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ABF Officer Recruit Cognify study materials
ABF Officer Recruit Cognify study resources

ABF Officer Recruit Cognify practice questions

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Question 1Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

A recruit scored 84 marks out of a possible 120 on a written test. What percentage did the recruit score?

  1. 76%
  2. 66%
  3. 62%
  4. 70% Correct answer.

Explanation

A percentage is found by dividing the part by the whole and multiplying by 100. Here 84 ÷ 120 = 0.7, and 0.7 × 100 = 70.

Question 2Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

A kit is packed with boots and helmets in the ratio 5 : 3. If the kit contains 40 boots, how many helmets does it contain?

  1. 24 Correct answer.
  2. 18
  3. 32
  4. 30

Explanation

In a ratio, each part has the same size, so one part equals 40 ÷ 5 = 8 items. The helmets take 3 parts, giving 3 × 8 = 24.

Question 3Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

Four recruits ran a lap in 62, 58, 71 and 65 seconds. What was their mean lap time?

  1. 62 s
  2. 63 s
  3. 66 s
  4. 64 s Correct answer.

Explanation

The mean is the total of the values divided by the number of values. The total is 62 + 58 + 71 + 65 = 256, and 256 ÷ 4 = 64.

Question 4Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

A patrol boat covers 84 km in 1 hour 45 minutes. What is its average speed in kilometres per hour?

  1. 48 km/h Correct answer.
  2. 42 km/h
  3. 46 km/h
  4. 44 km/h

Explanation

Average speed is distance divided by time, and the time must be in hours. 1 hour 45 minutes is 1.75 hours, and 84 ÷ 1.75 = 48.

Question 5Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

Which decimal is equal to the fraction 3/8?

  1. 0.26
  2. 0.375 Correct answer.
  3. 0.83
  4. 0.38

Explanation

A fraction is converted to a decimal by dividing the numerator by the denominator. 3 ÷ 8 = 0.375 exactly.

Question 6Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

The price of a stores item rises from $40 to $46. What is the percentage increase?

  1. 12%
  2. 13%
  3. 15% Correct answer.
  4. 6%

Explanation

Percentage increase is the change divided by the original value, multiplied by 100. The change is $6, and 6 ÷ 40 = 0.15, which is 15%.

Question 7Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

One clerk can process 90 files in 6 hours, and a second clerk can process 60 files in 5 hours. Working together at these rates, how many files can they process in 4 hours?

  1. 96
  2. 108 Correct answer.
  3. 102
  4. 112

Explanation

Find each rate per hour first: 90 ÷ 6 = 15 files per hour and 60 ÷ 5 = 12 files per hour. Together they process 27 files per hour, so in 4 hours they process 27 × 4 = 108.

Question 8Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

A squad of 12 recruits has a mean of 42 push-ups each. When one more recruit joins and is tested, the mean for all 13 becomes 43. How many push-ups did the new recruit do?

  1. 43
  2. 55 Correct answer.
  3. 48
  4. 51

Explanation

The mean times the number of values gives the total. The original total is 12 × 42 = 504 and the new total is 13 × 43 = 559, so the recruit did 559 − 504 = 55.

Question 9Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

A route sign shows a distance of 2.5 kilometres. How many metres is that?

  1. 25,000 m
  2. 2,500 m Correct answer.
  3. 2,050 m
  4. 250 m

Explanation

There are 1,000 metres in a kilometre, so kilometres are converted to metres by multiplying by 1,000. 2.5 × 1,000 = 2,500 metres.

Question 10Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

A sum of $2,400 is invested at 5% simple interest per year for 3 years. What total interest is earned?

  1. $420
  2. $360 Correct answer.
  3. $300
  4. $480

Explanation

Simple interest is principal × rate × time. Here $2,400 × 0.05 × 3 = $360, and it is not compounded.

Question 11Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

A trader buys 40 radios at $18 each and sells all of them for a total of $840. What is the profit per radio?

