ASVAB - Arithmetic Reasoning
10: A bin of bolts at the hardware store contains 7-dozen bolts when full. The stock clerk is
supposed to reorder bolts when the bin is 1⁄6 full. How many bolts are in the bin when it's
time to reorder? - ANS-A. 14 bolts
B. 1 bolt
C. 84 bolts
D. 12 bolts
(A) First find how many bolts a full bin contains: 7 ×12 = 84 bolts. Then multiply the total
number of bolts in a full bin by 1⁄6 to find how many bolts are in the bin when it's 1⁄6 full: 84⁄1
× 1⁄6 = 84⁄6 = 14 bolts.
150 centimeters is equivalent to: - ANS-A. 1 meter
B. 1 1⁄2 meters
C. 750 millimeters
D. 1 yard
(B) 100 centimeters equal 1 meter, so 150 centimeters equal 1 1⁄2 meters.
A 2-ton truck is taxed at a rate of $0.12 per pound. How much is the total tax bill? - ANS-A.
$480
B. $240
C. $120
D. $600
(A) 2 tons = 4,000 pounds. 4,000 × $0.12 = $480.00.
A bricklayer charges $8 per square foot to lay a patio. How much would it cost for the
bricklayer to lay a 12-foot-×-16-foot patio? - ANS-A. $960
B. $192
C. $224
D. $1536
(D) First determine the square footage of the patio: 12 feet × 16 feet = 192 square feet. Then
multiply this number by the cost per square foot to determine what the brick layer charges:
192 × $8 = $1,536
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? - ANS-A.
15 feet
B. 14 feet
C. 16 feet
D. 12 feet
(A) Convert the mixed number to inches. 3 feet 8 inches equals 44 inches (12 inches per
foot × 3 feet = 36 inches + 8 inches = 44 inches). 44 inches (length each section needs to
be) × 4 (number of sections needed) = 176 inches (total molding needed). To determine the
, amount of molding needed in feet, convert 176 inches into feet by dividing 176 inches by 12
inches. You get 142⁄3 feet, so the shortest board length is 15 feet.
A half-pint of cream is what part of a gallon? - ANS-A. 1⁄8
B. 1⁄4
C. 1⁄16
D. 1⁄6
(C) 8 pints make up a gallon, so a gallon contains 16 half-pints. One half-pint equals 1⁄16 of
a gallon.
A house contains one 12-foot-×-14-foot bedroom, one 12-foot-×-10-foot bedroom, and one
8-foot-×-12-foot bedroom. What's the total amount of carpeting needed to carpet all three
bedrooms? - ANS-A. 384 square yards
B. 42 2/3 square yards
C. 216 square yards
D. 88 square yards
(B) Find the area of each bedroom and add them together: 12 × 14 = 168; 12 × 10 = 120; 8
× 12 = 96. 168 + 120 + 96 = 384 square feet. Then, because 9 square feet make up a
square yard, divide the total area in square feet by 9 to determine the number of square
yards needed: 384 ÷ 9 = 42 2/3 square yards.
A student buys a science textbook for $18.00, a math textbook for $14.50, and a dictionary
for $9.95. What is the total cost of the books? - ANS-A. $27.95
B. $42.45
C. $41.95
D. $38.50
(B) Simply add the cost of all the books: $18.00 + $14.50 + $9.95 = $42.45.
A treasure map is drawn to a scale of 2 inches = 3 miles. On the map, the distance between
Point A and X-marks-the-spot is 9 1/2 inches. How many actual miles does this represent. -
ANS-A. 281/2 miles
B. 141/4 miles
C. 61/3 miles
D. 19 miles
(B) If 2 inches = 3 miles, then 1 inch equals 11⁄2 miles: 3 ÷ 2 = 1.5. Multiply 11⁄2 miles × 91⁄2
inches to determine the actual distance: 1.5 × 9.5 = 14.25 or 141⁄4 miles.
A waitress earns an average tip 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? -
ANS-A. $37
B. $45
C. $42
D. $420
(B) Multiply the total amount spent on food, $375, by 12% to determine the amount of tips.
$375 × 0.12 = $45.
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? - ANS-A.
