Robert Hurt,
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1. You just wrapped up a contract project that paid $68,000 in gross income. Your state tax rate is 4.75%, and your federal tax rate is 22%.
How much total will you owe in income taxes from this contract?
A. $17,390
B. $17,590
C. $17,790
D. $17,990
E. $18,190
Key: 4.75% + 22% = 26.75% x 68,000 = 18,190 is the correct answer
2. A chemist poured exactly 36 liters of a reagent into an open tray for an experiment. Overnight, 20% of the liquid evaporated due to exposure. How many liters are left in the tray the next morning?
A. 27.4
B. 27.6
C. 28.2
D. 28.8
E. 29.4
Key: If 20% evaporated, then 80% is left. 80% of 36 is 28.8. 28.8 is the correct answer
3. Naomi completed 5 of 8 client reports by the deadline.
What decimal shows the fraction of reports finished on time?
A. 0.50
B. 0.625
C. 0.675
D. 0.725
E. 0.800
Correct Answer: B. 0.625
Rationale: 5 ÷ 8 = 0.625.
4. You’re solving a puzzle box for a number that changes its display based on levers. Lever A increases the number by 5, Lever B decreases it by 4, Lever C increases it by 3, and Lever D decreases it by 15. You pulled Lever C two times, then Lever D once, then Lever A two times. The final display reads 41. What number was originally displayed?
A. 36
B. 37
C. 38
D. 39
E. 40
Correct Answer: E. 40
Rationale: Since you are given the end result, 41, AND since you are given chronological instructions, use those chronological instructions backwards and invert each operation.
41 – 10 = 31, then
31 + 15 = 46, then
46 – 6 = 40.
40 is your answer.
5. A delivery of 20 boxes arrived at a candle shop, each holding 9 candles. Upon arrival, 18 were cracked. What percentage of the shipment was damaged?
A. 9%
B. 10%
C. 11%
D. 50%
E. 90%
Correct Answer: B. 10%
Rationale: 20 boxes of 9 candles in each box = 20 × 9, which is 180 candles.
18 of the 180 candles were damaged, which means we should divide.
18 ÷ 180 = 0.10, which is 10.0%.
6. Each decorative mirror uses 3 and 1/2 feet of framing material. If a workshop is building 4 mirrors, how many feet of framing material are needed in total?
A. 13 and 1/2
B. 14
C. 14 and 1/2
D. 15
E. 15 and 1/2
Correct Answer: B. 14
Rationale: 1 mirror needs 3 and 1/2 feet of framing material, so we multiply to get the material for 4 mirrors.
Convert the 3 and 1/2 into an improper fraction (7/2)
(7/2 × 4 = 28/2 = 14). Rewritten as a mixed number, this is 14.
14 is the correct answer.
7. Four technicians at SkyShine Solar Co. are installing rooftop panels.
Tech A installs 1 panel every 10 minutes
Tech B installs 1 panel every 12 minutes
Tech C installs 1 panel every 15 minutes
Tech D is a trainee and installs 1 panel every 30 minutes
If all four work together for 2 hours, how many panels will they complete?
A. 30
B. 32
C. 33
D. 34
E. 36
Correct Answer: D. 34
Rationale: This represents a “work rate”, so we need to translate their work into a common unit of measurement, which is “per-hour”.
A – 6 panels/hour;
B – 5 panels/hour;
C – 4 panels/hour;
D – 2 panels/hour
Collectively, they can all install 17 panels an hour. Make this an equation and find the multiplier (2)
17 panels (* 2) = 1 hour (* 2)
34 panels = 2 hours
34 is the correct answer.
8. A subscription analytics tool offers two pricing tiers:
• Plan A: $30 base + $0.003 per transaction for the first 8,000 transactions, then $0.006 per transaction after that
• Plan B: $57 base + $0.002 per transaction (flat rate, no tiers)
If a business averages 14,000 transactions per month, what is the average unit transaction cost under the more cost-effective plan?
Formula: (total cost / total transactions)
A. $0.00575
B. $0.00600
C. $0.00607
D. $0.00615
E. $0.00630
Key: This represents a “best priced plan” question. Figure out which is cheaper.
A – (30 + (.003 * 8,000) + (.006 * 6,000) = 30 + 24 + 36 = 90)
B – (57 + (0.002 * 14,000) = 57 + 28 = 85)
Since B is cheaper, calculate the average unit cost: cost / transactions
Therefore, $85.00 / 14,000 = 0.00607
0.00607 is the correct answer
9. The diagram below represents tables A, B, & C. The length of the rectangle, the longer side, is 88 feet long. The width of the rectangle is 36 feet long. Circle A is equivalent to Circle C, and the difference between r and s is 3. If the area of circle B is 189.96% of the area of circle A, what is the area of circle A?
Area of circle = 3.14 * radius2

A. 528.92 sq. ft.
B. 535.57 sq. ft.
C. 542.69 sq. ft.
D. 547.31 sq. ft.
E. 553.87 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 36. Half of this is the radius of Circle B.
Area of circle B = 3.14 * 182 , which calculates to 1017.36
1017.36 = area of circle A * 189.96% (divide both sides by 1.8996)
535.57 = area of circle A
535.57 is the correct answer.
10. Determine the diameter of the cylinder’s face below that would have a volume of approximately 76,320 cubic cm and a height of 16 cm.
Volume of cylinder = (3.14 * radius2 * height)

A. 72 cm
B. 74 cm
C. 75 cm
D. 76 cm
E. 78 cm
Key: Volume of cylinder = (3.14 * radius2 * height)
76,320 = (3.14 * radius2 * 16cm) (You should divide both sides by 16)
4770 = (3.14 * radius2) (You should divide both sides by 3.14)
1519.11 = (radius2) (Use the “square root button” to get the root)
38.976 = (radius) (You have a radius. You need the diameter. Multiply by 2)
77.952 = (diameter), which is dangerously close to 78
78 is the correct answer.