8
Plotting blobs instead of crosses on graphs, forcing line through origin
“Candidates should use neat crosses for the plots, or neatly circled dots so that the accuracy of the plotting can be assessed.”— Paper 5, May/June 2023
How to fix: Plot with × crosses (not dots or blobs). Line of best fit: must have points balanced above and below — do NOT force through the origin unless data supports it, and do NOT just connect first to last point. Use scales of 1, 2, or 5 per grid square — never 3, 7, or 9.