TAKE YOUR PLACE AT STANJOBS.

ORG

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Thank you for your interest in employment with Stanislaus County. This booklet is designed to
familiarize and assist you with preparing for tests containing multiple-choice reading comprehension
items. The sample questions provided in this study guide are intended to give you an idea of the kinds of
items you may encounter in County tests. However, it is important to note that actual test questions will
vary in format, content, and level of difficulty, depending on the job class being tested.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Stanislaus County takes steps to ensure that our exam content is job-
related. We conduct studies to determine the knowledge, skill, abilities and personal characteristics that
are essential to satisfactorily perform the duties of the job. These studies assist us in developing the
content of our examinations. Testing applicants for jobs provides us with an objective and
cost-effective means to assess the qualifications of our applicants.

To prepare for the written test, you should study the concepts assessed in each section. It is likely that
there will be several sections to the written test in addition to reading comprehension; thus, it is to your
benefit to carefully read the job bulletin to determine the knowledge, skill, and ability areas the written
test will cover. In addition, it is important that you read the entire written test notice for the location and
time of the written test as well as for parking instructions and other important information. Pay special
attention to whether testing aids/materials such as hand-held calculators are allowed in the written test. If
the test notice indicates that testing aids/materials are allowed, then you are strongly advised to bring
these with you, as there may not be enough to provide one for everybody. On test day, it is recommended
that you arrive 15 minutes prior to the test’s starting time, wear comfortable clothes, bring an accurate
watch, and make sure you are well-rested. Also, remember to bring your test notice and a picture I.D. such
as a driver license, or you may not be admitted into the test.
Please check the County website for instructions on how to submit disability
accommodation requests, such as readers or interpreters. The County will attempt to meet reasonable
accommodation requests whenever possible.

Most County tests have a set time limit, so it is important that you work quickly, but not so fast as to
become careless. Always read all the possible choices before marking your answer. If you don’t know the
answer to a problem, it is usually best to skip it and move on to the others. Note that on most
County test, your score is based on the number of correct responses. If you are not sure of the answer to a
problem, eliminate the answers you believe to be wrong and mark the choice that is your best
response. Above all, budget your time, pace yourself, and avoid getting bogged down on any
single question.

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Basic arithmetic items test your knowledge of, and ability to interpret and solve problems of a
mathematical nature, using such operations as addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication, and in a
variety of problem formats and situations. However, actual problems will vary from one test to another For
example, a test problem may require you to calculate the totals in a supply budget, much like you may be
asked to do in the position for which you are testing.
The following are examples of the types of basic arithmetic problems most common to County
examinations. Answers and explanations for the problems begin on page 9 of this practice test. A glossary
of mathematical terms has also ben included on page 8 for your reference.

1. 11.700 - 5.278 =
A. 6.342
B. 6.422
C. 7.342
D. 6.432

2. 526
x 213

A. 112,038
B. 113,038
C. 113,288
D. 114.038

3. 2568 ÷ 12 =
A. 212
B. 213
C. 214
D. 215

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4. 5 feet, 4 inches
7 feet, 8 inches
12 feet, 9 inches
+ 15 feet

A. 39 feet, 20 inches
B. 39 feet, 22 inches
C. 40 feet, 8 inches
D. 40 feet, 9 inches

5. 9 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes

7 days, 15 hours, 9 minutes
+ 3 days. 13 hours, 13 minutes

A. 19 days, 13 hours, 40 minutes

B. 19 days, 12 hours, 30 minutes
C. 20 days, 11 hours, 20 minutes
D. 20 days, 10 hours, 10 minutes

6. 80% of 35 =
A. 26
B. 27
C. 28
D. 29

7. A local city applies a 5.5% tax to utility usage charges when issuing residential utility bills. What is
the amount of tax that is applied to a $178.00 utility usage charge?
A. $5.34
B. $9.79
C. $14.13
D. $15.13

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8. A pallet shipment has been received in a warehouse. If six boxes fit into one crate and ten
crates fit onto one pallet, how many boxes are on one pallet?
A. 60
B. 66
C. 600
D. 660

9. The mailroom’s automatic folding machine can fold 7,500 pages per hour. How long will it take for
the machine to fold a 6-page letter for a mass mailing to 625 individuals?
A. 20 minutes
B. 30 minutes
C. 45 minutes
D. 50 minutes

10. An employee’s monthly income is $3,509.00. If the employee receives a salary increase of 4%,
what is their new salary?
A. $2,649.36
B. $2,694.36
C. $3,649.36
D. $3,694.36

11. In a Social Services Agency, each of the 9 employees on a team is required to process 12 cases per
day. On a particular day, one employee calls in sick and two others are on vacation.
Provided the cases are distributed equally among the remaining team members, how many
cases will each team member have to process to meet the daily required number of cases?
A. 12
B. 18
C. 20
D. 24

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12. Last year, a department spent $8,300 for office equipment. This year, it will spend 5 percent
less. How much will it spend this year?
A. $6,640
B. $6,965
C. $7,730
D. $7,885

