Math Word Problems (Sub-Professional)

Word problems test your ability to use math in real-world scenarios. In the Sub-Professional level, these usually involve basic commerce, measurement, and averages.

Sa madaling salita: Ang mga problems dito ay hango sa tunay na buhay tulad ng pag-grocery, sweldo, at iba pa.

1. Percentage Word Problems

These are very common. Remember: Part = Rate × Whole.

Example: If a worker's daily wage is P500 and it increases by 10%, what is the new wage?
- Increase = $0.10 \times 500 = 50$ .
- New Wage = $500 + 50 = 550$ .
- Hack: Kunin ang 10% ng 500 (P50) at idagdag ito sa dating sweldo.

2. Averages

Average = Total Sum / Number of Items

Example: A clerk filed 20, 25, 30, and 15 folders from Monday to Thursday. What is the average number of folders filed?
- Total Sum = $20 + 25 + 30 + 15 = 90$ .
- Average = $90 / 4 = 22.5$ .
- Hack: I-add lahat (90) at i-divide sa 4 na araw.

3. Simple Interest

Interest = Principal × Rate × Time ( $I = P \times R \times T$ )

Example: You borrowed P1,000 at 5% annual interest. How much interest after 1 year?
- $1000 \times 0.05 \times 1 = 50$ .
- Hack: I-multiply ang hiniram (Principal) sa interest rate at sa tagal (Time).

Practice Questions

A bag costs P1,200. It is on sale for 20% off. How much is the discount?
- A. P240
- B. P960
- C. P200
- D. P120
- Answer: A (P240).
- Hack: 20% of 1200 ay $0.20 \times 1200 = 240$ . Ito ang halaga ng discount.
If 5 notebooks cost P100, how much do 8 notebooks cost?
- A. P120
- B. P150
- Answer: C (P160).
- Hack: Hanapin ang presyo ng isa ( $100 / 5 = 20$ ). Tapos i-multiply sa 8 ( $20 \times 8 = 160$ ).
A car travels 150 km in 3 hours. What is its speed?
- A. 40 km/h
- B. 50 km/h
- C. 60 km/h
- D. 45 km/h
- Answer: B (50 km/h).
- Hack: Speed = Distance / Time. $150 / 3 = 50$ .
An employee earns P480 for an 8-hour workday. How much does he earn per hour?
- A. P50
- B. P55
- C. P60
- D. P65
- Answer: C (P60).
- Hack: $480 / 8 = 60$ pesos kada oras.
You need to type a 1,500-word document. If you can type 30 words per minute, how long will it take?
- A. 40 minutes
- B. 50 minutes
- C. 60 minutes
- D. 90 minutes
- Answer: B (50 minutes).
- Hack: $1500 / 30 = 50$ .
A government office has 80 employees. 25% of them are on field duty. How many employees are in the office?
- A. 20
- B. 40
- C. 50
- D. 60
- Answer: D (60).
- Hack: 25% of 80 is 20 ( $80 / 4$ ). Sila ang nasa field. Ang nasa office ay $80 - 20 = 60$ .
The average of three numbers is 15. If two of the numbers are 10 and 20, what is the third number?
- A. 12
- B. 15
- C. 18
- D. 25
- Answer: B (15).
- Hack: Total sum dapat ay $15 \times 3 = 45$ . Ang dalawang numero ay $10+20=30$ . So ang pangatlo ay $45-30=15$ .
A loan of P5,000 is taken out at a simple interest rate of 4% per year. What is the total amount to be repaid after 2 years?
- A. P5,200
- B. P5,400
- C. P5,500
- D. P400
- Answer: B (P5,400).
- Hack: Interest = $5000 \times 0.04 \times 2 = 400$ . Total = $5000 + 400 = 5400$ .
A department has a budget of P100,000. If 60% is spent on salaries and 25% on supplies, how much money is left?
- A. P10,000
- B. P15,000
- C. P20,000
- D. P25,000
- Answer: B (P15,000).
- Hack: Total spent = $60\% + 25\% = 85\%$ . Natira ay 15%. 15% of 100,000 is 15,000.
A printer can print 12 pages per minute. How many pages can it print in 5 minutes?
- A. 50 pages
- B. 60 pages
- C. 72 pages
- D. 80 pages
- Answer: B (60 pages).
- Hack: $12 \times 5 = 60$ .
An item priced at P500 is given a 15% discount. What is the sale price?
- A. P425
- B. P450
- C. P75
- D. P475
- Answer: A (P425).
- Hack: Discount = $500 \times 0.15 = 75$ . Sale price = $500 - 75 = 425$ .
A rectangular table has a length of 1.5 meters and a width of 0.8 meters. What is its area?
- A. 1.2 sq. meters
- B. 2.3 sq. meters
- C. 4.6 sq. meters
- D. 1.0 sq. meter
- Answer: A (1.2 sq. meters).
- Hack: Area = Length × Width. $1.5 \times 0.8 = 1.2$ .
In a group of 60 people, the ratio of men to women is 2:3. How many women are there?
- A. 24
- B. 30
- C. 36
- D. 40
- Answer: C (36).
- Hack: Total parts = $2+3=5$ . Isang part = $60/5 = 12$ . Women (3 parts) = $3 \times 12 = 36$ .
Your weekly grocery bills are P1,200, P1,500, and P900 for three consecutive weeks. What is your average weekly bill?
- A. P1,100
- B. P1,200
- C. P1,300
- D. P1,400
- Answer: B (P1,200).
- Hack: $(1200+1500+900) / 3 = 3600 / 3 = 1200$ .
If a dozen eggs costs P84, what is the cost of a single egg?
- A. P6
- B. P7
- C. P8
- D. P9
- Answer: B (P7).
- Hack: Isang dosena ay 12. $84 / 12 = 7$ .
A bus travels from Town A to Town B, a distance of 90 km. If the journey takes 1.5 hours, what is the average speed of the bus?
- A. 50 km/h
- B. 60 km/h
- C. 75 km/h
- D. 90 km/h
- Answer: B (60 km/h).
- Hack: $90 / 1.5 = 60$ .
A clerk can sort 300 letters in an hour. How many letters can the clerk sort in a 15-minute break?
- A. 50
- B. 75
- C. 100
- D. 150
- Answer: B (75).
- Hack: Ang 15 minutes ay 1/4 ng isang oras. $300 / 4 = 75$ .
A property is valued at P2,500,000. The annual property tax is 0.5% of its value. How much is the tax?
- A. P10,000
- B. P12,500
- C. P15,000
- D. P25,000
- Answer: B (P12,500).
- Hack: $2,500,000 \times 0.005 = 12,500$ .
A water tank has a capacity of 1,000 liters. If it is 65% full, how many liters of water are in the tank?
- A. 350 liters
- B. 500 liters
- C. 650 liters
- D. 750 liters
- Answer: C (650 liters).
- Hack: $1000 \times 0.65 = 650$ .
An office buys 20 reams of paper. If one ream contains 500 sheets, what is the total number of sheets?
- A. 1,000
- B. 5,000
- C. 10,000
- D. 20,000
- Answer: C (10,000).
- Hack: $20 \times 500 = 10,000$ .

Tip: Read the question carefully to see if it asks for the 'discount' or the 'final price'.