NIGERIAN NATIONAL

PETROLEUM CORPORATION

(NNPC)
RECRUITMENT
PAST QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Content
Introductio…n ................................................................................................................ 2
Mathematics ................................................................................................................ 3
English Language. ........................................................................................................25
General Knowledge. ..................................................................................................... 37
INTRODUCTION

This e-book is a compilation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) recruitment
past questions and answers.
NNPC Past Questions has been compiled to help those sitting for NNPC aptitude test in Nigeria. This
ebook will give you an insight on how NNPC set their questions and the format they use.
Using this ebook would give you an edge over others. NNPC aptitude test questions comprise of
Mathematics, English questions and specialized fields like Finance/Social Sciences, General
Engineering, General Sciences, Information Technology and Medical Questions. These are past
questions gathered from a reliable source. It will give you an insight into past exams conducted by
NNPC.
Knowing what to expect and practising over and over would help you develop an effective
test strategy; improve your speed, accuracy and confidence.
This Past Question material has over 200 questions and comprise of Mathematics, English and
General Knowledge.
Preparing with these past questions will give you an insight into the past exams conducted by
NNPC and also give an edge over your competitors, also there is a possibility you might come
across the some of these past questions in the exam.
The general knowledge part of this e-book contains past questions from Chemistry, Physics, ICT,
medicine and finance.
Mathematics Past Questions And Answers
1) A rectangle is twice as long as it is wide. If the width is a, what is the length of a
diagonal? A.

B.

C.

D. 3a
E. 5a

2) Last year Jose sold a painting for $2000. If he made 25% profit on the sale, how much
had he paid for the painting?
A. $1200

C. $1500
C. $1600

D. $2400

E. $2500

Jose made 25% profit, so if he bought the painting for x, he sold it for: x + 0.25x = 1.25x = 2000 ⇒x
= 2000 ÷ 1.25 = 1600.
The answer is (C).
at o ur ou
3) In the figure below what is the value of b?
A. 30

B. 36

C. 45

D. 60

E. 72
Since vertical angles have the same measure, c = d, d = a, and b = a – b a = 2b.
Therefore, c = d = a = 2b. Also, the sum of the measures of all six angles is 3600,
so a + b + c + d + a – b + d = 2a + c + 2d = 360. Replacing c, d, and a by 2b yields
10b = 360 ⇒b =36.
The answer is (B).
4) A lacrosse team raised some money. The members used 74% of the money to buy
uniform, 18% for equipment, and the remaining $216 for a team party. How much money
did they raise?

A. 2400
B. 2450
C. 2500
D. 2600

E. 2700
SINCE 74% + 18% = 92%, THE $216 spent on the party presents the other 8 % 0f the
money raised. Then: 0.08m = 216 ⇒ m = 216 ÷ 0.08 = 2700. The answer is (E).

5) In the figure below, what is the sum of the degree measures of all of the marked
angles? A. 600

B. 620

C. 700
D. 720

E. 750
Each of the 10 marked angles is an exterior angle of the pentagon. If you take one angle at
each vertex, the sum of the degree measures of those five angles is 360; the sum of the
degree measures of the other five also is 360: 360 + 360 = 720.
The answer is (720).
6) In the figure below, ABCD is a parallelogram. What is the value of y – z?
A. 50
B. 55
C. 60

D. 65
E. 70

The sum of the degree measures of two consecutive angles of a parallelogram is

180, so 180 = (3x – 5) + (2x – 15) = 5x – 20 ⇒ 5x = 200 ⇒ x =40. Since opposite angles of a
parallelogram are equal, y = 3x – 5 = 115 and z = 2x – 15 = 65. Then y
– z = 50. The answer is (50).

7) If the length of a rectangle is 4 times its width, and if its area is 144, what is its perimeter?
A. 6

B. 24
C. 30

D. 60
E. 96
8) If the measures of the angles of a triangle are in the ratio of 1:2:3, and if the perimeter of
the triangle is 30 + 10 (3)½, what is the length of the smallest side?

