Solved Examples Set 1 (Quantitative Ability)

1. 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

2. A certain solution is to be prepared by combining chemicals X, Y and Z in the ratio 18:3:2. How many liters of the solution can be prepared by using 36 liters of X?

   1. 46 liters
   2. 47 liters
   3. 45 liters
   4. 49 liters
   5. 44 liters

   As total ratio is 18 +3 + 2 = 23
   Let total solution is x liters
   Then \(18 \over 23\) x = 36
   x = \(36 × 23 \over 18\) = 46 liters

3. A certain number was doubled and the result then multiplied by 3. If the product was 138, find the number.

   1. 21
   2. 23
   3. 25
   4. 27
   5. 19

   Let x be the number
   the number is doubled, 2x
   the result is multiplied by 3, 3 × 2x = 6x
   6x = 138
   x = \(138 \over 6\) = 23

4. 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

5. The closest approximation of \(\frac{69.28 × .004}{.03}\) is

   1. 0.092
   2. 0.92
   3. 9.2
   4. 92
   5. 920

   This problem is most easily completed by rearranging and approximating as follows:
   (69.28 x .004)/.03 ≅ 69 x .1 = 6.9
   which is the only reasonably close answer to 9.2

6. 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

7. Which set of ordered pairs represents a function?

   1. {(−5,5),(4,8),(−5,−6)}
   2. {(−1,−1),(−1,6),(−1,−10)}
   3. {(−3,7),(2,5),(−7,7)}
   4. {(2,3),(−2,4),(−2,−5)}
   5. {(2,3),(3,2),(2,5)}

   For a set of ordered pairs to be a function, no single 𝑥-coordinate can be mapped to two distinct 𝑦-coordinates. This is not the case for option A, where 𝑥=−5 is mapped to both 𝑦=5 and 𝑦=−6. Similarly, in options B (𝑥=−1), D (𝑥=−2), and E (𝑥=2), an 𝑥 value is mapped to two different 𝑦 values.

8. Rashid's salary was reduced by 20%. In order to restore his salary at the original amount, it must be raised by

   1. 20%
   2. 22.50%
   3. 25%
   4. 26%
   5. 27%

   Let Rashid's Salary 100
   20% reduced salary is 80
   As the reduced amount is 20
   So what percentage of the present sallary is required to be equal to 20?
   ?% of 80 = 20
   ? = \(20 \over 80\) × 100 = 25%

9. A shop owner blends three types of coffees, A, B and C, in the ratio 3:5:7. Given that type A coffee costs $ 70 per kg, type B coffee costs $ 100 per kg and type C coffee costs $ 130 per kg, calculate the cost per kg of the blended mixture.

   1. $ 106
   2. $ 108
   3. $ 109
   4. $ 110
   5. $ 105

   Cost per kg = 70 x 1/5 + 100 x 1/3 + 130 x 7/15 = $ 108 per kg

10. At a book fair, a book was reduced in price from $ 75 to $ 60. If the first price gives a 50% profit, find the percentage profit of the book sold at the reduced price.

    1. 20%
    2. 30%
    3. 40%
    4. 50%
    5. 10%

    As $ 75 (first price) gives a profit = 50%
    $ 1 gives a profit = (50/75)%
    $ 60 (reduced price) gives profit = (50/75 x 60)% = 40%

11. A boy scored 90 marks for his mathematics test. This was 20% more than what he had scored for the geography test. How much did he score in geography?

    1. 71 marks
    2. 73 marks
    3. 75 marks
    4. 77 marks
    5. 78 marks

    20% of x + x = 90
    0.2x + x = 90
    1.2x = 90
    x = \(90 \over 1.2\)
    x = 75

12. A shopkeeper bought a radio from a wholesaler for $ 250.00. In addition, he paid a sales tax of 15% on the cost price. He then sold the radio for $ 315.00. Calculate the cash profit made by the shopkeeper.

    1. $ 20.00
    2. $ 22.50
    3. $ 25.00
    4. $ 27.50
    5. $ 27.00

    cost price = $ 250
    sales tax = .15 × 250 = $ 37.5
    cash profit = 315 - 250 - 37.5 = $ 27.5

13. 5873 + 12034 + 1106 = ?

    1. 19016
    2. 20001
    3. 19013
    4. 2018
    5. 19010

    5873 + 12034 + 1106 = 17907 + 1106 = 19013

14. 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 \(\frac{2}{2 + 2 + 2 + 3} = \frac{2}{9}\).

15. In the series 8, 9, 12, 17, 24 . . . the next number would be

    1. 29
    2. 30
    3. 33
    4. 35
    5. 41

    In the series, 8, 9, 12, 17, 24 . . .
    9 − 8 = 1
    12 − 9 = 3
    17 − 12 = 5
    24 − 17 = 7
    Hence, the difference between the next term and 24 must be 9 or
    x − 24 = 9, and
    x = 33
    Hence, the next term in the series must be 33

16. A man was 32 years old when his daughter was born. He is now five times as old as his daughter. How old is his daughter now?

    1. 7 years
    2. 8 years
    3. 9 years
    4. 10 years
    5. 6 years

    Let's assume the daughter is d years old now. That means that the man is now (32 + d) years old, so that
    (32 + d) = 5d
    32 = 4d
    d = 8

17. if a > b and b > c then:

    1. a = c
    2. a > c
    3. c > a
    4. a < c
    5. none

    As a > b > c so a > c

18. \( {𝑥 - 8 \over 24} = {3 \over 4} \)
    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.

19. The amount of hot cocoa powder remaining in a can is 6 1⁄4 tablespoons. A single serving consists of 1 3⁄4 tablespoons of the powder. What is the total number of servings of the powder remaining in the can?

    1. 3 1⁄2
    2. 3 4⁄7
    3. 4 3⁄7
    4. 4 1⁄2
    5. 6

    As \(6\frac{1}{4} = \frac{25}{4}\) and \(1\frac{3}{4} = \frac{7}{4}\). Therefore,
    \(\frac{6\frac{1}{4} \text{ tsp}}{1\frac{3}{4} \text{ } \frac{tsp}{ serving}} = \frac{\frac{25}{4}}{\frac{7}{4}} \text{ servings} = \frac{25}{7} \text{ servings} = 3\frac{4}{7} \text{ servings}\)

20. 40 men can build a wall 4 metres high in 15 days. The number of men required to build a similar wall 5 metres high in 6 days is

    1. 115
    2. 125
    3. 105
    4. 135
    5. 130

    \( 40 × 15 × 5 \over 6 × 4 \) = 125 men

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