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General Paper (GP) Tuition2024-03-05T05:20:08+00:00

Live Online GP Tuition

92% A grades, 8% B grades

All classes personally taught by Mr Liau

Ex-journalist and author of A-Level GP Answer Key

12 years teaching experience

“Classes with Mr Liau always bring fresh insights that have never crossed my mind during my self-study or even during GP lessons in school.” ~ Jiwon, Victoria Junior College. Jiwon improved from S to A, and eventually topped his cohort for GP in JC2.

Track record

  • 92% ‘A’ grades and 8% ‘B’ grades

  • Average improvement of three grades (i.e. D to A)
  • Top scorers every year
  • 12 years teaching experience

How we achieve it

  • Structured learning experience with ample hands-on practices
  • Interactive and engaging discussions for maximum intellectual stimulation
  • Individualised guidance and feedback
  • Detailed notes and supplementary materials for revision
  • Weekly assignments marked with detailed feedback by Mr Liau

  • All lessons personally conducted by Mr Liau
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Teaching Philosophy

We excite, intrigue and inspire our students to love General Paper

“General Paper was a tedious and boring subject for me in JC1, I had no idea what I was doing and basically scraping through JC1 exams. Until I attended Mr Liau’s GP lessons which were very engaging despite having lessons online. The issues we covered were very intriguing and the discussions we had were always mind-boggling and fun. Through his lessons then I realised my interest for GP.” ~ Stevson, Temasek Meridian Junior College, 

“I always like hearing what you think about issues during lessons because they can really get interesting and it’s a fresh perspective for me for most times. I actually do enjoy GP because I get to understand our current world better, so thank you for all the things that you share with us during lessons. Your enthusiasm about the world and the issues pushed me to think more about what’s happening, rather than just take things in as it is.” ~ Charmaine, Nanyang Junior College

Mr Liau’s unique background

  • Invited author of the General Paper A-Level Ten Year Series Answer Key (2021-present)

  • Deep professional experience as a former journalist with op-eds published locally and internationally in newspapers like The Guardian
  • Extensive twelve years teaching experience

  • Rich insights as the Hwa Chong HS/JC debate coach for four years (teams won ten championships)
  • Unique ability to captivate and intrigue as an award-winning intervarsity and JC debater (won four national championships)
How We Achieve 92% A Grades – Guide to Our Classes (PDF File)
Practical Skills

We teach practical skills that enable students to ace their examinations

“One thing that stuck with me was how engaging and simplified the lessons were. I never really liked GP and I was never really the person to be able to write an essay properly as I could never gather my thoughts in a concise manner. The teacher somehow solved that for me. He managed to break down overwhelming essay questions into simpler parts so that all the answers become more structured and accurate. The brainstorming methods as well as all the already researched examples made me really happy as I was too lazy to search things up on my own.” ~ Ko Ko, Saint Andrew’s Junior College

“I feel that Mr Liau’s lessons are quite helpful as he goes into detail about the content and skills needed for GP. I think that its great that he provides us with notes that are easy to understand because I tend to be rather disorganised with my GP notes.” ~ Beatrice, Raffles Institution

How we make a difference

  • We break down complex ideas into simple concepts
  • We take a systematic approach to learning that equips students with essential examination skills and answering techniques
  • We prioritise hands-on experiential learning over didactic one-way lectures
  • We provide extensive notes for revision and exam preparation
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Successful Online Lessons

We make every online lesson a fun and intellectually stimulating experience

“Mr Liau’s lessons are extremely insightful and fun. Mr Liau is extremely friendly and ensures that every student participates. Classes are still extremely beneficial and interactive despite it being on Zoom. Fret not as the lessons will surely broaden your perspective on the world. He is one of a kind I do not regret joining his classes.” ~ Wei Xuan, Nanyang Junior College

“I think the discussions in the lessons are deep and they help me understand real world issues much better. Despite it being online, it is actually engaging and fun :)” ~ Chi Hua, Raffles Institution

“The lessons were very informative and interactive despite it being online.” ~ Tze Kai, Anderson Serangoon Junior College

“The lessons were fun and it was very interesting to have discussions during lessons.” ~ Mun Sheen, Temasek Junior College