A. 20
B. 18
C. 15
D. 12
E. 10

9) What is the area of Triangle

ABC? A. 350

B. 360

C. 370

D. 375
E. 390
The area of Triangle CDE = 0.5(8)(15) = 60. Since the ratio of similitude for the two triangles (as
calculated in solution C15) is 2.5, the area of Triangle ABC is (2.5)2 times the area of CDE: (2.5)2 ×
60 = 6.25 × 60 = 375. The answer is (375).

10) What is the perimeter of Triangle ABC?

A. 80
B. 85
C. 95
D. 100

E. 105
Solution
By the Pythagorean theorem, 82 + 152 = (CE)2 (CE)2 = 64 + 225 = 289 CE = 17. Then the perimeter
of CDE = 8 + 15 + 7 = 40. Triangles ABC and CDE are similar (each has a 900 angle, and the vertical
angle at C are congruent). The ratio of similitude is = 2.5, so the perimeter of ABC is 2.5 × 40 = 100.
The answer is (100).
11) If the difference between the measures of the two smaller angles of a right triangle is 200,
what is the measure, in degrees, of the smallest angle?

A. 30
B. 35

C. 40

D. 45
E. 50

12.What is the perimeter of Triangle ABC

A. 48

B.

C.
D. 72
E. It cannot be determined from the information given
13) What is the area of Triangle BED in the figure below were ABCD is a triangle?
A. 12
B. 24

C. 36
D. 48
E. 60
You can calculate the area of the rectangle and subtract the area of the two white right triangles,
but don’t. The shaded area is a triangle whose base is 4 and whose height is 12. The area is
(4)(12) =
24. The answer is (B).

14) What is the value of PS in the triangle

below? A.

B. 10
C. 11
D. 13

Use the Pythagorean Theorem twice, unless you recognize the common right triangle in the
figure. Since PR = 20 and QR = 16, PQR is a 3x-4x-5x right triangle with x = 4. Then PQ = 12,
and PQS is a right angle triangle whose legs are 5 and 12. The hypotenuse, PS, therefore is 13.
The answer is (D).

15)
A. 40
B. 45
C. 50
D. 55

E. 57

Solution
Since lines l and k are parallel, the angle marked y in the given diagram and the sum of the angles
marked x and 45 are equal:
Y = x + 45 y – x = 45.the answer is (45).
16) In an office there was a small cash box. One day Ann took half of the money plus $1 more.
Then Dan took half of the money plus $1 more. Stan then took the remaining $11. How many dollars
were originally in the box?

A. $50
B. $45
C. $42
D. $40

E. $38

Solution
You can avoid some massy algebra by working backwards. Put back the $11 Stan took; then put back
the extra $1 that Dan took. There is now $12, which means that, when Dan took his half, he took $12.
Put that back. Now there is $24 in the box. Put back the extra $1 that Ann took. The box now has $25,
so before Ann took her half, there was $50. The answer is ($50).
17) Each of the 10 players on the basketball team shot 100 free throws, and the average number
of baskets made was 75. When the highest and lowest scores were eliminated the average number
of baskets for the remaining 8 players was 79.What is the smallest number of baskets anyone could
have made?

A. 22
B. 20
C. 18
D. 16
E. 14
Since the average of all 10 players was 75, the total number of baskets made was 10 × 75 = 750.
Also, since 8 of the player had an average of 79, they made a total of 8 × 79 = 632 points. The other
2 players, therefore, made 750- 632 = 118 baskets. The most baskets that the player with the highest
number could have made was 100, so the player with the lowest number had to have made at least
18. The answer is 18.
18) Karen played a game several times. She received $5 every time she won and had to pay
$2 every time she lost. If the ratio of the number of times she won to the number of times she lost
was 3:2, and if she won a total of $66, how many times did she play the game?

A. 30

B. 35

C. 40
D. 45

E. 48
Karen won 3x times and lost 2x times, and thus played a total of 5x games. Since she got $5 every
time she won, she received $5(3x) = $15x. Also, since she paid $2 for each loss, she paid out $2(2x)
= $4x.
Therefore, her net winning were $15x – 4x = $11x, which you are told was $66. Then, 11x = 66 ⇒ x
= 6, and so 5x = 30.
The answer is 30
19) Since 1950, when martin graduated from high school, he has gained 2 pounds every year.
In 1980 he was 40% heavier than in 1950. What percent of his 1995 weight was his 1980 weight?