13. A room that was originally 12’ x 14’ was increased to 15’ x 20’. How many square feet of floor
space were added?
A. 112
B. 118
C. 128
D. 132

14. An employee’s gross salary is $950.00 per week. From their salary, 12% is deducted for federal
taxes; 9% for state taxes; and 4% for health insurance premiums. If all of these deductions are
taken as a percent of his salary, what is the net income for a four-week period?
A. $2,600.00
B. $2,825.00
C. $2,850.00
D. $2,950.00

15. 2,125 employees work in a department, Each employee works 40 hours per week. What is the total
number of hours worked by these employees in a 4-week period?
A. 260,00
B. 280,000
C. 310,000
D. 340,000

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16. A case of bottles of isopropyl alcohol used in a hospital weighs 17.3 pounds. What would 6
cases weigh?
A. 101.8 pounds
B. 102.8 pounds
C. 103.8 pounds
D. 104.8 pounds

17. An hourly employee earns $774.00 by working 36 hours per week. They receive a raise that
provides a 2% increase in his hourly salary. If after receiving the raise he reduces the number of
hours that he works to 34, what would be his new weekly salary?
A. $745.62
B. $754.82
C. $781.90
D. $791.09

18. A warehouse employee was instructed to stock 48 boxes. If each shelf in the warehouse can hold
10 boxes, how many shelves will the employee need to stock all the boxes?
A. 4
B. 5
C. 6
D. 7

19. A group of six employees working a reception window screen 24 clients in one hour. If each
employee screens an equal number, how many clients will each employee screen in 8 hours?
A. 32
B. 34
C. 36
D. 38

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Area: The number of square units that covers a shape or figure

Denominator: The bottom part of a fraction. (Ex: in the fraction 3/4, 4 is the denominator)

Digit: The ten numerals 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. The number 14 has two digits: 1 and 4

Difference: The result of subtracting one number from another

Divisor: In a division problem, the number that is divided into another ( Ex: when dividing 4
into 20, the 4 would be the divisor, as it is used to divide the number 20 into five
parts)
Factor: One of two or more numerical values that are multiplied together to yield a product

Fraction: A number expressed in terms of a numerator and denominator

Least Common The smallest, non-zero multiple of the denominators of two or more fractions
Multiple:
Numerator: The top part of a fraction. (Ex: in the fraction 3/4, 3 is the numerator)

Operation: Any one of the basic arithmetic functions of addition, subtraction, multiplication, or
division
Quotient: The result of dividing one number into another

Sum: The result of adding together two or more numbers

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Note: Typically, there are multiple ways of obtaining the correct answer to each question, only one of
which is provided as the answer explanation. Use the glossary on page 8 to help you define any terms with
which you may be unfamiliar.

1. Correct Answer: B
 Set up the problem by lining up numbers vertically, aligning all decimal points (Step #1).
 Working right to left, set up the problem for solving by carrying values over only when the top
value for a column is less than its bottom value (Step #2).
 Subtract all values to determine the difference (Step #3).
Step #1 Step #2 Step #3

2. Correct Answer: A
 Working from right to left, multiply 526 by each digit in the factor “213” separately. You may
wish to add zero placeholders (shown in bold) to help ensure that columns are aligned correctly
(Step #1).
 Add the products from Step #1 to arrive at the correct answer (Step #2).
Step #1 Step #2

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3. Correct Answer: C
 Set up the problem by placing the number to be divided (2568) inside the bar and the
divisor (12) to the left of the vertical bar (Step #1).
 Determine how many times 25 can be divided by 12 and place the number (2) over the 25. Mul-
tiply the number (2) by the divisor (12) and subtract the result (24) from the number divided
(25) to equal the remainder 1 (Step #2).
 Carry down the next digit in 2568 (6) by placing it next to the remainder from Step #2, to equal
16 (Step #3).
 Repeat Step 2 and 3 until all the possibilities of division have been exhausted and there are no
other numbers to be divided (Step #4).
Step #1 Step #2 Step #3 Step #4

4. Correct Answer: D
 Add the measurements in the inches column, for a total of 21 inches (Step #1).
 Since 12 inches equals 1 foot, convert the 21 inches into 1 foot, 9 inches; carry the 1 foot into
the feet measurement column; and sum (Step #2).
Step #1 Step #2

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5. Correct Answer: D
 Add the measurements in the minutes column for a total of 70 minutes (Step #1).
 Since 60 minutes equals 1 hour, convert the 70 minutes into 1 hour, 10 minutes; carry the 1 hour
into the hours measurement column; and sum for a total of 34 hours, 10 minutes
(Step #2).
 Since 24 hours equals 1 day, convert the 34 hours into 1 day, 10 hours; carry the 1 day into the
days measurement column; and sum for a total of 20 days (Step #3).
Step #1 Step #2 Step #3

6. Correct Answer: C
 Multiply 35 by the decimal equivalent of 80% (.8) and insert the decimal point in the product one
place from the right, as the factors 35 and .8 have a total of one decimal place (Step #1).
Step #1