How we make every online lesson a success

  • We partner students in the learning process, engaging them through discussions and hands-on exercises
  • We encourage questions and always give students time to share their own views, helping them develop their confidence as critical thinkers
  • We support each student individually and provide personalised feedback
How We Achieve 92% A Grades – Guide to Our Classes (PDF File)
Feedback and Guidance

We provide individualised guidance and feedback

“Thank you for your guidance while I was in your GP tutoring sessions. I always like hearing what you think about issues during lessons because they can really get interesting and it’s a fresh perspective for me for most times. I actually do enjoy GP because I get to understand our current world better, so thank you for all the things that you share with us during lessons. Your enthusiasm about the world and the issues pushed me to think more about what’s happening, rather than just take things in as it is.” ~ Charmaine, Nanyang Junior College

“Mr Liau has always been extremely dedicated in teaching me. He constructs his lesson in a clear and comprehensive manner, making them easy to follow. He taught us writing, comprehension and paraphrasing techniques which are very useful. Besides, he always takes the effort to give us detailed feedback on our work to help us do better. Moreover, he is always very patient and encouraging such that I can always consult him about areas I am unsure of. Under his guidance, I became more confident in GP and improved greatly over the months leading to the exam.” ~ Hao Chen, Private Candidate

Mr Liau’s academic credentials

  • Invited author of the General Paper A-Level Ten Year Series Answer Key (2021-present)

  • Certified in Online Teaching and Education by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Post-Graduate)
  • Graduated with a degree in History from NTU
  • Hwa Chong Institution alumnus
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Recommended By Students
Available Programmes and Fees
Schedule

Available Programmes

Ultimate Track Class

The Ultimate Track class is the main GP class. We cover all essential skills and concepts for GP in this class. The classes will include hands-on exercises, discussions, guided practices, notes, materials, examples and everything students need to get an A for GP.

Case Studies MasterClass

The Case Studies MasterClass focuses more on current affairs issues and key global events that are especially important for GP. The case study approach is interdisciplinary in nature and provides more room for non-exam-driven discussion and analysis. Notes will be provided as part of CSMC as well. Students who are unable to attend the Case Studies MasterClass for a particular week can watch the recording and read the notes on their own.

For more details on how classes are conducted, please refer to our explanatory guide.

How We Achieve 92% A Grades – Guide to Our Classes (PDF File)

Full GP Package

$320monthly
  • 3 hours per week (live online classes)
  • Choose 1 UT slot and 1 CSMC slot
  • UT covers all 55 core GP skills and essential concepts for Paper 1 and Paper 2
  • CSMC covers all pertinent case studies and current affairs events
  • Systematic approach with hands-on practices and interactive discussions
  • Explore important issues and engage in interdisciplinary learning
  • All recordings, notes, model essays and resources since 2022
  • Get everything you need to score an A
  • All assignments personally marked by Mr Liau
  • Unlimited e-consults with Mr Liau

Discount for FAS students

Students on FAS may apply for a discounted fee. Basic proof will be required.

Please contact us for more details.

Current Schedule

Last updated: 5 Mar 2024

  • UT = Ultimate Track
  • CSMC = Case Studies MasterClass
  • Students who sign up for the Full GP Package are entitled to one UT and one CSMC class per week.
  • More classes will be added in 2024

Contact Us (Enquiries and Registration)

WhatsApp

Call / SMS / WhatsApp

91781642

Click to Call — Mr Liau
Use Contact Form

Enquiry / Registration Form

To register, simply get in touch with us and we will guide you through the registration steps.

About Our Lessons

Is a deposit required and what is it for?2024-03-05T03:02:44+00:00

What are the exact terms of the security deposit?
Please refer to the following for the exact terms of our policy:
1) The security deposit will be used to cover the last four lessons upon withdrawal or graduation.
2) The security deposit will not be forfeited.
3) This means that students can still attend lessons until the security deposit is fully utilised.
4) The security deposit is non-refundable except in the event of a change of tutor or the discontinuation of the GP lessons.

