For all parts of Rumusan, you must answer in continuous writing form and not point form, otherwise marks can be deducted. You should also write the answer in complete sentences. Make sure that the grammar is correct. Of the 30 marks for Rumusan, 20 marks is for Isi and 10 marks is for Bahasa. The marks given for Bahasa is usually half of the marks given for Isi if there are no grammatical errors.
6. Pemahaman
- There are 4 parts, which are Pemahaman Petikan Umum, Prosa Moden, Prosa Tradisional and Puisi. Read the passage/extract and the questions given carefully. There are 4 types of questions, which are questions on meaning of phrases, questions based on the passage given, questions on your own opinion (KBKK) and questions on KOMSAS.
- When answering question on meaning of phrases, replace every word in the phrase with another word that has the same meaning if possible. If that is not possible, you should explain the phrase in your own sentence.
- When answering questions based on the passage given, you must look for the answers from the passage/extract. You need not use your own words and you can copy directly, but sometimes you may have to make some changes to suit your answer (such as converting dialogs into text), especially for Puisi and Prosa Tradisional which you must convert into modern text when writing your answer.
- When answering questions on your own opinion (KBKK), you should give your own ideas and do not look for the answers from the passage/extract given. Your ideas must be logical and relevant.
- When answering questions on KOMSAS, it may ask you based on the extract given or based on the whole story/poem. Give suitable answers that you memorised from revision books. You should elaborate on every point you write by giving a suitable example.
- For all Pemahaman questions, you must answer in complete sentences and not point form, otherwise marks can be deducted. Make sure that the grammar is correct. If the question does not state the number of answers you need to write, then the number of answers needed depends on the marks allocated. Basically, one answer gives one mark, and for 3 or 4 marks question, one mark is usually for Bahasa. In all cases, you can give as many extra answers as you want (except for questions on meaning of phrases, where you can give only one answer). Marks will only be given for the correct answers, and marks will not be deducted for wrong or unacceptable answers. It is advisable to write 2 or 3 extra answers for every part of question.
7. Tatabahasa
- There are 5 parts. When answering, read the questions carefully. For the 1st part, you must make sentence from the words given. Your sentence must be able to show that you really understand the meaning of the words given. The sentence do not have to be very long. You cannot change the Imbuhan, add any Imbuhan or use the words given as a Kata Ganda, Peribahasa or Nama Khas (unless otherwise stated in the question). For the 2nd part, it will test you on Sintaksis. Give the most suitable answer according to the question based on your understanding of Tatabahasa.
- For the 3rd and 4th part, it will test you on Kesalahan Ejaan, Imbuhan, Penggunaan Kata/Istilah and Tatabahasa. List down the mistakes and correction for every mistake. You are advised to categorise the mistakes according to the type of mistake. You do not need to recopy the sentences. For the 5th question, it will test you on Peribahasa. If the question asks you to explain the meaning of Peribahasa, your answer should be clear and detailed. If the question asks you to make a sentence using Peribahasa, your sentence must be able to show that you really understand the meaning of the Peribahasa. The sentence do not have to be very long. If the question asks you to fill in the blanks using Peribahasa or state a Peribahasa based on the situation, give the most suitable Peribahasa according to the question.
- For all questions on Tatabahasa, you cannot give extra answers. If you do so, marks will be deducted if any of your extra answers is wrong.
8. Novel
- The questions are based on the novels you studied in Form 4 and Form 5. There will be 2 questions. Usually the first question allows you to choose to answer based on either one of the novels, while the second question requires you to answer based on both novels, and sometimes you may be asked to make a comparison of both novels. If the question lets you choose either one of the novels, choose the novel that you are most confident of.
- If the question is about facts (Tema / Persoalan / Latar / Plot / Teknik Plot / Watak & Perwatakan / Nilai / Pengajaran), give suitable answers that you memorised from revision books. You should elaborate on every point you write by giving suitable example from the novel.
- If the question is about your own opinion, you have give your own ideas based on your understanding of the novel. Your ideas must be logical and relevant. You should elaborate on every idea you write and relate your ideas to the question and novel.
- For all Novel questions, you must answer in continuous writing form and not point form, otherwise marks can be deducted. You should also write the answer in complete sentences. Make sure that the grammar is correct. The 1st question carries 7 marks, where 4 marks is for Isi and 3 marks is for Bahasa. The 2nd question carries 8 marks, where 6 marks is for Isi and 2 marks is for Bahasa.
- Basically, one point or elaboration gives 1 mark for Isi. In all cases, you can give as many extra answers as you want. Marks will only be given for correct answers, marks will not be deducted for wrong answers. It is advisable to write 2 or 3 extra points and elaborations. You can answer based on novel for other states, but you should do so only if you understand that novel very well.
SPM ENGLISH (For SPM 2020 and earlier only):
Note 1: As I did not get A+ for English, if you are aiming for A+ in English, it may be better for you to seek advice from others who got A+ rather than following my tips below.
1. Studying tips
- To prepare for this subject, you have to continuously improve your language skills in every day life. Try to speak and write more in Malay language, and read more Malay books, magazines and newspaper.
- You are adviced to attend tuition if possible. If you live in Kulim, I recommend you to go to Pusat Tuisyen Inisiatif Utama for the tuition.
- Before the exam, you mainly need to prepare for Karangan and KOMSAS.
