Pre-Algebra Placement Test Practice

Multiple choice pre-algebra questions to help you assess your skills and abilities in the following topics: order of operations, integers, decimals, fractions and Mixed Numbers, numbers (divisibilty, factors, prime, greatest common factor (gcf), lowest common multiplr (lcm)), scientific notation, positive exponents, square Root, ratios, proportions, percentages, basic statistics (mean, median and mode), slope of a line (parallel and perpendicular lines) and applications involving any of these topics and skills, are presented along with their answers and detailed solutions.

Pre-Algebra Mulitple Choice Questions

  1. Evaluate.

    72 - 9 ÷ 3 · 2 + 2 =


    A) 21
    B) 23
    C) 44
    D) 68
    E) 74
    Detailed Solution.



  2. In scientific notation,

    3.0 × 10-5 + 0.0000022 =


    A) 3.5 x 10-5
    B) 3.22 x 10-5
    C) 5.2 x 10-6
    D) 3.5 x 10-6
    E) 5.2 x 10-11
    Detailed Solution.




  3. If

    compass problem 3


    is calculated and the fraction obtained reduced to simplest form, then what is its numerator?
    A) 12
    B) 8
    C) 7
    D) 6
    E) 3
    Detailed Solution.




  4. compass problem 4.


    A) 59/80
    B) 17/20
    C) 6/7
    D) 16/15
    E) 17/15
    Detailed Solution.




  5. A shop owner increased the selling price of a shirt from $20 to $26. By what percentage was the price increased?
    A) 6
    B) 26
    C) 30
    D) 46
    E) 60
    Detailed Solution.




  6. 3/4+0.85+20% =


    A) 27.85
    B) 1.8
    C) 23.85
    D) 2.85
    E) 21.6
    Detailed Solution.



  7. Tom worked for 6 hours and was paid $5.50 per hour. He then went shopping and bought two magazines at $9.50 each and a pen at $8.25. How much money does Tom have left?
    A) $60.25
    B) $15.25
    C) $33
    D) $27.25
    E) $5.75
    Detailed Solution.



  8. Bill bought 1(3/4) pounds of Cheddar cheese, 3.75 pounds of blue cheese and 4(1/2) pounds of goat cheese. How many pounds of cheese did Bill buy?
    A) 8
    B) 7.75
    C) 9.25
    D) 10
    E) 7
    Detailed Solution.



  9. In a certain school, 40% of all students are 8 years old or younger. The number of the remaining students is 120. How many students are 8 years old or younger?
    A) 80
    B) 160
    C) 480
    D) 320
    E) 740
    Detailed Solution.



  10. 1/5 of students in a school have no brothers or sisters. Of the remaining students, 40% have 1 brother or sister. What percent of all students have more than 1 brother or sister?
    A) 60
    B) 80
    C) 48
    D) 20
    E) 45
    Detailed Solution.



  11. A car hire company offers two plans A and B. In plan A, a customer pays a flat fee of $20 for the day plus 5 cents for each kilometer. In plan B, a customer pays a flat fee of $15 for the day plus 7 cents for each kilometer. For how many kilometers would a customer pay the same amount for the two plans?
    A) 1000
    B) 800
    C) 242
    D) 400
    E) 250
    Detailed Solution.



  12. Joe worked part time for x hours and earned y dollars. How much does he earn if he works z hours?
    A) yz/x
    B) z/(xy)
    C) xyz
    D) zx/y
    E) xy/z
    Detailed Solution.



  13. In a science test, a class of 30 students had an average of 80. The 20 girls in the class had an average of 85. What is the average of the 10 boys in the class?
    A) 60
    B) 70
    C) 80
    D) 85
    E) 90
    Detailed Solution.



  14. Find y if y / 5 = 10 / 25.
    A) 80
    B) 25
    C) 2
    D) 8
    E) 1
    Detailed Solution.



  15. √(32 + 42) =
    A) 7
    B) 25
    C) 50
    D) 12
    E) 5
    Detailed Solution.



  16. A club has 24 members of which 15 are females and the rest are males. What is the ratio of males to the total number of members of the club?
    A) 15:24
    B) 24:9
    C) 9:24
    D) 9:39
    E) 9:15
    Detailed Solution.



  17. Write 2.05 as a mixed number.
    A) 20(1/2)
    B) 2(1/2)
    C) 2(1/5)
    D) 2(1/20)
    E) 2(2/5)
    Detailed Solution.



  18. Which of the following numbers is divisible by 3?
    A) 101267
    B) 22345
    C) 934567
    D) 934566
    E) 11177811
    Detailed Solution.



  19. Which of the following not a prime number?
    A) 27
    B) 29
    C) 17
    D) 37
    E) 23
    Detailed Solution.



  20. What is the slope of the line parallel to the line through the points (2 , 0) and (-1 , 3)?
    A) -3
    B) 1
    C) 0
    D) 3
    E) -1
    Detailed Solution.



  21. What is the greatest common factor (GCF) of 32 and 48?
    A) 32
    B) 16
    C) 8
    D) 4
    E) 2
    Detailed Solution.



  22. What of the following pairs has the lowest commom multiple (LCM) equal to 24?
    A) 6 and 8
    B) 6 and 12
    C) 4 and 6
    D) 4 and 3
    E) 4 and 8
    Detailed Solution.

Answers to the Above Questions

  1. D
  2. B
  3. C
  4. A
  5. C
  6. B
  7. E
  8. D
  9. A
  10. C

  11. E
  12. A
  13. B
  14. C
  15. E

  16. C
  17. D
  18. D
  19. A
  20. E

  21. B
  22. A

More References and Links

Middle School Maths
More placement tests practice