Quiz: Can You Get More Than 15 Right on This Easy Skills Test?: HowStuffWorks
Can You Get More Than 15 Right on This Easy Skills Test?
By: Monica Lee
6 Min Quiz
About This Quiz
This skills test will quiz you on what's needed to go about your everyday life, like comparing costs, figuring out travel arrangements and how to communicate clearly. Plus, it will also test your societal life skills. Those are things like making sure you don't spread germs, knowing how to change a tire, or remembering names. But most questions are those that need your basic math skills. For instance, you should know if you make $3,000 a month and put 15 percent in your monthly savings account how much you'll have saved by the end of the year. As a refresher, the answer is to convert 15 percent to .15 then multiply by your monthly salary (.15 x $3000) to get $450 month. After a year, you'll have $450 x 12 or $5,400.
But that's just math. You also need to understand the meaning of words to communicate properly. That's why you'll see questions that ask you to compare words and tell if they mean the opposite, the same or have no relationship to each other. There are many questions in this quiz, (35 of them!) but we think if you get 15 right, you're all right by us. So ease into this easy skills test by starting now.
For how long should you wash your hands with soap and water?
Whatever helps you remember best, singing "Happy Birthday" twice or counting to 20, killing germs is good for all of us. Be sure you wash your hands after you cough into them, or sneeze, as well as after you go to the bathroom.
Which of these is a state on the west coast?
Geography is an important life skill. Whether or not you get to travel the country, you should know the general location of the states of the union.
True or false? A spider has eight legs.
Yes, it's true. A spider has eight legs. Many people think that spiders are insects but that's not true because insects have six legs and three main body parts.
If the first two statements are true, is the last statement true as well? "Dogs like sticks. Marvin has a stick. Marvin is a dog."
Logic is a life skill. For this question, the Transitive Property of Equality is used. If A=B and B=C then A=C. A=Dogs, B=Sticks C=Marvin. For this to be correct, the equation would have to use "like" which is the transitive property in each sentence and would have to follow the formula, which it doesn't.
Are the following two words similar, contradictory, or not related? "Refined" and "Elegant"
A synonym for elegant is refined, so yes, these two words are similar, but cannot always be replaced for the other in a sentence.
What is the answer when you multiply the following? 42 x 0 x 6 =?
When you multiply anything by zero, you get zero. The other numbers could be larger or smaller and it wouldn't matter, it all comes out to zero.
A basketball team has five boys and four girls. The boys average 10 points each. The team averages 130 points as a whole. How many points does each girl average?
Since the boys scored 10 points each and there were five of them, the boys contributed 50 points to the total points of 130. So the girls contributed 130 - 50 = 80, or 80 points to the total score. Since there are four girls to get 80 points, they must each have scored an average of 20 points.
A copy machine repairman makes $12.50 per hour plus $4 for every service call he performs. Today he worked two hours. How much money did he make?
If he worked for two hours at $12.50 each, or 2 x 12.50 = $25 Then add the $4 for each service call or $25 +$4 = $29. He earned $29 for the project.
A turkey was cooked at 400° F in the oven for three hours. The internal temperature rose from 30° F to 150° F. What was the average rise in temperature per hour?
Sounds complicated but it's not. First find out how much the turkey increased in temperature or 150 degrees - 30 degree = 120 degrees. It rose 120 degrees in three hours or 120/3. To get the amount per hour divide the numerator and denominator by three to get 40 degrees in one hour.
Which of these is a state on the east coast?
Maine is on the east coast along with other states, including New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida.
Reduce the fraction 21/49 to its lowest terms.
Look at both the numerator and denominator and find out the multiple that can divide both. In this case, it's seven. Twenty one divided by seven is three, and 49 divided by seven is seven.
"Optional" and "Observational" are these two words that are similar, contradictory, or not related?
Observational is when you watch something with interest and intent. Whereas option means a possibility. There is nothing related between these two meanings.
What does -57 + -74 equal?
The basic skills of adding negatives together can help you when someone owes you money, and then borrows more. Then you can figure out how much that person owes you. In this case, add the negatives together for a new negative: -57 + -74 = -131
A football field is 100 yards long and also includes two end zones that are 10 yards long each. How many feet long is a football field, including the end zones?
We hope you remembered there are three feet to a yard. First add up all the yards from end zone to end zone, or 100+10+10=120 yards. Now convert 120 yard to feet or 120 x 3 = 360 feet
How does one meditate?
