Must notes be in table form?

Not necessarily, but a table shows comparison and grouping best; prose notes need their own level markers.

Do symbols cost marks?

Only if they are inconsistent; self-invented symbols with no key cannot be read back.

DSE English | Summary and Note-making Practice Paper 2 (Note Formats, Selecting and Cutting)

2026-11-04

Ten items from four-column tables to heading levels, practising how to split notes into columns, cut three points out of eight, and use symbols to recover speed.

Attempt first, mark afterwards　Allow about thirty minutes; draw the table before filling it, then check that the heading levels have not slipped.

01　Paper details (check answers afterwards)

Item	Detail
Questions	10 items
Suggested time	About 30 minutes
Difficulty mix	Foundation 4 · Intermediate 3 · Challenge 2 · Error redo 1
Chapter	Chapter: DSE English \| Summary and Note-making Skills
Level	S4 (Secondary 4) English

02　Questions (10 items)

FoundationA four-column note table must hold 12 items. How many per column on average?
FoundationNotes are capped at 200 words with five headings of eight words each. The remaining 160 words cover four points — how long is each?
FoundationWhat do the abbreviations “e.g.” and “i.e.” mean in notes?
FoundationTo show how two things are alike and different, what is the minimum number of columns in a comparison table?
IntermediateThe source has eight points but the task asks for five. How many are dropped, and what percentage is that (one decimal place)?
IntermediateFive minutes of listening at 150 words per minute: how many words are heard? If the notes capture only a quarter, how many words are written?
IntermediateWhat is the difference between a heading and a sub-heading in notes?
ChallengeThe recording says “approximately 45%”. How should that be noted?
ChallengeA cell in the table has no data. What should be done?
Error redoError drill: a student copies whole sentences verbatim and only captures the first two points. What is wrong?

03　Answers and one-line notes

#	Answer	One-line note
1	Three items	12 ÷ 4 = 3: the column count sets the density, and if it no longer fits the page needs to be split.
2	40 words	(200 − 5 × 8) ÷ 4 = 160 ÷ 4 = 40: headings count towards the limit, so leaving them out guarantees an overrun.
3	“e.g.” means for example; “i.e.” means that is	They are constantly confused: “e.g.” introduces an example, “i.e.” restates the same idea, and swapping them changes the meaning.
4	Three: the feature, object A and object B	Without the feature column there is nothing to align, and with only two columns similarities and differences blur together.
5	Drop three, which is 37.5%	8 − 5 = 3 and 3 ÷ 8 × 100 = 37.5%: the share discarded is usually larger than students expect.
6	750 words heard; 187.5 words of notes	5 × 150 = 750 and 750 ÷ 4 = 187.5: notes are always the smaller fraction of what was heard.
7	A heading governs the whole section; a sub-heading splits its content into parts	Once the levels blur, a marked point can no longer be traced to its topic, and the notes stop working.
8	As ≈45%, keeping both the approximation sign and the unit — never as a bare 45	Turning an approximation into an exact figure is a standard mark-loser; the sign and unit are the safeguard.
9	Leave it blank or write n.a. — never fill it with a guess	A blank records the state of the data while a guess invents it; confusing the two produces an unverifiable answer.
10	Verbatim copying cannot keep up with speech; keywords, symbols and abbreviations are what work	Copying sentences is a typing contest while note-making is a selection contest, and they demand opposite skills.

04　What to do after marking

After marking, redo only the wrong items and write down which step went wrong (formula, unit, or misread number).
Repeat the same item two days later; move to the next paper only when both attempts are correct.
Parents only need the answer and note columns; there is no need to explain every item.

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