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NECO SSCE practice questions

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Question 1Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

In the NECO SSCE Biology syllabus, which organelle is described as the site of aerobic respiration and ATP production in a eukaryotic cell?

  1. Mitochondrion Correct answer.
  2. Golgi apparatus
  3. Lysosome
  4. Ribosome

Explanation

The mitochondrion carries the enzymes of the Krebs cycle and the electron transport chain, so it generates most of the cell's ATP aerobically. Ribosomes build proteins, the Golgi modifies and packages them, and lysosomes digest material.

Question 2Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

A student crosses two heterozygous pea plants (Tt x Tt) for tallness, where T is dominant. What phenotypic ratio is expected among the offspring?

  1. 3 tall : 1 short Correct answer.
  2. 1 tall : 3 short
  3. 1 tall : 1 short
  4. All tall

Explanation

A Tt x Tt cross gives the genotypic ratio 1 TT : 2 Tt : 1 tt. Since both TT and Tt express the dominant tall trait, three-quarters of the offspring are tall and one-quarter short.

Question 3Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Which process in the nitrogen cycle converts atmospheric nitrogen gas into ammonia compounds usable by plants?

  1. Nitrification
  2. Denitrification
  3. Nitrogen fixation Correct answer.
  4. Ammonification

Explanation

Nitrogen fixation, carried out by bacteria such as Rhizobium and Azotobacter, reduces inert N2 gas to ammonia. Nitrification then oxidises ammonia to nitrites and nitrates, while denitrification returns nitrogen to the atmosphere.

Question 4Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

In a food chain, only about 10% of the energy at one trophic level is transferred to the next. Which statement best explains this loss?

  1. Energy is destroyed completely when organisms are eaten
  2. Predators convert all ingested energy into new body tissue
  3. Most energy is lost as heat through respiration and in excretory waste Correct answer.
  4. Energy is transferred in full but biomass is reduced

Explanation

At each trophic level energy is dissipated as heat during respiration and lost in undigested material and excretory products, so only a small fraction is built into new biomass. Energy is not destroyed but degraded, which is why food chains rarely exceed four or five links.

Question 5Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Which blood vessel carries oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart in the mammalian circulatory system?

  1. Pulmonary vein Correct answer.
  2. Pulmonary artery
  3. Aorta
  4. Vena cava

Explanation

The pulmonary vein returns oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium. It is the exception to the rule that veins carry deoxygenated blood, because the pulmonary circuit is reversed in this respect.

Question 6Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

A boy of mass 40 kg climbs a staircase of vertical height 5 m in 10 s. Taking g = 10 m/s², what is his average power output?

  1. 2000 W
  2. 200 W Correct answer.
  3. 80 W
  4. 20 W

Explanation

Work done against gravity is mgh = 40 × 10 × 5 = 2000 J. Power is work divided by time, so 2000 J ÷ 10 s = 200 W.

Question 7Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Which of the following is a vector quantity in NECO SSCE Physics?

  1. Temperature
  2. Speed
  3. Displacement Correct answer.
  4. Mass

Explanation

A vector has both magnitude and direction, and displacement is the straight-line distance in a stated direction. Speed, mass and temperature are scalars with magnitude only.

Question 8Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

A ray of light strikes a plane mirror at an angle of 30° to the mirror surface. What is the angle of reflection?

  1. 30°
  2. 60° Correct answer.
  3. 90°
  4. 120°

Explanation

Angles in reflection are measured from the normal, not from the mirror surface. If the incident ray makes 30° with the surface, it makes 60° with the normal, and the angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence, so it is 60°.

Question 9Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Which of these is the correct SI unit of electrical resistance?

  1. Coulomb
  2. Ampere
  3. Ohm Correct answer.
  4. Volt

Explanation

Resistance is measured in ohms, defined as one volt per ampere. The volt measures potential difference, the ampere current, and the coulomb charge.

Question 10Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Which gas is the most abundant in the Earth's lower atmosphere?

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

Explanation

Nitrogen makes up roughly 78% of the troposphere by volume, with oxygen at about 21%. Carbon dioxide and argon are present only in small trace amounts.

Question 11Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Which of the following is a renewable source of energy?

  1. Wind Correct answer.
  2. Crude oil
  3. Natural gas
  4. Coal

Explanation

Wind is replenished continuously by solar-driven atmospheric circulation, so it is renewable. Coal, natural gas and crude oil are fossil fuels formed over millions of years and are finite.

