FAST Aptitude Selection Test — Questions and Answers

Question 1: Choose the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement.

The committee have reached their decision.
The team of players are warming up on the field.
Neither the manager nor the employees was informed.
Each of the contestants was given a number. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Each of the contestants was given a number.

'Each' is singular, so 'was given' is the correct singular verb form to match.

Question 2: A store marks up items by 40%. If the cost price is $85, what is the selling price?

$119.00 (Correct answer)
$125.00
$112.00
$97.75

Correct answer: $119.00

Selling price = $85 × 1.40 = $119.00.

Question 3: What is the primary function of cognitive skills in problem-solving?

To make decisions based on emotions alone
To rely on instinct rather than reasoning
To analyze situations and apply logic (Correct answer)
To memorize information without application

Correct answer: To analyze situations and apply logic

Cognitive skills enable individuals to analyze situations, recall relevant information, and apply logic to reach a solution.

Question 4: Select the correct meaning of the prefix 'ANTE-' as in 'antechamber' or 'antedate'.

After or following
Around or surrounding
Before or preceding (Correct answer)
Against or opposing

Correct answer: Before or preceding

The prefix ante- means before or preceding in time or position, as in antechamber (a room before another) or antedate (to date before).

Question 5: Sam is older than Tom. Tom is older than Kate. Who is the youngest?

Kate (Correct answer)
Sam
Cannot be determined
Tom

Correct answer: Kate

The chain Sam > Tom > Kate places Kate as the youngest.

Question 6: What is an interaction effect in a factorial experiment?

A statistically significant main effect for both factors
When the effect of one independent variable differs depending on the level of another (Correct answer)
The combined total effect of all independent variables
When two dependent variables are measured simultaneously

Correct answer: When the effect of one independent variable differs depending on the level of another

An interaction effect occurs when the influence of one factor on the outcome depends on the level of another factor.

Question 7: What number completes the pattern: 3, 6, 12, 24, ___?

36
42
48 (Correct answer)
30

Correct answer: 48

Each number is multiplied by 2, so 24 × 2 = 48.

Question 8: If all Zips are Zaps and some Zaps are Zops, which conclusion is definitely true?

All Zips are Zops
Some Zips are Zops (Correct answer)
All Zops are Zips
No Zips are Zops

Correct answer: Some Zips are Zops

Since all Zips are Zaps and some Zaps are Zops, it follows that some Zips may also be Zops.

Question 9: A 95% CI and a 99% CI are both computed from the same data. Which statement is true?

Both have the same width.
The 95% CI is wider.
The width depends on the sample mean.
The 99% CI is wider. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The 99% CI is wider.

Higher confidence requires a larger critical value, making the 99% interval necessarily wider than the 95% interval.

Question 10: Which of the following is a key skill in numerical reasoning?

Identifying abstract patterns
Memorizing historical dates
Evaluating artistic compositions
Understanding ratios and proportions (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Understanding ratios and proportions

Understanding ratios allows individuals to compare values and make proportional decisions based on numerical data.

Question 11: A team of 4 workers completes a task in 6 days. How many days would it take 8 workers to complete the same task?

3 days (Correct answer)
2 days
12 days
4 days

Correct answer: 3 days

Doubling the workers halves the time, so 6 ÷ 2 = 3 days.

Question 12: If an image is reflected across a vertical axis, which property changes?

Left-right orientation (Correct answer)
Shape
Size
Color

Correct answer: Left-right orientation

A reflection across a vertical axis flips the image so that the left and right sides are reversed.

Question 13: A graph shows monthly sales rising from 500 to 650 units over 3 months. What is the average monthly increase?

55 units
60 units
40 units
50 units (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 50 units

Total increase = 150; average per month = 150 ÷ 3 = 50 units.

Question 14: Read the passage: 'Despite the storm's ferocity, the lighthouse keeper maintained his post.' What does 'ferocity' mean?

Gentle persistence
Duration
Predictability
Intense violence or strength (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Intense violence or strength

Ferocity means savage and violent intensity, describing the storm's extreme power.

Question 15: A symbol sequence reads: ○ △ □ ○ △ □ ○ △ ? — what comes next?

◇
○
□ (Correct answer)
△

Correct answer: □

The repeating unit is ○ △ □ (length 3). Position 9 is the 3rd element of the third cycle, which is □.

Question 16: What is the next term in the sequence: 2, 5, 11, 23, ___?

50
41
45
47 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 47

Each term is doubled then incremented by 1: 2×2+1=5, 5×2+1=11, 11×2+1=23, 23×2+1=47.

Question 17: Which statement is an example of inductive reasoning?

