Total marks: 60 · Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Instructions to candidates
- This paper has 60 questions. Answer ALL questions.
- Each question is worth ONE mark.
- For each question there are four options, A, B, C and D. Choose the ONE you think is correct. In the January 2027 sitting, Paper 01 is taken online, so you select your answer on screen.
- The questions cover the two core sections of the syllabus: Individual, Family and Society (1–30) and Sustainable Development and Use of Resources (31–60).
- You may use a silent, non-programmable calculator.
Paper
Section A — Individual, Family and Society (Items 1–30)
1. Parents teach their young children to say "please" and "thank you". Which function of the family does this show?
A) Economic support
B) Socialisation
C) Reproduction
D) Protection
2. A man and a woman have children together but live in separate households, and he visits the home regularly. This type of union is
A) a visiting union
B) a legal marriage
C) a common-law union
D) an extended family
3. A family that is headed and run mainly by the mother, with the father absent or seldom present, is described as
A) nuclear
B) patriarchal
C) matrifocal
D) reconstituted
4. The child of a sugar-estate worker studies hard and becomes a doctor. This is an example of
A) upward social mobility
B) cultural diffusion
C) social stratification
D) downward social mobility
5. Which of the following is an ASCRIBED status?
A) Being the eldest daughter in a family
B) Being appointed a school prefect
C) Being elected captain of the cricket team
D) Becoming a qualified nurse
6. The unwritten rules of behaviour that members of a group are expected to follow are called
A) laws
B) norms
C) sanctions
D) values
7. The blending of African, European and other cultural elements to form new Caribbean forms, such as Creole languages, is called
A) segregation
B) emigration
C) creolisation
D) ethnocentrism
8. A person believes that the customs of his own ethnic group are better than those of every other group. This attitude is
A) cultural diversity
B) cultural tolerance
C) social mobility
D) ethnocentrism
9. Which social institution is MAINLY responsible for passing on formal knowledge and skills needed for work?
A) The mass media
B) The family
C) Education
D) Religion
10. In a Westminster-style parliamentary democracy, the Prime Minister is normally
A) the most senior member of the Senate
B) chosen directly by all voters in a separate election
C) the leader of the majority party in the lower house
D) appointed for life by the Head of State
11. Cabinet ministers publicly support every Cabinet decision, even one they argued against in private. This principle is called
A) separation of powers
B) judicial review
C) universal adult suffrage
D) collective responsibility
12. Dividing the powers of government among the legislature, the executive and the judiciary, so that no single branch has total power, is called
A) the separation of powers
B) collective responsibility
C) proportional representation
D) local government
13. Which service is MOST commonly provided by local government bodies such as city or municipal corporations?
A) Commanding the national defence force
B) Printing the national currency
C) Conducting relations with foreign countries
D) Collecting garbage and maintaining public markets
14. The right of all citizens above a set age to vote, regardless of sex, income or property, is called
A) proportional representation
B) universal adult suffrage
C) a constituency
D) a by-election
15. A government asks all registered voters to decide directly whether to replace the Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice as the final court of appeal. This vote is
A) a referendum
B) a general election
C) a by-election
D) a census
16. In many Caribbean countries, which body is responsible for registering voters and organising fair elections?
A) An independent Elections and Boundaries Commission
B) The Cabinet
C) The Leader of the Opposition
D) The Police Service
17. Which of the following is a fundamental right protected in Caribbean constitutions?
A) Exemption from paying taxes
B) Freedom of expression
C) A guaranteed minimum salary for every adult
D) Free university education for every citizen
18. Two neighbours in a boundary dispute agree to let a neutral person help them talk until they reach their own agreement. This method of resolving conflict is
A) retaliation
B) mediation
C) litigation
D) arbitration
19. A club president makes every decision alone and expects members to obey without discussion. This style of leadership is
A) autocratic
B) democratic
C) laissez-faire
D) participatory
20. Which of the following is an example of a secondary group?
A) A national trade union
B) A close circle of friends
C) A household
D) A family
21. Which of the following is an example of an INFORMAL sanction?
A) A fine imposed by a magistrate
B) Friends refusing to speak to a member who broke a promise
C) A prison sentence
D) A suspension from school
22. A parent migrates to work overseas and leaves the children with relatives, sending money and goods home regularly. Which is the MOST likely effect on the children?
A) They may feel emotionally neglected despite the material support
B) They become legally adopted by the relatives
C) They stop receiving any income from the parent
D) They gain citizenship of the parent's new country
23. Which is a likely consequence of teenage pregnancy for the young mother?
A) More free time to complete her studies
B) Earlier entry into higher education
C) Greater financial independence from her parents
D) Interrupted schooling and fewer job opportunities
24. Which body in most Caribbean countries investigates reports that a child is being abused?
A) The Public Service Commission
B) The Central Bank
C) The national child protection authority or agency
D) The Elections and Boundaries Commission
25. Which of the following is a legal requirement for a marriage in Caribbean countries?
A) Both partners must belong to the same religion
B) The couple must already have children
C) The couple must own a house
D) Both partners must freely consent to the marriage
26. In many Caribbean homes today, both partners go out to work and share the housework and childcare. This reflects
A) social stratification
B) ascribed status
C) the extended family
D) changing gender roles
27. A community has 1 800 households. 40% are nuclear families and 25% are single-parent families. How many households are single-parent families?