- You should memorise some good Pendahuluan, Penutup and Ayat judul so that you can use them when writing your essay. It is advisable to choose those that can be used in various types of essays and contain ungkapan menarik. Your school or tuition teacher should be able to give you this.
- You need revision book for KOMSAS. I recommend the KOMSAS revision book by Eastview Publications. You can also use your tuition teacher's notes if you attend tuition. You need to read, understand and remember the Tema, Persoalan, Latar, Plot, Teknik Plot, Watak & Perwatakan, Nilai & Pengajaran as well as their examples for the Novel and all Prosa Tradisional, Puisi, Cerpen and Drama for both Form 4 and Form 5.
- Try to get the list of peribahasa in the syllabus from your school or tuition teacher. You should understand and remember all the peribahasa and their meaning and usage. This will help you to answer the Peribahasa questions in the Tatabahasa section. Usually 2 of the 3 questions are based on the peribahasa in the syllabus.
- To prepare for Rumusan and Tatabahasa, you have to regularly do exercises. You should also do exercises for all other sections occasionally. However, avoid spending too much time writing Karangan.
2. Karangan Bahan Rangsangan
- Materials will be given. Read the question and material given carefully. The question will ask you to write an essay on a particular topic. In most cases, the material given is relevant to the topic, but sometimes it may not be related to the topic. If the material given is relevant to the topic, you must use points from the materials given. If the material given is not relevant to the topic, then you should ignore the materials given and give your own ideas.
- You should write 1 Pendahuluan, 3 Isi and 1 Penutup. Usually, the material given will contain 3 or more points, but sometimes it may contain only 1 or 2 points. If there are only 1 or 2 points in the material given or if the material given is not relevant to the topic, you need to add in your own ideas to make 3 Isi. If there are more than 3 points in the materials given, choose either 3 of them to write, or you can also combine 2 points in 1 Isi if they are related to each other.
- Make sure your essay is more than 200 words. Marks will be deducted if your essay is less than 200 words. However, you can write more than 250 words (although the question states that your essay must be between 200 and 250 words), and there is no limit on how long you are allowed to write. Your marks will not be deducted and the examiner will continue to mark your whole essay. You are advised to write your essay between 300 and 600 words.
3. Karangan Respons Terbuka
- There will be 5 questions. Usually the first 4 questions are factual/argumentative essay, while the 5th question is related to literature. Some of them may be formatted writing. Read all the questions carefully and choose the question that you are most confident in. If possible, avoid choosing the question on writing a story unless you are very good at writing stories.
- In your essay, there should be 1 Pendahuluan, at least 4 Isi and 1 Penutup. You are advised to write 5 Isi if possible. If it is formatted writing, make sure that the format is correct. Make sure that your essay is more than 350 words. Marks will be deducted if your essay is less than 350 words. It is advisable to write your essay between 600 and 1000 words.
4. Both Karangan Bahan Rangsangan & Karangan Respons Terbuka
- When writing your essay, use the Pendahuluan, Penutup and Ayat judul that you have memorised earlier if possible. Make some changes to them so that they suit the essay you are writing. Elaborate clearly on each Isi. Write some relevant examples as well.
- Include a few Ungkapan menarik (such as Peribahasa) in your essay. If your entire essay has no Ungkapan menarik at all, your essay can be dropped by one grade of the actual grade. Use a wide variety of words in your essay, including some more difficult words. The sentence structure should be varied. Your essay should also be interesting. Avoid making grammatical errors in your essay. Refer to the question often when writing your essay to avoid writing out of topic.
5. Rumusan
- The question will ask you to summarise on 2 topics, the 1st one is Isi tersurat and the 2nd is Isi tersirat. Read the question and passage given carefully. Underline the relevant Isi tersurat in the passage. You should answer in 4 paragraphs, each containing Pendahuluan, Isi Tersurat, Isi Tersirat and Penutup.
- When writing the Pendahuluan, begin with 'Petikan membincangkan...'. You must replace the keyword of the question with another word of same meaning. (For example, you must replace 'langkah' with 'cara' or other words of same meaning.) You must also add either 'di Malaysia' or 'di dunia' at the end of the sentence, depending on whether the passage given involves Malaysia only or international. Write in one sentence only.
- When writing Isi Tersurat, you must use relevant points from the passage given. Do not take any of the elaborations or examples. You need not use your own words and you can copy directly, but sometimes you may have to make some changes to suit your answer. When writing Isi Tersirat, you cannot directly use points from the passage. You should give your own ideas. Your ideas must be logical and relevant. You should write at least 6 Isi Tersurat and 2 Isi Tersirat. You are advised to write more isi if possible. Marks will only be given for correct isi, and marks will not be deducted for incorrect isi (But, you must not exceed 120 words).
- When writing the Penutup, your answer should contain 1 Cadangan/Harapan and 1 relevant Huraian. Write in 1 sentence only. Do not repeat any isi or add in new isi in the Penutup.
- Count the total number of words and make sure that your answer is not longer than 120 words, otherwise the remaining part of your answer will not be marked, and marks may be deducted. State the exact number of words below your essay. Nama khas, penanda wacana, peribahasa and kata ganda are counted as one word only. If your answer is longer than 120 words, try cancelling off the unnecessary words in your answer and replacing longer phrase with shorter phrase of the same meaning. If it still exceeds 120 words, cancel off some of the extra Isi Tersurat or Isi Tersirat you wrote.
