Mathbench

Chapter 9 — Full Mock Examinations

How to use these mock exams

Each exam contains 60 questions in NBT MAT format: four options (A–D), one correct answer. No calculator is allowed. Allow 3 hours per exam. Work through the entire paper before checking the answer key at the end.

The NBT reports a candidate's Mathematics result in five subdomains. The five below are the NBT's own, from its National Report; every question in these three exams is tagged with the one it belongs to, and the counts are counted, not estimated:

NBT subdomain Exam 1 Exam 2 Exam 3 Total
Algebraic processing 14 21 21 56
Number sense 17 17 16 50
Geometric reasoning 13 11 10 34
Functions and graphs 11 7 8 26
Trigonometric functions and graphs 5 4 5 14

Number sense carries the probability and data questions, and geometric reasoning carries coordinate geometry — that is the NBT's grouping, not ours.

The NBT does not publish how many of its 60 questions fall in each subdomain. Neither its website nor its National Report gives those numbers, so no practice paper — this one included — can honestly claim to match the real proportions, and you should distrust any that does. What the table is for is reading your own result the way the NBT reports it: if you lose most of your marks in one row, that is the row to go back to.

One thing the table makes obvious: trigonometry is thinner here than the other rows. If that turns out to be your weak subdomain, chapter 4 will do more for you than a fourth mock exam would.

The questions are mixed, not grouped: an algebra question may be followed by a geometry one, exactly as in the real NBT. Nothing is labelled by topic or by difficulty, because the real paper labels neither — deciding what a question is asking is part of the test.


Mock Exam 1


Exam 1 — Q1

If k=1n(2k1)=144\displaystyle\sum_{k=1}^{n} (2k - 1) = 144, the value of nn is:

A) 12

B) 72

C) 144

D) 24


Exam 1 — Q2

In how many ways can 4 books be arranged on a shelf if two particular books must stand next to each other?

A) 48

B) 24

C) 6

D) 12


Exam 1 — Q3

P(A)=0.4P(A) = 0.4, P(B)=0.5P(B) = 0.5 and P(AB)=0.2P(A \cap B) = 0.2. Then P(AB)P(A \cup B) equals:

A) 1.1

B) 0.9

C) 0.2

D) 0.7


Exam 1 — Q4

In a class, 12 learners scored 60 % and 8 learners scored 85 %. The mean mark for the class is:

A) 75 %

B) 72.5 %

C) 70 %

D) 68 %


Exam 1 — Q5

The points (1; 3)(1;\ 3), (5; 11)(5;\ 11) and (k; 19)(k;\ 19) are collinear. The value of kk is:

A) 8

B) 7

C) 13

D) 9


Exam 1 — Q6

If m%m\% of rr items are defective, the number of items that are not defective is:

A) 100rm\dfrac{100r}{m}

B) mr100\dfrac{mr}{100}

C) rm100\dfrac{r - m}{100}

D) 100rmr100\dfrac{100r - mr}{100}


Exam 1 — Q7

Each interior angle of a regular polygon is 150°150°. The polygon has:

A) 15 sides

B) 10 sides

C) 12 sides

D) 6 sides


Exam 1 — Q8

A straight line passes through (1; 4)(-1;\ 4) and is perpendicular to y=13x+2y = \dfrac{1}{3}x + 2. The equation of this line is:

A) y=3x+7y = 3x + 7

B) y=3x3y = -3x - 3

C) y=3x+1y = -3x + 1

D) y=13x+133y = \dfrac{1}{3}x + \dfrac{13}{3}


Exam 1 — Q9
Tangent drawn from a point 13 cm from the centreOPQ513

PQPQ is a tangent to the circle with centre OO, touching the circle at PP. If OP=5OP = 5 cm and OQ=13OQ = 13 cm, the area of OPQ\triangle OPQ is:

A) 32.5 cm232.5\ \text{cm}^2

B) 30 cm230\ \text{cm}^2

C) 60 cm260\ \text{cm}^2

D) 39 cm239\ \text{cm}^2


Exam 1 — Q10
y = 2 to the power x, minus 3xy-2-11224(0; −2)

Which one of the following is the equation of the graph shown?

A) y=2x3y = 2^x - 3

B) y=2x+3y = 2^x + 3

C) y=3x2y = 3^x - 2

D) y=2x3y = -2^x - 3


Exam 1 — Q11

M(1; 2)M(1;\ 2) is the midpoint of ABAB. If AA is the point (2; 6)(-2;\ 6), then BB is:

A) (3; 4)(3;\ -4)

B) (5; 10)(-5;\ 10)

C) (4; 2)(4;\ -2)

D) (0; 4)(0;\ 4)


Exam 1 — Q12
Parabola with maximum turning point at (3; 4)xy154(3; 4)

The graph of ff is shown above. For which values of xx is f(x)0f(x) \geq 0?

A) x1x \leq 1 or x5x \geq 5

B) 1x51 \leq x \leq 5

C) 5x4-5 \leq x \leq 4

D) x4x \geq 4


Exam 1 — Q13

A bag contains 3 red and 7 blue marbles. Two marbles are drawn at random without replacement. The probability that both are red is:

A) 310\dfrac{3}{10}

B) 9100\dfrac{9}{100}

C) 115\dfrac{1}{15}

D) 110\dfrac{1}{10}


Exam 1 — Q14

If (x+3)(x + 3) is a factor of 2x2+bx32x^2 + bx - 3, the value of bb is:

A) 5

B) 5-5

C) 3

D) 15


Exam 1 — Q15

One solution of cos(x20°)=k\cos(x - 20°) = k is x=80°x = 80°. Which one of the following is also a solution?

A) 260°260°

B) 100°100°

C) 40°-40°

D) 80°-80°


Exam 1 — Q16

A fair coin is tossed 3 times. The probability of getting at least 2 heads is:

A) 14\dfrac{1}{4}

B) 38\dfrac{3}{8}

C) 78\dfrac{7}{8}

D) 12\dfrac{1}{2}


Exam 1 — Q17

The graph of y=f(x)y = f(x) is shifted 2 units to the right and 3 units down. The equation of the new graph is:

A) y=f(x+2)+3y = f(x + 2) + 3

B) y=f(x+2)3y = f(x + 2) - 3

C) y=f(x2)+3y = f(x - 2) + 3

D) y=f(x2)3y = f(x - 2) - 3


Exam 1 — Q18
Triangle with two sides and the included angleABC60°68

In ABC\triangle ABC, AB=6AB = 6, AC=8AC = 8 and A^=60°\hat{A} = 60°. The length of BCBC is:

A) 2132\sqrt{13}

B) 1010

C) 2372\sqrt{37}

D) 1414


Exam 1 — Q19

The graph of y=log2(x+k)y = \log_2(x + k) has an xx-intercept at (3; 0)(3;\ 0). The value of kk is:

A) 2

B) 2-2

C) 3-3

D) 1


Exam 1 — Q20

Simplify 50182\dfrac{\sqrt{50} - \sqrt{18}}{\sqrt{2}}.

A) 222\sqrt{2}

B) 2

C) 4

D) 2\sqrt{2}


Exam 1 — Q21

If sinθ=23\sin\theta = \dfrac{2}{3} and θ\theta is acute, then cos2θ\cos^2\theta equals:

A) 53\dfrac{\sqrt{5}}{3}

B) 13\dfrac{1}{3}

C) 59\dfrac{5}{9}

D) 49\dfrac{4}{9}


Exam 1 — Q22

A tourist changes $500 into rand at R18.50 per dollar, and is charged 2 % commission on the rand amount. He receives:

A) R9 250

B) R9 065

C) R9 435

D) R8 875


Exam 1 — Q23

The graph of y=a2xy = a \cdot 2^x passes through the point (3; 24)(3;\ 24). The value of aa is:

A) 3

B) 8

C) 21

D) 12


Exam 1 — Q24

The median of a data set is 12 and the interquartile range is 6. If Q1=9Q_1 = 9, then Q3Q_3 equals:

A) 21

B) 18

C) 3

D) 15


Exam 1 — Q25

ff is an even function and f(3)=7f(3) = 7. The value of f(3)+f(3)f(-3) + f(3) is:

A) 14

B) 0

C) 7

D) 14-14


Exam 1 — Q26

A triangle has sides of 5, 12 and 13 units. Its area is:

A) 32.5 square units

B) 30 square units

C) 60 square units

D) 39 square units


Exam 1 — Q27

From a class of 30 students, 12 play sport and 10 study music. 5 do both. How many do neither?

A) 8

B) 12

C) 17

D) 13


Exam 1 — Q28

The value of tan45°+sin30°cos60°\dfrac{\tan 45° + \sin 30°}{\cos 60°} is:

A) 32\dfrac{3}{2}

B) 2

C) 3

D) 1


Exam 1 — Q29

In a geometric sequence, T2=6T_2 = 6 and T5=48T_5 = 48. The common ratio is:

A) 2

B) 8

C) 3

D) 4


Exam 1 — Q30

For which value of kk is the set of ordered pairs {(1; 2), (2; 5), (k; 7)}\{(1;\ 2),\ (2;\ 5),\ (k;\ 7)\} not a function?

A) 7

B) 2

C) 3

D) 0


Exam 1 — Q31

If sin2θ=35\sin 2\theta = \dfrac{3}{5}, the value of (sinθ+cosθ)2(\sin\theta + \cos\theta)^2 is:

A) 35\dfrac{3}{5}

B) 1

C) 25\dfrac{2}{5}

D) 85\dfrac{8}{5}


Exam 1 — Q32

The sum of the first nn terms of an arithmetic sequence is Sn=2n2+nS_n = 2n^2 + n. The 5th term of the sequence is:

A) 21

B) 55

C) 19

D) 15


Exam 1 — Q33

The graph of ff has a turning point at (2; 4)(-2;\ 4). Which one of the following graphs will cut the xx-axis at exactly one point?

A) y=f(x)+4y = f(x) + 4

B) y=f(x)4y = f(x) - 4

C) y=f(x+4)y = f(x + 4)

D) y=f(x)y = -f(x)


Exam 1 — Q34

The line through (2; k)(2;\ k) and (4; 7)(4;\ 7) is perpendicular to y=2x+1y = -2x + 1. The value of kk is:

A) 5

B) 8

C) 6

D) 3


Exam 1 — Q35
Parallel lines cut by a transversal62°x

In the diagram the two horizontal lines are parallel. The value of xx is:

A) 62°62°

B) 118°118°

C) 28°28°

D) 128°128°


Exam 1 — Q36

The circle x2+y2=25x^2 + y^2 = 25 and the line y=x+1y = x + 1 intersect. One point of intersection is:

A) (4; 3)(4;\ 3)

B) (3; 4)(3;\ 4)

C) (5; 0)(5;\ 0)

D) (3; 4)(-3;\ -4)


Exam 1 — Q37

If log102=a\log_{10} 2 = a, then log105\log_{10} 5 equals:

A) a2\dfrac{a}{2}

B) a1a - 1

C) 5a5a

D) 1a1 - a


Exam 1 — Q38

Which one of the following is irrational?

A) 8×2\sqrt{8} \times \sqrt{2}

B) 8+2\sqrt{8} + \sqrt{2}

C) 8÷2\sqrt{8} \div \sqrt{2}

D) (8)2(\sqrt{8})^2


Exam 1 — Q39
A 24 cm chord in a circle of radius 13 cmOAB524

OO is the centre of the circle. The chord AB=24AB = 24 cm and the radius is 13 cm. The area of AOB\triangle AOB is:

A) 156 cm2156\ \text{cm}^2

B) 60 cm260\ \text{cm}^2

C) 120 cm2120\ \text{cm}^2

D) 65 cm265\ \text{cm}^2


Exam 1 — Q40

Written in standard form, (3×105)(4×102)6×104\dfrac{(3 \times 10^5)(4 \times 10^{-2})}{6 \times 10^{-4}} is:

A) 12×10712 \times 10^7

B) 2×10112 \times 10^{11}

C) 2×1072 \times 10^7

D) 2×1012 \times 10^{-1}


Exam 1 — Q41

The mean of the data set {3; 8; x; 15; 7; 1}\{3;\ 8;\ x;\ 15;\ 7;\ 1\} is 7. The value of xx is:

A) 42

B) 7

C) 6

D) 8


Exam 1 — Q42

Two triangles are similar. Their perimeters are 18 cm and 30 cm. If the shorter triangle has an area of 27 cm227\ \text{cm}^2, what is the area of the larger triangle?

A) 45 cm245\ \text{cm}^2

B) 54 cm254\ \text{cm}^2

C) 75 cm275\ \text{cm}^2

D) 108 cm2108\ \text{cm}^2


Exam 1 — Q43

An infinite geometric series has S=12S_\infty = 12 and first term a=8a = 8. The common ratio is:

A) 13\dfrac{1}{3}

B) 23\dfrac{2}{3}

C) 32\dfrac{3}{2}

D) 12\dfrac{1}{2}


Exam 1 — Q44

ABAB is a diameter of a circle and CC is a point on the circle. If A^=35°\hat{A} = 35°, then B^\hat{B} equals:

A) 35°35°

B) 55°55°

C) 90°90°

D) 45°45°


Exam 1 — Q45

If 4x+12x1=29\dfrac{4^{x+1}}{2^{x-1}} = 2^9, the value of xx is:

A) 6

B) 9

C) 3

D) 12


Exam 1 — Q46

The interquartile range of {2; 5; 8; 10; 14; 18}\{2;\ 5;\ 8;\ 10;\ 14;\ 18\} is:

A) 6

B) 16

C) 8

D) 9


Exam 1 — Q47

After a 15 % increase, the price of an item is R276. The original price was:

A) R261

B) R234.60

C) R240

D) R320


Exam 1 — Q48

How many real solutions does x3+4=2|x - 3| + 4 = 2 have?

A) 0

B) 1

C) 2

D) Infinitely many


Exam 1 — Q49

The graph of y=axy = \dfrac{a}{x} passes through the point (2; 3)(-2;\ 3). Its two branches lie in quadrants:

A) II and IV

B) I and III

C) I and II

D) III and IV


Exam 1 — Q50

R8 000 grows to R9 680 in 2 years at compound interest. The annual interest rate is:

A) 21 %

B) 10 %

C) 10.5 %

D) 11 %


Exam 1 — Q51

The roots of 2x26x+1=02x^2 - 6x + 1 = 0 are α\alpha and β\beta. The value of α+β\alpha + \beta is:

A) 3-3

B) 12\dfrac{1}{2}

C) 6

D) 3


Exam 1 — Q52

If f(x)=3x6f(x) = 3x - 6, the value of f1(0)f^{-1}(0) is:

A) 2

B) 6-6

C) 16\dfrac{1}{6}

D) 2-2


Exam 1 — Q53

If x:2=3:1\sqrt{x} : \sqrt{2} = 3 : 1, the value of xx is:

A) 9

B) 6

C) 18

D) 36


Exam 1 — Q54

For the arithmetic sequence 6; 10; 14; 6;\ 10;\ 14;\ \ldots, which term is equal to 102?

A) The 25th

B) The 24th

C) The 26th

D) The 102nd


Exam 1 — Q55

A rectangle has length (x+3)(x + 3) cm and width (x1)(x - 1) cm. If its area is 21 cm221\ \text{cm}^2, the value of xx is:

A) 3

B) 6-6

C) 6

D) 4


Exam 1 — Q56

A sphere has a volume of 36π cm336\pi\ \text{cm}^3. Its radius is:

A) 27 cm

B) 9 cm

C) 3 cm

D) 6 cm


Exam 1 — Q57

For which value of xx is (x+2)(x3)x(x+3)=0(x + 2)(x - 3) - x(x + 3) = 0?

