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Wednesday, April 26, 2006

SPM EST - How to Score EST? (Part 2 of 2)

Posted by Chong

English for Science and Technology (EST) was a new SPM subject introduced in year 2003 by Malaysian Education Ministry. It is an English test based on science and technology. So, why EST was introduced? I did a quick search using Google and found out the answer.
EST aims to
- provide learners with the language basis to access and understand materials on science and technology in English.
- express ideas and concepts in English.
Source: Good English Essays

For most of the SPM candidates, EST is really an 'Easy & Simple Test'. Many students do well in EST and it is not uncommon for an English 4B student to score 1A in school's EST examination. Why? Look at the EST format.
Paper 1 consists of Information Transfer and Scientific Writing. Paper 2 consists of 30 objective questions.
Source: Good English Essays

Information Transfer and Scientific Writing are both quite difficult for average students. However, I do think that they are easier than English 1119 Summary and Directed Writing respectively. So, do you think EST is an 'Easy and Simple Test'? If your answer is 'yes', think again!

Why EST is a curse rather than a blessing for some top students? After thinking carefully, I come out a list of possible reasons.
  • Most SPM candidates especially the intelligent students thought EST was just another easy test paper. Thus, they didn't spend enough time to master EST completely.

  • The scientific writing question (in Paper 1) was expected to come out like in 2004 SPM, which asked the candidate to write a report choosing the best method among all three methods given. However, the essay question format in 2005 SPM was totally different from the previous year. Candidate had to write an essay on the formation and the consequences of acid rain based on the points given. Unlike the previous year, no other choice was given!

  • There are very few reference books or resources on this new subject (first introduced in form 4 in year 2003). For those who might not know, SPM students don't have EST textbooks! I have asked my EST teacher about this and she told me that EST will be completely removed from the SPM subject list in the next few years. So, our government doesn't want to spend money publishing textbooks for this subject. Unbelievable? Try to believe it!

I have 'survived' from EST (luckily I didn't get a 3B or the lower grade in this subject!). Here are my tips to score 1A in EST. (Yes, I scored 1A in EST)
  • I still remember that in the past, I studied EST in class by trying the previous year SPM EST papers and other states' EST papers.

  • I didn't buy any reference books for EST since some of them are out-dated. Of course, you can buy exercise books for EST but please make sure the model papers follow the latest format.

  • Pay attention to all your EST lessons in class. Keep in mind that your EST teacher is the most reliable source for this subject.

  • Attend tuition class. Yes, I know it is very rare and weird to attend EST tuition class. Last year, I attended a one-month-four-class EST tuition class a month before the SPM trial examinations. For me, paying RM40.00 to master EST from the actual EST paper marker is worthy.

  • Online EST Resources: Good English Essays, ReCom Forum, Forum Portal Pendidikan Utusan...

Please leave your comment on this post if you have some nice tips to share or know any good resources for SPM English for Science and Technology (EST).

Update: I learned that our goverment has finally made EST a permanent SPM subject. So, I think students will have EST textbooks in the near future.
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Comments
102 Comments

102 comments:

  1. no, going to tuition is not advisable, just read books like readers digest and national geographic and it will surely help, trust me. i got 1A for EST too. :)

    2004 candidate aka guinea pigs

    ReplyDelete
  2. i would say the technique of answering is what counts in EST.. since i am taking SPM in 8 weeks time...i am still worried about the Info Trans as i don't know what they want. Sometimes i gave too much info sometimes too lil.

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  3. For EST Information Transfer, when you write a word in the upper box, you must not repeat it in the lower boxes. For example, when you fill the word 'Diseases' in the upper box, you must not write 'Hepatitis B disease' in the lower box, answer 'Hepatitis B' instead. I hope you know what I mean.

    You may have already learned this but I learned this tip/rule just a week before the SPM Trial. Shameless to tell you that I got 1A for SPM EST. And, as you might have learned that many top students missed 1A in EST last year.

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  4. Thanks for the info.i also heard that full stops , capital small letters do take into account in the marking scheme.

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  5. my sister scored a 1A in english and a 2A in 1119. However, she failed to retrive a 1A in EST, as she always did in school. Her essays were what her teacher took as "sample essays", and i'm as a matter of fact astounded when I got wind of the bad news. I am also a consistent scorer in EST, not that i'm exalting myself in any way, but I do get the highest marks in EST in my school most of the time. However, I'm very much concerned when i found out that not many top SPM students were able to scrap a 1A in the subject. I'm utterly curios with the marking scheme, and marking techniques. Could anyone be of assistance?

    ReplyDelete
  6. one of the tips i got frm my est teacher is dat v should do analysis to d infomation given.. dat method wil increase our marks n b a bonus point,,,,
    example,
    title: phothosinthesis
    infomation given: plants need co2 4 phothosinthesis n releases o2 into air..
    v should not jz elaborate tis points but explain d wole process of phothosyntesis.. al our elaboration should go beyond wats given in the question paper..
    if u notice,
    at the bottom of our question paper, thhere will b an instruction, 'ADD ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL INFOMATION'
    dats our analysis..
    trust me, tis way works..

    ReplyDelete
  7. kopidog - I suggest you to visit this site to read EST Scientific Essay Marking Schema. I think that the essay marking schema is very useful since we can't find the schema in most EST reference books.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Tuition?
    I doubt that it actually helps...
    besides, i would rather concentrate on other subjects than to attend a tuition on it...
    All you need to do is grab an EST marker fromk your school or the school next door and 'interrogate' him or her over a McD meal.
    Of course the questions should revolve around techniques of writting and not 'what is coming out this yea?'...

