Skip to main content
A-LevelMathematicsProbability and statistics9709/52 · Feb/Mar 2021 · Q711 Marks

There are 400 students at a school in a certain country. Each student was asked whether they preferred swimming, cycling or running and the results are given in the following table. | | Swimming | Cycling | Running | |-----------|----------|---------|---------| | Female | 104 | 50 | 66 | | Male | 31 | 57 | 92 | A student is chosen at random. On average at all the schools in this country 30% of the students do not like any sports.

  1. (a)(i)Find the probability that the student prefers swimming.[1]
  2. (a)(ii)Determine whether the events 'the student is male' and 'the student prefers swimming' are independent, justifying your answer.[2]
  3. (b)(i)10 of the students from this country are chosen at random. Find the probability that at least 3 of these students do not like any sports.[3]
  4. (b)(ii)90 students from this country are now chosen at random. Use an approximation to find the probability that fewer than 32 of them do not like any sports.[5]

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Feb/Mar 2021). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

  1. [1] B1 Evaluated, exact value.
  2. [1] M1 Their P(M) × their P(S) seen, accept unsimplified.
  3. [1] A1 P(M), P(S) and P(M∩ S) notation seen, numerical comparison and correct conclusion, WWW.
  4. [1] M1 [P(M|S) =] their P(M∩S) / their P(S) (oe) seen, accept unsimplified.
  5. [1] A1 P(M), P(S) and P(M∩ S) notation seen, numerical comparison and correct conclusion, WWW.
  6. [1] M1 ¹⁰Cₓpˣ(1-p)¹⁰⁻ˣ for 0 < x < 10, 0 < p < 1, any p.
  7. [1] A1 Correct expression, accept unsimplified, condone omission of final bracket, condone recovery from poor notation.
  8. [1] A1 Accept 0.61715 ≤ p < 0·61722, WWW.
  9. [1] M1 ¹⁰Cₓpˣ(1-p)¹⁰⁻ˣ for 0 < x < 10, 0 < p < 1, any p.
  10. [1] A1 Correct unsimplified expression.
  11. [1] A1 Accept 0.61715 < p < 0·61722, WWW.
  12. [1] B1 Correct mean and variance, allow unsimplified. Condone σ = 4·347 evaluated.
  13. [1] M1 Substituting their μ and σ (not σ², √σ) into the ±standardising formula with a numerical value for '31·5'.
  14. [1] M1 Using either 31.5 or 32.5 within a standardising formula with numerical values for their μ and σ (condone σ², √σ).
  15. [1] M1 Appropriate area Φ, from standardisation formula P(z<...) in final solution, must be probability.
  16. [1] A1 Allow 0·8495 < p < 0·85(0), final answer WWW.

Write your answer and get it marked

On Oracle Prep you can write or photograph your own answer and have it marked by AI against this mark scheme, with feedback on what you missed.

Sign up free →

About this question

Topic
Probability and statistics, A-Level Mathematics (syllabus 9709). Structured question, 11 marks.
Source
A-Level Mathematics, Feb/Mar 2021 Paper 5 Variant 2, question 7.

Questions and mark schemes are from past examination papers and remain the copyright of the exam board. How Oracle Prep builds its content

Related Mathematics questions

© 2026 Oracle Prep