Use these notes to understand a method before testing yourself. Read an example, try it without looking, then explain the steps in your own words.
Written by QuizChallenge SA · Updated 29 September 2026 · 95 questions available for this grade
Integers, ratio and algebra
A negative number is below zero. Calculate −6 + 11 by starting at −6 and moving eleven steps in the positive direction: the answer is 5. A ratio compares quantities using parts. To share R60 in the ratio 2:3, add the parts to get 5, divide 60 by 5 to find R12 per part, then allocate R24 and R36.
Worked example or application
For 3x + 2 when x = 4, substitute carefully: 3 × 4 + 2 = 14. The expression 3x means multiplication, not the number 34.
Common mistake: In a ratio question, check whether you are given the total amount or only one share. The method depends on that information.
Check your understanding: Cover the example and explain its reasoning. Change one detail and consider how the answer would change.
Classification, properties and investigations
Scientific classification groups organisms according to shared features. Vertebrates have a backbone, while invertebrates do not. In investigations, distinguish observations from explanations. If you compare how quickly two materials transfer heat, change one relevant factor at a time and keep other conditions comparable. Record the method and results so another person can understand what was done.
Worked example or application
A metal spoon and a wooden spoon placed under comparable conditions may warm differently because they conduct heat differently. The observation is the measured temperature change; the explanation concerns heat transfer.
Common mistake: An investigation’s result does not support a claim about all conditions unless the test actually considered those conditions.
Check your understanding: Cover the example and explain its reasoning. Change one detail and consider how the answer would change.
Maps, weather and population
A map scale connects a distance on the page with a distance on the ground. Convert units carefully after applying the scale. Weather describes conditions at a particular time; climate describes longer-term patterns. Population distribution tells you where people live, while density compares the number of people with area. Access to water, work and transport can influence settlement.
Worked example or application
Two regions can have the same population but different density if their areas differ. A population of 1 000 over 10 km² gives 100 people per km²; over 100 km² it gives 10 per km².
Common mistake: A high density does not by itself explain why people settled there. Use additional evidence about opportunities and conditions.
Check your understanding: Cover the example and explain its reasoning. Change one detail and consider how the answer would change.
Sources, chronology and competing viewpoints
Place events in time before comparing causes and effects. A primary source comes from the period being studied, but it is not automatically complete or unbiased. A letter, object or account reflects a particular context. When studying historical trade, enslavement or colonial settlement, ask whose experiences are represented and whose are absent. Compare sources instead of relying only on a single viewpoint.
Worked example or application
A merchant’s account may reveal trading interests, while saying less about the experiences of people who were forced to work. Identifying that limitation helps you ask for additional evidence.
Common mistake: Do not assume that an older source must be more reliable. Consider origin, purpose, content and corroboration.
Check your understanding: Cover the example and explain its reasoning. Change one detail and consider how the answer would change.
Sentence links, speech and summaries
Connectives express relationships between ideas. But signals contrast; because gives a reason; therefore introduces a result. Direct speech reproduces spoken words using quotation marks, while reported speech restates them from the reporting perspective. A summary preserves central ideas and essential facts while removing repetition and unnecessary examples. It should not introduce your own judgement of the writer.
Worked example or application
“It was raining, but we continued playing” contrasts the conditions with the action. “Sipho said that he was tired” reports a past statement and adjusts the pronoun and tense to the context.
Common mistake: A correct summary is not simply a list of sentences copied from the source. Check both meaning and concision.
Check your understanding: Cover the example and explain its reasoning. Change one detail and consider how the answer would change.
Money, budgets and entrepreneurial needs
Money makes exchange easier than barter because trading partners do not need to want each other’s goods at the same moment. A budget plans income and expenses. Needs should be distinguished from wants when money is limited. An entrepreneur identifies an unmet need and checks whether customers can and will pay for a useful response.
Worked example or application
A budget with R600 income and R680 expenses has an R80 deficit. The plan needs lower spending, more income or another realistic adjustment. Calling the deficit a surplus does not solve it.
Common mistake: Sales are not automatically profit. First account for the costs of supplying the product or service.
Check your understanding: Cover the example and explain its reasoning. Change one detail and consider how the answer would change.
Structural shapes and testable designs
A design brief explains the problem; specifications state requirements the solution must meet. In structures, tension pulls and compression pushes. Diagonal bracing can turn a deformable rectangle into stable triangles. A material’s shape can affect its stiffness, so folded or corrugated paper may perform differently from a flat sheet of the same paper.
Worked example or application
A bridge specification such as “supports 1 kg across a 30 cm gap” can be tested. “Looks nice” is too vague unless appearance criteria are explained. Build, test, record weaknesses and improve the design.
Common mistake: Passing one test does not prove a product works under every load or weather condition.
Check your understanding: Cover the example and explain its reasoning. Change one detail and consider how the answer would change.
Observation and expressive choices
In visual art, contour lines describe boundaries, while balance concerns how visual weight is arranged. In performance, gesture, posture, pace and voice contribute to meaning. A steady musical beat is the regular pulse, distinct from the rhythm patterns played around it. Creative choices should serve the intended message rather than be included only because they are dramatic.
Worked example or application
Compare “Your clear gestures showed the character’s fear” with “That was bad.” The first describes evidence and its effect; the second gives no useful direction for improvement.
Common mistake: Naming a device is only the beginning. Explain what the choice does in the work or performance.
Check your understanding: Cover the example and explain its reasoning. Change one detail and consider how the answer would change.
Self-image and achievable learning goals
A balanced self-image recognises strengths and areas for improvement. Personal value is not determined by one assessment result or another person’s comment. A useful goal identifies a manageable action and a way to check progress. Healthy friendships respect boundaries and allow disagreement without threats. Participation in a group should also consider safety, dignity and inclusion.
Worked example or application
“Practise ten spelling words on three afternoons, then test them” is more useful than “Become perfect at spelling tomorrow.” The first specifies an action and provides a check.
Common mistake: Realistic self-talk supports effort without promising that every result will be perfect.
Check your understanding: Cover the example and explain its reasoning. Change one detail and consider how the answer would change.
Practise Grade 7
Choose from Creative Arts, Economic and Management Sciences, English, Geography, History, Life Orientation, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Technology. Social Sciences is separated into Geography and History practice in Grades 6–9. Your school timetable may include other languages or electives.
Use your teacher’s current term plan and textbook to check what you need to cover. These notes select concepts for practice; they do not replace lessons, practical tasks, essays or examination preparation. Examples with financial rates are hypothetical unless clearly identified otherwise.