[Math] Probability of passing a true-false test if a student knows some of the answers

binomial distributioncombinatoricsprobability

A true-false test consits of 8 questions. A student will sit for the
test, but will only be able to guess at each of the answers. […] The
following week, the same student will sit for another true-false test,
this time there will be 12 questions on the test, of which he knows
the answer to 4. What are the chances of passing this test (assuming that 50% is a pass)?

So my approach is that if he knows the answer to 4, then he only has to guess the answer to 2 or more of the remaining questions (that he has to guess answer to), because only then his score will be equal to or over 50%. So I would do:

If $X$ is the number of the remaining questions he answers correctly:
$$P(X\ge2)= {8 \choose 2}0.5^20.5^6 + {8 \choose 3}0.5^30.5^7 + …+{8 \choose 8}0.5^80.5^0$$

$$P(X\ge2)\approx0.9648$$

Is this correct? If no, what is the solution?

Best Answer

Perhaps easier to compute the fail case. Will fail if answers (out of the remaining 8) 0 or 1 questions.

$ P(\text{Fail}) = {8 \choose 0} (\frac12)^8 + {8 \choose 1}(\frac12)^8 = \frac{1+8}{256} $