Here are free Primary 1 Mathematics first term exam questions and answers for teachers, parents and pupils. The questions follow the NERDC first term scheme of work, and the answers are at the bottom of this page.

Use the paper for revision at home, a class test or your end-of-term examination. You may copy it for your own class.

Primary 1 Mathematics First Term Examination

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes  |  Total: 60 marks

Section A: Objective Questions (20 marks)

Choose the correct answer from the options A to D. Each question carries ½ mark.

1. Count the stars: ★ ★ ★

(A) 2    (B) 4    (C) 3    (D) 5

2. What number comes after 2?

(A) 1    (B) 4    (C) 3    (D) 5

3. What number comes before 5?

(A) 6    (B) 3    (C) 2    (D) 4

4. “Four” in figures is ____.

(A) 4    (B) 5    (C) 3    (D) 14

5. Which number is the biggest?

(A) 2    (B) 5    (C) 4    (D) 1

6. Zero means ____.

(A) one    (B) nothing    (C) many    (D) ten

7. Zero is written as ____.

(A) 1    (B) 10    (C) 0    (D) 6

8. A plate has no oranges on it. How many oranges are on the plate?

(A) 1    (B) 2    (C) 0    (D) 10

9. What number comes before 1?

(A) 2    (B) 3    (C) 10    (D) 0

10. Which number is smaller than 1?

(A) 2    (B) 5    (C) 0    (D) 9

11. What number comes after 6?

(A) 7    (B) 5    (C) 8    (D) 9

12. “Eight” in figures is ____.

(A) 6    (B) 8    (C) 3    (D) 18

13. 9 in words is ____.

(A) six    (B) seven    (C) nine    (D) ten

14. Count the dots: ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

(A) 6    (B) 8    (C) 5    (D) 7

15. Which number is the biggest?

(A) 6    (B) 9    (C) 7    (D) 8

16. What number comes after 9?

(A) 8    (B) 10    (C) 11    (D) 7

17. 10 in words is ____.

(A) one    (B) ten    (C) nine    (D) two

18. How many fingers are on your two hands?

(A) 5    (B) 8    (C) 2    (D) 10

19. Count on: 7, 8, 9, ____

(A) 10    (B) 6    (C) 11    (D) 5

20. Which number is smaller, 10 or 4?

(A) 10    (B) 4    (C) They are the same.    (D) We cannot tell.

21. The sign for adding is ____.

(A) −    (B) =    (C) +    (D) 0

22. 1 + 1 = ____

(A) 1    (B) 2    (C) 3    (D) 11

23. 2 + 1 = ____

(A) 1    (B) 4    (C) 21    (D) 3

24. 3 balls and 2 balls make ____ balls.

(A) 5    (B) 1    (C) 6    (D) 4

25. “Putting together” means ____.

(A) taking away    (B) sharing    (C) sleeping    (D) adding

26. 4 + 3 = ____

(A) 1    (B) 6    (C) 8    (D) 7

27. 5 + 5 = ____

(A) 10    (B) 0    (C) 55    (D) 9

28. 6 + 2 = ____

(A) 8    (B) 4    (C) 9    (D) 7

29. 0 + 4 = ____

(A) 0    (B) 40    (C) 4    (D) 5

30. Ada has 3 sweets. She gets 4 more. How many sweets does she have now?

(A) 1    (B) 7    (C) 6    (D) 8

31. The sign for taking away is ____.

(A) +    (B) =    (C) −    (D) ×

32. 3 − 1 = ____

(A) 4    (B) 1    (C) 3    (D) 2

33. 5 − 2 = ____

(A) 3    (B) 7    (C) 2    (D) 4

34. There are 4 birds on a tree. 1 flies away. How many birds are left?

(A) 3    (B) 5    (C) 4    (D) 2

35. “Taking away” is called ____.

(A) addition    (B) counting    (C) sharing    (D) subtraction

36. 9 − 4 = ____

(A) 5    (B) 13    (C) 4    (D) 6

37. 10 − 3 = ____

(A) 13    (B) 3    (C) 7    (D) 6

38. 8 − 8 = ____

(A) 16    (B) 8    (C) 1    (D) 0

39. 7 − 5 = ____

(A) 12    (B) 2    (C) 5    (D) 3

40. Tunde has 6 oranges. He eats 2. How many oranges are left?

(A) 4    (B) 8    (C) 6    (D) 3

Section B: Theory Questions (40 marks)

Answer any FOUR questions. Each question carries 10 marks.

1. (a) Write the numbers from 1 to 10 in figures. [5 marks]

(b) Write these numbers in words: (i) 2 (ii) 5 (iii) 7 (iv) 9 (v) 10 [5 marks]

2. (a) Fill in the missing numbers: 1, 2, __, 4, __, 6, __, 8, __, 10 [5 marks]

(b) Which number is bigger? (i) 3 or 7 (ii) 9 or 6 (iii) 2 or 0 (iv) 5 or 8 (v) 10 or 4 [5 marks]

3. (a) Add: (i) 2 + 3 (ii) 4 + 4 (iii) 5 + 1 (iv) 6 + 3 (v) 7 + 2 [5 marks]

(b) Take away: (i) 5 − 3 (ii) 8 − 4 (iii) 9 − 6 (iv) 10 − 5 (v) 6 − 0 [5 marks]

4. (a) Draw 4 balls and 3 balls. How many balls are there altogether? [5 marks]

(b) There are 8 birds on a tree. 3 birds fly away. How many birds are left? [5 marks]

5. Mama bought 5 oranges and 4 mangoes. (i) How many fruits did she buy altogether? (ii) If she eats 2 of the fruits, how many fruits will be left? [10 marks]

6. (a) Count backwards and write the numbers from 10 down to 1. (b) What does zero mean? Give ONE example. [10 marks]

Answer Key

Section A

1. C	2. C	3. D	4. A	5. B	6. B	7. C	8. C	9. D	10. C
11. A	12. B	13. C	14. D	15. B	16. B	17. B	18. D	19. A	20. B
21. C	22. B	23. D	24. A	25. D	26. D	27. A	28. A	29. C	30. B
31. C	32. D	33. A	34. A	35. D	36. A	37. C	38. D	39. B	40. A

Give ½ mark for each correct answer (20 marks).

Section B: Marking Guide

Question 1(a) [5 marks]

• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (5 marks; deduct for missing or wrong numbers)

Question 1(b) [5 marks]

• (i) two (ii) five (iii) seven (iv) nine (v) ten (1 mark each)

Question 2(a) [5 marks]

• 3, 5, 7, 9 (5 marks shared)

Question 2(b) [5 marks]

• (i) 7 (ii) 9 (iii) 2 (iv) 8 (v) 10 (1 mark each)

Question 3(a) [5 marks]

• (i) 5 (ii) 8 (iii) 6 (iv) 9 (v) 9 (1 mark each)

Question 3(b) [5 marks]

• (i) 2 (ii) 4 (iii) 3 (iv) 5 (v) 6 (1 mark each)

Question 4(a) [5 marks]

• Correct drawing of 4 and 3 balls (2)
• 7 balls (3)

Question 4(b) [5 marks]

• 8 − 3 (2)
• 5 birds (3)

Question 5 [10 marks]

• (i) 5 + 4 = 9 fruits (5)
• (ii) 9 − 2 = 7 fruits (5)

Question 6 [10 marks]

• (a) 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (5)
• (b) Zero means nothing or none (3); e.g. an empty plate has zero oranges (2)

Accept other correct answers written in the pupil’s own words.

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