Entry Level 1: Numbers, Money & Time

Which of these numbers is the biggest?

• Anineteen✓
• Beight
• Csixteen
• Deleven

Answer: Nineteen is bigger than sixteen, eleven and eight, so it is the largest number here. Sixteen and eleven are both smaller amounts. Eight is much smaller than nineteen too, so it cannot be the biggest number here.

Which of these numbers is the smallest?

• Aten
• Bthree✓
• Cnine
• Deleven

Answer: Three is smaller than ten, eleven and nine, so it is the smallest number here. Eleven and ten are both much bigger than three. Nine is also bigger than three, so it cannot be the smallest number here.

Which word matches the numeral 14?

• Aseventeen
• Beleven
• Cfifteen
• Dfourteen✓

Answer: Fourteen is the word for the numeral 14, written using one ten and four ones. Eleven, seventeen and fifteen are all different numbers with their own separate words. None of the other words match the numeral 14.

A cleaner's checklist has 16 tasks written on it. How many tasks are on the checklist?

• Afourteen tasks
• Bseventeen tasks
• Csixteen tasks✓
• Dtwelve tasks

Answer: Counting every item on a 16-item checklist gives a total of sixteen tasks. Fourteen, seventeen and twelve are all different totals that do not match what is written on the checklist. Reading the list carefully shows there are exactly sixteen tasks.

A tea break trolley has no biscuits left on it. How many biscuits are there?

• Athree
• Beight
• Cseven
• Dzero✓

Answer: Zero means there is nothing there at all, so no biscuits left means the count is zero. Three and seven would both mean some biscuits are still on the trolley. Eight is even further from the truth, since the trolley is completely empty.

A shopkeeper has 8 tins of soup on the shelf and puts out 7 more. How many tins are on the shelf now?

• Afifteen tins✓
• Beleven tins
• Cnine tins
• Dthirteen tins

Answer: Adding 8 and 7 together gives a total of fifteen tins on the shelf. Thirteen and eleven are both different totals that do not match this sum. Nine is further off still, so it cannot be right either.

A warehouse worker packs 9 boxes in the morning and 6 boxes in the afternoon. How many boxes were packed in total?

• Afourteen boxes
• Btwelve boxes
• Cseventeen boxes
• Dfifteen boxes✓

Answer: Adding 9 and 6 together gives a total of fifteen boxes packed. Fourteen and twelve are both different totals that do not match this sum. Seventeen is too high, so it does not match the sum either.

A household has 18 eggs in a tray and uses 5 of them for breakfast. How many eggs are left?

• Aten eggs remaining
• Bfifteen eggs left
• Cthirteen eggs✓
• Dtwelve eggs

Answer: Taking 5 eggs away from 18 leaves thirteen eggs in the tray. Twelve and fifteen are both different amounts that do not match this subtraction. Ten is further off still, so it cannot be the correct total.

A market stall starts the day with 20 loaves of bread and sells 14 of them. How many loaves are left?

• Anine
• Bsix✓
• Cfour
• Dten

Answer: Taking 14 loaves away from 20 leaves six loaves unsold at the end of the count. Four and nine are both different amounts that do not match this subtraction. Ten is further off still, so it cannot be the answer.

What does the + symbol mean in a sum such as 5 + 3?

• Atake one number away
• Bshare the numbers equally
• Cadd the numbers together✓
• Darrange the numbers in order

Answer: The + symbol tells you to add two numbers together to find their total. Taking a number away, sharing numbers out equally and arranging numbers in order are all different operations. Only adding matches what the + symbol means.

What does the − symbol mean in a sum such as 9 − 4?

• Aadd the numbers together
• Btake one number away from the other✓
• Cshare the numbers out equally each time
• Darrange all the numbers into a strict order

Answer: The − symbol tells you to take one number away from the other to find the difference. Adding numbers together, sharing them equally and arranging them in order are all different operations. Only subtraction matches what the − symbol means.

A ten-pound note and a five-pound note are put together in a till. What is their total value?

• Aeleven pounds only
• Btwenty pounds total
• Cfifteen pounds✓
• Dtwelve pounds too

Answer: A ten-pound note added to a five-pound note comes to fifteen pounds in total. Eleven pounds and twenty pounds are both different totals that do not match this sum. Twelve pounds is also wrong, since it does not match adding the two notes together.

A café bill comes to eighteen pounds. How should this be written using the £ sign?

• A£81
• B£18✓
• C£13
• D£80

Answer: Eighteen pounds is written with the pound sign directly before the number, as £18. Thirteen pounds, eighty pounds and eighty-one pounds are all different amounts that do not match eighteen pounds. Using the £ sign before the eighteen shows the amount correctly.

Which day comes straight after Tuesday?

• AMonday
• BFriday
• CWednesday✓
• DThursday

Answer: Wednesday is the day that comes straight after Tuesday in the week. Monday comes before Tuesday, not after it. Thursday and Friday both come later in the week, after Wednesday.

Which month comes straight after March?

• AApril✓
• BJune
• CMarch
• DJuly

Answer: April is the month that comes straight after March in the calendar. March comes before April, not after it. June and July both come later in the year, after April.

Which season comes straight after winter?

• Aspring✓
• Bautumn
• Csummer
• Dwinter

Answer: Spring is the season that comes straight after winter in the year. Summer and autumn both come later in the year, after spring. Winter is the season before spring, not after it.