Numeracy: Everyday Number Sense
What the numeracy section covers
The numeracy section tests practical mathematics in real contexts: the four operations with whole numbers, decimals, fractions and percentages; money and change; measurement including length, area, perimeter and time; reading tables, timetables, graphs and simple scales; ratio and proportion in recipes or mixtures; and interpreting averages. You need place value, order of operations, unit conversion (for example 1 m = 100 cm, 1 hour = 60 minutes, 1 kg = 1000 g), rounding and estimation, and the ability to decide which operation a word problem requires.
Traps to watch for
Typical traps include mixing units (adding minutes to hours without converting), misreading a scale where each division is not worth 1, calculating a percentage discount but forgetting to subtract it from the original price, confusing perimeter with area, reversing ratio order, and ignoring the question's final requirement (how much change? rather than what is the total?). Time questions crossing the hour or midnight are frequent. Also check whether an answer must be rounded up in context: if a bus holds 48 people and 150 are travelling, three buses are not enough.
Rule of thumb
Write the units beside every number, estimate the answer first, then calculate and check that the result is close to your estimate and sensible in context. Worked example: a shirt costs $68 and is reduced by 25%. A quarter of $68 is $17, so the sale price is $68 − $17 = $51. Estimation confirms this: 25% is about a quarter, so the price should fall by roughly $17. If an answer asks for change from $60, the result is $60 − $51 = $9.