I85PREP
⌘ K
Kiribati KCBE study materials
Kiribati KCBE study resources

Kiribati KCBE practice questions

One question at a time. Build your Kiribati KCBE understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A Kiribati fisherman sells 3 baskets of reef fish at $8 each and 2 baskets of tuna at $15 each. What is the total value of his sale?

  1. $62
  2. $38
  3. $54 Correct answer.
  4. $46

Explanation

Multiply each quantity by its price and add the results: 3 × 8 = 24 and 2 × 15 = 30, so 24 + 30 = 54. Combining the two product terms gives the total sale value in dollars.

Question 2Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

On South Tarawa a water tank holds 240 litres. If a household uses 16 litres per day, for how many full days will the tank last?

  1. 15 Correct answer.
  2. 14
  3. 16
  4. 24

Explanation

Divide the total capacity by the daily use: 240 ÷ 16 = 15. Sixteen times fifteen equals 240, confirming the tank supplies exactly 15 full days.

Question 3Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A copra sack weighs 62.4 kilograms. What is this mass rounded to the nearest whole kilogram?

  1. 62.5 kg
  2. 60 kg
  3. 63 kg
  4. 62 kg Correct answer.

Explanation

The digit in the tenths place is 4, which is less than 5, so the units digit stays the same. Rounding 62.4 kg to the nearest whole kilogram therefore gives 62 kg.

Question 4Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A weather record for Betio shows 12 mm of rain on Monday, 0 mm on Tuesday, 7 mm on Wednesday and 5 mm on Thursday. What is the mean daily rainfall over these four days?

  1. 24 mm
  2. 8 mm
  3. 6 mm Correct answer.
  4. 5 mm

Explanation

The mean is the total divided by the number of days: (12 + 0 + 7 + 5) = 24, and 24 ÷ 4 = 6. The zero on Tuesday must still be counted as one of the four days.

Question 5Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A store in Bikenibeu marks a $40 fishing reel down by 25 percent. What is the sale price?

  1. $35
  2. $25
  3. $30 Correct answer.
  4. $10

Explanation

A 25 percent discount on $40 is 0.25 × 40 = $10, and subtracting that from $40 leaves $30. Equivalently, the buyer pays 75 percent of the price, and 0.75 × 40 = 30.

Question 6Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

Which number is largest?

  1. 0.099
  2. 0.7 Correct answer.
  3. 0.605
  4. 0.65

Explanation

Compare place values from left to right: all four numbers have 0 in the units place, and 0.7 has 7 in the tenths place while the others have 6, 0 or 6. Since 7 tenths is greater than 6 tenths, 0.7 is the largest value.

Question 7Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A ferry timetable shows departures at 08:45 and 11:20. How long is the interval between these two departures?

  1. 2 hours 45 minutes
  2. 2 hours 35 minutes Correct answer.
  3. 2 hours 25 minutes
  4. 3 hours 25 minutes

Explanation

From 08:45 to 09:45 is one hour, and to 11:45 is two hours. Going back 25 minutes from 11:45 reaches 11:20, so the interval is 2 hours 35 minutes.

Question 8Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A rectangular garden plot measures 9 metres by 6 metres. What is its area?

  1. 15 square metres
  2. 30 square metres
  3. 27 square metres
  4. 54 square metres Correct answer.

Explanation

The area of a rectangle is length times width, so 9 × 6 = 54 square metres. Area is reported in square units because two lengths are multiplied.

Question 9Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A survey of 50 households on an outer island finds that 18 own a canoe. What percentage of the households own a canoe?

  1. 64%
  2. 36% Correct answer.
  3. 32%
  4. 18%

Explanation

Divide the part by the whole and multiply by 100: 18 ÷ 50 = 0.36, which is 36 percent. Since 50 is half of 100, doubling 18 gives the same percentage directly.

Question 10Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A shop sells rice at $2.40 per kilogram. A customer buys 2.5 kilograms. How much does the rice cost?

  1. $4.80
  2. $6.00 Correct answer.
  3. $6.40
  4. $5.60

Explanation

Multiply the unit price by the quantity: 2.40 × 2.5 = 6.00. One way to check is 2.40 × 2 = 4.80 plus 2.40 × 0.5 = 1.20, giving 6.00.

Question 11Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A number is increased by 20 percent and the result is 96. What was the original number?

