From Academic Year (AY) 2021, students in Secondary schools taking the GCE ‘O’ Level Additional Mathematics will be under a new syllabus 4049.

This means that the Secondary 4 students in AY2021 will be the first batch of students taking the 4049 exams papers.

Most of the old syllabus 4047 (until AY2020) has remained intact. Here are the changes between the old and new syllabus.

GCE ‘O’ Level Additional Mathematics: 4047 (Old) vs 4049 (New)

Topics/Sub-topics and Content Changes

These sub-topics or content under 4047 are no longer tested in the new syllabus:

• Relationships between the roots (α and β) and coefficients of a quadratic equation
• Indices
• Power functions y = axⁿ where n is a simple rational number, and their graphs
• Graphs of parabolas with equations in the form y² = kx
• Modulus functions

These are the new sub-topics or content introduced under 4049:

• Finding the maximum or minimum value of a quadratic function using the method of completing the square (Honestly speaking, I am surprised that this was not originally listed in 4047. That said, it has always been taught in school during the ‘E’ Math or ‘A’ Math classes)
• Using quadratic functions as models
• Using exponential and logarithmic functions as models
• Using trigonometric functions as models

Scheme of Assessment

Under the old syllabus 4047:

• Paper 1: Duration 2 hours (80 marks)
• Paper 2: Duration 2 hours 30 mins (100 marks)

The weightage of Paper 1 and Paper 2 are 44% and 56% respectively.

In the new syllabus 4048:

• Paper 1: Duration 2h 15 mins (90 marks)
• Paper 2: Duration 2h 15 mins (90 marks)

Paper 1 and Paper 2 are weighted equally at 50% each.

Paper 1 will have 12 to 14 questions with up to 10 marks per question. Candidates are required to answer all questions.

Paper 2 will have 9 to 11 questions with up to 12 marks per question. Candidates are required to answer all questions.

Teachers, tutors and students may find the official syllabus information at the following urls:

• Syllabus 4047 (old): https://www.seab.gov.sg/docs/default-source/national-examinations/syllabus/olevel/2020syllabus/4047_y20_sy.pdf
• Syllabus 4049 (new): https://www.seab.gov.sg/docs/default-source/national-examinations/syllabus/olevel/2021syllabus/4049_y21_sy.pdf

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