In how many orders can questions from (5) distinct chapters be attempted if the first chapter is fixed?

Correct answer: (24)

When one chapter is required to come first, its position is already decided. The remaining four distinct chapters may be placed in any order in the four remaining positions. Since the order matters, this is a permutation problem, not a selection problem. The fixed first chapter does not contribute any additional choice, because there is only one permitted chapter in that position.

The number of orders of four distinct objects is calculated by factorial: \\(4!=4\times3\times2\times1=24\\). Equivalently, there are four choices for the second position, then three, two, and one for the remaining positions. Thus the number of possible orders is 24, so option A follows. A result of \\(5!=120\\) would incorrectly treat the first chapter as freely choosable.