NOTES · E MATH
The real-world question on E Math Paper 2: what it tests and how to answer it
Method & Mark ·
The last question of E Math Paper 2 is different from the rest of the paper. The 2026 syllabus (4052) says it “will focus specifically on applying mathematics to a real-world scenario”. It is long, it can draw on more than one topic, and it usually ends by asking the student to decide something and explain why. Students who can do every calculation still drop marks here, because the marks are for the reasoning as much as the arithmetic.
What the syllabus says it can be about
The syllabus lists the contexts these problems may be based on:
- Everyday life
- Travel and excursion plans, transport schedules, sports and games, recipes, floor plans, navigation
- Money
- Personal and household finance: simple and compound interest, taxation, instalments, utilities bills, money exchange
- Data
- Interpreting and analysing tables and graphs, including distance-time and speed-time graphs
It also says such questions may integrate ideas from more than one topic, and may require interpreting the solution in the context of the problem.
Why the explanation carries marks
The syllabus weights three assessment objectives: using standard techniques (about 45%), solving problems in context (about 40%) and reasoning and communicating mathematically (about 15%). The last two include interpreting results in context, justifying statements and writing mathematical arguments. A real-world question is where those two objectives are tested most directly, so a bare number rarely finishes the answer.
A short example
A family uses 350 kWh of electricity a month. Retailer P charges 29.5 cents per kWh. Retailer Q charges 27.0 cents per kWh plus a $6 monthly fee. Which should they choose?
The marks shown are illustrative. The shape is what matters: each option is costed on its own line, and the answer ends with a decision in words that refers back to the numbers.
How to write it
- Find the question actually asked. The context is long; the question is usually one line near the end. Underline it before calculating anything.
- Cost or measure every option the same way. One labelled line per option, with units, so the marker can award each method mark.
- State any assumption you make. If the question leaves something open, such as whether a fee is monthly, say what you assumed and use it consistently.
- End with a sentence, not a number. “Q is cheaper by $2.75 a month, so they should choose Q.” The decision and its reason are what the reasoning marks are for.
- Check the accuracy asked for. The syllabus rule is 3 significant figures for non-exact answers unless the question says otherwise, so read the question’s own instruction first.
Source: the scheme of assessment, assessment objectives and “Problems in real-world contexts” section of the SEAB O-Level Mathematics 4052 syllabus (2026). For how long the question deserves, see About 90 seconds a mark.