This glossary lists terms and question words from SPM Mathematics, with the Bahasa Melayu term where the paper uses one. Each entry has a short example and the term it is most likely to be mixed up with.
The BM and English terminology bridge gives explanations in Chinese as well. Return to the SPM Mathematics guide for the lessons.
Data and dispersion terms
| Term (BM) | Meaning | Short example | Mixed up with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (min) | The sum of the values divided by how many there are | 4, 6, 8 has a mean of 6 | Median |
| Median (median) | The middle value of the ordered list | 3, 5, 9 has a median of 5 | Mean |
| Mode (mod) | The value that occurs most | 2, 4, 4, 7 has a mode of 4 | Modal class |
| Range (julat) | Largest value minus smallest value | 9, 12, 20 has a range of 11 | Interquartile range |
| Interquartile range (julat antara kuartil) | Q3 minus Q1, the spread of the middle half | Q1 = 5 and Q3 = 12 give 7 | Range |
| Variance (varians) | The average of the squared distances from the mean | 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 has a variance of 8 | Standard deviation |
| Standard deviation (sisihan piawai) | The square root of the variance | √8 ≈ 2.83 | Variance |
| Class interval (selang kelas) | A range of values grouped together | 11 to 20 | Class boundary |
| Cumulative frequency (kekerapan longgokan) | A running total of the frequencies | 4, 13, 27, 35, 40 | Frequency |
| Ogive (ogif) | A graph of cumulative frequency against upper boundary | Read the median at N ÷ 2 | Histogram |
Algebra and other chapter terms
| Term (BM) | Meaning | Short example | Mixed up with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quadratic function (fungsi kuadratik) | A function with x² as its highest power | f(x) = x² − 4x + 3 | Quadratic equation |
| Root (punca) | A value of x that makes the expression zero | The roots of x² − 9 are 3 and −3 | Coefficient |
| Inequality (ketaksamaan) | A statement that one quantity is larger or smaller | x + y ≤ 8 | Equation |
| Direct variation (ubahan langsung) | One quantity rises in proportion to another | y = 3x | Inverse variation |
| Probability (kebarangkalian) | How likely an event is, from 0 to 1 | A fair coin gives heads with probability 0.5 | Odds |
Question words
| Question word (BM) | What it asks for | Short example | Mixed up with |
|---|---|---|---|
| State (Nyatakan) | Give the answer with little or no working | State the median from the graph | Calculate |
| Calculate (Hitung) | Work out a value with working | Calculate the mean | State |
| Show that (Tunjukkan bahawa) | Prove a stated result, reaching it from working | Show that x = 4 is a root | Find |
| Hence (Seterusnya) | Use the previous part in this part | Hence, find the interquartile range | Start again from scratch |
Keep this page open beside a past-style paper. The habit that helps most is underlining the question word before deciding what to write.
If the same terms keep tripping you up, one-to-one Mathematics tuition lets a teacher test you on them with fresh questions.