BOTSWANA EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL

Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education

PHYSICS 1427/02
Paper 2 Practical Test For Examination from 2025
CONFIDENTIAL INSTRUCTIONS
SPECIMEN PAPER

Great care should be taken that any confidential information given does not reach the candidates

Instructions for preparing apparatus

The Physics teacher is not allowed to consult the Question Paper before the examination. The
teacher should, as part of the preparation of the examination requirements, test each set of the
apparatus in order to ensure that it is satisfactory as per the instructions provided.

The Supervisor or the teacher responsible must complete the report on pages 7 and 8. All
reports must be signed by the Supervisor, being the person responsible for preparing the
apparatus and the Head of Centre. The report must be enclosed with the candidates’ scripts. The
Supervisor should also report any assistance given to candidates under the regulations explained on
page 2.

In addition to the usual equipment of a physics laboratory, each candidate will require the apparatus
specified overleaf. If a candidate breaks any of the apparatus, or loses any of the material supplied, the
matter should be rectified and a note made in the report.

This document consists of 7 printed pages and 1 blank page.

© BEC 2025 [Turn over

 2

Instructions for the Practical Physics Supervisor

A Assistance to Candidates

The purpose of the Physics Practical test is to find out whether the candidates can carry out simple
practical work themselves. The Examiners are aware that candidates may sometimes be unable to
show their practical ability through failure to understand some point in the theory of the experiment. If
the Examiners were present in the laboratory, they would be willing to give a hint to enable such a
candidate to get on with an experiment. In order to overcome this difficulty, the Supervisor is asked to
co-operate with the Examiners to the extent of being ready to give (or allow the Physics teacher to give)
a hint to a candidate who is unable to proceed.

The following regulations must be strictly adhered to.

(i) No hint may be announced to the candidates as a whole.

(ii) A candidate who is unable to proceed and requires assistance must come up to the Invigilator
and state the difficulty. Candidates should be told that the Examiners will be informed of any
assistance given in this way.

(iii) A report must be made of any assistance given to the candidate, with the name and candidate
number of the candidate.

It is suggested that the following announcement be made to the candidates.

‘The Examiners do not want you to waste time through inability to proceed with an experiment.
Any candidate, therefore, who is unable to get on with the experiment after spending 5 minutes
at it, may come to me and ask for help. I shall report to the Examiners any help given in this way,
and some marks may be lost for the help given. You may ask me for additional apparatus which
you think would improve the accuracy of your experiments, and you should say, on your script,
how you use any such apparatus supplied.’

B Number of sets of apparatus

As a minimum, the number of sets of apparatus provided should be N/ 4, where N is the number of
candidates (per session). A few spare sets should, preferably, be available to avoid any candidate being
delayed when moving to another question.

Centres may find it more convenient and easier to administer if N / 3 sets (plus one or two ‘spares’) of
apparatus are provided.

The order in which a given candidate attempts the four questions is immaterial.

© BEC 2025 1427/02/CI/O/N/25

 3

1 Items to be supplied by the Centre per set of apparatus (unless otherwise specified)
1 Electronic balance: precision 0.01 g and should be able to measure a mass of 50 g
2 Rectangular sheet of aluminium: diameter about 6 cm, width 3 cm and thickness 0.02 cm
3 Aluminium pellet: mass about 20 g
4 100 ml beaker
5 100 ml measuring cylinder: precision 1 ml
The measuring cylinder should be able to accommodate the aluminium pellet
6 30 cm rule
7 Supply of water at room temperature. Each candidate should have at least 100 ml
8 Micrometer Screw Gauge: precision 0.01 mm
9 Paper towel to mop out any spilled water

Instructions to the Supervisor

(a) Ensure that the aluminium sheet and the aluminium pellet supplied are of the same density or
very close.
(b) Ensure that the micrometer screw gauge used is without the zero error.

Action at Change Over

(a) Ensure that the pellet has been removed from the measuring cylinder.
(b) Ensure that the Micrometer Screw Gauge is removed from the aluminium sheet.

© BEC 2025 1427/02/CI/O/N/25 [Turn over

 4

2 Items to be supplied by the Centre per set of apparatus (unless otherwise specified)
1 String of length 1.2 m
2 Pendulum bob
3 Retort stand with clamp
4 Heavy metal or brick to support the pendulum
5 100 cm rule × 2: precision 1 mm
6 Stop watch: precision 0.01 s
7 Split cork to support the pendulum thread

Instructions to the Supervisor

Set up the pendulum as shown in Fig. 2.1 such that it can be adjusted to a length of 1.00 m.

