Introduction
Grade 1 Life Skills Past Exam Papers: A Glimpse into Young South African Minds
Forget the usual exam drills—these papers capture something far more precious. Through the Department of Basic Education’s Life Skills assessments, we get raw, unfiltered glimpses into the hearts and minds of South Africa’s youngest students. No rote memorization here. Just children putting their lives, emotions, and dreams onto paper in their own words.
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Section 1: Personal and Social Well-being
Where little hearts wear their emotions on their sleeves.
The opening section doesn’t just ask for basic info—it goes straight for the emotional jugular. Sure, kids jot down their names, ages, and favorite colors like any standard test. But then things get real. Suddenly, they’re wrestling with big feelings—describing what makes them furious, who they lean on when life gets tough, and how fear really feels.
Exam Paper:
1. What’s your name, little one?
2. How many birthdays have you celebrated?
3. When you’re seeing red, what do you do?
4. Who’s your go-to person when the going gets tough?
5. That scared feeling in your tummy—what does it feel like?
Memo:
[Wide open spaces for their unfiltered truths—because when it comes to feelings, there are no wrong answers.]
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Section 2: Physical Well-being
Bodies in motion, habits in the making.
From breakfast bowls to bedtime routines, this section tracks the daily rhythms of childhood. But it’s not just about the mundane—it digs into those small choices that shape growing bodies. We’re talking dental habits, sick day protocols, and why running around like a maniac actually matters. The questions don’t assume anything—they meet kids exactly where they are.
Exam Paper:
1. What’s on your breakfast plate most mornings?
2. That toothbrush in your bathroom—how often does it get used?
3. When your throat’s scratchy and your nose won’t stop, what’s the plan?
4. Who’s your medical superhero?
5. Why bother with all that running and jumping anyway?
Memo:
[Their answers—sometimes messy, always honest, and completely their own.]
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Section 3: Creative Expression
Where crayons meet imagination.
This is where childhood joy gets put into words. Favorite tunes, scribbled masterpieces, those secret talents they can’t wait to show off—it’s all here. But look closer, and you’ll see this section does something remarkable. It doesn’t just ask about entertainment; it uncovers the very things that make each child uniquely themselves.
Exam Paper:
1. What song makes you dance like nobody’s watching?
2. When you’ve got a paintbrush in hand, what appears on the page?
3. Those afternoons when you’re free as a bird—what do you do?
4. What’s that special something you’re really good at?
5. Family time—what does that look like for you?
Memo:
[Their passions, captured in that beautiful, wobbly handwriting of early childhood.]
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Section 4: Learning and Thinking
The gears turning in those growing minds.
Forget about regurgitating facts—this section wants to know how those little brains actually work. What sets their curiosity on fire? What makes them feel stuck? How do they tackle problems that seem too big? The questions here don’t just scratch the surface; they reveal the very mechanics of young thought processes.
Exam Paper:
1. When you’re all grown up, what’s your dream?
2. How does learning click best for you?
3. When something just doesn’t make sense, what’s your next move?
4. What are you really, really good at?
5. Problems, problems—how do you make them disappear?
Memo:
[Their answers—tiny windows into the fascinating workings of young minds.]
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Section 5: Citizenship
Where little lives meet the big, wide world.
The lens zooms out here. No more navel-gazing—now it’s about where they fit in the grand scheme of things. Culture, rights, making a difference—these questions push children to look beyond their immediate worlds. They’re asked to consider their place in communities, their hopes for tomorrow, and even those things that scare them about the future.
Exam Paper:
1. The traditions and stories that make your family unique—what are they?
2. What rights come with being a kid in this country?
3. How can someone so small make such a big difference?
4. When you peek into the future, what do you see?
5. What keeps you up at night worrying?
Memo:
[Their voices, now echoing with the influences of home, school, and the world at large.]
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