How to Pass Numerical Reasoning Tests: A Step-by-Step Guide to Learning Key Numeracy Skills (Testing Series)

Author:Smith, Heidi [Smith, Heidi]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Kogan Page
Published: 2013-05-03T00:00:00+00:00

£160

×

1 – 0.08

=

£160

×

0.92

= £147.20

Combining percentages

Percentage questions will often require that you complete the question in several stages. The questions are not difficult as long as you remember a couple of basic rules. First, remember that you cannot just combine all the percentages in a question and find the total percentage of the original whole. Second, always identify the original whole as the starting point.

Worked example

The average price of a London flat in 1970 was £40,000. By the end of the 1980s, the price had risen by 85%. By January 1992, house prices fell dramatically and the price of the same London flat, now beset with structural problems, fell by 40% on the December 1989 price. At how much more or less is the flat valued in 1992 than in 1970?

You are asked to find a new value following a percentage increase and then a percentage decrease. Increase the original whole (£40,000) by 85% (1 + 0.85) to find the December 1989 value:

40,000 × 1.85 = £74,000

New whole = £74,000

Decrease the new whole (£74,000) by 40% (1 – 0.4) to find the January 1992 value:

£74,000

×

(1 – 0.4)

=

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