- For all parts of Rumusan, you must answer in continuous writing form and not point form, otherwise marks can be deducted. You should also write the answer in complete sentences. Make sure that the grammar is correct. Of the 30 marks for Rumusan, 20 marks is for Isi and 10 marks is for Bahasa. The marks given for Bahasa is usually half of the marks given for Isi if there are no grammatical errors.
6. Pemahaman
- There are 4 parts, which are Pemahaman Petikan Umum, Prosa Moden, Prosa Tradisional and Puisi. Read the passage/extract and the questions given carefully. There are 4 types of questions, which are questions on meaning of phrases, questions based on the passage given, questions on your own opinion (KBKK) and questions on KOMSAS.
- When answering question on meaning of phrases, replace every word in the phrase with another word that has the same meaning if possible. If that is not possible, you should explain the phrase in your own sentence.
- When answering questions based on the passage given, you must look for the answers from the passage/extract. You need not use your own words and you can copy directly, but sometimes you may have to make some changes to suit your answer (such as converting dialogs into text), especially for Puisi and Prosa Tradisional which you must convert into modern text when writing your answer.
- When answering questions on your own opinion (KBKK), you should give your own ideas and do not look for the answers from the passage/extract given. Your ideas must be logical and relevant.
- When answering questions on KOMSAS, it may ask you based on the extract given or based on the whole story/poem. Give suitable answers that you memorised from revision books. You should elaborate on every point you write by giving a suitable example.
- For all Pemahaman questions, you must answer in complete sentences and not point form, otherwise marks can be deducted. Make sure that the grammar is correct. If the question does not state the number of answers you need to write, then the number of answers needed depends on the marks allocated. Basically, one answer gives one mark, and for 3 or 4 marks question, one mark is usually for Bahasa. In all cases, you can give as many extra answers as you want (except for questions on meaning of phrases, where you can give only one answer). Marks will only be given for the correct answers, and marks will not be deducted for wrong or unacceptable answers. It is advisable to write 2 or 3 extra answers for every part of question.
7. Tatabahasa
- There are 5 parts. When answering, read the questions carefully. For the 1st part, you must make sentence from the words given. Your sentence must be able to show that you really understand the meaning of the words given. The sentence do not have to be very long. You cannot change the Imbuhan, add any Imbuhan or use the words given as a Kata Ganda, Peribahasa or Nama Khas (unless otherwise stated in the question). For the 2nd part, it will test you on Sintaksis. Give the most suitable answer according to the question based on your understanding of Tatabahasa.
- For the 3rd and 4th part, it will test you on Kesalahan Ejaan, Imbuhan, Penggunaan Kata/Istilah and Tatabahasa. List down the mistakes and correction for every mistake. You are advised to categorise the mistakes according to the type of mistake. You do not need to recopy the sentences. For the 5th question, it will test you on Peribahasa. If the question asks you to explain the meaning of Peribahasa, your answer should be clear and detailed. If the question asks you to make a sentence using Peribahasa, your sentence must be able to show that you really understand the meaning of the Peribahasa. The sentence do not have to be very long. If the question asks you to fill in the blanks using Peribahasa or state a Peribahasa based on the situation, give the most suitable Peribahasa according to the question.
- For all questions on Tatabahasa, you cannot give extra answers. If you do so, marks will be deducted if any of your extra answers is wrong.
8. Novel
- The questions are based on the novels you studied in Form 4 and Form 5. There will be 2 questions. Usually the first question allows you to choose to answer based on either one of the novels, while the second question requires you to answer based on both novels, and sometimes you may be asked to make a comparison of both novels. If the question lets you choose either one of the novels, choose the novel that you are most confident of.
- If the question is about facts (Tema / Persoalan / Latar / Plot / Teknik Plot / Watak & Perwatakan / Nilai / Pengajaran), give suitable answers that you memorised from revision books. You should elaborate on every point you write by giving suitable example from the novel.
- If the question is about your own opinion, you have give your own ideas based on your understanding of the novel. Your ideas must be logical and relevant. You should elaborate on every idea you write and relate your ideas to the question and novel.
- For all Novel questions, you must answer in continuous writing form and not point form, otherwise marks can be deducted. You should also write the answer in complete sentences. Make sure that the grammar is correct. The 1st question carries 7 marks, where 4 marks is for Isi and 3 marks is for Bahasa. The 2nd question carries 8 marks, where 6 marks is for Isi and 2 marks is for Bahasa.
- Basically, one point or elaboration gives 1 mark for Isi. In all cases, you can give as many extra answers as you want. Marks will only be given for correct answers, marks will not be deducted for wrong answers. It is advisable to write 2 or 3 extra points and elaborations. You can answer based on novel for other states, but you should do so only if you understand that novel very well.
SPM ENGLISH (For SPM 2020 and earlier only):
Note 1: As I did not get A+ for English, if you are aiming for A+ in English, it may be better for you to seek advice from others who got A+ rather than following my tips below.
Note 2: Starting from SPM 2021 onwards, there are significant changes to the examination format for English, so the tips here may no longer be applicable.
1. Studying tips
- To prepare for this subject, you have to continuously improve your language skills in every day life. Try to speak and write more in English language, and read more English books, magazines and newspaper.
- You are adviced to attend tuition if possible. I cannot recommend any tuition centre for English because I never attended English tuition. Try asking around to find out which tuition centre is the best.
- Before the exam, you mainly need to prepare for Writing, Poem and Novel.
- You should know and remember the format for all kinds of formatted writing. Refer to revision books or ask your teacher if you do not know the format.
