It has almost become a regular occurrence for students to make mistakes while preparing for exams. The funny part is that these mistakes always happen among students every year. As a Chinese tutor who has noticed these mistakes from students, it would only make sense if you could guide the students by showing them how to avoid these repeated mistakes.
While preparing for exams in Singapore, most students naively take some steps that will rather affect them negatively. Most students have the perception that it is extremely difficult to ace the Chinese language exam, and for this reason, they find it difficult to study and pass the subject.
Once a student has a wrong perception about a subject, it becomes difficult to study and pass the subject. Teachers and parents must instill in their kids that passing Chinese exams or any other exams is not impossible. Once the right mindset is in order, a good study habit will be cultivated which will, in turn, lead to an interest in Chinese tuition and better performance.
Below are 5 mistakes Singaporean students should avoid if they want to ace their Chinese exams:
Mistake #1: Poor Time Management
When writing the Chinese exam in PSLE, O level or A level, you must know that you don’t have all the time in the world to answer the questions. Because the Chinese exam is time-sensitive, you must try as much as possible to use your time wisely. For you to beat the time, you must improve your writing and reading skills in Chinese. Skip any difficult one and answer the ones you are familiar with. If you still have more time, you can go back to try and attempt the difficult ones.
Fortunately, with constant practice in Chinese tuition, there is nothing that cannot be achieved. As a parent, you can get your child Chinese papers so that they can constantly practice and master how to read Chinese comprehensions on time. Once your kids can read and write fluently, they will never struggle in the exam hall.
Mistake #2: Memorizing A Textbook Word-For-Word
While it is a good thing to study with textbooks when preparing for exams, it will be a fatal mistake to ever think of cramming every word in the textbook. The textbook is more of an instructional material that guides students on how to study and answer Chinese questions.
After solving any question, the textbook can be used as a reference to check that you are doing the right thing. Some students believe that studying past questions is all that is needed to pass their Chinese exams. Studying past questions alone is not the best way to prepare for an exam. It is just to give you an idea of the kind of questions to expect during exams.
However, there is nothing wrong in memorising the dictionary in order to write good sentences/ idioms.
Mistake #3: Failing To Learn From Past Mistakes
While making mistakes is not a bad thing, failing to learn from your mistakes is where the problem lies. If a student does wrong during Chinese tuition, reviewing the student’s mistake will help him/her to learn.
Getting a Chinese tutor in Singapore for your child’s tuition lessons will be the best way to remedy this challenge. With the right Chinese home tutor, all your child’s mistakes will be pointed out and corrections will be administered immediately.
Mistake #4: Misreading
I am not sure how casual the word “misreading” sounds to you, but this mistake is the greatest of them all. If a child misread a question during exams, there is no way on earth he/she would answer that question correctly. Thus, suffice it to say that this is the greatest of all the mistakes we will be looking at in this article.
Misreading is a common thing in Chinese language exams, especially during comprehension questions. Once a question is misinterpreted, there is no way it can be answered correctly.
From research, two things are always the major cause of misreading: overconfidence and nervousness. As parents or Chinese tutors, talking to your child about these two factors will help them perform well in exams.
Mistake #5: Writing Too Scanty In The Essay
This is the last but certainly not the least mistake on our list. When it comes to essays (comprehension and composition), it is expected of you to write in detail. Try as much as possible to elaborate on your point because doing this will help you earn more marks. When you write just a few words, even when the answer is correct, your marks won’t be that great.
Nevertheless, just because you need to write in detail doesn’t mean you should fill your answer paper with fluffy words.
Conclusion
The best way to help your child how to tackle Chinese comprehension questions is by engaging them in Chinese tuition. There are different places to find reputable Chinese tutors in Singapore. You can either get a private tutor from a tuition agency or enroll your child in a tuition centre.
