Probability

Junior High 8 questions

What probability means

You learn how to find the chance of simple events using coins, dice and spinners. This helps you compare likely and unlikely outcomes and answer examination questions with care.

What you will practise

Find the chance of heads or tails on a fair coin
Work out simple dice probabilities from equally likely outcomes
Spot favourable outcomes for even, odd and specific numbers
Read spinner questions and count the possible results
Write answers as fractions in simplest form

Before you start

You should be comfortable with fractions, especially simple equivalent fractions. You also need to count carefully and know basic odd and even numbers.

Not confident yet? Work through Mean, median and mode first.

Worked example

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

Question

What is the probability of flipping heads on a fair coin?

Answer: 1/2

Working: A coin has 2 equally likely outcomes; heads is 1 of them.

Common mistakes to avoid

Counting only the result you want, not all equally likely outcomes
Forgetting that a fair die has six outcomes, not one or two
Mixing up favourable outcomes with total possible outcomes
Leaving fractions unsimplified when the answer can be reduced

Curriculum and exam alignment

Ghana GES Basic 7 to 9 syllabusBECE

This topic usually appears in Junior High School statistics and probability work, where you use simple experiments and chance ideas. It supports later BECE-style questions that test basic reasoning with coins, dice and spinners.

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