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1 11% of nurses across the country would like to leave the profession. However, this figure
rises to 39% amongst nurses who are working alternating shift systems, which mix day,
evening and night shifts. It was found that many nurses preferred one type of shift most of
the time, whether that involved working early, late or through the night. Employers should
urgently review staffing arrangements to avoid the compulsory, alternating patterns. This
would make nurses' working hours more compatible with their social and family lives. A
further benefit would be a reduction in the cost of training new nurses to replace those
leaving.

What is the best expression of the main conclusion of this argument?

A The health service should adapt shift patterns to suit nurses in order to retain
staff.
B Alternating shift systems cause nurses to want leave the health service.
C Many nurses prefer a regular pattern of work.
D Some nurses would like to leave the profession no matter what their shift
pattern.
E 61% of nurses prefer alternating shift patterns.

2 To play a football pools game, participants must select four matches from the fifty on the
coupon. Points are scored depending on the result of each match as follows:

If the home team wins, the participant scores 1.0 point

If the away team wins, the participant scores 1.5 points

If the match is a draw, the participant scores 3.0 points

Which of the following total scores for the four matches is not possible?

A 8.5 points
B 9.0 points
C 9.5 points
D 10.0 points
E 10.5 points

© UCLES 2011 TSA

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3 Some recent films have been very expensive to make, but have not been the big
box-office hits that would have justified the expense. At the same time, there have been
films made very cheaply which have been received with both huge critical and popular
acclaim. Indeed, some directors who have made successful low-budget films have gone
on to make unsuccessful but expensive films. It is obvious then that if directors want to
make popular films, they should stick to low budgets.

Which one of the following is the best statement of the flaw in the argument above?

A Critics are often wrong in their predictions about the popularity of films.
B The cost of making a film is normally greater than its original budget.
C The cost of a film need not be the factor that determines its popularity.
D The popularity of a film would justify a high level of expense in making it.
E The public does not necessarily know whether a film has been expensive or
cheap to make.

4 It is clear that the world is getting warmer. The only thing that could slow down this
process of global warming, and avert ecological disaster, would be an immediate switch
to green technologies. If global warming continues at the present rate, some species will
be unable to live in the warmer conditions. They will need to move to cooler places than
they now occupy, for example closer to the poles, or higher up mountains. Not all of these
species will be able to reach cooler climates, because of the long distances they would
have to travel. Some of those that could move would end up in overcrowded habitats,
which would make successful breeding impossible.

Which one of the following can be drawn as a conclusion from the above passage?

A Most species require cool habitats for successful breeding.

B Many species will be able to adapt to living in warmer climates.
C Endangered species will survive if we switch to green technologies.
D It is not possible to avert the ecological disaster caused by global warming.
E Unless we switch immediately to green technologies, some species will not
survive.

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5 Cannabis smoking is widespread, even though it is illegal. It is also more dangerous to

health than most people realise. If we want to reduce the use of cannabis, it should be
legalised. People do not turn away from dangerous habits unless they are fully aware of
the damage these habits can cause. We should have learnt this lesson from the example
of tobacco smoking, which has declined dramatically because people have seen that it
results in deaths from lung cancer.

Which one of the following is an assumption underlying the above argument?

A People who still smoke tobacco are unaware that it can affect their health.
B Unless cannabis smoking is legalised, its dangers will not be widely known.
C If tobacco smoking had been illegal, it would have been less widespread.
D There has been insufficient research on the damage caused by cannabis
smoking.
E Cannabis users are motivated by the fact that they are engaging in an illegal
activity.

6 To encourage themselves to lose weight, Alma, Brigit, Cara, Danni and Evelyn each put
£10 into a pot. They weighed themselves when they began and again at the end of each
week. The one who had lost most weight after 4 weeks won the £50. The following chart
shows their progress:

Alma Brigit Cara Danni Evelyn

Starting weight 71kg 67kg 63½kg 66½kg 69kg
Weight after week 1 67kg 68kg 62kg 67kg 66kg
Weight after week 2 63½kg 66½kg 59kg 62kg 63½kg
Weight after week 3 61kg 66kg 58kg 61½kg 62kg
Weight after week 4 64kg 62kg 57½kg 60kg 61kg

Who won the £50?

