Numerical Reasoning Test

[ksher]

I have to do a shl verbal and numerical reasoning tests for a job interview next week. I tried the sample qusetions on their website, and I couldn't figure out the follow question.

A baker filled with a measuring cup with 3/4 cup water. He poured 1/2 of the water into the batter, and then spilled 1/8 of the water on the floor. How much water will the baker needed to add what is left in the cup to have 50% more than what he started with?

(a) 1/8 cup
(b) 3/8 cup
(c) 1/4 cup
(d) 1/2 cup
(e) 7/8 cup

50% more than 3/4 cup is more than 1 cup. Did I interpret the question incorrectly? Can anyone answer the question and give the working?

The numerical test has 18 questions and 25 minutes to answer.

 

[Quadracer]

Answer is e 7/8. He still has 1/4 left.
1 1/8 is 50% more than 3/4.

 

[original guvnor]

Isn't it 7/8 ? Answer E.

3/4 = 6/8

Pours half the water into a batter 3/8, spilled 1/8. At that point he has 2/8 left. To have 50% more than he started with he needs 9/8. Therefore he needs 7/8 more water.

 

[Quadracer]

Isn't it 7/8 ? Answer E.

3/4 = 6/8

Pours half the water into a batter 3/8, spilled 1/8. At that point he has 2/8 left. To have 50% more than he started with he needs 9/8. Therefore he needs 7/8 more water.

Beat you

 

[Cassie-UK]

I have to do a shl verbal and numerical reasoning tests for a job interview next week. I tried the sample qusetions on their website, and I couldn't figure out the follow question.

A baker filled with a measuring cup with 3/4 cup water. He poured 1/2 of the water into the batter, and then spilled 1/8 of the water on the floor. How much water will the baker needed to add what is left in the cup to have 50% more than what he started with?

(a) 1/8 cup
(b) 3/8 cup
(c) 1/4 cup
(d) 1/2 cup
(e) 7/8 cup

50% more than 3/4 cup is more than 1 cup. Did I interpret the question incorrectly? Can anyone answer the question and give the working?

The numerical test has 18 questions and 25 minutes to answer.

The answer is 7/8.

1/2 of 3/4 = 0.375
0.375 - 1/8 = 0.25
3/4 plus 50% = 1.125
1.125 - 0.25 = 0.875
0.875 as a fraction is 7/8

 

[Cassie-UK]

Damn, I'm too slow!

 

[original guvnor]

Isn't it 7/8 ? Answer E.

3/4 = 6/8

Pours half the water into a batter 3/8, spilled 1/8. At that point he has 2/8 left. To have 50% more than he started with he needs 9/8. Therefore he needs 7/8 more water.

Beat you

My excuse is I was typing a lengthy explanation for ksher!!

And to think my 3,000th post was answering a numerical reasoning test!!

 

[ksher]

I assumed he spilled the remaining 1/8 of the water after pouring 1/2 into the batter. But how could the baker over-fill the cup from 2/8 to 9/8? I think it is a badly written question.

 

[ZermattV]

Well done on the 3k OG

 

[Bing]

Well done on the 3k OG

x2 - the most useful 3,000th post ever

 

[ksher]

I did answer E because other choices could not get more than 50% more than 3/4, but it just didn't make sense.

 

[original guvnor]

Thanks chaps

 

[bluestreak56]

This is an awfully worded question, they expect a high result rate from this? Nonsense.

 

[oli445]

I did the same test recently - I think the 25 mins is pretty much impossible and there to put pressure on and see if you just guess answers or are willing to accept not completing the test in return for accuracy.

Looking at the question now, under no pressure, logically, it's pretty straight forward! Lowest common denominator and go from there

 

[Stuart Truman]

The thing with those tests is not to get flustered. They tend to be simple maths made convoluted. They're looking to see if you can break down problems.

A lot of these things are rendered useless by the simple fact that they are all online and readily available for people to practice.

 

[ksher]

I did the same test recently - I think the 25 mins is pretty much impossible and there to put pressure on and see if you just guess answers or are willing to accept not completing the test in return for accuracy.

Looking at the question now, under no pressure, logically, it's pretty straight forward! Lowest common denominator and go from there

Did you get the result online after you finished?

 

[oli445]

No, they kept it to themselves, but grouped it together with the interview score and a verbal reasoning test.

I am lead to believe that my practice test score of 13 correct from answering 15 questions was pretty good.

They have a matrix so you could answer 3 more questions and only get 1 right but would probably score higher answering 1 and getting it right.

 

[JaEdBa]

I have undertaken these type of tests a few times recently. once at a long term employer as a benchmarking exercise, and I've changed jobs twice in the last year so came up against them, both shl, both paper exercises.

they aren't terribly hard, the verbal reasoning in particular is made more difficult by being written in such a way as to add ambiguity, they also tend to have very narrow margins on the text with a lot of hyphenated words to further add confusion. in the first one I had a chubby hr girl eating wine gums, the second I had an aging occupational psychologist sharpening pencils, both times I figured were such random activities they were trying to add a degree of difficulty. sharpening the pencils worked, really got on my wick!

they tend to then benchmark them against the peer group at which they are assessing you, say senior management, graduate trained management etc etc. As Stuart says, key is to keep as calm as possible, flustering will really dent your score due to the time allowed.

 

[ksher]

I'm going to try the verbal one today, then do the real test on Tuesday before a telephone interview with hiring manager on Friday.

 

[oli445]

What do you do for a living ksher? Purely out of interest, I won't take offence if you'd rather not answer.

I was doing the practice test to help a colleague, he got the job I work for a bank.