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NGSA - independent subject foundations study materials
NGSA - independent subject foundations study resources

NGSA - independent subject foundations practice questions

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Question 1Grade6 number, proportional reasoning, measurement and data

In the number 47,352, what is the place value of the digit 7?

  1. 700
  2. 7,000 Correct answer.
  3. 70,000
  4. 70

Explanation

In 47,352 the digit 7 is in the thousands place, so its value is 7,000. Place value is found by multiplying the digit by the value of its column.

Question 2Grade6 number, proportional reasoning, measurement and data

What is 3,648 + 2,575?

  1. 6,223 Correct answer.
  2. 6,123
  3. 5,223
  4. 6,213

Explanation

Adding 3,648 and 2,575 gives 6,223. Add the ones (8+5=13, carry 1), tens (4+7+1=12, carry 1), hundreds (6+5+1=12, carry 1) and thousands (3+2+1=6).

Question 3Grade6 number, proportional reasoning, measurement and data

A shopkeeper had 5,000 mangoes. He sold 2,365 of them. How many mangoes are left?

  1. 2,635 Correct answer.
  2. 2,735
  3. 3,635
  4. 2,645

Explanation

Subtracting 2,365 from 5,000 leaves 2,635. Regroup across the zeros: 5,000 − 2,365 = 2,635.

Question 4Grade6 number, proportional reasoning, measurement and data

What is 24 × 15?

  1. 360 Correct answer.
  2. 340
  3. 240
  4. 380

Explanation

24 × 15 = 24 × 10 + 24 × 5 = 240 + 120 = 360.

Question 5Grade6 number, proportional reasoning, measurement and data

Which of these numbers is a factor of 36?

  1. 9 Correct answer.
  2. 7
  3. 8
  4. 5

Explanation

9 divides 36 exactly (36 ÷ 9 = 4), so 9 is a factor of 36.

Question 6Grade6 number, proportional reasoning, measurement and data

What is the smallest prime number?

  1. 2 Correct answer.
  2. 1
  3. 3
  4. 0

Explanation

A prime number has exactly two different factors: 1 and itself. The smallest prime is 2.

Question 7Grade6 number, proportional reasoning, measurement and data

What is 3/4 of 60?

  1. 45 Correct answer.
  2. 40
  3. 20
  4. 48

Explanation

Find 1/4 of 60 (which is 15), then multiply by 3: 3 × 15 = 45.

Question 8Grade6 number, proportional reasoning, measurement and data

There are 3 boys for every 2 girls in a class. If there are 12 boys, how many girls are there?

  1. 8 Correct answer.
  2. 6
  3. 10
  4. 18

Explanation

The ratio of boys to girls is 3:2. Since 12 boys is 4 groups of 3, there are 4 groups of 2 girls = 8 girls.

Question 9Grade6 number, proportional reasoning, measurement and data

How many centimetres are there in 2.5 metres?

  1. 250 Correct answer.
  2. 25
  3. 2,500
  4. 205

Explanation

1 metre = 100 centimetres, so 2.5 metres = 2.5 × 100 = 250 centimetres.

Question 10Grade6 number, proportional reasoning, measurement and data

A rectangle is 8 cm long and 5 cm wide. What is its perimeter?

  1. 26 cm Correct answer.
  2. 40 cm
  3. 13 cm
  4. 30 cm

Explanation

Perimeter = 2 × (length + width) = 2 × (8 + 5) = 2 × 13 = 26 cm.

Question 11Grade6 number, proportional reasoning, measurement and data

What is the area of a square with sides of 7 cm?

  1. 49 cm² Correct answer.
  2. 28 cm²
  3. 14 cm²
  4. 21 cm²

Explanation

Area of a square = side × side = 7 × 7 = 49 cm².

Question 12Grade6 number, proportional reasoning, measurement and data

How many degrees are there in a right angle?

  1. 90 Correct answer.
  2. 180
  3. 45
  4. 360

Explanation

A right angle measures exactly 90 degrees and looks like the corner of a square.

Question 13Grade6 number, proportional reasoning, measurement and data

A triangle has angles of 60° and 80°. What is the size of the third angle?

  1. 40° Correct answer.
  2. 50°
  3. 30°
  4. 140°

Explanation

The angles in a triangle add up to 180°. So the third angle is 180 − 60 − 80 = 40°.

