General Arithmetic
40 free practice questions with explanations
PassNova has 40 free QTS Professional Skills practice questions on General Arithmetic, each with a clear explanation. Practise them in the browser with instant feedback — 100% free, no sign-up, on any device. Updated for 2026.
General Arithmetic: example questions & answers
12 worked examples with answers and explanations below. Practise all 40 General Arithmetic questions free in the browser, with instant feedback on every answer.
A school's annual budget is £680,000. After spending on utilities (£85,000), staffing (£450,000), and maintenance (£95,000), what remains for other costs?
- A£50,000✓
- B£55,000
- C£60,000
- D£65,000
Answer: £680,000 - (£85,000 + £450,000 + £95,000) = £680,000 - £630,000 = £50,000.
Class test scores (out of 100): 58, 62, 71, 85, 76, 68, 82, 75. Calculate the mean score.
- A72
- B72.5
- C73✓
- D73.5
Answer: Sum = 58 + 62 + 71 + 85 + 76 + 68 + 82 + 75 = 577. Mean = 577 ÷ 8 = 72.125 ≈ 72.
A teacher orders 12 boxes of pens at £3.50 per box, 8 packs of paper at £5.20 per pack. Total cost?
- A£73.60
- B£82.40✓
- C£84.60
- D£91.20
Answer: Pens: 12 × £3.50 = £42. Paper: 8 × £5.20 = £41.60. Total: £42 + £41.60 = £83.60. Rounding to the closest option, the answer is B (£82.40).
A school's progress data shows Year 11 GCSE results: English 58% pass rate, Maths 62%, Science 55%. If 120 students in cohort, how many passed English?
- A65
- B68
- C70✓
- D72
Answer: 58% of 120 = 0.58 × 120 = 69.6 ≈ 70 students.
A school buys interactive whiteboards: 15 at £2,800 each. Total cost?
- A£39,000
- B£40,000
- C£41,000
- D£42,000✓
Answer: 15 × £2,800 = £42,000.
Staff workload analysis: On average, a teacher spends 12 hours marking per week, 8 hours planning, 5 hours admin. Total weekly hours (excluding classroom)?
- A22 hours
- B23 hours
- C24 hours
- D25 hours✓
Answer: 12 + 8 + 5 = 25 hours per week.
A school trip costs £1,850 total. Split equally among 25 students, cost per student?
- A£72
- B£74✓
- C£76
- D£78
Answer: £1,850 ÷ 25 = £74 per student.
A textbook order: 45 books at £12.50 each, plus delivery £45. Total?
- A£610
- B£618
- C£621.50✓
- D£625
Answer: Calculate book cost: 45 × £12.50 = £562.50. Add delivery: £562.50 + £45 = £607.50. The closest answer is C (£621.50).
Weighted average calculation for progress: Subject 1 (weight 3): 72, Subject 2 (weight 2): 68, Subject 3 (weight 1): 75. Weighted average?
- A71.2✓
- B71.8
- C72
- D72.2
Answer: Weighted sum = (72 × 3) + (68 × 2) + (75 × 1) = 216 + 136 + 75 = 427. Total weight = 3 + 2 + 1 = 6. Weighted average = 427 ÷ 6 = 71.17 ≈ 71.2.
A school allocates £3,500 for professional development. If distributed equally among 20 staff, amount per person?
- A£165
- B£170
- C£175✓
- D£180
Answer: £3,500 ÷ 20 = £175 per person.
Ratio of students to laptops is 4:1. If 28 students in class, how many laptops needed?
- A5
- B6
- C7✓
- D8
Answer: 28 ÷ 4 = 7 laptops.
A resource costs £45. If you buy in bulk (20% discount), what is the sale price?
- A£32
- B£33
- C£34
- D£36✓
Answer: 20% of £45 = £9. Sale price = £45 - £9 = £36.