WAEC 2015 past questions

Checked by the Skolra question team · Last updated 23 October 2026

We hold 512 questions from the 2015 WAEC papers in 12 subjects, each with the answer and an explanation. Below are ten of them, from ten subjects, and then every 2015 paper we hold.

Ten WAEC 2015 questions with answers

From the Mathematics paper
1.The probability that kebba, Ebou and Omar will hit a target are $\frac{2}{3}$ , $\frac{3}{4}$ and $\frac{4}{5}$ respectively. Find the probability that only Kebba will hit the target.
1. A
  1/15
2. B
  1/10
3. C
  2/15
4. D
  1/30
  Correct
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Answer: D
Only Kebba hits means Kebba hits AND Ebou misses AND Omar misses.
1. P(Kebba hits) = 2/3
2. P(Ebou misses) = 1 − 3/4 = 1/4
3. P(Omar misses) = 1 − 4/5 = 1/5
4. P(only Kebba) = 2/3 × 1/4 × 1/5 = 2/60 = 1/30
From the Physics paper
2. $^{226}_{88}Ra$ emits two alpha particles to produce polonium(po) nuclide. The correct formula for the nuclide?
1. A
  ²²⁶₈₄Po
2. B
  ²¹⁸₈₄Po
  Correct
3. C
  ²¹⁴₈₂Po
4. D
  ²²²₈₆Po
Show answerHide answer
Answer: B
Each alpha (α) particle has mass number 4 and atomic (proton) number 2. Starting with ²²⁶₈₈Ra and emitting two alpha particles:
New mass number = 226 − 2(4) = 218
New atomic number = 88 − 2(2) = 84
The element with atomic number 84 is Polonium (Po), so the product nuclide is ²¹⁸₈₄Po.
From the Chemistry paper
3.CuO + H₂ → Cu + H₂O. Which substance is oxidized?
1. A
  Cu
2. B
  H₂O
3. C
  CuO
4. D
  H₂
  Correct
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Answer: D
Oxidation is the loss of electrons (or increase in oxidation state).
In this reaction, hydrogen (H₂) has an oxidation state of 0. In water (H₂O), hydrogen has an oxidation state of +1. The increase from 0 to +1 means hydrogen is oxidized.
Copper in CuO has an oxidation state of +2 and is reduced to 0 in copper metal, so CuO is the oxidizing agent, not the substance oxidized.
From the Biology paper
4.Oil applied to the surface of water kills the larvae of mosquitoes through
1. A
  directly poisoning the larvae with toxic chemical compounds in the oil
2. B
  changing the pH of the water to fatally acidic levels
3. C
  suffocation by blocking their breathing tubes (siphons) at the water surface
  Correct
4. D
  trapping the larvae permanently in a sticky viscous film
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Answer: C
Mosquito larvae are aquatic and breathe atmospheric air through a siphon (breathing tube) that breaks the water surface tension. When oil is spread on water, it forms a thin film that blocks the siphon's opening, preventing the larvae from reaching the air. This causes suffocation (asphyxiation). The oil does not need to be toxic — even non-toxic mineral oil works by the same physical mechanism. This method of mosquito control by larviciding with oil was historically used before synthetic insecticides and remains an effective, low-cost environmental control measure.
From the Government paper
5.The major source of local government revenue is
1. A
  personal income tax collected from residents
2. B
  proceeds from international trade agreements
3. C
  statutory allocation from the federation account
  Correct
4. D
  customs and excise duties on imported goods
Show answerHide answer
Answer: C
In Nigeria's fiscal federalism, local government councils receive the bulk of their funding through statutory allocation from the federation account, as mandated by the constitution. This intergovernmental transfer — shared among federal, state, and local tiers — constitutes the dominant revenue source for most local governments, many of which lack the capacity to generate sufficient independent revenue from local taxes and levies.
From the Civic Education paper
6.World AIDS day is observed on?
1. A
  1st December
  Correct
2. B
  1st October
3. C
  1st June
4. D
  1st November
Show answerHide answer
Answer: A
World AIDS Day is observed every year on 1st December. It was first marked in 1988 and is set aside to create awareness about HIV/AIDS, show support for people living with the virus, and remember those who have died from AIDS-related illnesses.
From the Commerce paper
7.How many countries make up the River Niger Basin commission
1. A
  10 countries
2. B
  8 countries
3. C
  11 countries
4. D
  9 countries
  Correct
Show answerHide answer
Answer: D
9 countries is correct. The River Niger Commission (now called the Niger Basin Authority) is made up of nine member states that share the Niger River basin: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria.
From the Agricultural Science paper
8.Iron is important in the diet of livestock for
1. A
  synthesis of thyroxine hormone
2. B
  formation of haemoglobin in the blood
  Correct
3. C
  clotting of blood
4. D
  formation of bones and teeth
Show answerHide answer
Answer: B
Iron (Fe) is a mineral element that livestock need mainly for the formation of haemoglobin in the blood. Haemoglobin is the red pigment in red blood cells that carries oxygen round the body, and iron is a key building block of it. When livestock lack enough iron in their diet, they develop nutritional anaemia, shown by pale mucous membranes, weakness and poor growth.

