ASVAB: Arithmetic Reasoning
A 2-ton truck is taxed at a rate of $0.12 per pound. How much is the total tax bill?
(a) $480
(b) $240
(c) $120
(d) $600 - ANS-A. 2,000 pounds to a ton. 4,000 × .12 = 480
A carpenter earns $12.30 an hour for a 40-hour week. His overtime pay is 1¹/₂ times his base
pay. If he puts in a 46-hour week, how much is his weekly pay?
(a) $602.70
(b) $492.00
(c) $565.80
(d) $110.70 - ANS-A. You need to add the carpenters base pay and overtime to find his total pay
for the week. First find his base pay per week: $12.30 × 40hrs = $492. Then find his overtime
rate per hour, which is 1¹/₂ time the base pay: $12.30 × 1.5 = $18.45. Multiply this rate by the
number of hours of overtime to find his overtime pay: $18.45 × 6 hr. = $110.70. Finally add the
base pay and overtime to find the total for the week, $492 + $110.7 = $602.70
A carpenter needs to cut four sections, each 3 feet, 8 inches long, from a piece of molding. If the
board is only sold by the foot, what's the shortest length of board she can buy?
(a) 15 feet
(b) 14 feet
(c) 16 feet
(d) 12 feet - ANS-A. Each section is 3²/₃ feet, times that by four and you get 14²/₃ so 15 is the
shortest board possible.
A half-pint of cream is what part of a gallon?
(a) ¹/₈
(b) ¹/₄
(c) ¹/₁₆
(d) ¹/₆ - ANS-C. 2 pints in a quart, 4 quarts to a gallon. Therefore 8 pints are to a gallon or 16
half-pints, ¹/₁₆.
A sales manager buys antacid in bottles the gross. If he goes through 3 bottles antacid
everyday, how long will the gross last?
(a) 144 days
(b) 3 days
(c) 20 days
(d) 48 days - ANS-D. 144 bottles in a gross, and 144 ÷ 3 (bottles per day) = 48 days.
, A security guard walks the equivalent of six city blocks when he makes a circuit around the
building. If he walks at a pace of eight city blocks every 30 minutes, how long will it take him to
complete a circuit around the building, assuming he doesn't run into any thieves?
(a) 20.00 minutes
(b) 3.75 minutes
(c) 22.50 minutes
(d) 7.5 minutes - ANS-C. Divide 30 by 8 to determine how long it takes to walk one city block =
3.75 minutes. Then multiply by 6 the number it takes to complete the circuit. The answer is 22.5
minutes.
A train headed south for Wichita left the station at the same time a train headed north for Des
Moines left the same station. The train headed to Wichita traveled 55 miles per hour. The train
headed for Des Moines traveled at 70 miles per hour. How many miles apart are the trains at
the end of three hours?
(a) 210 miles
(b) 165 miles
(c) 125 miles
(d) 375 miles - ANS-D. Distance = speed × time, take the distance traveled by the Wichita train
(55mph × 3hr = 165 miles) then add that to the distance traveled by the Des Moines train
(70mph × 3hr = 210 miles). The trains are 375 miles apart in 3 hours. Another option: add the
two trains mph then multiply by 3 hours (55 + 70) = 125 × 3 = 375 miles
A waitress earns an average of 12% of the cost of the food she serves. If she serves $375 worth
of food in one evening, how much money in tips will she earn on average?
(a) $37
(b) $45
(c) $42
(d) $420 - ANS-B. Multiply the amount spent on drinks, $375, by 12% (or 0.12) to determine the
amount of tips:
$375 × 0.12 = $45
Alice leaves her house, driving east at 45 miles per hour (mph). Thirty minutes later her
husband Dave notices she forgot her cell phone and sets off after her. How fast must Dave
travel in order to catch up with Alice 3 hours after he leaves?
(a) 49 mph
(b) 50.5 mph
(c) 52.5 mph
(d) 54 mph - ANS-C. distance = speed × time. First find how far Alice had traveled 3½ hours at
45 mph, or 157.5 mph. Dave has three hours to cover this distance. Now find his speed. 157.5
mi ÷ 3 hr. = 52.5 mph
An aircraft flies over Boondock Air Force Base at 10:20 a.m. At 10:32 a.m., the plane passes
over Sea Side Naval Air Station, 120 miles away. How fast is the aircraft traveling?