A) 32-\dfrac{3}{2}

B) 32\dfrac{3}{2}

C) 6-6

D) 0


Exam 1 — Q58

The domain of f(x)=x+2x3f(x) = \dfrac{\sqrt{x + 2}}{x - 3} is:

A) x2, x3x \geq -2,\ x \neq 3

B) x>2x > -2

C) x3x \neq 3

D) x2x \geq -2


Exam 1 — Q59

A car depreciates at 20 % p.a. on the reducing balance. After how many complete years is it worth less than half its original value?

A) 3

B) 4

C) 5

D) 2


Exam 1 — Q60

Every value in a data set is increased by 5. Which one of the following does not change?

A) The mode

B) The mean

C) The median

D) The standard deviation


Mock Exam 1 — Answer Key

Q Ans Q Ans Q Ans Q Ans Q Ans
1 A 2 D 3 D 4 C 5 D
6 D 7 C 8 C 9 B 10 A
11 C 12 B 13 C 14 A 15 C
16 D 17 D 18 A 19 B 20 B
21 C 22 B 23 A 24 D 25 A
26 B 27 D 28 C 29 A 30 B
31 D 32 C 33 B 34 C 35 B
36 B 37 D 38 B 39 B 40 C
41 D 42 C 43 A 44 B 45 A
46 D 47 C 48 A 49 A 50 B
51 D 52 A 53 C 54 A 55 D
56 C 57 A 58 A 59 B 60 D

Mock Exam 1 — Worked Solutions

Mark your paper against the key above first, then read only the solutions for the questions you missed. Each one shows the route, not a full lesson — the chapters teach the ideas in depth.

Q1 — A. The sum of the first nn odd numbers is n2n^2. n2=144n=12n^2 = 144 \Rightarrow n = 12.

Why the others are wrong: B halves 144 instead of taking its square root. C repeats the sum itself. D doubles the answer.

Q2 — D. Tie the pair together as one block: 3!=63! = 6 arrangements of the three items, times 2!2! for the order inside the block =12= 12.

Why the others are wrong: A is 4!×24! \times 2 — the pair was tied but the block never collapsed, so four items were still arranged. B is 4!4!: the restriction was ignored altogether. C is 3!3!: the block was collapsed but the two orders inside it were forgotten.

Q3 — D. P(AB)=P(A)+P(B)P(AB)=0.4+0.50.2=0.7P(A \cup B) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A \cap B) = 0.4 + 0.5 - 0.2 = 0.7.

Why the others are wrong: A adds the overlap instead of subtracting it. B forgets the overlap entirely. C gives P(AB)P(A \cap B), the overlap on its own.

Q4 — C. Weight by how many learners: 12(60)+8(85)20=140020=70%\dfrac{12(60) + 8(85)}{20} = \dfrac{1\,400}{20} = 70\%. (The plain average of 60 and 85 is 72.5 % — wrong, because the groups differ in size.)

Why the others are wrong: B is the plain average of 60 and 85 — right only if the two groups were the same size, and they are not. A and D sit either side of that average and follow from no consistent weighting.

Q5 — D. Gradient of the first pair =11351=2= \dfrac{11 - 3}{5 - 1} = 2. Collinear means the same gradient throughout: 193k1=2k=9\dfrac{19 - 3}{k - 1} = 2 \Rightarrow k = 9.

Why the others are wrong: C uses a gradient of 43\tfrac{4}{3} instead of 2. A and B come from dividing 16 by something other than 2 — check the gradient on the first pair before using it on the second.

Q6 — D. Defective =mr100= \dfrac{mr}{100}, so the rest is rmr100=100rmr100r - \dfrac{mr}{100} = \dfrac{100r - mr}{100}. (Check with m=20m = 20, r=50r = 50: 40 are not defective. ✓)

Why the others are wrong: B is the number that IS defective. A turns the fraction upside down. C subtracts the percentage as though it were a count of items.

Q7 — C. Each exterior angle is 180°150°=30°180° - 150° = 30°, and exterior angles total 360°360°: n=36030=12n = \dfrac{360}{30} = 12.

Why the others are wrong: Each wrong option divides 360 by the wrong exterior angle: A by 24, B by 36 and D by 60. Only 180°150°=30°180° - 150° = 30° is the exterior angle here.

Q8 — C. Perpendicular gradient =11/3=3= -\dfrac{1}{1/3} = -3. y4=3(x+1)y=3x+1y - 4 = -3(x + 1) \Rightarrow y = -3x + 1. Check: at x=1x = -1, y=4y = 4. ✓

Why the others are wrong: D keeps the gradient 13\tfrac{1}{3} — that line is parallel, not perpendicular. A inverts without changing the sign. B has the right gradient but does not pass through (1; 4)(-1;\ 4).

Q9 — B. A tangent meets the radius at 90°90°, so OPQ\triangle OPQ is right-angled at PP. PQ=13252=12PQ = \sqrt{13^2 - 5^2} = 12 (the 5-12-13 triple). Area =12(5)(12)=30 cm2= \tfrac{1}{2}(5)(12) = 30\ \text{cm}^2.

Why the others are wrong: A uses OQ=13OQ = 13 as the second leg; it is the hypotenuse. C forgets to halve. D follows from no consistent pair of sides.

Q10 — A. The horizontal asymptote is y=3y = -3 and the curve rises, which rules out C and D; the yy-intercept is 2-2, and 203=22^0 - 3 = -2. So y=2x3y = 2^x - 3.

Why the others are wrong: B has its asymptote at y=+3y = +3. C has its asymptote at y=2y = -2 and cuts the yy-axis at 1-1. D falls; the graph shown rises.

Q11 — C. The midpoint is the average, so B=(2×1(2); 2×26)=(4; 2)B = (2 \times 1 - (-2);\ 2 \times 2 - 6) = (4;\ -2).

Why the others are wrong: B goes from MM in the wrong direction, landing as far past AA as BB is past MM. D averages MM and AA again instead of stepping on from MM. A gets both coordinates wrong by a step in each.

Q12 — B. The parabola opens downward with roots at x=1x = 1 and x=5x = 5, so it is on or above the xx-axis between them: 1x51 \leq x \leq 5.

Why the others are wrong: A is where the curve lies BELOW the axis — it opens downward, so the inequality holds between the roots, not outside them. C reads the roots off with the wrong signs. D gives only part of the interval, and starts at the turning point rather than at a root.

Q13 — C. Without replacement the second draw changes: 310×29=690=115\dfrac{3}{10} \times \dfrac{2}{9} = \dfrac{6}{90} = \dfrac{1}{15}. (With replacement it would be 9100\tfrac{9}{100}.)

Why the others are wrong: B draws WITH replacement: 310×310\tfrac{3}{10} \times \tfrac{3}{10}. A gives the first draw only. D neither keeps all ten marbles nor removes one properly.

Q14 — A. (x+3)(x+3) a factor f(3)=0\Rightarrow f(-3) = 0: 2(9)3b3=015=3bb=52(9) - 3b - 3 = 0 \Rightarrow 15 = 3b \Rightarrow b = 5.

Why the others are wrong: B loses the sign solving 15=3b15 = 3b. C reads off the constant term. D stops at 15, before dividing by 3.

Q15 — C. x=80°x = 80° gives cos60°\cos 60°. Cosine is even, so cos(60°)\cos(-60°) is the same value: x20°=60°x=40°x - 20° = -60° \Rightarrow x = -40°.

Why the others are wrong: A and D put the argument where the cosine is NEGATIVE — cos240°\cos 240° and cos(100°)\cos(-100°) — while cos60°\cos 60° is positive. B gives cos80°\cos 80°, which is not cos60°\cos 60°.

Q16 — D. "At least 2" means exactly 2 or exactly 3: 38+18=12\dfrac{3}{8} + \dfrac{1}{8} = \dfrac{1}{2}.

Why the others are wrong: B is EXACTLY two heads, leaving out the three-head case. C is at least ONE head. A counts only two of the eight outcomes.

Q17 — D. Right by 2 replaces xx with x2x - 2; down by 3 subtracts 3 outside. So y=f(x2)3y = f(x - 2) - 3. (Horizontal shifts act inside and look reversed.)

Why the others are wrong: B and A use f(x+2)f(x + 2), which moves the graph LEFT — a horizontal shift acts inside the bracket and looks reversed. C moves up instead of down, and A gets both directions wrong.

Q18 — A. Cosine rule: BC2=62+822(6)(8)cos60°=10048=52BC^2 = 6^2 + 8^2 - 2(6)(8)\cos 60° = 100 - 48 = 52, so BC=52=213BC = \sqrt{52} = 2\sqrt{13}.

Why the others are wrong: B uses Pythagoras and ignores the 60°60° altogether. C adds the 2abcosC2ab\cos C term instead of subtracting it. D simply adds the two sides.

Q19 — B. log2(3+k)=03+k=20=1k=2\log_2(3 + k) = 0 \Rightarrow 3 + k = 2^0 = 1 \Rightarrow k = -2.

Why the others are wrong: A has the sign of kk the wrong way round. C solves 3+k=03 + k = 0 — but a logarithm is zero when its argument is 1, not 0. D gives the argument, 1, rather than kk.

Q20 — B. 50=52\sqrt{50} = 5\sqrt{2} and 18=32\sqrt{18} = 3\sqrt{2}, so the top is 222\sqrt{2}. Dividing by 2\sqrt{2} leaves 2.

Why the others are wrong: A is the numerator, 222\sqrt{2}, before dividing. C subtracts under the roots, as if 5018\sqrt{50} - \sqrt{18} were 32\sqrt{32}. D divides only one of the two terms.

Q21 — C. cos2θ=1sin2θ=149=59\cos^2\theta = 1 - \sin^2\theta = 1 - \tfrac{4}{9} = \tfrac{5}{9}.

Why the others are wrong: A is cosθ\cos\theta itself, not its square. B subtracts 23\tfrac{2}{3} without squaring it first. D is sin2θ\sin^2\theta.

Q22 — B. 500×18.50=9250500 \times 18.50 = 9\,250, then keep 98 %: 9250×0.98=R90659\,250 \times 0.98 = \text{R}9\,065.

Why the others are wrong: A is the rand amount before the commission is taken off. C adds the 2 % instead of subtracting it. D takes off twice as much as the bank charges.

Q23 — A. 24=a23=8a24 = a \cdot 2^3 = 8a, so a=3a = 3.

Why the others are wrong: B gives 232^3, the power, rather than the coefficient in front of it. D divides 24 by 2 instead of by 8. C subtracts 3 from 24 instead of dividing.

Q24 — D. IQR=Q3Q1\text{IQR} = Q_3 - Q_1, so Q3=9+6=15Q_3 = 9 + 6 = 15. The median is not needed.

Why the others are wrong: B adds the IQR to the median instead of to Q1Q_1 — the median is not needed at all here. A does the same starting from 12 and 9 together. C subtracts where it should add.

Q25 — A. Even means f(x)=f(x)f(-x) = f(x), so f(3)=f(3)=7f(-3) = f(3) = 7 and the sum is 14.

Why the others are wrong: B treats ff as ODD, so the two values cancel; an even function repeats them. C gives f(3)f(3) alone. D has the sign of both terms wrong.

Q26 — B. 52+122=169=1325^2 + 12^2 = 169 = 13^2, so the triangle is right-angled with legs 5 and 12. Area =12(5)(12)=30= \tfrac{1}{2}(5)(12) = 30.

Why the others are wrong: A uses 13, the hypotenuse, as one of the perpendicular sides. C forgets to halve. D follows from no consistent pair of sides.

Q27 — D. 12+105=1712 + 10 - 5 = 17 do at least one, so 3017=1330 - 17 = 13 do neither. (Subtract the overlap once, or it is counted twice.)

Why the others are wrong: C is the number who do AT LEAST ONE, not the number who do neither. A subtracts the overlap twice instead of once. B copies a number straight out of the question.

Q28 — C. tan45°=1\tan 45° = 1, sin30°=12\sin 30° = \tfrac{1}{2}, cos60°=12\cos 60° = \tfrac{1}{2}: 1+1212=3\dfrac{1 + \frac{1}{2}}{\frac{1}{2}} = 3.

Why the others are wrong: A is the numerator, 32\tfrac{3}{2}, before dividing by cos60°\cos 60°. B leaves out sin30°\sin 30°. D gives tan45°\tan 45° on its own.

Q29 — A. T5T2=r3=486=8\dfrac{T_5}{T_2} = r^3 = \dfrac{48}{6} = 8, so r=2r = 2.

Why the others are wrong: B gives r3=8r^3 = 8 rather than rr itself. C counts the three steps from T2T_2 to T5T_5. D takes the cube root of 8 as 4.

Q30 — B. A set of pairs fails to be a function when one input has two outputs. k=2k = 2 repeats the input 2 (already paired with 5), so it is not a function.

Why the others are wrong: A is an OUTPUT in this set, not a repeated input. C and D each add a fresh input, which leaves it a function — only a repeated input with a different output breaks it.

Q31 — D. (sinθ+cosθ)2=sin2θ+2sinθcosθ+cos2θ=1+sin2θ=1+35=85(\sin\theta + \cos\theta)^2 = \sin^2\theta + 2\sin\theta\cos\theta + \cos^2\theta = 1 + \sin 2\theta = 1 + \tfrac{3}{5} = \tfrac{8}{5}. You never need θ\theta.

Why the others are wrong: A gives sin2θ\sin 2\theta back without adding the 1. B drops the cross term 2sinθcosθ2\sin\theta\cos\theta and keeps only the identity. C subtracts the cross term instead of adding it.

Q32 — C. T5=S5S4=(50+5)(32+4)=5536=19T_5 = S_5 - S_4 = (50 + 5) - (32 + 4) = 55 - 36 = 19. (A term is the difference of two sums — no need to build the sequence.)

Why the others are wrong: B gives S5S_5, the SUM of the first five terms, not the fifth term. A and D come from subtracting S4S_4 from S5S_5 incorrectly — work both sums out fully before taking the difference.

Q33 — B. The turning point is at height 4. Subtracting 4 lowers it onto the xx-axis, where the graph touches at exactly one point — and this works whether the parabola opens up or down. So y=f(x)4y = f(x) - 4.

Why the others are wrong: A raises the graph, lifting the turning point clear of the axis. C shifts it sideways, which never changes how often it crosses. D reflects it, which keeps two crossings, just mirrored.

Q34 — C. Perpendicular to gradient 2-2 means gradient 12\tfrac{1}{2}: 7k42=127k=1k=6\dfrac{7 - k}{4 - 2} = \tfrac{1}{2} \Rightarrow 7 - k = 1 \Rightarrow k = 6.

Why the others are wrong: D uses the given gradient 2-2 instead of its perpendicular. A uses a gradient of 1. B has the subtraction the wrong way round, giving k=7+1k = 7 + 1.

Q35 — B. The two marked angles are co-interior (same side of the transversal, between the parallels), so they are supplementary: x=180°62°=118°x = 180° - 62° = 118°.

Why the others are wrong: A treats the pair as corresponding or alternate angles, which would make them equal; co-interior angles are supplementary. C takes the complement instead. D subtracts 62 from 190.