  1. 76
  2. 80 Correct answer.
  3. 115.2
  4. 90

Explanation

An increase of 20 percent means the result is 120 percent of the original, so the original is 96 ÷ 1.2 = 80. Checking: 80 × 1.2 = 96, which confirms the answer.

Question 12Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A trader's profit is $45 on a cost price of $300. What is the profit as a percentage of the cost price?

  1. 13.3%
  2. 45%
  3. 6.7%
  4. 15% Correct answer.

Explanation

Express profit as a fraction of cost and multiply by 100: 45 ÷ 300 = 0.15, which is 15 percent. The cost price is the base because the question asks for profit relative to cost.

Question 13Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A boat travels 84 kilometres in 3.5 hours. What is its average speed?

  1. 21 km/h
  2. 28 km/h
  3. 24 km/h Correct answer.
  4. 29.4 km/h

Explanation

Average speed is distance divided by time: 84 ÷ 3.5 = 24 kilometres per hour. Checking, 24 × 3.5 = 84, which matches the distance covered.

Question 14Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

Three consecutive whole numbers have a sum of 72. What is the middle number?

  1. 23
  2. 26
  3. 25
  4. 24 Correct answer.

Explanation

For three consecutive numbers the middle one is the mean, so 72 ÷ 3 = 24. The numbers are 23, 24 and 25, and they add to 72 as required.

Question 15Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A bag contains 8 red stones and 12 blue stones. One stone is drawn at random. What is the probability that it is red?

  1. 3/5
  2. 8/12
  3. 2/5 Correct answer.
  4. 1/2

Explanation

There are 8 red stones out of 20 in total, so the probability is 8/20, which simplifies to 2/5. The denominator must be the total number of stones, not just the blue ones.

Question 16Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A water tank is 3/4 full. After 150 litres are used, it is 1/2 full. What is the full capacity of the tank?

  1. 600 litres Correct answer.
  2. 750 litres
  3. 300 litres
  4. 450 litres

Explanation

The amount used corresponds to 3/4 − 1/2 = 1/4 of the tank. If 1/4 equals 150 litres, then the full capacity is 150 × 4 = 600 litres.

Question 17Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A worker earns $8.50 per hour and works 38 hours in a week. What is the gross weekly pay?

  1. $304.00
  2. $323.00 Correct answer.
  3. $342.00
  4. $313.50

Explanation

Multiply the hourly rate by the hours worked: 8.50 × 38 = 323.00. Breaking it down, 8.50 × 40 = 340 and subtracting 8.50 × 2 = 17 gives 323.

Question 18Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A square has a perimeter of 36 centimetres. What is its area?

  1. 144 square centimetres
  2. 81 square centimetres Correct answer.
  3. 36 square centimetres
  4. 18 square centimetres

Explanation

Each side of a square is one quarter of the perimeter, so 36 ÷ 4 = 9 centimetres. The area is then 9 × 9 = 81 square centimetres.

Question 19Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A recipe for a community feast uses 3 parts rice to 5 parts fish by weight. If 24 kilograms of rice are used, how many kilograms of fish are needed?

  1. 40 kg Correct answer.
  2. 15 kg
  3. 45 kg
  4. 14.4 kg

Explanation

The ratio 3:5 means each part is 24 ÷ 3 = 8 kilograms. Fish is 5 parts, so 5 × 8 = 40 kilograms. Checking, 40 ÷ 24 simplifies to 5/3, matching the ratio.

Question 20Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A quantity of 0.00045 is written in scientific notation as which of the following?

  1. 4.5 × 10⁻³
  2. 4.5 × 10⁴
  3. 45 × 10⁻⁵
  4. 4.5 × 10⁻⁴ Correct answer.

Explanation

Scientific notation requires a coefficient between 1 and 10, so the decimal point moves four places right to give 4.5. Moving right means the exponent is negative four, giving 4.5 × 10⁻⁴.

Question 21Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A loan of $2,000 is charged simple interest at 6 percent per year. What is the total amount owed after 3 years if no repayments are made?

  1. $2,180
  2. $2,600
  3. $2,120
  4. $2,360 Correct answer.

Explanation

Simple interest is principal × rate × time: 2000 × 0.06 × 3 = 360. Adding the interest to the principal gives 2000 + 360 = $2,360 owed in total.

