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Post-UTME practice questions

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Question 1Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The committee, after long deliberation, ______ agreed to postpone the hearing until the witness is available.

  1. had have
  2. having
  3. have
  4. has Correct answer.

Explanation

A collective noun such as 'committee' is treated as singular when it acts as one body, so the singular verb 'has' is required. The interrupting phrase 'after long deliberation' does not change the subject's number.

Question 2Use of English

In the sentence 'The lecturer whom the students admired retired last term', the function of 'whom' is that of:

  1. object of a preposition
  2. object of the verb 'admired' Correct answer.
  3. possessive determiner
  4. subject of the relative clause

Explanation

'Whom' introduces the relative clause and receives the action of 'admired', which is why the objective form is used rather than 'who'. The students are the subject of 'admired'.

Question 3Use of English

Which word is closest in meaning to 'meticulous' as used in 'She kept meticulous records of every transaction'?

  1. sporadic
  2. reluctant
  3. scrupulous Correct answer.
  4. hurried

Explanation

'Meticulous' describes extreme care and attention to detail, which 'scrupulous' closely matches. The context of record-keeping reinforces precision rather than speed or irregularity.

Question 4Use of English

Identify the option that correctly supplies the missing punctuation: The results were clear ______ the experiment had failed.

  1. : Correct answer.
  2. ;
  3. ,
  4. -

Explanation

A colon may introduce a clause that explains or expands on the preceding statement, which is exactly the relationship here. A semicolon would join two independent clauses but would not mark the explanatory link as clearly, and the exam expects the colon for exposition.

Question 5Use of English

Choose the correctly spelt word to complete: The manager's ______ remarks offended several members of staff.

  1. derogatorye
  2. derogatry
  3. derogetory
  4. derogatory Correct answer.

Explanation

The correct spelling is 'derogatory', formed from the verb 'derogate' plus '-ory'. The other spellings alter the internal vowel or drop a syllable.

Question 6Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: Neither the driver nor the passengers ______ injured in the collision.

  1. were Correct answer.
  2. was
  3. is
  4. has been

Explanation

With 'neither ... nor', the verb agrees with the nearer subject, which is the plural 'passengers'. The past tense also suits the completed event.

Question 7Use of English

In the word 'photograph', the primary stress falls on the:

  1. final syllable
  2. third syllable
  3. first syllable Correct answer.
  4. second syllable

Explanation

The noun 'photograph' is stressed on the first syllable, PHO-to-graph. Related forms shift stress, as in 'photography', but the base noun keeps initial stress.

Question 8Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: If the supervisor ______ earlier, the report would have been submitted on time.

  1. arrived
  2. had arrived Correct answer.
  3. arrives
  4. would arrive

Explanation

This is a third conditional sentence describing an unreal past situation, so the if-clause takes the past perfect 'had arrived'. The main clause already uses 'would have been submitted'.

Question 9Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The new policy was received ______ enthusiasm by the junior staff.

  1. at
  2. in
  3. with Correct answer.
  4. by

Explanation

The fixed collocation is 'received with enthusiasm', where 'with' marks the manner of reception. Other prepositions do not collocate with 'received' in this sense.

Question 10Use of English

Identify the sentence in which the underlined expression is used idiomatically and correctly.

  1. The chairman let the cat out of the bag to carry the files.
  2. The chairman let the cat out of the bag for two hours.
  3. The chairman let the cat out of the bag about the merger before the announcement. Correct answer.
  4. The chairman let the cat out of the bag on the table.

Explanation

The idiom 'let the cat out of the bag' means to reveal a secret prematurely, which fits the merger context. The other sentences treat the expression literally or attach incompatible adverbials.

Question 11Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: Hardly ______ the meeting begun when the power failed.

  1. was
  2. had Correct answer.
  3. did
  4. has

Explanation

Negative adverbials such as 'hardly' at the start of a clause trigger inversion, and the past perfect 'had' is required because the power failure followed. The structure is 'Hardly had ... when ...'.

Question 12Use of English

In the sentence 'The proposal was rejected by the board', the sentence is in the:

  1. active voice
  2. imperative mood
  3. subjunctive mood
  4. passive voice Correct answer.

Explanation

The subject 'the proposal' receives the action, and the agent is expressed with 'by the board', so the sentence is passive. Active voice would read 'The board rejected the proposal'.

Question 13Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The report, ______ findings were disputed, was withdrawn.

  1. which
  2. that
  3. who
  4. whose Correct answer.

Explanation

'Whose' is the possessive relative pronoun needed to show that the findings belong to the report. 'Which' and 'that' cannot express possession here.