  1. $3.50
  2. $2.50
  3. $3.00 Correct answer.
  4. $2.00

Explanation

Total cost is 40 × $18 = $720, so total profit is $840 − $720 = $120. Dividing by the 40 radios gives a profit of $3.00 each.

Question 12Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

Which of these numbers is exactly divisible by 9?

  1. 5,214
  2. 3,124
  3. 4,536 Correct answer.
  4. 7,301

Explanation

A number is divisible by 9 when the sum of its digits is a multiple of 9. For 4,536 the digit sum is 4 + 5 + 3 + 6 = 18, which is a multiple of 9.

Question 13Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

A recipe for 8 portions requires 480 g of rice. How much rice is needed for 14 portions at the same rate?

  1. 780 g
  2. 840 g Correct answer.
  3. 720 g
  4. 900 g

Explanation

Find the amount per portion first: 480 ÷ 8 = 60 g. Then multiply by the new number of portions: 60 × 14 = 840 g.

Question 14Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

A jacket priced at $85 is reduced by 20%, and then a further 10% is taken off the reduced price. What is the final price?

  1. $59.50
  2. $68.00
  3. $61.20 Correct answer.
  4. $63.75

Explanation

Successive percentage changes are applied one after the other, not added. After the first cut the price is $85 × 0.80 = $68.00, and after the second it is $68.00 × 0.90 = $61.20.

Question 15Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

$5,000 is invested at 4% per year compound interest. What is the value of the investment after 2 years?

  1. $5,200
  2. $5,400
  3. $5,408 Correct answer.
  4. $5,416

Explanation

Compound interest multiplies the balance by 1.04 each year. After two years the value is $5,000 × 1.04² = $5,000 × 1.0816 = $5,408.

Question 16Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

A vehicle travels 120 km at 60 km/h and then returns along the same route at 40 km/h. What is the average speed for the whole journey?

  1. 50 km/h
  2. 48 km/h Correct answer.
  3. 52 km/h
  4. 44 km/h

Explanation

Average speed is total distance divided by total time, not the average of the two speeds. The times are 2 hours out and 3 hours back, so 240 km ÷ 5 h = 48 km/h.

Question 17Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

Estimate 397 × 21 by rounding each number to the nearest ten before multiplying.

  1. 8,400
  2. 7,600
  3. 9,000
  4. 8,000 Correct answer.

Explanation

397 rounds to 400 and 21 rounds to 20. Multiplying the rounded values gives 400 × 20 = 8,000.

Question 18Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

A 60-litre container holds fuel and oil mixed in the ratio 11 : 1. How many litres of oil does it contain?

  1. 10
  2. 4
  3. 6
  4. 5 Correct answer.

Explanation

The ratio has 11 + 1 = 12 equal parts in total, so one part is 60 ÷ 12 = 5 litres. Oil takes 1 part, so there are 5 litres of oil.

Question 19Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

Two recruits complete 78 tasks between them. One completes 12 more tasks than the other. How many tasks does the more productive recruit complete?

  1. 45 Correct answer.
  2. 33
  3. 39
  4. 51

Explanation

Let the smaller number be x, so x + (x + 12) = 78. This gives 2x = 66 and x = 33, so the larger number is 33 + 12 = 45.

Question 20Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

In a cohort, 35% of the recruits are under 21. If 84 recruits are under 21, how many recruits are in the cohort altogether?

  1. 200
  2. 240 Correct answer.
  3. 220
  4. 210

Explanation

If 35% of the whole equals 84, then the whole equals 84 ÷ 0.35. This gives 240 recruits in total.

Question 21Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

A map uses a scale of 1 : 25,000. A straight route measures 6.4 cm on the map. How long is the route in reality?

  1. 1.6 km Correct answer.
  2. 16 km
  3. 1.28 km
  4. 2.4 km

Explanation

Multiply the map length by the scale factor to get centimetres: 6.4 × 25,000 = 160,000 cm. Since 100,000 cm is 1 km, the route is 1.6 km.

