×

Quiz Session - Attempts With Random Questions

California Basic Educational Skills Test 2023 Exam Questions

Page 1 of 18

1.

Susan went shopping and purchased a $125.00 purse, a $50.00 shirt, a $75.00 pair of shoes, and a $1,250.00 ring. How much money did Susan spend while she was shopping?

  • $1,500.00

  • $500.00

  • $1,250.00

  • $1,625.00

  • $1,400.00

Correct answer: $1,500.00

In order to find the amount that Susan spent shopping, you will need to add together the items she purchased.

$125.00 + $50.00 + $75.00 + $1,250.00 = $1,500.00

2.

Read the passage, then answer the following question.

This passage would most likely appear in:

  • A newspaper article

  • An editorial

  • A marine biology textbook

  • A doctoral thesis

  • A business plan

Correct answer: A newspaper article

The information is not too complex; therefore, a marine biology textbook and a doctoral thesis should be eliminated. Very little opinion is stated in the passage, so eliminate an editorial. 

Since the information is described as recent, it would most likely appear in a newspaper article.

3.

Consider the following statement: At Shawnee High School, all employees who are teachers have a bachelor's degree.

Which of the following statements must be true?

  • Employees at Shawnee High School who do not have a bachelor's degree are not teachers

  • Every employee at Shawnee High School has a bachelor's degree

  • All employees at Shawnee High School who have a bachelor's degree are teachers

  • Some employees at Shawnee High School do not have a bachelor's degree

  • The highest-educated employees at Shawnee High School are teachers

Correct answer: Employees at Shawnee High School who do not have a bachelor's degree are not teachers

You are told that all employees who are teachers have bachelor's degrees. With an "all" quantifier, find the contrapositive. The contrapositive tells you that if an employee does not have a bachelor's degree, then he or she is not a teacher at Shawnee High School. Thus, this choice is the correct answer.

The answer choice "Some employees at Shawnee High School do not have a bachelor's degree" may seem correct and is probably very likely, but it does not logically follow from the information in the question.

4.

Rich moved some of his money from his savings account to his checking account to cover the cost of his new car. Rich's savings account originally had $89,848.62 in it, and now his balance is $59,998.62. 

Approximately how much money did Rich spend on his new car?

  • $30,000

  • $40,000

  • $25,000

  • $10,000

Correct answer: $30,000

The difference between approximately $90,000.00 and approximately $60,000.00 is $30,000.00. Approximations are used to save time and needless calculations.

5.

Julie buys a car with power windows, air conditioning, and a sun roof. The car costs $20,000.00 and the options cost $500.00 each. Julie pays with a $22,000.00 check. Julie uses the following expression to calculate the amount of money she should receive back from the purchase:

$22,000.00 - ($20,000.00 + $500.00 + $500.00 + $500.00)

Which of the following expressions could Julie have also used?

  • $22,000.00 - $20,000.00 - 3($500.00)

  • 3 * ($22,000.00 - $25,000.00 - $500.00)

  • $20,000.00 + (3 * $500.00) - $22,000.00

  • $500.00 - $22,000.00 + $20,000.00

  • 3($22,000.00 - $500.00) + ($22,000.00 - $20,000.00)

Correct answer: $22,000.00 - $20,000.00 - 3($500.00)

If you solve the expression given to you, you have $22,000.00 - $21,500.00 = $500.00. Therefore, the correct expression needs to produce a value of $500.00.

The expression $22,000.00 - $20,000.00 - 3($500.00) = $500.00. This yields the same value as the given expression, so it is the correct answer.

6.

If 1/3(z) - 2 = 5, what is three times the value of z?

  • 63

  • 21

  • 7

  • 3

  • 5

Correct answer: 63

First, add 2 to each side of the equation: 1/3(z) = 7

Now, divide each side of the equation by 1/3: z = 21

The question asks for three times the value of z: 21 * 3 = 63

7.

Read the passage, then answer the following question.

This passage would most likely appear in:

  • A sports magazine

  • An editorial

  • A journal on sports medicine

  • A business textbook

  • A doctoral thesis

Correct answer: A sports magazine

The information is not too complex; therefore, the journal for sports medicine, a business textbook, and a doctoral thesis should be eliminated. Very little opinion, if any, is stated in the passage, so eliminate an editorial. 

Since the information is described as recent, it would most likely appear in a sports magazine.

8.

What is the best estimate of 30 + 29 + 28 + 27 + 26 + 25 + 24 + 23 + 22 + 21?

  • 250

  • 300

  • 200

  • 150

Correct answer: 250

There are ten numbers. If all ten were equal to 30, the sum would be 300. Therefore, you can eliminate 300 and 350.

If all ten were equal to 21, the sum would be 210. Therefore, you can eliminate 200 and 150.

The middle value is around 25.

25 * 10 is 250, which is the correct answer.

9.

Read the passage, then answer the following question.

Which one of the following statements would the author most likely agree with regarding wearing your seat belt?

  • Wearing a seat belt could save your life if you are involved in a vehicle accident

  • Wearing a seat belt is harmful to your spinal cord

  • Parents always listen to the advice of their children

  • Wearing your seat belt during a vehicle accident increases your risk of being injured

  • People should have the option to wear a seat belt, and it should not be a law

Correct answer: Wearing a seat belt could save your life if you are involved in a vehicle accident

This statement is supported by the statistical data that is presented in the second paragraph.

10.

What is the best estimate of 5 + 10 + 15 + 20 + 25 + 30 + 35 + 40 + 45 + 50 + 55?