Q36 — B. Substitute: x2+(x+1)2=252x2+2x24=0(x+4)(x3)=0x^2 + (x+1)^2 = 25 \Rightarrow 2x^2 + 2x - 24 = 0 \Rightarrow (x+4)(x-3) = 0. So x=3x = 3 gives (3; 4)(3;\ 4). (4; 3)(4;\ 3) is on the circle but not on the line.

Why the others are wrong: A, C and D all lie on the CIRCLE and none of them on the line: 34+13 \neq 4 + 1, 05+10 \neq 5 + 1 and 43+1-4 \neq -3 + 1. A point of intersection has to satisfy both equations, so test it against the line as well.

Q37 — D. log105=log10102=log1010log102=1a\log_{10} 5 = \log_{10}\dfrac{10}{2} = \log_{10}10 - \log_{10}2 = 1 - a.

Why the others are wrong: B has the subtraction the wrong way round. A halves aa, as if 5 were half of 10 in the logarithm as well as in the number. C multiplies the logarithm by 5.

Q38 — B. 8×2=16=4\sqrt{8}\times\sqrt{2} = \sqrt{16} = 4, 8÷2=4=2\sqrt{8}\div\sqrt{2} = \sqrt{4} = 2 and (8)2=8(\sqrt{8})^2 = 8 — all rational. Only the sum resists: 8+2=32\sqrt{8} + \sqrt{2} = 3\sqrt{2}.

Why the others are wrong: A is 16=4\sqrt{16} = 4, C is 4=2\sqrt{4} = 2 and D is 8 — all rational. Multiplying, dividing and squaring surds can remove the root; adding them cannot.

Q39 — B. The perpendicular from OO bisects the chord, so the half-chord is 12. Distance =132122=5= \sqrt{13^2 - 12^2} = 5. Area =12(24)(5)=60 cm2= \tfrac{1}{2}(24)(5) = 60\ \text{cm}^2.

Why the others are wrong: A uses the radius, 13, as the height instead of the perpendicular distance, 5. C forgets to halve. D follows from no consistent base and height.

Q40 — C. Coefficients: 3×46=2\dfrac{3 \times 4}{6} = 2. Exponents: 5+(2)(4)=75 + (-2) - (-4) = 7. So 2×1072 \times 10^7.

Why the others are wrong: A never divides the coefficients: 3×43 \times 4 is left as 12, and 12 is not between 1 and 10, so it is not standard form either. B adds the 4-4 instead of subtracting it. D gets the signs of the exponents wrong throughout.

Q41 — D. The six values must total 6×7=426 \times 7 = 42. The five known ones sum to 34, so x=8x = 8.

Why the others are wrong: A is the TOTAL of all six values, not the missing one. B assumes the missing value must equal the mean. C comes from a slip in 423442 - 34.

Q42 — C. Linear scale factor =3018=53= \dfrac{30}{18} = \dfrac{5}{3}, so areas scale by its square: 27×(53)2=27×259=75 cm227 \times \left(\dfrac{5}{3}\right)^2 = 27 \times \dfrac{25}{9} = 75\ \text{cm}^2.

Why the others are wrong: A scales the area by the LINEAR factor 53\tfrac{5}{3} instead of its square. B doubles. D squares 2 rather than 53\tfrac{5}{3}.

Q43 — A. S=a1rS_\infty = \dfrac{a}{1 - r}: 12=81r12 = \dfrac{8}{1 - r}, so 1r=231 - r = \tfrac{2}{3} and r=13r = \tfrac{1}{3}.

Why the others are wrong: B gives 1r1 - r rather than rr. C is greater than 1, so that series would not converge at all. D would give a sum of 16, not 12.

Q44 — B. ABAB is a diameter, so C^=90°\hat{C} = 90° (angle in a semicircle). Then B^=180°90°35°=55°\hat{B} = 180° - 90° - 35° = 55°.

Why the others are wrong: C is the angle at CC, the right angle, not the angle at BB. A assumes the triangle is isosceles. D halves the remaining 90°90° as though the other two angles were equal.

Q45 — A. 4x+1=22x+24^{x+1} = 2^{2x+2}, so 22x+22x1=2x+3\dfrac{2^{2x+2}}{2^{x-1}} = 2^{x+3}. Then x+3=9x=6x + 3 = 9 \Rightarrow x = 6.

Why the others are wrong: B reads the 9 straight off the right-hand side. C solves x+3=6x + 3 = 6. D doubles the answer. Write 4x+14^{x+1} as 22x+22^{2x+2} first — the two sides cannot be compared until they share a base.

Q46 — D. Six values, so split into halves of three. Lower {2;5;8}Q1=5\{2;5;8\} \Rightarrow Q_1 = 5; upper {10;14;18}Q3=14\{10;14;18\} \Rightarrow Q_3 = 14. IQR=145=9\text{IQR} = 14 - 5 = 9.

Why the others are wrong: B is the RANGE, 18218 - 2, not the interquartile range. C uses the two middle values instead of the quartiles. A comes from placing Q1Q_1 and Q3Q_3 wrongly in the two halves.

Q47 — C. An increase of 15 % multiplies by 1.15, so reverse it by dividing: 276÷1.15=R240276 \div 1.15 = \text{R}240. (Taking 15 % off 276 gives R234.60 — the usual trap.)

Why the others are wrong: B takes 15 % OFF 276, which is the usual trap: a rise of 15 % is undone by dividing, not by subtracting the same percentage. A subtracts 15 rand. D divides by the wrong multiplier.

Q48 — A. x3=2|x - 3| = -2. An absolute value is a distance and can never be negative, so there are no solutions. (Isolate the absolute value before counting.)

Why the others are wrong: B would need the absolute value to be 0 and C would need it positive; here it must equal 2-2, which no absolute value can. D would need the variable to vanish from the equation.

Q49 — A. 3=a2a=63 = \dfrac{a}{-2} \Rightarrow a = -6. A negative aa puts the branches in quadrants II and IV.

Why the others are wrong: B is where a POSITIVE aa puts the branches; here a=6a = -6. C and D name the upper and lower halves of the plane, which is not how a hyperbola's branches sit — they are diagonally opposite.

Q50 — B. 96808000=1.21=(1+i)2\dfrac{9\,680}{8\,000} = 1.21 = (1 + i)^2, so 1+i=1.11 + i = 1.1 and i=10%i = 10\%.

Why the others are wrong: A is the TOTAL growth over both years, not the annual rate. C halves that total, which is not how compounding works. D comes from a slip in the square root of 1.21.

Q51 — D. Vieta: for ax2+bx+c=0ax^2 + bx + c = 0, α+β=ba=62=3\alpha + \beta = -\dfrac{b}{a} = \dfrac{6}{2} = 3. No need to solve the quadratic.

Why the others are wrong: A keeps the minus sign from ba-\tfrac{b}{a} when bb is already negative. B is the PRODUCT of the roots, ca\tfrac{c}{a}. C forgets to divide by aa.

Q52 — A. f1(0)f^{-1}(0) is the xx for which f(x)=0f(x) = 0: 3x6=0x=23x - 6 = 0 \Rightarrow x = 2. The inverse formula is never needed.

Why the others are wrong: C treats the inverse as a reciprocal — f1f^{-1} is a function, not 1f\tfrac{1}{f}. B reads off the constant term. D has the sign of the answer wrong.

Q53 — C. x2=3x=32x=18\dfrac{\sqrt{x}}{\sqrt{2}} = 3 \Rightarrow \sqrt{x} = 3\sqrt{2} \Rightarrow x = 18.

Why the others are wrong: A squares the 3 and stops, forgetting the 2\sqrt{2}. B multiplies 3 by 2. D squares 6 instead of 323\sqrt{2}.

Q54 — A. Tn=6+4(n1)=4n+2T_n = 6 + 4(n - 1) = 4n + 2. Set 4n+2=102n=254n + 2 = 102 \Rightarrow n = 25.

Why the others are wrong: D takes the VALUE of the term, 102, as its position. B and C are one term short and one too far — check by substituting back: the 24th term is 98 and the 26th is 106.

Q55 — D. (x+3)(x1)=21x2+2x24=0(x+6)(x4)=0(x+3)(x-1) = 21 \Rightarrow x^2 + 2x - 24 = 0 \Rightarrow (x+6)(x-4) = 0. x=6x = -6 would make the width negative, so x=4x = 4.

Why the others are wrong: B is the other root of the quadratic, and it makes the width 7-7 — a rectangle cannot have a negative side, so it must be discarded. A and C come from factorising x2+2x24x^2 + 2x - 24 wrongly.

Q56 — C. 43πr3=36πr3=27r=3\tfrac{4}{3}\pi r^3 = 36\pi \Rightarrow r^3 = 27 \Rightarrow r = 3 cm.

Why the others are wrong: A gives r3=27r^3 = 27 rather than rr. D gives the diameter. B takes the cube root of 27 as 9.

Q57 — A. Expand first: (x2x6)(x2+3x)=4x6(x^2 - x - 6) - (x^2 + 3x) = -4x - 6. Then 4x6=0x=32-4x - 6 = 0 \Rightarrow x = -\tfrac{3}{2}.

Why the others are wrong: D assumes the expression is a product of factors, so that setting one to zero would do; expanding first shows the squares cancel. B loses the sign. C gives the constant left after expanding.

Q58 — A. Two conditions: x+20x2x + 2 \geq 0 \Rightarrow x \geq -2 (the root), and x30x - 3 \neq 0 (the denominator). Both must hold: x2, x3x \geq -2,\ x \neq 3.

Why the others are wrong: D forgets that x=3x = 3 makes the denominator zero. C forgets that the root needs a non-negative argument. B excludes 2-2, where the root is 0 and perfectly defined, and forgets the denominator too. Both conditions have to hold at once.

Q59 — B. Each year multiplies by 0.8. 0.83=0.5120.8^3 = 0.512 (still above half) and 0.84=0.40960.8^4 = 0.4096 (below), so 4 complete years.

Why the others are wrong: A stops at 0.83=0.5120.8^3 = 0.512, which is still above half. D stops at 0.82=0.640.8^2 = 0.64. C goes one year further than necessary. The question asks for the first COMPLETE year below half.

Q60 — D. Adding 5 to every value shifts the whole distribution, so the mean, median and mode all rise by 5. Spread is unaffected — the standard deviation does not change.

Why the others are wrong: A, B and C all rise by 5, because adding a constant slides the whole distribution along without changing how spread out it is.


Mock Exam 2


Exam 2 — Q1

The graph of f(x)=x2+bx+8f(x) = x^2 + bx + 8 has its axis of symmetry at x=3x = 3. The value of bb is:

A) 6

B) 6-6

C) 3-3

D) 3


Exam 2 — Q2

A cube has a total surface area of 150 cm2150\ \text{cm}^2. Its volume is:

A) 100 cm3100\ \text{cm}^3

B) 25 cm325\ \text{cm}^3

C) 216 cm3216\ \text{cm}^3

D) 125 cm3125\ \text{cm}^3


Exam 2 — Q3

An exterior angle of a triangle is 110°110° and one of the non-adjacent interior angles is 45°45°. The other non-adjacent interior angle is:

A) 55°55°

B) 70°70°

C) 35°35°

D) 65°65°


Exam 2 — Q4

The roots of x25x+6=0x^2 - 5x + 6 = 0 are α\alpha and β\beta. The value of α2+β2\alpha^2 + \beta^2 is:

A) 13

B) 25

C) 6

D) 37


Exam 2 — Q5

If 2x+y=102x + y = 10 and xy=2x - y = 2, the value of xyxy is:

A) 8

B) 12

C) 6

D) 20


Exam 2 — Q6

A machine worth R60 000 depreciates at 10 % p.a. on the straight-line method. After how many years is its book value R30 000?

A) 3

B) 5

C) 6

D) 10


Exam 2 — Q7

For which values of xx is x2<4xx^2 < 4x?

A) 0<x<40 < x < 4

B) x<4x < 4

C) x<0x < 0 or x>4x > 4

D) 2<x<2-2 < x < 2


Exam 2 — Q8

The sum of all the solutions of 2x3=72|x| - 3 = 7 is:

A) 0

B) 10

C) 5

D) 5-5


Exam 2 — Q9

If log2x+log2(x2)=3\log_2 x + \log_2(x - 2) = 3, the value of xx is:

A) 8

B) 2-2

C) 4

D) 2


Exam 2 — Q10

In a geometric sequence, T2=6T_2 = 6 and T5=162T_5 = 162. The first term is:

A) 2

B) 3

C) 6

D) 18


Exam 2 — Q11

For the arithmetic sequence 2; 6; 10; 2;\ 6;\ 10;\ \ldots the sum of the first nn terms is 200. The value of nn is:

A) 10

B) 20

C) 100

D) 14


Exam 2 — Q12

The expression loga(xy)=\log_a(xy) =

A) logaxlogay\log_a x \cdot \log_a y

B) (logax)(logay)(\log_a x)(\log_a y)

C) logaxlogay\log_a x - \log_a y

D) logax+logay\log_a x + \log_a y


Exam 2 — Q13

A line is perpendicular to y=4x1y = 4x - 1 and passes through (4; 2)(4;\ 2). Its equation is:

A) y=14x+2y = -\dfrac{1}{4}x + 2

B) y=4x+18y = -4x + 18

C) y=14x+1y = \dfrac{1}{4}x + 1

D) y=14x+3y = -\dfrac{1}{4}x + 3

Q56 — C. 43πr3=36πr3=27r=3\tfrac{4}{3}\pi r^3 = 36\pi \Rightarrow r^3 = 27 \Rightarrow r = 3 cm.

Q57 — A. Expand first: (x2x6)(x2+3x)=4x6(x^2 - x - 6) - (x^2 + 3x) = -4x - 6. Then 4x6=0x=32-4x - 6 = 0 \Rightarrow x = -\tfrac{3}{2}.

Q58 — A. Two conditions: x+20x2x + 2 \geq 0 \Rightarrow x \geq -2 (the root), and x30x - 3 \neq 0 (the denominator). Both must hold: x2, x3x \geq -2,\ x \neq 3.

Q59 — B. Each year multiplies by 0.8. 0.83=0.5120.8^3 = 0.512 (still above half) and 0.84=0.40960.8^4 = 0.4096 (below), so 4 complete years.

Q60 — D. Adding 5 to every value shifts the whole distribution, so the mean, median and mode all rise by 5. Spread is unaffected — the standard deviation does not change.


Exam 2 — Q14
Cylinder, radius 3 cm and height 10 cm3 cm10 cm

The volume of the cylinder shown is:

A) 30π cm330\pi\ \text{cm}^3

B) 60π cm360\pi\ \text{cm}^3

C) 90π cm390\pi\ \text{cm}^3

D) 78π cm378\pi\ \text{cm}^3


Exam 2 — Q15

A regular polygon has an interior angle of 108°108°. The number of sides is:

A) 8

B) 6

C) 5

D) 10


Exam 2 — Q16

A student scores 60 out of 80. To score the same percentage out of 120, the student would need:

A) 75

B) 100

C) 80

D) 90


Exam 2 — Q17

A die is thrown once. The probability of getting an even number or a number greater than 4 is:

A) 56\dfrac{5}{6}

B) 12\dfrac{1}{2}

C) 23\dfrac{2}{3}

D) 13\dfrac{1}{3}


Exam 2 — Q18

6x2x2=(3x2)(2x+k)6x^2 - x - 2 = (3x - 2)(2x + k). The value of kk is:

A) 1

B) 1-1

C) 2

D) 2-2


Exam 2 — Q19

A straight line has xx-intercept 4 and yy-intercept 2-2. Its equation is:

A) y=2x2y = 2x - 2

B) y=12x2y = \dfrac{1}{2}x - 2

C) y=12x2y = -\dfrac{1}{2}x - 2

D) y=12x+4y = \dfrac{1}{2}x + 4


Exam 2 — Q20

Which type of graph is best for showing how a quantity changes over time?

