Name: ________________________

Electricity Class: ________________________

Date: ________________________

Time: 22 minutes

Marks: 33 marks

Comments:

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1.

In the circuit above, both the bulbs light up. Suddenly they both go out.

The two bulbs are tested. Bulb A works but bulb B is broken.

(a) Bulb A was not broken but it went out. Why did it go out?

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
1 mark

In the circuit below, only bulb B is broken.

(b) (i) Does bulb A light up?

Tick the correct box.

Yes No
1 mark

(ii) Does bulb C light up?

Tick the correct box.

Yes No
1 mark
Maximum 3 marks

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 A circuit is shown below.
2.

(a) The switch is open. Steven connects point A to point B with a piece of copper wire.

Which bulbs, if any, light up?

....................................................................................................................
1 mark

(b) Steven removes the copper wire and uses it to connect point C to point D.

The switch is still open.

Which bulbs, if any, light up?

....................................................................................................................
1 mark

(c) Steven removes the copper wire and closes the switch. Both bulbs light up, but not very
brightly.
He then uses the copper wire to connect point B to point C.

Choose from the following words to answer the questions below.

gets brighter stays the same goes out

(i) What happens to bulb X? …………………………………..

1 mark

(ii) What happens to bulb Y? …………………………………..

1 mark

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 (d) Steven removes the copper wire. The switch is still closed. Both bulbs light up, but not very
brightly. He then uses the copper wire to connect point A to point B.

Choose from the following words to answer the questions below.

gets brighter stays the same gets dimmer goes out

(i) What happens to bulb X? …………………………………………

1 mark

(ii) What happens to bulb Y? …………………………………………

1 mark
Maximum 6 marks

3. Ben makes a series circuit using two

identical cells, a bulb and a switch to
turn the bulb on and off.

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 (a) Draw a circuit diagram of Ben’s circuit. Use the correct symbols.

The cells have been drawn for you.

3 marks

(b) Which part of the circuit supplies the energy?

......................................................................................................................
1 mark

(c) Ben adds another identical bulb to the circuit in series.

How does the brightness of the first bulb change?

......................................................................................................................
1 mark

(d) How will the brightness of the bulbs change when the cells shown below are placed into
Ben’s circuit?

(i)

.............................................
1 mark

(ii)

.............................................
1 mark
maximum 7 marks

Alice connects four light bulbs for her model house, as shown. She puts the bulbs into the holes
4. in the back wall.

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(a) When Alice turns the switch on, the bulbs do not light up. The batteries are not flat. None
of the bulbs is broken.
Why do the bulbs not light up?

......................................................................................................................
1 mark

(b) Alice makes the circuit work. When she turns the switch on, the bulbs are not very bright.
What must Alice add to the circuit to make the bulbs brighter?

......................................................................................................................
1 mark

(c) The four bulbs in the circuit are the same. Which statement is correct?
Tick the correct box.

Each bulb is the Each bulb is a

same brightness. different brightness.

The bulbs at the The bulbs at the

top are brighter. bottom are brighter.

1 mark

The diagrams show two ways to write the model house.

circuit 1 circuit 2

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 (d) (i) In circuit 1, bulb B breaks and goes out.
What happens to the other bulbs in this circuit?

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................
1 mark

(ii) In circuit 2, bulb C breaks and goes out.

What happens to the other bulbs in this circuit?

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................
1 mark

(e) In circuit 2, Alice adds another switch so that she can turn bulb A off while the other bulbs
stay on.
Write the letter S on circuit 2 to show where Alice should add the switch.
1 mark
Maximum 6 marks

(a) Draw a line from each circuit symbol below to the correct name.
5. Draw only four lines.

circuit symbol name

3 marks

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(b) Fred made circuit 1 as shown below.

Give the name of the part that is the energy source for the circuit.

.........................................................
1 mark

(c) Fred then made circuit 2 as shown below.

In the table below, tick a box to show whether circuit 1 and circuit 2 are series or parallel
circuits.
Tick only two boxes.

series parallel

circuit 1

circuit 2
1 mark

(d) What metal is usually used for wires in electric circuits?