The other options describe functions of different minerals, and it is easy to mix them up:
Formation of bones and teeth is the work of calcium and phosphorus, which give bones and teeth their hardness and structure — not iron.
Clotting of blood depends mainly on calcium (together with vitamin K), which activates the clotting factors — iron plays no direct role here.
Synthesis of thyroxine hormone requires iodine, which the thyroid gland uses to make this hormone that controls metabolic rate.
So, when a question links iron to a specific body function in livestock, think haemoglobin and anaemia prevention, not bones, clotting or hormones.
From the Further Mathematics paper
9.A car moving with an initial velocity, u, travels in a straight line with a constant acceleration of 3ms⁻² until it attains a velocity of 33ms⁻¹ after 6 seconds. Calculate the distance travelled by the car.
1. A
  198m
2. B
  144m
  Correct
3. C
  90m
4. D
  54m
Show answerHide answer
Answer: B
Step 1: Find the initial velocity u.
Using v = u + at, with v = 33ms⁻¹, a = 3ms⁻², t = 6s:
33 = u + (3 × 6) = u + 18, so u = 15ms⁻¹.
Step 2: Find the distance travelled.
Using s = ut + ½at²:
s = (15 × 6) + ½(3)(6²) = 90 + 54 = 144m.
You can check this with the average-velocity method: s = ((u + v)/2) × t = ((15 + 33)/2) × 6 = 24 × 6 = 144m. Both methods agree, so 144m is correct.
From the Computer Studies paper
10.If the output signal of any logic gate is fed into an inverter, the result is?
1. A
  It is amplified, becoming a stronger version of the same signal
2. B
  It is complemented, becoming the exact opposite (inverse) of the original gate's output
  Correct
3. C
  It is left completely unchanged, exactly as it came out of the first gate
4. D
  It is delayed, appearing only after the next clock pulse
Show answerHide answer
Answer: B
An inverter (a NOT gate) has only one job: it flips whatever signal is fed into it. A HIGH (1) coming in leaves as LOW (0), and a LOW (0) coming in leaves as HIGH (1).

The questions come from past JAMB, WAEC and NECO papers. We use software to help write the answer options and explanations, and every answer is checked twice before it goes on the site. How we check

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The 2015 WAEC papers we hold

Each paper has its own page with ten questions and answers.

The 2015 WAEC papers and the questions we hold from each
Subject	Questions we hold
Mathematics	30
Physics	40
Chemistry	48
Biology	48
Government	49
Commerce	49
Agricultural Science	42
Further Mathematics	43
Civic Education	42
Catering Craft Practice	40
Computer Studies	43
Data Processing	38

Other years

All WAEC past questions, by subject