TSA Problem Solving Questions 1

TSA PROBLEM-SOLVING
QUESTIONS
3 Types of Questions
Relevant Selection
Finding procedures
Identifying Similarity
Some questions fit into more than one

category.
Relevant Selection
Problems which are overloaded with
information, much of which is
unimportant
First step: to determine which bits
are important
Ignore bits which are unimportant or
distracting
Finding procedures
Even if all relevant information has

been selected, there may be no
obvious solution
Then necessary to generate a
method or procedure to generate a
solution
Usually there will be 3 or 4 numbers
which have to be used/operated on
Identifying Similarity
These are questions in which a

situation is presented
The task is to choose another
situation which has a similar
structure
Mathematical Knowledge Required
Basic number concepts; numerical operations; and
quantities
Space and Spatial Reasoning:
~ area (including calculation of area of a rectangle)
~ perimeter (including calculation)
~ reflections (in mirrors) and rotations of simple
shapes
~ two-dimensional (2D) representations of 3D shapes
Generalisations : e.g. That converting 24 to 3 and
40 to 5 both involve division by 8
Q2
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
Q2
Answer: C
Method: Use process of elimination to find the

score which is not possible
- Four matches, maximum points = 3
- Work out in terms of 3s: for scores above 7.5
need at least two 3s; above 9 need at least
three 3s
- To get 9.5 need three 3s but there is no 0.5
option! Therefore 9.5 is impossible.
Q12
Jars of Bestcaff coffee weighing 200g are normally 2.50 at Kostless
and Savemore, but both supermarkets have a special offer this week:
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
Q12
Answer: A
Method: Find the cost of both brands per kilo
- Kostless: 200g costs 2.50-0.80 = 1.70
1kg = 200g x 5
1.70 x 5 = 8.50
- Savemore: 25% of 200g = 50g
250g costs 2.50
1kg = 250g x 4
2.50 x 4 = 10.00
- Difference in cost:
10.00-8.50 = 1.50
Q18
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
Q18
Answer: D
Method: Use process of elimination starting from the

earliest date
- Months only go up to 12 need a 0 or 12
- Dates go up to 31 need a 0, 1 or 2
- Definitely need a 0 (eliminate A)
- Need a 1 or 2 (eliminate B and C which already
contain both)
- Option D gives you a 1 and a 0 which is enough
- E.g. 16.07.2345
26 This table shows how household sizes in Great Britain changed between 1961 and
1991.
What was the change in the percentage of households with fewer than 3 people between
1971 and 1991?
A7
B8
C 10
D 11
E 17
Q26
Answer: D
Method: Find the relevant info in the
table
- Key point = fewer than 3 people
- Fewer than 3 = 1 or 2 person
household
-Data is already in percentages
- Add together figures for 1 and 2
people for the relevant years and find
the difference
-27+34-(18+32) = 11%
Q13
The table shows the areas of the countries of the European Union.
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
Q13
Answer: A
Method: Find the relevant info in the table
- Use 2nd column (already in %)
- Find the largest countries and list in order of size
- Keep adding up until reach 50%
France = 14.60%
Spain = 11.40%
Sweden = 10.20%
Germany = 8.1%
Poland = 7.1%
- Total = 51.4% - need at least 5 countries
Q20
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 .
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
Q20
Answer: B
How much will he need to add to his
savings when he needs to buy his new
car? i.e what will be the difference
between value of savings and price of car
in 8 years?
All info is in the table figures for 6% vs 8%
Difference = 18,510 - 15,940 = 2,570
36 When my father ran a pizza shop he sold pizzas for a
fixed amount plus an amount proportional to the
ingredients used. A regular pizza uses twice the ingredients
of a mini one and a large pizza twice those of a regular
one.
Which one of the following price scales could he have used
for mini, regular and large pizzas?
A 0.49, 1.00, 1.96