A) Bar chart

B) Pie chart

C) Histogram

D) Line graph


Exam 2 — Q21

In PQR\triangle PQR, PQ=10PQ = 10, QR=6QR = 6 and Q^=90°\hat{Q} = 90°. The area of PQR\triangle PQR is:

A) 24 square units

B) 60 square units

C) 30 square units

D) 48 square units


Exam 2 — Q22

R15 000 earns simple interest at 8 % p.a. After how many years will the interest earned total R4 800?

A) 3

B) 4

C) 5

D) 6


Exam 2 — Q23

The graph of y=logaxy = \log_a x passes through the point (8; 3)(8;\ 3). The value of aa is:

A) 3

B) 2

C) 8

D) 12\dfrac{1}{2}


Exam 2 — Q24

For which value of kk is sin2θ+kcos2θ=1\sin^2\theta + k\cos^2\theta = 1 true for every value of θ\theta?

A) 1-1

B) 0

C) 1

D) 2


Exam 2 — Q25

The graph of y=ax2+1y = \dfrac{a}{x - 2} + 1 passes through the point (5; 3)(5;\ 3). The value of aa is:

A) 2

B) 6

C) 3

D) 9


Exam 2 — Q26

Given the frequency table below, the modal class is 10–20.

Class Frequency
0–10 4
10–20 11
20–30 8
30–40 3

The relative frequency of the 10–20 class is:

A) 1115\dfrac{11}{15}

B) 1122\dfrac{11}{22}

C) 1130\dfrac{11}{30}

D) 1126\dfrac{11}{26}


Exam 2 — Q27

In ABC\triangle ABC, a=8a = 8, b=6b = 6 and C^=90°\hat{C} = 90°. The value of sinA\sin A is:

A) 43\dfrac{4}{3}

B) 35\dfrac{3}{5}

C) 45\dfrac{4}{5}

D) 34\dfrac{3}{4}


Exam 2 — Q28

Simplify 6312\dfrac{6}{\sqrt{3}} - \sqrt{12}.

A) 434\sqrt{3}

B) 232\sqrt{3}

C) 0

D) 23-2\sqrt{3}


Exam 2 — Q29

Three arithmetic means are inserted between 5 and 21. The middle one is:

A) 13

B) 9

C) 17

D) 11


Exam 2 — Q30

nn is a positive integer and 72n\sqrt{72n} is a whole number. The smallest possible value of nn is:

A) 3

B) 2

C) 6

D) 8


Exam 2 — Q31
Triangle A(-2;1) B(4;1) C(4;9)xy-3-2-112345A(-2; 1)B(4; 1)C(4; 9)

The area of ABC\triangle ABC shown above is:

A) 30 square units

B) 24 square units

C) 48 square units

D) 40 square units


Exam 2 — Q32

The value of 0!3!\dfrac{0!}{3!} is:

A) 13\dfrac{1}{3}

B) 0

C) 6

D) 16\dfrac{1}{6}


Exam 2 — Q33

Two parallel lines are cut by a transversal. One co-interior angle is 4x4x and the other is (2x+30°)(2x + 30°). The value of xx is:

A) 15

B) 30

C) 25

D) 20


Exam 2 — Q34

A box contains 5 red, 3 blue and 2 green pens. One pen is chosen at random. P(not red)P(\text{not red}) equals:

A) 25\dfrac{2}{5}

B) 310\dfrac{3}{10}

C) 15\dfrac{1}{5}

D) 12\dfrac{1}{2}


Exam 2 — Q35

f(x)=2x+1f(x) = 2x + 1 and g(x)=x2g(x) = x^2. The sum of the values of xx for which f(g(x))=g(f(x))f(g(x)) = g(f(x)) is:

A) 0

B) 2-2

C) 2

D) 4-4


Exam 2 — Q36

For a data set the mean is 12 and the median is 9. The distribution is:

A) symmetrical

B) skewed to the left

C) skewed to the right

D) bimodal


Exam 2 — Q37

If a3b2a2b4=14\dfrac{a^3 b^2}{a^2 b^4} = \dfrac{1}{4} and a=2a = 2, then b2b^2 equals:

A) 8

B) 18\dfrac{1}{8}

C) 4

D) 2


Exam 2 — Q38

The mean of {2; 4; 4; 4; 5; 5; 7; 9}\{2;\ 4;\ 4;\ 4;\ 5;\ 5;\ 7;\ 9\} is 5. How many of the values lie above the mean?

A) 5

B) 3

C) 4

D) 2


Exam 2 — Q39

If 2y13=k\dfrac{2y - 1}{3} = k, then yy equals:

A) 3k+12\dfrac{3k + 1}{2}

B) 3k12\dfrac{3k - 1}{2}

C) 3k+123k + \dfrac{1}{2}

D) k+16\dfrac{k + 1}{6}


Exam 2 — Q40
Cyclic quadrilateral ABCDABCD95°x

ABCDABCD is a cyclic quadrilateral. The value of xx is:

A) 190°190°

B) 95°95°

C) 85°85°

D) 42.5°42.5°


Exam 2 — Q41

If sinθ=12\sin\theta = -\dfrac{1}{2} and θ[0°; 360°]\theta \in [0°;\ 360°], the sum of all values of θ\theta is:

A) 360°360°

B) 540°540°

C) 240°240°

D) 180°180°


Exam 2 — Q42

An infinite geometric series converges to 36 and has r=23r = \dfrac{2}{3}. Its third term is:

A) 163\dfrac{16}{3}

B) 12

C) 8

D) 24


Exam 2 — Q43
Venn diagram: sport and music75513SportMusic

The Venn diagram shows how many learners in a group take Sport and Music. How many learners are in the group altogether?

A) 25

B) 17

C) 22

D) 30


Exam 2 — Q44
y = 2 sin x90°180°270°360°-22xy

Which one of the following is the equation of the graph shown?

A) y=2cosxy = 2\cos x

B) y=sin2xy = \sin 2x

C) y=2sinxy = 2\sin x

D) y=sinxy = \sin x


Exam 2 — Q45

The exchange rate is R18 per US dollar. A traveller receives $250. The amount in rand was:

A) R268

B) R4 500

C) R13.89

D) R2 500


Exam 2 — Q46

For which values of kk does y=x24x+ky = x^2 - 4x + k have no xx-intercepts?

A) k<4k < 4

B) k>4k > 4

C) k=4k = 4

D) k>0k > 0


Exam 2 — Q47

The points (2; 5)(2;\ 5), (6; 13)(6;\ 13) and (10; k)(10;\ k) are collinear. The value of kk is:

A) 26

B) 17

C) 21

D) 19


Exam 2 — Q48

Solve for xx: 4x=84^x = 8.

A) 32

B) 2

C) 23\dfrac{2}{3}

D) 32\dfrac{3}{2}


Exam 2 — Q49

For x2x \neq 2, 2x28x2=2x+k\dfrac{2x^2 - 8}{x - 2} = 2x + k. The value of kk is:

A) 4

B) 4-4

C) 2

D) 8


Exam 2 — Q50

The expression x24x2x2\dfrac{x^2 - 4}{x^2 - x - 2} is undefined for:

A) x=2x = 2 or x=1x = -1

B) x=±2x = \pm 2

C) x=2x = 2 only

D) x=1x = -1 only


Exam 2 — Q51

After a 25 % increase, the price of an item is R750. The original price was:

A) R562.50

B) R600

C) R725

D) R937.50


Exam 2 — Q52

In how many ways can a president and a secretary be chosen from a group of 8 people, if one person cannot hold both posts?

A) 16

B) 28

C) 64

D) 56


Exam 2 — Q53

P(A)=0.35P(A') = 0.35. If the experiment is repeated twice independently, the probability that AA happens both times is:

A) 0.350.35

B) 0.12250.1225

C) 0.650.65

D) 0.42250.4225


Exam 2 — Q54

For which values of bb is y=bxy = b^x a decreasing function?

A) b>1b > 1

B) 0<b<10 < b < 1

C) b<0b < 0

D) b>0b > 0


Exam 2 — Q55

If 32+(12)1=p93^{-2} + \left(\dfrac{1}{2}\right)^{-1} = \dfrac{p}{9}, the value of pp is:

A) 18

B) 3

C) 19

D) 9


Exam 2 — Q56

In the sequence 1; 4; 9; 16; 25; 1;\ 4;\ 9;\ 16;\ 25;\ \ldots, which term is equal to 144?

A) The 72nd

B) The 24th

C) The 144th

D) The 12th


Exam 2 — Q57

The range of f(x)=x2+4x1f(x) = -x^2 + 4x - 1 is:

A) y3y \geq 3

B) y3y \leq 3

C) y1y \leq -1

D) y1y \geq -1


Exam 2 — Q58

The price of an item falls by 20 % and then rises by 25 %. Overall, the price has:

A) risen by 5 %

B) fallen by 5 %

C) not changed

D) fallen by 1 %


Exam 2 — Q59

If k=2nk2=54\displaystyle\sum_{k=2}^{n} k^2 = 54, the value of nn is:

A) 5

B) 4

C) 6

D) 54


Exam 2 — Q60

If a+b=7a + b = 7 and ab=10ab = 10, then (ab)2(a - b)^2 equals:

A) 9

B) 29

C) 89

D) 3


Mock Exam 2 — Answer Key

Q Ans Q Ans Q Ans Q Ans Q Ans
1 B 2 D 3 D 4 A 5 A
6 B 7 A 8 A 9 C 10 A
11 A 12 D 13 D 14 C 15 C
16 D 17 C 18 A 19 B 20 D
21 C 22 B 23 B 24 C 25 B
26 D 27 C 28 C 29 A 30 B
31 B 32 D 33 C 34 D 35 B
36 C 37 A 38 D 39 A 40 C
41 B 42 A 43 D 44 C 45 B
46 B 47 C 48 D 49 A 50 A
51 B 52 D 53 D 54 B 55 C
56 D 57 B 58 C 59 A 60 A

Mock Exam 2 — Worked Solutions

Mark your paper against the key above first, then read only the solutions for the questions you missed.

Q1 — B. Axis of symmetry x=b2a=b2=3b=6x = -\dfrac{b}{2a} = -\dfrac{b}{2} = 3 \Rightarrow b = -6.

Why the others are wrong: A has the sign of b2a-\tfrac{b}{2a} the wrong way round. C forgets that the denominator is 2a2a, not aa. D gives the axis itself, 3, rather than bb.

Q2 — D. 6s2=150s2=25s=56s^2 = 150 \Rightarrow s^2 = 25 \Rightarrow s = 5, so V=53=125 cm3V = 5^3 = 125\ \text{cm}^3.

Why the others are wrong: B gives s2=25s^2 = 25 rather than s3s^3. C cubes 6, the number of faces, instead of the side. A follows from taking the side as something other than 5.

Q3 — D. An exterior angle equals the sum of the two non-adjacent interior angles: 110°45°=65°110° - 45° = 65°.

Why the others are wrong: B gives the THIRD interior angle, 180°110°180° - 110°, not the second non-adjacent one. A and C come from subtracting 45 from something other than 110.

Q4 — A. α2+β2=(α+β)22αβ=522(6)=13\alpha^2 + \beta^2 = (\alpha + \beta)^2 - 2\alpha\beta = 5^2 - 2(6) = 13. Vieta gives the sum and product without solving.

Why the others are wrong: B is (α+β)2(\alpha + \beta)^2 with the 2αβ2\alpha\beta never subtracted. D adds it instead of subtracting. C gives the product on its own.

Q5 — A. Adding the equations: 3x=12x=43x = 12 \Rightarrow x = 4, then y=2y = 2. So xy=8xy = 8.

Why the others are wrong: B gives 3x3x from the addition step, before dividing. C gives x+yx + y. D multiplies the two right-hand sides instead of xx and yy.

Q6 — B. Straight-line depreciation removes 10%10\% of the original value each year: R6 000. Losing R30 000 takes 30000÷6000=530\,000 \div 6\,000 = 5 years.

Why the others are wrong: D is how long the machine takes to reach ZERO, not half. C uses R5 000 a year instead of R6 000. A would leave the value at R42 000. Straight-line depreciation takes 10 % of the ORIGINAL value every year, so the amount removed never changes.

Q7 — A. x24x<0x(x4)<0x^2 - 4x < 0 \Rightarrow x(x - 4) < 0, which holds between the roots: 0<x<40 < x < 4.

Why the others are wrong: C is exactly where the inequality is FALSE. B includes negative xx, where x2x^2 is positive and 4x4x negative, so it fails there. D solves x2<4x^2 < 4, a different question.

Q8 — A. x=5|x| = 5, so x=5x = 5 or x=5x = -5 and the sum is 0. (An absolute-value equation always gives a symmetric pair.)

Why the others are wrong: C and D each give one solution alone; an absolute-value equation yields a symmetric pair, and the question asks for their sum. B drops the modulus and solves 2x3=72x - 3 = 7.

Q9 — C. log2(x(x2))=3x22x=8(x4)(x+2)=0\log_2\big(x(x-2)\big) = 3 \Rightarrow x^2 - 2x = 8 \Rightarrow (x-4)(x+2) = 0. x=2x = -2 is rejected — a logarithm needs a positive argument — so x=4x = 4.

Why the others are wrong: B is the root that must be REJECTED: a logarithm needs a positive argument. D makes log2(x2)\log_2(x - 2) undefined for the same reason. A gives the product x(x2)=8x(x-2) = 8 rather than xx.

Q10 — A. T5T2=r3=27r=3\dfrac{T_5}{T_2} = r^3 = 27 \Rightarrow r = 3, so T1=63=2T_1 = \dfrac{6}{3} = 2.

Why the others are wrong: B gives the common ratio, 3. C gives T2T_2, which was handed to you. D gives T3T_3. Divide T2T_2 by rr once to step back to the first term.

Q11 — A. Sn=n2(4+4(n1))=2n2S_n = \dfrac{n}{2}\big(4 + 4(n-1)\big) = 2n^2. 2n2=200n=102n^2 = 200 \Rightarrow n = 10.

Why the others are wrong: B treats 2n2=2002n^2 = 200 as 10n=20010n = 200. C halves 200. D follows from no consistent solving of the quadratic. Check by adding: ten terms from 2 up to 38 really do total 200.

Q12 — D. The log of a product is the sum of the logs: loga(xy)=logax+logay\log_a(xy) = \log_a x + \log_a y.

Why the others are wrong: A and B are the same thing written two ways — a PRODUCT of the two logarithms, which no logarithm law gives. C is the rule for a QUOTIENT, logaxy\log_a\tfrac{x}{y}.

Q13 — D. Perpendicular gradient =14= -\tfrac{1}{4}: y2=14(x4)y=14x+3y - 2 = -\tfrac{1}{4}(x - 4) \Rightarrow y = -\tfrac{1}{4}x + 3.

