The memo does not reward the longest answer. It rewards the most separate facts, each one in its own line.The Goat Notes
Consumer Studies is one paper of 200 marks in 3 hours. All six questions are compulsory, so there is no choice and no topic you can skip. Start each question on a new page and number your answers exactly as the paper does.
| Question | Content | Marks | Weight | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Section A | Short questions, all topics | 40 | 20% | 20 min |
| 2 · Section B | The Consumer | 40 | 20% | 40 min |
| 3 · Section B | Food and Nutrition | 40 | 20% | 40 min |
| 4 · Section B | Clothing | 20 | 10% | 20 min |
| 5 · Section B | Housing and Interior | 20 | 10% | 20 min |
| 6 · Section B | Entrepreneurship | 40 | 20% | 40 min |
| Total | 200 | 100% | 180 min |
Question 1 is always short items. The Nov 2025 paper used this mix:
| Item | Type | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | 20 multiple-choice questions, letter A–D only | 20 |
| 1.2 | State the correct type of additive for a function | 4 |
| 1.3 | Select THREE consequences (of brand piracy) from a list of six | 3 |
| 1.4 | Match five terms in Column A to examples in Column B (seven examples, two are extra) | 5 |
| 1.5 | Select FOUR stages (of quality control) from a list of eight | 4 |
| 1.6 | Give the correct term for four monthly housing fees | 4 |
| Level | Marks | Weight | What it sounds like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remembering (lower order) | 60 | 30% | Name, list, state, define |
| Understanding (middle order) | 40 | 20% | Explain, describe, differentiate |
| Applying (middle order) | 60 | 30% | Use a picture, label, scenario or calculation |
| Analysing, evaluating, creating (higher order) | 40 | 20% | Analyse, evaluate, validate, discuss |
In a 40-mark question that is about 12 marks of remembering, 8 of understanding, 12 of applying and 8 of higher-order. In a 20-mark question it is about 6, 4, 6 and 4. Half the marks are middle order: the paper mostly asks you to use what you know on something in front of you.
Questions are set on case studies, scenarios, graphs, pictures, labels, menus, recipes and adverts. The Nov 2025 paper used an SMS scam, a fashion-sales graph, a picture of black loafers, an LPG fridge-freezer advert, a news extract on fast fashion, and a coffee-shop case study. Practise reading the source first, then answer from it.
How long does the exam guideline suggest for Question 1 (40 marks)?
How long should you spend on Question 4 (Clothing, 20 marks)?
Which question deserves the most time?
Add up the suggested times for the six questions.
You have spent 30 minutes on Question 5 (20 marks). What should you do?
Which two questions each carry 10% of the paper?
What percentage of the paper is Question 6 (Entrepreneurship)?
Together, Questions 2, 3 and 6 carry how many marks?
Question 1 short questions come from...
How many marks is Section B in total?
Which level of thinking carries the biggest share of marks, 30%, together with Remembering?
"Analyse the long-term effects of fast fashion" is which level?
"Name TWO factors that influence fashion change" is which level?
About how many of the 200 marks are higher-order?
Using a pictured fridge-freezer to give the advantages of its two energy sources is...
How many multiple-choice questions were in Question 1.1 of Nov 2025?
In a matching item (Column A and Column B), how many of the examples are NOT used?
In 1.5, "Select FOUR stages" from eight. What do you write?
Which item type asks for a correct type of additive for a function?
Why is Question 1 a good place to start?
Which of these is NOT a usual source in the paper?
A question shows a picture of shoes and says "Discuss the versatility". You should...
Nov 2025, 4.4 gave a sales graph. What did it test?
Where must your answers be written?
You may use a calculator in...
Explain to a friend how to split 3 hours across the six questions and why Question 1 gets only 20 minutes.
Question 2 is 40 marks: about a quarter recall (define, name, list), half understanding and applying, and 13 marks for the last two items (analyse and validate). The same ideas return in different clothes every year.