Question 14Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: By the time the auditors arrive, the accounts ______ reconciled.

  1. have
  2. will have been Correct answer.
  3. would have
  4. will be being

Explanation

'By the time' with a present-tense clause signals a future completion point, requiring the future perfect 'will have been reconciled'. The passive form suits 'the accounts'.

Question 15Use of English

Choose the option that best replaces the underlined part: The committee comprises of ten members.

  1. comprises of ten members
  2. comprises with ten members
  3. is comprised of ten members
  4. comprises ten members Correct answer.

Explanation

'Comprise' takes a direct object and needs no 'of', so 'comprises ten members' is correct. The alternative 'is composed of' or 'consists of' would also be right, but 'comprises of' is not.

Question 16Use of English

Choose the word that is opposite in meaning to 'transparent' as used in 'a transparent decision-making process'.

  1. candid
  2. lucid
  3. opaque Correct answer.
  4. explicit

Explanation

In this figurative sense 'transparent' means open and easily understood; its opposite is 'opaque', meaning obscure or hard to see through. The other options are near-synonyms.

Question 17Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The witness spoke ______ that everyone in the courtroom could hear.

  1. so loudly Correct answer.
  2. very loudly
  3. so loud
  4. such loudly

Explanation

The 'so ... that' construction requires an adverb ('loudly') after 'so' when modifying the verb 'spoke'. 'Such' pairs with nouns, and 'very' does not take a 'that' result clause.

Question 18Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The lecturer insisted that every student ______ the assignment by Friday.

  1. submit Correct answer.
  2. will submit
  3. submitted
  4. submits

Explanation

Verbs of insistence such as 'insist that' take the subjunctive, which uses the base form 'submit' for all persons. This marks a demand rather than a statement of fact.

Question 19Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: No sooner ______ the announcement than the phones began to ring.

  1. he had made
  2. he made
  3. did he made
  4. had he made Correct answer.

Explanation

'No sooner' at the start triggers inversion of auxiliary and subject, and the past perfect 'had made' is needed because the calls followed immediately. The frame is 'No sooner had ... than ...'.

Question 20Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The two brothers helped ______ with the preparations.

  1. themself
  2. each other Correct answer.
  3. themselves
  4. one another

Explanation

Traditional usage assigns 'each other' to two participants and 'one another' to more than two, so 'each other' fits 'the two brothers'. Reflexive forms would imply self-directed action.

Question 21Use of English

Identify the option that correctly rewrites the sentence in reported speech: She said, 'I will finish the draft tomorrow.'

  1. She says she would finish the draft the following day.
  2. She said she would finish the draft the following day. Correct answer.
  3. She said she will finish the draft tomorrow.
  4. She said she would finish the draft tomorrow.

Explanation

When the reporting verb is in the past, 'will' shifts to 'would' and 'tomorrow' shifts to 'the following day'. Both shifts must occur together.

Question 22Use of English

In the sentence 'Having finished the survey, the results were analysed by the team', the error is best described as:

  1. a dangling participle Correct answer.
  2. an unclear pronoun reference
  3. faulty parallelism
  4. a misplaced adverb

Explanation

The participial phrase 'Having finished the survey' should modify the person who finished it, but the subject of the main clause is 'the results'. This mismatch is a dangling participle.

Question 23Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: ______ the heavy rainfall, the ceremony proceeded without interruption.

  1. Although
  2. Whereas
  3. However
  4. Despite Correct answer.

Explanation

'Despite' is a preposition followed by a noun phrase, which fits 'the heavy rainfall'. 'Although' and 'whereas' require clauses, and 'however' is an adverb that cannot introduce this phrase.

Question 24Use of English

In the sentence 'The teacher gave the class a lecture on integrity', the grammatical function of 'the class' is:

  1. object complement
  2. direct object
  3. indirect object Correct answer.
  4. subject complement

Explanation

The verb 'gave' takes two objects: 'the class' receives the lecture and is therefore the indirect object, while 'a lecture' is the direct object. The order can be reversed with 'to'.

Question 25Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The minister's statement was ambiguous; ______, the journalists drew opposite conclusions.

  1. consequently Correct answer.
  2. for instance
  3. nevertheless
  4. similarly

Explanation

The second clause reports a result of the ambiguity, so the resultative connector 'consequently' is appropriate. Contrast or illustration markers would misrepresent the logical link.

Question 26Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The panel agreed that the evidence ______ too weak to support the claim at the time of the hearing.

  1. will be
  2. has been
  3. is
  4. was Correct answer.

