TEACHERS SERVICE COMMISSION

TEACHER PROFICIENCY TEST (SECONDARY PHYSICS)

INSTRUCTIONS

Read the following instructions carefully.

1. This paper consists of 40 questions.

2. Answer all the questions in the paper.
3. Circle only one correct answer in each case.
4. You have 1½ hours.
5. Observe the following:
a) Turn off your cell phone and put it away;
b) Sign and complete background information page;
c) Begin your work on the test only when prompted to do so.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION

a) I, the undersigned, agree never to share or discuss the questions and/or answers with
anyone of/for this test in any way, format or media.
(i) Signature: _________________
(ii) Date of birth(dd/mm/yy):___________________________
(iii) Surname: ________________
(iv) Other names: _________________
b) TSC No.__________________
c) Gender: Female Male
d) Highest Qualification: University Diploma Other (pls. specify): _____________________
e) Field of Study: Physics Other (pls. specify): _________________________________
f) Current Work Station_____________________________________
g) County: ______________________ Sub-county: ______________________________
h) Teaching subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Other (pls.
specify):_________________
i) Classes that you teach: F1 F2 F3 F4
j) Tick on approximate number of students in your classes:<30 30-40 40-50 50-60 >60
k) Number of lessons per week(all subjects): ___________________________
l) Are you a subject head at your school? Yes No
m) If yes in (l) , tick the relevant subject/s: Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics N/A
n) Teaching Experience:
(i) In current school:___________
(ii) In your first school: _________
SECTION A: CONTENT KNOWLEDGE (24 MARKS)

1. A teacher drives from Town A to Town B 8 km due East of Town A. He then drove 5 km due West
of Town B. What is the displacement of the teacher?
A. 3 km, West of Town B
B. 3 km, East of Town A
C. 13 km, West of Town B
D. 13 km, East of Town A

2. Figure 1 shows two boxes of masses m and 2m in contact with each other on a frictionless surface.

Figure 1

A force F is applied horizontally on mass m. Which one of the following is true about the horizontal
force acting on the mass 2m?

A. It is half the force F.

B. It is the same as force F.
C. It is twice the force F.
D. It is thrice the force F.

3. Figure 2 shows a circular path of radius r traced by an object moving at a constant speed in an anti-
clockwise direction. Which one of the following arrows represents the direction of the linear velocity
of the object at point x?

Figure 2

A. P
B. Q
 C. R
D. S

4. Figure 3 represents a graph of force against displacement of an object in motion.

Figure 3

Which one of the following values represents the work done by the object during the first 5 m?
A. 15 J
B. 24 J
C. 30 J
D. 48 J

5. A student observed that when an object is fully immersed in water it weighs less than its actual
weight. Which one of the following reasons explains this observation?
A. Upthrust is more in air than in water.
B. Water is less dense than the object.
C. The upthrust force acts on the object.
D. The weight of the water displaced equals the weight of the object.

6. Figure 4 shows three containers of the same height but different shapes filled with the same liquid.

Figure 4

Which one of the following statements correctly compares the pressure P1, P2 and P3 due to the
liquids acting at the bottom of the containers?
 A. P1 < P2 < P3
B. P1 < P2 > P3
C. P2 > P1 > P3
D. P1 = P2 = P3

7. Figure 5 shows a hydraulic lift being used to lift a car.

Figure 5

The small piston has a radius of 5 cm and the large piston has a radius of 50 cm. A force of 88
N is applied to the small piston. Which one of the following values represents the weight the
large piston can support?
A. 8.8 N
B. 88 N
C. 880 N
D. 8800 N

8. The level of olive oil in a burette fell from 23 cm3 mark to 25 cm3 mark when 100 drops were ran
out. When one of the drops of this oil was placed on the surface of water in the large tray, it spread
out and formed a clear circular film of diameter 40 cm. Which one of the following values represents
the diameter of this oil molecule?

A. 1.591 x 10-5 m
B. 1.591 x 10-7 m
C. 4.0 x 10-1 m
D. 7.816 x 10-3 m

9. Table1 shows stretching force and extension produced by different springs made from different
materials.
Table 1

Spring Force (N) Extension (m)

P 8.0 0.08

Q 9.6 0.08

R 5.6 0.04

S 7.5 0.05

One of the springs was used during an experiment and the observation made is illustrated in Figure 6.

Figure 6

Which one of the following is the spring that was used in the experiment?

A. Spring P.
B. Spring R.
C. Spring S.
D. Spring Q.

10. Form Three students wanted to measure the current through the bulb and the potential difference
across it. Which one of the following shows the correct circuit they should connect?
 A C
B

11. Figure 7 shows a bar magnet broken into two pieces.

Figure 7

Which one of the following statements is true about the force between the broken pieces if they
face each other with a small separation?
A. There is an electric repulsive force between the broken pieces.
B. There is an electric attractive force between the broken pieces.
C. There is a magnetic repulsive force between the broken pieces.
D. There is a magnetic attractive force between the broken pieces.
12. Figure 8 shows the magnetic field produced when a current-carrying conductor is placed
perpendicular to the paper.
 Figure 8

Which one of the following is true about the direction of the current in the conductor?
A. Into the page.
B. Out of the page.
C. Clockwise.
D. Counter-clockwise.