Question 12Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Which of these is a noble gas with a stable duplet or octet electron configuration?

  1. Oxygen
  2. Neon Correct answer.
  3. Sodium
  4. Chlorine

Explanation

Neon belongs to Group 0 of the periodic table, and its atoms have a complete outer shell of eight electrons, which makes them chemically unreactive. Sodium, chlorine and oxygen all have incomplete outer shells and readily form bonds.

Question 13Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

In an acid-base titration, 25 cm³ of 0.1 mol/dm³ sodium hydroxide is neutralised exactly by 20 cm³ of hydrochloric acid. What is the concentration of the acid?

  1. 0.200 mol/dm³
  2. 0.08 mol/dm³
  3. 0.100 mol/dm³
  4. 0.125 mol/dm³ Correct answer.

Explanation

For a 1:1 reaction, moles of NaOH = 0.1 × 25/1000 = 0.0025 mol, which equals the moles of HCl. Dividing 0.0025 mol by 20/1000 dm³ gives 0.125 mol/dm³.

Question 14Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Which type of chemical bond involves the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions?

  1. Ionic bond Correct answer.
  2. Covalent bond
  3. Metallic bond
  4. Hydrogen bond

Explanation

An ionic bond forms when one atom transfers electrons to another, producing a cation and an anion that attract electrostatically. Covalent bonds share electrons, and metallic bonds involve delocalised electrons around positive ions.

Question 15Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Which of the following is the correct IUPAC name for the compound CH3CH2CH2OH?

  1. Propan-1-ol Correct answer.
  2. Propanoic acid
  3. Propanal
  4. Propan-2-ol

Explanation

The chain has three carbon atoms, giving the stem 'prop', and the hydroxyl group is on the first carbon, so the name is propan-1-ol. Propan-2-ol has the OH on the middle carbon, while propanal and propanoic acid contain a carbonyl group instead.

Question 16Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Which equation correctly represents the reaction of dilute hydrochloric acid with magnesium?

  1. Mg + 2HCl → MgCl2 + H2 Correct answer.
  2. Mg + 2HCl → MgCl2 + 2H2
  3. Mg + HCl → MgCl2 + H2
  4. Mg + HCl → MgCl + H

Explanation

Magnesium displaces hydrogen from the acid, forming magnesium chloride and hydrogen gas. Balancing requires two HCl molecules to supply two chlorine atoms and two hydrogen atoms for one H2 molecule.

Question 17Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Evaluate: simplify the expression (2x + 3)(x - 4).

  1. 2x² - 11x - 12
  2. 2x² + 5x - 12
  3. 2x² - 8x - 12
  4. 2x² - 5x - 12 Correct answer.

Explanation

Expanding gives 2x·x + 2x·(-4) + 3·x + 3·(-4) = 2x² - 8x + 3x - 12, which simplifies to 2x² - 5x - 12. The middle terms combine because -8x and +3x are like terms.

Question 18Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

A fair die is rolled once. What is the probability of obtaining a prime number?

  1. 2/3
  2. 1/2 Correct answer.
  3. 1/3
  4. 1/6

Explanation

The prime outcomes on a die are 2, 3 and 5, three out of six equally likely faces. The probability is therefore 3/6, which simplifies to 1/2.

Question 19Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

The angles of a triangle are in the ratio 2:3:4. What is the size of the largest angle?

  1. 100°
  2. 40°
  3. 60°
  4. 80° Correct answer.

Explanation

The angles sum to 180°, and the ratio has 2 + 3 + 4 = 9 parts, so each part is 180° ÷ 9 = 20°. The largest angle is 4 × 20° = 80°.

Question 20Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Find the gradient of the straight line passing through the points (2, 3) and (6, 11).

  1. 2 Correct answer.
  2. 8
  3. 1/2
  4. 4

Explanation

Gradient equals the change in y divided by the change in x: (11 - 3)/(6 - 2) = 8/4 = 2. The line rises two units for every one unit to the right.

Question 21Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Which figure of speech is used in the expression 'The classroom was a zoo'?

  1. Metaphor Correct answer.
  2. Personification
  3. Hyperbole
  4. Simile

Explanation

A metaphor states that one thing is another to suggest a resemblance, without using 'like' or 'as'. Here the classroom is directly described as a zoo to convey disorder.

Question 22Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

In the sentence 'The committee has reached its decision', why is the verb 'has' singular?

