WASSCE 2026 Core Mathematics Sample Story Problem Questions To Solve

In the 2025 WASSCE Chief Examiner report for Core Mathematics, one of the issues identified as a cause of student failure was their inability to solve story problems. This means that in the 2026 WASSCE, WAEC will definitely bring more of such questions. This is the key reason why this question-based article from Ghana Education News is very important.

We have carefully selected topics and provided students with sample story problem questions under core mathematics. As candidates solve these questions, they will be testing their readiness for any related questions that WAEC may be throwing at them in the 2026 WASSCE for school candidates.

The questions below are WAEC Core Mathematics questions. Do well to solve these questions in order to pass your WASSCE.

Also follow this site for WASSCE-related information and all educational updates.

Solve the following WASSCE 2026 Core Mathematics sample story problems

Answer all the questions in this section. All questions carry equal marks.

The third term of an arithmetic progression (A.P.) is 23, and the sum of the first seven terms is 210. Find the:
(a) common difference;
(b) first term,
Candidate’s Name:

2.
(a) In a restaurant, the total cost of 2 packed lunch and parked breakfast is $40.00 If the cost of 2 packed lunch is $12.00 less than the ct of a packed breakfast, find the cost of a packed breakfast.
(b) Form a quadratic equation whose roots are
and 5

SECTION B

Answer five questions only from this section. All questions carry equal marks.

6. In a house of 20 people, 8 liked Ampesi, 12 liked Banku, and 12 liked Fufu. 5 liked both Ampesi and Fufu, 6 Banku and Fufu, 2 only Ampesi, and 3 liked all three types of food.
(a) Illustrate the information on a Venn diagram. (b) Find the number of people in the house who liked:
(i) only fufu:
(ii) exactly two types;
(ii) only one type of food.

7. (a) A man covers a distance of 8 km to a stadium in 1 hour. He walks part of the distance at 6 km/h and runs the rest at 10 km/h. How many kilometers did he run?
(b) A factory purchased a new machine at the cost of N 3,000,000.00. In its operation, it depreciates at the rate of 15% in the first year and 20% yearly thereafter. Calculate the value of the machine at the end of the third year.

10. A boat is on the same horizontal level as the foot of a vertical tower. The angle of depression of the boat from the top of the tower is 39°. If the boat is 30 m away from the foot of the tower,
(a) Illustrate the information in a diagram;

(b) find, correct to three significant figures, the height of the tower.
(c) If the boat moves further away to a new position, P and the initial angle of depression decreased by 5°, calculate the distance moved by the boat from its initial position.

READ: Ace Your 2023 WASSCE Core Maths Exam: Expert Tips to Score an ‘A’

11. A military tent is in the form of a pyramid with a square base. The vertex of the tent, V, and the base ABCD is of side length 8 m. The angle between a sloping face and the base is 70°. Calculate, correct to two decimal places, the: (a) height of the tent;
(b) area of tarpaulin needed to cover the tent completely; (c) total amount needed to buy the tarpaulin in 11(b) if 3 m² of tarpaulin cost GHS 7.20.

Try your hand on these questions and check out your improvement in core mathematics. Good luck as you prepare with these core mathematics sample story problem questions.