| Item (Nov 2025) | Asked | Marks | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Define CPI and PAYE | 2 + 2 | Remembering, easy |
| 2.2 | Body that sets the repo rate | 1 | Remembering |
| 2.3 | List THREE municipal services | 3 | Remembering, easy |
| 2.4 | Name TWO credit contracts | 2 | Remembering, easy |
| 2.5 | TWO ways to use less electricity when drying clothes | 2 | Understanding |
| 2.6 | Why compound interest is good for savings | 2 | Understanding, easy |
| 2.7 | Why a warranty or guarantee benefits the buyer | 4 | Understanding |
| 2.8 | SMS scam: type (1) and why it is a scam (4) | 5 | Understanding |
| 2.9 | Differentiate inflation rate and interest rate | 4 | Understanding |
| 2.10 | Explain the causes of continuous price increases | 5 | Analysing, difficult |
| 2.11 | Validate: communities and municipalities must fight rubbish | 8 | Analysing |
| Term | What to write |
|---|---|
| CPI | Measures the change in the price of a group of products and services over a period, usually 12 months |
| Inflation rate | The average percentage increase in prices over a year, based on the CPI |
| Repo rate | Set by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB). It drives the interest rate that banks charge |
| Interest rate | The rate borrowers pay on borrowed money, and the rate savers earn on savings |
| PAYE | Tax deducted from an employee's salary each month as the income is earned |
| Provisional tax | Paid by people with irregular income or income from more than one source, so they do not owe one big amount at once |
| Simple interest | Charged on the original amount only |
| Compound interest | Charged or earned on the original amount AND on interest already added. It makes savings grow faster and borrowing more expensive |
| Topic | Facts the memo accepted |
|---|---|
| Credit contracts (name two) | Mortgage bond · bank loan · instalment sale or hire purchase · store account or store card · credit card |
| Why buy with a warranty (4) | Product meets a quality standard for a set time · repaired free of charge · replaced if not working · refunded if terms not met · guards against loss |
| Signs of a scam (2025 SMS) | You "won" a lottery you never entered · your personal details are demanded · you must pay a fee first · pressure to act now · spelling errors · too good to be true · no contact details · real lotto winners are not told by SMS |
| Protect yourself online (2023) | Do not answer prize or lottery messages · never give banking details, PIN or OTP · use secure websites · keep anti-virus up to date · delete suspicious e-mail · check statements · report to your bank at once |
| Question | Facts to write |
|---|---|
| Rubbish problem (2025, 8 marks) | Municipality: collects regularly · runs landfill sites · encourages recycling and provides recycling areas · puts up no-dumping signs and fines · supplies bins · uses rates responsibly. Community: does not litter · pays rates and taxes · recycles · puts bins out on collection day · organises clean-ups · reports illegal dumping · attends council meetings |
| Flood recovery (2023, 5 marks) | Clean safe water · repair electricity · shelter in halls · repair roads and sinkholes · sanitation · clear drains and debris · disaster and fire services · health services |
| Drying clothes (2025) | Hang washing outside · tumble-dry only full loads · energy-efficient dryer · clean the filter · check rubber seals · do not overload |
| Cooking (2023, 4 marks) | Plan meals and cook several dishes together · avoid peak time 17:00–20:00 · microwave, pressure cooker or air fryer · match pot to plate · switch off early and let heat finish the cooking · lid on and oven door closed · wonderbag or hot box |
| Washing machine water (2023) | Right water level · full loads · clean filter · efficient or front-loading machine · economy programme · check hose leaks · reuse grey water |
| Alternative energy and the environment (2023, 8 marks) | Positive: solar is renewable with no air or noise pollution; gas is the cleanest fossil fuel; inverters are silent. Negative: coal, paraffin and firewood cause air pollution and sulphur dioxide; generators burn non-renewable fuel and cause noise; gas is non-renewable and can smell; firewood means cutting trees |
| Term | What to write |
|---|---|
| Contract | A legal agreement between two or more parties that creates rights and duties; it does not have to be written. Five types: employment · credit · rental or lease · gym, cell phone, internet and pay-TV subscriptions · business ownership or partnership |
| Unfair business practice | A seller treating consumers unfairly or unreasonably: false advertising, hidden costs, pressure selling, unfair contract terms, refusing to honour a warranty. Complain to the supplier first, then to the National Consumer Commission, an ombud or the provincial consumer protector |
| Cooling-off period | Five business days to cancel a contract signed after direct marketing (door-to-door, telephone or a sales presentation), with no reason and no penalty |
| Exemption clause | A term or notice that tries to limit a business's responsibility. Legal if fair, in plain language and pointed out before the consumer agrees. Illegal if it excludes liability for negligence, fraud or injury the business caused |
| Warranty and guarantee | A warranty promises to repair or replace a faulty item within a set period. A guarantee promises that the item will keep working, or meet a standard, for a stated time. Even without a written warranty the law implies six months for goods of good quality |
| Grey goods | Genuine goods imported through unofficial channels. They are often cheaper, but the local agent may refuse to honour the warranty or supply spare parts |
| Stokvel | A savings club with known members who pay a fixed amount into a common fund under written rules, with records. Legal when run by agreed rules; illegal when a stranger collects money from the public and promises returns that cannot be paid |
| Pyramid scheme | Illegal when members earn mainly by recruiting others. Legal multilevel (tiered-level) marketing pays commission on sales of a real product |
| Taxes | Paid so that government can fund schools, clinics, roads and grants; SARS collects most of them. VAT is 15% on most goods and services, and basic foods such as brown bread, maize meal, rice, dried beans, milk, eggs, fruit and vegetables are zero-rated. Property rates go to the municipality, not SARS. Excise duty is the sin tax on alcohol and tobacco. The fuel levy is added to every litre of petrol and diesel. Capital gains tax is charged on the profit when an asset is sold |
| Interest on different credit | Secured credit (bond, vehicle finance, instalment sale) has a lower rate because the item is security. Unsecured credit (personal loan, credit card, overdraft) has a higher rate. Store accounts are often high, with monthly fees. Short-term loans cost the most. The National Credit Act sets the maximum rates |
| Effects of inflation | Money buys less · disposable income shrinks · households cut back on non-essentials · savings lose value · salaries rise more slowly than prices · more borrowing and debt · a higher repo rate follows and instalments cost more |
| Water | South Africa is a water-scarce country. Pollution comes from sewage, chemicals, detergents, oil and litter. Shortages come from drought, population growth and leaking pipes. Fix leaks, wash full loads, collect rainwater and reuse grey water |
| Funding of municipal services | Property rates and taxes · service charges for water, electricity, sanitation and refuse · grants from national government · fines and licence fees |
Who sets the repo rate in South Africa?
