Percentage questions on the GED Math test will generally ask you to compare different quantities. In the following practice questions, you're asked to calculate a percentage change over time, and then to calculate a percentage of a total amount.
Practice Questions
- A plane has a seating capacity of 160 passengers, 40 in first class and the rest in economy class. The average first-class ticket costs $1,200, and the average ticket in economy class is $400. The price of each first-class ticket used to be $1,500. What percent decrease does the current price represent?
A. 20% B. 25% C. 75% D. 80%
The next question is based on the following information.
The details of Janet's paycheck are shown here.
- What percentage of her gross salary does Janet pay toward Social Security? Round your answer to the nearest tenth of a percent.
A. 0.03% B. 2.7% C. 0.3% D. 26.7%
Answers and Explanations
- The correct answer is A.
Calculate the percent decrease as follows:
Substituting in the new and old prices of the ticket gives you
Hence, Choice (A) is the correct answer.
- The correct answer is B.
Divide the amount spent on Social Security by the gross salary and multiply by 100:
Rounding the nearest tenth of a percent gives you 2.7%, so Choice (B) is correct.
