Questions

EXTENSION 1
Combinatorics (Ext1), A1 Working with Combinatorics (Y11) 1. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2015 HSC 4 MC
Permutations and Combinations (Ext1) A rowing team consists of 8 rowers and a coxswain.
Teacher: Sarita Venkataya The rowers are selected from 12 students in Year 10.
Exam Equivalent Time: 90 minutes (based on allocation of 1.5 minutes per mark) The coxswain is selected from 4 students in Year 9.
In how many ways could the team be selected?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)

2. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2020 HSC 8 MC

Out of 10 contestants, six are to be selected for the final round of a competition. Four of those six will
be placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th.
HISTORICAL CONTRIBUTION
In how many ways can this process be carried out?
Combinatorics has contributed a healthy average of 9.5% per new syllabus Ext1 exam since it was
introduced in 2020. A.
This topic has been split into two sub-categories for analysis purposes which are: 1-Permutations
and Combinations (3.8%) and 2-Binomial Expansion (5.7%). B.

This analysis looks at Permutations and Combinations.

C.

HSC ANALYSIS - What to expect and common pitfalls

D.
Permutations and Combinations (3.8%) has been examined in both the multiple choice and longer
answer sections of every new syllabus Ext1 exam to date.
Recent multiple choice questions have ratcheted up the typical band 4 difficulty level of this question 3. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2016 HSC 8 MC
type, and multiple choice questions in the period 2019-22 deserve particular attention.
A team of 11 students is to be formed from a group of 18 students. Among the 18 students are 3
The pigeonhole principle represents new Ext1 content whose importance is underlined by its students who are left-handed.
inclusion in every new syllabus exam, including longer answer questions in both 2022 and 2021. We
What is the number of possible teams containing at least 1 student who is left-handed?
recommend particular attention be given to 2021 Ext1 10 MC and 2020 Ext1 12c that caused
problems with mean marks of 31% and 52% respectively. (A)
Common question types require a deep understanding or ordered and unordered combinations, as (B)
well as combinations in a circle. All question styles are well represented in the database.
(C)
We recommend students get exposure to questions involving geometry, last examined in 2022 where
(D)
it was poorly answered (mean mark 37%).
Be aware that this topic area is the source of some of the most difficult questions examiners have
thrown at students (some of the beasts include 2015 Ext1 14c, 2014 Ext1 14b and 2010 Ext1 7c).
4. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2012 HSC 5 MC 7. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2017 HSC 10 MC
How many arrangements of the letters of the word are possible if the and the Three squares are chosen at random from the 3 × 3 grid below, and a cross is placed in each chosen
are to be together in any order? square.
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)

5. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2013 HSC 7 MC

What is the probability that all three crosses lie in the same row, column or diagonal?
A family of eight is seated randomly around a circular table.
A.
What is the probability that the two youngest members of the family sit together?
B.
(A)

C.
(B)

D.
(C)

(D)
8. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2019 HSC 8 MC
In how many ways can all the letters of the word PARALLEL be placed in a line with the three Ls
6. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2014 HSC 8 MC together?

In how many ways can 6 people from a group of 15 people be chosen and then arranged A.
in a circle?
B.
(A)

C.
(B)

D.
(C)

(D) 9. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2021 HSC 10 MC

The members of a club voted for a new president. There were 15 candidates for the position of
president and 3543 members voted. Each member voted for one candidate only.
One candidate received more votes than anyone else and so became the new president.
What is the smallest number of votes the new president could have received?
A. 236
B. 237
C. 238
D. 239
10. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2022 HSC 7 MC 13. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2022 HSC 12b
The diagram shows triangle with points chosen on each of the sides. On side , 3 points are
chosen. On side , 4 points are chosen. On side , 5 points are chosen.
A sports association manages 13 junior teams. It decides to check the age of all players. Any team
that has more than 3 players above the age limit will be penalised.
A total of 41 players are found to be above the age limit.
Will any team be penalised? Justify your answer. (2 marks)

14. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2011 HSC 2e

Alex’s playlist consists of 40 different songs that can be arranged in any order.
i. How many arrangements are there for the 40 songs? (1 mark)

How many triangles can be formed using the chosen points as vertices? ii. Alex decides that she wants to play her three favourite songs first, in any order.
A. 60 How many arrangements of the 40 songs are now possible? (1 mark)

B. 145
C. 205 15. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2004 HSC 2e
D. 220 A four-person team is to be chosen at random from nine women and seven men.
i. In how many ways can this team be chosen? (1 mark)

11. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2018 HSC 8 MC ii. What is the probability that the team will consist of four women? (1 mark)

Six men and six women are to be seated at a round table.

In how many different ways can they be seated if men and women alternate? 16. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2021 HSC 11d
A. A committee containing 5 men and 3 women is to be formed from a group of 10 men and 8 women.
B. In how many different ways can the committee be formed? (1 mark)

C.
D. 17. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 SM-Bank 11
A multiple choice quiz asks students 4 questions. Each question has three possible answers, a, b or
12. Combinatorics, EXT1′ S1 2019 HSC 10 MC c, and students must attempt each question.

An access code consists of 4 digits chosen from the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. The code will only How many students must do the quiz to ensure that at least two sets of answers are identical? (2
marks)
work if the digits are entered in the correct order.
Some access codes contain exactly two different digits, for example 3377 or 5155.
18. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 EQ-Bank 12
How many such access codes can be made using exactly two different digits?
A. 630 Eleven numbers are randomly chosen from the set of integers, , where

B. 900
Prove that the sum of two of the eleven numbers randomly selected must equal 21. (2 marks)
C. 1080
D. 2160
19. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 EQ-Bank 13 25. Combinatorics, EXT1′ A1 2007 HSC 5a
A sock drawer contains blue, white and green socks. A bag contains 12 red marbles and 12 yellow marbles. Six marbles are selected at random without
replacement.
If individual socks are randomly chosen from the drawer, what is the minimum number that must be
selected to ensure there are at least three pairs? (2 marks) i. Calculate the probability that exactly three of the selected marbles are red. Give your answer correct
to two decimal places. (1 mark)
ii. Hence, or otherwise, calculate the probability that more than three of the selected marbles are red.
20. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 EQ-Bank 4
Give your answer correct to two decimal places. (2 marks)
How many numbers greater than 6000 can be formed with the digits 1, 4, 5, 7, 8 if no digit is
repeated. (2 marks)
26. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 SM-Bank 6
i. In how many ways can the numbers 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 be arranged around a circle? (1 mark)
21. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 EQ-Bank 14
ii. How many of these arrangements have at least two odd numbers together? (2 marks)
A delivery company has 1095 packages to deliver on a given day.
It has 17 delivery vans that will deliver all packages. If one van delivers more packages than all other
vans, the company pays the driver a $100 bonus. 27. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 SM-Bank 21
What is the minimum number of packages a van could deliver and still win the $100 bonus. (2 marks) Eight points , are arranged in order around a circle, as shown below.

22. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2012 HSC 11e P1

P8 P2
In how many ways can a committee of 3 men and 4 women be selected from a group of 8 men and
10 women? (1 mark)

P7 P3
23. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2007 HSC 5b
Mr and Mrs Roberts and their four children go to the theatre. They are randomly allocated six
adjacent seats in a single row. P6 P4

What is the probability that the four children are allocated seats next to each other? (2 marks)
P5

i. How many triangles can be drawn using these points as vertices? (1 mark)
24. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2020 HSC 12c
ii. How many pairs of triangles can be drawn, where the vertices of each triangle are distinct points?
To complete a course, a student must choose and pass exactly three topics. (2 marks)

There are eight topics from which to choose.