- You need revision notes for literature (Poem and Novel). As far as I know, no literature revision books in the market is good. You are advised use your tuition teacher's notes. You need to understand and remember the Theme, Settings, Plot, Characters, Moral values & Lessons as well as their examples for the Form 5 novel and all poems learnt in both Form 4 and Form 5.
- To prepare for all sections in Paper 2, you have to regularly do exercises. You should also do exercises for Paper 1 occasionally but do not spend too much time on that.
2. Directed Writing
- Materials will be given. Read the question and materials given carefully. The question will ask you to write an essay on a particular topic. You must use all the points in the material given when writing your essay.
- There is no minimum word limit for Directed Writing. However, you are advised to write your essay longer than 120 words. If the question asks you to add in your own ideas or provide a suitable introduction/closing, you must do so. If the essay is formatted writing, make sure that the format is correct. Of the 35 marks for Directed Writing, 15 marks is for Content & Format and 20 marks is for Language.
3. Continuous Writing
- There will be 5 questions. Usually the 2 questions are factual/argumentative essay, 2 questions are narrative/descriptive essay (such as story) and the other 1 question is one-word topic essay. Read all the questions carefully and choose the question that you are most confident in.
- For the one-word topic essay, you are free to write it as either factual/argumentative essay or narrative/descriptive essay (such as story). But, you must make sure that the entire essay/story you write is closely related to the meaning of the word given.
- If you are writing factual/argumentative essay, there should be 1 Introduction, at least 4 Body and 1 Closing. Include only one main point in each Body. Make sure your essay is more than 350 words. Marks will be deducted if your essay is less than 350 words. Avoid writing exactly the whole essays that you memorised, because if you do so and as a result you score much better in Continuous Writing compared to Directed Writing, your grade for Continuous Writing may be dropped.
4. Both Directed Writing & Continuous Writing
- When writing your essay, elaborate clearly on each point you write. Write some relevant examples as well. You only need to elaborate in 1 or 2 sentences for Directed Writing, but you need to elaborate longer for Continuous Writing.
- Include a few idioms and phrasal verbs in your essay. Use a wide variety of words in your essay, including some more difficult words. The sentence structure should be varied. Your essay should also be interesting, especially for descriptive/narrative essay. Avoid making grammatical errors in your essay. Refer to the question often when writing your essay to avoid writing out of topic.
5. Paper 2 Section A
- For Stimuli & Graphic Material, read the materials given and questions carefully. Cancel off the options that you consider as definitely wrong. Choose the most suitable answer among the 4 options, based on the materials given.
- For Rational Cloze, it tests you on grammar. Read the passage given carefully. Cancel off the options that you consider as definitely wrong. Choose the most suitable word to fill in the blanks in the passage among the 4 options, based on your understanding in grammar.
- For both parts, you should think carefully because sometimes the answers are close to each other.
6. Information Transfer
- Read the materials and questions carefully. When answering, copy directly from the materials given and avoid using your own words. However, sometimes you may have to make some changes to suit your answer. Make sure the spelling in your answer is exactly the same as the spelling in the materials given. Your answers must be short and precise. Do not add in any unnecessary details in your answer or write extra answers, otherwise marks may be deducted due to overlifting. Also, you should not answer in full sentences.
7. Reading Comprehension
- Read the questions and passage given carefully. Answer all questions based on the passage given. When answering, look for answers from the particular paragraph of the passage as stated in the question. If the question does not state that you must use your own words, you can copy directly from the passage and you need not use your own words. However, sometimes you may have to make some changes to suit your answer.
- If the question states that you must use your own words, then you must answer in your own words. If the question asks for your own opinion, you should give your own ideas and do not look for answers from the passage given. Your ideas should be logical and relevant.
- For all questions on Comprehension, you do not need to answer in complete sentences. Make sure that the spelling in your answer is correct. Your answers must be short and precise. Do not add in any unnecessary details in your answer or write extra answers, otherwise marks can be deducted due to overlifting.
8. Summary
- The question will usually ask you to summarise on 2 topics. Read the question and passage given carefully. Underline the relevant points in the passage that are related to any of the 2 topics.
- When answering, use relevant points from the passage given. Do not take the elaborations or examples. You must begin your answer using the 10 words given in the question. You do not need to write any Introduction or Closing. You are advised to answer in your own words by replacing words taken from the passage with other words of same meaning or by rephrasing the sentences taken from the passage. You should write a total of at least 10 points. You are advised to write more points if possible. Marks will only be given for correct points and marks will not be deducted for wrong points (But, you must not exceed 130 words).
- Count the total number of words and make sure that your answer is not longer than 130 words, otherwise the remaining part of your answer will not be marked, and marks may be deducted. State the exact number of words below your essay. Proper nouns, idioms and words with hyphen are counted as one word only. If your answer is longer than 130 words, try cancelling off the unnecessary words in your answer and replacing longer phrase with shorter phrase of the same meaning. If it still exceeds 130 words, cancel off some of the extra points you wrote.
- You must answer in continuous writing form and not point form, otherwise marks can be deducted. You should also write the answer in complete sentences. Make sure that the grammar is correct. Of the 15 marks for Summary, 10 marks is for Content and 5 marks is for Language & Paraphrase.
