Solved Examples Set 1 (Quantitative Ability)

1. After spending 88% of his income, a man had $ 2160 left. Find his income.

   1. $ 18000
   2. $ 19000
   3. $ 20000
   4. $ 22000
   5. $ 17000

   Let income = x
   x = 88% of x + 2160
   x - 0.88x = 2160
   0.12x = 2160
   x = \(216000 \over 12\) = 18000

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. A retailer bought a compact disc from a manufacturer for $ 200. In addition to that, he paid a 15% sales tax. If he sold the disc to a customer for $ 260, calculate the cash profit he made.

   1. $ 30.00
   2. $ 35.00
   3. $ 32.50
   4. $ 28.00
   5. $ 30.50

   price of a compact disc with sales tax = 200 + 0.15 × 200
   = 200 + 30 = $ 230
   As the selling price of the disc = $ 260
   Hence, cash profit = 260 - 230 = $ 30

6. A boy of height 165 cm is replaced by another, which decreases the average height of the group of 34 students, by 1 cm. The height of the new student is

   1. 129 cm
   2. 130 cm
   3. 131 cm
   4. 132 cm
   5. 133 cm

   Total decreased height of 34 students = 1 × 34 = 34 cm
   Height of the replaced student = 165 - 34 = 131 cm

7. A girl is 18 years younger than her mother. In 6 years time, the sum of their ages will be 54.How old is the girl now?

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

   Let girl's age = x
   then mother's age = x + 18
   After 6 years,
   x + 6 + x + 18 + 6 = 54
   2x + 30 = 54
   2x = 24
   x = 12

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

9. A primary school had an enrollment of 850 pupils in January 1970. In January 1980 the enrollment was 1,120. What was the percentage increase for the enrollment?

   1. 31.76%
   2. 33.50%
   3. 30.65%
   4. 34.76%
   5. 30.55%

   Percentage increase for the enrollment = \(1120 - 850 \over 850\) × 100 = 31.76

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

11. \( {2244 \over 0.88} = ? × 1122 \)

    1. 20.02
    2. 20.2
    3. 19.3
    4. 2.27
    5. 3.27

    \( {2244 \over 0.88} = ? × 1122 \)
    \(? = {2550 \over 1122} = 2.27 \)

12. 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%

13. Rashid buys three books for $ 16 each and four books for $ 23 each, what will be the average price of books

    1. $ 18
    2. $ 20
    3. $ 22
    4. $ 24
    5. $ 16

    Price of 3 books = 3 × 16 = $ 48
    Price of 4 books = 4 × 23 = $ 92
    Total price = $ 140
    Total books = 3 + 4 = 7
    Average price of books = \(140 \over 7 \) = $ 20

14. A man sells two houses for $ 2 lac each. On one he gained 20% and on the other he lost 20%. His total profit or loss % in the transaction will be

    1. 4% profit
    2. 5% loss
    3. no profit, no loss
    4. 4% loss
    5. 3% loss

    % loss = (% loss X % profit)/100 = (20 X 20)/100 = 4%

15. 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

16. 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

17. A shopkeeper sold two articles for $ 48 each. He made a 25% profit on one article and a loss of 20% on the other. What was his net gain or loss on the sale of the two articles?

    1. loss of $ 1.40
    2. gain of $ 2.40
    3. loss of $ 2.40
    4. gain of $ 1.40
    5. gain of $ 2.60

    25% profit at selling price $ 48 = 48 x .25 = $ 12
    20% loss at selling price $ 48 = 48 x 0.2 = $ 9.6
    gain = profit - loss = 12 - 9.6 = $ 2.4

18. 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

19. A train takes 50 minutes for a journey if it runs at 48 km/hr. The rate at which the train must run to reduce the time to 40 minutes will be

    1. 50 km/hr
    2. 55 km/hr
    3. 60 km/hr
    4. 57 km/hr
    5. 65 km/hr

    \(50 × 48 \over 40\) = 60 \(km \over hr\)

20. 8 : ? :: 1 : 4

    1. 24
    2. 16
    3. 0
    4. 32
    5. 20

    ? × 1 = 8 × 4
    ? = 32

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