Why the others are wrong: B negates the gradient without inverting it; C inverts without negating. A perpendicular needs both. A has the right gradient but takes the point's yy-value as the intercept.

Q14 — C. V=πr2h=π(3)2(10)=90π cm3V = \pi r^2 h = \pi(3)^2(10) = 90\pi\ \text{cm}^3. (The radius is squared — that is the step most often dropped.)

Why the others are wrong: A uses rr where the formula needs r2r^2 — the step most often dropped. B is the curved surface area, 2πrh2\pi rh. D follows from no consistent formula.

Q15 — C. Each exterior angle is 180°108°=72°180° - 108° = 72°, and 36072=5\dfrac{360}{72} = 5 sides.

Why the others are wrong: Each wrong option divides 360 by the wrong exterior angle: A by 45, B by 60 and D by 36. The exterior angle here is 180°108°=72°180° - 108° = 72°.

Q16 — D. 6080=75%\dfrac{60}{80} = 75\%, and 0.75×120=900.75 \times 120 = 90.

Why the others are wrong: A gives the PERCENTAGE, 75, not the mark out of 120. C copies the original total. B is a round guess that matches no percentage in the question.

Q17 — C. Even {2;4;6}\{2;4;6\} or greater than 4 {5;6}\{5;6\} — the union is {2;4;5;6}\{2;4;5;6\}, so P=46=23P = \dfrac{4}{6} = \dfrac{2}{3}. (6 is in both; count it once.)

Why the others are wrong: A counts 6 twice — it is both even and greater than 4, and an "or" counts it once. B gives the evens alone and D those above 4 alone.

Q18 — A. Compare constants: (2)(k)=2k=1(-2)(k) = -2 \Rightarrow k = 1. Check the middle term: 3x4x=x3x - 4x = -x. ✓

Why the others are wrong: B has the sign of the constant wrong: (2)(1)=+2(-2)(-1) = +2, not 2-2. C matches the 2 to the wrong bracket. D copies the constant out of the quadratic. Check the middle term after choosing kk — it must come to x-x.

Q19 — B. Gradient =0(2)40=12= \dfrac{0 - (-2)}{4 - 0} = \dfrac{1}{2}, and the yy-intercept is given as 2-2: y=12x2y = \tfrac{1}{2}x - 2.

Why the others are wrong: A has rise and run the wrong way up. C has the sign of the gradient wrong — the line rises from left to right. D takes the xx-intercept, 4, as the yy-intercept.

Q20 — D. A quantity changing over time is continuous, so a line graph shows the trend between readings.

Why the others are wrong: A compares separate categories, B shows shares of a whole at one moment, and C shows how a single variable is distributed. None of the three carries a reading forward in time.

Q21 — C. The right angle is at QQ, so the two given sides are the perpendicular pair: Area =12(10)(6)=30= \tfrac{1}{2}(10)(6) = 30 square units.

Why the others are wrong: A uses the third side as one of the perpendicular pair; the right angle is at QQ, so PQPQ and QRQR are the two that matter. B forgets to halve. D follows from no consistent pair of sides.

Q22 — B. Simple interest is a fixed 0.08×15000=R12000.08 \times 15\,000 = \text{R}1\,200 a year. 4800÷1200=44\,800 \div 1\,200 = 4 years.

Why the others are wrong: Simple interest adds the same R1 200 every year, so the answer is 4800÷12004\,800 \div 1\,200. A would earn only R3 600, C R6 000 and D R7 200.

Q23 — B. loga8=3a3=8a=2\log_a 8 = 3 \Rightarrow a^3 = 8 \Rightarrow a = 2.

Why the others are wrong: A gives the exponent, 3, and C the argument, 8 — the question asks for the BASE. D inverts it.

Q24 — C. The identity sin2θ+cos2θ=1\sin^2\theta + \cos^2\theta = 1 holds for all θ\theta, so k=1k = 1.

Why the others are wrong: B leaves sin2θ\sin^2\theta alone, which is 1 only at 90°90°. A gives sin2θcos2θ\sin^2\theta - \cos^2\theta, which is cos2θ-\cos 2\theta. D overshoots by an extra cos2θ\cos^2\theta. Only k=1k = 1 holds at EVERY angle.

Q25 — B. 3=a52+1a3=2a=63 = \dfrac{a}{5 - 2} + 1 \Rightarrow \dfrac{a}{3} = 2 \Rightarrow a = 6.

Why the others are wrong: A stops at a3=2\tfrac{a}{3} = 2 without multiplying back. C gives the denominator, 525 - 2. D multiplies by 3 twice.

Q26 — D. The modal class is the one with the highest frequency; the required probability is that class's frequency over the total.

Why the others are wrong: All three divide by the wrong total: A by 4+114 + 11, B by 11+1111 + 11 and C by 30, the class boundary. The denominator is the sum of every frequency, 4+11+8+3=264 + 11 + 8 + 3 = 26.

Q27 — C. C^=90°\hat{C} = 90°, so cc is the hypotenuse: c=82+62=10c = \sqrt{8^2 + 6^2} = 10. sinA=ac=810=45\sin A = \dfrac{a}{c} = \dfrac{8}{10} = \dfrac{4}{5}.

Why the others are wrong: A is tanA\tan A, B is cosA\cos A and D is 1tanA\tfrac{1}{\tan A}. The right angle is at CC, so c=10c = 10 is the hypotenuse and sinA\sin A puts the opposite side over it.

Q28 — C. 63=23\dfrac{6}{\sqrt{3}} = 2\sqrt{3} and 12=23\sqrt{12} = 2\sqrt{3}, so the difference is 0.

Why the others are wrong: A adds the two terms instead of subtracting. B gives one term alone. D subtracts the wrong way round. Simplify both terms first — they turn out to be the same number.

Q29 — A. Five terms from 5 to 21: d=2154=4d = \dfrac{21 - 5}{4} = 4, giving 5; 9; 13; 17; 215;\ 9;\ 13;\ 17;\ 21. The middle inserted value is 13.

Why the others are wrong: B gives the FIRST inserted value and C the third; the question asks for the middle one. D would need a common difference of 3, but five terms from 5 to 21 make four steps of 4.

Q30 — B. 72=36×272 = 36 \times 2, so one factor of 2 is missing to complete the square: n=2n = 2 gives 144=12\sqrt{144} = 12.

Why the others are wrong: A and C give 216 and 432, neither a perfect square. D does work — 72×8=576=24272 \times 8 = 576 = 24^2 — but the question asks for the SMALLEST such nn, and 2 is smaller.

Q31 — B. ABAB is horizontal of length 6 and BCBC is vertical of length 8, meeting at a right angle at BB. Area =12(6)(8)=24= \tfrac{1}{2}(6)(8) = 24 square units.

Why the others are wrong: A uses the hypotenuse as one of the perpendicular pair. C forgets to halve. D follows from no consistent base and height.

Q32 — D. 0!=10! = 1 and 3!=63! = 6, so the value is 16\tfrac{1}{6}. (0!=10! = 1 by definition — not 0.)

Why the others are wrong: B takes 0!0! to be 0; it is 1 by definition, which is the whole point of the question. A divides by 3 instead of 3!3!. C gives the denominator.

Q33 — C. Co-interior angles are supplementary: 4x+2x+30=1806x=150x=254x + 2x + 30 = 180 \Rightarrow 6x = 150 \Rightarrow x = 25.

Why the others are wrong: A sets the two angles EQUAL, which is what corresponding or alternate angles would be; co-interior angles are supplementary. B reads off the constant. D comes from dividing 150 by something other than 6.

Q34 — D. P(not red)=1510=12P(\text{not red}) = 1 - \dfrac{5}{10} = \dfrac{1}{2}.

Why the others are wrong: B gives the blue pens alone and C the green ones alone; "not red" means both colours together. A miscounts the non-reds as 4.

Q35 — B. f(g(x))=2x2+1f(g(x)) = 2x^2 + 1 and g(f(x))=(2x+1)2=4x2+4x+1g(f(x)) = (2x+1)^2 = 4x^2 + 4x + 1. Equating: 2x2+4x=0x=02x^2 + 4x = 0 \Rightarrow x = 0 or x=2x = -2; the sum is 2-2.

Why the others are wrong: A gives one of the two roots rather than their sum. C has the sign of the sum wrong. D doubles it. Expand both compositions before equating — they differ by the cross term 4x4x.

Q36 — C. The mean is pulled above the median by a few large values, so the tail lies to the right: the distribution is skewed to the right.

Why the others are wrong: A would need the mean AT the median. B describes the opposite: a left skew pulls the mean BELOW the median. D is about the number of peaks, which the mean and median say nothing about.

Q37 — A. a3b2a2b4=ab2=2b2=14b2=8\dfrac{a^3b^2}{a^2b^4} = \dfrac{a}{b^2} = \dfrac{2}{b^2} = \dfrac{1}{4} \Rightarrow b^2 = 8.

Why the others are wrong: B gives the reciprocal of the answer. C gives the denominator of 14\tfrac{1}{4}. D gives aa rather than b2b^2. Cancel the powers first: the expression is simply ab2\tfrac{a}{b^2}.

Q38 — D. Only 7 and 9 exceed the mean of 5, so 2 values lie above it.

Why the others are wrong: A counts the values BELOW the mean. B counts 5 as being above it, but 5 IS the mean. C miscounts by one either way.

Q39 — A. 2y1=3ky=3k+122y - 1 = 3k \Rightarrow y = \dfrac{3k + 1}{2}.

Why the others are wrong: B has the sign of the 1 wrong. C divides only part of the numerator by 2. D multiplies the denominators instead of clearing the 3 first.

Q40 — C. Opposite angles of a cyclic quadrilateral are supplementary: x=180°95°=85°x = 180° - 95° = 85°.

Why the others are wrong: B treats opposite angles of a cyclic quadrilateral as EQUAL; they are supplementary. A doubles instead. D halves the correct answer.

Q41 — B. Sine is negative in the third and fourth quadrants, and the reference angle is 30°30°. So θ=180°+30°=210°\theta = 180° + 30° = 210° and θ=360°30°=330°\theta = 360° - 30° = 330°, summing to 540°540°. (360°360° is what you get by using the cosine quadrants instead.)

Why the others are wrong: A uses the quadrants where the COSINE is negative, giving 150°150° and 210°210°. The sine is negative in the third and fourth. C and D each keep only one solution, or none.

Q42 — A. 36=a123a=1236 = \dfrac{a}{1 - \frac{2}{3}} \Rightarrow a = 12. Then T3=ar2=12×49=163T_3 = ar^2 = 12 \times \dfrac{4}{9} = \dfrac{16}{3}.

Why the others are wrong: B gives the FIRST term and C the second; the question asks for the third. D doubles the first term. Find aa from the sum, then multiply by r2r^2.

Q43 — D. Add every region, including those outside both circles: 7+5+5+13=307 + 5 + 5 + 13 = 30.

Why the others are wrong: B counts only what is inside the two circles and forgets the 13 outside them. A and C each leave out a region. Everyone in the group is in exactly one of the four regions.

Q44 — C. The curve reaches ±2\pm 2, so the amplitude is 2 (ruling out y=sinxy = \sin x and y=sin2xy = \sin 2x), and it starts at 0 and rises — a sine, not a cosine. So y=2sinxy = 2\sin x.

Why the others are wrong: B and D have amplitude 1, but the curve reaches ±2\pm 2. A is a cosine, which starts at its peak; this curve starts at 0 and rises.

Q45 — B. Dollars to rand multiplies by the rate: 250×18=R4500250 \times 18 = \text{R}4\,500. (Decide first whether the answer should be bigger or smaller than 250.)

Why the others are wrong: C divides instead of multiplying — decide first whether the answer should be bigger or smaller than 250. A adds the rate. D uses a rate of 10.

Q46 — B. No xx-intercepts means a negative discriminant: 164k<0k>416 - 4k < 0 \Rightarrow k > 4.

Why the others are wrong: C makes the discriminant exactly zero, so the parabola TOUCHES the axis at one point rather than missing it. A and D both allow small kk, where the discriminant is positive and the curve cuts twice.

Q47 — C. Gradient =13562=2= \dfrac{13 - 5}{6 - 2} = 2. Continuing four more units in xx adds 2×4=82 \times 4 = 8: k=13+8=21k = 13 + 8 = 21.

Why the others are wrong: B adds the run, 4, instead of the rise, 8. A doubles the previous yy-value. D follows from a gradient other than 2. Check the gradient on the first pair before using it on the second.

Q48 — D. Write both sides to base 2: 22x=232x=3x=322^{2x} = 2^3 \Rightarrow 2x = 3 \Rightarrow x = \tfrac{3}{2}.

Why the others are wrong: B would give 42=164^2 = 16, not 8. C has the fraction upside down. A multiplies the two numbers. Write both sides to base 2 — they cannot be compared until they share one.

Q49 — A. 2(x24)x2=2(x2)(x+2)x2=2x+4\dfrac{2(x^2 - 4)}{x - 2} = \dfrac{2(x-2)(x+2)}{x - 2} = 2x + 4, so k=4k = 4.

Why the others are wrong: B has the sign of the surviving factor wrong. C reads off the coefficient of xx. D gives the constant from the numerator. Factorise 2x282x^2 - 8 first and the (x2)(x - 2) cancels.

Q50 — A. Undefined where the denominator vanishes: x2x2=(x2)(x+1)=0x=2x^2 - x - 2 = (x - 2)(x + 1) = 0 \Rightarrow x = 2 or x=1x = -1.

Why the others are wrong: B solves the NUMERATOR, which tells you where the expression is zero, not where it is undefined. C and D each keep one root of the denominator and drop the other.

Q51 — B. Divide by the multiplier: 750÷1.25=R600750 \div 1.25 = \text{R}600.

Why the others are wrong: A takes 25 % OFF 750: a rise is undone by dividing, not by subtracting the same percentage. C subtracts 25 rand. D adds another 25 % instead of removing it.

Q52 — D. The two posts are different, so order matters: 8×7=568 \times 7 = 56.

Why the others are wrong: B counts COMMITTEES, where order does not matter; the two posts are different, so it does. C lets one person hold both. A multiplies 8 by the number of posts.

Q53 — D. P(A)=10.35=0.65P(A) = 1 - 0.35 = 0.65. Independent repeats multiply: 0.652=0.42250.65^2 = 0.4225.

Why the others are wrong: B squares the COMPLEMENT, 0.35, instead of P(A)P(A). A gives P(A)P(A') back and C gives P(A)P(A) once. The two repeats are independent, so the probabilities multiply.

Q54 — B. y=bxy = b^x decreases only when the base is a proper fraction: 0<b<10 < b < 1.

Why the others are wrong: A rises rather than falls. D includes those bases, so it cannot be right either. C allows a negative base, which does not define a real exponential function at all.

Q55 — C. 32=193^{-2} = \tfrac{1}{9} and (12)1=2\left(\tfrac{1}{2}\right)^{-1} = 2, so the sum is 19+2=199\tfrac{1}{9} + 2 = \tfrac{19}{9} and p=19p = 19.

Why the others are wrong: A drops the 19\tfrac{1}{9} and keeps only the 2. D gives the denominator. B reads off the base. Put both terms over 9 before comparing.

Q56 — D. The sequence is n2n^2, so n2=144n=12n^2 = 144 \Rightarrow n = 12: the 12th term.

