Social Studies: History, Geography and Civics
History
Know the main periods of Burundian history: the founding of the kingdom and its institutions (the mwami, the ganwa princes, the bashingantahe council of notables), the era of the German presence and then Belgian administration under the League of Nations mandate and later United Nations trusteeship, independence on 1 July 1962, the 1993 democratic transition, and the Arusha Accords followed by the 2005 Constitution. Traps: mixing up 1962 (independence) with 1961 (assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore); assuming colonisation began at the same date everywhere in the region.
Geography
Know Burundi's position in the Great Lakes region of East Africa, its borders (Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, with Lake Tanganyika forming much of that western boundary), the central plateau, the Congo–Nile watershed, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Cohoha, the climate of two rainy and two dry seasons, population density, and the role of coffee and tea in exports. Traps: confusing the watershed with a river; forgetting that Burundi is landlocked.
Civics
Know the institutions of the Republic: executive, bicameral Parliament (National Assembly and Senate), judiciary, and the constitutional emphasis on unity, national languages (Kirundi), and citizens' duties such as paying taxes, respecting the law, and protecting the environment. Traps: mixing the roles of the Senate and the Assembly; confusing a right with a duty.
Rule of thumb
For map questions, locate north first, then check borders clockwise. For civics, ask: which institution, which power, which obligation?