7. Correct Answer: B
 Multiply $178.00 by the decimal equivalent of 5.5% (.055) to determine the amount of taz that
will be applied. Insert the decimal point in the product three places from the right, as the factors
178 and .055 have a total of three decimal places (Step #1).
Step #1

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8. Correct Answer: A
 Multiply the number of boxes in a crate (6) by the number of crates on the pallet (10) to deter-
mine that there are 60 boxes on one pallet (Step #1).
Step #1

9. Correct Answer: B
 Multiply the number of individuals who will receive the letter (625) by the number of
pages in the letter (6) to determine that 3,750 sheets need to be folded (Step #1).
 Divide the number of pages that can be folded per hour (7,500) by the number of minutes in
one hour (60) to determine that 125 sheets can be folded per minute (Step #2).
 Divide the number of sheets that need to be folded (3,750) by the number of sheets that can
be folded per minute (125) to determine that it will take the machine 30 minutes to fold the
letters (Step #3).
Step #1 Step #2 Step #3

10. Correct Answer: C

 Multiply $3509 by the decimal equivalent of 4% (.04). Insert the decimal point in the product
two places from the right, as the factors 3509 and .04 have a total of two decimal places (Step
#1).
 Add the product from Step #1 to the employee’s previous salary to determine the new
salary (Step #2).
Step #1 Step #2

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11. Correct Answer: B
 Multiply the number of cases each employee processes by the number of employees on the
team to determine the total number of cases that must be processed per day (Step #1).
 Subtract the number of employees who are sick and on vacation from the total number on the
team to determine the number of employees present to process cases on the particular day
(Step #2).
 Divide the number of cases that must be processed by the number of employees present to de-
termine how many cases each must process on the particular day (Step #3).
Step #1 Step #2 Step #3

12. Correct Answer: D

 Multiply 8,300 by the decimal equivalent of 5% (.05) to determine the amount of decrease in
equipment expenditures this year. Insert the decimal point in the product two places from the
right, as the factors 8300 and .05 has a total of two decimal places (Step #1).
 Subtract the product from Step 1 from the amount spent last year to determine the amount
that will be spent on equipment this year (Step #2).
Step #1 Step #2

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13. Correct Answer: D
 Find the total area of both the original room and the enlarged room (Step #1). The formula for
area is A = L x W, where A = length; and W = width. The product is expressed in square feet.
 Subtract the area of the original room from the area of the enlarged room to determine the
amount of floor space that was added (Step #2).
Step #1

Step #2

14. Correct Answer: C

 Add the decimal equivalent of the federal tax, and insurance deductions to determine the total
percent deduction (Step #1).
 Multiply the employee’s gross weekly salary by 4 to determine his gross salary for a
four-week period. Insert the decimal point in the product two places from the right, as the fac-
tors 950.00 and 4 have a total of two decimal places (Step #2).
 Multiply the product from above by the decimal equivalent of the total percent deduction to
determine the amount that is deducted for a four-week period. Insert the decimal point in the
product two places from the right, as the factors 3800 and .25 have a total of two
decimal places (Step #3).
 Subtract the product from above from the employee’s gross four-week income to determine his
net income for a four-week period (Step #4).
Step #1 Step #2 Step #3 Step #4

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15. Correct Answer: D
 Multiply the total number of employees (2,125) by the weekly number of hours each employee
works (40) to determine that there are 85,000 hours worked in one week (Step #1).
 Multiply 85,000 by 4 to determine that there are 340,000 hours worked in a 4-week period (Step
#2).
Step #1 Step #2

16. Correct Answer: C

 Multiply the weight of one case (17.3) by 6 to determine the weight of 6 cases. Insert the deci-
mal point in the product one place from the right, as the factors 17.3 and 6 have a total of one
decimal place (Step #1).
Step #1

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17. Correct Answer: A
 Divide the employee’s original weekly earnings by 36 to determine their hourly salary before
the promotion (Step #1).
 Multiply the hourly salary before the promotion by the decimal equivalent of 2% to determine
the amount of the salary increase. Insert the decimal point in the product four places from the
right, as the factors 21.50 and .02 have a total of four decimal places (Step #2).
 Add the product from Step 2 to the hourly salary before the raise to determine the new hourly
salary after the raise (Step #3).
 Multiply the new hourly salary by 34 to determine the employee’s weekly salary if he reduces
his hours. Insert the decimal point in the product two places from the right, as the factors 24.08
and 34 have a total of two decimal places (Step #4).
Step #1 Step #2 Step #3 Step #4

18. Correct Answer: B

 Divide the number of boxes that need to be stocked (48) by the number of boxes that each shelf
can hold (10) to determine how many shelves will be needed (Step #1).
 Since 4 total shelves and part of 1 other shelf will be required, 5 shelves will be needed to stock
all of the boxes.
Step #1

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19. Correct Answer: A
 Multiply the number of clients that can be screened in one hour (24) by 8 to determine the num-
ber of clients that can be screened in 8 hours (Step #1).
 Divide the product from Step 1 by the number of employees in the group (6) to determine the
number of clients each will screen in 8 hours (Step #2).
Step #1 Step #2

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