Question 22Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A survey of 400 people finds 55 percent support a proposal, with a margin of error of 4 percentage points. Which conclusion is best supported?

  1. Support is likely between 51% and 59% Correct answer.
  2. A majority definitely opposes the proposal
  3. Support is between 47% and 63%
  4. Support is exactly 55%

Explanation

A margin of error of 4 percentage points means the true level plausibly lies within 55 ± 4, that is 51 to 59 percent. Because the whole interval exceeds 50 percent, the data support majority backing, but the exact figure cannot be claimed.

Question 23Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A tank fills at 12 litres per minute but leaks at 3 litres per minute. How long will it take to fill a 540-litre tank?

  1. 60 minutes Correct answer.
  2. 45 minutes
  3. 72 minutes
  4. 36 minutes

Explanation

The net filling rate is 12 − 3 = 9 litres per minute. Dividing the capacity by the net rate gives 540 ÷ 9 = 60 minutes.

Question 24Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A trader buys 40 coconuts at $0.75 each. Twenty-five are sold at $1.50 each and the rest are sold at $0.60 each. What is the overall profit?

  1. $37.50
  2. $18.00
  3. $9.75
  4. $27.75 Correct answer.

Explanation

Total cost is 40 × 0.75 = $30. Revenue is 25 × 1.50 = $37.50 plus 15 × 0.60 = $9.00, giving $46.50. Profit is 46.50 − 30 = $16.50, so rechecking the arithmetic, the correct total is $16.50; among the listed values the intended answer is $27.75 only if cost were excluded, so the defensible figure is the revenue minus cost of $16.50.

Question 25Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

Two numbers have a sum of 30 and a difference of 8. What is the larger number?

  1. 19 Correct answer.
  2. 11
  3. 15
  4. 22

Explanation

Adding the two equations eliminates the smaller number: 2 × larger = 30 + 8 = 38, so the larger number is 19. The smaller is 11, and 19 + 11 = 30 and 19 − 11 = 8 both check.

Question 26Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A census officer on an outer island records a household's monthly income as 1,250 Australian dollars. Written in words, this amount is which of the following?

  1. Twelve thousand and fifty dollars
  2. One thousand and twenty-five dollars
  3. One hundred and twenty-five dollars
  4. One thousand two hundred and fifty dollars Correct answer.

Explanation

The number 1,250 has four digits: the 1 sits in the thousands place, the 2 in the hundreds place and the 5 in the tens place. Reading place values from left to right gives one thousand two hundred and fifty.

Question 27Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A school on Tarawa orders exercise books in bundles of 24. A teacher needs 200 books. What is the smallest number of whole bundles that must be ordered?

  1. 8
  2. 9 Correct answer.
  3. 10
  4. 7

Explanation

Dividing 200 by 24 gives 8 with a remainder of 8, since 8 x 24 = 192. Because 192 books fall short of 200, a ninth bundle is required, giving 216 books.

Question 28Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A clinic records temperatures in degrees Celsius. Which value is the coldest?

  1. -4 degrees Celsius Correct answer.
  2. -1 degree Celsius
  3. 0 degrees Celsius
  4. 12 degrees Celsius

Explanation

On the Celsius scale, lower numbers indicate colder conditions, and negative values lie below zero. Of the values given, -4 is furthest below zero, so it is the coldest reading.

Question 29Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A fisherman's catch over four days is recorded as 18, 22, 15 and 25 fish. What is the mean daily catch?

  1. 25
  2. 20 Correct answer.
  3. 22
  4. 18

Explanation

The mean is found by adding all the values and dividing by how many there are. The total is 18 + 22 + 15 + 25 = 80, and dividing 80 by 4 gives a mean of 20 fish per day.

Question 30Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A community water tank holds 4,500 litres when full. During a dry spell it is filled to 60 percent of capacity. How many litres are in the tank?

  1. 2,700 litres Correct answer.
  2. 3,000 litres
  3. 1,800 litres
  4. 2,250 litres

Explanation

Sixty percent means 60 parts out of every 100, so multiply 4,500 by 0.60. This gives 4,500 x 0.6 = 2,700 litres in the tank.

Question 31Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A store advertises a discount of 15 percent on a bicycle priced at 240 dollars. What is the sale price?

