CBEST - California Basic Educational Skills Math: Computation and Problem-Solving Questions and Answers

Question 1

A jacket is originally priced at $120. It is on sale for 25% off. If the sales tax is 8%, what is the final price of the jacket, including tax?

Accepted Answer

$97.20

Answer

First, calculate the discount amount: 25% of $120 is 0.25 * $120 = $30. Subtract the discount to find the sale price: $120 - $30 = $90. Next, calculate the sales tax on the sale price: 8% of $90 is 0.08 * $90 = $7.20. Finally, add the sales tax to the sale price to find the total cost: $90 + $7.20 = $97.20.

Question 2

A student has scores of 85, 92, 78, and 88 on four tests. Which of the following scores must the student earn on a fifth test to have an average (mean) score of exactly 87?

Accepted Answer

92

Answer

To have an average of 87 over five tests, the sum of the five scores must be 87 * 5 = 435. The sum of the first four test scores is 85 + 92 + 78 + 88 = 343. To find the required score on the fifth test, subtract the current sum from the desired total sum: 435 - 343 = 92.

Question 3

A rectangular classroom is 30 feet long and 24 feet wide. The school wants to place a bookshelf along the entire length of one of the shorter walls. If carpet costs $3 per square foot, what is the total cost to carpet the entire classroom floor?

Accepted Answer

$2,160

Answer

The area of a rectangle is calculated by multiplying its length by its width. The area of the classroom is 30 feet * 24 feet = 720 square feet. To find the total cost of the carpet, multiply the total area by the cost per square foot: 720 sq ft * $3/sq ft = $2,160. The information about the bookshelf is extra and not needed to solve the problem.

Question 4

A recipe for a fruit smoothie requires 3 parts orange juice to 2 parts yogurt. If you use 12 ounces of orange juice, how many ounces of yogurt should you use to maintain the same ratio?

Accepted Answer

8 ounces

Answer

The ratio of orange juice to yogurt is 3:2. You can set up a proportion to find the unknown amount of yogurt (x): 3/2 = 12/x. To solve for x, cross-multiply: 3 * x = 2 * 12, which simplifies to 3x = 24. Divide both sides by 3 to find x = 8. Therefore, 8 ounces of yogurt are needed.

Question 5

A teacher spends 1/4 of her workday on lesson planning, 1/2 on teaching, and 1/8 on grading papers. What fraction of her workday is left for other activities?

Accepted Answer

1/8

Answer

To find the total fraction of the workday spent on the specified tasks, add the fractions: 1/4 + 1/2 + 1/8. The least common denominator is 8. Convert the fractions to have this denominator: 2/8 + 4/8 + 1/8 = 7/8. The entire workday is represented by 1 (or 8/8). To find the remaining fraction, subtract the time spent from the total: 8/8 - 7/8 = 1/8.

CBEST - California Basic Educational Skills Test Practice Test

CBEST - California Basic Educational Skills Test Practice Test

CBEST - California Basic Educational Skills Math: Computation and Problem-Solving Questions and Answers