Frequently Asked Questions
We keep enrollment of each Advanced PSLE Math Masterclass to a maximum of 8 students per lesson.
85% of our Advanced Math students scored the TOP AL1 grade for the PSLE Math Exam in 2024 (more than 10 X the national performance)!
>75% of our Advanced Math students qualified for the following TOP 4 Integrated Programme Schools : Raffles Institution, Hwa Chong Institution, Raffles Girls’ School and Nanyang Girls’ High School based on their 2024 PSLE results.
In addition to teaching mainstream components tested in the PSLE Math Exam, our Advanced PSLE Math Masterclass covers Problem Solving Heuristics & Non-Routine / Higher-Order thinking questions that are unique to the GEP Math curriculum and the Math Olympiads, but which have been appearing in the PSLE Math Exams and Top Schools Prelim Exams with increasing frequency.
Our students are also trained to use NickleBee Tutors’ proven C3PO™ Problem Solving Framework and proprietary UNITARY Method, giving them the confidence and speed to solve ALL Challenging Problem Sums efficiently and accurately in the PSLE Math exam.
Materials for the Advanced PSLE Math Masterclass are designed to have a much wider coverage of advanced thinking concepts and challenging questions, with a stronger emphasis on logical thinking skills, spatial reasoning and pattern recognition, helping our students score the top AL1 grade with greater confidence.
The Advanced PSLE Math Masterclass is designed for both GEP and High-Ability (Mainstream) students, who wish to deepen and enhance their conceptual and procedural problem-solving knowledge, to ace the PSLE Math Exam.
The primary objective of this course is to prepare our students to achieve the top AL1 grade in the PSLE Math Exam. As such, the tutor will comprehensively cover ALL P5 & P6 Math Problem Solving techniques, Strategies, Higher Order Thinking Skills, and Heuristics as required to do well in Paper 2 of the PSLE Math Exam.
We will also be teaching introductory ‘Math Olympiad & GEP’ non-routine questions, creative problem-solving techniques, and advanced heuristic tools, some of which have been appearing with increasing frequency in the PSLE Math Exams and Top Schools Prelim Exams.
If your child has been consistently scoring 80% and above for the Primary 5 school math assessments or exams, and wish to get a further boost to achieve the top grade of AL1, he / she will find the Advanced PSLE Math Masterclass manageable, yet sufficiently rigorous and challenging.
We teach all our students on how to master and apply our proprietary “Unitary™ Method version 2.0”, to give our students the confidence and speed to solve ALL Challenging PSLE Math problem sum questions efficiently and accurately.
We will also teach our students “Heuristics” which is a set of thinking tools or frameworks to solve unfamiliar and complex problems. MOE has incorporated as many as 11 problem solving heuristics in the primary school level syllabus.
To complement the above techniques, we use the C3PO™ Problem Solving Framework (developed in-house by Mr Zhou) to help guide our student’s reasoning and analytical thought process, and to ensure a solid foundation of ALL 11 Heuristics tools and 18 Problem Solving Concepts, as required to ace the PSLE Math Exam. This approach radically changes the way students are taught to approach problem sums and encourages them to think critically and conceptually.
Due to the tutors’ busy schedule, please keep electronic communications via SMS or WhatsApp limited ONLY to Scheduling, Payment or Examination related matters.
But of course, if you require math questions to be answered urgently, you may send them over to us via WhatsApp and we will refer you to the relevant NickleBee Math worksheet or reply with some tips or guidance.
To avoid abuse of this policy, any math question received, will only be replied to, after a minimum of 24 hours has elapsed from receipt of WhatsApp message.
Our vacancies are limited and as such, we are unable to offer Trial Lessons. Also, we do not believe that a student can appreciate the benefits of our programme in just one lesson alone.
Our Advanced PSLE Math Masterclass is not planned with homework in mind. All exercises are to be completed by students within each 2 hour session. Our tutor does not assign homework arbitrarily as he feels that Homework should not be reduced to meaningless drudgery.
That being said, we may still assign a few questions as homework each week, to reinforce the conceptual and procedural knowledge that were covered during the lesson.