A. 80
B. 85

C. 87.5
D. 90
E. 95
Solution
Let x = Martin’s weight in 1950. By 1980, he had gained60 pounds (2 pounds
per year for 30 years) and was 40% heavier:
60 = 0.40x x = 60 ÷ 0.4 = 150. In 1980, he weighed 210 pounds, 15 years later, in 1995, he weighed
240:
210/240= 7/8= 87.5%. The answer is C.
20) Henry drove 100 mile to visit a friend. If he had driven 8 mile per hour faster than he did,
he would have arrived in of the time he actually toke. How many minute did the trip take?

A. 100
B. 120
C. 125
D. 144

E. 150

21) Two printing presses working together can complete a job in 2.5 hours. Working alone,
press A can do the job in 10 hours. How many hours will press B take to do the job by itself?

A. 10/3
B. 4
C. 5

C. 25/4
E.
15/12

Multiply each term by 10x: 2.5x + 25 = 10x

.Subtract 2.4x from each other: 25 = 7.5x
. Divide each side by 7.5: x = 3 hours. The answer is A.
The table above shows the specializations of North West Medical School graduates in 2005.
Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number. One hundred and nineteen
students graduated that year. Use this information to answer the following.
22) If seven students changed their specialization from family practice to paediatrics,
approximately what fraction of students would then be specializing in paediatrics?

A. 1/7
B. 1/4
C. 1/7
D. 1/5
E. 1/15

Answer: D
Explanation: Thirteen percent of 119 students (119/100) * 13 = 15 specialized in paediatrics.
If 7 students joined them then there would be 22 students studying it. This equates to
22/119 = 0.18 which is approximately 1/5.
23) What is the approximate ratio of students specializing in sports medicine, emergency
medicine and family practice?

A. 6:4:10
B. 1:4:5
C. 2:8:10
D. 3:2:10
E. 3:2:5

Answer: D
Explanation: The ratio of students specializing in each is (15:11:48) which approximates to 3:2:10.
24) One twelfth of the students who chose to specialize in family practice plan to work abroad.
How many is this?

A. 7
B. 8
C. 5
D. 9
E. 3

Answer: C
Explanation: Forty eight percent of 119 students (119/100) * 48 = 57 specialized in family practice.
One twelfth of these equates to 57/12 = 5 who planned to work abroad.

25) How many students decided to specialize in immunology?

A. 9
B. 11
C. 14
D. 7
E. 15

Answer: B
Explanation: Nine percent of 119 students decided to specialize in immunology. This equates
to (119/100) * 9 = 11 students

The table above shows the amount spent by Ace Marketing Consultancy to promote their clients.
‘Marketing’ spend does not include the time of any Ace employees, this is billed separately as
‘Personnel’. Use this information to answer the following questions.
26) Approximately what percentage of Ace Marketing’s total business is accounted for by their
three smallest clients?

A. 18%
B. 17%
C. 20%
D. 16%
E. 22%

Answer: C

Explanation: The total value of Ace’s business is $41,427 (marketing) plus $40,614 (personnel) which
gives
$82,041. Since we know that Aardvark account for 54% of the business, the quickest way to work
out how much the three smallest clients account for is to calculate how much Blue Arrow accounts
for ($21,659 which is 26%), add this to the
54% to give 80%, which leaves 20% to be accounted for by the smallest three
27) Approximately what percentage of Ace Marketing’s total business is for Aardvark Cellular?
A.49%
B. 57%
C. 50%
D. 54%
E. 56%

Answer: D

Explanation: The total value of Ace’s business is $41,427 (marketing) plus $40,614 (personnel) which
gives
$82,041. Aardvark Cellular account for (21,340+22,749 =)
$44,089. This equates to (44,089/82,041) * 100 = 54%.

28) If flyers for Aardvark Cellular cost $150 per thousand. Approximately, how many thousand
have been produced?

A. 23
B. 20
C. 17
D. 14
E. 18

Answer: B