B 1.00, 2.00, 3.00
C 1.10, 2.20, 3.30
D 1.70, 2.00, 2.40
E 2.00, 3.00, 5.00
Q36
Answer: E
- Key Point: fixed amount plus proportional amount
- Cannot use ratios as normal, instead use
differences between prices as this is not affected
by the fixed cost
- Assign a scale: 1=mini, 2=regular, 4=large
- Ratio: 1+c:2+c:4+c
- Take differences to eliminate c: the difference
between large and regular is twice the difference
between regular and mini
- Only scale which fits this pattern is E (c=1)
37
I often order items from a mail order catalogue. The charges for
postage and packing (to be added to the order value) are as follows:
Order value: less than 25.00 - 4.50
25.00 to 49.99 - 8.50
50.00 to 74.99 - 12.00
75.00 to 99.99 - 15.00
100.00 and over - 17.50
Just before sending off my latest order, I noticed that the current
catalogue offers half price postage and packing for orders of 8 or
more items. My order was for 7 items, with an order value of 74.60.
I could not find anything else I wanted, so I just added the cheapest
item in the catalogue (priced at 1.25) to my order.
By how much did adding the extra item to my order reduce the total
cost?
A 3.25
B 4.50
C 4.75
D 5.75
E 6.25
Q37
Answer: A
Method: Find cost before and after

- Before: order cost = 74.60, postage cost =
12.00. Total = 86.60
- After: order cost = 74.60 + 1.25 =
75.85. Postage cost = 15.00 half price,
cost = 7.50. Total cost = 83.35
- Difference in cost = 86.60 - 83.35 = 3.25
43 At Marland College, all 120 pupils in year 11 take two languages at
GCSE. The table below shows the numbers of pupils taking each
language combination.
What percentage of those taking Spanish are also taking French?

(Give your answer to the nearest 1% if necessary).
A 12%
B 23%
C 35%
D 39%
E 54%
Q43
Answer: C
Method: Percentages
- Number of people taking Spanish =
14+9+13+4 = 40 (=100%)
- Number of people taking French and
Spanish = 14
- Percentage = 14/40 x 100 = 35%
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.
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
Q24
Answer: C
Method: Identify the fastest and the slowest route
- Use speed to work out time taken
Motorway Buttercup
Way
B/C 35 minutes 45 minutes
C/D 35 minutes 30 minutes
- Fastest route = motorway, then buttercup way
- Time taken =65 minutes
- Slow route = 80 minutes
- Difference =15 minutes
Q42
Answer: E
Method: Spatial reasoning; creating a 3D

shape from a 2D outline
- A, B and C have been rotated 180 - but
triangle side still corresponds with rectangle
side
- Can easily make D from the card
- The triangle piece of E does not correspond
with the rectangle side
44 The diagram below shows Morden Hall and the network of paths within the
grounds.
When the owner takes his dog for a walk he always starts and finishes at
the intersection outside the front door and (keeping to the paths) walks
one complete triangular route. How many different routes does he have
to choose from? (Clockwise and anticlockwise around the same triangle
counts as one route only.)
A 5 B 7 C 10 D 11 E 12
Q44
Answer: D
Method:
- Go through methodically and find the number
of triangles possible from the middle
- 5 single triangles
- 4 double triangles (triangle of 2 single
triangles)
- 2 triple triangles
- Total = 11
Q49
A group of Construction students must choose their
specialist options from the following list:
Bricklaying, Damp-proofing, Drainage, Flooring, Joinery,
Plastering, Roofing
Each student must choose three options. The available
options may be combined with each other in any way, with
the exception of the restrictions that Damp-proofing and
Drainage together may not be combined with Bricklaying or
Plastering because of timetable constraints, and that
students choosing Joinery must also choose Flooring.
How many possible combinations including Drainage could
the students choose from?
A 7B 8 C 9 D 10 E 11
Q49
Answer: C
Method: Combinations choosing from available
options
- Total possible combinations: choosing 2 from 6
options (already chosen Drainage)
- 15 combinations minus restrictions from the q