Why the others are wrong: C takes the VALUE of the term, 144, as its position. A halves 144 and B divides it by 6; neither is a square root.

Q57 — B. Complete the square: (x2)2+3-(x - 2)^2 + 3. The parabola opens downward with maximum 3, so y3y \leq 3.

Why the others are wrong: A treats 3 as a floor, but the leading x2-x^2 opens the parabola downward, so 3 is a ceiling. C and D use 1-1, the yy-intercept, in place of the maximum.

Q58 — C. Multiply the multipliers: 0.8×1.25=10.8 \times 1.25 = 1. The price is exactly back where it started. (Percentages compound; they do not cancel by adding.)

Why the others are wrong: A and B add or subtract the two percentages; percentages compound instead — multiply the multipliers. D is close to that idea but the product is exactly 1, not 0.99.

Q59 — A. 4+9+16+25=544 + 9 + 16 + 25 = 54, which uses k=2k = 2 to 55. So n=5n = 5.

Why the others are wrong: B stops one term short, at 29. C goes one too far, reaching 90. D gives the sum back as though it were nn. The sum starts at k=2k = 2, not k=1k = 1.

Q60 — A. (ab)2=(a+b)24ab=4940=9(a - b)^2 = (a + b)^2 - 4ab = 49 - 40 = 9.

Why the others are wrong: B uses 2ab2ab where the identity needs 4ab4ab. C adds instead of subtracting. D gives aba - b rather than its square.


Mock Exam 3


Exam 3 — Q1

The equation of a circle with centre (2, 3)(2,\ -3) and radius 5 is:

A) (x2)2+(y+3)2=5(x-2)^2 + (y+3)^2 = 5

B) (x+2)2+(y3)2=25(x+2)^2 + (y-3)^2 = 25

C) (x2)2+(y3)2=5(x-2)^2 + (y-3)^2 = 5

D) (x2)2+(y+3)2=25(x-2)^2 + (y+3)^2 = 25


Exam 3 — Q2

The domain of f(x)=x2x5f(x) = \dfrac{\sqrt{x - 2}}{x - 5} is:

A) x>2x > 2

B) x2, x5x \geq 2,\ x \neq 5

C) x5x \neq 5

D) x2x \geq 2


Exam 3 — Q3

A two-way table shows: P(male and passes) = 0.35, P(male) = 0.50. If gender and result are independent, P(passes) = ?

A) 0.350.35

B) 0.650.65

C) 0.500.50

D) 0.700.70


Exam 3 — Q4

Simplify x+1x2x24x21\dfrac{x + 1}{x - 2} \cdot \dfrac{x^2 - 4}{x^2 - 1}.

A) x+2x1\dfrac{x + 2}{x - 1}

B) x2x+1\dfrac{x - 2}{x + 1}

C) x+1x2\dfrac{x + 1}{x - 2}

D) 1


Exam 3 — Q5

If 3p=1273^p = \dfrac{1}{27}, then 3p+23^{p+2} equals:

A) 13\dfrac{1}{3}

B) 3

C) 19\dfrac{1}{9}

D) 9


Exam 3 — Q6

A straight line passes through (2; 3)(2;\ 3) with gradient 2-2. Its yy-intercept is:

A) 3

B) 1-1

C) 7

D) 7-7


Exam 3 — Q7

The range of f(x)=x26x+10f(x) = x^2 - 6x + 10 is:

A) y1y \leq 1

B) y10y \geq 10

C) y1y \geq 1

D) y0y \geq 0


Exam 3 — Q8

A cylinder has a volume of 72π cm372\pi\ \text{cm}^3 and a height of 8 cm. Its base radius is:

A) 9π\sqrt{9\pi} cm

B) 9 cm

C) 6 cm

D) 3 cm


Exam 3 — Q9

In a dataset, if the mean equals the median, the distribution is:

A) Skewed right

B) Skewed left

C) Bimodal

D) Symmetrical


Exam 3 — Q10

R20 000 is invested at 15 % p.a. compound interest for 3 years. The accumulated amount is:

A) R29 000

B) R30 418

C) R30 000

D) R23 000


Exam 3 — Q11

A right circular cone has base radius 4 cm and slant height 5 cm. Its curved surface area is:

A) 25π cm225\pi\ \text{cm}^2

B) 16π cm216\pi\ \text{cm}^2

C) 40π cm240\pi\ \text{cm}^2

D) 20π cm220\pi\ \text{cm}^2


Exam 3 — Q12

Simplify sin(90°θ)tanθ\sin(90° - \theta) \cdot \tan\theta.

A) 1

B) cosθ\cos\theta

C) sinθ\sin\theta

D) tanθ\tan\theta


Exam 3 — Q13

nn is a positive integer and 50n\sqrt{50n} is rational. The smallest possible value of nn is:

A) 10

B) 5

C) 2

D) 50


Exam 3 — Q14

A geometric sequence has T1=4T_1 = 4 and T4=32T_4 = 32. The value of T6T_6 is:

A) 128

B) 64

C) 96

D) 256


Exam 3 — Q15

If n!(n1)!=18n! - (n - 1)! = 18, the value of nn is:

A) 6

B) 3

C) 5

D) 4


Exam 3 — Q16

If k=1n32k1=93\displaystyle\sum_{k=1}^{n} 3 \cdot 2^{k-1} = 93, the value of nn is:

A) 5

B) 4

C) 6

D) 31


Exam 3 — Q17
Parabola with minimum turning point at (-1; -9)xy-42-9(-1; -9)

The xx-intercepts of the graph shown are:

A) x=4x = 4 and x=2x = -2

B) x=4x = -4 and x=2x = 2

C) x=1x = -1 and x=9x = -9

D) x=8x = -8 and x=2x = 2


Exam 3 — Q18

For which values of xx is x3\sqrt{x - 3} not a real number?

A) x=3x = 3

B) x>3x > 3

C) x3x \leq 3

D) x<3x < 3


Exam 3 — Q19

Inflation averages 6 % p.a. A grocery basket currently costs R500. Its cost in 2 years will be approximately:

A) R560

B) R530

C) R562

D) R556


Exam 3 — Q20

In a histogram, the area of each bar is proportional to the:

A) Class width

B) Frequency

C) Class midpoint

D) Cumulative frequency


Exam 3 — Q21
Parallel lines cut by a transversal48°y

In the diagram the two horizontal lines are parallel. The value of yy is:

A) 42°42°

B) 48°48°

C) 132°132°

D) 138°138°


Exam 3 — Q22

The graph of y=ax3y = \dfrac{a}{x} - 3 passes through the point (2; 1)(2;\ -1). The value of aa is:

A) 2

B) 4

C) 4-4

D) 8


Exam 3 — Q23
y = cos 2x90°180°270°360°-11xy

The period of the graph shown is:

A) 360°360°

B) 180°180°

C) 90°90°

D) 720°720°


Exam 3 — Q24

The yy-intercept of the line joining (2; 4)(-2;\ 4) and (4; 1)(4;\ 1) is:

A) 12-\dfrac{1}{2}

B) 4

C) 52\dfrac{5}{2}

D) 3


Exam 3 — Q25

If 2n+22n=962^{n+2} - 2^n = 96, the value of nn is:

A) 5

B) 4

C) 6

D) 32


Exam 3 — Q26
Triangle with two sides and the included angleABC120°57

In ABC\triangle ABC, AC=7AC = 7, AB=5AB = 5 and A^=120°\hat{A} = 120°. The length of BCBC is:

A) 39\sqrt{39}

B) 109\sqrt{109}

C) 12

D) 74\sqrt{74}


Exam 3 — Q27

A car bought for R200 000 depreciates at 15 % p.a. compound. After 2 years its value is:

A) R140 000

B) R145 000

C) R144 500

D) R138 000


Exam 3 — Q28

If log525+log5x=3\log_5 25 + \log_5 x = 3, the value of xx is:

A) 1

B) 25

C) 5

D) 15


Exam 3 — Q29

The roots of x23x10=0x^2 - 3x - 10 = 0 are α\alpha and β\beta. The value of αβ\alpha\beta is:

A) 10-10

B) 3

C) 10

D) 3-3


Exam 3 — Q30

Given the data set {5, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10}\{5,\ 5,\ 6,\ 7,\ 9,\ 10\}, the mode is:

A) 6

B) 5

C) 7

D) 6.5


Exam 3 — Q31

Simplify 483+273\dfrac{\sqrt{48}}{\sqrt{3}} + \dfrac{\sqrt{27}}{\sqrt{3}}.

A) 434\sqrt{3}

B) 25\sqrt{25}

C) 7

D) 12


Exam 3 — Q32

If 3×k=6\sqrt{3} \times \sqrt{k} = 6, the value of kk is:

A) 6

B) 12

C) 36

D) 2


Exam 3 — Q33

The probability that it rains on any given day is 0.3. The probability it does NOT rain two days in a row is:

A) 0.420.42

B) 0.490.49

C) 0.090.09

D) 0.60.6


Exam 3 — Q34

Two similar triangles have corresponding sides in ratio 3:53 : 5. Their areas are in ratio:

A) 3:53 : 5

B) 3:253 : 25

C) 9:259 : 25

D) 27:12527 : 125


Exam 3 — Q35

In how many points do the graphs of y=2xy = 2^x and y=x+1y = x + 1 intersect?

A) 1

B) 2

C) 0

D) Infinitely many


Exam 3 — Q36

Solve for xx: 2x3=5\sqrt{2x - 3} = 5.

A) 28

B) 11

C) 4

D) 14


Exam 3 — Q37

In the arithmetic sequence 5; 1; 3; 7; -5;\ -1;\ 3;\ 7;\ \ldots which term is equal to 71?

A) The 20th

B) The 19th

C) The 18th

D) The 21st


Exam 3 — Q38

The point P(4; 3)P(-4;\ 3) is reflected in the yy-axis to give PP'. The distance PPPP' is:

A) 10 units

B) 6 units

C) 5 units

D) 8 units


Exam 3 — Q39

For x2x \neq -2, 3x212x+2=3x+k\dfrac{3x^2 - 12}{x + 2} = 3x + k. The value of kk is:

A) 6-6

B) 6

C) 4-4

D) 12


Exam 3 — Q40

Two letters are chosen from {A,B,C,D}\{A, B, C, D\} without repetition. The number of ordered pairs is:

A) 4

B) 6

C) 8

D) 12


Exam 3 — Q41

A survey of 50 people: 30 like tea, 25 like coffee, and 10 like both. How many like neither?

A) 15

B) 45

C) 10

D) 5


Exam 3 — Q42

A ladder 10 m long leans against a wall making a 60°60° angle with the ground. The height it reaches is:

A) 10310\sqrt{3} m

B) 55 m

C) 535\sqrt{3} m

D) 525\sqrt{2} m


Exam 3 — Q43

The expression x21x2+x\dfrac{x^2 - 1}{x^2 + x} is undefined for:

A) x=0x = 0 or x=1x = -1

B) x=±1x = \pm 1

C) x=0x = 0 only

D) x=0x = 0 or x=1x = 1


Exam 3 — Q44

For which value of kk does kx23x+1=0kx^2 - 3x + 1 = 0 have equal roots?

A) 94\dfrac{9}{4}

B) 49\dfrac{4}{9}

C) 9

D) 3


Exam 3 — Q45

A function ff is increasing on its domain if, for x1<x2x_1 < x_2:

A) f(x1)=f(x2)f(x_1) = f(x_2)

B) f(x1)>f(x2)f(x_1) > f(x_2)

C) f(x1)<f(x2)f(x_1) < f(x_2)

D) f(x1)f(x2)f(x_1) \geq f(x_2)


Exam 3 — Q46

The sum of an infinite geometric series is 45 and its first term is 15. The common ratio is:

A) 23\dfrac{2}{3}

B) 13\dfrac{1}{3}

C) 3

D) 12\dfrac{1}{2}


Exam 3 — Q47

How many integer values of xx satisfy 42x<6-4 \leq 2x < 6?

A) 5

B) 6

C) 4

D) 10


Exam 3 — Q48
An 18 cm chord in a circle of radius 15 cmOAB1218

OO is the centre of the circle, the radius is 15 cm and the chord AB=18AB = 18 cm. The perpendicular distance from OO to ABAB is:

A) 6 cm

B) 9 cm

C) 12 cm

D) 3343\sqrt{34} cm


Exam 3 — Q49

For an arithmetic sequence, Sn=4n2+2nS_n = 4n^2 + 2n. The third term is:

A) 22

B) 42

C) 6

D) 18


Exam 3 — Q50

One card is drawn from a standard deck of 52. The probability that it is a heart or a king is:

A) 113\dfrac{1}{13}

B) 1752\dfrac{17}{52}

C) 14\dfrac{1}{4}

D) 413\dfrac{4}{13}


Exam 3 — Q51

A standard deviation of 0 means:

A) The mean is 0

B) All data values are equal

C) There are no data values

D) The data is evenly spread


Exam 3 — Q52

If log2x=5\log_2 x = 5, then log2(2x)\log_2 (2x) equals:

A) 6

B) 10

C) 25

D) 7


Exam 3 — Q53

R5 000 is borrowed at 12 % p.a. simple interest. The total repayment after 2.5 years is:

A) R6 000

B) R6 500

C) R6 200

D) R5 600


Exam 3 — Q54

The inverse of y=3xy = 3^x is:

A) y=3xy = 3^{-x}

B) y=log3xy = \log_3 x

C) y=x3y = x^3

D) y=x13y = x^{\frac{1}{3}}


Exam 3 — Q55

The value of cos0°+sin0°+tan0°\cos 0° + \sin 0° + \tan 0° is:

A) 2

B) 0

C) 1

D) 3


Exam 3 — Q56

The graph of y=x23y = |x - 2| - 3 has its lowest point at:

A) (3; 2)(3;\ 2)

B) (2; 3)(-2;\ -3)

C) (2; 3)(2;\ 3)

D) (2; 3)(2;\ -3)

Q14 — C. V=πr2h=π(3)2(10)=90π cm3V = \pi r^2 h = \pi(3)^2(10) = 90\pi\ \text{cm}^3. (The radius is squared — that is the step most often dropped.)

Q15 — C. Each exterior angle is 180°108°=72°180° - 108° = 72°, and 36072=5\dfrac{360}{72} = 5 sides.

Q16 — D. 6080=75%\dfrac{60}{80} = 75\%, and 0.75×120=900.75 \times 120 = 90.

Q17 — C. Even {2;4;6}\{2;4;6\} or greater than 4 {5;6}\{5;6\} — the union is {2;4;5;6}\{2;4;5;6\}, so P=46=23P = \dfrac{4}{6} = \dfrac{2}{3}. (6 is in both; count it once.)

Q18 — A. Compare constants: (2)(k)=2k=1(-2)(k) = -2 \Rightarrow k = 1. Check the middle term: 3x4x=x3x - 4x = -x. ✓

Q19 — B. Gradient =0(2)40=12= \dfrac{0 - (-2)}{4 - 0} = \dfrac{1}{2}, and the yy-intercept is given as 2-2: y=12x2y = \tfrac{1}{2}x - 2.

Q20 — D. A quantity changing over time is continuous, so a line graph shows the trend between readings.

Q21 — C. The right angle is at QQ, so the two given sides are the perpendicular pair: Area =12(10)(6)=30= \tfrac{1}{2}(10)(6) = 30 square units.

