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California Basic Educational Skills Test Exam Questions
Page 3 of 18
41.
Read the passage, then answer the following question.
What would be an appropriate title for the passage?
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How-To Books: Informative, or Money-Making Schemes?
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How-To Books: Valuable for All DIY Projects
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What's the Obsession with How-To Books?
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Why I Love How-To Books
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Top 10 How-To Books
Correct answer: How-To Books: Informative, or Money-Making Schemes?
The author is concerned about how-to books being money-making schemes, as individuals can find everything they need to know on the Internet for free.
42.
Clay and Reese mowed a total of 50 yards this week. If Clay mowed 6 more yards than Reese, how many yards did Reese mow?
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22
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28
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19
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25
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31
Correct answer: 22
Backsolving is the easiest way to solve this problem. To backsolve, choose the answer choice that is the middle option to start with, and work toward the correct answer.
25 is the middle option in the answer bank. If Clay and Reese mowed a total of 50 yards and Reese mowed 25 yards, that would leave Clay mowing 25 yards. Clay's 25 yards less Reese's 25 yards equals 0 yards. This answer choice proves to be too high, as you want Clay to mow 6 more yards than Reese, so you will need to choose the answer choice that is less than 25.
The answer choice that is below 25 is 22. If Clay and Reese mowed a total of 50 yards and Reese mowed 22 yards, that would leave Clay mowing 28 yards. Clay's 28 yards less Reese's 22 yards equals 6 yards. Thus, you can determine Clay mowed 6 more yards than Reese.
You can also solve this problem by setting up the algebraic equation:
(6 + x) + x = 50
6 + 2x = 50
2x = 44
x = 22
43.
Dawn would like to make strawberry jam. The strawberry jam recipe calls for 5 quarts of strawberries. How many pints of strawberries will Dawn need to purchase in order to make 2 batches of strawberry jam?
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20
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5
-
10
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30
-
35
Correct answer: 20
First, you will need to convert 5 quarts to pints: 5 quarts * 2 pints / 1 quart = 10 pints.
Then, you will need to multiply: 10 pints * 2 batches = 20 pints.
44.
Mr. Smith has an aquarium full of fish. None of his fish are colored red. Some of the fish are colored black. The fish are colored black, orange, yellow, and blue, but no fish has more than one color on it.
Which of the following statements must be true?
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Mr. Smith has more black fish than red fish
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Mr. Smith has more black fish in his aquarium than any other color
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Mr. Smith has more orange fish than blue fish
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Mr. Smith's favorite fish is colored yellow and black
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If Mr. Smith has a yellow fish, then he has a blue fish
Correct answer: Mr. Smith has more black fish than red fish
Look at each answer choice, and eliminate those that are incorrect.
You are not given any information about the number of black fish that Mr. Smith has (or the number of fish of any other color).
Next, you don't know if Mr. Smith has any orange or blue fish at all. You are also told in the problem that each fish has only one color.
The "If - Then" answer choice tries to trap you, but nothing like that is stated in the question.
"Mr. Smith has more black fish than red fish" is the correct answer choice, as it restates the two facts you are given in the question. Mr. Smith has at least one black fish, and he has no red fish.
45.
Read the passage, then answer the following question.
Which of the following is the best meaning of the word alleviate as it is used in the fourth sentence of the second paragraph of the passage?
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Lessen
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Make easier
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Relieve
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Diminish
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Lighten
Correct answer: Lessen
The author uses the word "alleviate" to describe how increased audits will help reduce the number of improper procedures performed by their contractors.
46.
If 4z -24 < -4z, which of the following must be true?
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3 > z
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-4 > z
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3 < z
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3/4 < z
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- 3 < z
Correct answer: 3 > z
Subtract 4z from both sides of the equation: -24 < -8z
Divide both sides of the equation by -8: 3 > z
Remember that the sign reverses direction when multiplying or dividing by a negative number.
47.
View the supporting details to answer the following question.
Which of the following types of beverages saw the smallest percent increase in sales from 2011 to 2012?
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Root Beer
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Soda
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Ginger Ale
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Orange
Correct answer: Root Beer
Calculate the percent increase using the percent change formula (difference / original). The total for Root Beer in 2011 is $25,000 and in 2012 is $25,500.
The percent change fraction is $500/$25,000, thus giving you the smallest percent increase at 2.0%.
48.
Use the excerpt from an index to answer the question that follows.
Changes, coping with
amount of, 166
checklist for, 169
control, loss of, 164
doubts about the past, 166
failure, fear of, 166
managing effectively, 166-169
resentments, past, 166
resistance, causes, 165-166
ripple effects, 166, 167
In what way is the above index organized?
