BECE Mathematics 2026 Paper

Concept:Remove the bracket first (multiply each term inside by $-5$), then combine like terms: $x$ terms together and numbers together.Solution:Expand the bracket:$-5(3 - 2x) = -5 \times 3 + (-5) \times (-2x) = -15 + 10x$So the expression is$x - 15 + 10x - 12x + 7$Collect the $x$ terms: $x + 10x - 12x = 11x - 12x = -x$Collect the numbers: $-15 + 7 = -8$Result: $-x - 8$Key point: $-5 \times (-2x) = +10x$; a negative times a negative is positive. Writing $-10x$ leads to $-21x - 8$ (option C).Answer:Option D ($-x - 8$)