Solved Examples Set 3 (Quantitative Ability)

1. 60% of 37 = ?

   1. 20
   2. 21
   3. 22.2
   4. 22
   5. none

   60% of 37 = 0.6 × 37 = 22.2

2. A fruit-seller has 120 oranges. Given that he has 20% more apples than oranges and 40% less oranges than pears, find the number of apples and the number of pears the fruit seller has.

   1. 144, 200
   2. 148, 380
   3. 149, 220
   4. 140, 190
   5. 142, 190

   No. of apples = 120 + 20% of 120 = 120 + 0.2 × 120 = 144
   
   Let x = No. of pears
   x - 40% of x = 120
   x - 0.4x = 120
   0.6x = 120
   x = \(120 \over 0.6\) = 200
   Hence, no. of pears = 200

3. A rectangular room is 6 m long, 5 m wide and 4 m high. The total volume of the room in cubic meters is

   1. 24
   2. 30
   3. 120
   4. 240
   5. 140

   Total volume = length × width × height = 6 × 5 × 4 = 120

4. 10 men can complete a job in 14 days. How long will it take 4 men to finish the same job if they work at the same rate?

   1. 33 days
   2. 35 days
   3. 37 days
   4. 39 days
   5. 31 days

   \(14 × 10 \over 4 \) = 35 days

5. A person's net income is $ 1373.70 and he pays an income tax of 5%. His gross income in dollars must be

   1. 1446
   2. 1118.96
   3. 1308.29
   4. 1438.25
   5. 1211.21

   Let gross income in dollars = x
   then according to the statement,
   x = 5% of x + 1373.70
   x - 0.05x = 1373.70
   0.95x = 1373.70
   x = \(137370 \over 95\) = 1446

6. A man saves $ 500, which is 15% of his annual income. How much does he earn in one year?

   1. $ 3542.5
   2. $ 3333.33
   3. $ 3132.3
   4. $ 3075.75
   5. $ 4444.4

   Let annual income = x
   15% of x = 500
   x = \(500 \over 15\) × 100 = \(10000 \over 3\) = 3333.33

7. A shopkeeper buys 300 identical articles at a total cost of $ 1500. He fixes the selling price of each article at 20% above the cost price and sells 260 articles at the price. As for the remaining articles, he sells them at 50% of the selling price. Calculate the shopkeeper's total profit.

   1. $ 180
   2. $ 185
   3. $ 200
   4. $ 190
   5. $ 170

   cost price of each item = \( 1500 \over 300 \) = $ 5
   selling price at 20% above the cost price = 5 + 5 × .2 = $ 6
   selling price of 260 items = 260 × 6 = $ 1560
   selling price of remaining 40 items = 40 × 6 × .5 = $ 120
   Total profit = 1560 + 120 - 1500 = $ 180

8. \( {1250 \over 25} × 0.5 = ? \)

   1. 250
   2. 50
   3. 2.5
   4. 25
   5. 125

   \( {1250 \over 25} × 0.5 = 50 × 0.5 = 25 \)

9. A man travelled 120 km to a town. He could have reached the town 4 1⁄2 hours earlier had he increased his speed by 3 km/h. Find the speed at which he travelled.

   1. 6.56 km
   2. 7.57 km
   3. 8.58 km
   4. 9.59 km
   5. 5.55 km

   Let the normal speed \(= x \text{ } \frac{km}{hr}\)
   Time taken when travelled at the normal speed \(= \frac{120}{x}\) hr
   Time taken when travelled at the increased speed \(= \frac{120}{x + 3}\) hr
   $$\frac{120} {x} - \frac{120}{x + 3} = 4.5$$ $$120(x + 3) − 120x = 4.5x(x + 3)$$ $$360 = 4.5x(x + 3)$$ $$720 = 9x(x + 3)$$ $$80 = x(x + 3)$$ $$x^2 + 3x - 80 = 0$$ $$x = \frac{-3 \pm \sqrt{3^2-4 × (-80)}}{2} = \frac{-3 \pm \sqrt{329}}{2}$$ $$= \frac{-3 \pm 18.14}{2} = 7.57 \text{ (ignoring the negative value)}$$

10. A group of boys were to choose between playing hockey and badminton. The number of boys choosing hockey was three times that of those choosing badminton. Asking 12 boys who chose hockey to play badminton would make the number of players for each game equal. Find the number who chose badminton originally.

    1. 12
    2. 14
    3. 11
    4. 13
    5. 10

    Let no. of boys for badminton = x
    then no. of boys for hockey = 3x
    According to the statement,
    3x - 12 = x + 12 (12 leave hockey, 12 join badminton)
    2x = 24
    x = 12
    Hence, there were 12 boys originally choosing badminton.

11. A bank exchanges British currency for Singapore currency at the rate of S$ 3.20 to pond 1. Calculate, in Pond, the amount exchanged for S$ 1,600 by a customer who also had to pay an extra 3% commission for this transaction.

