Free Scientific Reasoning MCQs with Answers

251. A rectangular piece of paper is folded in half and then folded in half the other way to produce a rectangle with sides half the lengths of those of the unfolded paper. Three corners of this folded paper are then cut off and the paper unfolded.Which one of the following could not be a representation of the paper when unfolded again?

• A. A
• B. B
• C. C
• D. D

Explanation: When a rectangular piece of paper is folded twice, it results in a smaller rectangle with one quarter of the original area. Cutting three corners off this folded rectangle can only result in symmetrical missing sections when unfolded. Option A is correct because it shows an impossible asymmetrical pattern that cannot be achieved through the described folding and cutting process. Options B, C, and D are incorrect as they depict symmetrical patterns consistent with the folding and cutting process.

252. A display showing the 24-hour time (0000 to 2359) uses some or all of seven lights for each digit as follows:What is the greatest number of lights on at any time?

• A. 25
• B. 26
• C. 27
• D. 28

Explanation: In the 24-hour time format, each digit can have a maximum of seven lights on. Since there are four digits in total (two for the hours and two for the minutes), the greatest number of lights on at any time would be when all digits have all seven lights on, which totals to 28 lights. Options A, B, and C do not account for the possibility of having all lights on for each digit, making them incorrect.

253. In her first five weekly shopping trips on Saturdays, Angela spends $14, $7, $14, $7 respectively to ensure that she has enough stock of her new daily vitamin pill to last for the week without spending more than she needs to.Which one of the following would explain this variation?

• A. The pills are sold in packets of 4
• B. The pills are sold in packets of 5
• C. The pills are sold in packets of 6
• D. The pills are sold in packets of 7

Explanation: The correct answer is Option B: The pills are sold in packets of 5.If Angela buys pills in packets of 5, she would have to buy additional packets some weeks to cover all 7 days, leading to the varying costs of $14 and $7. For example, in weeks where she needs 7 pills, she would buy two packets (10 pills), spending more. In other weeks, if she has leftover pills, she may only need one packet.Option A is incorrect because packets of 4 would require a consistent number of packets weekly, not matching the cost variation. Option C is incorrect because packets of 6 would also not match the spending pattern. Option D is incorrect because packets of 7 would mean she buys one packet per week, causing no cost variation.

254. Four members of an online community construct a diagram to show whether they have ever met in real life. Each person is represented by a dot and two dots are jained together with a line if those two people have ever met in real life. The diagram looks like this:Each member of the group then makes a table, showing with a tick when two people have ever met in real life. Shaded cells show people linked to themselves. Which person's table is wrong?

• A. A
• B. B
• C. C
• D. D

Explanation: To determine which person's table is incorrect, compare each person's table to the diagram. Each dot represents a person, and lines between dots indicate that those individuals have met. C's table is the only one that does not correctly correspond to the connections shown in the diagram, indicating that C's table has an error. The other tables, A, B, and D, align with the diagram, showing correct connections.

255. The Quiver family are planning to spend two consecutive days in Stratford to go to the theatres there. They are determined to see all four plays currently being presented. The weekly timela of plays is in the table below.Which two days should the family spend in Stratford?

• A. Monday and Tuesday
• B. Wednesday and Thursday
• C. Thursday and Friday
• D. Friday and Saturday

Explanation: To determine which two consecutive days the Quiver family should spend in Stratford, you need to check the schedule for all four plays. Only Wednesday and Thursday have all four plays scheduled across the two days, ensuring that the family can see them all. The other options do not cover all four plays within two consecutive days.

256. I normally catch the 08:19 bus to work in the morning. Yesterday, I thought that I had arrived the bus stop 2 minutes too late and would have to wait for the later bus. However, my watch turned out to be 6 minutes fast and the 08:19 bus was running 3 minutes late.How long did I wait at the bus stop yesterday morning?

• A. 5 minutes
• B. 7 minutes
• C. 9 minutes
• D. 11 minutes

Explanation: You thought you were 2 minutes late based on your watch, which was actually 6 minutes fast. Therefore, you were 4 minutes early (6 - 2 = 4). The bus was also 3 minutes late, meaning you waited a total of 7 minutes (4 minutes early + 3 minutes late = 7 minutes). Options A, C, and D are incorrect because they miscalculate either the time you arrived or the bus's delay.

257. The time on my clock has just changed to 03:45, showing four different digits.How long will it be until the next time the display shows four completely different digits, none of which is the same as those above?

• A. 3 hours 12 minutes
• B. 9 hours 22 minutes
• C. 12 hours 22 minutes
• D. 12 hours 42 minutes

Explanation: To solve this problem, start by identifying the digits in the current time: 03:45, which are 0, 3, 4, and 5. The next step is to find the earliest time where the digits do not overlap with these four. After checking sequentially, 12:42 is the first time that meets the criteria with the digits 1, 2, 4, and 7. Therefore, it takes 12 hours and 42 minutes to reach this time. The other options either include digits from the original set or do not occur soon enough.

258. Bus routes 27, 37, and 47 all stop at Ferguson Square. Hamish was! sitting time and noted the order in which they arrived. Sometimes more than same time. The order was:On all the routes the buses are scheduled to arrive intervals, and they always keep to the timetable. Which one if the following would explain observed order?

• A. The number 27 arrives at 5-minute intervals, the 37 at 10-minute intervals, and the 47 every 20 minutes
• B. The number 27 arrives at 6-minute intervals, the 37 at 10-minute intervals, and the 47 every 20 minutes
• C. The number 27 arrives at 9-minute intervals, the 37 at 15-minute intervals, and the 47 every 40 minutes
• D. The number 27 arrives at 10-minute intervals, the 37 at 20-minute intervals, and the 47 every 30 minutes

Explanation: The correct answer is Option B. With the number 27 bus arriving every 6 minutes, the number 37 every 10 minutes, and the number 47 every 20 minutes, all buses align every 60 minutes. This allows for the possibility of the observed order. Other options do not provide intervals that align to create a consistent pattern matching the observed order.

259. Four supermarkets are in competition and regularly have special offers on basic food products as a way of attracting customers. The latest promotion of special offers features 500-gram pots of yoghurt.Which supermarket's special offer will give the customer the lowest price per 500-gram yoghurt pot?

• A. ASCO
• B. MORRISBY
• C. SAINSONS
• D. TESDA

Explanation: To determine which supermarket offers the lowest price per 500-gram yoghurt pot, one must calculate or compare the per-unit cost for each supermarket's special offer. SAINSONS provides the lowest cost per 500-gram pot, making it the most cost-effective option. The other supermarkets, ASCO, MORRISBY, and TESDA, have higher prices per unit in comparison, which disqualifies them as the best option for this specific offer.

260. Financial services usually have a disclaimer that past performance is no indicator of future returns, yet they also advertise using past performance. Which one of the following graphs is not consistent with the claim that "in most years the value of our unit bond has increased by over $10?

• A. A
• B. B
• C. C
• D. D

Explanation: The correct answer is Option C because it shows years where the increase in the unit bond value is less than $10, directly contradicting the claim that 'in most years the value of our unit bond has increased by over $10.' Options A, B, and D are consistent with the claim, as they show increases that are mostly over $10 each year.