A) 1 350
B) 450
C) 1 170
D) 720
28. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child protects a child's right to
A) vote in national elections
B) leave school at any age
C) work full time from the age of twelve
D) education and protection from exploitation
29. A person born in another country becomes a citizen of Barbados after living there for several years and applying to the government. Citizenship was acquired by
A) descent
B) naturalisation
C) migration
D) birth
30. The MAIN aim of a political party is to
A) interpret the constitution
B) win elections and form the government
C) enforce the laws of the country
D) collect taxes
Section B — Sustainable Development and Use of Resources (Items 31–60)
31. An official count of the whole population of a country, usually taken every ten years, is
A) a register of electors
B) a sample survey
C) a census
D) a referendum
32. A country has 300 000 people aged 0–14, 700 000 aged 15–64 and 120 000 aged 65 and over. What is its dependency ratio (dependants per 100 people of working age)?
A) 167
B) 60
C) 38
D) 43
33. A population pyramid has a very wide base that narrows quickly towards the top. This shows
A) equal numbers in every age group
B) an ageing population with a low birth rate
C) a large number of elderly immigrants
D) a high birth rate and a young population
34. Which of the following is a PULL factor attracting Caribbean migrants to North America?
A) Political unrest at home
B) Higher wages and more job opportunities
C) Frequent hurricanes at home
D) High unemployment at home
35. In one year a country had 8 200 immigrants and 11 700 emigrants. What was its net migration?
A) 19 900
B) −19 900
C) −3 500
D) +3 500
36. The movement of people from country villages to towns and cities within the same country is called
A) emigration
B) counter-urbanisation
C) rural–urban migration
D) immigration
37. Large numbers of people move to a capital city faster than new housing is built. Which problem is MOST likely?
A) A fall in traffic congestion
B) A shortage of workers in the city
C) A lower demand for water
D) The growth of squatter settlements
38. Which natural hazard is measured by its magnitude on the Richter scale?
A) A hurricane
B) An earthquake
C) A drought
D) A flood
39. Which regional agency coordinates disaster preparedness and response among Caribbean states?
A) CARIFTA
B) CCJ
C) CXC
D) CDEMA
40. Volcanic eruptions from 1995 onwards made the capital and much of the southern half of which Caribbean island uninhabitable?
A) Barbados
B) Dominica
C) St Vincent
D) Montserrat
41. Which action by a Caribbean government would do MOST to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
A) Building more oil-fired power stations
B) Investing in solar and wind power
C) Clearing mangroves to build hotels
D) Removing taxes on large petrol vehicles
42. Why should mangrove swamps be protected?
A) They prevent volcanic eruptions
B) They are the main source of drinking water
C) They provide the best land for housing
D) They are nurseries for fish and protect coasts from storm surge
43. Which of the following is a TERTIARY economic activity?
A) Tourism
B) Fishing
C) Bauxite mining
D) Sugar refining
44. A worker leaves one job and spends a few weeks looking for a better-suited job. This is
A) structural unemployment
B) cyclical unemployment
C) frictional unemployment
D) seasonal unemployment
45. A country has 800 000 people of working age, and 520 000 of them are in the labour force. What is the labour force participation rate?
A) 35%
B) 52%
C) 65%
D) 154%
46. Which of the following is an example of CAPITAL as a factor of production?
A) The rainfall on the farm
B) A tractor used on a farm
C) The labour of a farm worker
D) The fertile soil of the farm
47. Which is a NEGATIVE effect of tourism on Caribbean countries?
A) Earnings of foreign exchange
B) Demand for local craft and food
C) Pressure on water supplies and damage to coral reefs
D) Jobs in hotels and restaurants
48. Eco-tourism is BEST described as
A) short cruise-ship stops at several ports
B) holidays spent mainly in large all-inclusive resorts
C) travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and benefits local people
D) shopping trips to duty-free stores
49. If US$1 = EC$2.70, what is the price in US dollars of an item that costs EC$540?
A) US$200
B) US$1 458
C) US$270
D) US$20
50. Many Caribbean economies are described as "open" because they
A) depend heavily on trade with other countries
B) have no taxes on imports at all
C) allow no foreign investment
D) produce everything that they consume
51. The CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) aims to allow the free movement of
A) members of parliament between national parliaments
B) only agricultural goods between member states
C) tourists between member states without any documents
D) goods, services, capital and skilled labour among member states
52. CARICOM was established in 1973 by the Treaty of
A) Chaguaramas
B) Basseterre
C) Rome
D) Versailles
53. Which regional institution deals with public health threats such as outbreaks of dengue fever?
A) CCJ
B) CDEMA
C) CARPHA
D) CXC
54. A hurricane warning is issued and electricity may soon be cut off. Which medium is MOST likely to reach the largest number of people quickly?
A) A daily printed newspaper
B) A roadside billboard
C) A battery-powered radio
D) A monthly magazine
55. Posting false statements online about a person in order to damage their reputation is
A) defamation
B) freedom of the press
C) investigative journalism
D) censorship
56. Which is an effect of globalisation on Caribbean culture?
A) A ban on all imported goods
B) Greater influence of foreign music, food and fashion on young people
C) The end of migration from the region
D) Complete isolation from foreign media
57. Burning garbage in open dumps MAINLY causes
A) soil erosion on hillsides
B) drought
C) coral bleaching
D) air pollution and health problems
58. Which Caribbean country's economy has depended MOST on oil and natural gas for many decades?
A) Antigua and Barbuda
B) St Lucia
C) Barbados
D) Trinidad and Tobago
59. A country has 2 400 000 adults, of whom 2 232 000 can read and write. What is its adult literacy rate?
A) 9.3%
B) 96%
C) 93%
D) 7%
60. Which measure BEST shows the sustainable use of a country's fish stocks?
A) Closed seasons and limits on the size of nets' mesh
B) Removing coral to sell as souvenirs
C) Catching as many fish as possible while prices are high
D) Fishing with dynamite to increase the catch