- Takes away 2 options plus another 4 for joinery
only being allowed with flooring
- 15-2-4 = 9 possible combinations
Q48
Megan pays a subscription to Probe Information Services. This is an internet service which
allows her to access up-to-date information relevant to her job. The leaflet which came with
her application form is reproduced below.
Megan's call charges are at local rates of 10c for up to 2 minutes and 5c
per additional minute or part of a minute. In the first month, Megan
seeks detailed information on 5 companies and uses the other services a
total of 42 times. How much will Probe bill her?
A $ 5.00 B $ 6.70 C $ 7.50
D $ 9.95 E $11.65
Q48
Answer: B
Method: Ignore extra info (call charges)

since question only asks for the Probe bill
- Only need cost per enquiry column
- Detailed info x 5 costs $2.50
- Other services x 42 costs $4.20
- Total cost = $6.70
2010 QUESTIONS
18 I have been asked to move 120 boxes weighing 25kg each and 90
boxes weighing 20kg each from the ground floor to the fifth floor of the
office block in which I work. Unfortunately, nobody is available to give
me any help.
There is a sign in the lift which reads:
MAXIMUM LOAD
4 PERSONS OR 400Kg
I weigh 80kg.
What is the minimum number of journeys I will have to make from
the ground floor to the fifth floor?
A 10
B 12
C 13
D 15
E 16
Q18 (2010)
Answer: D
Method: Use ratios: want to take boxes
in the ratio of 120:90 so that none
are left over (4:3)
- Maximum weight = 400-80=320kg
- If possible take boxes in the ratio 4:3
- Can take 8 boxes of 25kg and 6 of
20kg at a time
- Takes 15 journeys
37 Maggie is preparing 300 information packs so that she can respond
to enquiries for her holiday cottages. Each pack contains:
A basic information sheet - this is printed on A4 sized paper on both
sides
so that it may be folded to form 4 pages.
A sheet with prices on one side and a booking form on the other -
two of
these are printed on a sheet of A4 paper which is then cut in two.
An A4 information sheet giving details of some local amenities - this
is
printed on one side only.
A single A4 sheet colour brochure printed on both sides - this is
provided
free by the local Angling Association.
The local printer charges 2p per side of A4 for reproduction.
How much will her 300 packs cost her?
A 15
B 24
C 30
D 36
E 42
Q37 (2010)
Answer: B
Method: Find the relevant info in the

question
- 6 sides in total, but 2 are free
- Pay for 4 sides per pack
- 300 packs, therefore 1200 pages
altogether
- 2p per page: total cost = 2,400p =
42 The coffee machine in our office offers a choice of
regular or decaffeinated coffee; black or with one of
three sorts of milk (full, semi-skimmed, skimmed); and,
for those who want sweetening, either one or two
spoonfuls of sugar or one or two non-sugar sweetening
tablets.
How many different kinds of coffee can be made?

A 11
B 24
C 32
D 40
E 48
Q42 (2010)
Answer: D
Method: How many options are there?

- All options are possible
- Therefore can simply multiply
- Options = 2 4 X 5 = 40
- Remember to include no sweetener
and no milk as options..
48 The ferry from Harport to Selmer is at sea for 1 hour 15
minutes and at its berth at either end for 30 minutes. The
hovercraft service between the same ports takes only 45
minutes and is berthed for 15 minutes before returning.
If both leave Harport at 08:00 what is the next time they
will both be at the same port together?
A 09:45
B 12:45
C 14:45
D 15:00
E 18:00
Q48 (2010)
Answer: B
Method: Make a timeline/chart
Harport Selmer
Ferry 11-11.30, 14.30-15 9.15-9.45, 12.45-13.15
Hovercraft 9.45-10, 11.45-12 8.45-9, 10.45-11,
12.45-1
- Hovercraft is at a port every hour for 15
minutes (8.45-9, 9.45-10 etc)
- When is the ferry next at a port during
that time?
- 12.45 both at Selmer

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TSA PROBLEM-SOLVING

Some questions fit into more than one

Even if all relevant information has

These are questions in which a

To play a football pools game, participants must select four

Method: Use process of elimination to find the

By how much per kilogram is Kostless's offer

Method: Use process of elimination starting from the

A 0.49, 1.00, 1.96

Method: Find cost before and after

What percentage of those taking Spanish are also taking French?

Method: Spatial reasoning; creating a 3D

- 15 combinations minus restrictions from the q

Method: Ignore extra info (call charges)

Method: Find the relevant info in the

How many different kinds of coffee can be made?

Method: How many options are there?

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