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Mike Bryon - Psychometric Tests

Your free practice psychometric test with answers explanations and an interpretation of your score

Test 2: Numerical Reasoning


This test is typical of the numerical reasoning tests used by major employers at the intermediate and advance level. You are bound to come across this sort of question in your search for work so use it to establish the amount and level of practice you should undertake. Take the test under realistic exam type conditions and then score it. Next read the interpretation of your score and follow the recommended further reading. You will find many hundreds of further practice questions, full length realistic practice tests, answers and explanations in the best selling books by Mike Bryon. Buy them through this website and save 20% on the cover price. There are 18 questions in this test which you should complete in 10 minutes. There are two sorts of question. In the first you must answer a number problem in the second sort you must use the information provided in a passage or table to answer the questions that follow that passage or table. Record your answer in the answer box provided. This test is designed to be taken without a calculator. Do not turn the page until you are ready to begin and stick to the time limit!

Copyright Mike Bryon 2007 This free download may only be used for private study it may not be used for any other purpose nor may it be sold, altered, reproduced or transmitted. Please turn the page...

Mike Bryon - Psychometric Tests


Q1 If bad debt means that only $7,000 were receivable against costs of $28,000 what would be the percentage loss? Answer: Q2 How many trucks would be needed to transport one million items, if each truck could carry 100 boxes, each box contains 10 packs and each pack contained 100 items? Answer: Passage followed by 3 questions
The government wants 50 per cent of people aged 18 to 30 to go to university, and many of these new students are expected to study for shorter foundation degrees. These last two years and combine study with hands-on experience while in paid relevant work. Already 20,000 people are taking foundation degrees and half the courses available have over 50 students enrolled. Most foundation degrees are by distance learning and are part-time. While foundation degrees are not for the faint-hearted, they may appeal to many students who currently follow conventional university courses and who leave university with debts and then have to compete for a graduate-level job against foundation degree graduates with work-related experience.

Q3

The government wants half of all people aged 18 30 to study at university for a foundation degree.

True False Cannot tell Answer: Q4 Because foundation degrees are by distance learning and part-time self-discipline and strong motivation are critical if the student is to succeed. True False Cannot tell Answer: Q5 There are 200 foundation degree courses on which 50 or more students are enrolled.

True False Cannot tell Answer: Q6 If a product generate a profit of $36,000 with operating costs of $204,000; what is the profit expressed as a percentage of total revenue? Answer:

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Mike Bryon - Psychometric Tests


Q7 If the income generation is $12,000 and the operating costs are $7,800 what is the percentage profit? Answer: Q8 All but 13 seats were taken on a busy train service made up of 8 carriages each with 72 seats. If 40 people were standing how many passengers were on the service? Answer: Q9 In their distribution subsidiary the diverse group made a loss of $3,000 on a turnover of $150,000 but in their retail chain they showed a profit of $15,000 on a turn over of $830,000 what was the groups overall percentage profit or loss? Answer: Q10 If two containers (A and B) hold a combined weight of 22kg and 15.4kg of this total is held by the larger container A; what percentage of the whole is held by container B? Answer: Q11 If a company makes provision for 2% of its turnover to become bad debt but in one year it suffer 4.5% bad debt against a turnover of $600,00; how many more $ of bad debt did the company suffer that year? Answer: Q12 How long does a journey take if it begins at 13.25 and ends at 20.07?

Answer: Q13 If two products generated $6,000 profit on combined operating costs of $120,000 and product A accounted for of that profit and 1/10 of those costs; what was the profit made on product A expressed as a percentage of the turnover made on that product? Answer:

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Mike Bryon - Psychometric Tests


Table followed by 5 questions Extracts from 6 mth cash flow forecast for small company doing much better
Income in $000 Jan Opening balance Sales receipts Cash available Expenditure in $000 Net Wages NI/pensions Direct costs Marketing/sales/ telephone/computer Transport/travel Rent/business rates Professional fees Total expenditure Monthly + or () 6.8 0.7 0.4 1.2 0.6 12.7 4.3 7.6 0.7 0.4 1.2 0.6 13.5 5.5 3 3 3 2.7 8.8 0.7 0.4 1.2 0.6 17.4 4.6 5.6 0.7 0.4 1.2 0.6 11.5 2.5 6.4 0.7 0.4 1.2 0.6 12.3 3.7 3 3 3 2.7 6.8 0.7 0.4 1.2 0.6 15.4 1.6 18 5.4 42 4.2 2.4 7.2 3.6 82.8 (20) 17 (3) Feb (15.7) 19 3.3 Mar (10.2) 22 11.8 Apr (5.6) 14 8.4 May (3.1) 16 12.9 Jun 0.6 17 17.6 105 Total

Q14 For how many months of the period covered by the cash flow is it forecast that the directors of doing much better would need to arrange some kind of loan facility? 1 2 3 4 5 6 Answer: Q15 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% Answer: What percentage of the income from sales are expended on direct costs?

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Mike Bryon - Psychometric Tests


Q16 7:3 4:6 6:4 3:7 3:7 Answer: Q17 Were the cash flow to be extended to include the month of July what would be the opening balance for that month? $1,600 $(1,600) $2,200 $(2,200) $1,000 Answer: Q18 If net wages were to increase to $8,000 during the months of April, May and June by how much would you expect expenditure on NI/pensions to increase by in June? $7,200 $6,300 $5,400 $4,500 $3,600 Answer: End of test Express total expenditure on net wages and direct cost as a ratio in it lowest form.