9. Poem
- Read the poem and questions carefully. Answer all questions based on the poem. If the question does not state that you must use your own words, you can copy directly from the poem and you need not use your own words. However, you may have to make some changes to suit your answer. If the question states that you must use your own words, then you must answer in your own words. If the question asks for your own opinion, you should give your own ideas and do not look for answers from the poem. Your answer should be logical and relevant.
- You do not need to answer in complete sentences. Make sure that the spelling in your answer is correct. Your answers must be short and precise. Do not add in any unnecessary details in your answer or write extra answers, otherwise marks can be deducted due to overlifting.
10. Novel
- The question will be based on the novel you studied in Form 5. You can also answer based on the novel for other states, but you should do so only if you understand that novel very well. Read the question carefully.
- If the question is about facts (Theme / Settings / Plot / Characters / Moral values / Lessons), give suitable answers that you memorised from revision books. If the question is about your own opinion, you have to give your own ideas based on your understanding of the novel. Your ideas must be logical and relevant. You should also relate your ideas to the novel.
- For all Novel questions, you have to elaborate clearly on every point you write. Give suitable examples from the novel. You also need to write your personal response (your own opinion about what you have discussed in your answer). You must answer in complete sentences and not point form, otherwise marks can be deducted. Make sure that the grammar is correct.
- The question carries 15 marks, where 10 marks is for Content and 5 marks is for Language. Both the Content and Language marks are given by impression, so the Content marks does not actually depend on the number of points in your answer. However, you should write at least 3 elaborations and 1 personal response in your answer. You can give more facts, elaborations and personal responses if you want to, but you must be careful not to write any wrong points. For wrong points in your answer, marks will not be directly deducted, but it can affect the Content marks in overall.
Tips for other SPM subjects can be found here:
http://daniellimjj.blogspot.com/2013/06/complete-tips-for-spm-examination-first.html
1. Studying tips
- To prepare for this subject, you have to continuously improve your language skills in every day life. Try to speak and write more in English language, and read more English books, magazines and newspaper.
- You are adviced to attend tuition if possible. I cannot recommend any tuition centre for English because I never attended English tuition. Try asking around to find out which tuition centre is the best.
- Before the exam, you mainly need to prepare for Writing, Poem and Novel.
- You should know and remember the format for all kinds of formatted writing. Refer to revision books or ask your teacher if you do not know the format.
- You need revision notes for literature (Poem and Novel). As far as I know, no literature revision books in the market is good. You are advised use your tuition teacher's notes. You need to understand and remember the Theme, Settings, Plot, Characters, Moral values & Lessons as well as their examples for the Form 5 novel and all poems learnt in both Form 4 and Form 5.
- To prepare for all sections in Paper 2, you have to regularly do exercises. You should also do exercises for Paper 1 occasionally but do not spend too much time on that.
2. Directed Writing
- Materials will be given. Read the question and materials given carefully. The question will ask you to write an essay on a particular topic. You must use all the points in the material given when writing your essay.
- There is no minimum word limit for Directed Writing. However, you are advised to write your essay longer than 120 words. If the question asks you to add in your own ideas or provide a suitable introduction/closing, you must do so. If the essay is formatted writing, make sure that the format is correct. Of the 35 marks for Directed Writing, 15 marks is for Content & Format and 20 marks is for Language.
3. Continuous Writing
- There will be 5 questions. Usually the 2 questions are factual/argumentative essay, 2 questions are narrative/descriptive essay (such as story) and the other 1 question is one-word topic essay. Read all the questions carefully and choose the question that you are most confident in.
- For the one-word topic essay, you are free to write it as either factual/argumentative essay or narrative/descriptive essay (such as story). But, you must make sure that the entire essay/story you write is closely related to the meaning of the word given.
- If you are writing factual/argumentative essay, there should be 1 Introduction, at least 4 Body and 1 Closing. Include only one main point in each Body. Make sure your essay is more than 350 words. Marks will be deducted if your essay is less than 350 words. Avoid writing exactly the whole essays that you memorised, because if you do so and as a result you score much better in Continuous Writing compared to Directed Writing, your grade for Continuous Writing may be dropped.
4. Both Directed Writing & Continuous Writing
- When writing your essay, elaborate clearly on each point you write. Write some relevant examples as well. You only need to elaborate in 1 or 2 sentences for Directed Writing, but you need to elaborate longer for Continuous Writing.
- Include a few idioms and phrasal verbs in your essay. Use a wide variety of words in your essay, including some more difficult words. The sentence structure should be varied. Your essay should also be interesting, especially for descriptive/narrative essay. Avoid making grammatical errors in your essay. Refer to the question often when writing your essay to avoid writing out of topic.
5. Paper 2 Section A
- For Stimuli & Graphic Material, read the materials given and questions carefully. Cancel off the options that you consider as definitely wrong. Choose the most suitable answer among the 4 options, based on the materials given.
- For Rational Cloze, it tests you on grammar. Read the passage given carefully. Cancel off the options that you consider as definitely wrong. Choose the most suitable word to fill in the blanks in the passage among the 4 options, based on your understanding in grammar.
- For both parts, you should think carefully because sometimes the answers are close to each other.
6. Information Transfer
- Read the materials and questions carefully. When answering, copy directly from the materials given and avoid using your own words. However, sometimes you may have to make some changes to suit your answer. Make sure the spelling in your answer is exactly the same as the spelling in the materials given. Your answers must be short and precise. Do not add in any unnecessary details in your answer or write extra answers, otherwise marks may be deducted due to overlifting. Also, you should not answer in full sentences.
