Civil Service Numerical Reasoning Test Budget and Resource Allocation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A government department has an annual budget of £240,000. It allocates 40% to staff costs, 25% to equipment, and the remainder to operations. How much is allocated to operations?
- £84,000 (Correct answer)
- £96,000
- £72,000
- £60,000
Correct answer: £84,000
Operations allocation = 100% - 40% - 25% = 35% of £240,000 = £84,000.
Question 2: Five departments share a budget of £375,000 equally. Department A then transfers £15,000 to Department B. How much does Department B now have?
- £75,000
- £90,000 (Correct answer)
- £60,000
- £85,000
Correct answer: £90,000
Each department starts with £375,000 ÷ 5 = £75,000, plus the £15,000 transfer gives Department B £90,000.
Question 3: A council's IT budget increased from £180,000 to £225,000. What is the percentage increase?
- 20%
- 22.5%
- 25% (Correct answer)
- 28%
Correct answer: 25%
Percentage increase = (£225,000 - £180,000) ÷ £180,000 × 100 = £45,000 ÷ £180,000 × 100 = 25%.
Question 4: A team of 8 staff members each costs £32,500 per year. The department's total staff budget is £300,000. How much remains after paying all 8 staff members?
- £35,000
- £40,000 (Correct answer)
- £42,500
- £45,000
Correct answer: £40,000
Total staff cost = 8 × £32,500 = £260,000; remaining budget = £300,000 - £260,000 = £40,000.
Question 5: A department receives an emergency allocation of £50,000, which increases its budget by 20%. What was the original budget?
- £200,000
- £225,000
- £250,000 (Correct answer)
- £275,000
Correct answer: £250,000
If £50,000 represents a 20% increase, the original budget = £50,000 ÷ 0.20 = £250,000.
Question 6: Three projects share a budget in the ratio 3:5:2. If the total budget is £480,000, how much does the largest project receive?
- £96,000
- £144,000
- £240,000 (Correct answer)
- £192,000
Correct answer: £240,000
The ratio 3:5:2 totals 10 parts; the largest project receives 5/10 × £480,000 = £240,000.
Question 7: A department spent £156,000 in the first half of the year, which was 65% of its annual budget. What is the full annual budget?
- £220,000
- £230,000
- £240,000 (Correct answer)
- £250,000
Correct answer: £240,000
If £156,000 = 65% of the budget, the full budget = £156,000 ÷ 0.65 = £240,000.
Civil Service Numerical Reasoning Test Budget and Resource Allocation 1
A government department has an annual budget of £240,000.
It allocates 40% to staff costs, 25% to equipment, and the remainder to operations.
How much is allocated to operations?