Question 14Grade6 number, proportional reasoning, measurement and data

A film starts at 6:45 p.m. and lasts 1 hour 40 minutes. At what time does it end?

  1. 8:25 p.m. Correct answer.
  2. 8:15 p.m.
  3. 7:25 p.m.
  4. 8:35 p.m.

Explanation

From 6:45 p.m., 1 hour reaches 7:45 p.m., and 40 more minutes reaches 8:25 p.m.

Question 15Grade6 number, proportional reasoning, measurement and data

What is the average (mean) of 12, 18, 9 and 21?

  1. 15 Correct answer.
  2. 16
  3. 14
  4. 18

Explanation

Add the numbers: 12 + 18 + 9 + 21 = 60. Divide by how many there are: 60 ÷ 4 = 15.

Question 16Grade6 number, proportional reasoning, measurement and data

Round 4,768 to the nearest hundred.

  1. 4,800 Correct answer.
  2. 4,700
  3. 4,770
  4. 5,000

Explanation

The tens digit is 6, which is 5 or more, so round the hundreds up: 4,768 becomes 4,800.

Question 17Grade6 number, proportional reasoning, measurement and data

A water tank holds 3 litres 500 millilitres. How many millilitres is this?

  1. 3,500 mL Correct answer.
  2. 350 mL
  3. 3,050 mL
  4. 30,500 mL

Explanation

1 litre = 1,000 mL, so 3 litres = 3,000 mL. Adding 500 mL gives 3,500 mL.

Question 18Grade6 number, proportional reasoning, measurement and data

A bus travels 240 km in 4 hours at a steady speed. How far does it travel in 1 hour?

  1. 60 km Correct answer.
  2. 80 km
  3. 40 km
  4. 120 km

Explanation

Distance in one hour is 240 ÷ 4 = 60 km. This is the bus's speed.

Question 19Grade6 number, proportional reasoning, measurement and data

Devi buys 3 books at $850 each and pays with a $5,000 note. How much change does she receive?

  1. $2,450 Correct answer.
  2. $2,550
  3. $1,450
  4. $4,150

Explanation

Three books cost 3 × $850 = $2,550. Change is $5,000 − $2,550 = $2,450.

Question 20English language, reading and meaningful grammar

Read: 'Although the rain poured all afternoon, the children kept playing football in the muddy field.' What does the word 'Although' tell us?

  1. Two ideas contrast Correct answer.
  2. One idea causes another
  3. Two events happen at once
  4. An idea is repeated

Explanation

'Although' is a contrasting connective. It shows that despite the rain (one idea), the children still played (a contrasting idea).

Question 21English language, reading and meaningful grammar

Read: 'The market in Bourda was crowded. Vendors called out prices while shoppers squeezed past baskets of pepper and plantain.' Which word best describes the market?

  1. Busy Correct answer.
  2. Quiet
  3. Empty
  4. Closed

Explanation

The passage describes a crowd, calling vendors and squeezing shoppers, all of which show the market was busy.

Question 22English language, reading and meaningful grammar

Choose the word that is a noun in this sentence: 'The brave girl quickly climbed the tall tree.'

  1. tree Correct answer.
  2. brave
  3. quickly
  4. climbed

Explanation

A noun names a person, place, animal or thing. 'Tree' names a thing, so it is the noun.

Question 23English language, reading and meaningful grammar

Which sentence uses the correct verb form? 'The boys ___ to school every morning.'

  1. walk Correct answer.
  2. walks
  3. walking
  4. walked yesterday

Explanation

The subject 'boys' is plural, so the verb takes no -s: 'The boys walk to school every morning.'

Question 24English language, reading and meaningful grammar

What is the plural of 'leaf'?

  1. leaves Correct answer.
  2. leafs
  3. leafes
  4. leave

Explanation

Many nouns ending in -f change the f to v and add -es. 'Leaf' becomes 'leaves'.

Question 25English language, reading and meaningful grammar

Choose the word that means the OPPOSITE of 'ancient'.

  1. modern Correct answer.
  2. old
  3. broken
  4. huge

Explanation

'Ancient' means very old. Its opposite (antonym) is 'modern', meaning new or of the present time.

Question 26English language, reading and meaningful grammar

Which word correctly completes the sentence? 'She has ___ apple in her bag.'