7. Reading Comprehension
- Read the questions and passage given carefully. Answer all questions based on the passage given. When answering, look for answers from the particular paragraph of the passage as stated in the question. If the question does not state that you must use your own words, you can copy directly from the passage and you need not use your own words. However, sometimes you may have to make some changes to suit your answer.
- If the question states that you must use your own words, then you must answer in your own words. If the question asks for your own opinion, you should give your own ideas and do not look for answers from the passage given. Your ideas should be logical and relevant.
- For all questions on Comprehension, you do not need to answer in complete sentences. Make sure that the spelling in your answer is correct. Your answers must be short and precise. Do not add in any unnecessary details in your answer or write extra answers, otherwise marks can be deducted due to overlifting.
8. Summary
- The question will usually ask you to summarise on 2 topics. Read the question and passage given carefully. Underline the relevant points in the passage that are related to any of the 2 topics.
- When answering, use relevant points from the passage given. Do not take the elaborations or examples. You must begin your answer using the 10 words given in the question. You do not need to write any Introduction or Closing. You are advised to answer in your own words by replacing words taken from the passage with other words of same meaning or by rephrasing the sentences taken from the passage. You should write a total of at least 10 points. You are advised to write more points if possible. Marks will only be given for correct points and marks will not be deducted for wrong points (But, you must not exceed 130 words).
- Count the total number of words and make sure that your answer is not longer than 130 words, otherwise the remaining part of your answer will not be marked, and marks may be deducted. State the exact number of words below your essay. Proper nouns, idioms and words with hyphen are counted as one word only. If your answer is longer than 130 words, try cancelling off the unnecessary words in your answer and replacing longer phrase with shorter phrase of the same meaning. If it still exceeds 130 words, cancel off some of the extra points you wrote.
- You must answer in continuous writing form and not point form, otherwise marks can be deducted. You should also write the answer in complete sentences. Make sure that the grammar is correct. Of the 15 marks for Summary, 10 marks is for Content and 5 marks is for Language & Paraphrase.
9. Poem
- Read the poem and questions carefully. Answer all questions based on the poem. If the question does not state that you must use your own words, you can copy directly from the poem and you need not use your own words. However, you may have to make some changes to suit your answer. If the question states that you must use your own words, then you must answer in your own words. If the question asks for your own opinion, you should give your own ideas and do not look for answers from the poem. Your answer should be logical and relevant.
- You do not need to answer in complete sentences. Make sure that the spelling in your answer is correct. Your answers must be short and precise. Do not add in any unnecessary details in your answer or write extra answers, otherwise marks can be deducted due to overlifting.
10. Novel
- The question will be based on the novel you studied in Form 5. You can also answer based on the novel for other states, but you should do so only if you understand that novel very well. Read the question carefully.
- If the question is about facts (Theme / Settings / Plot / Characters / Moral values / Lessons), give suitable answers that you memorised from revision books. If the question is about your own opinion, you have to give your own ideas based on your understanding of the novel. Your ideas must be logical and relevant. You should also relate your ideas to the novel.
- For all Novel questions, you have to elaborate clearly on every point you write. Give suitable examples from the novel. You also need to write your personal response (your own opinion about what you have discussed in your answer). You must answer in complete sentences and not point form, otherwise marks can be deducted. Make sure that the grammar is correct.
- The question carries 15 marks, where 10 marks is for Content and 5 marks is for Language. Both the Content and Language marks are given by impression, so the Content marks does not actually depend on the number of points in your answer. However, you should write at least 3 elaborations and 1 personal response in your answer. You can give more facts, elaborations and personal responses if you want to, but you must be careful not to write any wrong points. For wrong points in your answer, marks will not be directly deducted, but it can affect the Content marks in overall.
Tips for other SPM subjects can be found here:
http://daniellimjj.blogspot.com/2013/06/complete-tips-for-spm-examination-first.html
Excuse me, hw u get those tips??
ReplyDeleteI wrote all the tips based on my past experience when I took the SPM last year.
DeleteWill marks be deducted if i spelt a word wrongly in my essay?
ReplyDeleteIt depends on whether it is BM or English.
DeleteFor BM, 0.5 marks will be deducted for every spelling error. However, if you spelt the same word wrongly more than once, marks is only deducted once for that word. In addition, no matter how many words you spell wrongly, only a maximum of 3 marks will be deducted in overall.
For English, no marks are directly deducted for spelling error, but it can affect the overall impression of your essay. If you spell a word wrongly only once, it will usually be only considered as a 'First Draft Slip' and it won't cause any effect. However, if you spell the same word wrongly more than once or if you spell many words wrongly, it will be considered as 'Insufficient Vocabulary' and this may cause you to not get the best grades for your essay.
Genuinely curious, do you have any idea why you failed to get an A+ for English? This surprises me, as your English seems fine and the grade for A+ for English isn't that high.
ReplyDeleteI think it is because I screwed up the novel section. My teacher taught us very little on how to answer that section and I did not attend tuition. Also, the novel question which appeared during my SPM was quite difficult because it asked me to write about an event in the novel which made me angry. I was not sure what to write.
Deletei understang how u feel...coz i m also going through wt u have been through.
Deletehey i'm louisa and i'm 18 this year and i did not sit for my spm last year i was in a home school i did exams but not spm so can you give me some tips for bm , eng , science ,sejarah ,moral & maths ?
