The trick to answering this PSLE ring question is to break down the question by focusing on the overlap between the rings and thinking about that length and thinking about how the basic group connects with the whole picture.
If you are preparing for your PSLE Math paper, it might be a good idea to check out some challenging math questions from the 2020 PSLE math exam paper and learn how to solve them as part of your revision.
In this post, we’ve picked 2 of the harder question in Paper 2 to help you out.
Try solving these PSLE maths questions on your own first and check how many answers you are able to get correct.
Past PSLE questions and answers
PSLE-related information
1. 2020 PSLE math ring question
4 similar golden rings overlap each other. Each ring has a diameter of 9 cm and a thickness of 1 cm. Can you find the length of the 4 overlapping rings?
*Note that this might not be the actual phrasing of the question in PSLE.
How to solve this PSLE 2020 ring question
Here’s a step-by-step video solution for this math question to help you with the answer!
How this ring question can be difficult to Primary 6 children:
The difficulty in this PSLE Math 2020 ring question lies in how well our Primary 6 students can interpret the diagram and “see” how the overlap affects the length of the rings. Some students may make careless mistakes in their calculations if they can’t visualize the setup of the rings.
2. 2020 PSLE math question on Patterns
Anna has a roll of tap with starts and hearts printed on it. The shapes follow a repeated pattern as shown below. She cuts a piece of tap from the roll. If there are 135 stars on that piece of tape she cut, what are the possible numbers of hears on that piece of tape?
*Note that this might not be the actual phrasing of the question in PSLE.
How to solve this PSLE 2021 pattern problem
Here’s a step-by-step video solution for this math question to help you with the answer!
The trick to answering this PSLE pattern question is to recognize the basic group that makes the pattern. After that, think about the different ways that the tape can be cut to satisfy the given situation.
Why such a pattern question may be difficult to Primary 6 children:
For this PSLE Math question, our P6 students are given a roll of tape with a fixed pattern that’s made up of stars and hearts. They are then asked to find the possible number of hearts on the piece of tape when it’s cut according to a given situation.
However, it’s tricky because our p6 students need to know that there is more than 1 way of cutting the tape and there is more than 1 answer to this.
Conclusion
Were you able to solve these 2 mathematics questions?
Let us know in the comments below if this post has been useful in helping you prepare for your math exam.