College Math Placement Test College Math Placement Test Word Problems 3

Question 1

A 10-foot ladder leans against a wall with its base 6 feet away. How high does it reach?

Accepted Answer

8 feet

Answer

h = √(10²−6²) = √(100−36) = √64 = 8 feet by the Pythagorean theorem.

Question 2

The ratio of boys to girls in a class is 3:5 and there are 40 students total. How many boys are there?

Accepted Answer

15

Answer

Boys = (3/8)×40 = 15.

Question 3

Maria paints a room in 4 hours; Luis does it in 6 hours. How long working together?

Accepted Answer

2.4 hours

Answer

Combined rate = 1/4+1/6 = 5/12; time = 12/5 = 2.4 hours.

Question 4

A store marks up items by 40% then offers a 20% sale. What is the net percent change from the original price?

Accepted Answer

12% increase

Answer

Net multiplier = 1.40×0.80 = 1.12, representing a 12% increase over the original.

Question 5

A solution is 20% salt. How many liters of water must be added to 10 liters to reduce it to 8% salt?

Accepted Answer

15

Answer

Salt = 2L; solving 2/(10+w)=0.08 gives 10+w=25, so w=15 liters.

College Math Placement Test Practice Test