Testing the Teacher

Testing the Teacher

Dateline's Dennis Murphy reported on the controversial "Teacher Competency Test" in California that, according to state records, a disproportionate number of minority applicants are failing. A judge this fall that the teacher competency test does not discriminate against people of color. The teachers and civil rights groups involved in the suit are appealing.

How well would you do on this teachers' exam? How hard is it? Take this short version sample test to see how you would rate.

Math Test

Instructions: Each of the questions or incomplete statements below is followed by five suggested answers or completions. Select the one that is best in each case.

The following information is for your reference in solving some of the problems.

Circle of radius r: Area=pi × r²
Circumference=2r × pi
The number of degrees of arc in a circle is 360º
The measure in degrees of a straight angle is 180º

Definitions of symbols:

= is equal to
= (with slash) is unequal to
‹ is less than
› is greater than
« is less than or equal to
» is greater than or equal to

Triangle:
The sum of the measures in degrees of the angles of a triangle is 180º

If angle CDA is a right angle, then
(1) area of triangle ABC= (AB × CD)÷2
(2) (AC)²= (AD)² + (DC)²

Note: Figures that accompany problems in this test are intended to provide information useful in solving the problems. They are drawn as accurately as possible except when it is stated in a specific problem that its figure is not drawn to scale. All figures lie in a plane unless otherwise indicated. All numbers used are real numbers.

Related Sources:

U.S. Department of Education

National Education Association (NEA)

National Parent Teacher Association (PTA)

21. Amy drinks one and a half cups of milk three times a day. At this rate, how many cups of milk will she drink in one week?

B. 7 and ½

C. 10 and ½

D. 21 and ½

E. 31 and ½

22. Jack worked for several days and earned $290.50. If his average daily wage was $41.50, how many days did he work?

B. six

C. seven

D. eight

E. nine

23. In an election for club president, Sari received 70% of the votes. If her opponent received the remaining 21 votes, how many people voted in the election?

A. 91

B. 70

C. 63

D. 49

E. 30

24. Which of the following methods could be used to solve the problem below?
The moon is about 238,000 miles from the earth, and the sun is about 93,000,000 miles from the earth. The sun is about how many times as far from the earth as the moon is?

A. Multiply 238,000 by 93,000,000

B. Divide 93,000,000 by 238,000

C. Add 238,000 and 93,000,000

D. Subtract 238,000 from 93,000,000

E. Divide 238,000 by 93,000,000

25. Of the following fractions, which is closest in value to 0.35?

A. Three fifths

B. One half

C. One fifth

D. One fourth

E. One third

26. The numbers 4, 5 and 6 have which factors in common?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. 2 and 5 only

D. 1, 4, 5 and 6 only

E. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6

27. Of the following, which is the best estimate of square root of 2605?

B. 500

C. 60

D. 50

E. 26

28. Alicia’s gross weekly salary is $412.50. If 2 % of this salary is deducted for state taxes and 8% is deducted for benefits, which of the following is the closest estimate of the total amount, in dollars, of these deductions?

A. (0.02) (400) + (0.08) (400)

B. (0.02)(420) + (0.08)(420)

C. (0.10)(410)

D. (0.16)(410)

E. (0.16)(420)

29. A teacher wishes to cut a strip of paper into two parts with lengths in a ratio of 2 to 4. If the strip is 18 inches long, what should be the length, in inches, of the longer strip?

B. 4 and ½

C. 9

D. 12

E. 15

30. If a child was born on September 30, 1976, then to the nearest month, how old was that child on November 1, 1984?

B. 86 months

C. 97 months

D. 98 months

E. 99 months

31. An airport shuttle bus can hold, at most, 20 passengers per trip. What is the least number of trips to town that the bus must make to transport 90 passengers from the airport to town?

B. 4

C. 4 and ½

D. 5

E. 6

32. A traffic survey showed that there was one van pool for every 4 private cars on the highway. At this rate, how many van pools are on the highway for every 300 private cars?

B. 60

C. 75

D. 100

E. 1200

33. The circle graph below shows the distribution of a group of students with respect to their college major. Which major accounted for approximately one third of the students in the group?

B. English

C. physics

D. mathematics

E. business

34. Of the five types of dogs listed below, which type eats the least amount of food?

Collies eat more than basset hounds. Boxers eat more than collies. Beagles eat more than basset hounds, but less than collies. Boxers eat less than dalmatians.

B. basset hound

C. boxer

D. beagle

E. dalmatian

35. Which of the numbers in the problem below is (re) needed to solve the problem?

A certain school has 32 classrooms and 40 teachers. If the student to teacher ratio is 25:1, how many students are there?

B. 25 and 32 only

C. 1, 25, and 40 only

D. 1, 32, and 40 only

E. 1, 25, 32 and 40

36. Which of the following questions can be answered on the basis of the information given below?

Juan read a certain book in exactly 8 hours. The average number of words per page was 270 and the number of pages was 392.

B. How long did it take Juan to read the first 100 pages?

C. How many pages did Juan read the first hour?

D. What is the average number of words per minute at which Juan read this book?

E. What is the average number of lines per page in the book that Juan read?

37. What additional information, if any, is needed to solve the problem below?

Andy purchased several shirts. Some of the shirts cost $15 each and the remaining shirts cost $18 each. What was the total cost of the shirts?

B. the average price of the shirts

C. the total number of shirts purchased

D. the number of shirts purchased at each price

E. No additional information is needed.

38. A rectangular flower garden is surrounded by a path 2 yards wide, as shown below. What is the area, in square yards, of the path?

B. 52

C. 68

D. 84

E. 108

39. Which of the following figures does NOT have at least one pair of parallel sides?

40. Which of the following calculations is NOT equivalent to 18 X 25?

B. (10 + 8) × (20 + 5)

C. (10 × 25) + (8 × 25)

D. (10 + 20) × (8 + 5)

E. (18 × 20) + (18 × 5)

Answer Key