BOTSWANA EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL
Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education
CANDIDATE
NAME
CENTRE CANDIDATE
NUMBER NUMBER
SCIENTIFIC MATHEMATICS 1237/01
Paper 1 Written For Examination from 2025
SPECIMEN PAPER
2 hours
Candidates answer on the Question Paper
Additional Materials: Answer Booklet
INSTRUCTIONS
Answer all questions.
Write your name, Centre number and candidate number in the spaces provided at the top of this
page and on all work you hand in.
Write in dark blue or black pen.
Write your answer to each question in the spaces provided.
You may use HB pencil for any diagrams, graphs or rough working.
Do not use staples, paper clips, highlighters, glue or correction fluid.
Do not write in any barcodes.
ma
INFORMATION
The total marks for this paper is 60.
You may lose marks if you do not show your working or if
you do not use appropriate units.
The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.
Electronic calculators not allowed
This document consists of 9 printed pages and 3 blank pages.
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Mathematical formuale for papers 1 and 2
Surface area and volume of solids
Name of solid Total surface area Volume
1 2
cone 𝜋𝑟 2 + 𝜋𝑟𝑙 𝜋𝑟 ℎ
3
1
pyramid base area × height
3
4 3
sphere 4𝜋𝑟 2 𝜋𝑟
3
Trigonometry
sin 𝐴 sin 𝐵 sin 𝐶
Sine Rule = =
𝑎 𝑏 𝑐
𝑎 𝑏 𝑐
= =
sin 𝐴 sin 𝐵 sin 𝐶
1
Area of a triangle = 𝑎𝑏 sin 𝐶
2
1. Convert an angle of 320 degrees into radians. Give your answer in terms of 𝜋 .
Answer ………………………………………[2]
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2. Given that A = {4,5,6,7, 8} and B = {5,7,9,11},find AꓵB
Answer:(b)…………………….………………[1]
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3. Convert 1.25̇ into a fraction.
Answer ………………………………………[3]
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4. A bag contains 5 yellow balls and 3 red balls of the same size.
Two balls are picked at random and not replaced.
Find the probability of picking 1 red ball
Answer ……………………………………[3]
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5. A radio station transmits signals up to a radius of 200km in all directions, horizontally.
Use a scale of 1 cm to represent 40km to show the maximum signal coverage from point R. [2]
R
•
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6. The first four terms of a sequence are 3, 10, 19 and 30.
Find the expression for the 𝑛th term?
Answer ………………………………………[3]
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7. Simplify √98 leaving your answer in surd form.
Answer ………………..…………………………[2]
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8. Simplify log4 9 + log4 21 – log4 7
Answer …………………………………………[2]
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9. Use the discriminant to determine whether the equation 3𝑥 2 + 7𝑥 + 2 = 0 has distinct real
roots,no real roots or equal roots
Answer ………………….………………………[3]
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4 5)
10. Calculate the inverse of the matrix (
4 7
Answer …………………….……………………[3]
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11. The mass, m, in kilograms of a group of 30 patients is shown in the grouped frequency table.
Mass,𝑚 Frequency
26 < 𝑚≤ 30 8
31 < 𝑚 ≤ 35 10
36 < 𝑚≤ 40 5
41< 𝑚 ≤ 45 7
(a) Write down the mid- value of the class 5 < 𝑚 ≤ 15.
Answer (a) ………………………………………[1]
(b) Calculate an estimate of the mean ages of the patients.
Answer (b) ………………………………………[3]
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12. The dimensions of a ploughing field are 200m by 100m rounded to the nearest [Link]
the minimum area of the ploughing field.
Answer ……………………………………………[3]
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13. The function f is defined as f(𝑥) = 5𝑥 − 3, 𝑥 ∈ 𝑅.
Find the inverse of f(𝑥).
Answer ……………………………………………[2]
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14. Calculate the magnitude of (52) leaving the answer in surd form.
Answer: (b) ………………………………………[2]
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15. State the order of rotational symmetry of a square-based pyramid.
Answer………………………………..……[2]
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16. (a) State the transformation matrix which represents the enlargement with scale factor -2 and
centre (0,0)?
Answer………………………………….[1]
(b) (i) Triangle has vertices (1,1), (3,1) and (3,4).
1 0
The triangle is transformed by a matrix ( ).
2 1
Find the coordinates of the image.
Answer ( , ),( , ),( , ) [3]
(ii) Name the type of transformation matrix in (b)(i)
Answer…………………………[1]
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17. Factorise, completely, 𝑝(𝑥 ) = 𝑥 3- 7x – 6, given that p(3) = 0.
Answer:………………..[3]
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(𝑥−3)2 (𝑦+2)2
18. What are the coordinates of the centre of an ellipse given by + = 1?
4 3
Answer:………………..……..[2]
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1 1 1 1
19. Determine the sum to infinity of the geometric progression 2 , 4 , 8 , 16 , … … ….
Answer:…………………….……..….[3]
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20. Integrate 4𝑥 2 + 1 with respect to 𝑥.
Answer:……………………………..[3]
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21. On the axes , sketch the graph of y = 2sin2𝑥 on an interval -𝜋 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 𝜋.
Answer:…………,[3]
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3𝑥 2 −2𝑥
22. Evaluate lim .
𝑥→−2 1−𝑥
Answer:…………….[2]
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23. Solve the equation 82−𝑥 = 42𝑥−1 .
Answer………………………………… [3]
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