The CPI measures...
The inflation rate is...
A rise in the repo rate will most likely...
Which statement separates inflation rate from interest rate?
Why is compound interest good for a saver?
Why is compound interest more expensive than simple interest for a borrower?
PAYE is tax that is...
Who pays provisional tax?
The levy included in the price of fuel is paid as...
Which is a credit contract in which goods are bought now and paid for later?
A warranty or guarantee promises that...
Anele could not get a refund for his new television that does not work. This is an example of a/an...
Which is a warning sign that an SMS is a scam?
To protect yourself from online scams you should...
Which is NOT a basic municipal service?
Which is a community responsibility regarding rubbish?
Which is a municipality's duty after a flood?
Why must the community pay rates and taxes?
Which action is best to cut electricity use when drying clothes?
Which alternative energy source has no air or noise pollution while it generates?
Burning coal, firewood or paraffin gives off...
Why can gas be described as the cleanest fossil fuel?
Which is a water-saving habit with a washing machine?
A diesel generator during load-shedding causes...
Explain the causes of the continuous increase in prices.
Higher electricity costs make producers and sellers raise their prices. Higher prices of raw materials raise the selling price. Higher fuel or transport costs add to the price of goods. Higher wages and rent increase overhead costs that are added to prices. Load-shedding, strikes, wars, floods or drought disrupt supply and push prices up.
Both communities and municipalities have a responsibility to combat careless dumping of rubbish. Validate this statement.
Municipalities must collect rubbish regularly. Municipalities must build and manage landfill sites for the rubbish. Municipalities must encourage recycling and provide recycling areas. Municipalities must put up no-dumping signs and fine illegal dumpers. Communities must not litter and must throw rubbish away responsibly. Communities must pay rates and taxes so services can be funded. Communities must put bins out on collection day and organise clean-up campaigns. Communities must report illegal dumping to the municipality.
Explain how a high consumer price index (CPI) may affect South African consumers.
A high CPI means a high inflation rate. Consumers can buy less with the same money, so disposable income falls. Household items become more expensive and unaffordable, even basic needs. The Reserve Bank raises interest rates, so debt repayments rise. Some consumers cannot pay their debts and may be blacklisted.
Explain why the SMS telling Alex he has won a R1 000 000 lottery prize is a scam.
It says he has won a lottery he may not have entered. It asks for personal details and a processing fee before the prize is paid. It sounds too good to be true and pressures him to act now. There is a spelling error and no contact details, so it is not legitimate.
Explain to a Grade 8 learner why saving in a bank with compound interest grows faster than simple interest, and why the same idea makes a loan expensive.
This is a free preview of Topic 1. The full guide has every topic, the self-marking quizzes, mock exams, planner, journal and wellbeing tools.
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Exam stress is completely normal. Here are a few things that actually work. None of this replaces a doctor or a trusted adult.
Box breathing: 4 counts in, 4 hold, 4 out, 4 hold. Do it four times.
Look at the worked example below first, then make your own. Tick off each topic as you finish it.
Example (already filled in)
| Date | Subject | Topic | Done |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 8 Jul | Life Sciences | Your weakest topic, notes + summary | ✓ |
| Tue 9 Jul | Life Sciences | Next topic + 10 practice questions | ✓ |
| Wed 10 Jul | Life Sciences | A full past paper under time | – |
| Thu 11 Jul | Life Sciences | Mark the paper, revise weak spots | – |
Your plan
| Date | Subject | Topic | Done |
|---|---|---|---|
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You know where the marks are and how they are given. Write one fact per mark, read the command word, and finish every question.