TRCN PQE Past Questions and Answers

A teacher notices a Primary 4 pupil can solve problems easily with counters but struggles with the same problem written only in numbers. Which teaching approach addresses this best?

1. Repeat the same worksheet until the pupil memorises the answers
2. Move gradually from concrete materials to pictures to abstract numbers
3. Move the pupil to a lower class
4. Ignore it — the pupil will catch up eventually

What is the main purpose of a lesson plan's "learning objectives" section?

1. To satisfy the school's paperwork requirements
2. To state clearly and measurably what learners should be able to do by the end of the lesson
3. To list every topic in the syllabus
4. To describe the teacher's own qualifications

Which of these is an example of formative assessment?

1. The end-of-term examination
2. A national placement test used for streaming
3. Quick oral questioning during a lesson to check understanding before moving on
4. A certificate awarded at graduation

A pupil consistently disrupts group work but responds well one-on-one. What is the most constructive first step?

1. Remove the pupil from class permanently
2. Punish the whole group so the pupil feels pressure from peers
3. Observe what triggers the disruption and adjust group roles or seating accordingly
4. Assume the pupil is simply badly behaved and take no action

Differentiated instruction mainly means:

1. Giving every learner in the class the exact same task and pace
2. Adjusting content, process or output to match different learners' needs and abilities
3. Only teaching the strongest pupils in the class
4. Separating pupils permanently by ability into different schools

Bloom's taxonomy is most useful to a teacher for:

1. Calculating a pupil's final grade
2. Designing questions and tasks that move learners from recall towards higher-order thinking
3. Deciding the school timetable
4. Grouping pupils by their date of birth

Why is constructive feedback more effective than a bare grade alone?

1. Grades take longer to write
2. Feedback tells the learner specifically what to do to improve, which a grade alone does not
3. Parents prefer feedback to grades
4. It is a school policy requirement with no learning benefit

Scaffolding in teaching refers to:

1. Building physical structures in the classroom
2. Giving temporary, structured support that is gradually withdrawn as the learner gains independence
3. Testing learners without any teacher help from day one
4. Assigning the same homework to every class regardless of level

Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.

1. The teacher, who arrived late collected the register.
2. The teacher who arrived late, collected the register.
3. The teacher who arrived late collected the register.
4. The teacher, who, arrived late collected the register.

Read: "Despite the heavy rain, the pupils still arrived early for the mock examination." What does this sentence mainly convey?

1. The exam was cancelled because of the rain
2. The pupils' commitment overcame a difficult condition
3. The rain stopped before the pupils left home
4. The pupils were late despite the good weather

Which word correctly completes: "Neither the headteacher nor the class teachers ___ aware of the change."

1. was
2. were
3. is
4. has been

Which sentence uses the word "affect" correctly?

1. Poor lighting can affect a pupil's ability to read the board.
2. The affect of poor lighting was clear on the test scores.
3. Please state the affect of the new policy.
4. The teacher's affect on the timetable was significant.

What is the most precise word to replace "get better" in a formal school report: "The pupil needs to get better at spelling"?

1. enhance
2. improve
3. uplift
4. advance

Identify the topic sentence's function in a paragraph.

1. It always appears at the end of the paragraph
2. It states the paragraph's main idea, which the following sentences develop
3. It has no particular function
4. It must be a question

Which sentence is written in the passive voice?

1. The teacher marked the scripts on Sunday.
2. The scripts were marked by the teacher on Sunday.
3. The teacher will mark the scripts.
4. The teacher is marking the scripts.

In a memo to staff, which tone and structure is most appropriate?

1. Long, informal, with slang expressions
2. Clear, concise, with a stated purpose and any action required
3. Written entirely in questions
4. As long as possible to appear thorough

A class has 45 pupils. If 60% are girls, how many boys are there?

1. 27
2. 18
3. 15
4. 20

What is the mean of the scores 4, 6, 7, 9, 9?

1. 6
2. 7
3. 9
4. 8

Simplify: 3/4 + 1/8

1. 4/12
2. 7/8
3. 1/2
4. 5/8

A teacher buys 12 exercise books at ₦150 each and 5 pens at ₦80 each. What is the total cost?

1. ₦2,200
2. ₦2,000
3. ₦2,300
4. ₦1,900

What is 15% of 200?

1. 15
2. 20
3. 30
4. 25

A rectangle has length 12cm and width 5cm. What is its perimeter?