A Alma
B Brigit
C Cara
D Danni
E Evelyn

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7 Below is a list of the Angevin and Plantagenet kings of England and the dates of their
reigns.

Monarch Reign
Henry II 1154 - 1189
Richard I 1189 - 1199
John 1199 - 1216
Henry III 1216 - 1272
Edward I 1272 - 1307
Edward II 1307 - 1327
Edward III 1327 - 1377
Richard II 1377 - 1399

Which of the following bar charts represents a distribution of the lengths of the reigns of
these kings?

A B

C D

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8 A man drives off from his house and travels through the village at a constant speed. As
he leaves the village behind, his speed increases to a new constant value which he
maintains until he reaches a steep hill which slows him down. At the top of the hill the
driver stops for a few minutes to admire the view. He realises that he has left his picnic
basket at home and so drives rapidly back along his route to collect it.

Which one of the following graphs best represents the driver's distance from home
throughout his journey?

A B

C D

9 If children are sitting in rows in a classroom, the teacher can have eye contact with all of
them while she is explaining something to them. This is not always possible if they are
sitting in groups around tables. Also, when they look up, instead of seeing the child
opposite in a group and being tempted to talk, they see the teacher. So, sitting in rows
helps children to concentrate better on their work and should therefore be the standard
arrangement in every school classroom.

Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the above argument?

A Rows of desks take up no more classroom space than tables.

B Some children are easily distracted whether they sit in rows or in groups.
C Sitting in groups of between four and seven makes discussion work easier.
D Traditionalists argue that teaching the whole class in rows is best.
E If desks are arranged in rows, children can all see visual aids more easily.

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10 "There are more police officers than ever before in the history of this country. We have
more police officers and more community support officers. That is why, last week, crime
was down. Crime is down 30 per cent."

Which of the following states the flaw in the argument above?

A Community support officers don't have the same powers as police officers.
B Crime levels can be measured in different ways.
C Crime could have fallen if there had been no increase in policing.
D The fact that crime was down last week does not mean it will stay down.
E Having more police officers may mean more crime is being detected.

11 The differences between human beings are sometimes more striking than the similarities.
There is a minority of people who, driven by a competitive urge to be the first or the best,
undertake ambitious expeditions involving severe physical deprivations, high risk of
fatality, and extreme isolation. Compare these people to the majority who prefer an easy,
risk free life of comfort and we can see that one human being can be as different from
another in their behaviour as two different species of animal. Any attempt to form general
rules about human behaviour needs to bear this variation in mind.

Which one of the following best expresses the conclusion of the passage above?

A Members of the human race can be as different in their behaviour as two

separate species of animal.
B Humans who take risks in the interests of achieving unusual feats are
untypical.
C Variation in human behaviour makes it difficult to generalise.
D Differences between people can be more striking than similarities.
E Human beings are superior to all other animals.

12 Jars of Bestcaff coffee weighing 200g are normally £2.50 at Kostless and Savemore, but
both supermarkets have a special offer this week:

KOSTLESS SAVEMORE
BESTCAFF BESTCAFF
80p OFF 25% EXTRA FREE

By how much per kilogram is Kostless's offer better value for money than Savemore's?

A £1.50 per kg
B £4.00 per kg
C £7.00 per kg
D £8.50 per kg
E £16.00 per kg

© UCLES 2011 TSA [Turn over]

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13 The table shows the areas of the countries of the European Union.

Country area (sq km) % of EU area population density

(people/sq km)
Austria 83858 1.90 99
Belgium 30510 0.70 344
Bulgaria 110912 2.50 70
Cyprus 9250 0.20 84
Czech Republic 78866 1.80 131
Denmark 43094 1.00 126
Estonia 45226 1.00 29
Finland 337030 7.60 16
France 643548 14.60 99
Germany 357021 8.10 231
Greece 131940 3.00 84
Hungary 93030 2.10 108
Ireland 70280 1.60 60
Italy 301320 6.80 196
Latvia 64589 1.50 35
Lithuania 65200 1.50 52
Luxembourg 2586 0.10 181
Malta 316 0.00 1261
Netherlands 41526 0.90 394
Poland 312685 7.10 122
Portugal 92931 2.10 114
Romania 238391 5.40 91
Spain 504782 11.40 87
Slovakia 48845 1.10 111
Slovenia 20253 0.50 99
Sweden 449964 10.20 20
United Kingdom 244820 5.50 246
European Union 4422773 100.00

What is the minimum number of countries needed to make up at least 50% of the total
land area?