Explanation

The time frame is fixed by 'at the time of the hearing', so the verb must be in the past tense. Reported clauses after 'agreed that' follow the tense of the reporting verb when the situation is anchored to a past moment, giving 'was'.

Question 27Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The chairman, together with the two auditors, ______ expected to address the press today.

  1. were
  2. have been
  3. is Correct answer.
  4. are

Explanation

When a subject is followed by 'together with', the intervening phrase does not change the number of the head noun. The head noun 'chairman' is singular, so the singular verb 'is' is required.

Question 28Use of English

Choose the word that is nearest in meaning to 'meticulous' as used in 'a meticulous record of every transaction'.

  1. scrupulous Correct answer.
  2. hurried
  3. sporadic
  4. tentative

Explanation

'Meticulous' describes extreme care and attention to detail, which 'scrupulous' closely matches in this context. The other options describe speed, uncertainty, or irregularity rather than thoroughness.

Question 29Use of English

In the word 'democracy', the primary stress falls on the:

  1. third syllable
  2. first syllable
  3. second syllable Correct answer.
  4. fourth syllable

Explanation

Words ending in '-cracy' keep the stress on the syllable immediately before the suffix. In 'de-MO-cra-cy' that is the second syllable, so the pattern matches 'aristocracy' and 'bureaucracy'.

Question 30Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The committee could not reach a decision ______ the chairman's absence.

  1. because
  2. owing to Correct answer.
  3. despite of
  4. in spite

Explanation

'Owing to' is a prepositional phrase meaning 'because of' and takes a noun phrase such as 'the chairman's absence'. It fits the causal link between the absence and the failure to decide.

Question 31Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The manager asked whether the invoices ______ before the audit began.

  1. were dispatching
  2. had been dispatched Correct answer.
  3. will be dispatched
  4. have been dispatched

Explanation

In reported questions, the verb usually shifts one step back in time from the original. The dispatch happened before the audit, so the past perfect passive 'had been dispatched' correctly marks the earlier event.

Question 32Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The clerk was reprimanded for treating the complaint with such ______.

  1. indifference Correct answer.
  2. indifferent
  3. different
  4. indifferently

Explanation

After 'with such' a noun is needed to complete the prepositional phrase describing manner. 'Indifference' is the abstract noun formed from 'indifferent', so it fits the slot correctly.

Question 33Use of English

Identify the option that correctly rewrites the sentence in the passive voice: The technician has repaired the generator.

  1. The generator was repairing by the technician.
  2. The generator has been repaired by the technician. Correct answer.
  3. The generator is been repaired by the technician.
  4. The generator has repaired by the technician.

Explanation

The present perfect active 'has repaired' becomes 'has been repaired' in the passive, with the object promoted to subject and the agent introduced by 'by'. Only that form keeps both the perfect tense and the passive voice.

Question 34Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: Scarcely had the lecture begun ______ the fire alarm sounded.

  1. that
  2. when Correct answer.
  3. while
  4. than

Explanation

The negative adverbial 'scarcely' at the start of a clause triggers inversion and pairs with 'when' to introduce the second event. 'Hardly' follows the same pattern, whereas 'no sooner' pairs with 'than'.

Question 35Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The consultant spoke with ______ authority that the board accepted every recommendation.

  1. such an
  2. such Correct answer.
  3. very
  4. so

Explanation

The structure 'such + a/an + adjective + noun + that' expresses result. Here 'authority' is uncountable, so 'such authority' is correct without an article, followed by 'that' to introduce the consequence.

Question 36Use of English

In the sentence 'The committee regarded the proposal as unworkable', the grammatical function of 'unworkable' is:

  1. adverbial modifier
  2. object complement Correct answer.
  3. subject complement
  4. appositive

Explanation

Verbs like 'regard', 'consider', and 'find' take an object followed by a complement describing that object. 'Unworkable' describes 'the proposal', the object, so it is an object complement rather than a subject complement.

Question 37Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The new regulations, ______ aim is to curb tax evasion, take effect next month.

  1. which
  2. whose Correct answer.
  3. of which
  4. that

Explanation

The relative clause needs a possessive determiner before 'aim', referring back to 'regulations'. 'Whose' supplies that possessive link and is the standard choice for both people and things in formal writing.

Question 38Use of English

In the sentence 'The panel rejected the motion, which surprised the sponsors', the clause 'which surprised the sponsors' is best described as:

  1. a noun clause acting as object of 'rejected'
  2. a non-defining relative clause commenting on the whole preceding clause Correct answer.
  3. a defining relative clause identifying the motion
  4. an adverbial clause of reason

Explanation

A 'which' clause set off by a comma can refer to the entire preceding statement rather than to a single noun. Here it comments on the rejection as a whole, so it is non-defining and non-restrictive.