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Mike Bryon - Psychometric Tests


Answers and explanations Q1 Answer 75% loss Explanation 28,000 7,000 = 21,000 loss, 21,000 28,000 = cancel the zeros 21 28 = 0.75 x 100 = 75% Q2 Answer 10 Explanation 100 items x 10 packs = 1,000 items in each box, 1,000 x 100 = 100,000 items in each truck so you need 10 trucks to carry one million items 100,000 x 10 = one million Q3 Answer false Explanation the passage states that the government wants 50% of people aged 18- 30 to go to university but not all of them will study for a foundation degree. Q4 Answer Cannot tell Explanation The passage provides no information about the motivational qualities of successful students on foundation degrees beyond the statement that they are not for the faint-hearted. Q5 Answer Cannot tell Explanation the passage states that there are 20,000 people already doing foundation degrees and that half of all the courses available have 50 or more students enrolled but from this we cannot calculate or infer that there are 200 courses with 50 or more students enrolled. Q6 Answer 15% Explanation total revenue = 36,000 + 204,000 = 240,000 you must find 36,000 as a percentage of 240,000. cancel zeros to give 36 as a percentage of 240 = 36/240, divide both top and bottom by 12 = 3/ 20 = 15/100 = 15% Q7 Answer 35% profit Explanation first you must calculate the profit = income operating costs = 12,000 - 7,800 = 4,200. Now find 4,200 as a percentage of 12,000. 4,200 divided by 12,000 = 0.35 x 100 = 35% Q8 Answer 603 Explanation you must calculate the number of seats in total minus the number of unoccupied seats and add the number of people standing. 8 x 72 = 576 seats 13 unoccupied = 563, 563 + 40 people standing = 603 Q9 Answer 1.25% profit Explanation first calculate total turnover and total profit. Turnover is 150,000 + 830,000 = 980,000. Profit = 15,000 - 3,000 = 12,000 so percentage profit = 12,000 as a percentage of 980,000 = 1.25%

Q10 Answer 30% Explanation first establish the capacity of container B and then calculate the percentage of the total. 22 15.4 = 6.6 (the capacity of B) now calculate 6.6 as a percentage of 22, 6.6/22 = 66/220 (hcf 11) 6/20 = 30/100 =30% Q11 Answer $15,000 Explanation you need to calculate 2% and 4.5% of 600,000 the difference between these amounts is the answer. 2% = 2/100 x 600,000 cancel zeros to get 2 x 6,000 = 12,000. 4.5% = 4.5/100 x 600,000 cancel zeros to get 4.5 x 6,000 = 27,000. 27,000 12,000 = 15,000

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Mike Bryon - Psychometric Tests


Answers and explanations Q12 Answer 6 hours and 42 minutes Explanation make the calculation as a series of convenient steps; 13.25 14.00 = 35 minutes, 4.00 20.00 = 6 hours, 20.00 20.07 = 7 minutes add these three subtotals together = 6 hours and 42 minutes. Q13 Answer 20% Explanation start by calculating the profit and turnover for the product and then perform the percentage calculation. of 6,000 = 3,000 profit. 1/10 0f 120,000 = 12,000, now find turnover = operational costs plus profit = 12,000 + 3,000 = 15,000. Now calculate 3,000 as a percentage of 15,000. Cancel zeros to get 3 as a percentage of 15 = 3/15 = 1/5 = 20% Q14 Answer 5 Explanation it is clear from the opening balance that the company would require access to external cash for 5 out of the 6 months covered by the cash flow forecast. Q15 Answer 40% Explanation in $000 sales total 105 and direct costs 42. 42/105 = 0.4 x 100 = 40 Q16 Answer 3:7 Explanation In total $18,000 is spent on net wages and $42,000 on direct costs so you must express 18: 42 which reduces to 3:7 Q17 Answer $2,200 Explanation To find the opening balance add the monthly + or to the previous opening balance = 1.6 + 0.6 = 2.2 or $2,200 Q18 Answer $4,500 Explanation First calculate the percentage of 3,000 (net wages) NI and pensions represents. But notice that the figure of 2.7 NI/pensions related three months net wages so calculate 2.7/9 = 0.3 x 100 = 30%. Now calculate 30% of 24,000 (3x 8,000 monthly net wages) = 7,200 and finally minus the original 2,7000 to get $4,500 a quarter.

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Mike Bryon - Psychometric Tests


Interpretation of your score A score of 15 or higher If you face an advance numerical reasoning these then this is the only score that you should be content with You have the potential to do very well in this very common sort of test. So attend fully prepared by continuing your revision with the practice questions found in: The Graduate Psychometric Workbook published 2005 How to Pass Advance Numeracy Tests published 2002 The advance numeracy workbook published 2004 A score between 10 and 14 This is a very wide category of score and will include the near miss candidate as well as someone who did only moderately well. So decide where you believe you are on this scale and set about a systematic programme of practice in order to improve you score. Be prepared to undertake a lot of practice if your score was at the lower end of the scale. You will find hundreds of suitable questions in: The Ultimate Psychometric Test Book published 2006 How to Pass Graduate Psychometric Tests third Edition Published 2007 The Numeracy Test Workbook published 2007 Once you have worked on these books then move onto the one recommended for a score of 15 or higher. A score below 9 Dont attend an ability test of your numerical skills until you completely revise the key mathematical operations. This may require a quite considerable commitment in terms of time and effort. Get hold of the following books work through them and you will witness a marked improvement in your performance in these very common tests. Start your program of revision with: How to Pass Selection Tests third edition published 2005 The numeracy Test Workbook 2007 Once you have completed this material in these titles then move onto the books recommended for scores between 10 and 14.

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