For any scheduled weekly class missed during Term 1 to 4 with a valid reason, a replacement lesson will be provided on a case-by-case basis subject to slot availability (to be attended within 7 days of missed class). Valid reasons for absence includes
(i) Medical Leave (Medical Certificate required)
(ii) Official School / National Events (Letter from school required)
Replacement lessons are limited to TWO per term per student and cannot be rolled over to the next term.
Replacement lessons will be conducted during an available time slot (at either Bishan, Bukit Timah or Sengkang).
If the student is absent for any other reason or absent without documents to support a valid reason, no refund of fees or replacement lessons will be provided.
Also, please note that any of the scheduled weekly lessons not utilised by the student by the end of each term is non-refundable and non-transferable.
Tuition fees will be collected on a quarterly basis, 2 weeks before the commencement of each 3-month masterclass term. Each term usually has 11 lessons as per term schedule provided by NickleBee Tutors.
We require students to be enrolled for a minimum of 1 term. If a student joins in the middle of the term, payment of current term fee (pro-rated) and next term fee is required for enrollment.
A material fee of $100 is chargeable for new students. This is a flat fee that is non-refundable nor pro-rated and is payable upon commencement of the tuition class regardless of the time of registration.
We accept PayNow, Internet Banking Transfer or Cheque payments.
Term tuition fees and any other fees paid are strictly non-refundable and non-transferable. Such fees once paid will NOT be refunded if the student or parent chooses to withdraw or discontinue from NickleBee Tutors for any reason and at any time.
Math at the Upper Primary level is demanding and require regular lessons to maintain the student’s efficacy in Math. But, kids (and tutors too!) do need a break from academic work and we usually have breaks during the following periods of the year:
(i) 2 week term-break in mid June
(ii) 2 week term-break in end December
Otherwise, all scheduled weekly lessons will carry on as per usual during all public holidays or school holidays (except for Chinese New Year 1 Week Break).
We keep enrollment of each class to a maximum of 4 students per lesson. All our students are provided Dynamic and Individualized Tutoring within a Small Group setting. This allows us to create an optimal teaching and learning environment and ensure personalized attention for every student.
100% of our Primary 6 2022 cohort scored Distinctions (AL1 – AL4) for their PSLE Math Exams (more than twice the national average)!
55% of our Advanced PSLE Math Masterclass students qualified for the TOP 4 IP Schools : Raffles Institution, Hwa Chong Institution, Raffles Girls’ School and Nanyang Girls’ High School based on their 2022 PSLE results.
60% of our Math Olympiad students have achieved Gold & Silver awards or better in the NMOS, SMOPS and SASMO.
While every effort has been made to place students of similar abilities and academic level in a class, it may sometimes not be possible due to scheduling constraints. However, as our class sizes are kept small, we can effectively provide academic instruction equivalent to one-to-one tutoring to each student concurrently (within a small group setting).
We do not expect every child to learn at a pre-determined pace. One of the advantages of having a small class size is the ability for each child to be taught separately and thus allowing each child to learn at a pace that suits him best.
Stronger students will be allowed to proceed at a faster rate of learning and be constantly stretched to their maximum potential. Weaker students will be given time to integrate foundational skills and concepts before reinforcing their understanding with more advanced problem-solving concepts.
We advocate an “Inquiry Based Learning” approach, whereby, instead of the tutor spoon feeding techniques and solutions to the students, the tutor will ask key questions or make suggestions to guide the student’s thinking processes when faced with Math problems. Questions and suggestions offered will be general and are meant to indicate a general direction and leave plenty for the student to do.
The tutor will of course teach the students the various Contextual, Conceptual and Procedural knowledge required and explain the rationale of various strategies and skills used. Students are then encouraged to try the newly learnt concepts and skills on unfamiliar problems. To reinforce the student’s understanding of concepts and to avoid the dangers of students memorizing techniques wholesale, we expect students to explain and justify their thought-processes and workings to the tutor on demand.
Of course! If your child has any Math Questions or Problem Sums from his school work that he has attempted but can’t solve, please ask the tutor during lesson time and we would be happy to guide your child along and provide additional practice if necessary.
Due to the tutors’ busy schedule, please keep electronic communications via SMS or WhatsApp limited ONLY to Scheduling, Payment, or Examination related matters.
But of course, if you require math questions to be answered urgently, you may send them over to us via WhatsApp and we will refer you to the relevant NickleBee Math worksheet or reply with some tips or guidance.
