New Curriculum First Term Pre Vocational Studies examination for Primary 4

Class: Primary 4
Term: First Term
Subject: Pre Vocational Studies
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Marks: 70

SECTION A: OBJECTIVES (40 Marks)
Instruction: Answer all questions. Each question carries 1 mark.

1. Agriculture includes activities concerned with ________. (a) only manufacturing electrical cables    (b) only selling imported clothing    (c) growing crops and rearing animals    (d) only building classrooms
2. Which activity is an example of crop production? (a) Planting maize    (b) Milking a cow    (c) Feeding poultry    (d) Shearing a sheep
3. Agriculture provides raw materials for industries such as ________. (a) vehicle painting    (b) textile production from cotton    (c) telephone network installation    (d) glassmaking from sand only
4. Farmers earn income when they ________. (a) avoid every market activity    (b) keep all harvests without using them    (c) destroy harvested crops    (d) sell produce from their farms
5. The scope of agriculture includes ________. (a) crop production, livestock and related services    (b) only studying rocks    (c) only growing flowers for decoration    (d) only selling cooked food
6. Which occupation belongs to animal husbandry? (a) Printing    (b) Tailoring    (c) Poultry farming    (d) Bricklaying
7. Soil is important to many crops because it ________. (a) makes sunlight unnecessary    (b) supports roots and supplies water and nutrients    (c) produces seeds without plants    (d) prevents all diseases
8. Which type of soil commonly has the largest particles? (a) Silty soil    (b) Loamy soil    (c) Sandy soil    (d) Clay soil
9. Soil that feels sticky when wet and holds much water is often ________. (a) dry loam    (b) sandy soil    (c) gravel    (d) clay soil
10. For many crops, loamy soil is useful because it ________. (a) contains only stones    (b) balances drainage with water and nutrient retention    (c) has no organic matter    (d) does not require air spaces
11. Soil infertility means the soil ________. (a) cannot adequately supply nutrients for healthy plant growth    (b) is always full of healthy plants    (c) is permanently covered with water    (d) contains enough nutrients for all crops
12. Continuous cropping without replacing nutrients may cause ________. (a) increased soil fertility without inputs    (b) formation of extra humus    (c) soil nutrient depletion    (d) automatic soil enrichment
13. Which practice can enrich soil naturally? (a) Removing topsoil each season    (b) Adding well-rotted compost    (c) Leaving soil uncovered during heavy rain    (d) Burning all plant residues repeatedly
14. Rotating crops can help by ________. (a) maintaining soil productivity    (b) removing every soil organism    (c) making all fertilisers unnecessary forever    (d) stopping water from entering soil
15. Which of these is a vocational opportunity in crop production? (a) Motorcycle repair    (b) Vegetable farming    (c) Hairdressing    (d) Bookbinding
16. An agricultural entrepreneur who sells farm produce is engaged in ________. (a) road construction    (b) electrical wiring    (c) agricultural marketing    (d) printing only
17. Which tool is suitable for digging small planting holes? (a) Watering can    (b) Wheelbarrow    (c) Rake    (d) Hand trowel
18. A hoe is commonly used for ________. (a) spraying paint    (b) measuring rainfall    (c) weeding and loosening soil    (d) watering seedlings
19. A watering can is best used to ________. (a) cut thick branches    (b) apply water gently to seedlings    (c) turn over heavy soil    (d) harvest maize ears
20. A rake is particularly useful for ________. (a) cutting weeds below the roots    (b) watering young plants    (c) carrying harvested yams    (d) gathering debris and levelling loose soil
21. A farmer who raises chickens for meat and eggs practises ________. (a) crop farming only    (b) animal production    (c) soil testing only    (d) farm machinery repair only
22. Which agricultural activity provides materials for a textile factory? (a) Growing cotton    (b) Raising fish    (c) Selling fresh tomatoes    (d) Producing table eggs
23. Selling harvested maize at a market enables a farmer to ________. (a) prevent every pest    (b) increase rainfall    (c) earn income    (d) create new soil
24. Agriculture contributes to food security by ________. (a) eliminating all food storage    (b) removing crops from markets    (c) reducing the need for meals    (d) producing food for people
25. A poultry keeper is involved in ________. (a) animal husbandry    (b) forest surveying only    (c) soil mapping only    (d) road transport
26. Which soil allows water to pass through most quickly? (a) Waterlogged soil    (b) Compacted clay    (c) Clay soil    (d) Sandy soil
27. When a soil sample forms a sticky ribbon when wet, it is likely ________. (a) gravelly    (b) clayey    (c) stony    (d) sandy
28. Which soil is generally suitable for many garden crops? (a) Loamy soil    (b) Heavy gravel    (c) Pure coarse sand    (d) Bare rock
29. A major sign of infertile soil may be ________. (a) healthy dark-green plants    (b) improved root development    (c) good crop yield    (d) poor crop growth despite adequate water
30. Adding decomposed plant material can help soil by ________. (a) improving its nutrient content    (b) removing every soil organism    (c) preventing all water retention    (d) turning all particles into gravel
31. Why should a farmer avoid planting the same nutrient-demanding crop repeatedly on one plot? (a) Every seed becomes sterile    (b) Rainfall will disappear    (c) Soil nutrients may be depleted    (d) All plants will stop needing sunlight
32. A farmer alternates legumes and cereals on a plot. This is ________. (a) crop rotation    (b) animal hybridization    (c) artificial insemination    (d) continuous monocropping
33. Which activity belongs to agricultural marketing? (a) Planting a seedling    (b) Weeding a garden    (c) Watering a crop    (d) Selling harvested produce
34. A person who processes cassava into garri is involved in ________. (a) irrigation only    (b) agricultural processing    (c) poultry vaccination    (d) soil testing
35. Which tool is most suitable for clearing loose leaves from a small garden? (a) Trowel    (b) Watering can    (c) Rake    (d) Harvest basket
36. A hand trowel is especially useful for ________. (a) spraying a large orchard    (b) transplanting small seedlings    (c) ploughing an entire field    (d) harvesting mature trees
37. Which tool helps distribute water gently around seedlings? (a) Cutlass    (b) Hoe    (c) Garden rake    (d) Watering can
38. Why is soil important to plant roots? (a) It produces seeds directly    (b) It replaces the need for sunlight    (c) It provides support, water and mineral nutrients    (d) It prevents all diseases
39. Which practice helps conserve soil fertility? (a) Applying suitable organic manure    (b) Removing all plant residues and nutrients    (c) Burning all organic matter continually    (d) Leaving land without ground cover always
40. A small-scale business selling seedlings is an example of ________. (a) carving    (b) animal disease control    (c) household laundry    (d) agricultural entrepreneurship