    Besides, a cheaper alternative is to hijack your younger sibling's general science reference book for PMR and flip tru, getting familiar with scientific terms like carbohydrate and photosynthesis.
    By the way, Geographical knowledge comes in super handy especially when the questions require us to compare and contrast types of land for contruction.

    try to apply your physics , chemistry and biology knowledge here... it will help to keep the marker breathing in anaerobe state till the last word.


    God bless you....

    ReplyDelete
  9. i wonder abt the marks required to score 1A in EST.. 80? 85? EST appears to be as hard as GCE O-level as not many could score 1A for it.. i juz had my EST exam.. quite worry abt it.. sigh.. i had lost 4 marks in paper2.. god! help me!

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  10. actually if you got a good est teacher in school (or a marker),he/she will tell you what to do and dont.
    and understanding the format is important. And be careful while reading each question because if you misread one word, you may choose the wrong answer!

    and for information transfer, think twice before you write our answer.
    refer to the space provided.if it is a long space,that means the answer expect something longer or full sentences.

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  11. I will be sitting for my SPM this year and would appreciate if you could offer some tips for scoring on the essay question.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm a candidate of SPM 2006. I scored an A1 for my EST. Well, not to say easy to score A1 but not to say hard as well. Because it requires tactics in answering the questions. Basically out of the 30 obj questions I think it wouldn't be a prob for anyone to get at least 25 correct. So the main part that determines whether u score an A or not depends on ur essay. Just remember PEAEA. ( P=point E=elaboration A=additional info ) just use this for all ur essays and i guarantee u an A1.

    Example

    Water pollution:
    - toxic waste
    - pesticides
    - ...
    - ...

    Intro: Talk generally bout pollution

    There are many types of pollutions such as air, water.....one of it is water pollution........

    First para:

    (P)One of the causes of water pollution is the emission of toxic waste from factories to the water supply.(E)Factories especially those situated near rivers are more likely to dispose their toxic waste into the river(A)They think this is a better and faster way to get rid of their waste.(E)These toxic waste contaminate the river and are harmful to aquatic animals and plants.(A)As a result, these living creatures die eventually and will affect the whole food chain in long terms.

    Second Para,
    ....


    So basically this is how to write essays for EST. Hope this helps!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I definitely agree that EST is a curse and not blessing. In school, I have always received 9x marks for EST. My English wasn't too bad either, as I was scoring 8x marks for each test (English is my strongest subject) However, when I received my SPM results, I couldn't believe I got a 3B for EST! I got a 1A for 1119 and GCE O level's English, for crying out loud!! This was a big blow for me.

    My tip is: do not answer the questions like you are a person who is good in English. Try to answer the paper using ENGLISH that's SIMPLE. If you reveal that you are a top English Scorer, they will be stricter and mark you down.

    That's my two cents.

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  14. i thought EST was an easy subject but it is quite tricky actually. Of course it is actually more difficult compared to english 111/9 but.. it isn't so bad, is it? My average score for EST is A1/A2. i hope i won't retrogress! and as for studying for this subject.. i don't know. i never revise EST. i guess all you have to do is.. read a lot. :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I scored an A1 for my EST too.
    Somehow, I don't quite agree that answering your EST paper with good English would result in stricter marking.
    Perhaps an exploration of the subject itself would help.
    English for Science and Technology.
    There are two parts to the name:
    -English
    -Science and Technology

    Candidates are tested on their proficiency of the English language… in relevance to Science and Technology. In other words…one should “show-off” by throwing in random scientific terminology wherever you see fit.
    My favourites were phrases like,
    “Humans, or rather homo-sapiens…”
    “An infestation of insects like Periplanata Americanas…”
    I admit, those phrases are rather “show-offish” and one generally does not use scientific terminology as such in your daily lives. However, the examiners love it. I’m not saying that you should go to the extent of using the scientific names for everything under the sun – just memorise a few for the purpose of pretending to know more than you do and you’re all set. Other instances would be throwing in some of the general chemistry, physics and biology you have learnt:
    “Because the force of gravity…..hence the momentum of…”
    “This contains a small amount of sulphuric acid, thus…”
    “…involving the medulla oblongata…”

    Be as scientific as possible! This is not just an English test, but it is also a Science test in English! (Of course, a good command of the language helps)
    Pretend you’re part of a group of scientists and you have to present a report to your fellow scientists, if it helps.


    Moving on, we shall take a look at the structured response (Information Transfer).
    One should always be direct when answering this section.
    For instance, if the question asks for a disadvantage of caffeine,
    Do not write:
    “The disadvantage of caffeine is that dehydration will occur and is consequential in a depletion of calcium.”
    Rather, just write
    “Dehydration consequential in a depletion of calcium.”

    The examiners are strictly not allowed to “select the answers” for our candidates, as they would have to do in the long-winded reply as demonstrated. Therefore, it is considered an invalid answer and no marks will be given

    These are some of the reasons why students with perfect English don’t necessarily score an A1 for their EST exams. All the best to future candidates!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hmm... How bout paper 2. The answers given are almost similar, I can't get it right all the time...

