Mathematical Literacy mock exam papers, marked mark by mark

A full Mathematical Literacy exam paper, written at home under exam conditions and marked question by question. The report names every lost mark, sorts it into one of five reasons, and shows which of those marks were already within reach. Grades 10 to 12, CAPS and IEB.

Last updated 13 September 2026

Price
R299 a paper; Mark Recovery, the whole subject, R749
Grades
Grade 10, Grade 11 and Grade 12
Curricula
CAPS and IEB
Papers
Paper 1 or Paper 2
Written
At home, 3 timed hours, whenever suits you
Back to you
Marks in 1 hour, the full report in 24
Delivered
By email and WhatsApp
Guarantee
Fewer than 10 recoverable marks, and the paper is refunded

What a Mathematical Literacy diagnostic tells you

Exam Diagnostics ZA is a South African service that marks a full Grade 10–12 mock exam paper mark by mark and reports every lost mark, with a strategy report and a video walkthrough, within 24 hours. For Mathematical Literacy that means a mark, and beside it the mark your child would have had without the mistakes that had nothing to do with knowing the work.

Your child can do the arithmetic and the mark says otherwise. In Mathematical Literacy the calculation is rarely the hard part; working out what the question actually asked is.

What Mathematical Literacy Paper 1 and Paper 2 cover

Mathematical Literacy is examined in two papers. Paper 1 covers the basics and routine procedures across every topic. Paper 2 covers the same topics in longer, multi-step, real-world contexts. You choose which one your child writes when you order, so you can diagnose the paper that is actually costing marks.

The CAPS Grade 12 split. Grades 10 and 11 follow the same shape with less content.
PaperFocusMain topics
Paper 1 The basics and routine procedures across every topic. Finance: income, expenditure, interest, tariffs and budgets; Measurement and conversions; Maps, plans and other representations; Data handling; Probability
Paper 2 The same topics in longer, multi-step, real-world contexts. Extended finance and cost comparisons; Measurement in applied contexts; Maps, plans and scale drawings; Interpreting and comparing data sets; Probability in context

Grade 12 paper length: 150 marks in 3 hours.

IEB: IEB papers lean further into unfamiliar contexts, so the skill being tested is reading a new situation rather than recalling a procedure.

Where Mathematical Literacy marks are usually lost

Marks leave a paper for five reasons, and only two of them mean your child did not know the work. In Mathematical Literacy the most common are misread and accuracy — both of which come from how the paper was written, not from what was studied.

  • Misread. A value is taken off the wrong row of a table, or a tariff bracket is read one line out, and every answer built on it follows the mistake.
  • Accuracy. Rounding too early, or converting units once too often, turns a correct method into a wrong answer.
  • Not written down. A conclusion is given without the calculation that justifies it, so the marks for the reasoning are never earned.
Every lost mark is sorted into one of five reasons.
ReasonWhat it meansRecoverable?
Wrong method The route chosen could not reach the answer. No — this is a gap to teach
Accuracy The method was right; the arithmetic slipped. Yes — the method was right
Not written down The working stopped before the mark was earned. Yes — the method was right
Misread A value or instruction was taken off the paper wrongly. No — this is a gap to teach
Didn’t remember A formula or definition was not recalled in the moment. No — this is a gap to teach

What you get back

Marks come back within 1 hour and the full report within 24, by email and WhatsApp. It runs to eight pages: the mark, the mark in reach, every lost mark with its reason, the recoverable marks question by question, and the concepts behind them.

  • Cover
  • The mark, and the mark in reach
  • Why the marks were lost
  • 26% recoverable
  • Recoverable marks by question
  • Recoverable marks, continued
  • Concepts behind the losses
  • Concepts, continued

You can read a full report before you order anything — see the sample report .

Choose the grade

The paper is set for the grade your child is in, so a Grade 10 diagnostic is a Grade 10 paper. Pick the grade below to see what that year's Mathematical Literacy paper asks for and when in the year a diagnostic is worth writing.

Questions parents ask

Which Mathematical Literacy paper should my child write?

The one the marks are going missing in. Paper 1 covers the basics and routine procedures across every topic. Paper 2 covers the same topics in longer, multi-step, real-world contexts. If you are not sure, a school report or a returned test usually shows which paper is the weaker one.

Is the paper CAPS or IEB?

Both are available. You choose the curriculum when you order, once per order, because a family is normally at one school. IEB papers lean further into unfamiliar contexts, so the skill being tested is reading a new situation rather than recalling a procedure.

What does a Mathematical Literacy diagnostic cost?

A single paper is R299. Mark Recovery, both papers of a subject and a follow-up paper, is R749. Finals Ready, three subjects, is R1,990. A printed copy couriered to you is R250 for the order. A follow-up paper on its own is R250; in Mark Recovery it is included.

What if the report finds nothing worth fixing?

Then you do not pay for it. If a paper turns up fewer than 10 recoverable marks, that paper is refunded.

Diagnose Mathematical LiteracyFrom R299. Report in 24 hours.