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Simplify the ratio 48 : 60.
Correct answer: A. 4 : 5
Divide both terms by their greatest common factor, 12: 48 ÷ 12 = 4 and 60 ÷ 12 = 5, so the ratio is 4 : 5. 12 : 15 is equal but not in lowest terms.
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Ratio, Proportion and Averages MCQs
Civil Service Exam numerical ability reviewer on simplifying ratios, sharing in a ratio, direct and inverse proportion, map scales and averages, with worked solutions.
20 MCQsUpdated 3 November 2026
Ratio, proportion and averages appear constantly in the word problems of the Civil Service Exam Numerical Ability section. This set practises simplifying ratios, sharing amounts in a given ratio, solving proportions, direct and inverse proportion, map scales, finding a missing value from an average, and weighted averages.
Two ideas solve most of these items: find the value of one part (or one unit) first, and work with totals when an average changes. Every answer here was calculated and checked by script.
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If 3 : 5 = x : 40, what is x?
Correct answer: A. 24
In a proportion, the product of the means equals the product of the extremes: 5x = 3 × 40 = 120, so x = 24. Check: 24/40 = 3/5.
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The ratio of boys to girls in a class of 45 is 4 : 5. How many girls are there?
Correct answer: D. 25
There are 4 + 5 = 9 parts, each worth 45 ÷ 9 = 5 students. Girls = 5 parts × 5 = 25, and boys = 20.
easy - 4
A map scale is 1 : 50,000. Two towns are 6 cm apart on the map. What is the actual distance in kilometres?
Correct answer: B. 3 km
6 cm × 50,000 = 300,000 cm. Since 100,000 cm = 1 km, 300,000 cm = 3 km. Converting units carefully is the key step in scale problems.
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₱24,000 is shared among Ana, Ben and Carl in the ratio 2 : 3 : 3. How much does Ana receive?
Correct answer: A. ₱6,000
Total parts = 2 + 3 + 3 = 8, so one part = ₱24,000 ÷ 8 = ₱3,000. Ana gets 2 parts = ₱6,000; Ben and Carl get ₱9,000 each.
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If 4 printers can print 1,200 pages in an hour, how many pages can 7 printers print in an hour at the same rate?
Correct answer: D. 2,100
One printer prints 1,200 ÷ 4 = 300 pages an hour, so 7 printers print 7 × 300 = 2,100 pages. This is direct proportion: more printers, more pages.
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6 workers can finish a road repair in 10 days. How many days will 15 workers take at the same rate?
Correct answer: B. 4 days
The job needs 6 × 10 = 60 worker-days. With 15 workers it takes 60 ÷ 15 = 4 days. This is inverse proportion: more workers, fewer days.
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A car uses 8 litres of fuel for 96 km. How many litres does it need for 300 km?
Correct answer: C. 25 litres
The car travels 96 ÷ 8 = 12 km per litre, so 300 km needs 300 ÷ 12 = 25 litres.
medium - 9
What is the average of 12, 15, 18, 21 and 24?
Correct answer: A. 18
Average = (12 + 15 + 18 + 21 + 24) ÷ 5 = 90 ÷ 5 = 18. For evenly spaced numbers, the average is simply the middle number.
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The average of four numbers is 25. Three of them are 20, 30 and 22. What is the fourth number?
Correct answer: D. 28
The four numbers must total 4 × 25 = 100. The three known numbers add up to 72, so the fourth is 100 − 72 = 28.
medium - 11
A clerk encoded 120, 135, 150 and 115 records on four days. How many must she encode on the fifth day to average 130 a day?
Correct answer: C. 130
To average 130 over 5 days she needs 5 × 130 = 650 records. She has 120 + 135 + 150 + 115 = 520, so she needs 650 − 520 = 130 more.
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The average age of 5 employees is 30. When a new employee joins, the average becomes 31. How old is the new employee?
Correct answer: D. 36
The 5 employees total 5 × 30 = 150 years. With 6 employees the total is 6 × 31 = 186. The new employee is 186 − 150 = 36 years old.
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A student scored 80 in 2 tests and 90 in 3 tests. What is the average of all 5 scores?
Correct answer: C. 86
Total = 2 × 80 + 3 × 90 = 160 + 270 = 430. Average = 430 ÷ 5 = 86. Averaging 80 and 90 to get 85 is wrong because there are more scores of 90.
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The ratio of the length to the width of a rectangle is 3 : 2, and its perimeter is 50 m. What is its length?
Correct answer: A. 15 m
Length + width = 50 ÷ 2 = 25 m, split in the ratio 3 : 2, so one part = 25 ÷ 5 = 5 m. Length = 3 × 5 = 15 m and width = 10 m.
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Ana and Ben's ages are in the ratio 3 : 4. If Ana is 18, how old is Ben?
Correct answer: C. 24
One part = 18 ÷ 3 = 6 years, so Ben = 4 × 6 = 24 years. Check: 18 : 24 simplifies to 3 : 4.
easy - 16
If 12 kilos of rice cost ₱660, what do 5 kilos cost?
Correct answer: B. ₱275
One kilo costs ₱660 ÷ 12 = ₱55, so 5 kilos cost 5 × ₱55 = ₱275. Finding the unit price first is the simplest method.
easy - 17
A recipe for 4 people uses 300 g of flour. How much flour is needed for 10 people?
Correct answer: D. 750 g
Flour per person = 300 ÷ 4 = 75 g, so 10 people need 10 × 75 = 750 g. Alternatively, 10 is 2.5 times 4, and 2.5 × 300 = 750.
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The mean of 8 numbers is 15. If one number, 29, is removed, what is the mean of the remaining numbers?
Correct answer: B. 13
The total of the 8 numbers is 8 × 15 = 120. Removing 29 leaves 91 for 7 numbers, and 91 ÷ 7 = 13.
hard - 19
Which ratio is equal to 0.75?
Correct answer: B. 3 : 4
0.75 = 75/100 = 3/4, which is the ratio 3 : 4. The ratio 4 : 3 would be 1.33, the reciprocal.
easy - 20
A barangay of 2,400 residents has a ratio of adults to children of 5 : 3. How many children are there?
Correct answer: B. 900
Total parts = 5 + 3 = 8, so one part = 2,400 ÷ 8 = 300. Children = 3 × 300 = 900, and adults = 1,500.
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