COMMON ERRORS IN
MATHEMATICS PAPER 2
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
PRESENTER: MRS. CHANDA L. C
ZAME PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE – 2024
VENUE: MKUSHI
CONTENT
• MARKING OF DEAD SCRIPT
• DISCUSSION OF THE MARKED SCRIPT
• OVERVIEW OF THE COMMON ERRORS MADE BY LEARNERS
MARKING OF DEAD SCRIPT
• Give delegates the question paper
• Delegates to make their own marking key
• Share the marking key and go through together with delegates
• Delegates to mark the given script
DISCUSSION OF THE MARKED SCRIPT
QUESTION 1
9 8
Express − as a single fraction in it’s simplest form.
1−4𝑡 1−3𝑡
ERRORS from the Dead Script
First Step
• Inner and outer brackets in the denominator. Note that inner brackets are
more essential. Outer ones may be condoned if inner ones are there.
• 1 − 4𝑡 is supposed to be in the brackets to indicate that 8 is multiplying
everything inside the brackets.
DISCUSSION OF THE MARKED SCRIPT CONT…
Second Step
• Learner recovered in Numerator by multiplying correctly despite
not putting the brackets in the previous step.
• However, the candidate cannot score a mark since he omitted the
brackets in the denominator.
• But as an examiner, you need to follow through before you give M0.
DISCUSSION OF THE MARKED SCRIPT CONT…
Third Step
• The candidate recovered, hence he/she will score both M1s
Fourth Step
• The candidate omitted the inner bracket for 1 − 4𝑡, hence he/she
will not score A1.
DISCUSSION OF THE MARKED SCRIPT CONT…
QUESTION 2
DISCUSSION OF THE MARKED SCRIPT CONT…
ERRORS from the Dead Script
Part (i)
The candidate did the first part correctly without any error.
Part(ii)
• When substituting, the candidate used the rounded off figure instead of the one on the
calculator (870.3641268).
• However, the candidate will not lose the M mark, because of their(870).
• Meanwhile, the candidate won’t score the A mark.
DISCUSSION OF THE MARKED SCRIPT CONT…
Part(iii)
• The candidate made the same mistake as in part(ii) when substituting for
area.
• Therefore, the candidate will not scare an A mark because he used “their
area”
OVERVIEW OF THE COMMON ERRORS MADE BY
LEARNERS
• Most candidates like dividing the page causing omission of work during marking and marks by
examiners grading such work.
• Not numbering the questions or wrongly numbering them, thereby creating confusion to the
examiners and leading to unmarked work and such candidates losing marks.
• Scattering the solution for one question on several pages, mixing them with solutions for
other questions making it difficult for examiners to come up with an accurate question total.
• Using plan paper to answer other non construction questions and the booklet or graph to
answer questions on construction. This causes difficulties to the examiners to locate the work
and sometimes leads to loss of marks on the part of the candidate.
OVERVIEW OF THE COMMON ERRORS MADE BY
LEARNERS CONT…
• On algebraic fractions- not using a single dividing line and/ leaving out inner brackets in
the denominator leading to loss of marks( inner brackets are essential).
• Inter-changing the algebraic factors in the numerator leading to loss of accuracy marks.