To avoid abuse of this policy, any math question received, will only be replied to, after a minimum of 24 hours has elapsed from receipt of WhatsApp message.
NickleBee Tutors would like to encourage all students to come for lessons with a positive attitude and be ready to learn. Students will only be able to benefit from the tutoring programme if they actively participate in the lessons and duly complete all assignments set by the tutor.
Our vacancies are limited and as such, we are unable to offer Trial Lessons. Also, we do not believe that a student can appreciate the benefits of our programme in just one lesson alone.
Our Math tutor does not assign homework arbitrarily as he feels that Homework should not be reduced to meaningless drudgery. Homework is assigned in reasonable amounts as and when the tutor feels that it will help reinforce the student’s understanding of the chapter at hand.
For any scheduled weekly class missed during Term 1 to 4 with a valid reason, a replacement lesson will be provided on a case-by-case basis subject to slot availability (to be attended within 7 days of missed class). Valid reasons for absence includes :
(i) Medical Leave (Medical Certificate required)
(ii) Official School / National Events (Letter from school required)
Replacement lessons are limited to TWO per term per student and cannot be rolled over to the next term.
Replacement lessons will be conducted during an available group tuition time slot (at either Bishan, Bukit Timah or Sengkang).
If the student is absent for any other reason or absent without documents to support a valid reason, no refund of fees or replacement lessons will be provided. Also, please note that any of the scheduled weekly lessons not utilised by the student by the end of each term is non-refundable and non-transferable.
Yes, we do offer extra classes for current students who are weaker in Math and require a couple of extra lessons to catch up with their peers. Any extra lessons conducted (at the parent’s or teacher’s request) will be recorded and payment is expected at the end of each term.
Tuition fees will be collected on a quarterly basis, 2 weeks before the commencement of the term. Each term usually has 11 lessons as per term schedule provided by NickleBee Tutors. If a student joins in the middle of a term, fees will be pro-rated.
A material fee of $100 is chargeable for new students. This is a flat fee that is non-refundable nor pro-rated and is payable upon commencement of the tuition class regardless of the time of registration.
We accept PayNow, Internet Banking Transfer or Cheque payments.
Term tuition fees and any other fees paid are strictly non-refundable and non-transferable. Such fees once paid will NOT be refunded if the student or parent chooses to withdraw or discontinue from NickleBee Tutors for any reason and at any time.
Math at the Upper Primary and Secondary school level is demanding and require regular lessons to maintain the student’s efficacy in Math. But, kids (and tutors too!) do need a break from academic work and we usually have breaks during the following periods of the year:
(i) 2 week term-break in mid June
(ii) 2 week term-break in end December
Otherwise, all scheduled weekly lessons during the term period will carry on as per usual during all public holidays or school holidays (except for Chinese New Year Public Holiday).
*There is a special term held in November and December for Small Group Math Tuition students to get a head start on the next year’s syllabus*
We keep enrollment of each class to a maximum of 4 students per lesson. All our students are provided Dynamic and Individualized Tutoring within a Small Group setting. This allows us to create an optimal teaching and learning environment and ensure personalized attention for every student.
>50% of our DSA Math 2024 cohort received Direct School Admission (DSA Math) Confirmed Offers from TOP Integrated Programme schools in 2024!
100% of our 2024 Math Olympiad students won GOLD & SILVER awards or better in prestigious Math Olympiads (NMOS, SMOPS and SASMO).
NMOS : 100% of our National Mathematical Olympiad of Singapore students won GOLD medals, with 2 students placed in the TOP 30!
SMOPS : 5 students participated in the Singapore Mathematical Olympiad for Primary School and achieved 2 PLATINUM medals, 2 GOLD medals & 1 SILVER medal!
SASMO : 12 students took part in the Singapore and Asian Schools Math Olympiad and won 9 GOLD and 3 SILVER medals!
While every effort has been made to place students of similar abilities and academic level in a class, it may sometimes not be possible due to scheduling constraints. However, as our class sizes are kept small, we can effectively provide academic instruction equivalent to one-to-one tutoring to each student concurrently (within a small group setting).
We do not expect every child to learn at a pre-determined pace. One of the advantages of having a small class size is the ability for each child to be taught separately and thus allowing each child to learn at a pace that suits him best.
