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DE POST: Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

DE POST · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

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Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

Domain 1 - Numerical reasoning and quantitative problem solving

This section checks whether you can turn a short operational scenario into a clean calculation: weights and dimensions, price bands, surcharges, discounts, VAT and simple rates. Nothing is mathematically hard; the difficulty lies in choosing the right order of operations and in resisting answer options that mirror one half-finished step.

Core rules and concepts

  • Billable weight is the weight the tariff is charged on. Deduct packaging only if the question says so; otherwise the gross weight counts.
  • Price bands are inclusive at the top: a 5.00 kg shipment still pays the "bis 5 kg" price, a 5.02 kg shipment pays the next band.
  • Gurtmaß = longest side + 2 × (width + height). It is a size measure compared against a maximum, never multiplied by the price.
  • Surcharges are added to the net price; VAT is applied last, once, to the whole net amount.
  • Percentages: an increase from 40 to 50 is +25%, not +10%. Percentage points describe the gap between two percentages.

Worked example

A parcel weighs 4.80 kg gross. The carton itself weighs 0.30 kg. The tariff for "bis 5 kg" is €6.49, the Nachnahme (cash-on-delivery) fee is €2.00, and 19% VAT applies to both.

Step 1 - billable weight: 4.80 − 0.30 = 4.50 kg, which stays inside the "bis 5 kg" band. Step 2 - net: 6.49 + 2.00 = €8.49. Step 3 - VAT: 8.49 × 0.19 = €1.6131. Step 4 - gross: 8.49 + 1.6131 = €10.1031, i.e. €10.10.

Note that the band does not change after deducting packaging, and that VAT is charged on the fee as well as on the postage.

Traps that cost marks

  • Rounding the weight up before deducting packaging, which pushes the item into a higher band.
  • Applying VAT to the postage and then adding the fee outside the VAT base.
  • Mixing units: grams against kilograms, centimetres against metres.
  • Picking a distractor that is exactly one step short - a net price where gross was asked.
  • Assuming a percentage discount and a percentage surcharge cancel out; they are applied to different bases.