Cambridge IGCSE®

Set notation and Venn diagrams – Past paper

questions
The questions in this document have been compiled from a number of past papers, as indicated in the table
below.

Use these questions to formatively assess your learners’ understanding of this topic. Some questions have
additional ‘Challenge questions’ included. These do not form part of the original questions, but have been
added as part of the lesson plans included in Resource Plus.

Question Year Series Paper number

17 2017 June 21
23 2017 June 22
10 2017 June 43
15 2017 November 21
23 2017 November 23
20 2020 Specimen P1
23 2020 Specimen P1
18 2020 Specimen P2

The mark scheme for each question is provided at the end of the document.

You can find the complete question papers and the complete mark schemes (with additional notes where
available) on the School Support Hub www.cambridgeinternational.org/support.

Set notation and Venn diagrams – Past paper questions Copyright © UCLES 2018 1
 17 (a) In this Venn diagram, shade the region F , G l .


F G

[1]

(b)  = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}
A = {x: x is an odd number}
B = {x: x is a square number}
C = {x: x is a multiple of 3}

(i) Write all the elements of  in the Venn diagram below.


A B

[2]

(ii) Another number is included in the set .

This number is in the region Al + B + C .

Write down a possible value for this number.

.............................................. [1]

Set notation and Venn diagrams – Past paper questions Copyright © UCLES 2018 2
 23 (a)  = {students in a class}
P = {students who study physics}
C = {students who study chemistry}

The Venn diagram shows numbers of students.

P C

5 11 8

(i) Find the number of students who study physics or chemistry.

................................................. [1]

(ii) Find n ^P k C lh .

................................................. [1]

(iii) A student who does not study chemistry is chosen at random.

Find the probability that this student does not study physics.

................................................. [1]

(b) On the Venn diagram below, shade the region D j E l .

D E

[1]

Set notation and Venn diagrams – Past paper questions Copyright © UCLES 2018 3
 10  = {21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30}
A = { x : x is a multiple of 3}
B = { x : x is prime}
C = { x : x G 25}

(a) Complete the Venn diagram.

A B

[4]

(b) Use set notation to complete the statements.

(i) 26 ..................... B [1]

(ii) A + B = ..................... [1]

(c) List the elements of B , (C + A).

................................................... [2]

(d) Find

(i) n(C),

................................................... [1]

(ii) n ^Bl , ^B + Chh .

................................................... [1]

(e) ^A + Ch is a subset of ^A , Ch .

Complete this statement using set notation.

^A + Ch ..................... ^A , Ch [1]

Set notation and Venn diagrams – Past paper questions Copyright © UCLES 2018 4
 15 (a) Q = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}

Write down a set P where P 1 Q.

P = .................................................. [1]

(b) Shade these regions in the Venn diagrams.

M  N' (A  B)  C'
 
M N A B

[2]

Set notation and Venn diagrams – Past paper questions Copyright © UCLES 2018 5
 23 (a) Shade the required regions on the Venn diagrams.

 
A B A B

A ∪ B' A' ∩ B
[2]

(b)  = { x : x is an integer and 60 1 x 1 70}

E = {x : x is an odd number}
F = {x : x is a prime number}
G = {x : x is a square number}

(i) Complete the Venn diagram below to show this information.


E F
61

[3]

(ii) Find n ^E , F , Ghl .

................................................. [1]

(iii) Use set notation to complete the statement.

E + F + G = .................................. [1]

Set notation and Venn diagrams – Past paper questions Copyright © UCLES 2018 6
 20 Use set notation to describe the shaded regions in each Venn diagram.

(a)
A B

............................................... [1]

(b)
A B

............................................... [1]

Set notation and Venn diagrams – Past paper questions Copyright © UCLES 2018 7
 23 = {children who go to the park}
T = {children who play tennis}
G = {children who play golf}

120 children go to the park.

50 play tennis.
75 play golf.
25 do not play tennis or golf.

(a) Complete the Venn diagram.

T G

...... ...... ......

......
[2]

(b) Find n(T ∩ G).

............................................... [1]

Set notation and Venn diagrams – Past paper questions Copyright © UCLES 2018 8
 18 Shade the region in each of the Venn diagrams below.

(a)

A B

A′ ∪ B [1]

(b)

D E

(D ∩ E)′ ∩ F. [1]

Set notation and Venn diagrams – Past paper questions Copyright © UCLES 2018 9
 Mark schemes

Question Answer Marks Part marks

17(a) 1

17(b)(i) 2 B1 for four out of the eight regions

correct

17(b)(ii) Any even square number that is also a 1

multiple of 3

Question Answer Marks Part marks

23(a)(i) 24 1
23(a)(ii) 5 1
23(a)(iii) 7 1
12
23(b) 1

Question Answer Marks Part marks

10(a) 4 All 8 regions correct
M3 for 6 or 7 regions correct
M2 for 4 or 5 regions correct
M1 for 3 regions correct

10(b)(i) ∉ 1
10(b)(ii) ∅ 1
10(c) 21, 23, 24, 29 2FT Correct or FT
SC1 for 1 omission or 4 correct and
1 extra
10(d)(i) 5 1FT Correct or FT if less than 10
10(d)(ii) 9 1FT Correct or FT if less than 10
10(e) ⊂ or ⊆ 1

Set notation and Venn diagrams – Past paper questions Copyright © UCLES 2018 10
 Question Answer Marks Part marks
15(a) Fewer than 6 elements from 1
{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6} or ∅
15(b) 1

Question Answer Marks Part marks

23(a) 2 B1 for each
A ∪ B′

A′ ∩ B

23(b)(i) 3 B2 for 6 or 7 correct

B1 for 4 or 5 correct

23(b)(ii) 3 1FT FT their n(E ∪ F ∪ G)

23(b)(iii) ∅ or { } 1FT FT their E ∩ F ∩ G

Question Answer Marks Part marks

20(a) A oe 1
20(b) B′ ∩ A oe 1

Set notation and Venn diagrams – Past paper questions Copyright © UCLES 2018 11
 Question Answer Marks Part marks
23(a) 2 B1 for any 2 correct

23(b) 30 1 FT from their diagram

Question Answer Marks Part marks

18(a) 1

18(b) 1

Set notation and Venn diagrams – Past paper questions Copyright © UCLES 2018 12