ReplyDeleteyes sure..sejarah basically u hv 2 actually memorise the entire textbook.....4 bm n bi u hv 2 improvise ur vocabulary and learn more flowerly words/ proverbs / idioms and u r done,.4 moral memorise all the 36 nilai and u must have alot of general knowledge...that is all i know....hope its useful..
DeleteIf I'm not mistaken during my time in 2008, numbers from 1-9 should be spelled not by writing its numerical form. Isn't it still applicable when you write an essay?
ReplyDeleteHey. Thanks for the tips.
ReplyDeleteOmg ! Ur tips very help me . I really weak in english n bm and always score around 60 something . But i had struggle enough in this subject. Same goes to my addmath that i never get lulus. Always fail in every exam. 38 more days to go n this really makes me want to cry :(
ReplyDeleteWhat type of questions did u usually write in ur essay? For continuous writing
ReplyDeleteFactual, argumentative and story
DeleteWhat happens if you write the essay of continuous writing out of the topic? I'm freaking out. Please reply as soon as possible. My essay was awesome, but it wasn't based on the question given :((
ReplyDeleteme too...the question is about fisherman but i wrote about pirates
Deleteme too.. I'm really scared. i wrote many friends help me. but the question just ask a friend..
Deletesame goes to me..........i only statedto mentioned the fisherman last of the third paragraph.....arhhh it counfusing me !!!
Deleteur marks will drop tremendously..u might get 20-25marks at most as based on the marking scheme..
DeleteWhat if i didn't copy the first 10 words into my summary answer?
ReplyDeleteAlthough you are supposed to copy the first 10 words, I don't think that any of your marks will be deducted if you didn't do so.
DeleteYour mark will not be deducted even you didnt copy the 10 words~~~
Deleteprevious experience marking
i wrote about many difficult times not a difficult time...so will i get below 20marks??
ReplyDeleteUrgent! What If the question asked for a friend but I wrote than 1? Is a consider a deflected essay? Please reply me
ReplyDeleteHow many marks will be deducted if I wrote out of topic in the continuous essay?
ReplyDeleteIt depends on the extent to which your essay is out of topic. Usually, an out of topic essay will get no more than 25/50.
DeleteGreetings. Um, I really need to know what will happen to my directed essay's mark if I didn't underline and capitalizing every initial letter of the words in the title and didn't mention the writer? I know my marks for format will drop automatically but how many approximate marks will be deducted? Also, I didn't mention the suggestions that I was asked to make.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Is it still possible for me to attain an "A" for English? I am fairly confident for my section B, so maybe it helps to pull some mark?
Deletethe most they can deduct for format is 3marks...
DeleteThere is a question "there is a lack of freedom in teenagers nowadays.do you agree"? And i write it the form of i agree that teenagers should not be given freedom for safety reason,wrong influences from wrong friends,waste time and involve in social ills and addiction on electronic devices
ReplyDeletemy teacher say i write it on different angle from my friend but that is what i thought after reading through the question,do u think it is possible to argue in that way(the ones i mention just now)
Oh what i wrote was to avoid the 4 points i gave from happening that is why i emphasise on not giving freedom to teenagers,need opinion from u guys thanks!
DeleteBelow your comment is my answer. Is my answer same with your friend's?
DeleteYes dont worry my teacher say that is the straight forward answer and the common angle everyone view from whereas mine is from another angle
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteA similar question appeared during my Form 5 Semester 1 exam last time. It was "Teenagers nowadays are only interested in entertainment. Do you agree?" I was rushing my answer during that exam because I did not have enough time and I ended up answering in a similar way like what you did. I wrote that I disagree that teenagers should be only interested in entertainment and gave 4 reasons why teenagers should not be only interested in entertainment. After the exam when I thought back of it, I felt that my essay was out of topic because I was supposed to give reasons to support the statement that teenagers are not only interested in entertainment. My friend also said that my essay was out of topic. However, it turned out that my teacher gave me 42/50 for that and she said that it was okay for me to write in that way. But, she was not a very good english teacher and i think that she was wrong and in reality my essay was out of topic.
DeleteAs for your question, I am sorry to tell you this but based on my opinion your answer is actually out of topic, just like my answer last time. If the examiner really decides that your answer is out of topic, the maximum marks you can get for your continuous writing is about 25/50.
For the argumentative essay this year, about "there's a lack of freedom in teenagers today, do you agree? " I agree. First point, I write they have to spend a long time to stay back in school for learning and completing projects, causing them don't have too much time to do things they like. Second, they still have to stay back in school for co-curricular activities although they have been very tired, if not they will be punished by school. Third, after school period they still have to attend tuition classes, as they are forced to do so and do not dare to obey their parents. Fourth, they are ordered to do homework and revision although they are in home. They are not allowed to use social networking sites and do other relaxing activities as their parents think it'll waste their time. Their busy parents also order them to do house chores.
ReplyDeleteAre these points acceptable?
Hi just to make u feel secure,yes it is acceptable.in fact it is the common angle that everyone view from but I view it from different angle,was rather talking about that I agree because it can make sure the 4 points I gave do not happen.
Deletethank you!
DeleteThese points are acceptable as long as you elaborate on them. Your answer is not out of topic. Even though the examiner may not agree with your views, they won't and can't deduct your marks just because of that. Most important is the quality of your essay.
DeleteI have a question: will marks be allocated in spm the same way school teachers normally do? For example: If I get 48 marks for continuous writing in school, can I get the same for SPM? Or is there a max like 45/50 max in SPM?