(a) 400 mph
A 2-ton truck is taxed at a rate of $0.12 per pound. How much is the total tax bill?
(a) $480
(b) $240
(c) $120
(d) $600 - ANS-A. 2,000 pounds to a ton. 4,000 × .12 = 480
A carpenter earns $12.30 an hour for a 40-hour week. His overtime pay is 1¹/₂ times his base
pay. If he puts in a 46-hour week, how much is his weekly pay?
(a) $602.70
(b) $492.00
(c) $565.80
(d) $110.70 - ANS-A. You need to add the carpenters base pay and overtime to find his total pay
for the week. First find his base pay per week: $12.30 × 40hrs = $492. Then find his overtime
rate per hour, which is 1¹/₂ time the base pay: $12.30 × 1.5 = $18.45. Multiply this rate by the
number of hours of overtime to find his overtime pay: $18.45 × 6 hr. = $110.70. Finally add the
base pay and overtime to find the total for the week, $492 + $110.7 = $602.70
A carpenter needs to cut four sections, each 3 feet, 8 inches long, from a piece of molding. If the
board is only sold by the foot, what's the shortest length of board she can buy?
(a) 15 feet
(b) 14 feet
(c) 16 feet
(d) 12 feet - ANS-A. Each section is 3²/₃ feet, times that by four and you get 14²/₃ so 15 is the
shortest board possible.
A half-pint of cream is what part of a gallon?
(a) ¹/₈
(b) ¹/₄
(c) ¹/₁₆
(d) ¹/₆ - ANS-C. 2 pints in a quart, 4 quarts to a gallon. Therefore 8 pints are to a gallon or 16
half-pints, ¹/₁₆.
A sales manager buys antacid in bottles the gross. If he goes through 3 bottles antacid
everyday, how long will the gross last?
(a) 144 days
(b) 3 days
(c) 20 days
(d) 48 days - ANS-D. 144 bottles in a gross, and 144 ÷ 3 (bottles per day) = 48 days.
, A security guard walks the equivalent of six city blocks when he makes a circuit around the
building. If he walks at a pace of eight city blocks every 30 minutes, how long will it take him to
complete a circuit around the building, assuming he doesn't run into any thieves?
(a) 20.00 minutes
(b) 3.75 minutes
(c) 22.50 minutes
(d) 7.5 minutes - ANS-C. Divide 30 by 8 to determine how long it takes to walk one city block =
3.75 minutes. Then multiply by 6 the number it takes to complete the circuit. The answer is 22.5
minutes.
A train headed south for Wichita left the station at the same time a train headed north for Des
Moines left the same station. The train headed to Wichita traveled 55 miles per hour. The train
headed for Des Moines traveled at 70 miles per hour. How many miles apart are the trains at
the end of three hours?
(a) 210 miles
(b) 165 miles
(c) 125 miles
(d) 375 miles - ANS-D. Distance = speed × time, take the distance traveled by the Wichita train
(55mph × 3hr = 165 miles) then add that to the distance traveled by the Des Moines train
(70mph × 3hr = 210 miles). The trains are 375 miles apart in 3 hours. Another option: add the
two trains mph then multiply by 3 hours (55 + 70) = 125 × 3 = 375 miles
A waitress earns an average of 12% of the cost of the food she serves. If she serves $375 worth
of food in one evening, how much money in tips will she earn on average?
(a) $37
(b) $45
(c) $42
(d) $420 - ANS-B. Multiply the amount spent on drinks, $375, by 12% (or 0.12) to determine the
amount of tips:
$375 × 0.12 = $45
Alice leaves her house, driving east at 45 miles per hour (mph). Thirty minutes later her
husband Dave notices she forgot her cell phone and sets off after her. How fast must Dave
travel in order to catch up with Alice 3 hours after he leaves?
(a) 49 mph
(b) 50.5 mph
(c) 52.5 mph
(d) 54 mph - ANS-C. distance = speed × time. First find how far Alice had traveled 3½ hours at
45 mph, or 157.5 mph. Dave has three hours to cover this distance. Now find his speed. 157.5
mi ÷ 3 hr. = 52.5 mph
An aircraft flies over Boondock Air Force Base at 10:20 a.m. At 10:32 a.m., the plane passes
over Sea Side Naval Air Station, 120 miles away. How fast is the aircraft traveling?
(a) 400 mph