Question 22Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

What is the next number in the sequence 3, 7, 15, 31, ... ?

  1. 63 Correct answer.
  2. 61
  3. 47
  4. 57

Explanation

Each term is double the previous term plus one: 3 × 2 + 1 = 7, 7 × 2 + 1 = 15, and so on. Applying the rule to 31 gives 31 × 2 + 1 = 63.

Question 23Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

Six identical pumps empty a tank in 8 hours. How long would four such pumps take to empty the same tank?

  1. 12 hours Correct answer.
  2. 10 hours
  3. 14 hours
  4. 9 hours

Explanation

The job needs 6 × 8 = 48 pump-hours of work. With four pumps the time is 48 ÷ 4 = 12 hours, because fewer pumps take proportionally longer.

Question 24Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

A bag holds 5 red, 3 blue and 2 green counters. One counter is drawn at random. What is the probability that it is not blue?

  1. 2/5
  2. 7/10 Correct answer.
  3. 3/10
  4. 1/2

Explanation

There are 5 + 3 + 2 = 10 counters in total, and 7 of them are not blue. Probability is favourable outcomes over total outcomes, so it is 7/10.

Question 25Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

After a 15% increase, a recruit's weekly allowance is $92. What was the allowance before the increase?

  1. $88
  2. $78.20
  3. $80 Correct answer.
  4. $84

Explanation

The new amount equals the old amount multiplied by 1.15, so divide rather than subtract 15%. $92 ÷ 1.15 = $80.

Question 26Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

Which fraction is exactly equal to 0.375?

  1. 3/8 Correct answer.
  2. 5/8
  3. 7/16
  4. 3/4

Explanation

Write the decimal as 375/1000 and divide both parts by 125, giving 3/8. Checking by division, 3 ÷ 8 = 0.375.

Question 27Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

A training session lasts 3.25 hours. How many minutes does the session last?

  1. 175 minutes
  2. 235 minutes
  3. 215 minutes
  4. 195 minutes Correct answer.

Explanation

Multiply the number of hours by 60: 3 × 60 = 180 minutes for the whole hours, plus 0.25 × 60 = 15 minutes for the quarter hour, giving 195 minutes.

Question 28Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

What is 15% of 240?

  1. 24
  2. 32
  3. 36 Correct answer.
  4. 48

Explanation

Split the percentage: 10% of 240 is 24 and 5% of 240 is 12, so 15% is 24 + 12 = 36.

Question 29Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

Which of these values is the largest?

  1. 0.601
  2. 0.6
  3. 0.61 Correct answer.
  4. 0.599

Explanation

Write every value to three decimal places and compare digit by digit: 0.610, 0.601, 0.600 and 0.599. The greatest is 0.610, that is 0.61.

Question 30Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

Paint is mixed in the ratio of 3 parts white to 5 parts blue. If 24 litres of white paint are used, how many litres of blue paint are needed?

  1. 36 litres
  2. 14 litres
  3. 40 litres Correct answer.
  4. 45 litres

Explanation

Find the scale factor from the white paint: 24 ÷ 3 = 8, so each part is 8 litres. Then blue is 5 × 8 = 40 litres.

Question 31Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

A recruit cycles 18 kilometres in 45 minutes. What is the average speed in kilometres per hour?

  1. 18 km/h
  2. 36 km/h
  3. 27 km/h
  4. 24 km/h Correct answer.

Explanation

Convert the time to hours: 45 minutes is 0.75 hours. Speed is distance divided by time, so 18 ÷ 0.75 = 24 km/h.

Question 32Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

A tank is two-thirds full. After 60 litres are drawn off, it is half full. What is the capacity of the tank?