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  17. I do not recall which Paper is which. My memory is bad like that. However, I presume Paper 2 involves objectives with similar answers?

    If you have a good command of English, you will easily be able to select the best answers as long as you are careful and do not eagerly circle the first answer that seems to be correct at first glance.

    However, if you do not have fluent English, there is no reason why you can’t bag a 1A for your EST (or even your English paper) either! Practise is the key to success – do plenty of exercises. You’ll gradually find that there is a pattern / hint to the correct answers as you become an “expert”.

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  18. lol........i can't believe u teach ppl 2 go to tuition...only dumbasses will go tuition..... EST is the easiet subject of all.... U dun need any skills... Just use common sense to write the essay. U just need to make reasonable arguments for ur points and the next thing u noe, a free A1 is in ur cert... As for Paper 1, it's 4 kids... good luck...

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  19. talking about paper 1, my teacher always ask us to make justifitions based on the points given or our additional points in the report. i find this as a problem.... and besides, now we are having EST text books, should we consider and concentrate only on the topics in the text book or we should go beyond that??

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  20. it is easy to get A,but not easy to get A1 in the SPM..
    i've some tips on the information transfer :
    >>try to use ur own words.but,becareful not to change the meaning of the points.
    >>only choose the points.

    remember,if u a Eng scorer,u might not be EST scorer.
    EST is full of tricks,n wat u need is to have skills to be aware.
    read more eng mags,Readers Digest 'll help..
    gOOd lUCk!!

    ReplyDelete
  21. The Malaysian government will consider people from out skirts as well. Eventually, you can get all A's if u study smart. Go for the format. Understand the question and know what to answer.

    [email protected]
    (msn)

    ReplyDelete
  22. Present coherent arguments, follow instructions given, and legible handwriting.
    Same old same old.

    It ain't hard to get A's in EST, as long as you follow directions given and be persuasive, in a scientific way.

    Tuition for EST? Not needed if you're normal enough.

    ReplyDelete
  23. In my school, EST is only available for science stream students. Back then, we're still in BM syllabus so some students cannot score A for EST, but struck full A in the rest subjects.

    Compare to current situation, I think students nowadays will take EST easier than us because they learn Science & Maths in English, thus improving their understandings of science concepts in English and able to express their answer correctly.

    One of the factor is on the teacher. Since this is an easy subject, some teacher did not take it seriously, neglected those weaker students who need help in this subject. Like the commentators mentioned, there is not much reference books out there (even if there is some, I'm doubtful of the quality).

    My advise to future EST students, is that spend a little time read more newspapers, watch Discovery Channels / Nat Geo, or maybe lurk around Wikipedia like I did. :)

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  24. hullo. i'd just found dis blog.funny,never know it exists b4. i'm aint a scorer in EST. my essays was n is merely bad. from d comment i'd read, most of u use the [PEA: point,elebration n addition method]. well don ca think it is quite unuseful when d essay is about things we dont really familiar wit.d WORST is,EST's exam is on dis friday.

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  25. EST stand for Easy and Simple Test?!....to me, it sounds more like 'Extremely Stupid Test'.i still don't understand why on earth EST being introduced as a subject. After all, we are already learning Science subjects in English, it's pointless to have one more English for Science and Technology.........completely ridiculous.

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  26. Well, for EST paper 1, the only way is to concentrate on each question as it may sometimes be quite tricky. But the real problem comes in paper 2. While most of us think that the essay is a problem but information transfer may actually pose much more of a danger for students aiming for A1. As stated above, it is adviced not to directly copy the whole sentence from the passage, as it would result in "Total Lifting" from the passage, rendering the answer useless...

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  27. my teacher said that essays written must be compact(not too long-winded)because the marker might be too lazy to read the answers that are too long..in other word, use short sentence and add in as many info as you can..

    ReplyDelete
  28. hey...thanks 4 all those usefull tips in u guys' blog n comments..

    im a spm student in tiz yr 2008.

    actually, im quite blurr bout scoring format or tips..( i admit dat i din rili pay full attention in skul..=p) dat made my final exam marks low..

    isit already too late 4 me 2buck up? im planning 2take but i muz make sure i'll able 2 score 1A.dats y im still hesitating about 2take or drop.

    my english standard is not dat high..so will it be a problem if i take EST in spm?? however,im stil be able 2 get A1 most of da times..

    so i hope 2get sum help frm here~~

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  29. im taking SPM for this year.should i take EST for my SPM?..im afraid that i cant get A1 for my SPM.i was thinking to drop my EST..im not good in english n in EST too..usually i got better result in EST than english..what confused me is that..some people said that EST is not an easy subject but some people said EST is an easy subject..u just need to have lots of info n scientific words in ur brain..n ppuuff....its easy for u 2 get A..does EST contribute anything for a person who wants to take medic?..does EST help to get scholarship?..what the benefit of taking EST?..what on earth pepole should learn EST..

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  30. hello,im not sure to taking est in my spm..im juz thinking to drop the subject off..but i have to..i am really wory about this..what is the best way to improve est???

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  31. s.o.s, pls,
    I hav 2 days left (mayb)
    I am a SPM student for this year, 2008, Im very regret tat I din first search for the info about EST before I confidently said tat i can take up tat subject by just reading science ,magazine by myself since everybody and almost the whole class drop EST..

    Teacher is a reliable source of SCORING EST..

    bUt, I TOTALLY dissapointed when my EST teacher is going 2 transfer and she tell me: u better dun take EST....