Fig. 2.1

The retort stand should be placed such that the pendulum bob is hanging on the side of the bench.

Action at Change Over

Ensure that the pendulum is still set up such that the bob moves freely.

© BEC 2025 1427/02/CI/O/N/25

 5

3 Items to be supplied by the Centre per set of apparatus (unless otherwise specified)
1 Glass block or Perspex block: length at least 6 cm and diameter about 5 cm
The refractive index of the block should be about 1.5
2 Optical pins × 3
3 30 cm rule: precision 1 mm
4 Soft board: large enough to accommodate an A4 paper

Instructions to the Supervisor

(a) The block used should be transparent enough to allow for a pin to be observed through the
longer side of the block.
(b) The optical pins should be sharp for them to be inserted easily the soft board.

Action at Change Over

Ensure all the apparatus supplied at the station are available.

© BEC 2025 1427/02/CI/O/N/25 [Turn over

 6

4 Items to be supplied by the Centre per set of apparatus (unless otherwise specified)
1 28 SWG constantan wire of 1.2 m.
The resistance of 1.0 m of the wire should be around 4.5 .
2 A short insulator (plank or plastic) of length 15 cm and width about 4 cm to roll the wire
around
3 Voltmeter: precision 0.1 V, full scale deflection 0 – 5 V
4 Ammeter: precision 0.02 A, full scale deflection 0 – 1 A
5 Rheostat: the range should allow for the voltage to vary from 0 to 4 V
6 6 V direct current power supply
A power supply can be used with the knob fixed at 6 V or dry cells (preferably R20) can be
used
7 Switch that can be pressed to take reading and released when reading is not taken
8 Connecting wires: at least 7. Spares should be available
The wires should either have crocodile clips or banana clips for easy connection of the circuit

Instructions to the Supervisor

(a) Roll the constantan wire around the short insulator. Ensure that the coils of the wire do not touch
each other. Fix the wire in place using a masking tape or a Sellotape.
(b) Connect the circuit as shown in Fig. 4.1. The wire should be placed where there is a symbol of
the resistor.

Fig. 4.1
(c) Check that the ammeter and the voltmeter do give distinct values as the rheostat slider is
adjusted. If not change the size of the rheostat.

© BEC 2025 1427/02/CI/O/N/25

 7

Action at Change Over

(a) Check that the circuit is still connected as expected.
(b) When the power supply is used, check that it is still set at the correct voltage output.

Permission to reproduce items where third party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every
reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (BEC) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included,
the publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.

© BEC 2025 1427/02/CI/O/N/25 [Turn over

 8

BLANK PAGE

© BEC 2025 4010/02/CI/O/N/25

 9

BLANK PAGE

© BEC 2025 1427/02/CI/O/N/25 [Turn over

 10

BLANK PAGE

© BEC 2025 4010/02/CI/O/N/25

 11

BGCSE
1427/02
This form should be completed and sent to the Examiners with the scripts.
REPORT ON PRACTICAL PHYSICS
(OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2025)

General

A plan of the workbenches, giving details by candidate number of the places occupied by the
candidates for each session, must be enclosed with the candidates’ scripts.

The Supervisor is invited to give details of any difficulties experienced by particular candidates
giving their names and candidate numbers. These should include reference to:

(a) difficulties due to faulty apparatus;

(b) accidents due to apparatus or materials;

(c) for each question provide details of the items supplied by the centre. If any item differs from
what was specified, list them under items supplied and provide a brief description of the item.
If all items were supplied as specified, write as specified under items supplied.

Note: under no circumstances should a manual equipment be replaced by an electronic one

or vice versa.

question items supplied brief description

(d) any help given to candidates.

© BEC 2025 1427/02/CI/O/N/25 [Turn over

 12

Information required.

A list by name and candidate number of candidates requiring help, with details of the help provided.

Centre Number …………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Centre Name …………………………………………………………………………………………….………..

Declaration

The preparation of the practical examination has been carried out so as to maintain fully the security
of the examination.

Supervisor’s signature: …………………………………………………………………………………………..

Head of Centre’s signature: ……………………………………………………………………………………..

© BEC 2025 4010/02/CI/O/N/25