Q22 — B. Simple interest is a fixed 0.08×15000=R12000.08 \times 15\,000 = \text{R}1\,200 a year. 4800÷1200=44\,800 \div 1\,200 = 4 years.

Q23 — B. loga8=3a3=8a=2\log_a 8 = 3 \Rightarrow a^3 = 8 \Rightarrow a = 2.

Q24 — C. The identity sin2θ+cos2θ=1\sin^2\theta + \cos^2\theta = 1 holds for all θ\theta, so k=1k = 1.

Q25 — B. 3=a52+1a3=2a=63 = \dfrac{a}{5 - 2} + 1 \Rightarrow \dfrac{a}{3} = 2 \Rightarrow a = 6.

Q26 — D. The modal class is the one with the highest frequency; the required probability is that class's frequency over the total.

Q27 — C. C^=90°\hat{C} = 90°, so cc is the hypotenuse: c=82+62=10c = \sqrt{8^2 + 6^2} = 10. sinA=ac=810=45\sin A = \dfrac{a}{c} = \dfrac{8}{10} = \dfrac{4}{5}.

Q28 — C. 63=23\dfrac{6}{\sqrt{3}} = 2\sqrt{3} and 12=23\sqrt{12} = 2\sqrt{3}, so the difference is 0.

Q29 — A. Five terms from 5 to 21: d=2154=4d = \dfrac{21 - 5}{4} = 4, giving 5; 9; 13; 17; 215;\ 9;\ 13;\ 17;\ 21. The middle inserted value is 13.

Q30 — B. 72=36×272 = 36 \times 2, so one factor of 2 is missing to complete the square: n=2n = 2 gives 144=12\sqrt{144} = 12.

Q31 — B. ABAB is horizontal of length 6 and BCBC is vertical of length 8, meeting at a right angle at BB. Area =12(6)(8)=24= \tfrac{1}{2}(6)(8) = 24 square units.

Q32 — D. 0!=10! = 1 and 3!=63! = 6, so the value is 16\tfrac{1}{6}. (0!=10! = 1 by definition — not 0.)

Q33 — C. Co-interior angles are supplementary: 4x+2x+30=1806x=150x=254x + 2x + 30 = 180 \Rightarrow 6x = 150 \Rightarrow x = 25.

Q34 — D. P(not red)=1510=12P(\text{not red}) = 1 - \dfrac{5}{10} = \dfrac{1}{2}.

Q35 — B. f(g(x))=2x2+1f(g(x)) = 2x^2 + 1 and g(f(x))=(2x+1)2=4x2+4x+1g(f(x)) = (2x+1)^2 = 4x^2 + 4x + 1. Equating: 2x2+4x=0x=02x^2 + 4x = 0 \Rightarrow x = 0 or x=2x = -2; the sum is 2-2.

Q36 — C. The mean is pulled above the median by a few large values, so the tail lies to the right: the distribution is skewed to the right.

Q37 — A. a3b2a2b4=ab2=2b2=14b2=8\dfrac{a^3b^2}{a^2b^4} = \dfrac{a}{b^2} = \dfrac{2}{b^2} = \dfrac{1}{4} \Rightarrow b^2 = 8.

Q38 — D. Only 7 and 9 exceed the mean of 5, so 2 values lie above it.

Q39 — A. 2y1=3ky=3k+122y - 1 = 3k \Rightarrow y = \dfrac{3k + 1}{2}.

Q40 — C. Opposite angles of a cyclic quadrilateral are supplementary: x=180°95°=85°x = 180° - 95° = 85°.

Q41 — B. Sine is negative in the third and fourth quadrants, and the reference angle is 30°30°. So θ=180°+30°=210°\theta = 180° + 30° = 210° and θ=360°30°=330°\theta = 360° - 30° = 330°, summing to 540°540°. (360°360° is what you get by using the cosine quadrants instead.)

Q42 — A. 36=a123a=1236 = \dfrac{a}{1 - \frac{2}{3}} \Rightarrow a = 12. Then T3=ar2=12×49=163T_3 = ar^2 = 12 \times \dfrac{4}{9} = \dfrac{16}{3}.

Q43 — D. Add every region, including those outside both circles: 7+5+5+13=307 + 5 + 5 + 13 = 30.

Q44 — C. The curve reaches ±2\pm 2, so the amplitude is 2 (ruling out y=sinxy = \sin x and y=sin2xy = \sin 2x), and it starts at 0 and rises — a sine, not a cosine. So y=2sinxy = 2\sin x.

Q45 — B. Dollars to rand multiplies by the rate: 250×18=R4500250 \times 18 = \text{R}4\,500. (Decide first whether the answer should be bigger or smaller than 250.)

Q46 — B. No xx-intercepts means a negative discriminant: 164k<0k>416 - 4k < 0 \Rightarrow k > 4.

Q47 — C. Gradient =13562=2= \dfrac{13 - 5}{6 - 2} = 2. Continuing four more units in xx adds 2×4=82 \times 4 = 8: k=13+8=21k = 13 + 8 = 21.

Q48 — D. Write both sides to base 2: 22x=232x=3x=322^{2x} = 2^3 \Rightarrow 2x = 3 \Rightarrow x = \tfrac{3}{2}.

Q49 — A. 2(x24)x2=2(x2)(x+2)x2=2x+4\dfrac{2(x^2 - 4)}{x - 2} = \dfrac{2(x-2)(x+2)}{x - 2} = 2x + 4, so k=4k = 4.

Q50 — A. Undefined where the denominator vanishes: x2x2=(x2)(x+1)=0x=2x^2 - x - 2 = (x - 2)(x + 1) = 0 \Rightarrow x = 2 or x=1x = -1.

Q51 — B. Divide by the multiplier: 750÷1.25=R600750 \div 1.25 = \text{R}600.

Q52 — D. The two posts are different, so order matters: 8×7=568 \times 7 = 56.

Q53 — D. P(A)=10.35=0.65P(A) = 1 - 0.35 = 0.65. Independent repeats multiply: 0.652=0.42250.65^2 = 0.4225.

Q54 — B. y=bxy = b^x decreases only when the base is a proper fraction: 0<b<10 < b < 1.

Q55 — C. 32=193^{-2} = \tfrac{1}{9} and (12)1=2\left(\tfrac{1}{2}\right)^{-1} = 2, so the sum is 19+2=199\tfrac{1}{9} + 2 = \tfrac{19}{9} and p=19p = 19.

Q56 — D. The sequence is n2n^2, so n2=144n=12n^2 = 144 \Rightarrow n = 12: the 12th term.

Q57 — B. Complete the square: (x2)2+3-(x - 2)^2 + 3. The parabola opens downward with maximum 3, so y3y \leq 3.

Q58 — C. Multiply the multipliers: 0.8×1.25=10.8 \times 1.25 = 1. The price is exactly back where it started. (Percentages compound; they do not cancel by adding.)

Q59 — A. 4+9+16+25=544 + 9 + 16 + 25 = 54, which uses k=2k = 2 to 55. So n=5n = 5.

Q60 — A. (ab)2=(a+b)24ab=4940=9(a - b)^2 = (a + b)^2 - 4ab = 49 - 40 = 9.


Exam 3 — Q57
Box-and-whisker diagram1220263445

For the box-and-whisker diagram shown, the interquartile range is:

A) 20

B) 33

C) 26

D) 14


Exam 3 — Q58

If (278)m=94\left(\dfrac{27}{8}\right)^{m} = \dfrac{9}{4}, the value of mm is:

A) 23\dfrac{2}{3}

B) 32\dfrac{3}{2}

C) 2

D) 13\dfrac{1}{3}


Exam 3 — Q59

If h(x)=23xh(x) = 2 \cdot 3^x and h(x)=54h(x) = 54, the value of xx is:

A) 27

B) 3

C) 2

D) 9


Exam 3 — Q60
Tangent from a point 17 cm from the centreOPQ817

PQPQ is a tangent to the circle with centre OO. If OP=8OP = 8 cm and OQ=17OQ = 17 cm, the length of the tangent PQPQ is:

A) 25 cm

B) 9 cm

C) 15 cm

D) 353\sqrt{353} cm


Mock Exam 3 — Answer Key

Q Ans Q Ans Q Ans Q Ans Q Ans
1 D 2 B 3 D 4 A 5 A
6 C 7 C 8 D 9 D 10 B
11 D 12 C 13 C 14 A 15 D
16 A 17 B 18 D 19 C 20 B
21 C 22 B 23 B 24 D 25 A
26 B 27 C 28 C 29 A 30 B
31 C 32 B 33 B 34 C 35 B
36 D 37 A 38 D 39 A 40 D
41 D 42 C 43 A 44 A 45 C
46 A 47 A 48 C 49 A 50 D
51 B 52 A 53 B 54 B 55 C
56 D 57 D 58 A 59 B 60 C

Mock Exam 3 — Worked Solutions

Mark your paper against the key above first, then read only the solutions for the questions you missed.

Q1 — D. Centre (a;b)(a;b) and radius rr give (xa)2+(yb)2=r2(x-a)^2 + (y-b)^2 = r^2: (x2)2+(y+3)2=25(x-2)^2 + (y+3)^2 = 25. Note the sign flip on 3-3.

Why the others are wrong: A and C use rr where the equation needs r2r^2. B and C flip the signs of the centre: a centre of (2; 3)(2;\ -3) gives (x2)(x - 2) and (y+3)(y + 3), not the other way round.

Q2 — B. Two conditions: x20x2x - 2 \geq 0 \Rightarrow x \geq 2 (the root), and x5x \neq 5 (the denominator).

Why the others are wrong: D forgets that x=5x = 5 makes the denominator zero. C forgets that the root needs a non-negative argument. A excludes 2, where the root is 0 and perfectly defined, and forgets the denominator too. Both conditions must hold at once.

Q3 — D. Independent means P(male and passes)=P(male)×P(passes)P(\text{male and passes}) = P(\text{male}) \times P(\text{passes}): 0.35=0.50×PP=0.700.35 = 0.50 \times P \Rightarrow P = 0.70.

Why the others are wrong: A gives the joint probability back. C gives the probability of being male, on its own. B is 10.351 - 0.35, which treats 0.35 as a complement rather than a product.

Q4 — A. x+1x2(x2)(x+2)(x1)(x+1)\dfrac{x+1}{x-2} \cdot \dfrac{(x-2)(x+2)}{(x-1)(x+1)} — the (x+1)(x+1) and (x2)(x-2) cancel, leaving x+2x1\dfrac{x+2}{x-1}.

Why the others are wrong: C gives the first fraction with nothing cancelled. B is the answer inverted. D cancels everything, which would need the two fractions to be reciprocals. Factorise both differences of squares first.

Q5 — A. 3p+2=3p×32=127×9=133^{p+2} = 3^p \times 3^2 = \tfrac{1}{27} \times 9 = \tfrac{1}{3}. You never need pp itself.

Why the others are wrong: D gives 323^2 on its own, forgetting the 3p3^p. C multiplies by 3 instead of by 9. B inverts the fraction. You never need pp itself — 3p+2=3p×323^{p+2} = 3^p \times 3^2.

Q6 — C. y=2x+cy = -2x + c through (2;3)(2;3): 3=4+cc=73 = -4 + c \Rightarrow c = 7.

Why the others are wrong: A takes the point's yy-value as the intercept. B subtracts the wrong way, giving 343 - 4. D has the sign of the intercept wrong.

Q7 — C. Complete the square: (x3)2+1(x - 3)^2 + 1. The parabola opens upward with minimum 1, so y1y \geq 1.

Why the others are wrong: A treats 1 as a ceiling, but the parabola opens upward, so it is a floor. B uses 10, the yy-intercept, in place of the minimum. D allows values below 1, which the curve never reaches.

Q8 — D. πr2(8)=72πr2=9r=3\pi r^2 (8) = 72\pi \Rightarrow r^2 = 9 \Rightarrow r = 3 cm.

Why the others are wrong: B gives r2=9r^2 = 9 rather than rr. C gives the diameter. A leaves the π\pi under the root — it cancels with the π\pi on the other side before the root is taken.

Q9 — D. Equal mean and median indicates no skew in either direction — the distribution is symmetrical.

Why the others are wrong: A and B describe distributions where the mean is pulled away from the median, above it or below it. C is about the number of peaks, which the mean and median say nothing about.

Q10 — B. A=20000(1.15)3=20000×1.520875R30418A = 20\,000(1.15)^3 = 20\,000 \times 1.520875 \approx \text{R}30\,418.

Why the others are wrong: A is the SIMPLE-interest amount, R20 000 plus three lots of 15 %. D applies one year only. C is a round guess. Compound interest charges the second year's interest on the first year's total.

Q11 — D. Curved surface of a cone =πr=π(4)(5)=20π cm2= \pi r \ell = \pi(4)(5) = 20\pi\ \text{cm}^2. (That is the slant height, not the vertical height.)

Why the others are wrong: B gives the BASE area, πr2\pi r^2. A squares the slant height instead of multiplying by the radius. C uses 2πr2\pi r\ell, the cylinder's formula — a cone has no second face to wrap.

Q12 — C. sin(90°θ)=cosθ\sin(90° - \theta) = \cos\theta, so the product is cosθsinθcosθ=sinθ\cos\theta \cdot \dfrac{\sin\theta}{\cos\theta} = \sin\theta.

Why the others are wrong: B stops at the reduction, cosθ\cos\theta, without multiplying by tanθ\tan\theta. D drops the first factor. A cancels everything, which would need the two factors to be reciprocals.

Q13 — C. 50=25×250 = 25 \times 2, so one more factor of 2 completes the square: n=2n = 2 gives 100=10\sqrt{100} = 10.

Why the others are wrong: A and B give 500 and 250, neither a perfect square. D does work — 50×50=2500=50250 \times 50 = 2\,500 = 50^2 — but the question asks for the SMALLEST such nn, and 2 is smaller.

Q14 — A. T4=T1r332=4r3r=2T_4 = T_1 r^3 \Rightarrow 32 = 4r^3 \Rightarrow r = 2. Then T6=4×25=128T_6 = 4 \times 2^5 = 128.

Why the others are wrong: B stops at T5T_5 and D goes one term past T6T_6. C follows from a ratio other than 2. Find rr from T4=T1r3T_4 = T_1r^3 first, then step up two more terms.

Q15 — D. n!(n1)!=18n! - (n-1)! = 18. Try n=4n = 4: 246=1824 - 6 = 18

Why the others are wrong: B gives 62=46 - 2 = 4, C gives 12024=96120 - 24 = 96 and A gives 720120=600720 - 120 = 600. Only 4!3!=2464! - 3! = 24 - 6 comes to 18.

Q16 — A. A geometric sum with a=3a = 3, r=2r = 2: Sn=3(2n1)=932n=32n=5S_n = 3(2^n - 1) = 93 \Rightarrow 2^n = 32 \Rightarrow n = 5.

Why the others are wrong: B stops at four terms, which sum to 45, and C runs to six, which sum to 189. D gives 2n12^n - 1 rather than nn.

Q17 — B. Read them straight off the graph: the curve crosses the xx-axis at x=4x = -4 and x=2x = 2. (The turning point (1;9)(-1;-9) is not an intercept.)

Why the others are wrong: C gives the TURNING POINT's coordinates, which are not intercepts at all. A flips both signs. D doubles the left root. The roots sit symmetrically either side of the turning point.

Q18 — D. A square root is real only when its argument is non-negative. x3<0x<3x - 3 < 0 \Rightarrow x < 3 gives a non-real value. (At x=3x = 3 the root is 0, which is real.)