    1. Pond 475
    2. Pond 485
    3. Pond 495
    4. Pond 505
    5. Pond 510

    As commission is 3% of 1600 = 0.03 × 1600 = S$ 48
    the rest amount = 1600 - 48 = S$ 1552
    S$ 1 = \(1 \over 3.20\) = Pond 0.3125
    Now S$ 1552 = 1552 × 0.3125 = Pond 485

12. A basket that contains 2 apples, 3 bananas, 6 oranges, and 4 pears is in the workroom. When Ms. Hutchinson went to the workroom, other workers had already taken 1 banana, 2 oranges, and 1 pear. From the remaining fruit, Ms. Hutchinson randomly took 3 pieces of fruit separately from the basket. If each fruit is equally likely to be chosen, what is the probability that the third piece was an orange if the first two she took were also oranges?

    1. 4/165
    2. 9/11
    3. 4/11
    4. 3/11
    5. 2/9

    Ms. Hutchinson randomly takes the 3 pieces of fruit from the basket, there are 2 apples, 3 -1 = 2 bananas, 6 - 2 = 4 oranges, and 4 - 1 = 3 pears. Assuming that the first 2 pieces of fruit Ms. Hutchinson takes are oranges, there will be 2 apples, 2 bananas, 4 - 2 = 2 oranges, and 3 pears left in the basket when she selects the third piece of fruit. The probability that the third piece of fruit she selects will be an orange is \(\frac{2}{2 + 2 + 2 + 3} = \frac{2}{9}\).

13. By selling a fan for $ 475, a person loses 5%. To get a gain of 5%, he should sell the fan for:

    1. $ 500
    2. $ 525
    3. $ 535
    4. $ 575
    5. $ 505

    cost price = 100/(100 - 5) x 475 = $ 500
    sale price = (100 + 5)/100 x 500 = $ 525

14. A man walked for 3 hours at 4.5 km/h and cycled for some time at 15 km/h. Altogether, he traveled 21 km. Find the time taken for cycling.

    1. 1/2 hour
    2. 1 hour
    3. 1 1⁄2 hours
    4. 2 hours
    5. 2 1⁄2 hours

    The man walked the distance = 3 x 4.5 = 13.5 km. The distance cycled by the man = 21 - 13.5 = 7.5 km
    As he cyled 15 km in 1 h
    he cycled 1 km in 1/15 h
    Finally, he cycled 7.5 km in 7.5/15 = 1/2 h

15. By selling 60 chairs, a man gains an amount equal to selling price of 10 chairs. The profit percentage in the transaction is

    1. 10%
    2. 15%
    3. 16.67%
    4. 20%
    5. 22%

    selling price of 60 chairs = selling price of 10 chairs
    profit of 60 chairs = profit of 10 chairs
    profit of 6 chairs = profit of 1 chair
    profit of 1 chair = profit of 1/6 chair
    profit %age = 1/6 x 100 = 16.67%

16. \( {𝑥 - 8 \over 24} = {3 \over 4} \)
    What is the value of 𝑥 in the equation?

    1. 10
    2. 20
    3. 26
    4. 31
    5. 40

    By cross multiplying, 4(𝑥 – 8) =3 × 24. Thus, 4𝑥 – 32 = 72, and so 4𝑥 = 104 and 𝑥 = 26.

17. A and B enter into a partnership contributing $ 800 and $ 1000 respectively. At the end of 6 months they admit C, who contributes $ 600. After 3 years they get a profit of $ 966. Find the share of each partner in the profit.

    1. $ 336, $ 420, $ 210
    2. $ 360, $ 400, $ 206
    3. $ 380, $ 390, $ 196
    4. $ 345, $ 405, $ 210
    5. $ 325, $ 400, $ 200

    A shares = 800 × 3 = 2400
    B shares = 1000 × 3 = 3000
    C shares = 600 × 2 1⁄2 = 1500
    Total shares = 2400 + 3000 + 1500 = 6900
    A's profit = \(2400 \over 6900 \) × 966 = $ 336
    B's profit = \(3000 \over 6900 \) × 966 = $ 420
    C's profit = \(1500 \over 6900 \) × 966 = $ 210

18. 72 + 679 + 1439 + 537+ ? = 4036

    1. 1309
    2. 1208
    3. 2308
    4. 2423
    5. 1309

    72 + 679 + 1439 + 537+ ? = 4036
    2727 + ? = 4036
    ? = 4036 - 2727 = 1309

19. 15 men can complete a job in 10 days. How long will it take 8 men to finish the same job if they work at the same rate?

    1. 14 3⁄4 days
    2. 16 3⁄4 days
    3. 18 3⁄4 days
    4. 20 3⁄4 days
    5. 22 3⁄4 days

    \( 15 × 10 \over 8 \) = 18 3⁄4 days

20. A bank increased the rate of interest which it paid to depositors from 3.5% to 4% per annum. Find how much more interest a man would receive if he deposited $ 64000 in the bank for 6 months at the new interest rate

    1. $ 160
    2. $ 180
    3. $ 200
    4. $ 220
    5. $ 150

    If the interest rate is 3.5% then interest amount is
    3.5% of 6400 = 0.035 × 6400 = $ 2240
    If the interest rate is 4% then interest amount is
    4% of 6400 = 0.04 × 6400 = $ 2560
    Now the difference of both interests = 2560 - 2240 = $ 320 per annum
    Interest for half year (6 months) = \(320 \over 2\) = $ 160

Solved Examples Set 1
Solved Examples Set 2
Solved Examples Set 3