Understanding Quiz Scoring: A Simple Math Problem Solved

Quizzes and tests are common tools to assess knowledge and understanding, but sometimes they can be a bit tricky, even for those who feel confident in their abilities. Let's take a look at a common quiz scenario and figure it out together.

The Problem

Suppose you have taken a quiz with 25 questions. For each correct answer, you get 5 marks, and you lose 2 marks for each wrong answer. After answering all the questions, you found out that you answered 21 questions correctly. Now, the question is: How many marks did you score?

Breaking Down the Solution

Let's start by breaking down the information we have:

There are 25 questions in total. You answered 21 questions correctly. For each correct answer, you earn 5 marks. For each wrong answer, you lose 2 marks.

Calculating the Marks for Correct Answers

Since you answered 21 questions correctly, the calculation for the marks you gained from these correct answers is:

21 questions × 5 marks per question 105 marks

Calculating the Marks Lost for Wrong Answers

Now, let's determine the number of wrong answers. Since there are 25 questions in total and you answered 21 correctly, the number of wrong answers is:

25 questions - 21 correct answers 4 wrong answers

The marks lost due to these wrong answers would be:

4 questions × 2 marks lost per question 8 marks lost

Calculating the Total Score

To find the total score, we subtract the marks lost from the marks gained:

Total marks Marks for correct answers - Marks deducted for wrong answers

105 - 8 97

Therefore, your total score is 97 marks.

A Quick Recap

Here's a quick recap using variables to make the problem a bit more general:

Let m be the total number of questions, e be the marks earned for each correct answer, s be the marks deducted for each wrong answer, and d be the number of correct answers. The total marks can be calculated as:

Total marks (d × e) - ((m - d) × s)

In this specific case, you have:

m 25 e 5 s 2 d 21

Substituting these values into the formula, we get:

Total marks (21 × 5) - (25 - 21) × 2 105 - 8 97

Thus, the total score is 97 marks.

Conclusion

Understanding how quiz scores are calculated can help you manage your time and effort more effectively when taking these assessments. By knowing the scoring system, you can aim for specific scores and make informed decisions about which questions to attempt first. It's also important to recognize that even if you find the math a bit tricky, there's no need to be discouraged; with practice and patience, you can improve your skills.

Keywords: quiz scoring, math problem, correct answers