National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Direct Entry Past Questions and Answers

English Language

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   1. Which of these is a complex sentence?

   1. Because it rained, we stayed indoors. (Answer)
   2. I came, I saw, I conquered.
   3. She smiled and waved.
   4. He is tall and strong.

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   2. Choose the most appropriate completion:

   If I had seen her earlier, I ___ spoken to her.

   1. will have
   2. shall
   3. should
   4. would have (Answer)

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   3. Pick the correct phrase:

   No sooner had he left ___ it started to rain.

   1. that
   2. than (Answer)
   3. when
   4. but

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   4. Choose the correct question tag:

   She came early, ___?

   1. wasn’t she
   2. had she
   3. did she
   4. didn’t she (Answer)

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   5. Find the antonym of the word:

   The manager praised her diligence.

   1. Laziness (Answer)
   2. Activity
   3. Confidence
   4. Ignorance

Mathematics

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   6. A circle has an area of 154 cm². What is the radius? (π = 22/7)

   1. 7 cm (Answer - Explanation: Area = πr² → 154 = (22/7) × r² → r² = 49)
   2. 14 cm
   3. 8 cm
   4. 5 cm

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   7. What is the angle subtended at the center of a circle by a semicircle?

   1. 90°
   2. 180° (Answer)
   3. 60°
   4. 120°

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   8. A car travels 180 km in 3 hours. What is its average speed?

   1. 60 km/hr (Answer)
   2. 90 km/hr
   3. 30 km/hr
   4. 50 km/hr

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   9. If the 5th term of an arithmetic progression is 18 and the 12th term is 46, what is the first term?

   1. 10
   2. 8
   3. 6 (Answer - Explanation: Use Tn = a + (n – 1)d, set up two equations and solve simultaneously.)
   4. 4

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    10. Simplify: (3x²)² × x

    1. 3x⁵
    2. 9x⁵ (Answer)
    3. 6x⁵
    4. 9x⁴

NOUN Direct Entry Science Past Questions

Chemistry

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    11. Which allotrope of carbon is the hardest naturally occurring substance?

    1. Graphite
    2. Coal
    3. Diamond (Answer)
    4. Fullerene

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    12. The process by which a liquid changes to gas at the surface at any temperature is called:

    1. Sublimation
    2. Boiling
    3. Vaporization
    4. Evaporation (Answer)

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    13. Which process is used to separate crude oil into its components?

    1. Filtration
    2. Chromatography
    3. Crystallization
    4. Fractional distillation (Answer)

Biology

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    14. Which of the following is not a characteristic of living things?

    1. Respiration
    2. Photosynthesis (Answer)
    3. Growth
    4. Movement

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    15. The part of the plant that develops into a fruit is the:

    1. Ovary (Answer)
    2. Style
    3. Petal
    4. Anther

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    16. The mode of nutrition in fungi is:

    1. Saprophytic (Answer)
    2. Autotrophic
    3. Photosynthetic
    4. Parasitic

Agricultural Science

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    17. The major function of root hairs in plants is to:

    1. Transport food
    2. Absorb water and minerals (Answer)
    3. Produce hormones
    4. Anchor the plant

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    18. Soil texture refers to:

    1. Soil colour
    2. Organic content
    3. Size of soil particles (Answer)
    4. Soil pH

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    19. The primary aim of agricultural extension is to:

    1. Sell farm products
    2. Transfer new farming techniques (Answer)
    3. Market livestock
    4. Distribute fertilizers

Physics

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    20. A sound wave travels through air with a speed of 340 m/s and frequency of 170 Hz. What is its wavelength?

    1. 5 m
    2. 2 m (Answer)
    3. 0.5 m
    4. 3 m

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    21. Which law explains why a rocket moves in space?

    1. Newton’s Second Law
    2. Newton’s Third Law (Answer)
    3. Hooke’s Law
    4. Newton’s First Law

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    22. Which of the following phenomena is not associated with wave behavior?

    1. Diffraction
    2. Reflection
    3. Refraction
    4. Evaporation (Answer)

NOUN Direct Entry Social Science Past Questions

Government

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    23. A constitution is said to be rigid when:

    1. It is hard to amend (Answer)
    2. It is enforced by the police
    3. It is written in English
    4. It contains many laws

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    24. The process through which people acquire political attitudes and values is called:

    1. Political socialization (Answer)
    2. Political ideology
    3. Political development
    4. Political participation

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    25. The theory of separation of powers was popularized by:

    1. Thomas Hobbes
    2. John Locke
    3. Jean Bodin
    4. Baron de Montesquieu (Answer)

Geography

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    26. The compass direction between North and East is:

    1. Northeast (Answer)
    2. Northwest
    3. Southeast
    4. Southwest

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    27. The scale of a map that shows very large details is called:

    1. Large scale (Answer)
    2. Verbal scale
    3. Medium scale
    4. Small scale

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    28. The longest river in Africa is the:

    1. Zambezi
    2. Niger
    3. Nile (Answer)
    4. Congo

NOUN Direct Entry Arts Past Questions

Economics

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    29. Inflation caused by excessive aggregate demand is called:

    1. Stagflation
    2. Cost-push inflation
    3. Demand-pull inflation (Answer)
    4. Hyperinflation

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    30. Which of the following is not a function of money?

    1. Store of value
    2. Standard of borrowing (Answer)
    3. Medium of exchange
    4. Unit of account

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    31. What is the primary function of the Central Bank?

    1. Providing foreign aid
    2. Printing newspapers
    3. Controlling inflation (Answer)
    4. Giving loans to individuals

Literature in English

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    32. “He is a lion on the battlefield” is an example of:

    1. Hyperbole
    2. Personification
    3. Metaphor (Answer)
    4. Simile

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    33. The term 'soliloquy' in drama refers to:

    1. A background narrator’s comment
    2. A group dialogue
    3. A speech made by a character alone on stage (Answer)
    4. A conversation between two characters

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    34. A narrative poem that tells a story, often of heroic deeds, is called:

    1. Epic (Answer)
    2. Elegy
    3. Limerick
    4. Ode