FAA Mathematics — All 12 PYQs Solved & Tagged
✅ FAA MATHEMATICS — Every PYQ Solved
12 questions — 2024 Q81–Q90 (all ten) and 2022 Q32, Q37. Each is tagged by syllabus topic and worked step by step. Companion: Maths-Analysis-and-Mapping
I re-solved all 12 from scratch. Eleven agree with the key. Q89 does not — the paper has no correct option (see below).
2024 PAPER — Q81 to Q90
Q81 · Topic (i) — Simple / Compound Interest
Q82 · Topic (ii) — Linear Equations in Two Variables
Tom ordered 2 hamburgers + 1 soft drink = ₹70. Jerry ordered 1 hamburger + 2 soft drinks = ₹50. Cost of one of each? A) H 10, D 30 · B) H 30, D 10 · C) H 15, D 25 · D) H 25, D 15
Answer: B
Let hamburger = h, soft drink = s: Multiply the first by 2: . Subtract the second: ⭐ Faster on exam day: just test the options. B gives 2(30)+10 = 70 ✓ and 30+2(10) = 50 ✓. Substitution beats elimination when four options are handed to you.
Q83 · Topic (iii) — Permutations / Combinations & Binomial Theorem
Which statements are correct? a. Arrangements of "PEPPER" = 60 · b. Committee of 3 from 20 = C(20,3) · c. (2+x)³ = 8+6x+12x²+x³ · d. 3 boys and 3 girls in a row = 360 A) c and d · B) b and c · C) a and b · D) d and a
Answer: C
- a ✅ PEPPER has 6 letters: P×3, E×2, R×1 →
- b ✅ Order doesn't matter → a combination,
- c ❌ . The statement swaps the 6 and the 12
- d ❌ 6 people in a row = , not 360. (360 would be the answer if boys and girls had to alternate: 2 × 3! × 3!)
Q84 · Topic (iv) — Limits & Derivatives
Which statements are correct? a. lim(x²−1)/(x−1) at x→1 is 0 · b. f(x)=1/x ⇒ f′(x)=1/x² · c. lim(eˣ−1)/x at x→0 is 1 · d. derivative = lim(h→0)[f(x+h)−f(x)]/h A) b and c · B) a and b · C) d and a · D) c and d
Answer: D
- a ❌ , not 0
- b ❌ — the statement drops the minus sign
- c ✅ — a standard limit worth memorising
- d ✅ The first-principles definition of the derivative
Q85 · Topic (v) — Set Theory
A = {x ∈ ℝ : |x| < 1}, B = {x ∈ ℝ : |x−1| ≥ 1}, and A ∪ B = ℝ \ D. Find D. A) {x : 1 ≤ x < 2} · B) {x : 1 < x ≤ 2} · C) {x : 0 ≤ x ≤ 2} · D) {x : 1 ≤ x ≤ 2}
Answer: A
Step 1 — unpack the modulus sets: A: |x| < 1 \Rightarrow -1 < x < 1 Step 2 — union: Step 3 — D is what is left out: D = \mathbb{R} \setminus (A \cup B) = [1, 2) = \mathbf{\{x : 1 \le x < 2\}} ⚠️ The whole question turns on the brackets. 1 is included (A stops just before 1); 2 is not (B starts at 2). Options A and D differ only there.
Q86 · Topic (vi) — Relations and Functions
Match the relations to their properties. A) a-1,b-2,c-3,d-5 · B) a-2,b-1,c-5,d-4 · C) a-3,b-4,c-1,d-2 · D) a-4, b-5, c-1, d-2
Answer: D
- b → 5 is a circle; one x gives two y values → not a function ✓
- c → 1 , so ✓
- d → 2 is increasing on (0, ∞) but not on ℝ ✓
- a → 4 by elimination ⚠️ Paper error in pair (a). means , whose range is (−∞, 2] — not the [−2, ∞) in statement 4. That is the range of , almost certainly what was intended. D is still correct, because b, c and d are all certain.
