CSLB General Building (B) — All Questions
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A train travels at a constant speed of 60 miles per hour. How long will it take to travel 180 miles?
- a.3 hours✓
- b.2 hours
- c.3.5 hours
- d.4 hours
Time equals distance divided by speed. Dividing 180 miles by 60 miles per hour gives 3 hours. Keeping the units consistent lets the miles cancel and leaves hours.
If 5 pounds of apples cost $4.00, how much do 12 pounds cost at the same rate?
- a.$8.40
- b.$9.60✓
- c.$10.00
- d.$12.00
The unit price is $4.00 divided by 5 pounds, or $0.80 per pound. Multiplying $0.80 by 12 pounds gives $9.60. Setting up a proportion produces the same result.
What is 25% of 240?
- a.48
- b.72
- c.60✓
- d.80
Twenty-five percent is the same as one quarter. Dividing 240 by 4 gives 60. You could also multiply 240 by 0.25 to reach the same value.
A recipe uses flour and sugar in a ratio of 3 to 1. If you use 9 cups of flour, how many cups of sugar are needed?
- a.1 cup
- b.6 cups
- c.12 cups
- d.3 cups✓
The ratio 3 to 1 means three parts flour for every one part sugar. Since 9 cups of flour is three times the base part of 3, the sugar is also tripled from 1 to 3 cups. Ratios scale both quantities by the same factor.
The average of four test scores is 85. Three of the scores are 80, 90, and 85. What is the fourth score?
- a.85✓
- b.80
- c.90
- d.95
An average of 85 over four tests means the total is 85 times 4, or 340. The three known scores add to 255, so the fourth score is 340 minus 255, which equals 85.
A worker can assemble 8 units per hour. How many units can 3 workers assemble in 5 hours at that rate?
- a.40 units
- b.120 units✓
- c.80 units
- d.160 units
One worker makes 8 units per hour, so 3 workers make 24 units per hour. Over 5 hours that is 24 times 5, which equals 120 units. Rate times number of workers times time gives total output.
A jacket originally priced at $80 is discounted 15%. What is the sale price?
- a.$65
- b.$72
- c.$68✓
- d.$76
Fifteen percent of $80 is $12. Subtracting the $12 discount from $80 leaves a sale price of $68. You can also multiply $80 by 0.85 to get the same answer.
You deposit $500 in an account earning 4% simple interest per year. How much interest is earned in 3 years?
- a.$20
- b.$40
- c.$80
- d.$60✓
Simple interest equals principal times rate times time. That is $500 times 0.04 times 3, which equals $60. Simple interest is calculated only on the original principal.
Two cars start from the same point and drive in opposite directions at 40 mph and 55 mph. How far apart are they after 2 hours?
- a.190 miles✓
- b.95 miles
- c.110 miles
- d.150 miles
Their combined separation speed is 40 plus 55, or 95 miles per hour. After 2 hours they are 95 times 2, which equals 190 miles apart. Opposite directions mean the speeds add.
A map uses a scale of 1 inch to 25 miles. Two towns are 4.5 inches apart on the map. What is the actual distance?
- a.100 miles
- b.112.5 miles✓
- c.125 miles
- d.90 miles
Each inch represents 25 miles, so multiply 4.5 inches by 25 miles per inch. That product is 112.5 miles. Scale problems are solved with a direct proportion.
A rectangular room is 12 feet long and 9 feet wide. If carpet costs $3 per square foot, what is the total cost to carpet the room?
- a.$108
- b.$252
- c.$324✓
- d.$396
The floor area is length times width, or 12 times 9, which equals 108 square feet. Multiplying 108 square feet by $3 per square foot gives $324.
A store sells 6 bottles of water for $9. What is the cost of one bottle?
- a.$1.20
- b.$1.75
- c.$2.00
- d.$1.50✓
Dividing the total price of $9 by 6 bottles gives $1.50 per bottle. Unit price is found by dividing total cost by the number of items.
In a class of 30 students, 3/5 are girls. How many boys are in the class?
- a.12✓
- b.10
- c.15
- d.18
Three fifths of 30 is 18 girls. Subtracting 18 girls from 30 total students leaves 12 boys. The fraction of boys is the remaining two fifths of 30, which also equals 12.
A meal costs $40 before tax. If sales tax is 8%, what is the total amount paid?
- a.$42.00
- b.$43.20✓
- c.$44.80
- d.$48.00
Eight percent of $40 is $3.20 in tax. Adding the tax to the $40 meal gives a total of $43.20. Multiplying $40 by 1.08 gives the same total.
A tank holds 240 gallons and is being filled at 8 gallons per minute. How many minutes will it take to fill the empty tank?
- a.24 minutes
- b.32 minutes
- c.30 minutes✓
- d.40 minutes
Dividing the 240-gallon capacity by the fill rate of 8 gallons per minute gives 30 minutes. Time equals total amount divided by rate.
If 168 pencils are packed equally into boxes of 12, how many boxes are needed?
- a.12
- b.16
- c.18
- d.14✓
Dividing 168 pencils by 12 pencils per box gives exactly 14 boxes. Because 12 times 14 equals 168, there is no remainder and no extra box is required.