Solved Examples Set 3 (Quantitative Ability)

1. A third-grade class is composed of 16 girls and 12 boys. There are 2 teacher-aides in the class. The ratio of girls to boys to teacher-aides is

   1. 16:12:1
   2. 8:6:2
   3. 8:6:1
   4. 8:3:1
   5. 4:3:1

   Girls to boys to teacher-aides are in proportion 16 to 12 to 2. Reduced to lowest terms, 16:12:2 equals 8:6:1.

2. 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

3. 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
   $$\frac{120} {x} - \frac{120}{x + 3} = 4.5$$ $$120(x + 3) − 120x = 4.5x(x + 3)$$ $$360 = 4.5x(x + 3)$$ $$720 = 9x(x + 3)$$ $$80 = x(x + 3)$$ $$x^2 + 3x - 80 = 0$$ $$x = \frac{-3 \pm \sqrt{3^2-4 × (-80)}}{2} = \frac{-3 \pm \sqrt{329}}{2}$$ $$= \frac{-3 \pm 18.14}{2} = 7.57 \text{ (ignoring the negative value)}$$

4. 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%

5. 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

6. 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

7. Matthew’s age (𝑚) is three years more than twice Rita’s age (𝑟). Which equation shows the relationship between their ages?

   1. 𝑚 = 𝑟 − 32
   2. 𝑚 = 𝑟 + 32
   3. 𝑚 = 2(𝑟 + 3)
   4. 𝑚 = 2𝑟 − 3
   5. 𝑚 = 2𝑟 + 3

   As Matthew's age (𝑚) is three more years (+3) than twice Rita's age (2𝑟). Therefore, 𝑚 = 2𝑟 + 3.

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

9. 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.

10. 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

11. A man pays 10% of his income for his income tax. If his income tax amounts to $ 1500, what is his income?

    1. $ 13000
    2. $ 15000
    3. $ 17000
    4. $ 19000
    5. $ 11000

    Let x = income
    10% of x = $ 1500
    0.1x = $ 1500
    x = \(1500 \over 0.1\) = $ 15000

12. A man is 5 times as old as his son. 2 years ago the sum of the squares of their ages was 1114. Find the present age of son.

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

    Let son's age = x, then
    father's age = 5x
    As before 2 years ago the sum of the squares of their ages was 1114, the equation becomes as
    \((x - 2)^2 + (5x - 2)^2 = 1114 \)
    By simplifying the equation, we have
    \(13x^2 -12x -553 = 0\)
    Now solving the equation, we have
    \(13x^2 - 12x - 553 = 0\)
    \(13x^2 - 91x + 79x -553 = 0\)
    13x(x - 7) + 79(x - 7) = 0
    (x - 7)(13x + 79) = 0
    x = 7 and x = -6.077
    As age could not be negative, hence the present age of the son is 7 years.

13. On a trip to visit friends, a family drives 65 miles per hour for 208 miles of the trip. If the entire trip was 348 miles and took 6 hours, what was the average speed, in miles per hour, for the rest of the trip?

    1. 44
    2. 50
    3. 51
    4. 58
    5. 60

    As the first part of the trip took \(\frac{208 \text{ miles}}{65 \text{ } \frac{miles}{hour}} = 3.2 \text{ hours},\) so the remaining 140 miles (348 - 208) took 2.8 hours (6 - 3.2). The average speed for the rest of the trip was \(\frac {140 \text{ miles}}{2.8 \text{ hours}} = 50 \) miles per hour.

14. 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

15. 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

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 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%.

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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%

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