Last year 400 students completed the course.
Explain, using the pigeonhole principle, why at least eight students passed exactly the same three 28. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 SM-Bank 5
topics. (2 marks)
i. In how many ways can the letters of COOKBOOK be arranged in a line? (1 mark)

ii. What is the probability that a random rearrangement of the letters has four O's together? (2 marks)
29. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2004 HSC 4c Worked Solutions
Katie is one of ten members of a social club. Each week one member is selected at random to win a
prize. 1. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2015 HSC 4 MC
i. What is the probability that in the first 7 weeks Katie will win at least 1 prize? (1 mark)

ii. Show that in the first 20 weeks Katie has a greater chance of winning exactly 2 prizes than of
winning exactly 1 prize. (2 marks)
iii. For how many weeks must Katie participate in the prize drawing so that she has a greater chance
of winning exactly 3 prizes than of winning exactly 2 prizes? (2 marks)

30. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2006 HSC 3c

Sophie has five coloured blocks: one red, one blue, one green, one yellow and one white. She stacks
two, three, four or five blocks on top of one another to form a vertical tower. 2. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2020 HSC 8 MC
i. How many different towers are there that she could form that are three blocks high? (1 mark)

ii. How many different towers can she form in total? (2 marks)

31. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2008 HSC 4b

Barbara and John and six other people go through a doorway one at a time.
i. In how many ways can the eight people go through the doorway if John goes through the doorway
after Barbara with no-one in between? (1 mark)
ii. Find the number of ways in which the eight people can go through the doorway if John goes
through the doorway after Barbara. (1 mark)
3. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2016 HSC 8 MC

32. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2010 HSC 3a

At the front of a building there are five garage doors. Two of the doors are to be painted red, one is to
be painted green, one blue and one orange.
i. How many possible arrangements are there for the colours on the doors? (1 mark)

ii. How many possible arrangements are there for the colours on the doors if the two red doors are
next to each other? (1 mark) 4. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2012 HSC 5 MC

33. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 SM-Bank 20

How many rectangles, including all squares, can be found in the 4 × 5 grid below, in total? (2 marks)

Copyright © 2004-22 The State of New South Wales (Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW)
5. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2013 HSC 7 MC 9. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2021 HSC 10 MC

♦♦ Mean mark 31%.

6. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2014 HSC 8 MC

10. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2022 HSC 7 MC

♦♦ Mean mark 37%.

7. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2017 HSC 10 MC

11. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2018 HSC 8 MC

♦ Mean mark 42%.

8. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2019 HSC 8 MC

♦ Mean mark 47%.

12. Combinatorics, EXT1′ S1 2019 HSC 10 MC 15. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2004 HSC 2e
i.

ii.

16. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2021 HSC 11d

13. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2022 HSC 12b

17. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 SM-Bank 11

COMMENT: Note that “By PHP”

refers to by pigeonhole principle.

18. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 EQ-Bank 12

14. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2011 HSC 2e

i.
COMMENT: Note that “By PHP”
refers to by pigeonhole principle.

ii.
19. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 EQ-Bank 13 23. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2007 HSC 5b

COMMENT: Note that “By PHP”

refers to by pigeonhole principle.

20. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 EQ-Bank 4

24. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2020 HSC 12c

21. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 EQ-Bank 14 Mean mark 52%.

COMMENT: Note that “By PHP”

refers to by pigeonhole principle.

22. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2012 HSC 11e

25. Combinatorics, EXT1′ A1 2007 HSC 5a 26. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 SM-Bank 6
i. i.

ii.

Even Even
ii.

Odd Odd

Even

27. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 SM-Bank 21

i.

COMMENT: In part (ii), divide by 2

to account for duplicate pairs.
ii.
28. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 SM-Bank 5 29. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2004 HSC 4c
i.
i.

ii.

ii.

iii.
 31. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2008 HSC 4b
i.

30. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2006 HSC 3c

i.

ii.

ii.
32. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 2010 HSC 3a

i.

ii. ♦ Mean mark 50%

MARKER’S COMMENT: Drawing a
diagram was a successful strategy
for many students in this part.

33. Combinatorics, EXT1 A1 SM-Bank 20

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