Q87 · Topic (vii) — Matrices & Determinants
Match each matrix to its determinant. A) a-3, b-1, c-4, d-5 · B) a-3,b-2,c-5,d-1 · C) a-4,b-1,c-2,d-5 · D) a-1,b-2,c-3,d-4
Answer: A
| Matrix | Rule | Det | |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | Square matrix with two identical rows | ⭐ identical rows ⇒ determinant is 0 | 0 (3) |
| b | 3×3 identity matrix | ⭐ det(I) = 1 | 1 (1) |
| c | 3×3 diagonal, entries 1, 2, 3 | ⭐ diagonal ⇒ product of the diagonal | 6 (4) |
| d | det(P)=2, det(Q)=4, find det(PQᵀ) | ⭐ det(AB)=det(A)det(B) and det(Qᵀ)=det(Q) | 8 (5) |
| ⭐ Five determinant rules in one question — all pure recall. This is the highest-value single thing to memorise in the maths section. |
Q88 · Topic (viii) — Probability
Arrange in increasing order of probability: a. a diamond from 52 cards · b. a King from 52 cards · c. rolling a number between 1 and 6 on a die · d. heads on a fair coin A) a,b,d,c · B) c,a,d,b · C) b, a, d, c · D) d,a,c,b
Answer: C
| Event | Probability | Value |
|---|---|---|
| b King | 4/52 = 1/13 | 0.077 |
| a Diamond | 13/52 = 1/4 | 0.250 |
| d Heads | 1/2 | 0.500 |
| c A number 1–6 on a die | 6/6 | 1.000 (certain) |
| Increasing → b, a, d, c ✓ | ||
| ⭐ The key insight is c. "A number between 1 and 6" on a six-sided die is a certain event, probability 1 — so it must be last. That alone eliminates A, B and D. | ||
⭐ This same topic is worth another mark in the Statistics section — see Notes-Statistics.md Topic (vi). |
Q89 · Topic (ix) — Coordinate & 3-D Geometry — ⚠️ NO CORRECT OPTION
Area of the triangle with A(1,2,3), B(3,2,1), C(2,4,5) A) √20 · B) √23 · C) √26 · D) √29
Correct working gives √17 — which is not on the list
Options are 4.472, 4.796, 5.099, 5.385 — none is √17.
The key in 2024-paper.md says "D) √29" but admits it is "as per matching patterns … approximations" — it was guessed.
⭐ Learn the method, not this answer: Area = ½ |AB × AC|. If this shape appears in 2026, compute it and take the nearest option.
Q90 · Topic (x) — Vectors
The unit vector having the opposite direction of the vector (1, −1) is A) (1/√2)(1,−1) · B) (−1/√2)(1,−1) · C) (−1, 1) · D) (1, −1)
Answer: B
⚠️ C is the trap. (−1, 1) does point the opposite way, but its magnitude is √2 — it is not a unit vector. The question asks for a unit vector, so it must be divided by √2.
2022 PAPER — the only two maths questions
Q32 · Topic (v) — Set Theory
Q37 · Topic (ix) — Coordinate Geometry
📋 ANSWER KEY
| Q | Topic | Ans | Q | Topic | Ans | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81 | (i) Interest | C | 86 | (vi) Relations & Functions | D | |
| 82 | (ii) Linear equations | B | 87 | (vii) Matrices & Determinants | A | |
| 83 | (iii) P&C / Binomial | C | 88 | (viii) Probability | C | |
| 84 | (iv) Limits & Derivatives | D | 89 | (ix) Coordinate & 3-D | ⚠️ void | |
| 85 | (v) Set Theory | A | 90 | (x) Vectors | B | |
| 2022 Q32 | (v) Set Theory | D | ||||
| 2022 Q37 | (ix) Coordinate | B |
Distribution (11 valid): A = 2 · B = 4 · C = 3 · D = 2
🪤 The traps, in one place
| Q | Trap |
|---|---|
| 81 | Time must be in years — 9 months = 9/12 |
| 83 | coefficients are 12 then 6, not 6 then 12 |
| 84 | Derivative of 1/x is negative — 1/x² |
| 85 | Bracket types: 1 is included, 2 is not |
| 87 | det(Qᵀ) = det(Q) — the transpose changes nothing |
| 88 | "A number between 1 and 6" on a die is certain (P = 1) |
| 90 | (−1, 1) points the right way but is not a unit vector |
| 2022 Q32 | Symmetric difference removes the intersection |
🔗 Related
- Analysis & mapping: Maths-Analysis-and-Mapping
- Probability theory (shared with the Statistics section):
Notes-Statistics.md→ Topic (vi) - Papers: 2022-paper · 2024-paper · Home