Official Mathematics Exam — BEPC Session 2021

This mathematics examination from the 2021 session of the Brevet d'Études du Premier Cycle (BEPC) in Cameroon offers a comprehensive assessment of the mathematical knowledge and skills expected at the end of ninth grade. The document contains the complete official exam paper.

Exam Structure:

The exam is organised into two parts:

• Part A — Resource Assessment, comprising numerical activities and geometric activities.
• Part B — Competency Assessment, featuring a real-life problem-solving situation.

Numerical Activities:

Exercise 1 stands out with its multiple-choice and True/False format, covering several concepts: scientific notation, computing a statistical mean from a frequency table, factoring algebraic expressions and fraction arithmetic. This approach tests quick reasoning and mastery of diverse concepts. Exercise 2 focuses on the Euclidean algorithm for computing the GCD, then applies it concretely: distributing juice and beer cans into identical batches for a fair, maximising the number of batches.

Geometric Activities:

Exercise 1 involves a triangle that students must prove is right-angled (converse of the Pythagorean theorem), then demonstrate that two lines are parallel, calculate a length using Thales' theorem and determine the area of a trapezoid. Exercise 2 takes place in an orthonormal coordinate system with three given lines. Students must match each line to its Cartesian equation, compute slopes to prove parallelism, then solve a system of equations and interpret the result graphically as a point of intersection.

Competency-Based Problem:

Part B addresses a family economic issue: following a salary reduction, the Ateba family must optimise their water and electricity consumption. Students must analyse the pricing grids of two utility companies (water and electricity), calculate monthly bill amounts, compare offers and determine achievable savings. This problem involves proportional reasoning, tiered cost calculations and economic reasoning.

Skills Assessed:

• Scientific notation and numerical computation
• Descriptive statistics (mean)
• Factoring and fraction arithmetic
• Euclidean algorithm and GCD — practical application
• Pythagorean theorem (direct and converse) and Thales' theorem
• Area of a trapezoid
• Analytic geometry: line equations, parallelism, systems of equations
• Real-world economic problem solving

Target Audience:

This document is intended for ninth-grade students preparing for the BEPC, as well as teachers and tutors seeking official exam papers for practice and formative assessment.