Practice Questions: Simplification

Introduction​

Simplification is a crucial topic in bank exams like IBPS PO, SBI Clerk, and RBI Assistant. It tests your ability to quickly solve arithmetic expressions using BODMAS rules, percentages, squares, cubes, and fractions. Mastering this topic helps in scoring well in the quantitative aptitude section.

Here are 10 practice questions with solutions to strengthen your simplification skills.

Practice Questions

1. Simplify:

48 ÷ 12 × 3 + 15 - 6

Solution:

• Step 1: Division → 48 ÷ 12 = 4

• Step 2: Multiplication → 4 × 3 = 12

• Step 3: Addition → 12 + 15 = 27

• Step 4: Subtraction → 27 - 6 = 21
  Answer: 21

2. Simplify:

125 ÷ 5 + 14 × 2 - 10

Solution:

• Step 1: Division → 125 ÷ 5 = 25

• Step 2: Multiplication → 14 × 2 = 28

• Step 3: Addition → 25 + 28 = 53

• Step 4: Subtraction → 53 - 10 = 43
  Answer: 43

3. Simplify:

[(18 + 6) × (24 - 12)] ÷ 9

Solution:

• Step 1: Parentheses → (18 + 6) = 24 and (24 - 12) = 12
  The Equation becomes (24 × 12) ÷ 9

• Step 2: Multiplication → 24 × 12 = 288

• Step 3: Division → 288 ÷ 9 = 32
  Answer: 32

4. Simplify:

15% of 400 + 25% of 800 - 10% of 200

Solution:

• Step 1: 15% of 400 = (15/100) × 400 = 60

• Step 2: 25% of 800 = (25/100) × 800 = 200

• Step 3: 10% of 200 = (10/100) × 200 = 20

• Step 4: 60 + 200 - 20 = 240
  Answer: 240

5. Simplify:

√144 + ∛216 - 5²

Solution:

• Step 1: √144 = 12

• Step 2: ∛216 = 6

• Step 3: 5² = 25

• Step 4: 12 + 6 - 25 = -7
  Answer: -7

6. Simplify:

3³ + 4² × 2 - 50 ÷ 5

Solution:

• Step 1: Exponents → 3³ = 27 and 4² = 16

• Step 2: Multiplication → 16 × 2 = 32

• Step 3: Division → 50 ÷ 5 = 10

• Step 4: 27 + 32 - 10 = 49
  Answer: 49

7. Simplify:

7/12 + 5/6 - 3/4

Solution:

• Step 1: Find LCM of denominators (12, 6, 4) → 12

• Step 2: Convert fractions →

  • 7/12 = 7/12

  • 5/6 = 10/12

  • 3/4 = 9/12

• Step 3: 7/12 + 10/12 - 9/12 = 8/12 = 2/3
  Answer: 2/3

8. Simplify:

12.5 × 4 + 0.25 × 40 - 1.5 × 6

Solution:

• Step 1: 12.5 × 4 = 50

• Step 2: 0.25 × 40 = 10

• Step 3: 1.5 × 6 = 9

• Step 4: 50 + 10 - 9 = 51
  Answer: 51

9. Simplify:

1 + 2 × {3 + 4 × (5 - 2)}

Solution:

• Step 1: Innermost bracket → (5 - 2) = 3

• Step 2: Next operation → 4 × 3 = 12

• Step 3: Next bracket → 3 + 12 = 15

• Step 4: Multiplication → 2 × 15 = 30

• Step 5: Final addition → 1 + 30 = 31
  Answer: 31

10. Simplify:

If 2x + 5 = 17, find the value of x² - 3.

Solution:

• Step 1: Solve for x → 2x = 17 - 5 → 2x = 12 → x = 6

• Step 2: Find x² - 3 → 6² - 3 = 36 - 3 = 33
  Answer: 33

Conclusion

Practicing simplification problems helps in improving speed and accuracy for bank exams. Focus on BODMAS rules, percentages, squares, cubes, and fractions to solve problems efficiently.