CBEST Math Prep Questions and Answers – Complete Study Guide
& Practice Test 2026-2027
This document offers a comprehensive collection of CBEST Mathematics practice questions and
detailed answer explanations to help candidates prepare effectively for the California Basic
Educational Skills Test (CBEST). Coverage includes essential topics such as arithmetic, algebra,
geometry, measurement, probability, statistics, data interpretation, and problem-solving
techniques. Designed for aspiring teachers and credential candidates, this study guide provides
realistic practice exercises, test-taking strategies, and concept reviews to support exam readiness
and improve mathematical confidence.
1. Joan spent Monday and Tuesday shopping. She spent a total of $115. She spent $47
more on Monday than she did on Tuesday. How much did she spend on Tuesday?
a. $68
b. $162
c. $34
d. $81
e. $115 - CORRECT ANSWER We are simply looking for 2 numbers that when
added together, we get 115. Also, one number is 47 more than the other. Let x
represent the smaller number, then x + 47 would be the larger, so we have the
equation:
x + x + 47 = 115
Combine the x with the other x gives:
2x + 47 = 115
Subtract 47 from both sides.
2x = 68
Divide each side by 2 gives:
x = 34
QUESTION :2. Mrs. Johnson needs 4 blue paper circles for each student in her class.
She can cut 6 of these circles from each piece of blue paper she is using. If there are 32
students in her class, how many pieces of blue paper will she need?
a. 32
b. 10
c. 22
d. 36
e. 21 - CORRECT ANSWER She needs a total of 32 x 4 or 128 circles. 6 can be cut
from 1 paper, so divide 128 by 6 and you get 21 and a small remainder. Forget the
remainder, you KNOW you will have to use 1 more paper for make up for that
,remainder. The answer will be 21 + 1 or 22. 21 may look attractive, but where would the
little extra come from?
QUESTION :3. Bob is stapling packets for his students. He can staple one complete
packet in about 3 minutes. About how long will it take him to staple enough packets for
his class of 30 students?
a. 1 hour 20 minutes
b. 1 hour 30 minutes
c. 2 hours 20 minutes
d. 2 hours 9 minutes
e. 3 hours - CORRECT ANSWER Multiply 3 x 30 = 90. It will take 90 minutes. But the
answers are in hours, 60 minutes to an hour, so the answer must be 1 hour 30 minutes.
QUESTION :4. A certain square has an area of 36 square inches. What is the
perimeter of this square?
a. 6
b. 12
c. 18.
d. 24
e. 30 - CORRECT ANSWER You should know that a square has all sides equal.
Multiply 2 sides together to get the area. Since the sides will be the same number, we
are looking for a number multiplied by itself to get 36. The only number that satisfies
that is 6. ( 6 x 6 = 36). Each side is 6 inches, therefore the perimeter is 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 =
24 inches.
QUESTION :5. Carrson High School has a senior class of 540 students. If 4 out of
every 9 of these students are planning to attend college, how many are not planning to
attend college?
a. 240
b. 270
c. 300
d. 370
e. 400 - CORRECT ANSWER 4 out of 9 is the fraction 4/9. Multiply 540 x 4, then
divide your answer by 9. You get 240. This represents the number of students attending
college. (Always reread the question to make sure you are answering what is asked
for.)
The number not attending college would be 540 - 240 = 300. The answer is c.
You could have also recognized that you need to find 5/9 of 540, solved similarly as
above.
Alternative way to solve #5:
,4/9 represents a little less than half. So, the number attending college is a little less than
half. Half of 540 is 270. The number attending college will be slightly lower than this.
Likewise, the number not attending college is a little higher than 270. The only logical
answer would be 300.
5/9 represents the number not attending college. 5/9 is about 55% Finding 55% of 540
would be easy and very close to 300.
*Remember: You do not need to get the exact answer. Just be close enough to logically
choose the answer from the 5 choices.
QUESTION :6. The school library has 272 books in their natural science section. If 25%
are books related to animals, how many books on animals are on hand?
a. 27
b. 54
c. 68
d. 25
e. 136 - CORRECT ANSWER Multiply .25 x 272 to get 68.
Alternative way of solving #6:
You should know that 25% means 1/4. So, I am looking for a number that when
multiplied by 4, I get 272. The only answer that works is 68 x 4 = 272. However, I knew
it was going to end in an 8 because that is the only number I can multiply by 4 to get a 2
on the end. (272 ends in 2 and 4 x 8 = 32). 68 is the only number on the list that ends in
8. 68 MUST be the answer.
QUESTION :7. What number is 36% of 650 ?
a. 234
b. 243
c. 221
d. 216
e. 220 - CORRECT ANSWER Multiply .36 x 650 to get 234.
