Botswana PSLE Mathematics exam-day guide
Botswana PSLE Mathematics · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admission letter or registration confirmation
Bring the printed or official copy of your PSLE registration/admission slip if your school or the examining body issued one. Confirm with the provider (your school or the Botswana Examinations Council) exactly which document is accepted as proof of registration and whether a photocopy is allowed.
Identification as required
Ask your school well before the exam which identification, if any, candidates must present. Do not assume a particular document is accepted; confirm with the provider and carry exactly what is specified.
Two or more working pens and pencils
Pack at least two blue or black ballpoint pens and two sharpened pencils with a good eraser. Check with your teacher whether answers must be written in pen and diagrams in pencil, since conventions can vary.
Mathematical instruments
Bring a ruler, a sharpened pencil, an eraser and a pencil sharpener. If your syllabus requires a protractor, set square or pair of compasses, confirm with your teacher which instruments are permitted and pack them.
No calculator unless told otherwise
Assume mental and written arithmetic. Confirm with the provider whether any calculating aid is allowed; if not, leave it at home so it cannot be mistaken for unauthorised material.
Clear pencil case or pouch
Use a transparent case or a simple pouch so an invigilator can check your equipment quickly. Confirm with the provider whether clear cases are required.
Water bottle and a light snack
Bring water in a plain bottle and a small snack for after the paper, subject to school rules. Confirm with the provider whether drinks and snacks are allowed in the examination room.
Watch or clock awareness
A simple wristwatch helps you pace yourself. Confirm with the provider whether watches are permitted and whether smart or digital watches are banned.
Know your centre, room and start time
Write down the examination centre, room and reporting time the day before. Confirm with the provider or your school, and plan to arrive well before the start.
Plan your transport and a backup
Decide how you will travel and who to call if something goes wrong. Arrange to arrive early so a delay does not cost you reading time.
Rest and eat properly
Sleep well for several nights before the exam and eat a normal breakfast. Cramming late at night usually costs more marks than it gains.
Read all instructions on the paper
On the day, read the front cover and the instructions for each section before starting, and check how many questions you must answer.
Plan the day
Stop learning new topics. Work through one or two past-style papers under timed conditions, then mark them and list the question types where you lost marks. Revise those topics using your own notes and textbook examples.
Make a one-page sheet of key facts: times tables, place value, fraction and decimal conversions, perimeter and area formulas, and units of length, mass, capacity and money. Read it once each day rather than memorising it in one sitting.
Practise showing working neatly. For word problems, write the number sentence, then the calculation, then the answer with units. Train yourself to check each answer by estimating.
Check your equipment: pens that write, sharpened pencils, eraser, ruler and any permitted instruments. Pack them in a clear case and put the case in your bag.
Do a light revision session only: reread your one-page sheet and one worked example of each main question type. Do not start a new topic.
Confirm the centre, room, reporting time and what you must bring. If anything is unclear, contact your school or confirm with the provider now rather than on the morning.
Lay out clothes, identification, admission slip, pens, pencils, instruments, water and snack by the door. Set an alarm and a backup alarm, and go to bed at a normal time.
Eat a proper breakfast and drink water. Avoid heavy, unfamiliar food and too much caffeine.
Leave early enough to arrive with time to spare. If transport fails, call your backup contact immediately and tell the school.
On arrival, check in, find your seat and place only permitted items on the desk. Listen carefully to the invigilator's instructions.
Read the front cover and instructions. Check the number of questions and the marks, and note any compulsory sections. Scan the whole paper before writing.
Answer the questions you find easiest first to build confidence, but write answers in the correct places. Show your working, keep columns aligned, and write units and money symbols clearly.
Underline the question being asked. Write the number sentence, do the calculation, then write the answer as a sentence with units. Check whether the answer is sensible in size.
Keep an eye on the clock. Allow roughly the last few minutes for checking, and never leave a question blank if there is no penalty for a wrong answer; write something sensible.
Check that every question has an answer, that your name and details are correct, and that no answer is outside the marked space. Hand in your paper only when told.
Rules to check
Follow every instruction given by the invigilator. If you are unsure about a rule, raise your hand and ask quietly rather than guessing.
Bring only permitted items to your desk. Bags, phones and any unauthorised material must be left where the invigilator directs, and a phone must be switched off. Confirm with the provider the exact rules on phones and bags.
Bring the identification and registration documents your school or the examining body requires. Confirm with the provider which documents are accepted; do not assume.
Do not talk, pass items, or look at another candidate's paper once the examination has started. Raise your hand if you need the invigilator.
If you need the toilet or feel unwell, raise your hand immediately. Whether you are escorted and whether lost time is replaced is set by the examination rules, so confirm with the provider in advance if this worries you.
Write in the language and format the paper requires, show working where marks are awarded for it, and do not write anything abusive or irrelevant on the script.
Marks are awarded for correct answers and, where stated, for correct working. Read the marks per question to judge how much detail to give.
If you believe there is a printing error or a missing page, tell the invigilator at once. Do not try to fix the paper yourself.