Mini practice paper: 8 questions
Mixed-difficulty questions from across the Food and Nutrition syllabus. Tap "Show answer" after each to check yourself.
Q1 · Difficulty 1/3
Mrs. Campbell from Kingston notices that her teenage son now refuses to eat ackee and saltfish for breakfast, preferring American-style cereal instead. Which factor is MOST likely influencing his food choice?
- Religious beliefs
- Peer pressure and media influence
- Food allergies
- Lack of cooking skills
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — Peer pressure and media influence
Award 1 mark for identifying social/psychological factors affecting adolescent food choices. A is incorrect — religious beliefs typically affect food choices consistently, not sudden changes in traditional foods. C is incorrect — allergies would cause avoidance due to physical symptoms, not preference for foreign alternatives. D is incorrect — the son is not preparing the meal himself.
Q2 · Difficulty 1/3
Mrs. Thompson, a mother of four in Kingston, Jamaica, receives her monthly household income and must plan meals for her family. Which of the following is the FIRST step she should take in meal planning?
- Purchase food items from the supermarket
- Consider the nutritional needs of family members
- Prepare a shopping list
- Calculate the food budget available
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — Consider the nutritional needs of family members
Award 1 mark for identifying that assessing family needs comes before budgeting or shopping. A is incorrect — purchasing comes after planning. C is incorrect — a shopping list is made after determining needs and budget. D is incorrect — while budgeting is important, nutritional needs assessment is the foundational first step in the meal planning process.
Q3 · Difficulty 1/3
A patient diagnosed with hypertension in Trinidad is advised to follow a therapeutic diet. Which mineral must be significantly reduced in this patient's diet?
- Calcium
- Iron
- Sodium
- Potassium
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — Sodium
Award 1 mark for identifying sodium restriction as essential in hypertension management. A is incorrect — calcium is not typically restricted in hypertensive diets. B is incorrect — iron restriction is not relevant to blood pressure control. D is incorrect — potassium is often encouraged, not restricted, as it helps lower blood pressure.
Q4 · Difficulty 2/3
A Guyanese household with a diabetic grandmother and a teenage athlete must plan weekly meals. Which meal planning principle is MOST important for this family?
- Preparing the same meals for all family members
- Purchasing only imported foods
- Considering the special dietary needs of individuals
- Using convenience foods to save time
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — Considering the special dietary needs of individuals
Award 1 mark for recognising that dietary modifications for health conditions and activity levels must be prioritised. A is incorrect — identical meals would not address the diabetic's need for controlled carbohydrates or the athlete's higher energy requirements. B is incorrect — imported foods are not necessarily more nutritious. D is incorrect — convenience is secondary to nutritional adequacy.
Q5 · Difficulty 2/3
A school in Barbados introduces a breakfast programme to improve students' academic performance. Which mineral is particularly important in this programme to support cognitive function and prevent anaemia in adolescent girls?
- Sodium
- Iron
- Potassium
- Phosphorus
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — Iron
Award 1 mark for identifying iron as essential for preventing anaemia and supporting cognitive function. A is incorrect — sodium regulates fluid balance but is not linked to anaemia. C is incorrect — potassium supports nerve and muscle function but does not prevent anaemia. D is incorrect — phosphorus is important for bones and teeth but not specifically for preventing anaemia.
Q6 · Difficulty 2/3
A working mother in Georgetown, Guyana, has limited time for food preparation. Which meal planning strategy would BEST address her situation?
- Planning elaborate meals that require several hours to prepare
- Including quick-cooking meals and preparing some foods in advance
- Relying entirely on fast food restaurants
- Skipping breakfast to save preparation time
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — Including quick-cooking meals and preparing some foods in advance
Award 1 mark for identifying batch cooking and quick meals as time-saving strategies. A is incorrect — elaborate meals contradict time constraints. C is incorrect — fast food is expensive and less nutritious. D is incorrect — skipping meals compromises family nutrition.
Q7 · Difficulty 1/3
A pregnant woman in her third trimester visits a health centre in St. Lucia. The nurse recommends she increase her intake of which nutrient to prevent neural tube defects in her baby?
- Vitamin C
- Folic acid
- Vitamin D
- Thiamine
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — Folic acid
Award 1 mark for identifying folic acid as essential for preventing neural tube defects. A is incorrect — Vitamin C supports immune function but does not prevent neural tube defects. C is incorrect — Vitamin D is important for bone health, not neural tube development. D is incorrect — Thiamine supports energy metabolism but is not linked to neural tube defect prevention.
Q8 · Difficulty 1/3
A Jamaican farmer notices that workers harvesting sugar cane in the hot sun become tired and dizzy by midday. Which condition is MOST likely caused by inadequate water intake?
- Constipation
- Dehydration
- Anaemia
- Scurvy
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — Dehydration
Award 1 mark for identifying dehydration as the condition caused by inadequate water intake combined with sweating in hot conditions. A is incorrect — constipation is primarily associated with low fibre intake. C is incorrect — anaemia results from iron deficiency. D is incorrect — scurvy results from vitamin C deficiency.
CXC CSEC Food and Nutrition FAQ
What does the CXC CSEC Food and Nutrition exam look like?
The CXC CSEC Food and Nutrition exam is structured across 3 components. Paper 1 (Section A): 60 multiple-choice questions, 1 mark each. 75 minutes. Tests knowledge across the whole syllabus. Paper 2: Structured short-answer + 1 extended response question. Section A is compulsory; Section B has a choice. Approximately 2 hours 10 minutes. School-Based Assessment (SBA): Coursework component graded by the teacher, externally moderated. Worth ~20-30% of the final grade depending on subject. Total exam time: ~3.5 hours across Paper 1 and Paper 2 sittings.
Can I download a free CXC CSEC Food and Nutrition past paper?
Real CXC past papers are published directly by CXC on their official website. Kramizo doesn't redistribute copyrighted past papers, but we do generate free AI-written practice papers in the exact same style — same command words, same difficulty tier, same mark conventions. Use this practice paper as warm-up, then time yourself on official past papers before exam day.
How is CXC CSEC Food and Nutrition graded?
Grades: I (highest) to VI (lowest). A grade of III or above is typically required for further study. Kramizo's practice questions are tagged with difficulty 1-3 mapping roughly to the lower, middle, and top grade boundaries you'll encounter in the real exam.