SECTION B: THEORY / PRACTICAL (30 Marks)
Instruction: Answer Question 1 and any other TWO questions. Each question carries 10 marks.

1. Agriculture
(a) Define agriculture. (2 marks)
(b) State two major agricultural activities and describe them. (4 marks)
(c) Explain two ways agriculture supports families and industries. (4 marks)

2. Soil types
(a) What is soil? (2 marks)
(b) Name two soil types and describe one property of each. (4 marks)
(c) Explain two reasons loamy soil is useful for growing crops. (4 marks)

3. Soil fertility
(a) Define soil infertility. (2 marks)
(b) Give two causes of declining soil fertility. (4 marks)
(c) Explain two ways a farmer can improve poor soil. (4 marks)

4. Agricultural tools
(a) Name one tool used for weeding. (2 marks)
(b) State the uses of two other agricultural tools. (4 marks)
(c) Draw and label two common farm tools used in crop production. (4 marks)

Objective Marking Scheme
Question 1 – ✅ (c) growing crops and rearing animals
Question 2 – ✅ (a) Planting maize
Question 3 – ✅ (b) textile production from cotton
Question 4 – ✅ (d) sell produce from their farms
Question 5 – ✅ (a) crop production, livestock and related services
Question 6 – ✅ (c) Poultry farming
Question 7 – ✅ (b) supports roots and supplies water and nutrients
Question 8 – ✅ (c) Sandy soil
Question 9 – ✅ (d) clay soil
Question 10 – ✅ (b) balances drainage with water and nutrient retention
Question 11 – ✅ (a) cannot adequately supply nutrients for healthy plant growth
Question 12 – ✅ (c) soil nutrient depletion
Question 13 – ✅ (b) Adding well-rotted compost
Question 14 – ✅ (a) maintaining soil productivity
Question 15 – ✅ (b) Vegetable farming
Question 16 – ✅ (c) agricultural marketing
Question 17 – ✅ (d) Hand trowel
Question 18 – ✅ (c) weeding and loosening soil
Question 19 – ✅ (b) apply water gently to seedlings
Question 20 – ✅ (d) gathering debris and levelling loose soil
Question 21 – ✅ (b) animal production
Question 22 – ✅ (a) Growing cotton
Question 23 – ✅ (c) earn income
Question 24 – ✅ (d) producing food for people
Question 25 – ✅ (a) animal husbandry
Question 26 – ✅ (d) Sandy soil
Question 27 – ✅ (b) clayey
Question 28 – ✅ (a) Loamy soil
Question 29 – ✅ (d) poor crop growth despite adequate water
Question 30 – ✅ (a) improving its nutrient content
Question 31 – ✅ (c) Soil nutrients may be depleted
Question 32 – ✅ (a) crop rotation
Question 33 – ✅ (d) Selling harvested produce
Question 34 – ✅ (b) agricultural processing
Question 35 – ✅ (c) Rake
Question 36 – ✅ (b) transplanting small seedlings
Question 37 – ✅ (d) Watering can
Question 38 – ✅ (c) It provides support, water and mineral nutrients
Question 39 – ✅ (a) Applying suitable organic manure
Question 40 – ✅ (d) agricultural entrepreneurship

Theory Marking Scheme
Question 1:
(a) Cultivation of crops and rearing of farm animals. (2 marks)
(b) Crop growing and animal husbandry with descriptions. (4 marks)
(c) Food provision and income/employment or industrial raw materials. (4 marks)

Question 2:
(a) Upper layer of earth supporting plant growth. (2 marks)
(b) Sand: coarse and quick-draining; clay: fine and water-retentive. (4 marks)
(c) Loam has balanced water holding and aeration for plants. (4 marks)

Question 3:
(a) Soil’s inability to provide adequate nutrients. (2 marks)
(b) Continuous cropping and erosion or leaching. (4 marks)
(c) Compost/manure and crop rotation or correct fertiliser use. (4 marks)

Question 4:
(a) Hoe. (2 marks)
(b) Rake levels soil; trowel digs; watering can waters plants. (4 marks)
(c) Two recognisable labelled drawings of farm tools. (4 marks)

Mark correct equivalent answers, explanations and labelled work within the taught syllabus.