SAMPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOUR EXAMS PREPARATIONS

1. Find the gradient of the line:

2x − 5y + 10 = 0

2
(A) 5

(B) − 25
5
(C) 2

(D) − 52
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
2. Find the y-intercept of the line:
4x + 2y − 8 = 0

(A) 4
(B) −4
(C) 2
(D) −2
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
3. The equation of a line is y = 3x − 7. What is its gradient?
(A) 3
(B) −3
(C) 7
(D) −7
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
4. Find the equation of the line with gradient 2 passing through the point (1, 5).
(A) y = 2x + 3
(B) y = 2x − 3

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 (C) y = −2x + 3
(D) y = x + 2
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
5. Which of the following is a quadratic polynomial?
(A) 4x3 + 2x − 1
(B) 5x2 − 3x + 7
(C) 6x + 9
(D) 8
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
6. What is the degree of the polynomial:

7x5 − 3x2 + 4x − 9

(A) 2
(B) 3
(C) 4
(D) 5
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
7. Identify the constant term in:
9x4 − 6x3 + 2x − 11

(A) 9x4
(B) −6x3
(C) 2x
(D) −11
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)

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 8. Simplify:
3x + 5x − 2x

(A) 4x
(B) 5x
(C) 6x
(D) 10x
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
9. Factorize:
12x2 y + 18xy2

(A) 6xy(2x + 3y)

(B) 3xy(4x + 6y)
(C) 2xy(6x + 9y)
(D) xy(12x + 18y)
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
10. Factorize completely:
x2 − 9

(A) (x − 9)(x + 1)
(B) (x − 3)(x + 3)
(C) (x − 3)2
(D) (x + 3)2
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
11. Factorize:
x2 + 7x + 12

(A) (x + 3)(x + 4)

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 (B) (x − 3)(x − 4)
(C) (x + 2)(x + 6)
(D) (x − 2)(x − 6)
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
12. Solve:
x2 − 5x + 6 = 0

(A) x = 1, 6
(B) x = 2, 3
(C) x = −2, −3
(D) x = −1, −6
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
13. Solve:
2x + 7 = 19

(A) x = 4
(B) x = 5
(C) x = 6
(D) x = 7
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
14. Solve:
x
+3 = 7
4

(A) x = 4
(B) x = 8
(C) x = 12
(D) x = 16
(E) None of the above

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 (1 mark)
15. Simplify:
2 1
+
3 6
1
(A) 2
5
(B) 6
3
(C) 9
2
(D) 6

(E) None of the above

(1 mark)
16. Simplify:
5 1
−
8 4
1
(A) 8
2
(B) 8
3
(C) 8
4
(D) 8

(E) None of the above

(1 mark)
17. Evaluate:
23 + 4 × 3

(A) 20
(B) 24
(C) 32
(D) 36
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
18. Evaluate:
18 ÷ 3 + 5 × 2

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 (A) 16
(B) 18
(C) 21
(D) 26
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
19. Which of the following is an integer?
2
(A) 3

(B) 4.5
(C) −7
(D) 0.25
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
20. Which of the following is a rational number?
√
(A) 2
(B) π
5
(C) 9
√
(D) 3
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
21. Add the matrices:    
2 3 1 6
 + 
4 5 7 2
 
3 9
(A)  
11 7
 
1 3
(B)  
4 7

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  
 2 18
(C)  
28 10
 
3 6
(D)  
7 5
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
22. Subtract:    
8 5 3 2
 − 
6 4 1 7
 
5 3 
(A)  
5 −3
 
11 7 
(B)  
7 11
 
5 7 
(C)  
7 −3
 
−5 −3
(D)  
−5 3
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
23. Find the order of the matrix:  
1 2 3
 
4 5 6

(A) 2 × 3
(B) 3 × 2
(C) 2 × 2
(D) 3 × 3
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
24. Which of the following is a square matrix?