1. 17cm
2. 34cm
3. 60cm
4. 30cm

Solve for x: 3x + 7 = 22

1. x = 5
2. x = 4
3. x = 6
4. x = 7

A test is marked out of 80. A pupil scores 60. What percentage did they score?

1. 60%
2. 70%
3. 75%
4. 80%

Which of these is the safest way to share a document with pupils' scores with only the school's admin staff?

1. Post it in a public class WhatsApp group
2. Print it and leave it on the staff room table
3. Send it privately, or via a shared drive restricted to admin staff
4. Read it out loud in the assembly

In a spreadsheet, which function correctly adds the values in cells B2 to B10?

1. =ADD(B2:B10)
2. =SUM(B2:B10)
3. =TOTAL(B2,B10)
4. =PLUS(B2-B10)

What is the main purpose of a Learning Management System (LMS) in a school context?

1. To replace teachers entirely
2. To organise, deliver and track learning content and pupil progress online
3. To manage only school finances
4. To print report cards

Which of these is a strong password practice?

1. Using your date of birth as the password
2. Using the same password across every school account
3. Using a long, unique passphrase and not sharing it with pupils
4. Writing the password on the whiteboard for convenience

A projector shows no signal from a laptop. What is the most sensible first troubleshooting step?

1. Buy a new projector immediately
2. Check the cable connection and that the laptop's display output is switched on
3. Restart the whole school's network
4. Assume the lesson cannot continue and cancel it

What does "PDF" stand for, in the context of sharing a worksheet with a fixed layout?

1. Personal Data File
2. Portable Document Format
3. Printed Document Format
4. Public Data Folder

Which practice best protects pupils' personal data stored on a school laptop?

1. Leaving the laptop unlocked and logged in at all times
2. Using a password/PIN lock and logging out when not in use
3. Sharing the login with any staff member who asks
4. Storing pupil data in an unprotected public folder

What is the safest way to verify an email claiming to be from TRCN asking for your login details?

1. Reply immediately with your login details
2. Click every link in the email to see where it leads
3. Do not click links or share details; go directly to the official trcn.gov.ng site to check
4. Forward it to all your colleagues

A pupil discloses to you that they are being harmed at home. What should you do first?

1. Promise the pupil complete secrecy and do nothing further
2. Confront the parent yourself immediately
3. Listen calmly, reassure the pupil, and report to the school's designated safeguarding lead promptly
4. Ignore it, as it is a family matter

What is the core principle behind "duty of care" in a school setting?

1. The teacher is responsible only for academic results
2. The school and its staff have a responsibility to protect pupils' safety and wellbeing
3. Duty of care applies only outside school hours
4. Only the headteacher carries any responsibility for pupil safety

Which of these is an appropriate boundary between a teacher and a pupil?

1. Communicating with a pupil only through official, school-sanctioned channels
2. Adding pupils as personal contacts on private social media
3. Meeting a pupil alone outside school without informing anyone
4. Sharing personal problems with pupils for emotional support

What should a teacher do on first noticing unexplained bruising on a young pupil?

1. Say nothing and assume it is normal childhood roughhousing
2. Record the observation factually and report it through the school's safeguarding procedure
3. Ask the pupil to lie about it to avoid trouble
4. Post about it on social media to raise awareness

Bullying between pupils is best addressed by:

1. Telling the pupils to sort it out themselves with no adult involvement
2. A clear, consistently applied anti-bullying procedure involving staff, the pupils and, where needed, parents
3. Punishing only the pupil who reported it, to discourage "troublemaking"
4. Ignoring it unless it becomes physical

Why is confidentiality in a safeguarding disclosure described as "limited," not absolute?

1. Because teachers enjoy sharing pupils' secrets
2. Because information must be shared with those who need it to protect the child, even if the pupil asked for total secrecy
3. Because confidentiality does not apply to children
4. Because it only applies to older pupils

Who is typically the first point of contact within a school for a safeguarding concern?

1. Any pupil in the class
2. The school's designated safeguarding lead
3. The local market association
4. A random member of the public

Which action best supports an inclusive, safe classroom for a pupil with a disability?

1. Excluding the pupil from group activities to avoid difficulty
2. Making reasonable adjustments so the pupil can participate fully and safely
3. Discussing the pupil's condition publicly in front of the class
4. Assuming the pupil cannot learn the same content as others