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Multiple Choice

Age 11 to 14
ShortChallenge Level Yellow starYellow star
Secondary curriculum
  • Problem
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Answer: 62


Using trial and improvement
 50 correct:   200 points
50 incorrect: - 50 points
        total:     150 points, too small

  75 correct:   300 points
25 incorrect: - 25 points
        total:      275 points, too big

  60 correct:   240 points
40 incorrect: - 40 points
        total:      200 points, too small

  62 correct:   248 points
38 incorrect: - 38 points
        total:      210 points, perfect


Starting from 100 correct
100 correct: 400 points
Each question incorrect instead of correct: Lose 4 points for not correct
                                                              And 1 more for incorrect
                                                              Total lose 5

400 - 210 = 190
190$\div$5 = 38
38 questions were incorrect and not correct
The other 62 were correct


Using coding
If 1 is added to the score for each question, then, for candidates who answer all of the questions, then the scoring system becomes 5 points for each correct answer and none for each incorrect answer.

Adding 1 to the score for each question is the same as adding 100 to the total score, so under the scoring system of 5 points for each correct answer and none for each incorrect answer, Sarah would have got 210 + 100 = 310 points.

310$\div$5 = 62, so Sarah answered 62 questions correctly.


Using simultaneous equations
Suppose Sarah answered $s$ questions correctly and $t$ questions incorrectly. Then $s+t=100$, because there are $100$ questions altogether.

Sarah would score $4s$ points for the $s$ correct answers, and lost $t$ points for the $t$ incorrect answers, so she would score $4s-t$ points. So $4s-t=210$.

Adding these two equations gives $s+t+4s-t=100+210 \Rightarrow 5s=310 \Rightarrow s=62$.

You can find more short problems, arranged by curriculum topic, in our short problems collection.

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The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice.

NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.

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