...........................................................
1 mark
maximum 6 marks

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 Jo uses a battery, a switch and a bulb to make a series circuit.
6.
(a) The diagrams show symbols for a battery, a bulb and a switch.
Connect the symbols to make Jo’s circuit.

1 mark

(b) Jo closes the switch and the bulb lights up. Then she connects the battery the other
way round.
What happens to the bulb when Jo closes the switch again?
Tick the correct box.

It is brighter. It is dimmer.

It is the same brightness. It does not light up.

1 mark

(c) A corridor has a switch at each end and one light bulb in the middle.
The circuit diagram below shows how they are connected.

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 In the diagram above, the switches are shown in positions B and D and the bulb is on.
Complete the table below to show whether the light bulb is on or off. Write on or off.

1 mark

(d) The circuit is changed so that there is a bulb at each end of the corridor.
They are connected as shown below.

(i) In the diagram above, the switches are shown in positions B and C.
Which bulbs, if any, are on?

.............................................................................................................
1 mark

(ii) The switches are arranged so that both bulbs are on. Bulb X breaks.
What, if anything, happens to bulb Y?

.............................................................................................................
1 mark
Maximum 5 marks

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Mark schemes
The answer should imply that the circuit is no longer complete
1.
(a) the circuit is broken or the break in B stops current from flowing through A
accept ‘they are in series’
accept ‘the connection is broken’
do not accept ‘faulty circuit’
1

(b) (i) yes

1

(ii) yes
1
[3]

(a) bulb X
2.
do not accept ‘both bulbs’ or ‘ bulb X and bulb Y’
1 (L5)

(b) neither or no bulb or none

1 (L5)

(c) (i) goes out

1 (L5)

(ii) gets brighter

1 (L5)

(d) (i) gets brighter

1 (L5)

(ii) goes out

1 (L5)
[6]

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3. (a) • correct bulb symbol

accept other symbols for a bulb e.g.

1 (L4)

• correct switch symbol

do not accept a closed switch
1 (L4)

• components connected in series

accept circuits with the components in a different order

accept incorrect but recognisable symbols or drawings for the third
marking point only
do not accept responses where the number of components is
incorrect
1 (L4)

(b) • cell(s)
accept ‘battery’
1 (L3)

(c) • the bulb would be dimmer

accept ‘it decreases’
accept ‘it would become dimmer’
‘the current is less’ is insufficient
‘there is less power’ is insufficient
a comparative answer is required for the mark
‘it would be dim’ is insufficient as it does not describe the change
do not accept ‘it goes out’
1 (L4)

(d) (i) • increase

accept ‘brighter’ or ‘becomes bright’
accept ‘stronger’
‘there is more power’ is insufficient
a comparative answer is required for the mark
‘it is bright’ is insufficient as it does not describe the change
1 (L4)

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 (ii) • bulbs would go out
accept ‘no brightness’ or ‘no light’
accept ‘it decreases’
accept ‘weaker’
‘not bright’ is insufficient
‘none’ or ‘nothing’ are insufficient
‘there is no power’ is insufficient
‘darker’ is insufficient
1 (L4)
[7]

(a) any one from

4.
• the circuit is not complete
accept ‘there is no circuit’

• a wire is missing

• two of the bulbs are not connected

accept ‘the bulbs are not connected’
do not accept ‘the switch might be broken’
or ‘there is a loose connection’
1 (L3)

(b) another cell or battery

accept ‘put the bulbs in parallel’
or ‘make a parallel circuit’
or ‘use new batteries’
do not accept ‘use stronger batteries’
1 (L5)

(c) Each bulb is the same brightness.

if more than one box is ticked, award no mark
1 (L4)

(d) (i) they go out

accept ‘they stop working’
do not accept ‘they get dimmer’
1 (L3)

(ii) any one from

• they stay on or stay the same

accept ‘they get brighter’