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Alphabetically
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By importance
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Chronologically
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By hardest to cope with
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By ease of implementation
Correct answer: Alphabetically
You will notice that all the categories under "Changes, coping with" are listed in alphabetical order.
You have no way of evaluating if they are listed by importance, hardest to cope with, or by ease of implementation.
49.
Dividing a number by 4 is the same as multiplying that number by:
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1/4
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1/2
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4
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2
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0.4
Correct answer: 1/4
If you select the number 20, and divide it by 4, the result is 5.
If you multiply the number 20 by 1/4, the result is 5.
1/4 means 1 divided by 4.
50.
View the supporting details to answer the following question.
Kelsie is purchasing gifts for her children and buys 2 game consoles, 4 wireless controllers, 6 new games, and 4 used games. How many game consoles would Amber have to purchase in order to spend the same amount of money as Kelsie did?
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4
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1
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2
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3
Correct answer: 4
If you look at your answer choices before doing any calculations, you will identify that you can eliminate a few answer choices immediately.
You should identify that Kelsie purchased 2 game consoles and additional merchandise. Therefore, you can eliminate 1 and 2 immediately.
With a quick glance, you can identify that Kelsie spent more than $750.00, which will eliminate 3.
Eight game consoles would equal $2,000.00, which seems much more than Kelsie's total cost. Thus, you are left with 4, which is the correct answer.
51.
Which of the following fractions is between 1/8 and 1/4?
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1/5
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1/3
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1/2
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2/3
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4/5
Correct answer: 1/5
1/8 reduces to 0.125 and 1/4 reduces to 0.25. This tells you that the number is between 0.125 and 0.25.
1/5 reduces to 0.2, which falls between 0.125 and 0.25. Therefore, 1/5 is the correct answer.
52.
If 1/4p - 3 = 9, what is twice the value of p?
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96
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24
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12
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48
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9
Correct answer: 96
First, add 3 to each side of the equation: 1/4p = 12
Now, divide each side of the equation by 1/4: p = 48
The question asks for twice the value of p: 48 * 2 = 96
53.
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?
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$1,500.00
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$500.00
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$1,250.00
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$1,625.00
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$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
54.
Read the passage, then answer the following question.
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
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Audits Needed to Ensure Accurate Billing
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Improperly Paid Claims Cost $209 Million
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Audit Reviews are Costly
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Contractors Committing Fraud
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Audit Finds $271 Million in Discrepancies
Correct answer: Audits Needed to Ensure Accurate Billing
The title correctly addresses two of the main issues presented in the passage: the need for audits, and how increased audits will alleviate improper billing procedures.
55.
Read the passage, then answer the following question.
An appropriate title for this passage is:
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Transportation: Think About Bicycles
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How to Save Money
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How to Get to Work Fast
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Stop Paying for Parking
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Ride to Stay in Shape
Correct answer: Transportation: Think About Bicycles
This answer choice provides a title that relates to the general theme of the passage, whereas the other answer choices are too specific to individual points made in the passage.
56.
If 7x - 14 = 14, what is three times the value of x?
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12
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4
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6
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8
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10
Correct answer: 12
The question asks for three times the value of the variable x. First, solve for x:
7x - 14 = 14
7x = 28
x = 4
Now, multiply to find three times the value of x: 4 * 3 = 12.
57.
Cindy baked 15 dozen cookies. She took 3 dozen cookies to work, 5 dozen to her son's school, and 1 dozen to her father's house. How many cookies does Cindy have left?
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6 dozen
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5 dozen
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7 dozen
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4 dozen
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8 dozen
Correct answer: 6 dozen
You will need to subtract the total number of cookies that Cindy gave away from the initial quantity of 15 dozen.
15 - 3 - 5 - 1 = 6
58.
What is the best estimate of 30 + 29 + 28 + 27 + 26 + 25 + 24 + 23 + 22 + 21?
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250
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300
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200
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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.
59.
Carol mows 90 yards a month. The first week of the month she mowed 25 yards, the second week she mowed 20 yards, and the third week she mowed 28 yards. How many yards does Carol have left to mow during the last week of the month?
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17 yards
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15 yards
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20 yards
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30 yards
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12 yards
Correct answer: 17 yards
You will need to subtract the total number of yards that Carol has already mowed from the initial number of 90 yards a month.
90 - 25 - 20 - 28 = 17
60.
Edward is scheduled to detail 23 cars this week. If he details 3 cars on Monday, how many must he detail each day, on average, to finish by Saturday?
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4
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2
-
3
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5
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6
Correct answer: 4
First, subtract the cars he detailed on Monday. This leaves Edward with 20 cars to detail, and 5 days left. Divide 20 by 5 to get the correct answer of 4 cars to detail per day.