A 5
B 6
C 7
D 11
E 22

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14 There are seven books on my shelf, which are of various sizes. When I look at them
straight on I see the following picture:

I now look at them from the left-hand end (in the direction of the arrow).

Which one of the following diagrams is not a possible view when seen from the left-hand
end?

A B

C D

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15 Similar effects have similar causes. The problem is deciding when one set of effects
sufficiently resembles another to infer a similar cause. You say that the universe
resembles a man-made object like a house, so its cause must also be similar, an
intelligent designer, resembling human beings. But is the universe so like a house? It
seems to resemble an animal or vegetable just as closely, so why should its origin not lie
in reproduction or some vegetative process? The universe contains many classes of
effects and objects, all with their different causes. There seems to be no compelling
reason for concluding that the universe as a whole resembles one of these classes of
effects or objects more closely than another.

Which one of the following is a conclusion that can reliably be drawn from the above
reasoning?

A The universe bears no resemblance to a man-made object like a house.

B The inference that the universe and man-made objects have similar causes is
not justified.
C The world resembles a vegetable more closely than a house.
D The universe is not the result of intelligent design.
E The most likely origin of the universe is a reproductive process.

16 At first glance, there is no phenomenon creepier than crop circles - huge geometric
designs that appear in fields overnight seemingly without cause, explanation or reason.
UFO enthusiasts are quick to supply all three, by attributing the patterns to alien visitors
seeking to communicate with humans, using laser beams or other advanced technology
to flatten the crops. These fanciful claims can fortunately be dismissed thanks to two quite
mundane observations. Firstly, ordinary Earth-born individuals have repeatedly
demonstrated how to produce the effects with nothing more elaborate than a rope and a
plank. Secondly, there is a clear parallel for the phenomenon in the form of urban graffiti.
Sneaking into fields to make crop circles is simply a rural variation of a widespread and
well-documented human urge.

Which one of the following is an implicit, underlying assumption that is made by the above
argument?

A Where two explanations compete we should accept the more ordinary one.
B There is nothing difficult or technical about producing crop circles.
C Alien visitors would not try to communicate with humans by flattening crops.
D No visits from intelligent aliens have as yet been documented.
E The appearance overnight of huge geometrical designs is creepy if it can
not be explained.

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17 When you install a burglar alarm in your home, you do so presumably because the cost of
the alarm is less than the expected benefits. The cost of a burglary, if one occurs, is likely
to be much higher than the cost of fitting an alarm. A clearly visible box on an outside wall
of an alarmed house alerts and discourages potential thieves. Because your house is less
likely to be burgled, your neighbour's house may be more vulnerable. Therefore, while
there may be little impact on overall crime levels, expensive security devices reduce
crimes against those with the devices but increase crimes against those without.

Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the above argument?

A For similar houses, a higher percentage of those without intruder alarms are
burgled than those with alarms.
B As the percentage of houses with intruder alarms increased from 40% to
90%, house burglary rates fell by 60% and there was a rise in street muggings
of 100%.
C Burglars perceive an alarm as a signal that there are items well worth stealing
in a house, while no alarm indicates less valuable contents.
D Only 60% of houses with alarms set the alarm every day.
E Burglars know that 25% of all visible alarm boxes are fakes, but cannot tell the
fake from the genuine.

18 Dates may be written in an eight digit form. For instance, 19 January 2005 may be written
19-01-2005.

In what year will the next date occur for which all eight digits are different?

A 2013
B 2134
C 2145
D 2345
E 2456

© UCLES 2011 TSA [Turn over]

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19 This is the view from above of the large three-dimensional logo situated in the forecourt of
the head office of Justin Thyme Enterprises:

It was sculpted from a single cube of marble, and has a uniform cross-section from top to
bottom.

