Texas Civil Service Exam Mathematical Reasoning Problems 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A city department has a budget of $48,000 for the year. After 8 months, $34,000 has been spent. What percentage of the budget remains?
- 22.5%
- 29.2% (Correct answer)
- 37.5%
- 41.7%
Correct answer: 29.2%
Remaining = $48,000 - $34,000 = $14,000; percentage = 14,000 / 48,000 × 100 ≈ 29.2%.
Question 2: An officer travels 12 miles north, then 16 miles east. How far is the officer from the starting point?
- 20 miles (Correct answer)
- 24 miles
- 28 miles
- 18 miles
Correct answer: 20 miles
Using the Pythagorean theorem: √(12² + 16²) = √(144 + 256) = √400 = 20 miles.
Question 3: A civil service exam is graded on a scale of 0–100. If a passing score requires 70% and there are 80 questions, how many must be answered correctly to pass?
- 54
- 56 (Correct answer)
- 58
- 60
Correct answer: 56
70% of 80 = 0.70 × 80 = 56 correct answers required.
Question 4: A department issues 3 reports every 2 weeks. How many reports will be issued in a 52-week year?
- 72
- 78 (Correct answer)
- 84
- 90
Correct answer: 78
52 weeks ÷ 2 weeks = 26 periods; 26 × 3 = 78 reports per year.
Question 5: A water main repair costs $1,250 in labor and $875 in materials. The city splits the total cost evenly among 3 departments. How much does each department pay?
- $625.00
- $691.67
- $708.33 (Correct answer)
- $725.00
Correct answer: $708.33
Total = $1,250 + $875 = $2,125; each department pays $2,125 ÷ 3 ≈ $708.33.
Question 6: A patrol car averages 18 miles per gallon. If fuel costs $3.60 per gallon and the car drives 540 miles in a week, what is the weekly fuel cost?
- $100
- $108 (Correct answer)
- $115
- $120
Correct answer: $108
Gallons used = 540 ÷ 18 = 30; fuel cost = 30 × $3.60 = $108.
Question 7: A city park covers 3.5 acres. If 1 acre = 43,560 square feet, how many square feet does the park cover?
- 130,680 sq ft
- 152,460 sq ft (Correct answer)
- 144,200 sq ft
- 158,920 sq ft
Correct answer: 152,460 sq ft
3.5 × 43,560 = 152,460 square feet.
A city department has a budget of $48,000 for the year.
After 8 months, $34,000 has been spent.
What percentage of the budget remains?