The questions

13 April 2012

These are sample questions from Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SATs) used by American universities in addition to high school qualifications to select students.

The tests are divided into two sections - maths and verbal reasoning. Questions are all multiple choice.

MATHS:

1: If one cup of olive oil is added to a three-cup mixture that is 2/5 salad mix and 3/5 olive oil, what percentage of the four-cup mixture is olive oil?

a. 80 per cent; b. 75 per cent;

c. 70 per cent; d. 65 per cent;

e. 60 per cent. (Answer: c)

2: Pieces of wood are glued together to form the edge of a cube, whose volume is 64 cubic inches. The number of inches of wood used is:

a. 24; b. 48; c. 64; d. 96; e. 120. (Answer: b)

3: A salon charges $30 for a hair-cut, blow dry and standard body wave, but $42 for a haircut, blow dry and deluxe body wave. If the deluxe body wave costs four times as much as the standard body wave, how much does the standard body wave cost?

a. $2; b. $4; c. $5; d. $6; e. $8. (Answer: b)

VERBAL

1: More ... than his wife, Mr White had a less ... relationship with the household staff.

a. apathetic - diffident

b. cordial - venerable

c. compassionate - empathetic

d. frugal - penurious

e. conciliatory - confrontational (Answer: e)

2: The judge's astute criticism of the law student's paper is due to his ability, as an attorney and judicial expert, to approach legal briefs as a/an:

a. detractor; b. veteran;

c. interpreter: d. practitioner;

e. sage. (Answer: d)

3: Building to Ornate is as -

a. Outline to Detailed

b. Cliche to Colourful

c. Opera to Melodious

d. Screenplay to Entertaining

e. Prose to Florid (Answer: e)