Skip to main content
DigiTransact Mastermind
Maths•SHS Core: Trigonometry, Statistics & Probability

Trigonometry

Senior High 6 questions
AI-drafted from platform data — specialist review scheduledBy DigiTransact Mastermind editorial teamLast updated
Start practice

What trigonometry means

You use trig ratios and Pythagoras to find missing sides and angles in right-angled triangles. This helps you solve geometry questions accurately in class work and examination settings.

What you will practise

  • Identify the opposite, adjacent and hypotenuse sides
  • Use sine, cosine and tangent for angle questions
  • Find a missing side with Pythagoras’ theorem
  • Choose the correct ratio from the information given

Before you start

You should already be able to square numbers, find square roots, and recognise a right angle in a triangle. It also helps if you know simple fraction division.

Worked example

One question from this skill's own question bank, shown with its full working.

Question

In a right-angled triangle, cos of an angle equals:

  • opposite/hypotenuse
  • adjacent/hypotenuse
  • opposite/adjacent
  • hypotenuse/adjacent
Answer: adjacent/hypotenuse

Working: By SOH-CAH-TOA, cos = adjacent ÷ hypotenuse.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Mixing up opposite and adjacent sides. Check the angle first before choosing a ratio.
  • Using Pythagoras in a triangle that is not right-angled. Only use it when one angle is 90 degrees.
  • Forgetting to square both known sides before adding them. Write the full formula before working it out.
  • Choosing sine, cosine or tangent without matching the given sides. Use SOH-CAH-TOA to guide your choice.

Curriculum and exam alignment

Ghana GES SHS syllabusWASSCE

This topic is usually taught in SHS 1 to SHS 3 when learners meet right-angled triangles and basic trigonometric ratios. It also supports the kind of structured problem-solving often assessed in WASSCE.

Curriculum notes are a general guide to where this work normally sits. Always check the syllabus your school or examination body is currently using.

Related skills

Other SHS Core: Trigonometry, Statistics & Probability skills in Maths, at the same point in the course.

Other Maths topics

Counting with PicturesPicture Addition & SubtractionEarly NumeracyNumber BasicsSHS Core MathematicsUniversity Mathematics

Related study guides

Exam Preparation
How to Master WASSCE Core Mathematics: Topics, Traps and Tactics

Core Maths is compulsory and it fails more WASSCE candidates than any other paper. This guide breaks…

7 min read
Exam Guides
SAT & ACT Guide for African Students Applying to US Universities

Dreaming of a US university with a scholarship? The SAT or ACT is your gateway. This guide explains …

8 min read

Exams that assess trigonometry

Senior High work on this skill feeds directly into these exam papers. Each page lists the Maths topics that appear on it.

WASSCEWASSCE practice questionsFree WASSCE practice across the subjects at this stage, with worked answers.GESGES practice questionsFree GES practice across the subjects at this stage, with worked answers.BECEBECE practice questionsListed as a related subject on the BECE practice page.

How this page was produced

This text was drafted with AI assistance from the questions and topics already stored on the platform. A subject-specialist review is scheduled but has not yet been recorded, so we do not claim it here.

Written by
DigiTransact Mastermind editorial team
Human review
Not yet. Subject-specialist review is scheduled; this page will say so once it has happened. See which content receives human review.
Last updated

Spotted a mistake on this page? Report a content correction and we will check it against the source. You can also read our editorial policy and how we use AI and where it falls short.

All Maths skills

Practise trigonometry

6 questions with a worked answer after every attempt, and a SmartScore that tracks how close you are to mastery.

Start practice