Microsoft Word psat sample items with explained answers master

Test B:

 Problem Solving

  

1 

A farmer has equal numbers of cows, sheep and chickens. He sells half of the sheep and one 

third of the chickens, he then buys 10 goats and 3 cows. The farmer now has a total of 39 

animals. 

 

How many cows does the farmer now have?

 

 

 

 

A 

12 

 

B 

13 

 

C 

14 

 

D 

15 

 

E 

16 

  

Key: 

D 

   

 

Justification 

Before buying the ten goats and 3 cows, the farmer had 26 animals. This is the remainder 

after half of the sheep and one third of the chickens have been sold. Since we know that 

originally the numbers of cows, sheep, and chickens were the same, this gives 

x

 + 

x

/2 + 2

x

/3 

= 26, where 

x

 equals the original number of cows. Solving for 

x

 gives 12 cows originally, and 

adding the extra 3 cows gives a final answer of 15. 

 

 

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2 

Below is a summary of all the second-hand cars sold by Bargain Cars during 2012 and 2013: 

 

 

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 

2012 85  83  98  102 118  135 88  97  116  83  125  128 

2013 123 106  87  114 90  106 124 113  131  77  92  75 

 

Which month of 2013 saw the biggest increase in sales compared with the previous month?