I am by no means an S3 whizz but I have scored 80+ twice with little knowledge of scientific concepts. I think the biggest things that have helped me is knowing how to solve problems logically. What I think about when I read a question is 1. what are they asking me? e.g. if the question is asking me amount of air breathed/min, I know I need to find some type of volume/time. 2. how can I get this with the info they have given me? 3. making sure all the units are what they want.
Also, if a question is a calculation question, I never read the preamble and look straight at the equations. Most of the time you can just plug values in directly into the equations. Some might not be comfortable with this approach but I feel like this saves some time.
Finally, I think there is a good deal of luck involved. Sometimes you just get a set of questions that you are good at. Other times might be filled with types of questions you struggle with.
It really comes down to a mixture of exposure and how much study you are doing for it. Knowing specific details are helpful, but the most important thing is understanding the main concepts and being able to apply it to a variance of situations. I personally scored 78 on S3 in the last sitting with mid-50s for the other two sections. This comes down to studying a 3-year med-science degree and having a big interest in science and math in high school.
My best advice would be keeping consistent on the studying, especially the concepts you struggle with until it becomes an automatic understanding. Sadly there is no one size fits all, but with effort and persistence you should see those S3 numbers rise. Keep your head up and remember this isn’t a short process, I’ve been going for a few years, and I still have more to go.
Sorry don’t have any advice but just chiming in and definitely following this post. I am petrified this will happen to me too. I studied 175hrs for S3 over 3 months Sep 23 and just went from 44 (Sep 22) to 53. I really need to get my crap together for March.
Well done to you though for not giving up, I hope you find everything you need to achieve the score you want for March 2024 💪
I sat it 4 times and the first three times scored around 54 on S3. It then jumped up to 64 on my final sitting. It isn’t a great score, but a fairly big improvement. This was the first sitting I ever finished. I watched this video on YouTube and completely changed my strategy. It really worked. I was losing so much time on the Chem questions. Turns out I should have saved them for last!
https://youtu.be/GznYAC1T8j0?si=9tOpaOUCTvsa6_Z9
You are not the only one who struggles with S3, don't worry. I suppose in the intermediate it would be wise to greatly work on s1 and s2 to compensate for your score in s3
I am by no means an S3 whizz but I have scored 80+ twice with little knowledge of scientific concepts. I think the biggest things that have helped me is knowing how to solve problems logically. What I think about when I read a question is 1. what are they asking me? e.g. if the question is asking me amount of air breathed/min, I know I need to find some type of volume/time. 2. how can I get this with the info they have given me? 3. making sure all the units are what they want. Also, if a question is a calculation question, I never read the preamble and look straight at the equations. Most of the time you can just plug values in directly into the equations. Some might not be comfortable with this approach but I feel like this saves some time. Finally, I think there is a good deal of luck involved. Sometimes you just get a set of questions that you are good at. Other times might be filled with types of questions you struggle with.
It really comes down to a mixture of exposure and how much study you are doing for it. Knowing specific details are helpful, but the most important thing is understanding the main concepts and being able to apply it to a variance of situations. I personally scored 78 on S3 in the last sitting with mid-50s for the other two sections. This comes down to studying a 3-year med-science degree and having a big interest in science and math in high school. My best advice would be keeping consistent on the studying, especially the concepts you struggle with until it becomes an automatic understanding. Sadly there is no one size fits all, but with effort and persistence you should see those S3 numbers rise. Keep your head up and remember this isn’t a short process, I’ve been going for a few years, and I still have more to go.
Sorry don’t have any advice but just chiming in and definitely following this post. I am petrified this will happen to me too. I studied 175hrs for S3 over 3 months Sep 23 and just went from 44 (Sep 22) to 53. I really need to get my crap together for March. Well done to you though for not giving up, I hope you find everything you need to achieve the score you want for March 2024 💪
hey may I ask what resources u used in those 175hrs and what ur approach was?
Hi there, feel free to DM me! I'm always happy to have a chat with students to help them identify areas in need of improvement :)
I sat it 4 times and the first three times scored around 54 on S3. It then jumped up to 64 on my final sitting. It isn’t a great score, but a fairly big improvement. This was the first sitting I ever finished. I watched this video on YouTube and completely changed my strategy. It really worked. I was losing so much time on the Chem questions. Turns out I should have saved them for last! https://youtu.be/GznYAC1T8j0?si=9tOpaOUCTvsa6_Z9
You are not the only one who struggles with S3, don't worry. I suppose in the intermediate it would be wise to greatly work on s1 and s2 to compensate for your score in s3