Every topic on the spine
51 topics across both Botswana routes. A topic marked building has questions, just fewer than the two we hold ourselves to before calling it banked — and a topic with none says so instead of offering an empty page.
71 questions and 213 marks banked in total. Cambridge IGCSE and BGCSE share this spine, so one well-written question serves both.
Mathematics
- Order of operations, fractions, standard form
Working must be shown; a correct answer with no method often scores zero on a show-that item.
2 questions · banked · 2 subjects
- Powers, roots and index laws
Fractional and negative indices are extended-tier items; convert to a root and a power before calculating.
2 questions · banked · 2 subjects
- Percentage change, including repeated change over time
Use a multiplier (for example 1.06) rather than calculating year by year, and keep money to two decimal places.
2 questions · banked · 2 subjects
- Simplifying, expanding and factorising
Factorising is marked on the fully factorised form; a single common factor taken out is not finished.
1 question · building · 3 subjects
- Linear and simultaneous equations
One mark usually belongs to the method, so write the elimination or substitution step.
2 questions · banked · 3 subjects
- Sequences and the nth term
The coefficient of n is the common difference; test your rule on the first two terms before writing it down.
2 questions · banked · 3 subjects
- Angles, polygons and parallel lines
Give the angle reason by name — the reason is an actual mark.
2 questions · banked · 2 subjects
- Circle theorems
State the theorem you used. Correct numbers with no theorem named lose the reasoning mark.
1 question · building · 2 subjects
- Pythagoras and right-angled trigonometry
Identify opposite, adjacent and hypotenuse before choosing sine, cosine or tangent.
2 questions · banked · 3 subjects
- Averages from lists and frequency tables
A frequency table needs an fx column; the mean is a division you must show.
2 questions · banked · 2 subjects
- Probability, with and without replacement
Without replacement the second denominator changes. That single detail is where the marks live.
2 questions · banked · 2 subjects
- Graphs, gradients and curve sketching
A coordinate is a pair — both values are needed for the mark.
1 question · building · 3 subjects
Science
- Units, measuring instruments and significant figures
A number without a unit loses the unit mark; read to the precision the instrument allows.
1 question · building · 4 subjects
- Forces, moments and motion
Moments balance: total clockwise equals total anticlockwise. Show the moment calculation.
2 questions · banked · 4 subjects
- Work, energy, power and cost of electricity
Convert time to seconds for joules and to hours for kilowatt-hours — mixing them is the commonest error.
2 questions · banked · 4 subjects
- Heat, temperature and specific heat capacity
Q = mcΔθ is given on the paper; the marks are for substituting correctly and keeping units.
1 question · building · 2 subjects
- Waves, sound and light
v = fλ needs consistent units — convert centimetres before multiplying.
1 question · building · 2 subjects
- Circuits, resistance and electrical power
Draw the circuit, label the values, then choose V = IR or P = VI.
3 questions · banked · 4 subjects
Chemistry
- Particles, states and separation techniques
Explanations must name the particles and what they do — not just "because it is hot".
2 questions · banked · 5 subjects
- Atomic structure, bonding and formulae
Ionic formulae come from charge balance; show the charges you balanced.
2 questions · banked · 2 subjects
- Equations, moles and reacting masses
Balance first, then use moles. An unbalanced equation corrupts every later step.
2 questions · banked · 4 subjects
- Acids, bases, salts and titration calculations
Convert cm³ to dm³ by dividing by 1000 before multiplying by concentration.
1 question · building · 2 subjects
- Rate of reaction and collision theory
Explain with collision frequency and energy, then link back to the specific change in the question.
1 question · building · 2 subjects
- Organic chemistry, fuels and polymers
Name the homologous series and the functional group; general formulae must be exact.
1 question · building · 2 subjects
Biology
- Cells, microscopy and organisation
Magnification questions want a unit and a sensibly rounded figure.
3 questions · banked · 4 subjects
- Transport in plants and water relations
Define the process, then explain the direction of movement using the gradient.