Alternative way of solving #7:
10% of 650 is 65. So, 30% = 65 + 65 + 65 or 195.
5 % of 650 = 32.5, so 35% = 195 + 32.5 or 227.5. (I could logically pick 234 because it
is only slightly higher than 227.5)
1% of 650 = 6.5, so add 6.5 + 227.5 = 234.
QUESTION :8. Use the following information to answer number 8.
John visits various parks near his house on a regular basis. He either bikes, jogs, or
walks.
* If the park is less than 2 miles from his home, J;ohn will walk.
* If the park is between 2 miles and 9 miles, John will jog.
, * If the park is greater than 9 miles, John will bike.
If you know that on a certain day John rode his bike to the park, which of the following
could be true?
a. The park is one mile from his house.
b. The park is 5 miles from his home.
c. If the park were 1 mile closer, John would have walked.
d. The park is 11 miles from his home.
e. The park is not more than 9 miles from his home. - CORRECT ANSWER If John
rode his bike, the distance MUST be greater than 9 miles. Look for an answer that is
more than 9 miles. The key words in the question are "could be true." All we need is one
that fits, not necessarily the real distance he actually traveled. Answer d is the only one
that fits him riding the bike.
QUESTION :9. A jacket that normally costs $27 is on sale for $21.60. What percentage
of a discount was applied to the jacket?
a. 10%
b. 15%
c. 20%
d. 25%
e. 30% - CORRECT ANSWER The discount was 27 - 21.60 or 5.4.
10% os 2.7, 20% would be 5.4. That is the answer, 20% Remember, these questions
are supposed to be done without a calculator!
QUESTION :10. Martha buys lunch in the cafeteria at her place of work. She buys a
drink for $.85, a sandwich for $1.75, an apple for $.45. At the same time, she also
purchases a bag of potato chips. If her total bill before tax was $3.80, what was the cost
of the chips?
a. $.75
b. $.85
c. $.90
d. $.92
e. $.95 - CORRECT ANSWER The total of the given items with prices is .85 + 1.75 +
.45 or 3.05. Her real total was 3.80. So, subtract 3.80 - 3.05 to get .75, the cost of the
chips. (Yes, I did eliminate the dollar sign in my calculations. It is meaningless to the
answer.)
QUESTION :1. Hattie purchases 3 books for $3.75 each 5 notepads for $1.75 each.
She uses the following equation to figure the total (before tax):
(3 x $3.75) + (5 x $1.75)
& Practice Test 2026-2027
This document offers a comprehensive collection of CBEST Mathematics practice questions and
detailed answer explanations to help candidates prepare effectively for the California Basic
Educational Skills Test (CBEST). Coverage includes essential topics such as arithmetic, algebra,
geometry, measurement, probability, statistics, data interpretation, and problem-solving
techniques. Designed for aspiring teachers and credential candidates, this study guide provides
realistic practice exercises, test-taking strategies, and concept reviews to support exam readiness
and improve mathematical confidence.
1. Joan spent Monday and Tuesday shopping. She spent a total of $115. She spent $47
more on Monday than she did on Tuesday. How much did she spend on Tuesday?
a. $68
b. $162
c. $34
d. $81
e. $115 - CORRECT ANSWER We are simply looking for 2 numbers that when
added together, we get 115. Also, one number is 47 more than the other. Let x
represent the smaller number, then x + 47 would be the larger, so we have the
equation:
x + x + 47 = 115
Combine the x with the other x gives:
2x + 47 = 115
Subtract 47 from both sides.
2x = 68
Divide each side by 2 gives:
x = 34
QUESTION :2. Mrs. Johnson needs 4 blue paper circles for each student in her class.
She can cut 6 of these circles from each piece of blue paper she is using. If there are 32
students in her class, how many pieces of blue paper will she need?
a. 32
b. 10
c. 22
d. 36
e. 21 - CORRECT ANSWER She needs a total of 32 x 4 or 128 circles. 6 can be cut
from 1 paper, so divide 128 by 6 and you get 21 and a small remainder. Forget the
remainder, you KNOW you will have to use 1 more paper for make up for that
,remainder. The answer will be 21 + 1 or 22. 21 may look attractive, but where would the
little extra come from?
QUESTION :3. Bob is stapling packets for his students. He can staple one complete
packet in about 3 minutes. About how long will it take him to staple enough packets for
his class of 30 students?
a. 1 hour 20 minutes
b. 1 hour 30 minutes
c. 2 hours 20 minutes
d. 2 hours 9 minutes
e. 3 hours - CORRECT ANSWER Multiply 3 x 30 = 90. It will take 90 minutes. But the
answers are in hours, 60 minutes to an hour, so the answer must be 1 hour 30 minutes.