What happens if I miss classes?
1) You can simply attend another class within the same week. All classes within the week (Mon to Sun) cover the same material.
2) If you cannot make it for the entire week, please watch the recording whenever you are able to.
3) As recordings and notes are still provided, please note that no refunds will be given if you do not turn up for the live classes.

Why do you have to collect a security deposit?
Collecting a security deposit allows us to do what we do, and focus on helping our students rather than chasing students and parents for payment. It also allows us to avoid suspending a student from lessons due to late payment. Finally, it ensures that students do not abruptly start and stop lessons from month to month. This would be disruptive, both for the teacher and the student.

The full name of our tuition centre is My Mustard Seed Tuition Centre. We have a physical address at 855 Tampines Street 83, Singapore 520855. We have been operating for over two decades. If you have any further concerns, please feel free to reach out to us.

Why is the minimum commitment period 8 weeks?
We want to see our students all the way through till their A-Level exams. Our goal is not to increase our student count but to fully help those that do choose to enroll with us.

This means that upon registration, we provide our students with many things that are not limited to the regular classes. From the very first week, students gain full access to all of our resources and recordings at no additional charge. They are also free to consult with Mr Liau himself on any queries or past recordings (from our LMS) that they have questions about. All of this is offered as part of the heavily discounted package (effectively $80/week).

While we understand that many places offer trials (some even free), we seek your understanding that we have different requirements because we operate differently.

All students are personally taught and guided by Mr Liau himself. Accepting too many trial students inevitably means that existing students end up being neglected. In many cases, this means that tuition centres outsource the teaching of existing students to junior teachers and the learning experience changes dramatically after the trial is over. We never wish to shortchange our students that way.

Are the lessons conducted under an established tuition centre?
Yes, the full name of our tuition centre is My Mustard Seed Tuition Centre. We have a physical address at 855 Tampines Street 83, Singapore 520855. We have been operating for over two decades. If you have any further concerns, please feel free to reach out to us.

Please refer to our business profiles below.

 

What happens if I am unable to attend the lesson for the week?2023-01-25T07:43:34+00:00

If you are unable to attend the lesson for the week, you can either attend another lesson in the same week or watch the recording. Any work that you submit will still be marked. You can also contact Mr Liau directly if you have any questions about the material that is covered in the recording.

How do you train students to develop strong arguments?2023-01-25T07:43:34+00:00

Let’s be real. If there were truly some secret formula to instant success, schools would have taught it by now and you should have already heard about it.

Instead, the key to our success lies in our use of the age-old Socratic method. Through the painstaking process of asking and answering questions, we push our students to think for themselves and justify their ideas.

The studies support this. Our experience supports this. And our students’ results speak for themselves.

Why do you focus so much on arguments?2023-01-25T07:47:08+00:00

Arguments are central to all components of the GP paper. Paper 1 requires students to write an argumentative essay within 90 minutes. Paper 2 requires students to answer short questions about an argumentative essay (the passage), summarise the author’s arguments, and respond to them through the application question. Ultimately, GP is all about arguments.

How do you help students keep abreast of current developments?2023-01-25T07:43:34+00:00

Every lesson, we share deep insights on two or three major developments in the world to help students understand what they are reading in the news. We also discuss how students can use these insights in their essays. Ultimately, the goal of these discussions is to expose students to different viewpoints, provide them with mental tools to analyse the news, and encourage them to take an interest in current affairs.

 

Is it enough for students to memorise facts and examples?2023-01-25T07:43:34+00:00

In 2013, Cambridge examiners explicitly pointed out that GP is not a test of general knowledge. Students who receive poor grades despite their extensive use of examples should note that no amount of facts and statistics can make up for a poorly-developed argument.

The General Paper subject is primarily about the arguments. Cambridge examiners have made that abundantly clear. Students must argue, reason and persuade, not flood the examiner with details and lengthy descriptions.

This is the trickiest part about GP. Memorising model essays will not work. Neither will copying and pasting canned arguments. Because every question is different, every response must be unique. Within those 90 minutes, students must formulate and express their own arguments.

It is therefore important for students to learn how to use examples to support their points. This is why we teach students to focus on convincing the examiner with persuasive arguments, substantiated with strong examples, rather than on impressing readers with their depth of knowledge.

