O Level / IGCSE Mathematics chapter 5: Mensuration MCQs with answers

By Team Megalecture · Updated 4 Nov 2026

44 exam-style questions on Mensuration, each with the answer and a short explanation. Ten of them are below to try. The chapter test draws ten fresh questions each time and is marked the moment you finish, with your score by topic.

44 questions · 5 topics · 10 per test

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What chapter 5 covers

Ten Mensuration questions with answers

Try each one, then open the answer. These ten stay the same; the test draws new ones every time.

1. The diagonals of a rhombus are 10 cm and 16 cm long. Find its area.

  1. A
    52 cm2
  2. B
    80 cm2
  3. C
    40 cm2
  4. D
    160 cm2
Show answer

Answer: B. The diagonals cross at right angles and split the rhombus into 4 right-angled triangles with legs 5 cm and 8 cm: 4 × ½ × 5 × 8 = 80 cm2. This equals ½ × 10 × 16. Forgetting the ½ gives 160.

2. Find the total surface area of a closed cylinder of radius 3 cm and height 8 cm. Give your answer in terms of π.

  1. A
    57π cm2
  2. B
    72π cm2
  3. C
    66π cm2
  4. D
    48π cm2
Show answer

Answer: C. Curved surface = 2πrh = 2π × 3 × 8 = 48π. Two ends = 2 × π × 32 = 18π. Total = 66π cm2. Counting only one end gives 57π.

3. A solid is a cone of radius 3 cm and height 4 cm fixed on top of a hemisphere of radius 3 cm. Find its volume in terms of π.

  1. A
    54π cm3
  2. B
    30π cm3
  3. C
    21π cm3
  4. D
    48π cm3
Show answer

Answer: B. Cone = 1/3 × π × 9 × 4 = 12π. Hemisphere = ½ × 4/3 × π × 27 = 18π. Total = 30π cm3. Using a whole sphere (36π) gives 48π.

4. Find the area of a sector of radius 9 cm and angle 80°, correct to 3 significant figures.

  1. A
    56.5 cm2
  2. B
    254 cm2
  3. C
    12.6 cm2
  4. D
    720 cm2
Show answer

Answer: A. Area = 80/360 × π × 92 = 2/9 × 81π = 18π = 56.5 cm2. 12.6 is the arc length (4π) and 254 is the whole circle.

5. Convert 45 000 mm2 to cm2.

  1. A
    4500
  2. B
    450
  3. C
    4.5
  4. D
    45
Show answer

Answer: B. 1 cm = 10 mm, so 1 cm2 = 10 × 10 = 100 mm2. 45 000 ÷ 100 = 450 cm2. Dividing by 10 gives 4500.

6. A triangle has a base of 12 cm and a perpendicular height of 7 cm. Find its area.

  1. A
    19 cm2
  2. B
    84 cm2
  3. C
    42 cm2
  4. D
    38 cm2
Show answer

Answer: C. Area = ½ × base × height = ½ × 12 × 7 = 42 cm2. Forgetting the ½ gives 84.

7. A bicycle wheel has a diameter of 70 cm. How far does it travel in 200 complete turns? Give your answer in metres, correct to 3 significant figures.

  1. A
    880 m
  2. B
    4400 m
  3. C
    220 m
  4. D
    440 m
Show answer

Answer: D. One turn = circumference = π × 0.7 = 2.199 m. 200 turns = 439.8 ≈ 440 m. Treating 70 cm as the radius gives 880.

8. A circle has an area of 64π cm2. Find its circumference in terms of π.

  1. A
    64π cm
  2. B
    32π cm
  3. C
    8π cm
  4. D
    16π cm
Show answer

Answer: D. πr2 = 64π, so r = 8 cm. Circumference = 2πr = 16π cm. 8π is πr.

9. How many litres are there in 2500 cm3?

  1. A
    0.25
  2. B
    2.5
  3. C
    25
  4. D
    250
Show answer

Answer: B. 1 litre = 1000 cm3, so 2500 ÷ 1000 = 2.5 litres.

10. Find the total surface area of a cuboid measuring 3 cm by 4 cm by 5 cm.

  1. A
    94 cm2
  2. B
    60 cm2
  3. C
    47 cm2
  4. D
    120 cm2
Show answer

Answer: A. The three different faces have areas 3 × 4 = 12, 4 × 5 = 20 and 3 × 5 = 15. Each appears twice: 2 × (12 + 20 + 15) = 94 cm2. 60 is the volume.

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Ways to practise this chapter

Mensuration: questions students ask

How many Mensuration MCQs are there?

44, each with the answer and a short explanation, across 5 topics: Units of measure, Area and perimeter, Circles, arcs and sectors, Surface area and volume, Compound shapes and parts of shapes. Every chapter test draws ten of them, so you can take it many times.

Is the O Level / IGCSE Mathematics chapter 5 test free?

Yes. The test, the answers and the explanations are free and need no sign-up. Sign in only if you want your scores kept across devices.

How is the chapter test marked?

The moment you press Finish: your score, the right answer and an explanation for every question, and the ones you got wrong saved in My mistakes to retry.

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