7 Smart Tips to Help Your Child Prepare for Math Weighted Assessments

In Singapore’s education system, Weighted Assessments (WAs) are an essential tool for tracking a student’s academic progress. Unlike traditional term-end exams, WAs are bite-sized assessments that focus on recently taught topics and are typically shorter in duration.

But while they may seem less intimidating, WAs can carry significant weight in your child’s report card—and that means preparation is just as important. Even if an assessment is non-weighted, it still serves as a valuable checkpoint for gauging your child’s understanding—so you can identify learning gaps early, before year-end exams or national milestones.

For many students, Math WAs can feel overwhelming. But with the right strategies and consistent support, they don’t have to be.

Here are 7 practical and proven tips to help your child prepare effectively—with confidence and clarity

1. Start Early—Not the Night Before

Math requires ongoing practice and reinforcement. Last-minute cramming leads to stress and careless mistakes. Instead, help your child plan a realistic revision schedule, starting 2–3 weeks before the WA.

Keep in mind: students usually need to revise for at least 3 other subjects—more so in Secondary school. Time management is crucial.

Aim for 30 minutes to 1 hour of revision daily. Consistency is key.

2. Revise by Chapters (Not All at Once)

Encourage your child to complete their tuition homework while concepts are still fresh. Waiting until the night before class reduces the effectiveness of reinforcement.

WAs typically cover selected chapters. Break revision into manageable chunks and revise chapter by chapter to boost retention and confidence.

At Thinker, our lesson pacing is ahead of school coverage, so students are always well-prepared before each WA.

3. Focus on Understanding, Not Just Practice

More practice doesn’t always lead to better results—especially if mistakes aren’t properly understood.

Guide your child to:

Review worked examples
Understand why a method is used
Learn from past errors

Conceptual clarity helps your child handle unfamiliar problems—especially in application-based WA questions.

4. Re-do Mistakes from Previous Assignments

One of the most underrated yet powerful revision strategies is revisiting and redoing past mistakes.

Go through:

School worksheets and corrections
Tuition assignments
Past assessments and careless errors

Tip: Some parents compile mistakes into a booklet. To save time, you can tag tricky questions with post-it notes or cover them with larger post-its for re-attempts.

Have your child re-attempt the same questions without referring to the answers. This reinforces learning and boosts confidence.

Many students “read” Math during revision—but Math is not a subject to read. It must be practised!

5. Create a Formula Sheet or “Cheat Sheet”

A personalised formula sheet helps consolidate learning and boosts exam readiness. For Secondary students, encourage them to compile a formula book from Sec 1—it’s a great long-term revision tool.

At Thinker, all our Secondary students receive complimentary Lower and Upper Secondary Formula Booklets to support structured revision.

6. Practise with Exam-Style Questions

WA papers often mirror real exam formats and test students’ ability to apply concepts. Ensure your child practises a range of question types from:

School worksheets
Tuition materials
Top school exam papers
Past-year papers from other schools

At Thinker, students can access a wide selection of other schools’ exam papers via Microsoft Teams for extra practice.

Set a timer during practice to simulate test conditions.

Create a quiet, distraction-free space for timed practice. No phone, no music—just a clock and a clear workspace.

Preparing for assessments is like training for a competition—it takes consistency, discipline, and a proper routine.

For Primary 5 and 6 students, avoid over-reliance on calculators. Many lose confidence in mental calculations or make unnecessary mistakes. Regular non-calculator practice builds speed and accuracy.

7. Clarify Doubts Early

If your child is unsure about a topic, don’t wait until the night before the WA to get help.

Encourage them to approach:

Their school teacher
A tuition coach
A parent or older sibling

At Thinker, we conduct regular in-class reviews and provide personalised feedback so students can close learning gaps early and walk into their assessments with confidence.

Final Thoughts: Confidence Comes from Preparation

Math Weighted Assessments don’t have to be stressful. With clear strategies, steady habits, and a structured routine, your child can face WAs with calm and confidence.

Key Reminders:

Reinforce learning regularly
Stay consistent—even 30 minutes a day helps
Use past mistakes as learning opportunities
Set up a proper revision space free from distractions
Don’t wait till it’s too late to seek help

Looking for Structured Support?

At Thinker Education, we help students build solid Math foundations and prepare strategically for WAs and major exams. Our programmes are tailored to support learners from Primary to Junior College.

Join Us Now!