  • 350

  • 50

  • 150

  • 450

  • 600

Correct answer: 350

There are 11 numbers. If all 11 were equal to 5, the sum would be 55. Therefore, you can eliminate 50.

If all 11 were equal to 55, the sum would be 605. Therefore, you can eliminate 600.

The middle value is around 30.

30 * 11 is approximately 350, which is the correct answer.

11.

If the radius of a circle is 12.5 inches, what is the diameter of the circle?

  • 25

  • 6.25

  • 37.5

  • 50

  • 62.5

Correct answer: 25

The diameter of a circle is twice the length of the radius. Therefore, a 12.5 inch radius gives you a 25 inch diameter.

12.5 inches * 2 = 25 inches

12.

View the supporting details to answer the following question.

What was the percent increase of popcorn sales from the first half of 2009 to the first half of 2010?

  • 1.75%

  • 0.75%

  • 1.50%

  • 15.00%

Correct answer: 1.75%

First, you need to add the popcorn sales shown for the first half of 2009. Then, you need to add the popcorn sales shown for the first half of 2010.

Now, calculate the percent increase using the percent change formula (difference / original). The total for 2009 was $5,420.00 and the total for 2010 was $5,515.00.

The percent change fraction is $95.00/$5,420.00, which equals a 1.75% increase in popcorn sales.

13.

Which of the following fractions is between 2/3 and 4/5?

  • 3/4

  • 1/5

  • 1/3

  • 2/5

  • 1/2

Correct answer: 3/4

2/3 reduces to 0.667 and 4/5 reduces to 0.8.

3/4 reduces to 0.75, which falls between 0.667 and 0.8.

Therefore, 3/4 is the correct answer.

14.

If 2y - 8 = 8, what is half of the value of y?

  • 4

  • 16

  • 8

  • 2

  • 12

Correct answer: 4

First, add 8 to each side of the equation: 2y = 16

Now, divide each side of the equation by 2: y = 8

The question asks for half of the value of y: 8 / 2 = 4

15.

What is the sum of 10 1/3, -9 2/9, and 5 2/3?

  • 6 7/9

  • 7 2/9

  • 25 2/9

  • 24 7/9

  • 25 7/9

Correct answer: 6 7/9

Add the three fractional amounts. In order to get the same denominator for each fraction, change 1/3 to 3/9 and 2/3 to 6/9.

Then, add the numbers, remembering that 9 2/9 is negative. The result is 6 7/9.

10 3/9 - 9 2/9 + 5 6/9 = 6 7/9

16.

Read the passage, then answer the following question.

The author put the words “know-it-all” in quotations in the second paragraph in order to:

  • Imply he did not want to be an obnoxious person who seemed to think he was smarter than everyone else

  • Imply he did not want to be a worrier

  • Show that he did not know everything

  • Indicate that his father did not know the proper way to buckle his seat belt

  • State that his father knew more about vehicle safety than he did

Correct answer: Imply he did not want to be an obnoxious person who seemed to think he was smarter than everyone else

Often, an author will use a word in quotations to imply a meaning similar to the literal meaning of the word. In this passage, the author was trying not to be a person who acted like he knew everything there was to know about vehicle safety when it came to wearing a seat belt.

17.

Read the passage, then answer the following question.

An appropriate title for this passage is:

  • Fantasy Football: What is the Cost?

  • How to Pick Your Fantasy Football Players

  • Who is Playing Fantasy Football?

  • How to Play Fantasy Football

  • The Best Players in the League

Correct answer: Fantasy Football: What is the Cost?

This answer choice covers the main theme of the passage. 

The other answer choices are out of scope or too specific.

18.

Consider the following statement: If Betty fixes baked steak for dinner, she will not fix baked potatoes.

Which of the following statements must be true?

  • If Betty fixes baked potatoes for dinner, she did not fix baked steak

  • Betty fixed baked steak with baked potatoes for dinner

  • If Betty did not fix baked potatoes, she must have fixed baked steak

  • Betty will not fix baked potatoes for dinner

  • Betty does not like to fix baked potatoes

Correct answer: If Betty fixes baked potatoes for dinner, she did not fix baked steak

The statement is an "If - Then" statement. Identify the contrapositive. In this question, the contrapositive is, "If Betty fixes baked potatoes for dinner, she did not fix baked steak." 

The statement does not suggest that Betty does not like to fix baked potatoes, nor does it suggest what exactly Betty will fix for dinner.

19.

The local high school was recently moved to a new building. The old high school building contained 4,120 desks. After the move, there were 1,025 desks left at the old high school building. 

Approximately how many desks were moved to the new high school building?

  • 3,000

  • 4,000

  • 2,000

  • 500

  • 100

Correct answer: 3,000

The difference between approximately 4,000 and 1,000 is 3,000. Approximations are used to save time and needless calculations.

20.

The pharmacy filled 25 brand name prescriptions, 35 generic prescriptions, and some OTC prescriptions. There is a 1 to 3 ratio of generic prescriptions to OTC prescriptions. Which of the following numbers in the problem are needed to find the total number of OTC prescriptions that were filled?

  • 35, 1, and 3 only

  • 25, 1, and 3 only

  • 35, 25, 1, and 3

  • 1 and 3 only

  • 35, 25, and 3 only

Correct answer: 35, 1, and 3 only

In order to find the actual number of OTC prescriptions, you need the initial ratio, plus one actual number. The initial ratio of generic to OTC is 1 to 3, and the actual number of generic is 35. 

You do not need the fact that there were brand name prescriptions filled. This piece of information does nothing to help you solve the ratio box involving generic and OTC.

×