Which of the following is not a possible side view of the logo?

A B

C D

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20 The table below, from a newspaper, shows how much money ($) you will need at various
points in the future to buy items costing $1000 today, depending on the annual rate of
inflation.

Average yearly rate of inflation

Years 4% 6% 8% 10 %
5 1217 1338 1469 1611
6 1265 1419 1587 1772
7 1316 1504 1714 1949
8 1369 1594 1851 2144
9 1423 1690 1999 2358
10 1480 1791 2159 2594
20 2191 3207 4661 6728
30 3423 5743 10063 17449
60 10520 32988 101257 304482

Raoul has just bought a new car for $10 000. He expects this car to last him 8 years,
when he will buy another equivalent model. He puts $10 000 into a bank account ready
to pay for the next car. The price of cars rises with inflation at 8% and his savings only
earn interest of 6%.

How much will he need to add to his savings when he needs to buy his new car?

A $ 1612
B $ 2570
C $ 5338
D $ 5940
E $ 8510

© UCLES 2011 TSA [Turn over]

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21 It would be a good idea if the police force was separated into two divisions, one for proper
policing i.e. protecting citizens and upholding law and order, and the other for road traffic.
This second division could be combined with traffic wardens as basically they are doing a
similar job: obtaining money from road users. Perhaps then there would be a proper focus
put on catching criminals and protecting the law-abiding public, and we would have a
police force doing the job they were actually intended to do.

Which one of the following best describes the flaw in the above argument?

A It overlooks the fact that many traffic offences are both criminal and a serious
danger to the public.
B It rests on the false assumption that the police do not protect citizens or catch
criminals.
C It ignores the fact that traffic wardens and the police have different duties and
different powers.
D It wrongly equates protecting citizens with catching criminals.
E It implies that the police once did the job they were supposed to do.

22 If you practise playing a musical instrument, your playing will get better. I have not
practised playing the piano, so my playing has not got better. I have an exam in two
month’s time. So I must practise every day if I want to do well.

Which of the following most closely parallels the reasoning in the argument?

A If you practise playing the cello your playing will get better. Dawn has not
practised much but her playing has got better so she must have done enough.
She may even pass her Grade III exam next month.
B If you work hard at a sport, you will become better. I have not worked hard at
my trampolining, so I have not become better. There is a competition next
month. So I must work hard if I want to do well.
C If you work hard at running you will get faster. I have worked hard to get
faster, and I have started winning races. There is a race next week. If I want to
win it I must keep practising.
D People who practise a craft get better at that craft. All master craftsmen and
women have put long hours of practice into their art. It is impossible to
become an expert without practising.
E Practise makes perfect. I have practised hard on my violin so I should soon be
perfect. I have a competition coming up soon which I fully expect to win.

© UCLES 2011 TSA

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23 Legislation is needed in order to prevent the abuse of genetic testing by insurance

companies. New genetic tests may reveal how likely an individual is to suffer from certain
debilitating or fatal conditions in later life. Without legislation, insurance companies might
make such tests compulsory and make those at risk pay more for insurance. This would
be unfair. We do not choose our genes; we are born with them. People should not be
penalised for things over which they have no control.

Which one of the following best illustrates the principle underlying the above
argument?

A Kylie did not deliberately get her accounts wrong, but she should pay the fine
anyway. She should have made sure the accounts were right.
B Some people have lost everything in the flood. Their insurance companies
are responsible for their losses. Therefore the Government should not help
out.
C Philip should not receive any help paying his debts, however sorry one may
be for him. He knew in advance that his business venture was very risky.
D Late payment normally incurs a fine. But Jamuna's payment was held up
because postal workers were on strike, so she should not be made to pay the
fine.
E Three people were not properly informed of possible financial losses when
they joined the scheme. Their financial advisors should lose their professional
licences.

© UCLES 2011 TSA [Turn over]

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24 As part of a journey, I must travel from Bowbridge to Downland. I can choose either the
motorway (known locally as 'the road to hell') or the old road known as Buttercup
Way. On the motorway I average 60 mph, on the old road I average 40 mph. I can
change from one to the other at Clatterton where they cross.

