CSLB General Building (B) — All Questions

A patient is prescribed 250 mg of medication three times per day. How many total milligrams will the patient take in one day?

• a.500 mg
• b.650 mg
• c.750 mg✓
• d.1000 mg

Multiply the dose by the number of times taken: 250 mg x 3 = 750 mg per day. This is a straightforward multiplication problem.

Solve for x: 3x + 7 = 22.

• a.5✓
• b.7
• c.9
• d.15

Subtract 7 from both sides: 3x = 15. Then divide both sides by 3: x = 5. Substituting back, 3(5) + 7 = 22 confirms the answer.

What is 15% of 80?

• a.8
• b.10
• c.15
• d.12✓

Convert 15% to a decimal (0.15) and multiply: 0.15 x 80 = 12. Alternatively, 10% of 80 is 8 and 5% is 4, so 8 + 4 = 12.

A recipe calls for 2/3 cup of flour. If you triple the recipe, how many cups of flour are needed?

• a.1 cup
• b.2 cups✓
• c.2 1/3 cups
• d.3 cups

Multiply 2/3 by 3: (2/3) x 3 = 6/3 = 2 cups. Tripling the recipe therefore requires 2 whole cups of flour.

Convert the fraction 3/5 to a percentage.

• a.35%
• b.50%
• c.60%✓
• d.65%

Divide 3 by 5 to get 0.6, then multiply by 100 to convert to a percent: 0.6 x 100 = 60%. So 3/5 equals 60%.

A car travels 150 miles in 3 hours. What is its average speed in miles per hour?

• a.50 mph✓
• b.45 mph
• c.60 mph
• d.75 mph

Average speed equals distance divided by time: 150 miles / 3 hours = 50 mph. The car averages 50 miles each hour.

What is the value of 4^2 + 3 x 2?

• a.38
• b.22✓
• c.20
• d.44

Follow order of operations. First exponents: 4^2 = 16. Then multiplication: 3 x 2 = 6. Finally addition: 16 + 6 = 22.

Simplify the ratio 12:18 to its lowest terms.

• a.1:2
• b.6:9
• c.3:4
• d.2:3✓

Divide both numbers by their greatest common factor, 6: 12/6 = 2 and 18/6 = 3. The simplified ratio is 2:3.

If a shirt originally costs $40 and is discounted by 25%, what is the sale price?

• a.$10
• b.$25
• c.$30✓
• d.$35

The discount is 25% of $40 = 0.25 x 40 = $10. Subtract the discount from the original: $40 - $10 = $30 sale price.

Solve for y: y/4 = 9.

• a.36✓
• b.13
• c.2.25
• d.45

Multiply both sides by 4 to isolate y: y = 9 x 4 = 36. Checking, 36/4 = 9 confirms the solution.

A rectangle has a length of 8 cm and a width of 5 cm. What is its area?

• a.13 cm^2
• b.40 cm^2✓
• c.26 cm^2
• d.45 cm^2

The area of a rectangle equals length times width: 8 cm x 5 cm = 40 cm^2. Area is always expressed in square units.

Convert 0.75 to a fraction in lowest terms.

• a.7/5
• b.1/4
• c.2/3
• d.3/4✓

0.75 equals 75/100. Divide numerator and denominator by their greatest common factor, 25: 75/25 = 3 and 100/25 = 4, giving 3/4.

The mean of five test scores is 82. What is the sum of all five scores?

• a.82
• b.400
• c.410✓
• d.420

The mean equals the sum divided by the count, so the sum equals the mean times the count. Multiply 82 by 5 to get a total of 410.

How many centimeters are in 2.5 meters? (1 meter = 100 centimeters)

• a.250 cm✓
• b.25 cm
• c.2500 cm
• d.205 cm

Multiply meters by 100 to convert to centimeters: 2.5 x 100 = 250 cm. There are 250 centimeters in 2.5 meters.

What is 3/4 + 1/8?

• a.4/12
• b.7/8✓
• c.1/2
• d.5/8

Find a common denominator of 8: 3/4 = 6/8. Then add: 6/8 + 1/8 = 7/8. The sum is 7/8.

A nurse works 12-hour shifts. How many shifts must she work to reach 60 hours?

• a.4
• b.6
• c.3
• d.5✓

Divide the total hours by the hours per shift: 60 / 12 = 5 shifts. She must work five shifts to reach 60 hours.

Evaluate the expression 2(x + 3) when x = 4.

• a.10
• b.11
• c.14✓
• d.24

Substitute x = 4: 2(4 + 3) = 2(7) = 14. Complete the parentheses first, then multiply by 2.

Which number is greater: 0.6 or 0.55?

• a.0.6✓
• b.0.55
• c.They are equal
• d.Cannot be determined

Compare place values by writing them with the same number of decimals: 0.60 versus 0.55. Since 60 hundredths is greater than 55 hundredths, 0.6 is greater.

A patient's fluid intake was 300 mL at breakfast, 450 mL at lunch, and 250 mL at dinner. What was the total intake?

• a.950 mL
• b.1000 mL✓
• c.1050 mL
• d.900 mL

Add the three amounts: 300 + 450 + 250 = 1000 mL. The patient's total fluid intake was 1000 milliliters.

Solve the proportion: 4/6 = x/9.

• a.3
• b.4.5
• c.5
• d.6✓

Cross-multiply: 4 x 9 = 6 times x, so 36 = 6x. Divide both sides by 6: x = 6. Thus x equals 6.

What is the perimeter of a square with a side length of 7 inches?

• a.14 inches
• b.21 inches
• c.28 inches✓
• d.49 inches

A square has four equal sides, so the perimeter equals 4 times the side length. Multiplying 4 by 7 gives a perimeter of 28 inches.

If 8 pens cost $6.40, what is the cost of one pen?

• a.$0.80✓
• b.$0.64
• c.$1.28
• d.$0.75

Divide the total cost by the number of pens: $6.40 / 8 = $0.80. Each pen costs 80 cents.

Round 3,847 to the nearest hundred.

• a.3,800
• b.3,900✓
• c.3,850
• d.4,000

The hundreds digit is 8, and the digit to its right (tens) is 4, which is less than 5, so round down. The result is 3,800.

A tank holds 240 liters and is 3/4 full. How many liters are in the tank?

• a.60 liters
• b.120 liters
• c.200 liters
• d.180 liters✓

Multiply the capacity by the fraction: 240 x 3/4 = 720/4 = 180 liters. The tank contains 180 liters.

Subtract: 5.6 - 2.85.

• a.2.25
• b.2.85
• c.2.75✓
• d.3.25

Align the decimals and subtract: 5.60 - 2.85 = 2.75. Adding a trailing zero to 5.6 makes the subtraction clearer.

A class has 18 girls and 12 boys. What percentage of the class is boys?

• a.40%✓
• b.30%
• c.45%
• d.60%

Total students = 18 + 12 = 30. Boys make up 12/30 = 0.4 = 40% of the class.

What is the value of the expression 36 / (4 + 2) x 3?

• a.6
• b.18✓
• c.2
• d.12

Order of operations: parentheses first, 4 + 2 = 6. Then work left to right: 36 / 6 = 6, and 6 x 3 = 18.

Convert 1/8 to a decimal.

• a.0.18
• b.0.8
• c.0.08
• d.0.125✓

Divide 1 by 8: 1 / 8 = 0.125. The fraction 1/8 equals the decimal 0.125.