Grade 7 Arts and Entrepreneurship exam-day guide
Grade 7 Arts and Entrepreneurship · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admission ticket / registration confirmation
Print or download the confirmation showing your candidate number and the test venue. Check the name and ID number match your government-issued ID exactly. If your confirmation has not arrived, confirm with the provider how to obtain it before test day.
Valid photo ID
Bring the original government-issued photo ID named in your registration. Photocopies and screenshots are usually refused. Confirm with the provider which ID types are accepted if yours is a school-issued card.
Two black or blue ballpoint pens plus one pencil and eraser
Business and arts responses often need diagrams, sketches, or labelled layouts. A pencil lets you plan a poster or product sketch before inking it. Confirm with the provider whether pencil work is accepted in the final answer booklet.
Colour pencils or a small marker set
Only if your syllabus includes design, poster, or packaging tasks. Keep them in a clear pouch. Confirm with the provider whether colour media are permitted in the exam room and whether they must be supplied by the centre.
Plain ruler and, if permitted, a calculator
Costing, break-even, and markup questions need arithmetic. Confirm with the provider the exact calculator model rules; many centres ban programmable or graphing models.
Clear water bottle and a small snack for the break
Labels must usually be removed from bottles. Eat the snack outside the exam room. Confirm with the provider whether food is allowed at your desk for medical reasons.
Watch (non-smart, silent)
Wall clocks may be out of view. A simple analogue or digital watch with alarms disabled helps you pace the long writing sections. Smartwatches are normally prohibited.
Know your arrival time and venue route
Do a practice run to the venue or check the map the day before. Arrive ahead of the stated reporting time; late entry rules vary. Confirm with the provider the cut-off after which candidates are not admitted.
Review your own project/portfolio requirements
If your course includes a submitted portfolio or business plan, confirm with the provider whether it is submitted before the exam or brought on the day, and in what format.
Restate the command words you will see
Be ready to distinguish 'state', 'describe', 'explain', 'analyse', and 'evaluate'. Marks are awarded for the depth the command word demands, so match your answer length to it.
Plan the day
Build a one-page summary sheet of the four or five topics you are least sure of: for example break-even calculation, the elements of design, target-market segmentation, and sources of finance for a small creative venture. Write worked examples, not just definitions.
Do one full timed practice paper under exam conditions, including the drawing or design question. Mark it against the mark scheme and list the command words you answered too thinly.
Rehearse the calculations you will be asked to perform: total costs, unit cost, selling price with markup, break-even quantity, and simple cash-flow gaps. Check each formula once with a worked number.
Prepare and pack your kit bag: pens, pencil, eraser, ruler, colour media if allowed, ID, admission ticket. Put it by the door so nothing is decided in a rush.
Do a light review only: skim your summary sheet, the command words, and any labelled diagrams you plan to reproduce (for example a product design annotation or a simple break-even chart). Stop studying in the evening.
Confirm the venue, reporting time, and transport. Charge your phone but plan to leave it outside the exam room. Set two alarms. Sleep a full night; memory recall for definitions and formulas depends on it.
Eat a proper breakfast and drink water. Re-read only your summary sheet for 20 to 30 minutes; do not attempt new topics. Arrive at the venue with time to spare and locate the room and toilets.
Read the whole paper before writing. Note the marks per question and identify any choice questions (for example 'answer two of three'). Mark the questions you will attempt and budget minutes roughly in proportion to marks.
Answer the highest-mark and design questions while you are freshest. For every 'explain' or 'evaluate' question, write a point, then the reason, then the effect or consequence. Label any diagram and refer to it in your text.
Check that every attempted question is numbered correctly, that no page is blank by accident, and that units and currency symbols are shown in calculations. Correct obvious errors rather than adding new points.
Rules to check
Bring the original photo ID named in your registration. If you are unsure which documents are accepted, confirm with the provider before test day; candidates without acceptable ID may be refused entry.
Arrive by the reporting time on your admission ticket. Rules on late admission and on leaving early differ between centres, so confirm with the provider rather than assuming.
Phones, smartwatches, and any wearable or earpiece must be switched off and stored outside the exam room. Possession in the room is normally treated as malpractice regardless of intent.
Do not communicate with other candidates once you enter the room, and do not look at another candidate's work. Raise your hand for a supervisor if you need anything.
Write only in the answer booklet or on the paper provided. Rough work on your summary sheet or on the desk is not marked. Confirm with the provider whether extra answer sheets are available.
Breaks: toilet visits are usually escorted and may not extend your time. Confirm with the provider the policy on supervised breaks and whether extra time is granted for them.
Scoring: marks are awarded for the depth implied by the command word, and for correct working in calculation questions even where the final figure is wrong. Show your method.
If you believe there is a printing error or a missing page, tell a supervisor immediately. Do not attempt to correct the paper silently; the provider's procedure for reporting errors should be followed.