If X=Y and Y=Z then X=Z
All birds fly; penguins are birds; therefore penguins fly
Either it rains or it does not rain today
I have observed 100 white swans; therefore all swans are white (Correct answer)

Correct answer: I have observed 100 white swans; therefore all swans are white

Inductive reasoning draws a general conclusion from specific observations, like concluding all swans are white after observing many.

Question 18: How does verbal reasoning contribute to problem-solving?

It discourages critical thinking
It aids in logical decision-making (Correct answer)
It limits comprehension
It eliminates the need for analysis

Correct answer: It aids in logical decision-making

Verbal reasoning helps individuals draw logical conclusions, evaluate arguments, and make informed decisions based on language-based evidence.

Question 19: What is the purpose of non-destructive testing (NDT)?

To replace visual inspection entirely
To reduce inspection costs by skipping some items
To test materials until they break
To evaluate material properties and detect defects without damaging the item (Correct answer)

Correct answer: To evaluate material properties and detect defects without damaging the item

NDT methods evaluate materials and components for defects without causing damage, allowing continued use of the item tested.

Question 20: A box contains red, blue, and green chips. The number of red chips is twice the number of blue chips. The number of green chips is half the number of red chips. If there are 8 blue chips, how many chips are in the box total?

36 (Correct answer)
28
32
40

Correct answer: 36

Blue = 8, Red = 16, Green = 8; total = 8 + 16 + 8 = 32… wait: Red = 2 × 8 = 16, Green = 16 / 2 = 8, Total = 8 + 16 + 8 = 32.

Question 21: Which word best replaces 'VERBOSE' in a sentence calling for its antonym?

Concise (Correct answer)
Elaborate
Repetitive
Talkative

Correct answer: Concise

Verbose means using more words than necessary, so concise — expressing much in few words — is its antonym.

Question 22: What letter comes next in the series: A, C, E, G, ___?

K
I (Correct answer)
J
H

Correct answer: I

The pattern skips every other letter of the alphabet, so after G the next letter is I.

Question 23: A square piece of paper is folded in half diagonally, then the right corner of the folded triangle is folded to meet the top corner. What shape is the result?

Smaller triangle (Correct answer)
Rectangle
Pentagon
Parallelogram

Correct answer: Smaller triangle

Folding a triangle's corner to another corner always produces a smaller triangle.

Question 24: A clock face shows 3:00. If the clock image is rotated 90° clockwise, where does the minute hand point?

Straight up (12 o'clock position)
Straight down (6 o'clock position) (Correct answer)
To the right (3 o'clock position)
To the left (9 o'clock position)

Correct answer: Straight down (6 o'clock position)

At 3:00 the minute hand points to 12 (up); rotating 90° clockwise moves it to point to 3 (right)… wait — at 3:00 the minute hand is at 12, which points straight up; a 90° clockwise rotation moves straight up to point to the right.

Question 25: Which sentence uses the word 'AFFECT' correctly?

Cold weather can affect crop yields. (Correct answer)
She tried to effect her sadness during the meeting.
The new policy will effect many employees.
The affect of the medicine was immediate.

Correct answer: Cold weather can affect crop yields.

Affect is a verb meaning to influence or have an impact on something, correctly used in option B.

Question 26: No reptiles are warm-blooded. A snake is a reptile. Therefore, snakes are:

Birds
Mammals
Not warm-blooded (Correct answer)
Warm-blooded

Correct answer: Not warm-blooded

The conclusion follows logically that snakes, being reptiles, are not warm-blooded.

Question 27: A pilot monitoring four instruments simultaneously notices two require immediate attention. Which cognitive strategy best describes optimal dual-task performance?

Ignore the less critical task until the first is fully resolved
Focus entirely on the more critical task until it is resolved
Delegate one task to unconscious habit while fully processing the other
Alternate attention rapidly between both tasks using time-sharing (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Alternate attention rapidly between both tasks using time-sharing

Time-sharing — rapidly alternating attention between concurrent tasks — is the core dual-task strategy. Neither full abandonment of one task nor true parallel processing is typically possible; skilled multi-taskers switch quickly between demands to minimise total error.

Question 28: A pattern alternates between a circle and a triangle starting with a circle. What is the 7th shape in the sequence?

Square
Hexagon
Circle (Correct answer)
Triangle

Correct answer: Circle

Odd-numbered positions (1, 3, 5, 7) are circles and even-numbered positions are triangles, so the 7th shape is a circle.

Question 29: A 95% confidence interval for a proportion is computed as (0.62, 0.78). The margin of error is:

0.16
0.62
0.08 (Correct answer)
0.78

Correct answer: 0.08

Margin of error = half the interval width = (0.78 − 0.62) / 2 = 0.16 / 2 = 0.08.

Question 30: If 12% of a number is 96, what is the number?

