Free Texas Civil Service Mathematical Reasoning Problems Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The City Sanitation Department's Crew 5 collected the following number of residential trash bins over a five-day work week: Monday - 450, Tuesday - 475, Wednesday - 500, Thursday - 425, and Friday - 460. What was the average number of bins collected per day by Crew 5 that week?
- 450
- 460
- 462 (Correct answer)
- 2310
Correct answer: 462
To find the average, first sum the total number of bins collected: 450 + 475 + 500 + 425 + 460 = 2310. Then, divide the total by the number of days (5). 2310 / 5 = 462. Therefore, the average number of bins collected per day was 462.
Question 2: A municipal government approves a total annual budget of $12,500,000. The Parks and Recreation department is allocated 8% of this total. From its allocation, the department designates 25% specifically for maintaining community swimming pools. How much money is designated for the pools?
- $1,000,000
- $3,125,000
- $200,000
- $250,000 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: $250,000
This is a two-step calculation. First, find the total budget for the Parks and Recreation department: $12,500,000 * 0.08 = $1,000,000. Second, calculate the portion of that budget designated for pools: $1,000,000 * 0.25 = $250,000.
Question 3: A water department pump can fill a 15,000-gallon reservoir at a steady rate of 250 gallons per minute. If the reservoir is completely empty, how many hours will it take for the pump to fill it completely?
- 1 hour (Correct answer)
- 1.5 hours
- 60 hours
- 0.75 hours
Correct answer: 1 hour
First, determine the total time in minutes by dividing the reservoir's capacity by the pump's rate: 15,000 gallons / 250 gallons per minute = 60 minutes. Next, convert the time from minutes to hours: 60 minutes / 60 minutes per hour = 1 hour.
Question 4: A city ordinance requires a ratio of at least 3 police officers for every 1,000 residents. The city's current population is 150,000, and the police department currently has 440 officers on staff. How many additional officers must be hired to meet the minimum requirement?
- 0
- 10 (Correct answer)
- 15
- 450
Correct answer: 10
First, calculate the minimum number of officers required for the population: (150,000 residents / 1,000) * 3 officers = 150 * 3 = 450 officers. Then, subtract the current number of officers from the required number to find the deficit: 450 (required) - 440 (current) = 10 additional officers.
Question 5: The Public Works department needs to purchase 5 new safety vests at $45 each and 12 pairs of work gloves at $15 per pair. The supplier offers a 10% discount on the total purchase price. What is the final cost after the discount is applied?
- $405.00
- $40.50
- $360.00
- $364.50 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: $364.50
First, calculate the total cost before the discount. Vests: 5 * $45 = $225. Gloves: 12 * $15 = $180. Total pre-discount cost: $225 + $180 = $405. Next, calculate the discount amount: $405 * 0.10 = $40.50. Finally, subtract the discount from the total cost: $405 - $40.50 = $364.50.
Question 6: A city clerk must process four permit applications: a zoning variance (Z), a building permit (B), a plumbing permit (P), and an electrical permit (E). The zoning variance must be processed first. The building permit must be processed before the plumbing and electrical permits. Which of the following is a valid processing sequence?
- Z, B, E, P (Correct answer)
- B, Z, E, P
- Z, P, B, E
- P, E, Z, B
Correct answer: Z, B, E, P
The rules are: 1) Z must be first. 2) B must come before P and E. Choice A (Z, B, E, P) follows both rules: Z is first, and B comes before both E and P. Choice B is incorrect because Z is not first. Choice C is incorrect because P is processed before B. Choice D is incorrect because Z is not first and B is not before P and E.
Free Texas Civil Service Mathematical Reasoning Problems Questions and Answers
The City Sanitation Department's Crew 5 collected the following number of residential trash bins over a five-day work week: Monday - 450, Tuesday - 475, Wednesday - 500, Thursday - 425, and Friday - 460.
What was the average number of bins collected per day by Crew 5 that week?