Numerical Ability Reviewer Part 26 with Answers

Part 26 of our Numerical Ability reviewer has 20 practice questions in the style of the Civil Service Exam. Answer them in order, read the explanation after each one, and check your score against the 80% passing mark at the end. Questions and choices are reshuffled every time you retake the part.

Start Part 26

Sample questions from Part 26

Here are a few questions from this part. Take the full test to answer all 20 and get your score.

Sample question 1

What is 1/6 + 7/8?

1 1/24
4/7
1/24
1

Answer: 1 1/24

LCD = 24. 1/6 = 4/24 and 7/8 = 21/24. Sum = 25/24 = 1 1/24.

Sample question 2

Evaluate: (4/8 − 2/5) × 2 1/3 ÷ 5/9 + 3/4

42/235
−33/100
1 17/100
−3/100

Answer: 1 17/100

Parentheses: 4/8 − 2/5 = 1/10. Multiply (use the improper fraction 7/3): 1/10 × 7/3 = 7/30. Divide by 5/9 (multiply by 9/5): 21/50. Add 3/4: 1 17/100.

Sample question 3

3/5 of the employees of a municipal office are junior staff, 3/20 are mid-level staff, and the rest are senior staff. 15% of the junior staff, 50% of the mid-level staff and 35% of the senior staff have at least 5 years of service. What percent of all the employees have at least 5 years of service?

20.25%
32.25%
30.25%
25.25%

Answer: 25.25%

Weight each percent by the group's share: 3/5 × 15% = 9%; 3/20 × 50% = 7.5%; 1/4 × 35% = 8.75%. Add: 25.25%. (The simple average of the percents, 33.33%, is wrong because the groups differ in size.)

Sample question 4

Which of the following fractions is the greatest: 1/2, 1/11, 4/7, 7/8?

1/11
1/2
4/7
7/8

Answer: 7/8

Convert each to a decimal: 1/2 = 0.500; 7/8 = 0.875; 1/11 = 0.091; 4/7 = 0.571. The greatest is 7/8.

Sample question 5

The ratio of Grade 5 to Grade 6 among pupils in a school program is 15 : 6. What is this ratio in simplest form?

6 : 3
5 : 2
6 : 2
2 : 5

Answer: 5 : 2

Divide both terms by their GCF, 3: 15 : 6 = 5 : 2.

Numerical Ability Reviewer - Part 26