    Actually, when i decide 2 drop tat subject and even making announcement in school asking more frens to drop it as i think it would be a burden, i may hard 2 concentrate on other subjects...

    at first, i din think too much, i just think i has a little interest in this subjetc, why not taking?

    bt my teacher said that it's hard to score, no point 2 take, and it will only spoil ur result coz straight A1s student has more chance for JPA..if i din scoore EST, it wil affect my future..

    I am happily 2 drop, bt 2moro is last day, and teacher is going 2 key in the subject, now i just confused, should i drop?

    after i seen all of you senior comments, hmm..u all score A1s, and giving advice on how 2 score, is it tat easy by just knowing the schema and read some reader digest..

    help me...

    my main point here is tat why taking EST..it is just 2 color ur result or it has something related to job application in the future...if i score A1S, will it had any help on my future???

    the point is not how 2 take, but should i take to torching myself? the teacher is transfering and im waited 2 fight alone..even she encourage me 2 drop, y take? and y not drop... if anybody seen this comments, pls reply me soon, it's very urgent..pls..pls..pls..i need some advices on dropping the EST....

    if it do relate 2 the job applications or i should say scholarship application first, i take.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Confused - EST has nothing to do with the job application and is not a requirement for almost every scholarship applications including the most prestigious one, namely JPA scholarship.

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  33. thx for the advice, I had decided 2 drop, there's no point 2 take 2 torched myself.

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  34. yea. u dont need to study hard but study smart for est.. reading helps alot. especially those terms..

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  35. Halo, Im in form 4 this is a new news. My EST teacher said that EST is compulsory for 2008 form 5 students but next year it will be an elective subject. Yay!! Should or shouldnt, I take EST???

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  36. Ok u see im form 4 this year and i have made a final decision not to take EST after my mid-term..

    I have done two test and experienced a bit of Paper 2 formats but i have not done the essay yet..

    However wat really may shock u all is i decided to drop it because i look at my skul's statistic in EST ..onli little ppl scored A1 for EST..last year is more surprising none scored A1 for EST..i have asked my father's opinion and he said A2 isnt something to be sad of even if u get A2 ..but i said i want an A1 ..i do not want the A2 or worse to jeopardize my result in applying full scholarship from JPA..
    well i was bewildered when a lot commented it as Easy and Simple Test..
    myself being a coward dropped the subject before even trying real SPM format have made my final decision to drop.however i still feel like i can pull it off and get A1 next year...or mayb A2 is not bad..

    wat i wanna know is can anyone tell me if any USEFUL ways to score in ESSAY without watching Nat Geo( not because i do not subscribe to Astro) because i rarely watch TV since i my daily routine was packed with Revising..i hardly find anytime to watch TV..

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  37. i'm form 5 and i'll be taking est this year. i seriously think that est is one of the easy-to-score subject in spm. if u really know what the question really wants, then there you go, 1A is in your hand. i'm saying this because i always score A in est tests which amaze me since my english mark is only average.Also, my est teacher once said that this subject is easy to score AND easy to fail too.
    In my class, only one student who drops est ( which is also a good friend of mine ) and she said that it is hard for her to take est since she isn't that good in english. When we do est paper 2 together, it always surprise me that some of my friends don't really know how to extract/transfer infos and such. They lost quite some points there.
    For me, I dont really read scientific books or watch national geo since i'm not sure they will help me in est. Usually they give general scientific terms/subjects that even a kid would understand ( i think.. ). Plus, the subjects dont usually go too far from the syllabus in our textbooks ( is what my teacher said ).
    But if you're not sure whether you could/couldnt take est, you better think carefully.. you dont want it to affect your spm result.

    ReplyDelete
  38. I'm in form five this year and is unfortunately an EST candidate...

    Like coward said, do you know of any ways to study EST without Nat Geo? I don't have astro too, and apparently so I do not know what to search about on the internet..

    To the A1 scorers of EST, I'd like to ask whether studying of animals and their characteristics are important to score in EST. That is my weak point.

    Thank You.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Hi, i'm a student sitting for SPM this year, n I have decided to take EST in SPM, n that would account for 10 subject i'm taking in SPM. I hv some doubts regarding the est format. More often than not i spend time elaborating and explaining the points provided, and i totally forgot to insert any relevant additional information in my essay.. What i wish to know is, is elaboration considered s additional information?

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  40. Easy and simple test??? i was shocked to be informed by my teacher that none of my school's spm 2007 candidates got A1 for their ESt!!! and when i asked my teacher she could only say that scientific terms play an important role in getting an A1 in EST

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  41. I'm 2008 spm candidates, taking est of cos. but I used to get only 60++ and 70++. My est teacher is poor like shit. during est lessons, she don really teach but just read over the text. She never teach us hw to score and her model essays is even poorer than mine. So i'm really worry ab my est paper as i'm having my first trial soon. i did do PEA but sometime when it comes out wif the topic that you are nt familiar wif then hw u give additional imformation??? and information transfer... I can hardly catch wat does the questions wan.. Any comments?? pls help

    [email protected]

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  42. Well, for me, i am form 4 this year and my school canceled EST classes for us because there is only 2 of us taking. My teacher advised me to drop it if i am aiming for straight A1s. What should i do? I live in a small town in Pahang and we don't have EST tuitions anywhere...

    Your suggestions?