This is an important life skill to have. It can help you have a positive attitude about life, and calm you if you're feeling stressed. It's important to know how to do it, if you ever decide you want to try it.
What is the answer to this equation? (4 x 5) + 32 - 2 = ?
Remember the order of operations, Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication and Division (from left to right), Addition and Subtraction (from left to right). So (4 x 5) + 32 - 2 is 20 + 32= 52 - 2 or 50.
Frankie wants a tattoo that will take five hours to complete. If the artist charges $85 an hour, how much will it cost?
This is a simple equation of 5 x 85 = $425. That may be more than you want to pay for a tattoo!
Which of these states borders the Gulf of Mexico?
It's the southernmost state of all the states listed. Besides Texas, these states also border the Gulf of Mexico: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
What country is north of the United States?
Canada is our friendly neighbor to the north. Mexico is on the southern border and both Alaska and Hawaii are states of the U.S., and not countries.
Which of these are signs of drowning?
This is one life skill you should have and hope you never need. Fortunately, just reading the above will help you because most people think that people who are drowning flail around frantically when it's actually a silent occurrence. Although you shouldn't ignore someone flailing around in the water.
A foot race is 24 miles. If Sally ran a marathon in 3 hours, what was her approximate pace?
This you can do in your head, no problem. Her pace is 24 miles/3 hours. So reduce this fraction by a multiple of three to get eight miles per hour.
Sand is to beach as ____ is to road.
Do you recall how to do these types of problem? You need to figure out the relationship of one to know what answer to put in the blank of the second part of the question. In this example, sand covers a beach and asphalt covers a road.
Are the following two words similar, contradictory, or not related? "Fire" and "Terminate."
If you terminate someone's employment, you could also say you fired someone. However, if you terminate a line of questioning, you could not substitute the word "fire" for "terminate" so the two are similar but not interchangeable.
What is the average of: 14, 17, 22, 27?
To find an average, add up all the numbers (14 + 17 + 22 + 27 = 80) then divide by the total amount of numbers in the problem. Thus, 80 ÷ 4 = 20.
(15 ÷ 5) x (10 ÷ 2) = ? What is the solution to this equation?
Check your order of operations and you'll recall that you perform the operation in the parenthesis first before any other operation. In this case (15 ÷ 5) = 3 and (10 ÷ 2) = 5 so 3 x 5 = 15
Find 0.2347 ÷ 1= ? What's the answer to this equation?
Whether you multiply or divide by 1, you still get the same answer. So the number remains unchanged.
"Basic" and "Deluxe," are these two words similar, contradictory, or not related?
If it's easier, think of ordering a hamburger. A "basic" hamburger is just that, hamburger meat and a bun. But a "deluxe" hamburger may include lettuce, pickles, cheese, bacon, barbecue sauce and more. They are opposites of each other.
Mark got a 20 percent raise for his salary. If his salary was $1,800, what is his new salary?
Twenty percent of 1,800 is simply multiplying .20 x 1800 = 360. So his final salary is $1800 + $360 = $2,160. Nice raise!
"Detest" and "Despise," are these two words similar, contradictory, or not related?
In most cases, you can substitute "despise" for "detest" in sentences. They have a similar meaning, which is to dislike immensely.
Which of these words don’t belong?
The only body of water that is man-made is the "cement pond" or pool. The others are created by nature.
There are how many inches in 17.5 feet?
This is another conversion question. There are 12 inches to a foot. So to find out the answer, multiply 17.5 feet by 12 inches. Or to make it easier, multiply 17 by 12 = 204 then add 6 inches which equals .5 feet to get 210 inches.
Which of these words are different from the others?
All of these are types of coinage. In addition, ample is an adjective and the others words are nouns.
Which of these states borders the chain of lakes?
The Great Lakes is big and probably includes more states than you think! It includes portions of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as well as the Canadian province of Ontario.
Max makes $3000 a month. He puts 15 percent in savings each month. After a year, how much would he have in savings?
Fifteen percent can also be written as .15. You can find out how much he puts aside each month by multiplying .15 x $3000 = $450 month. Now multiply by 12 to find out how much he saves a year, or $450 x 12 months = $5,400 year.
How do you recover when you forget someone's name immediately after meeting them?
In society, any of these will do. You can ask them to restate their name. Many people swear they can remember names better when they apply a mental image to the name. Others will simply ask the new person to add their name in their cellphone.
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