  1. Because 'its' requires a plural verb
  2. Because the sentence is in the passive voice
  3. Because 'decision' is a singular noun
  4. Because 'committee' is treated as a single collective unit Correct answer.

Explanation

A collective noun such as 'committee' takes a singular verb when the group acts as one body. When members act individually, a plural verb can be used, as in 'The committee have disagreed among themselves'.

Question 23Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: 'Neither the teacher nor the students ___ arrived.'

  1. have Correct answer.
  2. is
  3. was
  4. has

Explanation

With 'neither ... nor', the verb agrees with the subject nearest to it, which is the plural 'students', so 'have' is required. The singular 'teacher' would govern the verb only if it were the nearer subject.

Question 24Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

In the passage, the writer describes the marketplace as 'a sea of shouting traders'. The underlined expression is best described as:

  1. An irony meaning the market was quiet
  2. A metaphor suggesting a vast, noisy crowd Correct answer.
  3. A simile comparing traders to water
  4. A hyperbole with no figurative meaning

Explanation

Calling the market 'a sea' is a metaphor: it transfers the qualities of a sea, namely vastness and movement, onto the crowd without using 'like' or 'as'. The image conveys both the size and the noise of the scene.

Question 25Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

A student writes: 'The results of the experiment was inconclusive.' Which correction makes the sentence grammatically correct?

  1. Change 'inconclusive' to 'inconclusively'
  2. Change 'experiment' to 'experiments'
  3. Change 'was' to 'were' Correct answer.
  4. Change 'results' to 'result'

Explanation

The subject of the sentence is the plural noun 'results', not the singular 'experiment' in the prepositional phrase. The verb must therefore be plural: 'The results ... were inconclusive'.

Question 26Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

In the NECO SSCE Biology syllabus, the structure that controls the movement of substances into and out of a living cell is the

  1. cell membrane Correct answer.
  2. nucleus
  3. vacuole
  4. cytoplasm

Explanation

The cell membrane is a partially permeable barrier that regulates which substances enter or leave the cell. The nucleus directs activities, the vacuole stores sap, and the cytoplasm is the site of many reactions, so none of these performs the selective gatekeeping role.

Question 27Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

A food chain in a Nigerian savanna is: grass → grasshopper → lizard → hawk. Which trophic level does the lizard occupy?

  1. Primary consumer
  2. Producer
  3. Secondary consumer Correct answer.
  4. Decomposer

Explanation

The grass is the producer, the grasshopper is the primary consumer, and the lizard that eats the grasshopper is the secondary consumer. The hawk then becomes the tertiary consumer at the top of this chain.

Question 28Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Which process in the mammalian kidney is responsible for the reabsorption of glucose from the filtrate back into the blood?

  1. Osmoregulation in the collecting duct
  2. Selective reabsorption in the proximal tubule Correct answer.
  3. Tubular secretion in the distal tubule
  4. Ultrafiltration in the glomerulus

Explanation

Glucose is reabsorbed by active transport and diffusion along the proximal convoluted tubule. Ultrafiltration forces small molecules into the capsule, while the collecting duct mainly adjusts water reabsorption under ADH control.

Question 29Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Two heterozygous tall pea plants (Tt) are crossed. Assuming complete dominance, what fraction of the offspring is expected to be short?

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

Explanation

A Tt × Tt cross gives the genotypic ratio 1 TT : 2 Tt : 1 tt. Only the tt genotype is short, so one quarter of the offspring are expected to be short.

Question 30Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

A student places a piece of onion epidermis in a concentrated sugar solution. The cells become flaccid and the protoplast pulls away from the cell wall. This observation demonstrates

  1. osmosis leading to plasmolysis Correct answer.
  2. hydrolysis of the cell wall
  3. diffusion of sugar into the cells
  4. active transport of water out of the cells

Explanation

Water leaves the vacuole by osmosis into the more concentrated external solution, so the protoplast shrinks away from the wall, a condition called plasmolysis. The movement is passive and driven by the water potential gradient.

Question 31Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Which of the following features distinguishes mammals from all other vertebrate classes?

  1. Warm-bloodedness
  2. Presence of a backbone
  3. Laying of eggs
  4. Mammary glands that secrete milk Correct answer.

Explanation

Mammary glands are unique to mammals and are used to suckle the young. A backbone occurs in all vertebrates, warm-bloodedness is shared with birds, and egg-laying also occurs in reptiles and birds.