  1. an Correct answer.
  2. a
  3. the
  4. some

Explanation

Use 'an' before a word that begins with a vowel sound. 'Apple' begins with a vowel sound, so 'an apple' is correct.

Question 27English language, reading and meaningful grammar

Choose the correct word: 'The dog wagged ___ tail happily.'

  1. its Correct answer.
  2. it's
  3. its'
  4. it is

Explanation

'Its' shows possession (the tail belonging to the dog). 'It's' means 'it is', which would not make sense here.

Question 28English language, reading and meaningful grammar

Read: 'The waves crashed like thunder against the rocks.' What kind of figurative language is used?

  1. Simile Correct answer.
  2. Metaphor
  3. Rhyme
  4. Alliteration

Explanation

A simile compares two things using 'like' or 'as'. Here the waves are compared to thunder using 'like'.

Question 29English language, reading and meaningful grammar

In the sentence 'Ravi ran swiftly to catch the bus,' which word is an adverb?

  1. swiftly Correct answer.
  2. Ravi
  3. bus
  4. catch

Explanation

An adverb tells how, when or where an action happens. 'Swiftly' tells how Ravi ran, so it is the adverb.

Question 30English language, reading and meaningful grammar

Choose the sentence written in the correct order.

  1. The teacher gave the pupils a test. Correct answer.
  2. Gave the teacher a test the pupils.
  3. A test the pupils gave teacher the.
  4. The pupils a test gave teacher.

Explanation

A clear sentence usually follows subject–verb–object order: 'The teacher (subject) gave (verb) the pupils a test (object).'

Question 31English language, reading and meaningful grammar

Read: 'Despite feeling nervous, Anita walked onto the stage and began to sing clearly.' How did Anita most likely feel inside?

  1. Worried but determined Correct answer.
  2. Bored and sleepy
  3. Angry and upset
  4. Careless and lazy

Explanation

She felt nervous (worried) but still went on stage and sang clearly, showing determination. This is an inference from her actions.

Question 32English language, reading and meaningful grammar

Which word is a pronoun in this sentence: 'They visited their grandmother on Sunday.'

  1. They Correct answer.
  2. visited
  3. grandmother
  4. Sunday

Explanation

A pronoun takes the place of a noun. 'They' stands in for the people who visited, so it is the pronoun.

Question 33English language, reading and meaningful grammar

Read: 'The little stream chuckled as it ran over the stones.' This sentence gives the stream a human quality. What is this technique called?

  1. Personification Correct answer.
  2. Simile
  3. Exaggeration
  4. Rhyme

Explanation

Personification gives human qualities to non-human things. A stream cannot really 'chuckle', so the writer is personifying it.

Question 34English language, reading and meaningful grammar

Choose the correctly joined sentence: 'It was raining. We stayed inside.'

  1. It was raining, so we stayed inside. Correct answer.
  2. It was raining so, we stayed inside.
  3. It was raining we stayed, inside.
  4. It, was raining so we stayed inside.

Explanation

The two ideas are linked by cause and effect using 'so', with a comma before it: 'It was raining, so we stayed inside.'

Question 35English language, reading and meaningful grammar

What is the main idea of this paragraph? 'Bees are very important. They carry pollen from flower to flower. This helps plants make seeds and fruit. Without bees, many crops would fail.'

  1. Bees help plants grow by spreading pollen Correct answer.
  2. Bees can sting people
  3. Flowers come in many colours
  4. Fruit tastes sweet

Explanation

The paragraph is about why bees are important: they spread pollen so plants can make seeds and fruit. That is the main idea.

Question 36English language, reading and meaningful grammar

Choose the correct order for these words in alphabetical order: pencil, paper, pen, plant.

  1. paper, pen, pencil, plant Correct answer.
  2. pen, pencil, paper, plant
  3. plant, paper, pen, pencil
  4. paper, pencil, pen, plant

Explanation

All start with 'p', so look at the second letter: 'a' (paper) comes before 'e' (pen, pencil), then 'l' (plant). Between pen and pencil, 'pen' comes first because it is shorter and matches up to that point.

Question 37Primary science: living systems, matter, energy, Earth and evidence

Which part of a plant takes in water and minerals from the soil?

  1. Roots Correct answer.
  2. Leaves
  3. Flowers
  4. Petals

Explanation

The roots absorb water and minerals from the soil and anchor the plant in the ground.