ReplyDeleteHello can i knw hw many marks will be deducted if i answered the novel question wrongly?:(
ReplyDeleteSome of your 10 Content marks will be deducted. The number of marks deducted depends on the type of mistake you made. you will still be able to get the 5 Language marks as long as your language is correct.
DeleteThks for replying!
DeleteHello can i knw hw many marks will be deducted if i answered the novel question wrongly?:(
ReplyDeleteGuys, can I know how many marks will be deducted if I
ReplyDeleteHello, if I put wrong question in paper 1 section B in English essay for an example I wrote a question 3 but actually i'm doing question no. 4. Are there marks will be deducted? Reply ASAP please. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI heard that you may be deducted 1 or 2 marks but I am not sure about that.
DeleteOne of the questions that came out was "There is a lack of freedom given to teenagers. Do you agree?" and in the beginning, I agreed stating several points such as teens being forced into career path that they don't personally want and them not being able to choose their path in life as well as restrictions on their lifestyle. However, in the middle of my essay, I also mentioned that too much freedom is not ideal as well, citing things such as gun control and alcohol age restrictions etc. and that their parents should filter the bad from the good but still allow their children some form of freedom to express themselves. Simply put, I agreed that there is a lack of freedom but mentioned that too much freedom is bad as well. Will this result in my marks being deducted?
ReplyDeleteIt is alright as long as you did explain why you think that there is lack of freedom given to teenagers, which you did in the beginning of your essay.
DeleteThank you man, you are a blessing to SPM candidates out there! Keep up the good work! :)
DeleteHello, in my BM paper 1 bahagian B, the question I did was Question 5, which is the one 'Nyatakan usaha memupuk minat membaca karya sastera'. I wrote that students should be encouraged to read novels as a habit and join carnivals which sells literature, parents read the novels to them before bed since young, become a good teladan, the community set up campaigns along encouraging the youth to read via media, schools doing Program Nilam and the government create a special 'Hari Membaca Karya Sastera' so students around the nation can read literature simultaneously in a dedicated hour during school times. Are my points acceptable? I wrote a lot of peribahasas, spammed them throughout the karangan, and they are relevant. I also tried vomiting out as much bombastic words as I can in an hour. Do you think I have a chance to get a good score? I am really paranoid because my karangan was off-topic in trials and did not get a score that I wanted :(
ReplyDeletehi Daniel ..u mention tis blog is for those sitting for spm 2014/2015. my son is sitting for spm 2016. in form 4 now. is tis blog suits him
DeleteYes, the tips I wrote on this blog are also applicable for SPM 2016. I have updated the tips for Sejarah, Moral, Chemistry, Physics and Biology based on the latest SPM format.
DeleteIf possible, could you write a generalized post on how to study for spm from form 4 itself? It will be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance!
ReplyDeleteWill my mark be deducted for having one body only albeit it was a super long descriptive body. I srupidly saw the time wrongly and end up realizingi didnt time my essay correcrly and realizing the mistake five minutes before the bell rings. So i end up having one opening, one body and one hastily writren closing statement that was actually half of my intended second body. Needless to say,it was an abrupt closing statement. How many marks will be deducted?
ReplyDeleteHow to get ideas to write for essay paper 1 both bm and bi as I'm weak at those particular subject. I only got 7a+ out of 9 because I got a only on the language subjects. Please help
ReplyDeleteHello. If I write a karangan for bahagian B and write the wrong question number, am I losing marks?
ReplyDeleteHello. If I write a karangan for bahagian B and write the wrong question number, am I losing marks?
ReplyDeleteYou may lose 1 or 2 marks.
DeleteI just want to knw the question says i have to write about someone I know but in my essay I write 'I'. Does it count as terpesong and do I only score 25/50?
ReplyDeleteHello,Can I know if I didn't finish my last sentence how many marks will be deducted? Because my english is not that good and i had forgotten a word so i left it and did the section A .i only relised when it's already time's up and the teacher was standing beside me.For example , ...................should (last sentence for last paragraph )
ReplyDeleteSince it is just one sentence, it should have very little effect on your marks.
DeleteMy biggest problem is that when I know what to write but don't know how to translate the word from English or Chinese to Malay. I ask a lot of people about this they say just use a different word like a different word but same meaning but I can't think of anything else also sometimes I don't know what does the title mean and my exam starts tomorrow!
ReplyDeletehi...just want shared tomorrow is my exam BM :(
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi! For spm 2016 continuous essay , they come out with a ques " The best way to keep teenagers fit and healthy " but most of us wrote a few ways such as exercising , eating habits , avoid being stressed out etc.. but based on the question , they just ask for ONE WAY ? how can our marks be allocated ?
ReplyDeleteSince the question didn't specifically say 'a way' or 'one way', it should be alright to write about a few ways.
DeleteHi, my son forgot to put his question number for his English paper 1 Section B (continuous writing), will his marks be penalized?
ReplyDelete1 or 2 marks may be deducted.
DeleteI write wrong question number in my english essay, like i wrote question 3 for my essay but i accidentally wrote number question 4, how many mark will be deducted
ReplyDeleteYou may be deducted 2 marks.
Deletei got english b+ or A- but i always failed bm exam ,actually i quite shy to say ,i dont know how to write bm karangan and komsas. Literally 2018 im taking spm ,whats your opinion at least passed bm .
ReplyDelete