Question 32Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

In an experiment, a potted plant is kept in darkness for 48 hours before a leaf is tested with iodine solution. The leaf fails to turn blue-black. The most likely reason is that

  1. the iodine solution was too dilute
  2. no starch was formed because light was absent Correct answer.
  3. the plant had absorbed too much water
  4. the leaf had lost all its chlorophyll

Explanation

Photosynthesis requires light to produce glucose, which is later stored as starch. In darkness no starch is made, so iodine gives a negative result. The pre-darkness treatment is designed to destarch the leaf so that any new starch must come from the test period.

Question 33Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Which of the following is the correct sequence of events during the transmission of an impulse across a synapse?

  1. Receptor stimulation → diffusion across cleft → neurotransmitter release → impulse in presynaptic neurone
  2. Impulse in presynaptic neurone → neurotransmitter release → diffusion across cleft → receptor stimulation Correct answer.
  3. Neurotransmitter release → impulse in presynaptic neurone → diffusion across cleft → receptor stimulation
  4. Diffusion across cleft → impulse in presynaptic neurone → receptor stimulation → neurotransmitter release

Explanation

An action potential arriving at the presynaptic knob triggers the release of neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft. The transmitter diffuses across the gap and binds to receptors on the postsynaptic membrane, generating a new impulse.

Question 34Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

A solution of common salt is prepared by dissolving 5.85 g of sodium chloride in water and making the volume up to 500 cm³. What is the concentration of the solution in mol/dm³? (Na = 23, Cl = 35.5)

  1. 0.50 mol/dm³
  2. 0.10 mol/dm³
  3. 1.00 mol/dm³
  4. 0.20 mol/dm³ Correct answer.

Explanation

The molar mass of NaCl is 58.5 g/mol, so 5.85 g is 0.10 mol. This amount is in 0.500 dm³, giving 0.10 ÷ 0.500 = 0.20 mol/dm³.

Question 35Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Which of the following oxides dissolves in water to give an alkaline solution?

  1. Nitrogen(II) oxide
  2. Carbon(IV) oxide
  3. Sulphur(IV) oxide
  4. Sodium oxide Correct answer.

Explanation

Sodium oxide is a basic oxide of a metal and reacts with water to form sodium hydroxide, an alkali. The other oxides listed are non-metallic and either acidic or neutral.

Question 36Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

In the reaction Zn(s) + CuSO₄(aq) → ZnSO₄(aq) + Cu(s), which species is oxidised?

  1. Copper(II) ion
  2. Sulphate ion
  3. Zinc Correct answer.
  4. Water

Explanation

Zinc loses two electrons to become Zn²⁺, so its oxidation number rises from 0 to +2 and it is oxidised. Copper(II) ions gain those electrons and are reduced to copper metal.

Question 37Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Which of the following is the correct structural formula of ethanoic acid?

  1. CH₃COCH₃
  2. CH₃CHO
  3. CH₃COOH Correct answer.
  4. CH₃CH₂OH

Explanation

Ethanoic acid contains a carboxyl group, –COOH, attached to a methyl group, giving CH₃COOH. The other formulas represent ethanol, ethanal and propanone respectively.

Question 38Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Chlorine gas is passed into a solution of potassium bromide. The solution turns brown because

  1. chlorine dissolves to give a brown solution
  2. potassium reacts with chlorine to form a brown compound
  3. chlorine is more electronegative and displaces bromine Correct answer.
  4. bromine is more reactive than chlorine

Explanation

Chlorine is higher than bromine in the halogen reactivity series, so it oxidises bromide ions to bromine, which colours the solution brown. The reaction is Cl₂ + 2KBr → 2KCl + Br₂.

Question 39Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

A gas occupies 300 cm³ at 27 °C and 700 mmHg. What volume will it occupy at 27 °C and 350 mmHg, assuming ideal behaviour?

  1. 150 cm³
  2. 600 cm³ Correct answer.
  3. 1200 cm³
  4. 300 cm³

Explanation

At constant temperature, Boyle's law gives P₁V₁ = P₂V₂. Halving the pressure from 700 to 350 mmHg doubles the volume, so 300 cm³ becomes 600 cm³.

Question 40Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Which of the following statements about the electrolysis of dilute sulphuric acid using platinum electrodes is correct?