Question 39Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: ______ more carefully, the figures would have revealed the shortfall.

  1. If the accountant checked
  2. Should the accountant check
  3. Were the accountant checking
  4. Had the accountant checked Correct answer.

Explanation

This is a third conditional about an unfulfilled past action, so the if-clause needs the past perfect. Inversion drops 'if' and places 'had' first, giving 'Had the accountant checked'.

Question 40Use of English

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The witness's account was so ______ that the jury could not establish a consistent timeline of events.

  1. candid
  2. concise
  3. coherent
  4. incoherent Correct answer.

Explanation

The result clause states that no consistent timeline could be established, so the account must have been confused or inconsistent. 'Incoherent' supplies exactly that meaning and fits the causal 'so ... that' structure.

Question 41Mathematics

Simplify (2x²y³)(3xy²).

  1. 5x³y⁵
  2. 6x³y⁶
  3. 6x³y⁵ Correct answer.
  4. 6x²y⁶

Explanation

Multiply the numerical coefficients: 2 × 3 = 6. For the variables, add the exponents of like bases: x²·x¹ = x³ and y³·y² = y⁵, giving 6x³y⁵.

Question 42Mathematics

Solve the equation 3x − 7 = 2x + 5.

  1. x = 12 Correct answer.
  2. x = −12
  3. x = 2
  4. x = 4

Explanation

Collect the x-terms on one side: 3x − 2x = 5 + 7, which gives x = 12. Substituting back, 3(12) − 7 = 29 and 2(12) + 5 = 29, confirming the solution.

Question 43Mathematics

What is the value of the sum of the interior angles of a regular hexagon?

  1. 540°
  2. 1080°
  3. 720° Correct answer.
  4. 900°

Explanation

For a polygon with n sides the interior angles sum to (n − 2) × 180°. A hexagon has n = 6, so the sum is 4 × 180° = 720°.

Question 44Mathematics

Find the mean of the numbers 4, 7, 9, 10, 15.

  1. 10
  2. 9 Correct answer.
  3. 7
  4. 45

Explanation

The mean is the total of the values divided by how many there are: (4 + 7 + 9 + 10 + 15) ÷ 5 = 45 ÷ 5 = 9.

Question 45Mathematics

Evaluate log₁₀ 1000.

  1. 100
  2. 10
  3. 3 Correct answer.
  4. 1

Explanation

The logarithm asks for the power to which the base 10 must be raised to give 1000. Since 10³ = 1000, log₁₀ 1000 = 3.

Question 46Mathematics

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

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

Explanation

The prime outcomes on a die are 2, 3 and 5, giving 3 favourable results out of 6 equally likely outcomes. Thus the probability is 3/6 = 1/2.

Question 47Mathematics

Solve the simultaneous equations x + y = 7 and x − y = 3.

  1. x = 4, y = 3
  2. x = 6, y = 1
  3. x = 2, y = 5
  4. x = 5, y = 2 Correct answer.

Explanation

Adding the two equations eliminates y: 2x = 10, so x = 5. Substituting into x + y = 7 gives y = 2, and checking x − y = 3 confirms the pair.

Question 48Mathematics

Differentiate y = 4x³ − 2x with respect to x.

  1. 12x² − 2x
  2. 4x² − 2
  3. 12x³ − 2
  4. 12x² − 2 Correct answer.

Explanation

Apply the power rule term by term: the derivative of 4x³ is 12x², and the derivative of −2x is −2. The constant term would vanish, so dy/dx = 12x² − 2.

Question 49Mathematics

The 3rd term of an arithmetic progression is 11 and the 7th term is 27. Find the first term.

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

Explanation

Using aₙ = a + (n − 1)d, we get a + 2d = 11 and a + 6d = 27. Subtracting gives 4d = 16, so d = 4, and then a = 11 − 8 = 3... check: a = 3.

Question 50Mathematics

Find the equation of the straight line passing through the points (1, 2) and (3, 8).

  1. y = 3x − 1 Correct answer.
  2. y = x + 1
  3. y = 2x + 1
  4. y = 3x + 1

Explanation

The gradient is (8 − 2)/(3 − 1) = 6/2 = 3. Using y − y₁ = m(x − x₁) with (1, 2): y − 2 = 3(x − 1), so y = 3x − 1.