  1. 180 litres
  2. 240 litres
  3. 360 litres Correct answer.
  4. 420 litres

Explanation

The amount drawn off equals the difference between the two fractions: 2/3 − 1/2 = 1/6 of the tank. Since 1/6 of the capacity is 60 litres, the capacity is 60 × 6 = 360 litres.

Question 33Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

The mean of five numbers is 18. Four of the numbers are 12, 15, 20 and 21. What is the fifth number?

  1. 22 Correct answer.
  2. 21
  3. 18
  4. 20

Explanation

The five numbers total 5 × 18 = 90. The four known numbers add to 68, so the missing number is 90 − 68 = 22.

Question 34Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

A batch of 350 exam papers is packed into bundles of 24. What is the smallest number of bundles needed to pack every paper?

  1. 16 bundles
  2. 15 bundles Correct answer.
  3. 13 bundles
  4. 14 bundles

Explanation

Divide 350 by 24: 24 × 14 = 336, which leaves 14 papers over. Because the remaining papers still need a bundle, 15 bundles are required.

Question 35Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

A recruit's final mark is a weighted mean of three tests. The marks are 70, 80 and 90 with weights of 20%, 30% and 50% respectively. What is the final mark?

  1. 85
  2. 83 Correct answer.
  3. 88
  4. 80

Explanation

Multiply each mark by its weight and add the results: (0.20 × 70) + (0.30 × 80) + (0.50 × 90) = 14 + 24 + 45 = 83.

Question 36Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

The sum of three consecutive even numbers is 84. What is the largest of the three numbers?

  1. 29
  2. 32
  3. 28
  4. 30 Correct answer.

Explanation

Let the middle number be n. Then the three numbers are n − 2, n and n + 2, whose sum is 3n = 84, so n = 28 and the largest is 30.

Question 37Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

A rectangular floor measures 5 m by 4 m. It is completely covered with square tiles, each measuring 0.5 m by 0.5 m. How many tiles are needed?

  1. 40 tiles
  2. 80 tiles Correct answer.
  3. 20 tiles
  4. 160 tiles

Explanation

The floor area is 5 × 4 = 20 square metres and each tile covers 0.5 × 0.5 = 0.25 square metres. Dividing gives 20 ÷ 0.25 = 80 tiles, which matches 10 tiles along the 5 m side and 8 along the 4 m side.

Question 38Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

How many litres of a 20% acid solution must be added to 30 litres of a 50% acid solution to obtain a 30% acid solution?

  1. 90 litres
  2. 45 litres
  3. 30 litres
  4. 60 litres Correct answer.

Explanation

Balance the acid: 0.20x + 0.50(30) = 0.30(x + 30), which gives 0.20x + 15 = 0.30x + 9, so 0.10x = 6 and x = 60 litres. Checking: 12 + 15 = 27 litres of acid in 90 litres, which is 30%.

Question 39Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

A sum of $1,260 is shared among three recruits in the ratio 2 : 3 : 4. How much more does the recruit with the largest share receive than the recruit with the smallest share?

  1. $140
  2. $280 Correct answer.
  3. $420
  4. $560

Explanation

The ratio has 2 + 3 + 4 = 9 parts, so each part is $1,260 ÷ 9 = $140. The largest share is 4 parts and the smallest is 2 parts, a difference of 2 parts, which is $280.

Question 40Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

A train covers 45 kilometres in 20 minutes. What is its average speed in metres per second?

  1. 37.5 m/s Correct answer.
  2. 45.0 m/s
  3. 30.0 m/s
  4. 22.5 m/s

Explanation

Convert both quantities: 45 km is 45,000 metres and 20 minutes is 1,200 seconds. Dividing gives 45,000 ÷ 1,200 = 37.5 metres per second.

Question 41Verbal reasoning and language comprehension

Choose the word that is closest in meaning to "frugal".

  1. Generous
  2. Wasteful
  3. Timid
  4. Thrifty Correct answer.

Explanation

Frugal describes careful, economical use of money or resources, which matches "thrifty". The remaining words describe either the opposite habit or an unrelated personal quality.

