Solved Examples Set 3 (Quantitative Ability)

1. Which of the following is the largest?

   1. half of 30% of 280
   2. one-third of 70% of 160
   3. twice 50% of 30
   4. three times 40% of 40
   5. 60% of 60

   Let us calculate the value of each:
   A. 0.5 × 0.3 × 280 = 42
   B. 0.33 × 0.7 × 160 = 36.96
   C. 2 × 0.5 × 30 = 30
   D. 3 × 0.4 × 40 = 48
   E. 0.6 × 60 = 36

2. 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

3. If 4a + 2 = 10, then 8a + 4 =

   1. 5
   2. 16
   3. 20
   4. 24
   5. 28

   One may answer this question by solving
   4a + 2 = 10
   4a = 8
   a= 2
   Now, plugging in 2 for a:
   8a + 4 = 8(2) + 4 = 20
   A faster way of solving this is to see the relationship between the quantity 4a + 2 (which equals 10) and 8a + 4. Since 8a + 4 is twice 4a + 2, the answer must be twice 10, or 20.

4. 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%

5. \( {0.027 \over 90} = ? \)

   1. 0.0003
   2. 0.03
   3. 3
   4. 0.00003
   5. 0.003

   \( {0.027 \over 90} = {27 \over 1000 × 90} = {3 \over 10000} = 0.0003 \)

6. 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

7. 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.

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 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

10. 8 : ? :: 1 : 4

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

    ? × 1 = 8 × 4
    ? = 32

11. How much would I have to pay for a book which cost $ 72 to product, if the printing company sold it to a bookseller at 20% profit and in return the bookseller sold it to me at a profit of 25%?

    1. $ 104
    2. $ 106
    3. $ 108
    4. $ 110
    5. $ 109

    Cost of the book product = $ 72
    Profit of printing company = 20% of 72 = 0.2 x 72 = 14.4
    Now the cost of the book = 72 +14.4 = $ 86.4
    Profit of the bookseller = 25% of 86.4 = 21.4
    Finally, the cost of the book = 86.4 + 21.4 = $ 108

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. A single discount equivalent to a discount series of 20%, 10% and 25% is

    1. 55%
    2. 54%
    3. 46%
    4. 42%
    5. 50%

    If 3 succesive discounts are a%, b% and c%
    then single discount = a + b + c – (\(ab \over 100 \) + \(bc \over 100\) + \(ca \over 100 \) – \(abc \over 10000 \))
    a = 20, b = 10, c = 25, solving we get, 46%.

14. \( {63.84 \over ?} \) = 21

    1. 3.04
    2. 3.4
    3. 30.4
    4. 300.4
    5. 0.304

    ? = \( 63.84 \over 21 \) = 3.04

15. \( {1250 \over 25} × 0.5 = ? \)

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

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

16. 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

17. 12% of ________ = 48

    1. 250
    2. 100
    3. 400
    4. 200
    5. 300

    \(12 \text{% of } x = 48\)
    \(0.12x = 48\)
    \(x = \frac{48}{0.12} = 400\)

18. 1015 / 0.05 / 40 = ?

    1. 50.75
    2. 507.5
    3. 506
    4. 2056
    5. 5075

    1015 / 0.05 / 40 = 20300 / 40 = 507.5

19. A group of laborers accepted to do a piece of work in 20 days. 8 of them did not turn up for the work and the remaining did the work in 24 days. The original number of laborers was

    1. 47
    2. 48
    3. 49
    4. 50
    5. 51

    x laborers do work in 20 days and x-8 laborers do same work in 24 days. As the no. of laborers decrease, the no. of days increased then it becomes as
    x : x - 8 :: 24 : 20
    product of interiors = product of exteriors
    24x - 192 = 20x
    4x = 192
    x = 48

20. 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

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