  1. Sulphur is deposited at the cathode
  2. No gas is evolved at either electrode
  3. Hydrogen is liberated at the cathode and oxygen at the anode Correct answer.
  4. Oxygen is liberated at the cathode and hydrogen at the anode

Explanation

Hydrogen ions are discharged at the cathode because they gain electrons, while hydroxide ions are discharged at the anode to release oxygen. The sulphate ion is not discharged under these conditions.

Question 41Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

A body moves 6 m due north and then 8 m due east. What is the magnitude of its displacement from the starting point?

  1. 48 m
  2. 10 m Correct answer.
  3. 14 m
  4. 2 m

Explanation

The two displacements are perpendicular, so the resultant is found using Pythagoras' theorem: √(6² + 8²) = √100 = 10 m. Displacement measures the straight-line distance from start to finish.

Question 42Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

A car accelerates uniformly from rest to 20 m/s in 8 s. What distance does it cover during this time?

  1. 40 m
  2. 80 m Correct answer.
  3. 20 m
  4. 160 m

Explanation

Using s = ½(u + v)t with u = 0, v = 20 m/s and t = 8 s gives s = ½ × 20 × 8 = 80 m. The average velocity is 10 m/s over 8 s.

Question 43Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

A force of 40 N acts on a body of mass 5 kg for 4 s. What is the change in momentum of the body?

  1. 800 kg m/s
  2. 160 kg m/s Correct answer.
  3. 32 kg m/s
  4. 10 kg m/s

Explanation

Impulse equals change in momentum, and impulse is force × time. Thus 40 N × 4 s = 160 kg m/s.

Question 44Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

A machine raises a load of 400 N through a height of 3 m using an effort of 150 N applied over a distance of 10 m. What is the efficiency of the machine?

  1. 40%
  2. 125%
  3. 60%
  4. 80% Correct answer.

Explanation

Useful work output is 400 × 3 = 1200 J, and work input is 150 × 10 = 1500 J. Efficiency is (1200 ÷ 1500) × 100 = 80%.

Question 45Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

Which of the following correctly explains why a metal rod feels colder to the touch than a wooden rod kept in the same room?

  1. The wood has a higher specific heat capacity than the metal
  2. The metal radiates heat more slowly than the wood
  3. The metal conducts heat away from the hand faster Correct answer.
  4. The metal is at a lower temperature than the wood

Explanation

Both rods are at room temperature, but metal is a better thermal conductor, so it draws heat from the skin rapidly and produces a stronger sensation of cold. The actual temperatures are the same.

Question 46Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

An object is placed 30 cm from a converging lens of focal length 10 cm. Where is the image formed?

  1. 15 cm on the opposite side of the lens Correct answer.
  2. 20 cm on the opposite side of the lens
  3. 30 cm on the same side as the object
  4. 15 cm on the same side as the object

Explanation

Using 1/f = 1/u + 1/v with f = 10 cm and u = 30 cm gives 1/v = 1/10 − 1/30 = 1/15, so v = 15 cm. A real image forms on the opposite side of the lens.

Question 47Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

A radioactive nuclide has a half-life of 6 days. What fraction of the original sample remains after 24 days?

  1. 1/8
  2. 1/4
  3. 1/16 Correct answer.
  4. 1/2

Explanation

Twenty-four days is four half-lives (24 ÷ 6 = 4). The fraction remaining is (1/2)⁴ = 1/16 of the original amount.

Question 48Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

A current of 2 A flows through a resistor of resistance 5 Ω for 3 minutes. How much heat energy is produced?

  1. 1800 J Correct answer.
  2. 30 J
  3. 180 J
  4. 3600 J

Explanation

The time in seconds is 3 × 60 = 180 s. Using H = I²Rt gives H = 2² × 5 × 180 = 1800 J.

Question 49Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

The following data were recorded for a simple pendulum: length 100 cm gave 20 oscillations in 40 s. What is the period of the pendulum?

  1. 20 s
  2. 2.0 s Correct answer.
  3. 0.5 s
  4. 4.0 s

Explanation

The period is the time for one complete oscillation, found by dividing total time by the number of oscillations: 40 s ÷ 20 = 2.0 s.

Question 50Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE)

A body of mass 2 kg moving at 6 m/s collides with a stationary body of mass 4 kg and they move together after impact. What is their common velocity?

  1. 3 m/s
  2. 6 m/s
  3. 2 m/s Correct answer.
  4. 1 m/s

Explanation

By conservation of momentum, 2 × 6 = (2 + 4) × v, so 12 = 6v and v = 2 m/s. Momentum is conserved in the perfectly inelastic collision.