SCAT Problem Solving: Word Problems 3

Question 1

A shirt originally costs $80 and is on sale for 25% off. What is the sale price?

Accepted Answer

$60

Answer

Discount = 0.25 × $80 = $20, so sale price = $80 − $20 = $60.

Question 2

A store buys items for $40 and sells them for $56. What is the percent markup?

Accepted Answer

40%

Answer

Markup = (56 − 40) / 40 × 100 = 16/40 × 100 = 40%.

Question 3

Tap A fills 1/3 of a pool per hour, Tap B fills 1/4 per hour, and a drain removes 1/12 per hour. How long to fill the pool with all three open?

Accepted Answer

2 hours

Answer

Net rate = 1/3 + 1/4 − 1/12 = 4/12 + 3/12 − 1/12 = 6/12 = 1/2 per hour, so time = 2 hours.

Question 4

A rectangular garden is 12 ft long and 8 ft wide. A 2-ft-wide path surrounds the garden. What is the area of the path alone?

Accepted Answer

96 sq ft

Answer

Outer rectangle = 16 × 12 = 192 sq ft; garden = 96 sq ft; path area = 192 − 96 = 96 sq ft.

Question 5

A bag contains balls that are 1/3 red, 1/4 blue, and the rest green. What fraction of the balls are green?

Accepted Answer

5/12

Answer

Green = 1 − 1/3 − 1/4 = 12/12 − 4/12 − 3/12 = 5/12.

(SCAT) School and College Ability Test Practice Test