The distances by the two roads are as follows:

Motorway Buttercup Way

Bowbridge / Clatterton 35 miles 30 miles
Clatterton / Downland 35 miles 20 miles

If I take the fastest route, what will be the time saving over the slowest route?

A 5 min
B 10 min
C 15 min
D 20 min
E 30 min

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25 Various shapes may be made by overlapping two transparent squares, for example the
dark shaded hexagon shown below:

Which one of the following shapes cannot be made as the overlap of two transparent
squares?

A B

C D

© UCLES 2011 TSA [Turn over]

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26 This table shows how household sizes in Great Britain changed between 1961 and 1991.

Percentages
1961 1971 1981 1991
Household size
1 person 14 18 22 27
2 people 30 32 32 34
3 people 23 19 17 16
4 people 18 17 18 16
5 people 9 8 7 5
6 or more 7 6 4 2
people

Total number of 16.2 18.2 19.5 21.9

households
(millions)
Average 3.1 2.9 2.7 2.5
household size
(number of
people)

What was the change in the percentage of households with fewer than 3 people between
1971 and 1991?

A 7
B 8
C 10
D 11
E 17

© UCLES 2011 TSA

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27 Britain's property market is in the midst of a full-scale slump with house prices falling at
their fastest rate in 15 years, according to a new study. But why is there an assumption
that continuing rises in house prices is a good thing? Why not see the fall in house prices
as a welcome change? House prices as a percentage of income are grossly overpriced.
Low interest rates and cheap mortgages have led to the property market, particularly in
London, being overvalued. Surely this will make houses more affordable. First time
buyers will be happy beneficiaries of a housing slump. Others finding a silver lining in the
gloom are those in rural communities for whom a house had seemed simply out of reach.

Which one of the following is the main conclusion of the above argument?

A Low interest rates and cheap mortgages have led to an overvaluing of the
property market.
B It is always assumed that continually rising house prices are a good thing.
C Rural communities will no longer find buying a house out of reach.
D Surely a slump in prices will make buying a house more affordable.
E We should view the fall in house prices as a good thing.

28 The average life expectancy in working class areas of London was significantly higher
than in similar areas in other major cities in the first half of the nineteenth century. In
London during this time drinking tea had become a part of daily life amongst the poor.
The reason for this was a combination of availability and cost. Boats bringing tea to the
country docked in London and a certain amount was sold off directly to local markets. At
this time in the rest of the country tea was still regarded as a luxury, consumed only by
the better off.

Which one of the following conclusions is best supported by the passage above?

A The drinking of tea increases life expectancy.

B Everyone ought to include tea in their daily diet.
C There may be properties of tea which are beneficial to health.
D The growing popularity of tea led to a decrease in the consumption of more
harmful drinks, such as gin.
E For the poor tea was a substitute for food.

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29 A recent study by a drugs company found that the amount of money spent on a specific
pill used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease in the UK showed wide regional
variation. Alzheimer's is a condition associated with the ageing process. In some areas
the expenditure was as low as £1 per head of the population over 65 whereas in others it
was as high as £10 per head. These pills are the most effective treatment for this
condition that is currently available. Therefore, this is another example of 'post-code
lottery' where the effectiveness of treatment for a health condition will depend upon where
you live.

Which one of the following is an assumption underlying the above argument?

A The pills are very successful in halting the progress of Alzheimer's disease.
B The drugs company that did the research doesn't have a vested interest in
selling the pills.
C There are no regional variations in the incidence of Alzheimer's in the 65+ age
group.
D There are no regional variations in the number of people in the 65+ age group.
E It is not possible to develop Alzheimer's disease below the age of 65.

30 All the teams in a local football league have now played each other once this
season. Below is the current league table:

Played Won Drawn Lost Goals For Goals Against

Rovers 4 4 0 0 7 2
United 4 2 1 1 2 1
County 4 1 2 1 4 4
Wanderers 4 1 0 3 3 5
City 4 0 1 3 1 5

What was the result of the match between United and County?

A United 0 County 0
B United 1 County 0
C United 0 County 1
D United 1 County 1
E United 2 County 1

© UCLES 2011 TSA