Why the others are wrong: B names exactly where the root IS real. A and C both include x=3x = 3, where the root is 0 — which is a perfectly good real number.

Q19 — C. Inflation compounds like interest: 500(1.06)2=500×1.1236R562500(1.06)^2 = 500 \times 1.1236 \approx \text{R}562.

Why the others are wrong: A grows the price by 6 % twice over the ORIGINAL amount, which is simple growth. B applies one year only. D follows from no consistent multiplier. Inflation compounds, exactly like interest.

Q20 — B. In a histogram the bars are joined and the area represents the frequency of the class.

Why the others are wrong: A names the base of the bar, not its area. C names a position on the axis, not a quantity of data. D is what an ogive shows.

Q21 — C. The marked angles are co-interior, hence supplementary: y=180°48°=132°y = 180° - 48° = 132°.

Why the others are wrong: B treats co-interior angles as equal; they are supplementary. A takes the complement instead. D subtracts 48 from 186.

Q22 — B. 1=a23a2=2a=4-1 = \dfrac{a}{2} - 3 \Rightarrow \dfrac{a}{2} = 2 \Rightarrow a = 4.

Why the others are wrong: A stops at a2=2\tfrac{a}{2} = 2 without multiplying back. C has the sign wrong. D multiplies by 2 twice.

Q23 — B. The curve completes two full waves in 360°360°, so one wave takes 180°180°. (For y=cosbxy = \cos bx the period is 360°b\tfrac{360°}{b}.)

Why the others are wrong: A is the period of cosx\cos x, unchanged. C divides 360 by 4 and D multiplies instead of dividing. Count the waves: two in a full turn means each takes half of it.

Q24 — D. Gradient =144(2)=12= \dfrac{1 - 4}{4 - (-2)} = -\tfrac{1}{2}. Then y=412(x+2)y = 4 - \tfrac{1}{2}(x + 2), so at x=0x = 0, y=3y = 3.

Why the others are wrong: A gives the GRADIENT rather than the intercept. B takes the first point's yy-value. C follows from substituting the wrong point back.

Q25 — A. Factor out 2n2^n: 2n(41)=962n=32n=52^n(4 - 1) = 96 \Rightarrow 2^n = 32 \Rightarrow n = 5. (Factorising beats expanding whenever a common power appears.)

Why the others are wrong: D gives 2n=322^n = 32 rather than nn. B and C are one power short and one too far. Factor out 2n2^n rather than expanding — the common power is the whole trick.

Q26 — B. Cosine rule with an obtuse angle — cos120°=12\cos 120° = -\tfrac{1}{2}, so the last term adds: BC2=49+252(7)(5)(12)=74+35=109BC^2 = 49 + 25 - 2(7)(5)\left(-\tfrac{1}{2}\right) = 74 + 35 = 109, giving BC=109BC = \sqrt{109}.

Why the others are wrong: A takes cos120°\cos 120° as +12+\tfrac{1}{2}; it is 12-\tfrac{1}{2}, so the last term ADDS. D drops the cosine term altogether. C simply adds the two sides.

Q27 — C. Compound depreciation multiplies by 0.850.85 each year: 200000×0.852=R144500200\,000 \times 0.85^2 = \text{R}144\,500.

Why the others are wrong: A is the straight-line value, R200 000 less two lots of 15 % of the ORIGINAL price. B and D are round guesses. Compound depreciation takes 15 % of what is left, so the second year removes less than the first.

Q28 — C. log525=2\log_5 25 = 2, so 2+log5x=3log5x=1x=52 + \log_5 x = 3 \Rightarrow \log_5 x = 1 \Rightarrow x = 5.

Why the others are wrong: B copies the argument out of the question. A solves log5x=0\log_5 x = 0, forgetting that log525\log_5 25 contributes 2. D follows from adding 25 and something rather than working with the logarithms.

Q29 — A. Vieta: αβ=ca=101=10\alpha\beta = \dfrac{c}{a} = \dfrac{-10}{1} = -10. No solving needed.

Why the others are wrong: B gives the SUM of the roots, ba-\tfrac{b}{a}. C has the sign of the product wrong. D gives the sum with the sign wrong as well.

Q30 — B. The mode is the most frequent value; 5 appears twice and every other value once.

Why the others are wrong: D gives the MEDIAN, the average of the two middle values. A and C each name a value that appears only once. The mode is the value that appears most often, and only 5 appears twice.

Q31 — C. 483=16=4\dfrac{\sqrt{48}}{\sqrt{3}} = \sqrt{16} = 4 and 273=9=3\dfrac{\sqrt{27}}{\sqrt{3}} = \sqrt{9} = 3, giving 77.

Why the others are wrong: A simplifies only the first term. B is 25=5\sqrt{25} = 5, which is neither part nor their sum. D multiplies the two results instead of adding them.

Q32 — B. 3k=63k=36k=12\sqrt{3k} = 6 \Rightarrow 3k = 36 \Rightarrow k = 12.

Why the others are wrong: C gives 3k=363k = 36 before dividing. A copies the right-hand side. D follows from squaring 6 as something other than 36.

Q33 — B. P(no rain)=0.7P(\text{no rain}) = 0.7 each day, and the days are independent: 0.72=0.490.7^2 = 0.49.

Why the others are wrong: C gives the chance it DOES rain on both days. A gives one wet day and one dry one. D doubles 0.3 and subtracts from 1, which is not how independent days combine.

Q34 — C. Areas scale by the square of the linear ratio: 32:52=9:253^2 : 5^2 = 9 : 25.

Why the others are wrong: A is the LINEAR ratio, unsquared. D is the VOLUME ratio, cubed. B squares only the second part of the ratio.

Q35 — B. Test small values: at x=0x = 0 both give 1, and at x=1x = 1 both give 2. Beyond that the exponential outruns the line, so there are exactly 2 points. (Sketching beats solving — this equation has no algebraic method at school level.)

Why the others are wrong: A finds one crossing and stops; there are two, at x=0x = 0 and x=1x = 1. C assumes they never meet. D would need the two graphs to coincide, but an exponential outruns a line and they part for good.

Q36 — D. Square both sides: 2x3=25x=142x - 3 = 25 \Rightarrow x = 14. Check: 25=5\sqrt{25} = 5 ✓ (always test, since squaring can add false roots).

Why the others are wrong: A forgets to halve after squaring. C solves 2x3=52x - 3 = 5 without squaring at all. B subtracts the 3 twice. Always substitute back — squaring can introduce roots the original equation does not have.

Q37 — A. Tn=5+4(n1)=4n9T_n = -5 + 4(n-1) = 4n - 9. Set 4n9=71n=204n - 9 = 71 \Rightarrow n = 20.

Why the others are wrong: B and C stop one and two terms short — the 19th term is 67. D goes one too far, to 75. Build the general term first: Tn=4n9T_n = 4n - 9.

Q38 — D. Reflecting in the yy-axis sends (4;3)(-4;3) to (4;3)(4;3); the two points are 4(4)=84 - (-4) = 8 units apart.

Why the others are wrong: B reflects in the xx-axis instead, which would move the point 6 units. A and C follow from measuring a diagonal rather than the horizontal gap. Reflecting in the yy-axis changes only the sign of xx.

Q39 — A. 3(x24)x+2=3(x2)(x+2)x+2=3x6\dfrac{3(x^2 - 4)}{x + 2} = \dfrac{3(x-2)(x+2)}{x + 2} = 3x - 6, so k=6k = -6.

Why the others are wrong: B has the sign of the surviving factor wrong. C takes the 4-4 out of x24x^2 - 4 without the 3. D gives the constant from the numerator.

Q40 — D. Ordered pairs, no repetition: 4×3=124 \times 3 = 12.

Why the others are wrong: B counts UNORDERED pairs, where AB and BA are the same; the question asks for ordered ones. A counts the letters. C follows from no consistent count.

Q41 — D. 30+2510=4530 + 25 - 10 = 45 like at least one, so 5045=550 - 45 = 5 like neither.

Why the others are wrong: B gives the number who like AT LEAST ONE, not the number who like neither. C gives the overlap. A subtracts the overlap twice instead of once.

Q42 — C. sin60°=h10h=10×32=53\sin 60° = \dfrac{h}{10} \Rightarrow h = 10 \times \dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{2} = 5\sqrt{3} m.

Why the others are wrong: A forgets that sin60°\sin 60° is 32\tfrac{\sqrt{3}}{2}, not 3\sqrt{3}. B gives the distance from the wall, 10cos60°10\cos 60°. D uses 45°45°.

Q43 — A. Undefined where the denominator is zero: x2+x=x(x+1)=0x=0x^2 + x = x(x + 1) = 0 \Rightarrow x = 0 or x=1x = -1.

Why the others are wrong: B solves the NUMERATOR, which says where the expression is zero, not where it is undefined. C keeps one root of the denominator and drops the other. D mixes one root from each.

Q44 — A. Equal roots means the discriminant is zero: 94k=0k=949 - 4k = 0 \Rightarrow k = \tfrac{9}{4}.

Why the others are wrong: C gives b2=9b^2 = 9 and D gives bb itself. B has the fraction upside down. Set the discriminant to zero and solve for kk: 94k=09 - 4k = 0.

Q45 — C. Increasing means the output rises with the input: if x1<x2x_1 < x_2 then f(x1)<f(x2)f(x_1) < f(x_2).

Why the others are wrong: B describes a DECREASING function. A describes a constant one. D allows f(x1)=f(x2)f(x_1) = f(x_2), so the function could stay flat — that is not strictly increasing.

Q46 — A. 45=151r1r=13r=2345 = \dfrac{15}{1 - r} \Rightarrow 1 - r = \tfrac{1}{3} \Rightarrow r = \tfrac{2}{3}.

Why the others are wrong: B gives 1r1 - r rather than rr. C divides the sum by the first term, which is not the ratio. D would give a sum of 30, not 45.

Q47 — A. 42x<62x<3-4 \leq 2x < 6 \Rightarrow -2 \leq x < 3. The integers are 2,1,0,1,2-2, -1, 0, 1, 2 — five of them. (3 is excluded by the strict inequality.)

Why the others are wrong: B counts 3 as well, but the right-hand inequality is strict. C drops one endpoint. D counts the values of 2x2x rather than of xx.

Q48 — C. The perpendicular from OO bisects the chord, so the half-chord is 9: distance =15292=144=12= \sqrt{15^2 - 9^2} = \sqrt{144} = 12 cm.

Why the others are wrong: B gives the half-chord, 9, rather than the distance from the centre. A subtracts the lengths. D adds the squares instead of subtracting. The half-chord, the distance and the radius form a right triangle with the radius as hypotenuse.

Q49 — A. T3=S3S2=(36+6)(16+4)=4220=22T_3 = S_3 - S_2 = (36 + 6) - (16 + 4) = 42 - 20 = 22.

Why the others are wrong: B gives S3S_3, the SUM of the first three terms, not the third term. C gives the first term. D follows from subtracting the two sums incorrectly. A term is the difference of two consecutive sums.

Q50 — D. P(heart)+P(king)P(both)=1352+452152=1652=413P(\text{heart}) + P(\text{king}) - P(\text{both}) = \dfrac{13}{52} + \dfrac{4}{52} - \dfrac{1}{52} = \dfrac{16}{52} = \dfrac{4}{13}. The king of hearts must not be counted twice.

Why the others are wrong: B forgets that the king of hearts belongs to BOTH groups and counts it twice. C gives the hearts alone and A the kings alone.

Q51 — B. Standard deviation measures spread, so zero spread means every value is identical.

Why the others are wrong: A confuses the mean with the spread: a set of sevens has mean 7 and deviation 0. C describes an empty set, which has no deviation at all rather than a zero one. D describes a LARGE deviation, not a zero one.

Q52 — A. log2(2x)=log22+log2x=1+5=6\log_2(2x) = \log_2 2 + \log_2 x = 1 + 5 = 6.

Why the others are wrong: D adds 2 instead of log22\log_2 2, which is 1. B multiplies the logarithm by 2 and C squares it. Doubling the ARGUMENT adds 1 to a base-2 logarithm; it does not double the logarithm.

Q53 — B. Simple interest: 5000×0.12×2.5=R15005\,000 \times 0.12 \times 2.5 = \text{R}1\,500. Total repayment =5000+1500=R6500= 5\,000 + 1\,500 = \text{R}6\,500.

Why the others are wrong: D applies one year of interest instead of two and a half. A and C follow from a rate or a period other than the ones given. Simple interest is P×i×nP \times i \times n, with n=2.5n = 2.5.

Q54 — B. Swap xx and yy: x=3yx = 3^y, which in logarithmic form is y=log3xy = \log_3 x.

Why the others are wrong: A reflects in the yy-axis rather than in the line y=xy = x. C swaps the base and the exponent. D is the inverse of the CUBE, not of 3x3^x.

Q55 — C. cos0°=1\cos 0° = 1, sin0°=0\sin 0° = 0, tan0°=0\tan 0° = 0, so the sum is 1.

Why the others are wrong: B takes cos0°\cos 0° as 0; it is 1. A counts two of the three as 1 and D counts all three. Only the cosine is 1 at 0° — the sine and the tangent are both 0.

Q56 — D. y=x23y = |x - 2| - 3 is a V with its vertex where the bracket is zero: x=2x = 2, giving y=3y = -3. Lowest point (2; 3)(2;\ -3).

Why the others are wrong: B has the sign of the xx-coordinate wrong: x2|x - 2| is smallest at x=+2x = +2. C has the sign of the yy-coordinate wrong. A swaps the two coordinates.

Q57 — D. The IQR is the width of the box: Q3Q1=3420=14Q_3 - Q_1 = 34 - 20 = 14. (The whiskers give the range, 33 — a common mix-up.)

Why the others are wrong: B is the RANGE, whisker to whisker — the commonest mix-up here. A gives Q1Q_1 on its own. C follows from reading the box's edges wrongly. The IQR is the width of the BOX.

Q58 — A. Write both sides in base 32\tfrac{3}{2}: (32)3m=(32)23m=2m=23\left(\tfrac{3}{2}\right)^{3m} = \left(\tfrac{3}{2}\right)^{2} \Rightarrow 3m = 2 \Rightarrow m = \tfrac{2}{3}.

Why the others are wrong: C gives the exponent on the right-hand side, 2, rather than mm. B has the fraction upside down. D follows from a base other than 32\tfrac{3}{2}. Write both sides to the same base first.

Q59 — B. 23x=543x=27x=32 \cdot 3^x = 54 \Rightarrow 3^x = 27 \Rightarrow x = 3.

Why the others are wrong: A gives 3x=273^x = 27 rather than xx. C would give 32=93^2 = 9, not 27. D follows from dividing 54 by something other than 2. Divide by the coefficient first, then solve the power.

Q60 — C. The tangent is perpendicular to the radius, so PQ=17282=225=15PQ = \sqrt{17^2 - 8^2} = \sqrt{225} = 15 cm (the 8-15-17 triple).

Why the others are wrong: A adds the two lengths and B subtracts them. D adds the squares instead of subtracting. OQOQ is the hypotenuse: the tangent meets the radius at a right angle, so PQ2=OQ2OP2PQ^2 = OQ^2 - OP^2.


From The Complete NBT Mathematics Practice Book by Eben Roux — download the full 796-page PDF. Free to share, complete and unaltered.