Whether it is working out the change we are supposed to get when we are shops, or converting between different units while cooking, most of us struggle with numbers in our daily lives.
We feel we are really dependent on calculators and online unit converters. But sometimes when we are away from our smartphone or don’t have access to the Internet, we realise how helpful it would be, had we known to work our way around the numbers.
Surveys suggest this problem plagues a third of the population in the United Kingdom. A small quiz will help determine whether you too suffer from serious lack of numerical skills and confidence required to make your way through it.
1. A person has 50 light bulbs but a friend takes four packs of two out of it. How many are left?
- 42
- 58
- 48
- 46
2. It’s 12:51 and you’ve been waiting for your friend since half past 12. How many minutes have you been waiting for?
- 6
- 13
- 19
- 21
3. Which of these lengths is the longest?
- 1.7m
- 1.27m
- 172cm
- 1075mm
4. The date today is April 14th and the day is Tuesday. What is the date of the last Sunday in April?
- April 27th
- April 26th
- April 28th
- April 30th
5. The price of your favourite dress has gone by 10 percent. It’s now selling at $11.70. What was the original price?
- $12.50
- $13.25
- $13.99
- $13.00
6. If a lunch contains 640 calories of energy, what percentage is this of 2000 calories, Mike’s daily intake.
- 45%
- 62%
- 65%
- 32%
7. Price of milk has increased by two percent in year one, and by five percent in year two. What was the overall increase?
- 7%
- 7.1%
- 10%
- 10.7%
8. A dose of medicine is made by diluting one part of concentrate to five parts of water. How much of the concentrate should there be in a 150ml dose of medicine?
- 35ml
- 30ml
- 25ml
- 20ml
9. You have bought a tablet PC which cost you $899 including a 20 percent value-added tax. How much tax did you pay?
- $179.80
- $89.80
- $125
- None of these
10. A home appliance costs $99 including a 20 percent value-added tax. What is the price of the item without tax?
- $79.20
- $79
- $76
- None of these
Check Answers
What did you score and what does it mean?
Between 1 and 3
You have a serious lack of numerical skills. Improving them can help you a lot in various departments of life.
Between 3 and 6
While its not bad, a little more practice can make things easier for you in day-to-day tasks.
Between 7 to 10
Doesn’t look like you have to worry about basic numeracy skills.
