Grade 12 results are out. Where to check yours

Exam papers

Grade 12 English entrance exam, 2017 E.C. (2025), version 1

Real questions from the Grade 12 university entrance exam in English, as students sat it in 2017 E.C. Every question comes with the correct answer and a worked explanation. The 2017 E.C. exam went out in several versions. This page holds version 1; the others are listed further down.

Start practicing freeQuestion paper
Get it on Google Play

  • Both streams

    Who sits it

  • 2017 E.C. (2025), version 1

    Exam year

  • 92 questions with answers

    In this set

Try questions from this paper

Answer each question yourself before opening the answer. The explanations point to the exact place in the textbook, so you know which page to reread when you miss one.

Question 1

After the accident, the victim was _____ and could not respond to the doctors' questions.

  1. A.contentedly
  2. B.insensible
  3. C.attainable
  4. D.gloated
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B insensible

Why

The sentence says the victim could not answer the doctors, so the missing word must describe someone who cannot respond at all. "Insensible" describes a person who has lost consciousness and feels nothing, which explains the silence. "Contentedly" is the tempting one because it also describes a state after the accident, but it is an adverb, and it means happily, which gives no reason for the victim's silence.

Question 2

The detective tried to _____ the meaning of the mysterious message, but it was difficult to understand.

  1. A.induced
  2. B.curtail
  3. C.grapple
  4. D.descry
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D descry

Why

"Descry" means to make out or discern something that is hard to see or understand, and the detective is trying to work out a message he cannot follow. That is what the sentence needs. "Grapple" is tempting because in English we do grapple with a hard problem, but the verb needs the preposition "with" after it, and there is no "with" in this sentence.

Question 3

The wilderness was _____ with wild animals and treacherous paths, making it dangerous for explorers.

  1. A.savage
  2. B.precocious
  3. C.invigorating
  4. D.sustained
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A savage

Why

The blank describes a wilderness full of wild animals and treacherous paths, so it needs a word that carries wildness and danger. "Savage" means untamed and fierce, which matches the danger the explorers face. "Invigorating" is tempting because wild country can feel refreshing, but the sentence ends by saying the place was dangerous, not pleasant.

Question 4

The cool morning air and the fresh smell of pine trees were making the hike feel less tiring and more _____.

  1. A.draining
  2. B.invigorating
  3. C.exhausting
  4. D.unpleasant
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B invigorating

Why

The phrase "less tiring and more _____" sets up a contrast, so the missing word has to be the opposite of tiring. "Invigorating" means giving energy, which balances the sentence. "Draining" is tempting because a hike does take effort, but draining means the same thing as tiring, so the contrast would collapse.

Question 5

The city planners hoped that the new park and clean streets would _____ the area, attracting new residents and businesses.

  1. A.revitalize
  2. B.destroy
  3. C.deteriorate
  4. D.ignore
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A revitalize

Why

The new park and the clean streets are meant to bring new residents and businesses, so the blank needs a word for giving new life to a place. "Revitalize" means exactly that: to make something active and healthy again. "Deteriorate" is tempting because it also describes a change in the area, but it means to get worse, which is the opposite of attracting people.

Question 6

The feeling of warmth and comfort in her home was something that couldn't be measured but was deeply felt. It was _____.

  1. A.tangible
  2. B.material
  3. C.obvious
  4. D.intangible
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D intangible

Why

The feeling could not be measured but was still deeply felt, and a thing you cannot measure or touch is intangible. The prefix "in" is what carries the meaning. "Tangible" is tempting because it is the same root word, but tangible means you can touch or measure it, which the sentence has already ruled out.

Download the whole paper as a PDF

All 92 questions in this set as a printed paper, and the answer key with 92 worked explanations as a second file. Print them or read them with no data.

Free, and it needs no account.

Question paperAnswer key and explanations

Sit the full paper, timed and scored

A free Temari account gives you the whole English paper, and every other year, as timed mock exams with instant scoring. It works on any phone, even over a weak connection.

Start practicing free

Temari.et is also an Android app, free on Google Play.

Get it on Google PlayAbout the Temari app

The other English papers of 2017 E.C.

2017 E.C. (2025)2017 E.C. (2025), booklet 214

English papers from other years

2018 E.C. (2026)2018 E.C. (2026), round 12018 E.C. (2026), social stream2018 E.C. (2026), version 12018 E.C. (2026), version 22016 E.C. (2024)2016 E.C. (2024), natural stream2016 E.C. (2024), social stream2016 E.C. model exam2015 E.C. (2023)2015 E.C. (2023), natural stream2014 E.C. (2022)2014 E.C. (2022), natural stream2013 E.C. (2021)2013 E.C. (2021), version 12011 E.C. (2019)2010 E.C. (2018)2009 E.C. (2017)2008 E.C. (2016)2007 E.C. (2015)2006 E.C. (2014)2005 E.C. (2013)

More papers like this one

All Grade 12 English papersAll papers of 2017 E.C.Every subject and year

Revise English before you sit this paper

The Grade 12 English short notes hold 13 cards. Each one gives the rule, what its symbols stand for and the mistake that costs marks, chapter by chapter from the national textbook.

Open the English notes
Are these the real 2017 E.C. English entrance exam questions?

Yes. They come from the national university entrance exam in English that students sat in 2017 E.C. (2025). Our set holds 92 of its questions, each with its answer and an explanation that points back to the textbook.

How do I practice the full paper?

Create a free account with a phone number. The full paper runs as a timed mock exam with instant scoring, and the AI tutor upgrade at 199 ETB per month can walk you through anything you miss.

Can I download the English 2017 E.C. paper as a PDF?

Yes, and it is free. The question paper is one file and the answer key with its worked explanations is another, so you can attempt the paper first. Print them, or keep them on your phone for revision when there is no data.

Sign inCreate your account