    ReplyDelete
  43. EST tuition is definitely not advisable. if u have time to browse thru all these forums, use the time to read about environmental issues and the latest issues online. it helps alot. reading magazines like times and readers digests also helps alot to get ur "extra information" marks. and do note that these extra information points comes when u give another piece of information that is relating to the topic u're elaborating but somewhat different. i've spent time studying how to get the marks for extra info and this is what i got. est is an easy but tricky subject. once u get the hang of it, the A is in ur grasp

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  44. I can only hope it's as easy as mentioned in the blog post.

    I'm not sure if it's just my evil teacher, but it gets pretty hard to score on an essay based on (her idea of?) the marking scheme. Apparently, we're suppose to dish out lots and lots and lots of points, and she has this thing for giving half a mark for many points, writing them off as 'minor'.

    It feels as if we're going to have to know a lot(and I mean A LOT) on every single possible essay topic that could come out for SPM, and that seems ridiculous given the amount of points required to score, at least if it's done the way my EST teacher does it.

    It could just be the way my teacher interprets the marking scheme, or I could be wrong.

    But for the sake of everyone taking EST for SPM, I hope it's the former.

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  45. Erm, i'm quite unsure about the essay format..some say th8 we hav 2 write long essays while some say th8 we juz hav 2 write short band compact essay....which one is the rite one?? help me......

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  46. for the essay, the question will ask u to write a report,letter or watever it is.our teacher said that we can forget about the format, becauce no points for the format. u juz need to make your essay 'looks like' a report or other format mention by the question.

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  47. May I know what are the target questions or scopes for the English for Science and Technology SPM exam for this year - 2008? Any particular scopes or field in science and technology?

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  48. I will be taking SPM on Thursday (27 nov 08) sadly already tuesday (25 nov 08) so i will try my best to practice my EST for the next day thanks..... i always score 80+ in my EST in school examinations
    however i fear i might only get A2

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  49. i will be taking my est exam tomorrow..ya i am an SPM candidate..
    i am actually quite worried about this exam since non of my seniors scored A1 for this subject last year...Heck..why is even this introduced...

    well i cannot bear not to get A1 for this exam since my physic Paper3 i screwed up in my experiment....already..haiz....

    FORMAT...I NEED FORMAT OF WRITING!!!

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  50. Ok, my EST teacher is the only one in my school who marks actual papers and he always scolds his students for not doing A.Js or analysis and justification by adding a lot of outside information. He always says that the other teachers who don't know how to mark EST essays always give high marks to their students. However these student, most of them will get 2A or 3B when it comes to the actual SPM paper because these students have been tricked by their teachers. 30 out of 400 people scored A1s in EST last year.

    Well, I wrote a very excellent paper on DSL and dial-up for my school's trial and I got an amazing 24 for my essay (highest in my class) and got some praises from my teacher ( the one who marks the SPM EST papers).

    I was told that the MCQ's ( multiple choice questions) are tricky and that became the downfall of many students.

    Anyway wish everyone luck for EST tommorow (27 November)

    Actually If you can get full marks for paper2 and full for Information transfer and 10 marks for the Essay, you get an A1 (75)

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  51. well,est paper is tomorrow..however,now i realized that the paper quite hard..what am i really disappoint is that when i,m in form4 my school didnt have enough est textbook to give us.and as a result,our est class seem like nothing.my est teacher also didt do nothing.to buy est book elsewhere,it hard to find..now,in form5,my est teacher is really not the est teacher,he is just like english teacher that have to teach est(since there is no est teacher in school)..in marking my paper,he always give gud marks to me since i gud in english..now,it really make me feel panic..i have no est book either.i luv to read newspaper and technology mag..however,is that really enough?..my school state that student must take est subject and i'm in science stream but i didnt take biology subject..could there any chance that est would ask biology type of question in essay?..

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  52. Hi!!!anyone who see my story...

    last year on 30 december 2008 i got my PMR result!!! I pass my exam by gain 2A 3B 2C(quiet bad ya but i get science stream!!) so this year im form 4 and i got EST in my school...i heard from one of my friend say that my class is a subclass.

    i'm quiet poor in my english and my science subject and today i got EST (teacher talk about EST in hall!! not sure what is that to say) and the teacher say we(science stream student) need to do presentation(4 people in a group).

    What should i do??? What topic should i do in the presentation??
    Can anyone tell me please... now im scare because of the presentation...

    Other mind of me say that should i change to art stream?? because im quiet not interested in science but today(7 january 2009) i got chemistry and i seem to like it a little bit already...that why my head is blurr now...
    what should i choose (ART STREAM/SCIENCE STREAM)???


    PLEASE HELP ME!!!!
    What topic should i do in the presentation(dateline 6 march 2009 if i didt choose art)??? and
    What stream should i choose(dateline 9 january 2009)???
    PLEASE HELP ME!?!?!

    ReplyDelete
  53. well.est is very dificcult as far as i know .to become good in est you must learn it about 4 time a week for a good result.trust me that est is not an easy subject although you hav mastered all of 4 pure science subject.that why almost of my friends cannot score A1 in est.

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  54. I am going to take SPM this year...My teachers encourage us to drop EST since this subject hard to score 1A in SPM.