Stronger students will be allowed to proceed at a faster rate of learning and be constantly stretched to their maximum potential. Weaker students will be given time to integrate foundational skills and concepts before reinforcing their understanding with more advanced problem-solving concepts.
We advocate an “Inquiry Based Learning” approach, whereby, instead of the tutor spoon feeding techniques and solutions to the students, the tutor will ask key questions or make suggestions to guide the student’s thinking processes when faced with Math problems. Questions and suggestions offered will be general and are meant to indicate a general direction and leave plenty for the student to do.
The tutor will of course teach the students the various Contextual, Conceptual and Procedural knowledge required and explain the rationale of various strategies and skills used. Students are then encouraged to try the newly learnt concepts and skills on unfamiliar problems. To reinforce the student’s understanding of concepts and to avoid the dangers of students memorizing techniques wholesale, we expect students to explain and justify their thought-processes and workings to the tutor on demand.
Of course! If your child has any Math Questions or Problem Sums from his school work that he has attempted but can’t solve, please ask the tutor during lesson time and we would be happy to guide your child along and provide additional practice if necessary.
Due to the tutors’ busy schedule, please keep electronic communications via SMS or WhatsApp limited ONLY to Scheduling, Payment, or Examination related matters.
But of course, if you require math questions to be answered urgently, you may send them over to us via WhatsApp and we will refer you to the relevant NickleBee Math worksheet or reply with some tips or guidance.
To avoid abuse of this policy, any math question received, will only be replied to, after a minimum of 24 hours has elapsed from receipt of WhatsApp message.
NickleBee Tutors would like to encourage all students to come for lessons with a positive attitude and be ready to learn. Students will only be able to benefit from the tutoring programme if they actively participate in the lessons and duly complete all assignments set by the tutor.
Our vacancies are limited and as such, we are unable to offer Trial Lessons. Also, we do not believe that a student can appreciate the benefits of our programme in just one lesson alone.
Our Math tutor does not assign homework arbitrarily as he feels that Homework should not be reduced to meaningless drudgery. Homework is assigned in reasonable amounts as and when the tutor feels that it will help reinforce the student’s understanding of the chapter at hand.
For any scheduled weekly class missed during Term 1 to 4 with a valid reason, a replacement lesson will be provided on a case-by-case basis subject to slot availability (to be attended within 7 days of missed class). Valid reasons for absence includes :
(i) Medical Leave (Medical Certificate required)
(ii) Official School / National Events (Letter from school required)
Replacement lessons are limited to TWO per term per student and cannot be rolled over to the next term.
Replacement lessons will be conducted during an available group tuition time slot (at either Bishan, Bukit Timah or Sengkang).
If the student is absent for any other reason or absent without documents to support a valid reason, no refund of fees or replacement lessons will be provided.
Also, please note that any of the scheduled weekly lessons not utilised by the student by the end of each term is non-refundable and non-transferable.
Yes, we do offer extra classes for current students who are weaker in Math and require a couple of extra lessons to catch up with their peers. Any extra lessons conducted (at the parent’s or teacher’s request) will be recorded and payment is expected at the end of each term.
Tuition fees will be collected on a quarterly basis, 2 weeks before the commencement of the term. Each term usually has 11 lessons as per term schedule provided by NickleBee Tutors. If a student joins in the middle of a term, fees will be pro-rated.
A material fee of $100 is chargeable for new students. This is a flat fee that is non-refundable nor pro-rated and is payable upon commencement of the tuition class regardless of the time of registration.
We accept PayNow, Internet Banking Transfer or Cheque payments.
Term tuition fees and any other fees paid are strictly non-refundable and non-transferable. Such fees once paid will NOT be refunded if the student or parent chooses to withdraw or discontinue from NickleBee Tutors for any reason and at any time.
Math at the Upper Primary and Secondary school level is demanding and require regular lessons to maintain the student’s efficacy in Math. But, kids (and tutors too!) do need a break from academic work and we usually have breaks during the following periods of the year:
(i) 2 week term-break in mid June
(ii) 2 week term-break in end December
Otherwise, all scheduled weekly lessons during the term period will carry on as per usual during all public holidays or school holidays (except for Chinese New Year 1 Week Break).
*There is a special term held in November and December for Small Group Math Tuition students to get a head start on the next year’s syllabus*