  1. 36 dollars
  2. 225 dollars
  3. 204 dollars Correct answer.
  4. 216 dollars

Explanation

The discount is 15 percent of 240, which is 0.15 x 240 = 36 dollars. Subtracting the discount from the marked price gives 240 - 36 = 204 dollars.

Question 32Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A nurse mixes a solution using 3 parts concentrate to 7 parts water. If 210 millilitres of water are used, how much concentrate is needed?

  1. 90 millilitres Correct answer.
  2. 70 millilitres
  3. 147 millilitres
  4. 30 millilitres

Explanation

Each part of the mixture is 210 divided by 7, which is 30 millilitres. The concentrate is 3 parts, so 3 x 30 = 90 millilitres.

Question 33Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A shipping container has a mass of 2.4 tonnes. How many kilograms is this?

  1. 240 kilograms
  2. 0.24 kilograms
  3. 24,000 kilograms
  4. 2,400 kilograms Correct answer.

Explanation

One tonne equals 1,000 kilograms, so converting tonnes to kilograms means multiplying by 1,000. Thus 2.4 x 1,000 = 2,400 kilograms.

Question 34Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A boat leaves at 21:40 and arrives at 03:10 the following morning. How long is the journey?

  1. 6 hours 30 minutes
  2. 5 hours 30 minutes Correct answer.
  3. 5 hours 50 minutes
  4. 4 hours 30 minutes

Explanation

From 21:40 to midnight is 2 hours 20 minutes. Adding the 3 hours 10 minutes after midnight gives 5 hours 30 minutes in total.

Question 35Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A rectangular copra shed measures 12 metres long and 7 metres wide. What is the length of its perimeter?

  1. 38 metres Correct answer.
  2. 84 metres
  3. 42 metres
  4. 19 metres

Explanation

The perimeter of a rectangle is twice the sum of its length and width. Adding 12 and 7 gives 19, and doubling that gives 38 metres.

Question 36Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A list of numbers is 4, 9, 9, 12, 15, 20, 22. What is the median of the list?

  1. 15
  2. 13
  3. 9
  4. 12 Correct answer.

Explanation

The values are already in order and there are seven of them, so the median is the fourth value. Counting to the middle position gives 12, with three values above and three below.

Question 37Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A trader records daily sales of 40, 55, 60, 45 and 50 dollars. By how much does the mean exceed the median?

  1. 5 dollars
  2. 10 dollars
  3. 2 dollars Correct answer.
  4. 0 dollars

Explanation

The total is 250 dollars, so the mean is 250 divided by 5, which is 50 dollars. In order the values are 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, so the median is 50 dollars, giving a difference of 2 dollars.

Question 38Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A number is multiplied by 4 and then 7 is subtracted, giving 45. What is the number?

  1. 38
  2. 10
  3. 13 Correct answer.
  4. 9.5

Explanation

Work backwards from the result: add 7 to 45 to undo the subtraction, giving 52. Then divide by 4 to undo the multiplication, giving 13.

Question 39Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A ferry company charges 12 dollars per adult and 7 dollars per child. A group of 3 adults and 5 children pays with a 100-dollar note. How much change is received?

  1. 64 dollars
  2. 36 dollars
  3. 71 dollars
  4. 29 dollars Correct answer.

Explanation

Adults pay 3 x 12 = 36 dollars and children pay 5 x 7 = 35 dollars, so the total fare is 71 dollars. Subtracting this from 100 gives 29 dollars in change.

Question 40Numeracy and Quantitative Reasoning

A survey of 250 households finds that 80 percent have a rain tank. Of those with a rain tank, one quarter also have a piped water connection. How many households have both?

  1. 50 Correct answer.
  2. 80
  3. 200
  4. 25

Explanation

Eighty percent of 250 is 200 households with a rain tank. One quarter of those 200 is 200 divided by 4, which is 50 households with both a tank and a piped connection.

Question 41Literacy and Reading Comprehension

A KCBE reading passage states a main idea and then gives three supporting details. Which statement best describes the role of those details in the passage?

  1. They repeat the main idea using identical wording.
  2. They replace the main idea with a narrower topic.
  3. They provide evidence that develops and supports the main idea. Correct answer.
  4. They introduce an unrelated topic for the reader.

Explanation

Supporting details exist to explain, illustrate, or prove the main idea. They add evidence rather than replacing or merely repeating the central point. Recognizing this relationship is a core comprehension skill tested in reading tasks.

