“Remain focused” – Education Minister encourages Math mock exams students

As the third mathematics mock exam gets underway today, Education Minister Sonia Parag, is encouraging Grade 10 and 11 students preparing for these examinations to remain focused as they continue preparations for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificates (CSEC). Parag said the examinations form part of the Ministry’s ongoing mathematics intervention programme aimed at improving students’ performance in the subject. The Minister urged the students to use the experience they gained from the two previous exams to strengthen areas in which they struggle. She also expressed confidence that many students have been working hard to improve their understanding of the subject. “What I really want to say to you is remain focused, but I know that from the last mock exam to now, you would have known where some of your weaknesses lie and what you can do to strengthen those.

I’m very sure as well that you have been working hard to ensure that you have a good grasp of the topic areas.,” she said. Parag reminded students that mock exams are designed not only to assess performance but to also help identify areas that require further improvement before their final regional examinations. “As you head into these exams, just remember that these exams are also a diagnostic test to ensure that you get to that place of full knowledge of all of the areas when you will be writing CSEC very soon,” she encouraged.
Students were also encouraged to revise several key topics including fractions, simplifying algebraic expressions, patterns and sequences, functions and graphs, trigonometric rations and vectors and matrices.
“I’m very sure you know the topic areas and from the last two mock exams, you would have been working to in whichever topic area that you have been, you think that you are weakened,” the Minister added. The Minister noted that the initiative forms part of the Ministry’s broader effort to support students ahead of the CSEC Examinations. “As you know, this forms a part of our math intervention programme and it is really to help you to do well at the CSEC exams, especially in mathematics. So, I look forward to seeing you be successful at CSEC,” Parag said.