• they do not go out

accept ‘only the broken bulb goes out’

• nothing
1 (L4)

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 (e) a letter S drawn onto or close to the wire in the top part of the circuit
anywhere between the two junctions

accept an open switch symbol drawn onto the diagram

do not accept a letter S drawn mid-way between the top two wires
or at a junction between the top two wires as shown below

1 (L4)
[6]

(a)
5.

all four lines are required for three marks

any three lines are required for two marks
any two lines are required for one mark
if more than one line is drawn from a symbol,
do not give credit for that symbol
3 (L4)

(b) battery
accept ‘cell’ or ‘cells’
accept ‘power supply’ or ‘power pack’
1 (L4)

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 (c)
series parallel

circuit 1

circuit 2

both ticks are required for one mark

if more than one box is ticked in any row, award no mark
1 (L4)

(d) copper
accept ‘aluminium’
accept ‘gold’
do not accept any other metal
1 (L4)
[6]

(a) three wires are drawn:

6.

all three wires are required for the mark all three components
must be correctly connected for the mark
accept a correct circuit diagram in which the pupil
has drawn the symbols instead of connecting the
printed symbols
1 (L3)

(b) It is the same brightness.

if more than one box is ticked, award no mark
1 (L3)

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(c)
position of position of is the bulb
switch 1 switch 2 on or off?

B D on

A D off

A C on

both answers are required for the mark

1 (L4)

(d) (i) neither or none

accept ‘nothing’ or ‘it works’
1 (L4)

(ii) it stays on
accept ‘it gets brighter’
1 (L4)
[5]

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Examiner reports
The answers to this question showed that some pupils, finally attaining Level 3, had difficulty
1. interpreting circuit diagrams and explaining why bulbs do or do not light. A common error in part
(a) was the answer that there was not enough power to light bulb A. Part (b)(i) posed no problem
for most pupils, but only about 50% of pupils answered part (ii) correctly.

Most parts of this demanding question on circuits were answered correctly by pupils in both
2. tiers. The only part where pupils were less successful was the final part, in which a large number
of pupils chose gets dimmer when asked to describe what happens to both bulbs when the
copper wire is used to short circuit them.

More than 75% of pupils also showed a good grasp of simple electrical circuits and they applied
4. this knowledge in simple contexts such as when connecting four light bulbs in a model house.

Pupils’ understanding of electrical circuits was secure in simple contexts, with more than 50% of
all pupils, and almost 80% of pupils gaining higher levels on the 3–6 tier, answering the question
correctly.

Part (a) was omitted entirely by about a third of pupils. This is possibly because of its position on
6. the page or that the circuit was partially present. Of those who attempted the question, most got
it right. The most common reason for losing the mark was inaccurate drawing: wires did not
make contact with components or contained breaks. In part (b), about half of the pupils thought
that a bulb would not light if the battery were connected the ‘wrong’ way round, and only a third of
them were awarded the mark. Parts (c) and (d) were well answered. In (c) the most common
error was to believe that the bulb would stay off unless the switches were in positions B and D,
which showed a failure to appreciate that there could be more than one way to complete the
circuit. In part (d)(ii) the most common wrong answer was that if one bulb broke then the other
would also go out.

Facility Values

Question Target Marks facility value facility value facility value PoS reference
level boys girls all

Tier: 3-6 5 0.54 0.46 0.50

a 3 1 0/4c

b 3 1 4/1d

c 4 1 4/1d

di 4 1 4/1d - 4/1c

dii 4 1 4/1d - 4/1c

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Notes
Circuit diagrams are now only specifically mentioned in KS2 in NC 2014
1.
Circuit diagrams are now only specifically mentioned in KS2 in NC 2014
2.
Circuit symbols are now only specifically mentioned in KS2 in NC 2014
3.
Simple circuits are now only specifically mentioned in KS2 in NC 2014
4.
Circuit symbols are now only specifically mentioned in KS2 in NC 2014
5.
Circuit diagrams are now only specifically mentioned in KS2 in NC 2014
6.

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