CSSE past papers: choose English or maths
Pick a paper. Mark it. Practise the skill that cost a mark.
Prepare for today's format
60minutes per paper
2027 entry: English has 10 extra minutes for reading.
Two worked examples in the CSSE style
CSSE answers are written, not multiple choice. These are our own questions, marked the way a written answer is.
Maths: show the working
A school orders 7 boxes of pencils. Each box holds 24 pencils. 15 pencils are broken and thrown away. The rest are shared equally between 9 classes. How many pencils does each class get?
Show the worked answer
- 7 × 24 = 168 pencils in the order.
- 168 − 15 = 153 pencils that can be used.
- 153 ÷ 9 = 17 pencils for each class.
Answer: 17 pencils
The trap: Sharing 168 between 9 classes first gives 18.66..., which is not a whole number of pencils: take the broken ones away before sharing.
English: a phrase, then an explanation
"The corridor swallowed the last of the evening light, and Ana's footsteps sounded far too loud." Find and copy one phrase that shows Ana feels uneasy, then explain how it shows this.
Show the worked answer
- Choose the phrase: "sounded far too loud".
- Explain the effect: in a silent, darkening place even her own steps seem to draw attention, so she feels exposed and nervous.
- Keep the quotation short and make the explanation say what it suggests, not just what it means.
Answer: "far too loud" suggests she is aware of every sound because she feels watched or out of place.
The trap: Copying the whole sentence, or explaining only that the corridor is dark, does not answer how Ana feels.
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