QUESTION :4. A certain square has an area of 36 square inches. What is the
perimeter of this square?
a. 6
b. 12
c. 18.
d. 24
e. 30 - CORRECT ANSWER You should know that a square has all sides equal.
Multiply 2 sides together to get the area. Since the sides will be the same number, we
are looking for a number multiplied by itself to get 36. The only number that satisfies
that is 6. ( 6 x 6 = 36). Each side is 6 inches, therefore the perimeter is 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 =
24 inches.
QUESTION :5. Carrson High School has a senior class of 540 students. If 4 out of
every 9 of these students are planning to attend college, how many are not planning to
attend college?
a. 240
b. 270
c. 300
d. 370
e. 400 - CORRECT ANSWER 4 out of 9 is the fraction 4/9. Multiply 540 x 4, then
divide your answer by 9. You get 240. This represents the number of students attending
college. (Always reread the question to make sure you are answering what is asked
for.)
The number not attending college would be 540 - 240 = 300. The answer is c.
You could have also recognized that you need to find 5/9 of 540, solved similarly as
above.
Alternative way to solve #5:
,4/9 represents a little less than half. So, the number attending college is a little less than
half. Half of 540 is 270. The number attending college will be slightly lower than this.
Likewise, the number not attending college is a little higher than 270. The only logical
answer would be 300.
5/9 represents the number not attending college. 5/9 is about 55% Finding 55% of 540
would be easy and very close to 300.
*Remember: You do not need to get the exact answer. Just be close enough to logically
choose the answer from the 5 choices.
QUESTION :6. The school library has 272 books in their natural science section. If 25%
are books related to animals, how many books on animals are on hand?
a. 27
b. 54
c. 68
d. 25
e. 136 - CORRECT ANSWER Multiply .25 x 272 to get 68.
Alternative way of solving #6:
You should know that 25% means 1/4. So, I am looking for a number that when
multiplied by 4, I get 272. The only answer that works is 68 x 4 = 272. However, I knew
it was going to end in an 8 because that is the only number I can multiply by 4 to get a 2
on the end. (272 ends in 2 and 4 x 8 = 32). 68 is the only number on the list that ends in
8. 68 MUST be the answer.
QUESTION :7. What number is 36% of 650 ?
a. 234
b. 243
c. 221
d. 216
e. 220 - CORRECT ANSWER Multiply .36 x 650 to get 234.
Alternative way of solving #7:
10% of 650 is 65. So, 30% = 65 + 65 + 65 or 195.
5 % of 650 = 32.5, so 35% = 195 + 32.5 or 227.5. (I could logically pick 234 because it
is only slightly higher than 227.5)
1% of 650 = 6.5, so add 6.5 + 227.5 = 234.
QUESTION :8. Use the following information to answer number 8.
John visits various parks near his house on a regular basis. He either bikes, jogs, or
walks.
* If the park is less than 2 miles from his home, J;ohn will walk.
* If the park is between 2 miles and 9 miles, John will jog.
, * If the park is greater than 9 miles, John will bike.
If you know that on a certain day John rode his bike to the park, which of the following
could be true?
a. The park is one mile from his house.
b. The park is 5 miles from his home.
c. If the park were 1 mile closer, John would have walked.
d. The park is 11 miles from his home.
e. The park is not more than 9 miles from his home. - CORRECT ANSWER If John
rode his bike, the distance MUST be greater than 9 miles. Look for an answer that is
more than 9 miles. The key words in the question are "could be true." All we need is one
that fits, not necessarily the real distance he actually traveled. Answer d is the only one
that fits him riding the bike.
QUESTION :9. A jacket that normally costs $27 is on sale for $21.60. What percentage
of a discount was applied to the jacket?
a. 10%
b. 15%
c. 20%
d. 25%
e. 30% - CORRECT ANSWER The discount was 27 - 21.60 or 5.4.
10% os 2.7, 20% would be 5.4. That is the answer, 20% Remember, these questions
are supposed to be done without a calculator!
QUESTION :10. Martha buys lunch in the cafeteria at her place of work. She buys a
drink for $.85, a sandwich for $1.75, an apple for $.45. At the same time, she also
purchases a bag of potato chips. If her total bill before tax was $3.80, what was the cost
of the chips?
a. $.75
b. $.85
c. $.90
d. $.92
e. $.95 - CORRECT ANSWER The total of the given items with prices is .85 + 1.75 +
.45 or 3.05. Her real total was 3.80. So, subtract 3.80 - 3.05 to get .75, the cost of the
chips. (Yes, I did eliminate the dollar sign in my calculations. It is meaningless to the
answer.)
QUESTION :1. Hattie purchases 3 books for $3.75 each 5 notepads for $1.75 each.
She uses the following equation to figure the total (before tax):
(3 x $3.75) + (5 x $1.75)