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(A) 1 2 3
 
1
 
(B) 2
 
 
3
 
1 2
(C)  
3 4
 
1 2 3
(D)  
4 5 6
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
25. Find the determinant of:  
3 4
 
2 5

(A) 7
(B) 15
(C) 23
(D) 30
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
26. Solve the simultaneous equations:


x + y = 10



x − y = 4


(A) x = 7, y = 3
(B) x = 6, y = 4
(C) x = 5, y = 5
(D) x = 8, y = 2
(E) None of the above

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 (1 mark)
27. Solve: 

2x + y = 11



x + y = 7


(A) x = 4, y = 3
(B) x = 3, y = 4
(C) x = 5, y = 2
(D) x = 2, y = 5
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
28. A notebook costs Ghx and a pen costs Ghy. If x + y = 20 and x − y = 10, find the cost of
one notebook.
(A) Gh5.00
(B) Gh10.00
(C) Gh15.00
(D) Gh20.00
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
29. If f (x) = 2x2 − 3x + 1, find f (2).
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
30. If g(x) = x3 − 2x + 5, find g(1).
(A) 2
(B) 3
(C) 4

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 (D) 5
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
31. Expand:
(x + 4)(x + 2)

(A) x2 + 6x + 8
(B) x2 + 8x + 6
(C) x2 − 6x + 8
(D) x2 − 8x + 6
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
32. Expand:
(2x − 3)(x + 5)

(A) 2x2 + 7x − 15
(B) 2x2 − 7x − 15
(C) 2x2 + 10x − 3
(D) 2x2 − 10x + 15
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
33. Simplify:
5a − 2b + 3a + 7b

(A) 8a + 5b
(B) 2a + 5b
(C) 8a − 9b
(D) 5a + 8b
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)

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34. If x = 3, evaluate:
4x2 − 2x + 1

(A) 25
(B) 29
(C) 31
(D) 37
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
35. Solve:
3(x − 2) = 15

(A) x = 3
(B) x = 5
(C) x = 7
(D) x = 9
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
36. Solve:
5x − 4 = 2x + 11

(A) x = 3
(B) x = 4
(C) x = 5
(D) x = 6
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
37. Find the product:   
1 2 2
  
3 4 1

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  
4
(A)  
10
 
5
(B)  
11
 
2
(C)  
3
 
3
(D)  
7
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
38. Which
 of the
 following is an identity matrix?
1 1
(A)  
1 1
 
0 1
(B)  
1 0
 
1 0
(C)  
0 1
 
0 0
(D)  
0 0
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
39. Find the inverse of the 2 × 2 matrix:  
1 2
 
3 4
 
−2 1 
(A)  
3
2 − 21
 
 2 −1
(B)  
− 23 1
2

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  
 4 −2
(C)  
−3 1
 
1 2
(D)  
3 4
(E) None of the above

  (1 mark)

2 1
40. If A =  , find 2A.
0 3
 
4 2
(A)  
0 6
 
2 2
(B)  
0 3
 
4 1
(C)  
0 6
 
2 1
(D)  
0 6
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
41. A polynomial has degree 1. It is called a:
(A) Constant polynomial
(B) Linear polynomial
(C) Quadratic polynomial
(D) Cubic polynomial
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
42. A polynomial has degree 3. It is called a:
(A) Linear polynomial
(B) Quadratic polynomial
(C) Cubic polynomial

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 (D) Quartic polynomial
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
43. Which of the following is written in standard form?
(A) x + x3 + 2x2 + 4
(B) 5x4 − 3x2 + x − 8
(C) 7 + 2x + x2
(D) x2 + x5 − 4
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
44. Solve:
2x + 1
=5
3

(A) x = 5
(B) x = 6
(C) x = 7
(D) x = 8
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)
45. Solve the quadratic equation:
x2 + 2x − 15 = 0

(A) x = 3, −5
(B) x = −3, 5
(C) x = 1, 15
(D) x = −1, −15
(E) None of the above
(1 mark)

END OF SECTION A

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46. A straight line passes through the points (2, 5) and (6, 13).
(i) Find the gradient of the line. (4 marks)
(ii) Find the equation of the line. (6 marks)
(iii) Find the y-intercept of the line. (4 marks)
(iv) Determine whether the point (8, 17) lies on the line. (6 marks)
TOTAL (20 Marks)

47. Given the polynomial:

P(x) = 3x4 − 5x3 + 2x2 − 7x + 10

(i) State the degree of the polynomial. (3 marks)