2 questions · banked · 2 subjects
- Enzymes, digestion and absorption
Say "active site" and "shape" — denaturation is a shape answer, not a temperature answer.
2 questions · banked · 2 subjects
- Respiration, aerobic and anaerobic
Word equations must balance in words: glucose to lactic acid, not "energy is made".
1 question · building · 4 subjects
- Photosynthesis and limiting factors
Graph questions want the limiting factor named and justified by the shape of the line.
1 question · building · 3 subjects
- Genetics, inheritance and variation
Show the gametes and the cross; the ratio earns a mark only if the working is visible.
1 question · building · 2 subjects
- Ecology, food chains and energy transfer
Energy is lost through respiration and movement, so chains are short — say what happens, not just "less energy".
2 questions · banked · 5 subjects
- Microorganisms, disease and prevention
Prevention answers must be specific and practical: name the measure and the mechanism.
1 question · building · 3 subjects
English
- Directed writing: letter, article, speech, report
Purpose first: the examiner must know within two sentences why you are writing and to whom.
1 question · building · 2 subjects
- Composition and narrative writing
Plan for two minutes; a shapeless piece loses more marks than a plain but structured one.
2 questions · banked · 5 subjects
- Comprehension and inference
Use your own words where told to; lifted sentences score nothing however accurate they are.
1 question · building · 5 subjects
- Summary writing
Points, not prose. One idea per point, taken from the right paragraph.
1 question · building · 2 subjects
- Writer effects and language analysis
Name the device, quote three or four words, then explain the effect on the reader. Quote and effect is the mark.
2 questions · banked · 4 subjects
- Grammar, punctuation and sentence control
Accuracy marks are the cheapest in the paper: leave two minutes to proofread for tense and agreement.
1 question · building · 4 subjects
Business
- Business types, aims and stakeholders
Name the type, then say why it matters for this business — the second half carries the mark.
1 question · building · 2 subjects
- Costs, break-even and accounts
Show the break-even formula and the substitution; the unit is a separate mark.
2 questions · banked · 3 subjects
- Cash flow, profit and liquidity
Cash and profit are different things. Say which one the question asks about and why it changed.
2 questions · banked · 3 subjects
- Market research and the marketing mix
Primary versus secondary, then link the choice to the case study’s budget and stage.
1 question · building · 3 subjects
- Operations, quality and location
Every operational answer needs a consequence: cost, quality, capacity or time.
2 questions · banked · 2 subjects
- Motivation, recruitment and training
Financial versus non-financial, and always with the effect on this specific team.
1 question · building · 2 subjects
- Evaluation and judgement questions
Two sides, then a decision that could only be about this business. Sitting on the fence caps the marks.
1 question · building · 7 subjects
Computing
- Computer systems, data and storage
Name the device and say what it does with data: input, process, store, output. The verb carries the mark.
0 questions · building · 3 subjects
- Networks, the internet and security
Distinguish the method from the risk: what it does, then what it exposes.
0 questions · building · 3 subjects
- Programming, algorithms and logic
Trace the code with a dry run table. Read your pseudocode back as if somebody else had written it.
0 questions · building · 2 subjects
Creative
- Observation, drawing and media handling
Line, tone, form and proportion, drawn from life. Control of the medium is itself assessed.
0 questions · building · 2 subjects
- Design process, composition and refinement
Show the decisions: thumbnail, development, refinement, resolved piece. Process earns marks a neat final piece cannot.
0 questions · building · 2 subjects
- Critical study and portfolio presentation
Connect your own work to artists you have studied, and say what you took from them and why.
0 questions · building · 2 subjects
Not sure where to start?
Sit a four-question drill and the app will tell you which topics are costing you marks — then the planner turns that into four weeks. No account, and nothing leaves your device.
Independent study support: not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an official product of Cambridge International or the Botswana Examinations Council, no past papers hosted, and no grade predicted.