Free PSEE Arithmetic Reasoning Question and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: How long will it take for both Sarah and John to paint a house if Sarah takes four hours and Johnny takes six?
- 3 hours and 44 minutes
- 2 hours and 24 minutes (Correct answer)
- 4 hours and 10 minutes
- 3 hours and 12 minutes
Correct answer: 2 hours and 24 minutes
To solve this, calculate the individual work rates: Sarah paints 1/4 house per hour, and John paints 1/6 house per hour. Their combined rate is 1/4 + 1/6 = 3/12 + 2/12 = 5/12 house per hour. To find the total time, take the reciprocal of the combined rate: 1 / (5/12) = 12/5 hours, which is 2.4 hours. Converting 0.4 hours to minutes (0.4 * 60) gives 24 minutes, so the total time is 2 hours and 24 minutes.
Question 2: Employees of a discount appliance retailer get an extra 20% off the item's lowest price. <br> How much will an employee pay if he buys a dishwasher during a 15% off sale when the dishwasher originally cost $450?
- $287.00
- $306.00 (Correct answer)
- $280.90
- $292.50
Correct answer: $306.00
First, calculate the price after the 15% off sale: $450 * (1 - 0.15) = $450 * 0.85 = $382.50. Then, apply the employee's additional 20% discount to this sale price: $382.50 * (1 - 0.20) = $382.50 * 0.80 = $306.00. The employee will pay $306.00 after both discounts are applied sequentially.
Question 3: According to the manager of a weaving mill, ten machines could create 1450 meters of cloth if they operated at 100% efficiency for eight hours. Four machines operate at a 95% efficiency due to technical issues, while the remaining six operate at a 90% efficiency. In an eight-hour period, how many meters of cloth can these machines produce?
- 1285 meters
- 1300 meters
- 1334 meters (Correct answer)
- 1310 meters
Correct answer: 1334 meters
First, determine the production rate per machine at 100% efficiency: 1450 meters / 10 machines = 145 meters per machine. Next, calculate the production for the four machines at 95% efficiency: 4 machines * (145 meters/machine * 0.95) = 4 * 137.75 = 551 meters. Then, calculate the production for the six machines at 90% efficiency: 6 machines * (145 meters/machine * 0.90) = 6 * 130.5 = 783 meters. Finally, sum these amounts: 551 + 783 = 1334 meters.
Question 4: A worker put in 11 hours a day. Her typical workday is 7.5 hours, with the additional time being overtime for which she was compensated at 1.5 times her standard hourly rate. <br> What was her standard hourly rate for that day if she was paid $112 for the day?
- $19.48
- $14.93
- $6.79
- $8.78 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: $8.78
Let 'x' be the standard hourly rate. The worker put in 7.5 regular hours and 11 - 7.5 = 3.5 overtime hours. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times the standard rate, so the overtime pay is 3.5 * 1.5x = 5.25x. The total pay is 7.5x (regular) + 5.25x (overtime) = 12.75x. Since the total pay was $112, we have 12.75x = $112. Solving for x, $112 / 12.75 = $8.7843, which rounds to $8.78.
Question 5: There are 28 blue pencils and 7 black pencils in a box. <br> How many black pens are there compared to blue pens?
- 1:8
- 1:4 (Correct answer)
- 1:9
- 2:7
Correct answer: 1:4
To find the ratio of black pens to blue pens, we compare the number of black pencils (7) to the number of blue pencils (28). This gives a ratio of 7:28. To simplify, divide both numbers by their greatest common divisor, which is 7. This results in a simplified ratio of 1:4.
Question 6: What percentage of the page can Kate type if she can type a page in p minutes?
- p – 5
- p + 5
- 5/p (Correct answer)
- p/5
Correct answer: 5/p
If Kate can type one page in 'p' minutes, her typing rate is 1/p pages per minute. To find out what percentage (or fraction) of the page she can type in 5 minutes, multiply her rate by 5 minutes. This calculation is (1/p) * 5 = 5/p. Therefore, she can type 5/p of the page in 5 minutes.
Question 7: A automobile is being sold for $12,590, which is a 20% discount from the original cost. <br> What was the initial cost?
- $15,737.50 (Correct answer)
- $15,108.00
- $14,310.48
- $14,990.90
Correct answer: $15,737.50
The selling price of $12,590 represents a 20% discount from the original cost, meaning it is 80% of the original cost. To find the original cost, divide the discounted price by 0.80 (which represents 80%). So, $12,590 / 0.80 = $15,737.50. This is the initial cost before the discount.
How long will it take for both Sarah and John to paint a house if Sarah takes four hours and Johnny takes six?