ECON1003 - Exam Outline (Final)

Exam structure:
The final is divided into two (2) sections:
✓ Section A: is compulsory. You are required to answer all questions in this section.

Question 1: Differentiation

Question 2: Matrix Algebra

✓ Section B: has choices. ANSWER TWO (2) QUESTIONS IN THIS SECTION

Question 3: Functions and Inequalities

Question 4: Equations

Question 5: Logarithmic & Exponential Functions

Areas of Focus:

Unit 8 – Differentiation

• Know all the rules of differentiation (power, chain, product, quotient rules), and how to apply
them to find 𝒇′(𝒙)
• Know how to differentiate exponential and logarithmic functions

Unit 5 – Matrix Algebra

• Know how to determine whether matrix products exist/ or are defined, and if the product is
defined know how to determine the order or dimension of the product/ result.
• Know matrix addition, multiplication (including scalar multiplication and how to multiply two
matrices) and transposition (how to transpose a matrix).
• Know the properties of transposition, and how to prove them. The problem set questions help
with this in addition to examples shown in class.

Unit 1 – Functions

• Know how to evaluate functions

Unit 2 – Inequalities

• Know how to solve linear inequalities. (Make sure to pay special attention in addition, to the
rule about multiplying and dividing inequalities by negative numbers – notice the sign changes
when you do this)

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Unit 3 – Equations

• Please remember that for all equations you solve, not all of the answers you get are the
solutions to the equation that you are looking for (not all of them make sense). So please,
remember to check your answers by plugging them back into the equation and evaluating to
see if they make sense.
• Know how to solve linear equations (in addition to how to expand brackets etc.) The questions
on the problem set should be able to help you with learning and practicing these.
• Know the standard form for a quadratic equation.
• Know the quadratic formula. You may need it.
• Know how to solve quadratic equations by both factoring and using the quadratic formula.
Remember you need to check your answers.
• Know how to do synthetic and long division and know how to write down the resulting
quotient. (You need to get these processes accurately, so practice, practice, practice.
Remember that for synthetic division you are using the reverse sign of R in the divisor
to do the synthetic division). Also know which value is the remainder when you’re done
with the synthetic or long divisions. Know how to put together the quotient after you
have done the synthetic division (This is a bit harder to see for synthetic division, but
for long division, the quotient is the result you get at the top of the division sign.)
Synthetic division Example:

Unit 4 – Exponentials and Logarithms

• Know how to convert exponential expressions to its equivalent logarithmic expression

• Also, know how to convert logarithmic expressions back to their equivalent exponential
expressions.
• Know how to evaluate logs, or to solve logs
• Know the rules/ properties of logs and how to apply them to breaking down or combine
expressions.

Please use the tutorial questions to practice all of the above while studying. Devote an equal
amount of time to studying and practicing. You will know that you have a strong mastery of the
concepts above if and only if you are able to solve questions on your own without looking at the
solutions. So please PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!

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