(ii) Identify the leading coefficient. (3 marks)
(iii) Identify the constant term. (3 marks)
(iv) Evaluate P(2). (6 marks)
(v) Write the polynomial in descending order and classify it by degree. (5 marks)
TOTAL (20 Marks)

48. Factorize the following expressions completely:

(i) 15x2 y − 25xy2 (4 marks)
(ii) x2 − 16 (4 marks)
(iii) x2 + 9x + 20 (4 marks)
(iv) 2x2 + 7x + 3 (4 marks)
(v) 6a2 b − 12ab2 + 18ab (4 marks)
TOTAL (20 Marks)

49. Solve the following equations:

(i) 3x + 7 = 22 (4 marks)
(ii) 5(x − 2) = 30 (4 marks)
x
(iii) + 5 = 11 (4 marks)
3
2x + 1
(iv) =7 (4 marks)
5
(v) 4x − 3 = 2x + 9 (4 marks)

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 TOTAL (20 Marks)

50. Solve the following quadratic equations:

(i) x2 − 7x + 12 = 0 (5 marks)
(ii) x2 + 5x + 6 = 0 (5 marks)
(iii) x2 − 25 = 0 (5 marks)
(iv) 2x2 − 5x − 3 = 0 (5 marks)
TOTAL (20 Marks)

51. Simplify the following using BODMAS or BEDMAS:

(i) 18 ÷ 3 + 4 × 5 − 6 (4 marks)
(ii) 23 + 6 × 4 − 10 (4 marks)
3 2 1
(iii) + − (4 marks)
4 5 2
5 2 1

(iv) + (4 marks)
6 3
1 3 5
(v) 4 − 2 + (4 marks)
2 4 8
TOTAL (20 Marks)

52. Let    
3 4 1 2 −7 1 
   
A=
0 3 9 ,
 B=
0 3 −7

   
5 7 2 1 1 7

(i) Find A + B. (4 marks)

(ii) Find A − B. (4 marks)
(iii) Find AB. (5 marks)
(iv) Find the determinant of A. (3 marks)
(v) Find A−1 , if it exists. (4 marks)
TOTAL (20 Marks)

53. A school bought 8 textbooks and 5 exercise books for Gh530.00. Another school bought 6
textbooks and 10 exercise books for Gh620.00. Let the cost of one textbook be x and the
cost of one exercise book be y.

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 (i) Form two simultaneous equations from the information. (5 marks)
(ii) Solve the equations to find x and y. (10 marks)
(iii) Find the cost of 3 textbooks and 4 exercise books. (5 marks)
TOTAL (20 Marks)

54. A transport company charges a fixed booking fee and an amount per kilometre. A journey
of 10 km costs Gh80.00, while a journey of 15 km costs Gh110.00. Let the fixed booking
fee be a and the cost per kilometre be b.
(i) Write two equations involving a and b. (5 marks)
(ii) Find the fixed booking fee. (5 marks)
(iii) Find the cost per kilometre. (5 marks)
(iv) Find the cost of a journey of 25 km. (5 marks)
TOTAL (20 Marks)

55. Let
C(x) = 2x3 − 5x2 − 2x + 5.

(i) Find C(1). (4 marks)

(ii) Find C(2). (4 marks)
(iii) Find C(3). (4 marks)
(iv) State the cubic term, quadratic term, linear term, and constant term. (4 marks)
(v) State the leading coefficient and degree of the polynomial. (4 marks)
TOTAL (20 Marks)

56. Consider the matrices:    

3 2 1 1 0 2
   
P=
1 4 2 , = 3 1 1 .
  
   
2 1 3 2 4 0

(i) Find P + Q. (4 marks)

(ii) Find P − Q. (4 marks)
(iii) Find PQ. (6 marks)

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 (iv) Find the determinant of P. (6 marks)
TOTAL (20 Marks)

57. A small business records its profit using the function:

R(x) = x2 + 6x + 8,

where x represents the number of items sold in hundreds.

(i) Factorize R(x). (5 marks)
(ii) Find the zeros of the function. (5 marks)
(iii) Evaluate R(4). (5 marks)
(iv) Explain what the zeros of the function mean mathematically. (5 marks)
TOTAL (20 Marks)

From John Essuman (Lecturer)

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