Calculate Test Points: 5 for Correct, -2 for Wrong, -4 for Unattempted Answers

Score Calculation with Mixed Point Values

In a mathematics class, the teacher decided to award the following:

  • 5 points for each correct answer

  • -2 points for each incorrect answer

  • -4 points for each unattempted question

There were 20 questions in the exam.

How many points did students get who got 15 questions right, 2 questions wrong, and who left 3 questions unsolved?

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Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution
1

Understand the problem

In a mathematics class, the teacher decided to award the following:

  • 5 points for each correct answer

  • -2 points for each incorrect answer

  • -4 points for each unattempted question

There were 20 questions in the exam.

How many points did students get who got 15 questions right, 2 questions wrong, and who left 3 questions unsolved?

2

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we'll follow these steps:

  • Step 1: Calculate the points from the correct answers
  • Step 2: Calculate the points from the incorrect answers
  • Step 3: Calculate the points for the unattempted questions
  • Step 4: Sum all the points to find the final score

Now, let's work through each step:

Step 1: The student answered 15 questions correctly.
The points from correct answers are calculated as follows:
5×15=75 5 \times 15 = 75 points.

Step 2: The student answered 2 questions incorrectly.
The points from incorrect answers are calculated as follows:
2×2=4-2 \times 2 = -4 points.

Step 3: The student left 3 questions unattempted.
The points from unattempted questions are calculated as follows:
4×3=12-4 \times 3 = -12 points.

Step 4: Add all the points from the above scenarios:
Total points = (Points from correct answers) + (Points from incorrect answers) + (Points from unattempted questions)
Total points = 75+(4)+(12)=75412=59 75 + (-4) + (-12) = 75 - 4 - 12 = 59 .

Therefore, the student's final score is 59 59 .

3

Final Answer

59 59

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • Scoring Rule: Multiply each answer type by its point value
  • Technique: Calculate separately: 15×5 = 75, 2×(-2) = -4, 3×(-4) = -12
  • Check: Verify total questions add up: 15 + 2 + 3 = 20 questions ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Adding negative points as positive values
    Don't add -4 and -12 as +4 and +12 = inflated score of 91! This ignores the penalty system completely. Always keep negative signs when adding wrong and unattempted points.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

a is negative number.

b is negative number.

What is the sum of a+b?

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why are unattempted questions penalized more than wrong answers?

+

This encourages students to attempt every question! Getting -2 for a wrong guess is better than -4 for not trying. It rewards effort and educated guessing.

Do I need to check if all questions are accounted for?

+

Yes, always verify! The number of correct + incorrect + unattempted should equal the total questions. In this case: 15+2+3=20 15 + 2 + 3 = 20 questions.

What if I get a negative total score?

+

That's possible with this scoring system! If you get many wrong or skip too many questions, your penalties can exceed your correct points. This teaches the importance of preparation.

Can I solve this in a different order?

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Absolutely! You can calculate wrong answers first, then correct, then unattempted. The final sum will be the same regardless of calculation order.

How do I remember which points go with which answers?

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Make a simple chart: Correct = +5, Wrong = -2, Skipped = -4. The negative signs show these are penalties, while positive shows rewards.

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