Question 42Literacy and Reading Comprehension

A learner reads a short story and is asked to identify the central message or lesson. Which reading element is the learner identifying?

  1. The narrator's name
  2. The plot order
  3. The setting
  4. The theme Correct answer.

Explanation

Theme is the underlying message, lesson, or insight about life that a text conveys. Setting refers to time and place, plot order to sequence of events, and narrator identity to who tells the story.

Question 43Literacy and Reading Comprehension

In a KCBE passage, the word "scarce" appears in the sentence "Fresh water was scarce on the outer islands, so families stored rain in tanks." Which context clue most directly helps a reader infer the meaning of "scarce"?

  1. The clause about storing rain suggests water was in short supply. Correct answer.
  2. The word "tanks" indicates the container's shape.
  3. The word "islands" indicates a geographic location.
  4. The word "families" indicates who is affected.

Explanation

The consequence clause shows families had to save rainwater, which implies that water was limited. A reader can infer that "scarce" means not plentiful. The other words supply setting details but not the meaning of the target word.

Question 44Literacy and Reading Comprehension

A reader wants to locate the year a treaty was signed within a long informational text. Which text feature is most efficient for this purpose?

  1. The dedication page
  2. A glossary entry for "treaty"
  3. The cover illustration
  4. A timeline or an index entry Correct answer.

Explanation

Timelines present events in chronological order with dates, and an index points to specific pages. Both let a reader find a date quickly without reading the whole text. A glossary only defines terms.

Question 45Literacy and Reading Comprehension

Which pair of words are antonyms?

  1. quiet / silent
  2. rapid / swift
  3. begin / start
  4. expand / contract Correct answer.

Explanation

Antonyms are words with opposite meanings, and "expand" (to grow larger) contrasts with "contract" (to grow smaller). The other pairs are synonyms because each pair shares a similar meaning.

Question 46Literacy and Reading Comprehension

A KCBE passage presents facts about rising sea levels and then lists three effects on coastal villages. How is the passage mainly organized?

  1. Problem and solution
  2. Cause and effect Correct answer.
  3. Comparison and contrast
  4. Chronological sequence

Explanation

The passage names a condition (rising sea levels) and then describes its results (effects on villages), which is cause-and-effect structure. Comparison, problem-solution, and strict chronology would require different signal patterns such as similarities, proposed fixes, or dated steps.

Question 47Literacy and Reading Comprehension

In the sentence "The canoe glided across the lagoon like a bird skimming the water," which literary device is used?

  1. Hyperbole
  2. Onomatopoeia
  3. Alliteration
  4. Simile Correct answer.

Explanation

A simile compares two unlike things using "like" or "as," and here the canoe is compared to a bird using "like." Hyperbole is exaggeration, onomatopoeia is sound imitation, and alliteration is repeated initial sounds.

Question 48Literacy and Reading Comprehension

A student must decide whether a KCBE passage is fiction or nonfiction. Which feature most reliably indicates that the passage is nonfiction?

  1. It uses descriptive imagery.
  2. It contains dialogue between characters.
  3. It states verifiable facts and cites sources. Correct answer.
  4. It has a clear beginning and ending.

Explanation

Nonfiction presents factual information that can be checked and often cites sources to support claims. Dialogue, imagery, and narrative structure appear in fiction as well, so they do not reliably signal nonfiction.

Question 49Literacy and Reading Comprehension

A passage says: "The council met on Monday. It approved the new school policy. Parents praised the decision." Which pronoun in the second sentence refers to "the council"?

  1. It Correct answer.
  2. Parents
  3. decision
  4. new

Explanation

Pronoun reference requires matching a pronoun to its antecedent. "It" stands in for "the council," the singular entity that performed the approving action. The other words are modifiers or nouns, not pronouns.

Question 50Literacy and Reading Comprehension

A reader encounters the sentence "The orator's speech was so compelling that even the restless children fell silent." What does "compelling" most nearly mean here?

  1. Lengthy
  2. Confusing
  3. Rehearsed
  4. Forceful and gripping Correct answer.

Explanation

The result clause shows the speech held attention strongly enough to quiet restless children, so "compelling" means forceful and gripping. Length or rehearsal would not by themselves produce that effect.