400 mph
10: A bin of bolts at the hardware store contains 7-dozen bolts when full. The stock clerk is
supposed to reorder bolts when the bin is 1⁄6 full. How many bolts are in the bin when it's
time to reorder? - ANS-A. 14 bolts
B. 1 bolt
C. 84 bolts
D. 12 bolts
(A) First find how many bolts a full bin contains: 7 ×12 = 84 bolts. Then multiply the total
number of bolts in a full bin by 1⁄6 to find how many bolts are in the bin when it's 1⁄6 full: 84⁄1
× 1⁄6 = 84⁄6 = 14 bolts.
150 centimeters is equivalent to: - ANS-A. 1 meter
B. 1 1⁄2 meters
C. 750 millimeters
D. 1 yard
(B) 100 centimeters equal 1 meter, so 150 centimeters equal 1 1⁄2 meters.
A 2-ton truck is taxed at a rate of $0.12 per pound. How much is the total tax bill? - ANS-A.
$480
B. $240
C. $120
D. $600
(A) 2 tons = 4,000 pounds. 4,000 × $0.12 = $480.00.
A bricklayer charges $8 per square foot to lay a patio. How much would it cost for the
bricklayer to lay a 12-foot-×-16-foot patio? - ANS-A. $960
B. $192
C. $224
D. $1536
(D) First determine the square footage of the patio: 12 feet × 16 feet = 192 square feet. Then
multiply this number by the cost per square foot to determine what the brick layer charges:
192 × $8 = $1,536
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? - ANS-A.
15 feet
B. 14 feet
C. 16 feet
D. 12 feet
(A) Convert the mixed number to inches. 3 feet 8 inches equals 44 inches (12 inches per
foot × 3 feet = 36 inches + 8 inches = 44 inches). 44 inches (length each section needs to
be) × 4 (number of sections needed) = 176 inches (total molding needed). To determine the
, amount of molding needed in feet, convert 176 inches into feet by dividing 176 inches by 12
inches. You get 142⁄3 feet, so the shortest board length is 15 feet.
A half-pint of cream is what part of a gallon? - ANS-A. 1⁄8
B. 1⁄4
C. 1⁄16
D. 1⁄6
(C) 8 pints make up a gallon, so a gallon contains 16 half-pints. One half-pint equals 1⁄16 of
a gallon.
A house contains one 12-foot-×-14-foot bedroom, one 12-foot-×-10-foot bedroom, and one
8-foot-×-12-foot bedroom. What's the total amount of carpeting needed to carpet all three
bedrooms? - ANS-A. 384 square yards
B. 42 2/3 square yards
C. 216 square yards
D. 88 square yards
(B) Find the area of each bedroom and add them together: 12 × 14 = 168; 12 × 10 = 120; 8
× 12 = 96. 168 + 120 + 96 = 384 square feet. Then, because 9 square feet make up a
square yard, divide the total area in square feet by 9 to determine the number of square
yards needed: 384 ÷ 9 = 42 2/3 square yards.
A student buys a science textbook for $18.00, a math textbook for $14.50, and a dictionary
for $9.95. What is the total cost of the books? - ANS-A. $27.95
B. $42.45
C. $41.95
D. $38.50
(B) Simply add the cost of all the books: $18.00 + $14.50 + $9.95 = $42.45.
A treasure map is drawn to a scale of 2 inches = 3 miles. On the map, the distance between
Point A and X-marks-the-spot is 9 1/2 inches. How many actual miles does this represent. -
ANS-A. 281/2 miles
B. 141/4 miles
C. 61/3 miles
D. 19 miles
(B) If 2 inches = 3 miles, then 1 inch equals 11⁄2 miles: 3 ÷ 2 = 1.5. Multiply 11⁄2 miles × 91⁄2
inches to determine the actual distance: 1.5 × 9.5 = 14.25 or 141⁄4 miles.
A waitress earns an average tip 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? -
ANS-A. $37
B. $45
C. $42
D. $420
(B) Multiply the total amount spent on food, $375, by 12% to determine the amount of tips.
$375 × 0.12 = $45.
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? - ANS-A.
400 mph
