Here are free Primary 3 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 3 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. What is the place value of 4 in 347?

(A) hundreds    (B) tens    (C) ones    (D) thousands

2. 5 hundreds, 2 tens and 8 ones make ____.

(A) 528    (B) 258    (C) 825    (D) 582

3. 609 in words is ____.

(A) sixty-nine    (B) six hundred and ninety    (C) sixty hundred and nine    (D) six hundred and nine

4. Four hundred and thirty-five in figures is ____.

(A) 453    (B) 345    (C) 4035    (D) 435

5. What is the value of 7 in 762?

(A) 7    (B) 700    (C) 70    (D) 76

6. The biggest three-digit number is ____.

(A) 100    (B) 900    (C) 999    (D) 990

7. Which sign makes this correct? 456 ___ 465

(A) >    (B) <    (C) =    (D) +

8. Which number is the greatest?

(A) 899    (B) 989    (C) 898    (D) 988

9. Arrange from smallest to biggest: 213, 132, 321

(A) 321, 213, 132    (B) 213, 132, 321    (C) 132, 213, 321    (D) 132, 321, 213

10. What comes next? 105, 110, 115, ____

(A) 116    (B) 125    (C) 130    (D) 120

11. Fill in the missing number: 300, 400, ____, 600

(A) 450    (B) 700    (C) 350    (D) 500

12. Which of these is true?

(A) 350 > 305    (B) 305 > 350    (C) 350 = 305    (D) 350 < 305

13. 47 rounded to the nearest ten is ____.

(A) 50    (B) 40    (C) 45    (D) 100

14. 362 rounded to the nearest hundred is ____.

(A) 300    (B) 400    (C) 360    (D) 370

15. 84 rounded to the nearest ten is ____.

(A) 90    (B) 80    (C) 85    (D) 100

16. What comes next? 250, 260, 270, ____

(A) 280    (B) 271    (C) 290    (D) 300

17. 615 rounded to the nearest ten is ____.

(A) 610    (B) 600    (C) 700    (D) 620

18. One half is written as ____.

(A) ¼    (B) ¾    (C) ⅓    (D) ½

19. A cake is cut into 4 equal parts. Each part is ____ of the cake.

(A) ¼    (B) ½    (C) ¾    (D) ⅓

20. ¾ means ____ out of 4 equal parts.

(A) 3    (B) 4    (C) 1    (D) 7

21. How many halves make a whole?

(A) 1    (B) 3    (C) 2    (D) 4

22. A shape has 2 equal parts and 1 part is shaded. What fraction is shaded?

(A) ½    (B) ¼    (C) ¾    (D) ⅓

23. How many quarters make a whole?

(A) 2    (B) 4    (C) 3    (D) 1

24. Which is bigger, ½ or ¼?

(A) ¼    (B) ½    (C) They are equal.    (D) We cannot tell.