Question 38Primary science: living systems, matter, energy, Earth and evidence

What gas do green plants take in from the air to make food during photosynthesis?

  1. Carbon dioxide Correct answer.
  2. Oxygen
  3. Nitrogen
  4. Hydrogen

Explanation

During photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide and use sunlight to make food, giving out oxygen.

Question 39Primary science: living systems, matter, energy, Earth and evidence

Which organ pumps blood around the human body?

  1. Heart Correct answer.
  2. Lungs
  3. Stomach
  4. Brain

Explanation

The heart is a muscle that pumps blood through blood vessels to all parts of the body.

Question 40Primary science: living systems, matter, energy, Earth and evidence

Which of these is a function of the skeleton in the human body?

  1. It supports and protects the body Correct answer.
  2. It digests food
  3. It pumps blood
  4. It removes waste as urine

Explanation

The skeleton supports the body, gives it shape and protects organs such as the brain and heart.

Question 41Primary science: living systems, matter, energy, Earth and evidence

Which group of living things make their own food?

  1. Plants Correct answer.
  2. Mammals
  3. Birds
  4. Fish

Explanation

Green plants make their own food through photosynthesis. Animals must eat plants or other animals.

Question 42Primary science: living systems, matter, energy, Earth and evidence

A tadpole turning into a frog is an example of what process?

  1. Metamorphosis Correct answer.
  2. Photosynthesis
  3. Evaporation
  4. Pollination

Explanation

Metamorphosis is a change in body form during an animal's life cycle, such as a tadpole becoming a frog.

Question 43Primary science: living systems, matter, energy, Earth and evidence

Which of these is a state of matter?

  1. Liquid Correct answer.
  2. Energy
  3. Heat
  4. Sound

Explanation

The three common states of matter are solid, liquid and gas. Liquid is one of them.

Question 44Primary science: living systems, matter, energy, Earth and evidence

What happens to water when it is heated to its boiling point?

  1. It changes into water vapour (gas) Correct answer.
  2. It changes into ice
  3. It becomes a solid
  4. It disappears completely

Explanation

When water reaches its boiling point it turns into water vapour, a gas. This change is called evaporation or boiling.

Question 45Primary science: living systems, matter, energy, Earth and evidence

Which of these materials allows electricity to pass through it easily?

  1. Copper Correct answer.
  2. Rubber
  3. Plastic
  4. Wood

Explanation

Copper is a metal and a good conductor, so electricity passes through it easily. That is why wires are made of copper.

Question 46Primary science: living systems, matter, energy, Earth and evidence

What is needed for a simple electric circuit to make a bulb light up?

  1. A complete (closed) path for the current Correct answer.
  2. Only a switch with no wires
  3. Only a bulb on its own
  4. An open gap in the circuit

Explanation

A bulb lights only when there is a complete, closed circuit so that current can flow from the cell, through the bulb and back.

Question 47Primary science: living systems, matter, energy, Earth and evidence

Which force pulls objects toward the centre of the Earth?

  1. Gravity Correct answer.
  2. Friction
  3. Magnetism
  4. Push

Explanation

Gravity is the force that pulls objects toward the Earth, which is why things fall when dropped.

Question 48Primary science: living systems, matter, energy, Earth and evidence

Which of these is a renewable source of energy?

  1. Sunlight Correct answer.
  2. Coal
  3. Petrol
  4. Natural gas

Explanation

Sunlight is renewable because it is always available and will not run out. Coal, petrol and gas are non-renewable fuels.

Question 49Primary science: living systems, matter, energy, Earth and evidence

A magnet will attract which of these objects?

  1. An iron nail Correct answer.
  2. A plastic spoon
  3. A glass marble
  4. A wooden block

Explanation

Magnets attract magnetic materials such as iron. An iron nail will be pulled toward a magnet.

Question 50Primary science: living systems, matter, energy, Earth and evidence

Which of these best describes the water cycle?

  1. Water evaporates, condenses into clouds, and falls as rain Correct answer.
  2. Water is made by plants in their leaves
  3. Water comes only from underground and never returns
  4. Water turns into soil over time

Explanation

In the water cycle, the sun evaporates water, the vapour condenses to form clouds, and water falls back as rain or other precipitation.