Numeracy & Quantitative Reasoning Flashcards

A pie chart shows that 40% of a budget is spent on personnel. If the total budget is $2.5 million, how much is spent on personnel?

Answer: $1,000,000

40% of $2,500,000 = 0.40 × $2,500,000 = $1,000,000.

A study finds the average (mean) salary increased from $50,000 to $55,000. Which conclusion is best supported?

Answer: The typical worker earned $5,000 more

The mean increased by $5,000, meaning on average workers earned more, though individual outcomes may vary.

If a dataset has a mean of 80 and a standard deviation of 10, what range captures approximately 68% of values (assuming normal distribution)?

Answer: 70 to 90

In a normal distribution, approximately 68% of data falls within one standard deviation (±10) of the mean (80).

A line graph shows unemployment declining from 10% in January to 8% in June. Which is the most precise description?

Answer: Unemployment fell by 2 percentage points, a 20% relative decrease

The absolute drop is 2 percentage points, and the relative drop is 2/10 = 20%, making the combined statement most precise.

A survey of 1,000 people finds 60% support a policy. The margin of error is ±3%. Which range best represents the true population support?

Answer: 57% to 63%

Margin of error means the true value is likely within 60% ± 3%, giving a range of 57% to 63%.

City A has a population of 100,000 with 500 crimes. City B has 500,000 people and 1,500 crimes. Which city has the higher crime rate?

Answer: City A

City A: 500/100,000 = 0.5%; City B: 1,500/500,000 = 0.3%, so City A has the higher rate.

A table shows that Program X costs $400 per student and Program Y costs $300 per student, but Y has a 70% success rate and X has an 85% success rate. Which metric best compares cost-effectiveness?

Answer: Cost per successful outcome

Dividing cost by the success rate gives cost per successful outcome, which accounts for both price and effectiveness.