25. ¼ + 2/4 = ____

(A) 3/8    (B) 2/4    (C) 1    (D) ¾

26. ¾ − ¼ = ____

(A) 2/4    (B) 1/4    (C) 4/4    (D) 3/8

27. 1/5 + 2/5 = ____

(A) 3/10    (B) 2/5    (C) 3/5    (D) 1/5

28. Which fraction is the smallest?

(A) ½    (B) 1/8    (C) ¼    (D) ⅓

29. 2/3 − 1/3 = ____

(A) 3/3    (B) 1/6    (C) 1/3    (D) 2/6

30. Ada has 12 sweets. She gives ½ of them to her brother. How many sweets does she give him?

(A) 4    (B) 6    (C) 12    (D) 3

31. What is ¼ of 8 oranges?

(A) 4    (B) 8    (C) 6    (D) 2

32. A loaf of bread is cut into 4 equal pieces. Tunde eats 1 piece. What fraction did he eat?

(A) ½    (B) ¾    (C) ¼    (D) 4/1

33. What is ½ of ₦100?

(A) ₦25    (B) ₦100    (C) ₦50    (D) ₦75

34. What is ¾ of 12?

(A) 9    (B) 3    (C) 6    (D) 12

35. A class has 20 pupils. ½ of them are girls. How many girls are there?

(A) 5    (B) 20    (C) 10    (D) 15

36. A number line from 0 to 1 is cut into 2 equal parts. The middle point is ____.

(A) ½    (B) ¼    (C) ¾    (D) 2

37. A number line from 0 to 1 is cut into 4 equal parts. The first mark after 0 is ____.

(A) ½    (B) ¾    (C) 1    (D) ¼

38. Which fraction is between 0 and ½ on a number line?

(A) ¾    (B) 1    (C) 2    (D) ¼

39. A circle is cut into 4 equal parts and 3 parts are shaded. The shaded part is ____.

(A) ¼    (B) ½    (C) ¾    (D) ⅓

40. A shape is cut into 3 equal parts and 1 part is shaded. The shaded part is ____.

(A) ½    (B) ¼    (C) ⅓    (D) ¾

Section B: Theory Questions (40 marks)

Answer any FOUR questions. Each question carries 10 marks.

1. (a) Write these numbers in words: (i) 384 (ii) 907 [5 marks]

(b) Write the place value of each digit in 652. [5 marks]

2. (a) Use <, > or = to fill the gaps: (i) 345 ___ 354 (ii) 800 ___ 799 (iii) 500 ___ 500 (iv) 129 ___ 192 (v) 670 ___ 607 [5 marks]

(b) Arrange these numbers from the smallest to the biggest: 421, 214, 142, 412 [5 marks]

3. (a) Round to the nearest ten: (i) 36 (ii) 91 (iii) 155 [5 marks]

(b) Round to the nearest hundred: (i) 280 (ii) 640 [5 marks]

4. (a) Draw a circle. Divide it into 4 equal parts and shade ¾ of it. [5 marks]

(b) Work out: (i) 1/6 + 3/6 (ii) 5/8 − 2/8 [5 marks]

5. Mama bought 20 oranges. She gave ½ of them to Bola and ¼ of them to Uche. (i) How many oranges did Bola get? (ii) How many did Uche get? (iii) How many oranges were left? [10 marks]

6. (a) Draw a number line from 0 to 1. Divide it into 4 equal parts and label ¼, ½ and ¾. (b) Which is bigger, ¾ or ¼? Explain your answer. [10 marks]

Answer Key

Section A

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

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

Section B: Marking Guide

Question 1(a) [5 marks]

• (i) three hundred and eighty-four (2.5)
• (ii) nine hundred and seven (2.5)

Question 1(b) [5 marks]

• 6 – hundreds (2)
• 5 – tens (1.5)
• 2 – ones (1.5)

Question 2(a) [5 marks]

• (i) < (ii) > (iii) = (iv) < (v) > (1 mark each)

Question 2(b) [5 marks]

• 142, 214, 412, 421 (5 marks for correct order)

Question 3(a) [5 marks]

• (i) 40 (ii) 90 (iii) 160 (5 marks shared)

Question 3(b) [5 marks]

• (i) 300 (2.5)
• (ii) 600 (2.5)

Question 4(a) [5 marks]

• Circle divided into 4 equal parts (2)
• 3 parts shaded (3)

Question 4(b) [5 marks]

• (i) 4/6 (2.5)
• (ii) 3/8 (2.5)

Question 5 [10 marks]

• (i) ½ of 20 = 10 (3)
• (ii) ¼ of 20 = 5 (3)
• (iii) 20 − 10 − 5 = 5 (4)

Question 6 [10 marks]

• (a) Number line with 4 equal parts (2); correct labels ¼, ½, ¾ (3)
• (b) ¾ is bigger (2); ¾ is 3 parts out of 4, but ¼ is only 1 part out of 4 (3)

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

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