5014_s26_gt — 2026 May-June Environmental Management 5014 Grade Threshold · Cambridge CAIE O Level

Vague answers — 'causes harm', 'causes pollution', 'affects the environment' not credited

“Candidates should avoid vague statements such as: 'impacts' or 'damages', 'causes harm', 'causes pollution', 'affects the environment', 'reduces resources', 'causes death', 'environmentally-friendly'; these unspecific statements are unlikely to gain credit.”— 5014 Paper 2, May/June 2025

How to fix: Never write 'causes pollution' or 'affects the environment'. Always name the SPECIFIC impact: 'water pollution from sewage causes typhoid', 'oil contaminates seabirds' feathers preventing flight', 'nitrate run-off causes eutrophication'. Generic environmental phrases score zero.

Map locations described with 'above/below' instead of compass directions

“A large number of answers referred to 'above' or 'below' rather than using the correct phrases of North and South, which in many cases limited the credit achieved.”— 5014 Paper 1, May/June 2025

How to fix: Always describe map locations using compass directions (north, south, east, west, north-east, etc.) and named features (specific oceans, continents, countries). Say 'in the North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of West Africa', not 'above the line'. Verify ocean names before writing — Atlantic vs Pacific cost marks in 2025.

Line graphs plotted on a non-linear scale or without joining points

“The more able candidates were successful in constructing the line graph. Weaker candidates often did not construct linear scales and plotted the data evenly. Less common errors included omitting labels for axes (including units) and forgetting to draw a line between plots commencing at day zero.”— 5014 Paper 1, May/June 2025

How to fix: Before plotting: check the data for uneven time intervals — your axis scale must remain LINEAR (1 cm = 1 day, regardless of whether the table shows day 0, 2, 7, 14). Label both axes WITH units. Plot all points (including day zero), then connect with straight ruled lines in pencil. Don't draw a line of best fit unless asked.