How do you help students build content knowledge?2023-01-25T07:43:34+00:00

Memorising facts and statistics without understanding their context or knowing how to use them is actually worse than useless. It can be harmful because it instils a false sense of confidence. A student may think he is impressing the examiner when in fact he is merely frustrating him.

It is therefore important to build a solid conceptual framework first before students jump into the examples. To accomplish that, we often start with in in-depth discussions of pertinent case studies. Through these discussions, students may ask questions, clarify doubts and attempt to articulate their own understanding of the subject.

In addition to the class discussions, we provide content packages and comprehensive notes that are designed to expose students to popular arguments and examples. Through these content packages, students will also see how the evidence can be marshalled to support their arguments.

 

How important is content knowledge?2023-01-25T07:43:34+00:00

Contrary to popular belief, GP is not just an English subject for JC students.

Content matters.

Cambridge examiners have made this abundantly clear. They award low grades to students who exhibit a poor understanding of the subject and fail to substantiate their arguments with robust evidence.

Those who cannot address differing viewpoints fare even worse. They receive failing grades because they are “unable to meet the basic requirement of this paper”. (Examiner Report, 2013)

It’s therefore no surprise that students score poorly when their scripts are filled with comments like: “lacks balance”, “weak argument” and “poor evidence”.

No matter how effusive a student’s language may be, he will not get a good grade. Cambridge has made that abundantly clear.

How do you teach students to write good essays?2023-01-25T07:43:34+00:00

We often see students struggle with essay writing but simply cannot figure out why. In most cases, the answer is quite simple: they have nothing meaningful to say. The first thing we like to tell students is to figure out what they want to say, then say it as simply as possible. Students are discouraged from blindly emulating the flowery prose of their more proficient peers. Instead, they should seek to develop an in-depth understanding of the topic and express their own views clearly and concisely. Our in-class discussions and essay planning exercises play a vital role here. Students will also receive extensive reading materials and comprehensive notes.

This is not to say that our focus is purely on content knowledge. If a student has good ideas but cannot articulate them, those ideas will be for naught. Every week, we encourage students to complete at least two paragraphs (or a full essay if possible). Mr Liau personally marks and provides feedback on all work that is submitted as part of the regular classes. Every month, we also devote some time to covering common writing errors.

 

How are lessons conducted?2024-02-17T01:46:05+00:00

Lessons consist of a combination of short mini-lectures, in-class discussions, interactive exercises, exam practices, and a variety of activities that are designed to help students develop the following skills: critical reading and understanding, critical writing and expression, argumentation and evaluation, and finally, interdisciplinary thinking.

As Cambridge’s focus has shifted away from rote learning, students who focus on mindless practices and drills tend to perform poorly for the A Level exams (often in spite of good scores in school).

To tackle this, we place heavy emphasis on the aforementionaed skills and achieve the development of these skills through a combination of five things.

First of all, we provide high quality notes and explanations every class. Students will learn about essential concepts and be exposed to a wide variety of examples in class. They will also receive sample paragraphs and essays, structured outlines, and tips on answering techniques. During the Case Studies MasterClass, students will explore exciting current affairs events in an in-depth and interdisciplinary manner. All classes are personally taught by Mr Liau, a former journalist with op-eds published locally and internationally on newspapers like The Guardian. (We do not “bait and switch”.)

Second, we provide ample opportunities for student engagement and interaction. The studies have shown that students learn best when they are deeply invested in what they are learning. Students are also much more likely to develop an interest in the subject if they are active participants in their own learning rather than mere absorbers of information. To facilitate student engagement and interaction, we make an effort that give each student an opportunity to participate in the discussion, whether verbally or in written form.

Third, we provide students with ample opportunities to practise a variety of skills. This includes all of the exam components: essay writing, comprehension, summary and AQ. Students will learn the relevant exam/answering techniques and will have opportunities to practise them.

Fourth, Mr Liau personally marks all work submitted by students as part of our classes. All feedback on essays, AQ responses and comprehension answers is provided by Mr Liau himself, the author of the A-Level answer key (2021-present). Again, we do not “bait-and-switch”. We do not outsource the marking.