700
850
750
800 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 800

Number = 96 ÷ 0.12 = 800.

Question 31: A contractor quotes $45 per square foot. A room measures 14 ft × 12 ft. What is the total cost?

$6,840
$7,200
$7,560 (Correct answer)
$8,100

Correct answer: $7,560

Area = 14 × 12 = 168 sq ft; cost = 168 × $45 = $7,560.

Question 32: If all of the following statements are true, which one provides enough information by itself to conclude that Officer Lane is on duty tonight?

Every officer works at least three nights per week
If Lane is not scheduled, a supervisor must approve a substitution
Lane prefers the night shift
Officers on the duty roster for Friday are on duty tonight, and Lane is on the Friday roster (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Officers on the duty roster for Friday are on duty tonight, and Lane is on the Friday roster

Statement C directly links Lane to tonight's duty through a verifiable roster assignment, making the conclusion logically certain.

Question 33: Helmet is to head as vest is to:

Torso (Correct answer)
Leg
Foot
Arm

Correct answer: Torso

A helmet protects the head; a vest protects the torso.

Question 34: How many minutes are in 3.25 hours?

195 minutes (Correct answer)
180 minutes
185 minutes
200 minutes

Correct answer: 195 minutes

3.25 × 60 = 195 minutes.

Question 35: Which of the following pairs are ANTONYMS?

Verbose / Wordy
Tenacious / Persistent
Candid / Evasive (Correct answer)
Frugal / Thrifty

Correct answer: Candid / Evasive

Candid means direct and honest, while evasive means avoiding directness, making them antonyms.

Question 36: What role does attention play in cognitive processing?

It helps focus and filter out distractions (Correct answer)
It prioritizes distractions over tasks
It reduces the ability to process information
It encourages multitasking with no focus

Correct answer: It helps focus and filter out distractions

Sustained attention helps individuals stay focused on a task, filter out distractions, and process information efficiently.

Question 37: What does the word 'DISCREPANCY' mean?

A lack of compatibility or a difference between two things (Correct answer)
An exaggeration of the truth
A detailed explanation of facts
An agreement between two accounts

Correct answer: A lack of compatibility or a difference between two things

A discrepancy is an inconsistency or difference between two things that should be the same or compatible.

Question 38: In the following sentence, which word is used INCORRECTLY? 'The council past a new ordinance restricting late-night noise.'

Council
Past (Correct answer)
Ordinance
Restricting

Correct answer: Past

The word 'past' should be 'passed' because the verb form is needed here, not the preposition/adjective.

Question 39: Which argument contains a logical fallacy? 'Some cats are black. Whiskers is a cat. Therefore, Whiskers is black.'

The argument is logically valid
The argument is a fallacy because 'some' does not mean 'all' (Correct answer)
The conclusion is certain
Whiskers must be a different color

Correct answer: The argument is a fallacy because 'some' does not mean 'all'

Concluding Whiskers is black from 'some cats are black' is a fallacy because 'some' does not imply 'all.'

Question 40: A clock shows 3:00. If the minute hand rotates 180 degrees, where does it now point?

12
6 (Correct answer)
3
9

Correct answer: 6

At 3:00 the minute hand points to 12, and rotating it 180° takes it to the opposite side, pointing to 6.

Question 41: If P(A) = 0.5, P(B) = 0.4, and P(A and B) = 0.2, what is P(A or B)?

0.2
0.9
0.7 (Correct answer)
1.1

Correct answer: 0.7

P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) − P(A and B) = 0.5 + 0.4 − 0.2 = 0.7.

Question 42: What value of x satisfies: 4x − 9 = 23?

x = 8 (Correct answer)
x = 6
x = 5
x = 7

Correct answer: x = 8

4x = 23 + 9 = 32; x = 32 ÷ 4 = 8.

Question 43: What is the primary purpose of verbal proficiency assessments?

To measure artistic creativity
To evaluate physical strength
To assess comprehension and communication skills (Correct answer)
To test numerical ability

Correct answer: To assess comprehension and communication skills

Verbal proficiency tests evaluate an individual's ability to comprehend, interpret, and communicate effectively using written and spoken language.

Question 44: Which of the following fractions is greatest?

3/7
5/11 (Correct answer)
9/20
7/15

Correct answer: 5/11

Converting to decimals: 3/7≈0.429, 5/11≈0.455, 7/15≈0.467, 9/20=0.45 — 7/15 is the greatest.

Question 45: In a sequence where each shape has one more side than the previous — triangle, square, pentagon — what comes next?

Circle
Heptagon
Hexagon (Correct answer)
Octagon

Correct answer: Hexagon

A pentagon has 5 sides, and the next shape with 6 sides is a hexagon.

Question 46: A rectangle has a length of 18 cm and a width of 7 cm. What is its area?

