New Jersey Civil Service Exam Aptitude 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is an example of deductive reasoning?
- Noticing that most complaints arrive on Mondays and concluding Mondays are problematic
- All government employees must complete ethics training; Maria is a government employee; therefore Maria must complete ethics training (Correct answer)
- Assuming a policy works because it worked in another county
- Predicting budget shortfalls based on past trends
Correct answer: All government employees must complete ethics training; Maria is a government employee; therefore Maria must complete ethics training
Deductive reasoning applies a general rule to a specific case to reach a guaranteed conclusion.
Question 2: A road repair project is 40% complete after 10 days. At this rate, how many total days will the project take?
- 20 days
- 22 days
- 25 days (Correct answer)
- 30 days
Correct answer: 25 days
If 40% takes 10 days, then 100% takes 10 / 0.40 = 25 days.
Question 3: Choose the word most similar in meaning to MANDATE.
- Suggest
- Request
- Require (Correct answer)
- Recommend
Correct answer: Require
A mandate is an official order or requirement, making 'require' the closest synonym.
Question 4: A storage room is 24 feet long, 15 feet wide, and 10 feet high. What is the volume in cubic feet?
- 3,200
- 3,400
- 3,600 (Correct answer)
- 4,000
Correct answer: 3,600
Volume = 24 × 15 × 10 = 3,600 cubic feet.
Question 5: A clerk types 55 words per minute. How many words can the clerk type in 2 hours and 20 minutes?
- 7,150
- 7,700 (Correct answer)
- 7,900
- 8,100
Correct answer: 7,700
2 hours 20 minutes = 140 minutes; 55 × 140 = 7,700 words.
Question 6: The following numbers are arranged in order: 14, 17, 17, 19, 22, 25, 30. What is the mode?
- 17 (Correct answer)
- 19
- 22
- 14
Correct answer: 17
The mode is the value that appears most often; 17 appears twice while all others appear once.
Question 7: A new policy reduces overtime costs by $4,200 per month. How much will be saved over 18 months?
- $68,400
- $72,600
- $75,600 (Correct answer)
- $79,200
Correct answer: $75,600
$4,200 × 18 = $75,600 in total savings.
Which of the following is an example of deductive reasoning?