Finally, Mr Liau personally keeps in touch with students. They can clarify doubts and bring any questions they may have directly to him. Mr Liau has been teaching for 12 years.

In essence, our lessons focus heavily on understanding rather than memorisation of facts. Over the years, we have observed that Cambridge is placing increasing emphasis on two things: interdisciplinary thinking and logical analysis. To help students meet these new demands, we have made these aspects of learning an integral part of our lessons. Students can expect to develop fresh insights, be exposed to a vast array of views and be challenged to think analytically. For more information about how students feel about our lessons, please refer to our testimonials here:  https://gptuition.com/testimonials/

About Online Lessons

How effective are online lessons? What happens if the student is unable to focus online?2024-02-28T04:40:56+00:00

We have been conducting online classes since the end of 2019 and have pioneered innovative methods for keeping students engaged. As our classes are conducted live, students are kept on task by the teacher, Mr Liau.

All our students who took the A-Level exams in 2020 were taught online for almost the entire year. They outperformed previous cohorts. Now, our students score very well, with 92% ‘A’ grades and 8% ‘B’ grades.

We have thus remained 100% online because our students have indicated a preference for our online lessons and because they have continued to achieve stellar results.

How are materials provided through online lessons? Will printed materials be provided?2023-01-25T07:43:53+00:00

The materials will be uploaded to our Learning Management System. Students can access the notes and materials at any time, download them and even print them out. However, as there are a lot of notes and materials, we will not be printing them out for students.

During the class, all work is submitted and marked online using Google Docs. Students have generally found this to be a superior approach for their learning compared to using pen and paper, then taking photos of their work and uploading the photos.

Extensive notes are provided both in class and after class.

Why aren’t you offering physical lessons?2024-02-28T04:40:18+00:00

Our students have expressed an overwhelming preference for online classes for a few reasons:

  • More alert in class because they are less exhausted from travelling
  • Greater convenience and easier to fit into their busy schedules
  • Instant marking and feedback can be provided online during classes
  • Able to ask questions directly via text messaging in class
  • Unique learning experience with Mr Liau

As such, we have remained 100% online since March 2020. We intend to continue with online classes for now.

In fact, our online classes have proven to be equally, if not more, effective. Students who attended online classes did well with 92% of them scoring an A and 8% scoring a B for the A-Level examination.

Do you only conduct online classes?2023-01-26T01:49:17+00:00

Yes, all GP classes are conducted online. We are the first 100% online GP tuition centre. No physical classes at all.

For GP, online classes are actually better. Sometimes, students’ preferences can be quite sticky so the most we can do is try to explain how online classes have helped our students score better and learn more than in previous years when we had offline classes.

In summary, after switching to online classes, we experienced the following:
— Exam scores improved.
— Class participation increased.
— Assignment submissions increased.
— Questions asked after class increased.
— Reading of notes and articles increased.
— Class attendance became more regular (fewer excuses to skip classes when they are online).

Why online lessons?2024-02-17T01:47:39+00:00

We only conduct online lessons because they are more effective.

Students frequently tell us that our lessons are radically different from the typical online lessons that they received during HBL in school / other tuition centres.

In particular, they find that our lessons have helped them remain more engaged, have given them more opportunities to complete practices and receive feedback, and have eventually helped them score well in exams.

We are thus the only tuition centre that only offers online lessons for GP. 100% online. No physical classes. First and only in Singapore to do this.

We help our students achieve good results by effectively using technology to provide simultaneous student engagement and collaboration opportunities. We are also better able to provide feedback, recordings, notes and resources online. Students who have doubts can easily raise questions and receive answers.

In fact, our students have performed even better through online lessons than before. Our online lessons have enabled our students to achieve 97% A and B grades for GP, an increase over physical lessons.

Ultimately, our lessons are only available online. So the only way to benefit from our expertise and guidance is through these online lessons.

Mr Liau is certified in Online Teaching and Education by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Post-Graduate).

He is the invited author for the A-Level General Paper Answer Key (2021-present).

All classes are taught by Mr Liau.

For more information about how students feel about how classes, you can read their reviews here: https://gptuition.com/testimonials/

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