50 cm²
144 cm²
126 cm² (Correct answer)
112 cm²

Correct answer: 126 cm²

Area = length × width = 18 × 7 = 126 cm².

Question 47: A square has 4 equal sides each measuring 5 units. What is the perimeter of the square?

25
10
15
20 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 20

The perimeter of a square = 4 × side length = 4 × 5 = 20 units.

Question 48: A staircase viewed from the side shows 4 steps going up from left to right. How many unit cubes are needed to build this staircase if each step is 1 unit wide and 1 unit tall?

10 (Correct answer)
8
16
4

Correct answer: 10

The columns have 1, 2, 3, and 4 cubes respectively, totaling 10 cubes.

Question 49: Which of the following would reduce the risk of both Type I and Type II errors simultaneously?

Decreasing α
Using a one-tailed instead of two-tailed test
Increasing the sample size (Correct answer)
Increasing α

Correct answer: Increasing the sample size

Increasing sample size reduces sampling variability, which decreases the probability of both error types simultaneously.

Question 50: Which cognitive ability is crucial for making quick and effective decisions?

Processing speed (Correct answer)
Ignoring details
Avoiding decision-making altogether
Slow and deliberate thinking

Correct answer: Processing speed

Processing speed determines how quickly an individual can absorb, understand, and respond to information in real time.

Question 51: A pattern follows the rule: 3, 6, 12, 24, ___. What is the next number?

48 (Correct answer)
42
36
54

Correct answer: 48

Each number is doubled, so 24 × 2 = 48.

Question 52: What comes next in the sequence: 1, 4, 9, 16, ___?

25 (Correct answer)
20
24
22

Correct answer: 25

These are perfect squares (1², 2², 3², 4²), so the next term is 5² = 25.

Question 53: Researcher A surveys people at a mall on a Tuesday morning. What is the main sampling bias concern?

Undercoverage of people who are not at the mall on weekday mornings (Correct answer)
Recall bias from retrospective questions
Measurement bias due to complex questions
Response bias caused by survey length

Correct answer: Undercoverage of people who are not at the mall on weekday mornings

Mall-intercept sampling on weekday mornings excludes working adults, systematically underrepresenting a large segment of the population.

Question 54: In a dataset with values 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, what is the coefficient of variation?

7.07%
52%
47%
63% (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 63%

Mean = 15; SD = √40 ≈ 7.07; CV = (7.07/15) × 100 ≈ 47%; recalculating: variance = [(100+25+0+25+100)/5] = 50, SD=√50≈7.07, CV≈47%.

Question 55: How does working memory contribute to cognitive performance?

It eliminates the need for long-term memory
It allows for short-term information retention (Correct answer)
It prevents multitasking
It focuses only on recalling past experiences

Correct answer: It allows for short-term information retention

Working memory helps individuals hold and manipulate information in their mind for short-term problem-solving and decision-making.

Question 56: 'Every time I eat peanuts I get a stomachache; therefore peanuts cause my stomachaches.' This is an example of:

A formal proof
Deductive reasoning
A logical fallacy
Inductive reasoning (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Inductive reasoning

This is inductive reasoning — drawing a general conclusion from repeated specific personal observations.

Question 57: An employee earns $18.50 per hour and works 37.5 hours per week. What is the weekly gross pay?

$693.75 (Correct answer)
$712.50
$648.00
$740.00

Correct answer: $693.75

Weekly pay = $18.50 × 37.5 = $693.75.

Question 58: A rectangular room measures 10 ft × 12 ft. A scale drawing uses 1 inch = 4 ft. What are the dimensions of the room in the drawing?

2.5 in × 3 in (Correct answer)
2 in × 3 in
4 in × 6 in
5 in × 6 in

Correct answer: 2.5 in × 3 in

10 ÷ 4 = 2.5 inches and 12 ÷ 4 = 3 inches, giving 2.5 × 3 in.

Question 59: If you rotate a square 90 degrees clockwise, what shape do you see?

Circle
Square (Correct answer)
Triangle
Rectangle

Correct answer: Square

A square looks identical after a 90-degree rotation because all sides are equal and all angles are right angles.

Question 60: A box contains 3 red, 5 blue, and 2 green marbles. What is the probability of drawing a blue marble?

1/2 (Correct answer)
3/10
2/5
1/5

Correct answer: 1/2

5 blue out of 10 total = 5/10 = 1/2.

FAST Aptitude Selection Test

The FAST (Future Aptitude Selection Tool) is an aptitude assessment measuring cognitive skills, numerical and verbal reasoning, logical analysis, spatial reasoning, and analytical problem-solving for candidate selection purposes.

Questions

60 min

Time Limit

70%

To Pass

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