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  55. What i think helped most in getting an A1 for EST is to source the past years' marking schemes n styles from your teachers who had marked the papers the previous years....from there....apply the strictest rules ever imposed...for eg. a missing fullstop in a sentence cost a mark, starting wif a capital or a small letter for information transfer...or after punctuations...then apply them in ur exams....dat was wat i did...it is not as hard as ppl think...it just needs the student to be erm expressive (in the scientific writing)..for science students, apply everyth u learn from bio, phy or chem into it...it surely helps...n general knowledge too....paper ought to be your best fren!!...those are the three main things i believe will guide students towards an A1 in EST....gud luck!...make EST a fun subject to learn...n view it as a way to enhance your general knowledge...as u need to read a lot of extra materials like magazines, papers, etc....

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  56. I am an EST's student. I think it is so difficult for me to score 1A'S in this subject. I hope that goverment will stop this subject from being the permanent subject in the SPM. If there is a chance for me to choose I rather not to take EST.

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  57. I'll b taking est this year..mostly of my friend drop it.they said that this is a killer subject..thats really sound funny at 1st because i found that est is a easy things(at 1st). n u all know what, only 3 students in my school decided 2 take est(including me of course).it scared me a lot.:(

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  58. don´t talk about ur est teachers behind her/his back....one of the tip to score.. :)..trust me

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  59. i'm in form 4 this year, at first i decided to take EST..
    after a few weeks in EST class, i decided to drop..

    1)because i don't have confidence in the teacher that's theaching EST
    2)I'm not good in "extra information"
    3)my Ebglish is average

    based on the reason above, i decided to drop EST class last week.
    But my dad was like angry at me.What ever, as long as I know my limit.

    by:Amy Anonymous

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  60. recently i sat for my EST exam...i was hoping for an A1 but the mark i obtained was way too bad..my teacher told me hat i lost marks at the 'information transfer' part...she said that i mustn't write the answers in a full sentence but have to answer in short words..i really don't know whether ths way of answering is correct or not..PLEASE HELP!!!!!!

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  61. Yeap!!! I will go to the tuition...lol
    Well, yea.. I am form 4 but yeah.. it is easy tho...
    :p
    Thanks for the tips yea...
    It was great..:p

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  62. Thnx.This will surely help me in the subject.I never knew of EST b4 so once again thnx.grats on your A1 in spm

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  63. i am 2008 spm candidates even tough i got 4b for my est but the techniques and the way of answering questions were perfect.
    thanx.

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  64. erm, we already hav est textbook...

    i wonder y people r so afraid of est, coz nobody really failed for est paper, at least not in my school....
    is it becoz they r so obsessed of getting all a's??
    chemistry n physics r much much more harder, y dont they drop those too??

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  65. people got failed in other subjects like chem n biology, every year.. n no one ever said they nid to b stopped..

    so wht if u got 2A for est, y u guys worried to much bout it??

    read a lot, n of coz it's a bonus for biology students if a biology-related question come out..
    but please la, it juz est!!! u wont die if u got 2A...

    p/s: i love est!!!

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  66. Hey guys.. I am a SPM 2008 candidate..
    I took the EST paper last year..

    Well, I got 11A1's for SPM 2008..
    I have some useful advices for those candidates that are going to sit for the SPM in later years..
    I just want to relinquish the thoughts that EST or even SPM for that matter is though..

    When I first came into form 4, many people gave me credence that SPM is a difficult examination to score..

    Well, let me tell you.. after I sat for SPM, I changed my dogma about the underlying myths of SPM..
    For me, is very simple..

    Just put 100% effort to make it your best shot for SPM..

    And leave the rest to God..

    If you want any advices just email me at [email protected]

    I'll be ever more glad to answer your doubts and complications..

    Remember something, if a straight A1 student tells you that she or he have no secret in achieving flying colours..

    She IS LYING.. OR HE IS LYING..
    Good luck..

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  67. I don't think there's tuition for EST. My EST teacher in school isn't good either. I am good in my English but I don't understand why EST is hard to score. But, my friends write irrelevant points in their essay and yet, they score higher than me.

    I know EST is more on general knowledge and science but its a wide topic. Anything could come out.

    Now the question is, is this more on general knowledge and what you know OR bluff your way through the exam??

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  68. yeah..de tips all very helpful 4 me..actually i need some modal essays 4rm spm cause m not tat gud in usin scientific terms..pls i needed very much...tx

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  69. hii...guyz...those comments r very interesting to read...n i find sme tips for my essay...PEA(point,elaboration,additional information).tats new to me. tis is te year im goin sit 4 my SPM. so, anyone out oter kind-hearted pls help me. i need sme reference n sample essays for my EST. pls send it to my email add..
    [email protected].
    thnx....f a nce day...

