1. You just wrapped up a contract project that paid $92,000 in gross income. Your state tax rate is 3.5%, and your federal tax rate is 24%.

How much total will you owe in income taxes from this contract?

A. $25,100

B. $25,300

C. $25,500

D. $25,700

E. $25,900

Key: 24% + 3.5% = 27.5% x 92,000 = 25,300 is the correct answer

2. A chemist poured exactly 18 liters of a reagent into an open tray for an experiment. Overnight, 30% of the liquid evaporated due to exposure. How many liters are left in the tray the next morning?

A. 11.4

B. 12.6

C. 13.2

D. 14.8

E. 15.4

Key: If 30% evaporated, then 70% is left. 70% of 18 is 12.6. 12.6 is the correct answer

3. In her last 12 swim meets, 9 of Layla’s races resulted in personal bests. What decimal represents the proportion of meets in which she achieved a personal best?

A. 0.625

B. 0.675

C. 0.725

D. 0.750

E. 0.800

Key:  9 out of 12 as a decimal is .75. 0.750 is the correct answer

4. You’re solving a puzzle box for a number that changes its display based on levers. Lever X increases the number by 5, Lever Y increases it by 1, Lever Z decreases it by 2, and Lever W decreases it by 20. You pulled Lever Y three times, then you pulled Lever W once, and then you pulled Lever X twice. The final display reads 39. What number was originally displayed?

A. 42

B. 43

C. 44

D. 45

E. 46

Key: Since you are given the end result, 39, AND since you are given chronological instructions, use those chronological instructions backwards and invert each operation.

39 – 10 = 29, then 29 + 20 = 49, then 49 – 3 = 46. 46 is your answer. 

5. A shipment of 18 cartons arrived at a ceramics studio, each containing 7 mugs. After sorting, it was found that 12 mugs were chipped. What percentage of the shipment was damaged?

A. 9.5%

B. 10.2%

C. 10.8%

D. 17.8%

E. 66.7%

Key:  18 cartons of 7 mugs in each carton = 18 * 7, which is 126 mugs. 12 of the 126 mugs were damaged, which means we should divide. 12/126 = .095, which is 9.5%.   

9.5% is the correct answer

6. Each handcrafted table requires 3 and 3/4 liters of varnish. If a workshop is preparing 5 tables, how many liters of varnish are needed in total?

A. 15 and 3/4

B. 16 and 2/3

C. 17 and 1/2

D. 18 and 3/4

E. 19 and 5/8

Key:  1 table needs 3 and 3/4 liters of varnish, so we multiply to get the varnish for 5 tables. 

          Convert the 3 and 3/4 into a decimal (3.75)

           3.75 * 5 = 18.75. Rewritten as a mixed number, this is 18 and 3/4.

          18 and 3/4 is the correct answer

7. Four employees at ClearView Window Co. are cleaning high-rise windows.

• Worker A cleans 1 panel every 12 minutes

• Worker B cleans 1 panel every 15 minutes

• Worker C cleans 1 panel every 20 minutes

• Worker D is a trainee and cleans 1 panel every 30 minutes

If all four work together for 2.5 hours, how many window panels will they finish?

A. 30

B. 32

C. 33

D. 35

E. 37

Key:  This represents a “work rate”, so we need to translate their work into a common unit

           of measurement, which is “per-hour”.

           A – 5 panels/hour;

           B – 4 panels/hour;

           C – 3 panels/hour;

           D – 2 panels/hour

           Collectively, they can all clean 14 panels an hour and they are given 2.5 hours. Make this an equation and find

           the multiplier (2.5)

           14 panels (* 2.5) = 1 hour (* 2.5)

           35 panels              = 2.5 hours

           35 is the correct answer.

8. A subscription analytics tool offers two pricing tiers:

• Plan A: $18 base + $0.004 per transaction for the first 10,000 transactions, then $0.007 per transaction after that

• Plan B: $60 base + $0.0022 per transaction (flat rate, no tiers)

If a business averages 16,000 transactions per month, what is the average unit transaction cost under the more cost-effective plan?

A. $0.00595

B. $0.00597

C. $0.00599

D. $0.00605

E. $0.00635

Key:  This represents a “best priced plan” question. Figure out which is cheaper.

          A – (18 + (.004 * 10,000) + (.007 * 6,000) = 18 + 40 + 42, which is 100

          B – (60 + (0.0022 * 16,000)                     = 60 + 35.2,      which is 95.2

          Since B is cheaper, calculate the average unit cost: cost / transactions

          Therefore, $95.20 / 16,000 = 0.00595

          0.00595 is the correct answer

9. The diagram below represents tables A, B, & C. The length of the rectangle, the longer side, is 72 feet long. The width of the rectangle is 22 feet long. Circle A is equivalent to Circle C, and the difference between r and s is 2. If the area of circle B is 246.93% of the area of circle A, what is the area of circle A?

Area of circle = 3.14 * radius²

A. 128.92 sq. ft.

B. 133.87 sq. ft.

C. 139.63 sq. ft.

D. 144.07 sq. ft.

E. 153.87 sq. ft.

Key: Honestly, most of the information given is irrelevant.

Area of circle B = pi * radius², and the width of the rectangle is the diameter of circle B, which is 22. Half of this is the radius of Circle B.

Area of circle B = 3.14 * 11² , which calculates to 379.94.

379.94             = area of circle A * 246.93% (divide both sides by 2.4693)

153.865           = area of circle A

153.87 is the correct answer.         



10. Determine the diameter of the cylinder’s face below that would have a volume of approximately 38,584 cubic cm and a height of 12 cm.

Volume of cylinder = (3.14 * radius² * height)

A. 62 cm

B. 64 cm

C. 65 cm

D. 66 cm

E. 68 cm

Key: Volume of cylinder = (3.14 * radius² * height)

         38,584               = (3.14 * radius² * 12cm) (You should divide both sides by 12)

         3,215.33            = (3.14 * radius²) (You should divide both sides by 3.14)

         1,023.99            = (radius²) (Use the “square root button” to get the root)

         31.999              = (radius) (You have a radius. You need the diameter. Multiply by 2)

         63.999              = (diameter), which is dangerously close to 64

         64 is the correct answer.