Question 42Verbal reasoning and language comprehension

Choose the word most nearly opposite in meaning to "transparent".

  1. Opaque Correct answer.
  2. Fragile
  3. Clear
  4. Visible

Explanation

Transparent means allowing light through so that objects behind can be seen; its opposite blocks light, which is "opaque". "Clear" and "visible" are close in sense to transparent rather than opposed to it.

Question 43Verbal reasoning and language comprehension

Read the sentence: "The manager's remarks were terse, offering no detail beyond the bare facts." In this context, "terse" most nearly means:

  1. Rude and insulting
  2. Lengthy and repetitive
  3. Short and factual Correct answer.
  4. Confusing and vague

Explanation

The phrase "offering no detail beyond the bare facts" defines the word by restating it, so the context points to brevity. Context clues of this kind override any secondary sense the word may carry.

Question 44Verbal reasoning and language comprehension

HAND is to GLOVE as FOOT is to ___

  1. Toe
  2. Shoe Correct answer.
  3. Ankle
  4. Leg

Explanation

A glove is an item worn over the hand, so the matching item is one worn over the foot. The relationship is body part to the covering worn on it.

Question 45Verbal reasoning and language comprehension

Which word does not belong with the others?

  1. Sparrow
  2. Salmon Correct answer.
  3. Robin
  4. Heron

Explanation

Three of the words name birds, while salmon names a fish, so it falls outside the shared category. Classification items ask you to find the one item that breaks the group.

Question 46Verbal reasoning and language comprehension

The prefix "bene-" in a word such as "benefactor" means:

  1. Before
  2. Life
  3. Bad
  4. Good Correct answer.

Explanation

The Latin prefix "bene-" carries the sense of well or good, as in benefit and benevolent. Knowing common prefixes lets you infer the general meaning of unfamiliar words.

Question 47Verbal reasoning and language comprehension

Because the witness's account was so ___, investigators could not determine the sequence of events.

  1. Hostile
  2. Lengthy
  3. Precise
  4. Vague Correct answer.

Explanation

The result clause says investigators could not establish a sequence, so the account must have been unclear. The blank therefore needs a word meaning unclear or imprecise.

Question 48Verbal reasoning and language comprehension

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

  1. Each of the recruits having completed the obstacle course.
  2. Each of the recruits have completed the obstacle course.
  3. Each of the recruits were completing the obstacle course.
  4. Each of the recruits has completed the obstacle course. Correct answer.

Explanation

The subject is "each", which is singular, so the verb must also be singular: "has". The phrase "of the recruits" is a modifier and does not change the number of the subject.

Question 49Verbal reasoning and language comprehension

Passage: "In one study, recruits who slept eight hours after a training session recalled about 30 percent more of the material than recruits who stayed awake. The researchers concluded that sleep does not merely rest the body; it actively consolidates newly learned information." Which statement best expresses the main conclusion of the passage?

  1. Recruits should be required to sleep eight hours every night.
  2. Memory testing is the best way to evaluate training.
  3. Sleep actively strengthens newly learned material. Correct answer.
  4. Staying awake after training carries no measurable cost.

Explanation

The conclusion sentence says sleep "actively consolidates newly learned information", which is a claim about memory being strengthened. The study figures are evidence offered in support of that claim, not the claim itself.

Question 50Verbal reasoning and language comprehension

Passage: "Although the bridge had been inspected twice that year, the engineers had examined only the deck surface, never the supports beneath the waterline." Which statement is best supported by the passage?

  1. The bridge was inspected more often than regulations required.
  2. The engineers believed the supports were unimportant.
  3. The inspections may have skipped part of the structure. Correct answer.
  4. The deck surface was found to be in good condition.

Explanation

The passage contrasts two inspections with the narrow scope of what was actually examined, which supports the inference that some of the structure went unchecked. Everything else would require information the passage does not provide.