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  70. i'm a 2008 candidate.the best way to score is to read lots materials that linked to science.then,read past year questions(especially essay part),then when answer 'transfer information',write ur answer according to the space/lines given.if the lines are short,then your answer should be short too.have to be able to see on your own.

    last inspiration~@ last day of spm(est + scored a1)

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  71. SPM EST 2009 will be the last EST Paper in SPM subjects

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  72. well guys, i was a member of the item building panel (i.e. setting the questions), review panel (i.e. evaluating the questions) as well as evaluation panel (i.e. answer scheme, marking, training of examiners, etc).
    i can only say that in order to score for the essay, you DEFINITELY NEED to know how you are evaluated, as in branching of ideas, elaboration of causes, elab of effects, elab on details of processes, as well as (yes, this may sound funny) implication in real life (e.g. on synthetic materials, ...the material does not crease easily and the person can maintain a neat appearance longer and this will affect the presentation of oneself, especially during interviews, thus making it more probable for the person to secure the job applied especially in companies that rely on personal contact with clients), and suggestions. est is not only about science, it is also about the application of science in life.
    get an examiner to help you out

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  73. guys please tell what is the best way to get a cloud 9 for est.....it is ticking me off,please double cherry coated please

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  74. heyy.. i recently found this blog and find it useful.. i don't really get this debate on est though .. why exactly is is dubbed a curse?? i have been scoring high marks for my est papers.. its sad to say though i don't really believe the marks that was given to me.. i mean come on who in the world gets full marks for an essay.. not saying its impossible but i seriously doubt it.. can anyone post the est format up pls.. im a spm candidate this year and id love some help.. thanks.

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  75. SUGGESTIONS FOR PREPARING EST

    Hi, everyone!

    I was googling for more info about the new grading system for SPM when I read it today in The Star online and I somehow ended up here after perusing several interesting blogs. Btw, I am the same as the author of this blog; I sat my SPM on 2005. I got 12 A1s and that includes EST obviously.

    Now that I have read the blog, I have a vague memory about being startled when I first flipped the pages of the EST paper and found out that the format was totally different from what I was used to through out my past EST school exams.

    You fellas are lucky since you have science and math taught in english. What I did to increase my probability in getting an A1 for this subject was to translate my science subjects(Phys, Chem and Bio) into English on my own and familiarise myself with the english technical terms.

    I also prepared a flexible format for the essay section by putting together useful, general, sophisticated, and relevant phrases and also some properly structured common reasonings. This helped me a lot when I need a quick revision for EST. Alas, this was pointless on my SPM day as the format was totally different.

    What I advise you fledgling candidates is to put together common sophisticated phrases and blah blah as aforementioned. Now that you have 5 years worth of actual EST papers to deduce the format of the essay, you should use it to your advantage by doing this. Try reading your friends' exam papers(only those who scored well) and compile some useful general phrases which can be applied in the essay.

    I guess you might not understand what I am suggesting so let me give you an example. I don't know about the essay format of papers beyond 05 so let me use 04 to explain this. Lets say that you are asked to write a report choosing the best site to build a industrial plant (or whatever building) among all three sites given. Common areas to look into when coming up with a decision are the availability of basic amenities(such as water/electricity and proximity of raw materials source). You should take note of how the teachers expect you to reason this and by reading a couple of good, approved essays, try jotting down those nice (and not overly used cliches) phrases on a piece of paper. Compile them and you will find revising EST so much more easier and effective (it works for me).

    You can also use this method to prepare for Bahasa Melayu 350-word essay. Trust me. This method works for me. I've been acing BM ever since my first paper (never gotten anything less than an A1 due to my essay section).

    Other methods for preparing for EST includes reading light scientific magazines. However, I think that if you pay attention in class, equip yourself with some phrases and words, and excel in your science subjects, getting an A1 will be a cinch.

    Good luck!

    ps: Praying doesn't hurt too. So try to spend some time, with your hands clasped, to make a wish for straight A1s.

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  76. Hi =)

    I'm a candidate this year. I'm having problems too. I guess it's kinda late to do all the intense search last minute now, considering two weeks more before the real exams. One of my friend read the search here, and told us about the PEAEA idea. All this are totally new for us. I hope I don't sound like I'm complaining or talking bad about my teacher but, we don't know what are we supposed to do, since she is just an English teacher but not a specified EST marking teacher.

    I have a few question myself:

    I read from the comments that the subjects don't usually go too far from the syllabus in the textbooks, since we have them now. So, shall I pay extra attention to EST textbooks then, cause there must be a reason why they create the textbook right?

    By report, do we have to pay attention to the format? Some says that format doesn't contribute to any marks.

    And, from another site that I came upon, it states that we have to write at least 400words to score an A1 in Est, but I was told by some other people that we should make our essay short and concise to avoid grammatical errors.

    From the comment given by the member of the item building panel =), does it mean talking about the synthetic fibre that won't crinkle is one of the elaboration? But doesn't it mean that it isn't related to what the question wants? (I think, haha) =) I never thought of elaborating it that way though. So , the elaboration can be something about application in daily life rite? Thanks.

    HY CHAN =), I don't really get the part about the writing for the BM essay part, you mean for like the Isi-isi penting is it? Like, it always have to do with keluarga, sekolah, etc like that, where we can elaborate on, the points in aspects of kesan, langkah based on the keluarga and sekolah like that is it?
    By phrases you mean, common phrases that we can use? Like, homosapiens is it? But is it abit funnie, if let's say I was talking about acid rain and then I said, one of the cause of acid rain is activities of the human beings, or rather, homosapiens. Is it?
    And, by sophisticated phrases, I thought, we are told to keep our English simple? No flowery-flowery words rite? Thanks.

    One more thing, they said that our essays shouldn't have pronouns inside and we have to use formal language and sentences? Is it true? I really . . . =( in writing formal sentences. Anyone can teach me how? Simple simple ones?

    Haha. Paiseh ne and veryy sorry for all the questions. I'm really worried, and I'm not a very good writer in Factual or Scientific essays. I can only score averagely just a 70+ in EST throughout this year. I'm very WORRIED. Hehe.