13. Figure 9 shows two wave pulses of equal amplitudes moving in the opposite direction within the
same medium.

Figure 9

Which one of the following statements describes what happens when the two wave pulses meet?
A. They produce constructive interference with twice the amplitude.
B. They produce a destructive interference with zero amplitude.
C. They produce a constructive interference with the same amplitude.
D. They produce a constructive interference with negative amplitude.
14. A student placed an object of height 10 cm, 50 cm in front of a bi-convex lens with a focal length of
20 cm. He then made the following observations about the nature of the image he observed.
I) The image is virtual.
II) The image is situated on the opposite side of the lens as the object.
III) The image is inverted.
IV) Magnified.
Which one of the following describes the true characteristics of the image observed?
A. I and II only
B. I and III only
C. II and III only
D. III and IV only

15. Which of the following is the correct order of electro-magnetic radiation with an increasing
frequency?
A. Radio Waves, Visible Light, IR Radiation, UV Radiation, X-Rays, γ –Rays
B. Radio Waves, UV Radiation, Visible Light, IR Radiation, X-Rays, γ –Rays
 C. Radio Waves, Visible Light, X-Rays, IR Radiation, UV Radiation, γ –Rays
D. Radio Waves, IR Radiation, Visible Light, UV Radiation, X-Rays, γ –Rays
16. Which one of the following factors determines the energy of a photon?
A. Amplitude
B. Speed
C. Intensity
D. Frequency
17. A 100 g of a radioactive element has a half-life of 4 days. Which one of the following values
represents the fraction of the radioactive element that will have decayed after 12 days?
.
A.

B.

C.

D.

18. A highly positively charged rod is brought close to but not touching the cap of a positively charged
electroscope. Which one of the following statements is true?
A. Divergence of the leaf decreases.
B. Divergence of the leaf increases.
C. Divergence of the leaf decreases then increases.
D. Divergence of the leaf increases then decreases.
19. A car battery, rated 12 volts 72 AH is fully discharged. Which one of the following values is the
correct duration in minutes it would take to charge the battery using a charging current of 4 A?

A. 3
B. 18
C. 360
D. 1080

20. Table 2 provides a list of appliances and their power ratings.

Table 2

Appliance Power rating

i Refrigerator 120 W, 240V
ii Hairdryer 400 W, 240 V
iii Electric kettle 2000W, 240 V
iv Electric Iron 1000W, 240 V
v Television 300 W, 240 V
 Which one of the following combination of appliances can be safely operated from an extension
cable with a 13A fuse?
A. i,ii,iii,iv
B. i,ii,iii,v
C. i,iii,iv,v
D. ii,iii,iv,v
21. Figure 10 shows a parallel plate capacitor connected to a battery.

Figure 10

Which one of the following statements is true when the switch is closed and the plates of capacitors are
moved apart using an insulating handle?

A: Voltage increases, capacitance decreases.

B: Voltage decreases, capacitance decreases.
C: Voltage increases, charge reduces.
D: Voltage reduces, charge increases.

22. Which one of the following factors will enhance the conductivity of a pure semi-conductor without
the addition of impurities?
A. Doping.
B. Forward bias.
C. Increase temperature.
D. Decrease temperature.
23. Figure 11 shows three identical containers with equal amount of water the same temperatures.
Three metal blocks of different materials but of the same mass are heated to the same temperature
and then put into the beakers. The water is then stirred for some time.

Figure 11
 Which one of the following statements is true?

A. TK has the highest reading; aluminium has the highest heat capacity.
B. TR has the highest reading, iron has the highest heat capacity..
C. TL has the highest reading, lead has the highest heat capacity
D. TK, TR and TL have same reading; all the metals have same heat capacity.
24. Which one of the following shows the correct process of producing x-rays in an x-ray tube?
A. Thermionic Emission of electrons, Acceleration of electrons by high potential difference
between cathode and anode, fast moving electrons stopped by cathode material, x-rays
produced.
B. Thermionic Emission of electrons, Acceleration of electrons by high potential difference
between cathode and anode, fast moving electrons stopped by anode material, x-rays
produced.
C. Electrons emitted by heated filament, Electrons accelerated by high potential difference
between cathode and anode, fast moving electrons strike cathode material, fast moving
electrons change into X- rays
D. Electrons emitted by heated filament, Electrons accelerated by high potential difference
between cathode and anode, fast moving electrons strike anode material, fast moving
electrons change into X- rays

SECTION B: PEDAGOGICAL KNOWLEDGE (16 MARKS)

25. When teaching the topic of force a teacher explains to the learners that the gravitational force
per unit mass on the earth’s surface is six times that on the moon’s surface. The teacher then asks the
learners to explain what they understood by that statement.

