Every scatter diagrams question from 7 Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics (0580) past papers (May/June 2025 to May/June 2026), syllabus section 9.5. 7 questions covering Core and Extended tiers, ordered from Core to Extended. Each question is labelled with its question paper code (for example 0580/22/M/J/26) and every final answer matches the official Cambridge mark scheme. Try each question first, then click “Show solution” to check your working. This page is part of our IGCSE Maths 0580 Statistics past paper questions.
0580 Scatter Diagrams past paper questions: Core (Papers 1 and 3)
May/June 2026 · Paper 3 · 0580/31/M/J/26 · Q16
The scatter diagram shows the number of hot drinks sold by a café each day and the average temperature for that day.
(a) Plot these results for two more days: 18 °C with 40 drinks, and 28 °C with 21 drinks.
(b) What type of correlation is shown in the scatter diagram?
(c) (i) On the scatter diagram, draw a line of best fit. (ii) One day the average temperature was 24 °C. Use your line of best fit to estimate the number of hot drinks sold.
Show solution
- Find each temperature on the horizontal axis and the number of drinks on the vertical axis. Mark small crosses.
- Plot (18, 40) and (28, 21)
- As the temperature goes up, the number of hot drinks sold goes down.
- This is negative correlation
- Use a ruler. Draw one straight line that slopes downwards through the middle of the points, with about the same number on each side.
- Go up from 24 °C to your line, then across to the drinks axis.
- Estimate: about 29 drinks
May/June 2026 · Paper 3 · 0580/33/M/J/26 · Q11(b)
Some students take a history test. The scatter diagram shows the number of hours each student studies history and their test score.
(i) Sam studies history for 6 hours and scores 56 in the test. Plot a point on the scatter diagram to represent Sam’s data.
(ii) Find the number of people who have a higher test score than Sam.
(iii) Draw a line of best fit on the scatter diagram.
(iv) Use your line of best fit to estimate the test score for another student who studies history for 7 hours.
Show solution
- Find 6 on the hours axis and go up to 56 on the score axis. Mark a small cross at (6, 56)
- Imagine a horizontal line through a score of 56. Count the points above it (not Sam’s point).
- 7
- Use a ruler. Draw one straight line sloping upwards through the middle of the points, with about the same number of points on each side.
- Go up from 7 hours to your line, then across to the score axis.
- about 62
Oct/Nov 2025 · Paper 3 · 0580/32/O/N/25 · Q18
The scatter diagram shows the scores of twelve students on Paper 1 and Paper 2 of a subject.
(a) What type of correlation is shown? (b) Draw a line of best fit. (c) Another student scores 35 on Paper 1. Use your line of best fit to estimate their score on Paper 2.
Show solution
- Students with higher Paper 1 scores also tend to have higher Paper 2 scores.
- Positive correlation
- Use a ruler. Draw one straight line sloping upwards through the middle of the points, with about the same number of points on each side.
- Go up from 35 on the Paper 1 axis to your line, then across to the Paper 2 axis.
- about 45
May/June 2025 · Paper 1 · 0580/11/M/J/25 · Q20
The scatter diagram shows the price of petrol per litre and the number of litres sold at a petrol station on each of ten days.
(a) These are the results for two more days: price $1.68 with 90 litres sold, and price $1.47 with 380 litres sold. Plot this information on the scatter diagram.
(b) What type of correlation is shown in the scatter diagram?
(c)(i) On the scatter diagram, draw a line of best fit.
(c)(ii) One day the price of petrol was $1.55 per litre. Use your line of best fit to estimate the number of litres sold.
Show solution
- Find 1.68 on the price axis and go up to 90. Find 1.47 and go up to 380. Mark each with a cross.
- Plot (1.68, 90) and (1.47, 380).
- As the price goes up, the number of litres sold goes down.
- Correlation: negative
- Use a ruler. The line should follow the trend of the points, with about the same number of points on each side.
- A ruled straight line with negative gradient through the middle of the points.
- Go up from $1.55 on the price axis to your line, then across to the litres axis.
- Estimate: about 275 litres
0580 Scatter Diagrams past paper questions: Extended (Papers 2 and 4)
May/June 2026 · Paper 2 · 0580/22/M/J/26 · Q1
The scatter diagram shows the fuel consumption (litres/100 km) and CO2 emissions (g/km) for 10 cars.
(a) Another car has a fuel consumption of 6.2 litres/100 km and CO2 emissions of 162 g/km. Plot a point to show this information.
(b) What type of correlation does the scatter diagram show?
(c) Draw a line of best fit.
(d) Paulo’s car has CO2 emissions of 140 g/km. Use your line of best fit to estimate the fuel consumption of his car.
Show solution
- Find 6.2 on the horizontal (fuel consumption) axis and 162 on the vertical (CO2) axis.
- Mark a small cross where they meet: (6.2, 162)
- As fuel consumption goes up, CO2 emissions also go up.
- This is positive correlation
- Use a ruler. Draw one straight line that follows the trend, with roughly the same number of points on each side.
- Find 140 on the CO2 axis, go across to your line, then down to the fuel consumption axis.
- Estimate: about 5.0 litres/100 km
May/June 2026 · Paper 4 · 0580/43/M/J/26 · Q6
The table shows the time 9 students each spent studying for a test and the number of errors each student made in the test.
| study time (minutes) | 5 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 25 | 27 | 31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| number of errors | 35 | 34 | 30 | 25 | 24 | 20 | 13 | 9 | 6 |
(a) Complete the scatter diagram. The first 6 points have been plotted for you.
(b) What type of correlation is shown in the scatter diagram?
(c) Draw a line of best fit on the scatter diagram.
(d) Another student studies for 13 minutes. Use your line of best fit to estimate the number of errors this student is expected to make in the test.
Show solution
- Plot the last three pairs from the table as small crosses.
- (25, 13), (27, 9) and (31, 6)
- As the study time goes up, the number of errors goes down.
- negative correlation
- Use a ruler. Draw one straight line sloping downwards through the middle of the points, for example from about (5, 36) to (30, 7).
- Go up from 13 minutes to your line, then across to the errors axis.
- about 27 errors
Oct/Nov 2025 · Paper 2 · 0580/23/O/N/25 · Q6
The scatter diagram shows the value, in thousands of dollars, of ten paintings in 2005 and the value of the same paintings in 2025.
(a) The value of one of the paintings in 2025 is less than expected. Draw a circle around the point that represents this painting.
(b) Another painting had a value of $75 000 in 2005 and $140 000 in 2025. Plot this point.
(c) Write down the number of paintings with a value of less than $53 000 in 2005.
(d) What type of correlation is shown on the scatter diagram?
Show solution
- Most points follow a rising trend. Find the one point that is much lower than the others near it.
- Circle the point at (70, 60)
- $75 000 is 75 thousand and $140 000 is 140 thousand. Mark a cross at (75, 140)
- Find 53 on the 2005 axis and count the points to the left of it.
- Number of paintings = 5
- As the 2005 value increases, the 2025 value also increases: Positive correlation
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