    Oh, before I end, this post rawks. =D I learnt alot, really, THANKS. Really useful. =))

    Chin ^^

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  77. Thakss for all of these tips...
    EST paper is on coming Friday (20 Nov 2009)..
    Wish me luck! =)

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  78. Thanx :)

    Really helped A LOT. <------*last-minute cramming disorder*

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  79. hey ya.. thx a lot for all the tips..
    i jus wish that i had discovered this site earlier coz now there's only 4 more days to my EST paper (SPM '09). n no way i can suddenly read up all the magz n stuff myself with scientific info.
    however, all the tips here really helps n am hoping to score A ( doesn matter A+ or A).

    however, i've reently heard from my teacher that format accounts for 3 marks from the total 30 marks
    n she told me that we should write an EST essay in a 'dry' way, as in no need for all the flowery things.
    examiners only wants the points and elaboration, showin off of english language is not tht important. as long as ur essay sound 'scientific' and convincing.

    i hope these tips helps and thx again...

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  80. I got this info from my teacher before SPM. She said for the information transfer section, you have to change a little in the phrases written in the passage. For example, the phrase "the habitat" in the passage should be changed a little into "habitat" or "a habitat" when written as answers. Also, in the essay, try using scientific words for the specific field (Bio or Chemistry)to boost your marks.

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  81. hello. I would like to have all of your opinions on EST. Please give me any challenges when you are learning EST in your school? Thank you. (this is for my assignment)
    [email protected]

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  82. im 15 and thinking if i might take the est subject in spm.
    my english is not that good but i'm one of the the top scorer in my school especially in english.
    i would like to ask for advise wether i should take est or not?
    since est subject always spoiled for spm candidates?

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  83. oh est... soon this subject will be no longer offer to the students. bm is going to take over its role as the main stream education language medium again...

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  84. i need an advise from people who already ace their EST paper..
    i need a guidance to ace this paper.. i need help.. i just got B- for my est.. what should i do???.. can u guys help???

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  85. i have take est exam in spm even my teacher not recomended it but i think i can score it. the notes that you writen said so the est it simple and easy ,i seems so, but many said its no easy to score A1 but it easy to past the test..my questions is WHY? in my opinion est subject is based on the scientific research like volcation.acid rain,flood and it more to biology and chemistry.

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  86. Walao, this goverment suka-suka change subject. so dulan,even they tought about EST is too easy for use to get A1.Lapsap. Althought this blog given me enought information of wat to do next. But i still not convince about getting it,too risky....to get some information tat doen't have textbook. Deng........

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  87. yeah..it gives me so much information dat i need it..thankz 4 all ppl dat gves the idea..now i know how to answer the paper 2 corectly..

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  88. I finally managed to DROP EST subject.. Didn't learned anything since form 4 about this subject. and The school is hesitating to ask me to take it.. I deeply don't want to take it. Eventhough my mates told me that EST is a sure a SUBJECT. I totally don't have enough confident in that.. Seriously.. Huhu!!

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  89. o.o what do you mean EST no text book? They have right? I remember I got the text book last year even though I didn't take the subject.. yet.

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  90. HELLLOOOO....
    we DO have est txtbks...
    GENIUS

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  91. lol genius he started the blog approximately 5 years ago of course he wrote no textbook.

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  92. well, i will taking EST in a few more days.what I can say is most of the EST essay derived from lower form PMR Science syllabus. to score EST essay, the mark scheme divide by 4. 'P.E.A.L'. its mean, points, elaboration, additional information and language. Each section rise with 25 marks. additional information means that you give an extra point that does not given in the essay question. this point, you need some general knowledge to help you. my tips, EST not so difficult if you are good in English with some scientific term and you must know the answering technique. that is key for A+.. wish me good luck(as my grammar really worse) and good luck to all candidates..

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  93. i'm this year candidate. 2010. taking est tomorrow.
    i've read some of the comments but i'm still feeling insecure.
    wish me luck.

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  94. where should I find scientific words that I could use for the Essay.? simple scientific words that can generally be used . any site to find it ? seriously, I need to score this subject even I did think to drop it before, but then , I just feel like go on with it. help me!!. feel free to email me here [email protected] . well, a lot of thank you for the tips . Useful !

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  95. i got A+ in spm 2010 recently when the spm results were out.
    my advice is that when you are writing the essay,go straight to the point.for example our topic was about biodeversity.there were some points given in the question paper including the meaning of biodeversity.so,i started the essay straightly by giving the meaning of biodeversity and elaborating it a little bit.then i went to the second paragraph and wrote and elaborate the second point.same goes for the rest of the points given.when the points finished i added 2 more additional points.

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  96. say u're 17,homeschooled n taking spm this year......n then soooo suddenly you decide to take another subject....i.e EST......is it not too late??

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  97. Its lucky for you, now there's no more tuition for EST. I'm taking SPM 2011. Plus my school teacher is barely around, too busy with drama competitions. Can you help me find any good EST model essays , so that I can master its style of language.

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  98. myb this could help.....

    http://goodessays.blogspot.com/2005/11/spm-est.html

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  99. holle..... today is est paper..... i,m so worry ....because i not very good in english

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  100. u can,t me how to score a good essay

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  101. thanks for the tips! :)

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  102. Comment was closed for this post, please comment and continue your discussion at How to Score A+ in SPM English for Science and Technology (EST)

    ReplyDelete

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