John says: Mass of an object on the moon’s surface is a sixth the mass on the earth’s surface.
Jane says: Weight of an object on the moon’s surface is a sixth the weight on the earth’s surface
Which one of the following learners gave the correct explanation?
A. Jane
B. John
C. Both John and Jane
D. None
26. Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) differs from presentation and direct instruction models of teaching in
that the focus of IBL is
A. presenting ideas.
B. demonstrating skills.
C. presenting concepts.
D. facilitating investigations.
27. In pedagogy, a computer is used to
A. motivate the learner.
B. provide feedback to the learner.
C. interact with the learner.
D. all the above.
28. Which one of the following reasons best explains why learners should be encouraged to work in
groups?

A. Enhance communication skills.

B. Allow learners learn from each other.
C. Get learners misconception
D. Encourage leadership skills.

29. Which one of the following is the main reason for improvisation?
A. Lack of teaching staff.
B. Encourage creativity/innovation.
C. Use of locally available materials.
D. Teaching materials are expensive.
30. Which one of the following gives the correct order of cognitive levels in the Blooms Taxonomy?

A. Knowledge, application, comprehension, synthesis, and evaluation.

B. Comprehension ,knowledge, application , synthesis ,analysis, and evaluation.
C. Knowledge, comprehension, application , analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
D. Knowledge , comprehension ,application, evaluation, analysis , and synthesis.

31. Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in Physics is characterized by

A. an emphasis on investigation of real-life situations.
B. a highly structured learning environment.
C. an emphasis on lifelong learning.
D. a competitive task structure.
32. Which one of the following best describes a student's learning experience with inquiry-based
learning in Physics?

A. Students learn from the teacher, who is the subject-matter expert.

B. Students learn by constructing their own knowledge as they explore materials to answer
questions.
C. Students learn through exposure to a variety of media sources, such as videos, audio
recordings, and books.
D. Students learn through repetition and guided practice.

33. A Physics teacher at a secondary school has three students with learning disabilities in her Form
One class. In planning on the topic magnetism, she wants to ensure that all students participate
fully in learning activities. The teacher can best help achieve this by:

A. Preparing a selection of alternative activities that require less advanced physics skills for the
students with learning disabilities.
B. Asking the special education teacher to review the planned activities and utilizing adaptations
suggested for each student who has learning disabilities.
 C. Having the students with learning disabilities work on topic activities with a peer partner who
has strong skills in physics.
D. Trying a few sample activities with the students who have learning disabilities before
beginning the topic and making adjustments as needed.

34. In which of the following situations is a teacher most clearly using reflection and self-assessment to
improve professional practice in physics?

A. A teacher asks another teacher to review his or her lesson plans prior to instruction and
provide feedback on planned activities and materials.
B. A teacher engages in co-teaching with a more experienced teacher when introducing
particularly challenging content to students.
C. A teacher reviews videotapes of his or her instruction and compares with that of a more
experienced teacher to identify teaching strengths and challenges.
D. A teacher creates a comprehensive description of activities used during each grading period
to submit to the department chairperson.

35. In a class, there are students who learn best through visuals. Which one of the following statements
is the least advice one would give a teacher in such a class?

A. Use videos and simulations to teach certain concepts.

B. Use pictures and charts to explain new concepts.
C. Use colour codes to explain concepts.
D. Read out assignments slowly and clearly.

36. A physics teacher asked the learners to determine the density of a solid of volume 80cm3 and mass
0.4kg on the surface of the moon and on the earth’s surface. Most of the learners’ answers indicated
that the density on the surface of the earth was greater than that on the surface of the moon. Which
of the following is the least effective method of teaching to correct the misconception?

A. Use of group discussion.

B. Research work by students using reference materials in the library, internet, etc
C. Use of class experiment.
D. Use of lecture method.

37. Figure 12 shows a set up used to teach the concept of induced current in a coil. Which one of the
following shows the best way to teach using this set up?
A. Review prior knowledge of the learners on electromagnetism and
guide them in performing the activity.
 B. Let the learners do this activity and discover on their own with minimal assistance from the
teacher.
C. Demonstrate the activity to the learners as he/she explains.
D. Explain
Figure 12
38. One of the national goals of education is to promote national unity.
Which one of the following is the best way for a physics teacher to guide learners attain the goal of
national unity?
A. Allow each learner to make a presentation on assignments in class.
B. Allow learners on voluntary basis to make presentation of their choice.
C. Allow all the learners recite the national goal of education during physics lessons.
D. Allow learners to do assignments in groups.

39. Figure 13 shows a Gold leaf electroscope used by the teacher to

teach a concept in electrostatics. The teacher asked the learners to
describe the movement of charges during the charging of the
electroscope. The learners gave the following explanations about the
charges during the charging of the electroscope.
(i). The positive charge flows from the electroscope to the
ground.
(ii). The positive charge flows from the ground to the
electroscope.
(iii). The negative charge flows from the electroscope to the ground
(iv). The negative charge flows from the ground to the electroscope.
Which one of the following shows misconceptions that learners made in their explanations?

A. (i),(ii)
B. (i) , (iii)
C. (ii),(iii),
D. (i), (ii), (iv)

40. Which one of the following least explains why a teacher should have good cultural understanding?
A. To have a general understanding that people from different cultures do things differently
B. To have an understanding of various cultures in order to best respect them
C. To be aware of the culture that is more superior to others in order to offer guidance
D. To help learners from different cultures be assimilated in a classroom environment