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HKDSE Maths By-Topic Drill Plan: How Many Years per Topic, and Which Topics Pay Off
TUTORZONE DRILL METHOD · HKDSE MATHS BY TOPIC
Drilling by topic means working 8-10 years of the same topic back to back. Its value is exposure: the different ways one topic is set are laid out side by side, so you start to see the examiner’s habits instead of meeting the topic as a stranger each time.
How many years per topic?
Direct answer: 8-10 consecutive years for foundation and core topics, because the variation between years is exactly what you need to see; higher-order topics can drop to 5-8 years. The key word is consecutive: finish a topic in one block rather than hopping between years, or you remember the questions instead of the topic.
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 · foundation topics | Number and algebra basics, percentages, ratio, index laws, polynomial manipulation; 2012-2018 questions | — | 8-10 years per topic |
| Stage 2 · core topics | Quadratics, indices and logs, sequences, inequalities, trigonometry, coordinate geometry; 2012-2022 questions | — | 8-10 years per topic |
| Stage 3 · higher-order topics | Circle properties, loci, 3-D figures, probability and statistics, dispersion; 2019 onwards, fully timed | — | 5-8 years per topic |
The cost of by-topic drilling is the sorting time; the return is diagnostic power. A spreadsheet of topic, year, question number and difficulty means five minutes of picking questions per session, which pays off repeatedly.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 · foundation topics | Target zero error: these appear in Paper 1 A(1) and Paper 2 Section A alike | Treating basics as trivial and dropping marks at the start of both papers |
| Stage 2 · core topics | Do each topic in both modes: the Paper 1 long form and the Paper 2 MC form use different routes | Doing only MC or only long questions, and freezing on the other in the hall |
| Stage 3 · higher-order topics | These cluster in Section B (both papers) and separate the grades | Doing one or two years and skipping the rest because it feels hard |
How do you regroup past papers by topic?
Direct answer: three workable routes: (1) manual sorting with tabs, the most thorough and most time-consuming; (2) a spreadsheet recording topic, year, question number and difficulty, so you can pull questions on demand; (3) ready-made by-topic practice material from school or published books. Whichever you choose, keep Paper 1 and Paper 2 records separate – the routes differ.
Drill order: by topic, then by year, then the mark scheme
| Step | What you do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. By topic | Work through each topic, starting with the paper that allows least help (no calculator / closed book) | Exposes what is genuinely not understood |
| 2. By year | Whole papers to time, one or two a week | Trains pace, stamina and question selection |
| 3. Mark scheme | Go through the marking scheme question by question and log the scoring steps you missed | Most lost marks are written wrong, not thought wrong |
Do foundation topics really need 8-10 years?
Direct answer: Yes, and they are the best value. Foundation topics appear in Paper 1 A(1) (35 marks) and Paper 2 Section A (two-thirds of the paper) – the easiest marks and the easiest to lose through contempt. Eight to ten consecutive years shows how repetitive they are, and zero error is usually reachable in two or three weeks.
A 12-week drilling timetable
| Week | Phase | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-3 | By topic: foundation | Topic by topic, starting with the easiest marks, building habits and recall |
| Weeks 4-6 | By topic: core | 8-10 years of the same topic back to back, errors classified by topic |
| Weeks 7-8 | By topic: advanced and electives | Elective and higher-order topics, now under time pressure |
| Weeks 9-10 | By year: timed papers | One full paper a week, timed, no reference materials |
| Week 11 | Mark scheme work | Question by question against the marking scheme; list the scoring steps you omitted |
| Week 12 | Plug holes and simulate | Only the recurring errors from your log, then one full exam simulation |
Subject-specific weighting for this timetable: Write the three stages into the year plan: foundation topics in weeks 1-3, core in weeks 4-8, higher-order in weeks 9-10, and only then whole papers.
Use it properly: this is not a checklist to finish. Every week must keep time for redoing errors, or from week 9 you will be repeating the same batch.
Pacing
| Paper | Time | Suggested split |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 · foundation topics | 每課題 8–10 年題目 | Two topics a week |
| Stage 2 · core topics | 每課題 8–10 年題目 | Two topics a week |
| Stage 3 · higher-order topics | 每課題 5–8 年題目 | One or two topics a week |
How do you know a topic is finished?
Direct answer: three tests: (1) the topic has been done across 8-10 different years; (2) it can be answered correctly under time; (3) the error log has recorded no new error on it for two consecutive weeks. Only then is it drilled rather than merely attempted.
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hopping between years | One or two questions per topic | The variation within a topic never appears | Finish 8-10 years of one topic in a block |
| MC only | Because MC is faster | The Paper 1 long form is never practised | Do both modes per topic |
| Ignoring the basics | Assuming foundation topics need no work | Dropping marks across A(1) and Paper 2 Section A | Drill basics until they are error-free under time |
The error log and the mark scheme
Keep a topic-completeness table: untouched, attempted, correct under time, or two weeks error-free. Only the last counts as finished.
How many years should you drill?
Eight to ten years for foundation and core topics, five to eight for the rest, and only then whole timed papers.
How should by-topic and by-year time be split?
Direct answer: by topic to build the base, then by year to train pace, then back to by topic in the final 3-4 weeks to plug holes. Timed full papers should be no more than a third of total drilling; starting with whole papers is the commonest and most wasteful sequence.
Frequently asked questions
Which years should by-topic drilling use?
2012-2022 for foundation and core topics, and mainly 2019 onwards for higher-order topics, because recent styles match the current papers more closely.
Do I need a published by-topic book?
No. Sorting past papers yourself in a spreadsheet usually targets your weak topics better than a generic book, and costs nothing.
Does by-topic work for M1/M2?
Yes, and it is more efficient: each is a single-paper subject with a narrower scope, so two or three weeks usually covers a unit.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| HKEAA 2027 HKDSE Mathematics Assessment Framework | Confirm the paper structures that set the topic order |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-dse-maths-error-log-method/ | The three-round error-log method |
More in this series: the full guide · Paper 1 (LQ) · Paper 2 (MC) · by-topic plan · error log · past-paper index
Next step: find a tutor / register as a tutor
After drilling, the hard part is telling a conceptual error from a writing error. Tell us the year group, the school and your available times, and TutorZone will match you with a tutor who knows the HKEAA assessment requirements.
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