Civil Service Numerical Reasoning Test Currency and Unit Conversion — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A civil servant is travelling to Brussels for a meeting. They need €350 for expenses. If the exchange rate is £1 = €1.16, how much sterling do they need?
- £310.50
- £301.72 (Correct answer)
- £295.80
- £315.25
Correct answer: £301.72
Sterling needed = €350 / 1.16 = £301.72 (rounded to nearest penny). When converting from foreign currency to sterling, divide by the exchange rate.
Question 2: A government report measures office space in square metres. One office is 186 square metres. If 1 square metre = 10.764 square feet, approximately how many square feet is the office?
- 1,850 sq ft
- 2,002 sq ft (Correct answer)
- 2,150 sq ft
- 1,945 sq ft
Correct answer: 2,002 sq ft
186 x 10.764 = 2,002.1 square feet, approximately 2,002 sq ft.
Question 3: A department orders 2,500 litres of heating oil. The supplier quotes in gallons at £3.80 per gallon. If 1 gallon = 4.546 litres, what is the approximate total cost?
- £2,090 (Correct answer)
- £2,180
- £1,950
- £2,310
Correct answer: £2,090
Gallons needed = 2,500 / 4.546 = 549.7 gallons. Cost = 549.7 x £3.80 = £2,088.86, approximately £2,090.
Question 4: An international procurement is quoted at $42,500 USD. The exchange rate is £1 = $1.25. What is the cost in sterling?
- £34,000 (Correct answer)
- £36,200
- £32,800
- £35,500
Correct answer: £34,000
Sterling cost = $42,500 / 1.25 = £34,000. Dividing by the exchange rate converts from dollars to pounds.
Question 5: A journey between two government sites is 145 kilometres. A civil servant claims mileage at 45p per mile. If 1 mile = 1.609 km, how much can they claim?
- £38.25
- £40.55 (Correct answer)
- £42.30
- £36.90
Correct answer: £40.55
Distance in miles = 145 / 1.609 = 90.12 miles. Mileage claim = 90.12 x £0.45 = £40.55 (rounded to nearest penny).
Question 6: A report states that a government building uses 45,000 kWh of energy per month. If the energy tariff is 28p per kWh, what is the monthly energy cost?
- £10,800
- £12,600 (Correct answer)
- £11,400
- £13,200
Correct answer: £12,600
Monthly cost = 45,000 x £0.28 = £12,600. Remember to convert pence to pounds (28p = £0.28) before multiplying.
Civil Service Numerical Reasoning Test Currency and Unit Conversion
A civil servant is travelling to Brussels for a meeting.
They need €350 for expenses.
If the exchange rate is £1 = €1.16, how much sterling do they need?