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Not showing working in questions that can be done on a calculator
“Remember when a question asks for working, clear method should be shown, and simple use of a calculator would not gain credit. This was evident this year in particular in questions 16 (fractions) and 20 (surds).”— 4MB1 Paper 01, June 2024
How to fix: Whenever a question shows marks (M marks) or instructs 'show all working' or 'without a calculator', every step must appear on paper: write the formula, substitute values, simplify step by step. Calculator-only answers receive zero even if correct. For fractions: show conversion to improper fractions, common denominator, multiplication, and addition as separate lines. For surds: show expanding the bracket, rationalising the denominator, and each simplification as distinct steps.