Winnipeg Police Officer Test Study Guide by TEST PREP HACKER

One of the best ways to prepare for police officer recruitment tests is to take practice tests. Practice tests that cover the same subjects with similar questions. It has been proven that practice tests help students get better marks when it comes to the real test. That’s why there are practice questions throughout this guide. For the best prep possible, check out our Winnipeg Police Officer Practice Tests for thousands of additional practice questions. 
 

This study guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license. 
NOTE ON SOURCES: The contents of this guide are adapted from the CK-12 Foundation’s Commonsense English textbook, and spelling lessons, which are available under a Creative Commons license. 

SOURCE: https://www.ck12.org/book/Commonsense-Composition/ 

https://www.ck12.org/c/spelling/

©CK-12 Foundation

Now let’s take a look at some of the sample questions provided by the Winnipeg Police Service.

 

Vocabulary Example #1

Read the sentence with the missing word and the question relating to that word. Then choose the word that best answers the question.

 

1. Tom had to __________ his car through the complicated narrow laneways.

Which word indicates that that Tom had to drive his car carefully through the laneways?

 

1. race

2. speed

3. maneuver

4. brake

This question is testing your ability to understand the meaning of words in the context of a given sentence. Your task is to choose the word that best meets the description provided in the question, and that best fits into the given sentence. Of the answers provided, both race and speed do not fit. Neither word indicates that Tom had to drive carefully through the laneways, because both words imply moving fast and not carefully. The word brake also does not fit because it implies the opposite of Tom driving his car, and it does not make sense when fit into the blank in the question. That leaves maneuver. This is the word that best indicates driving carefully through narrow laneways.
 

Vocabulary Example #2

Read the sentences. Then choose the word that correctly completes both sentences

 

1. This used car is in perfect condition, but the price is still too __________.

2. "Don't let the tea _________ for more than ten minutes," Bob commented.

 

1. Brew

2. Steep

3. Extreme

4. Excessive

This question is testing your vocabulary and word knowledge through the use of homonyms: words that are spelled and pronounced the same, but have different meanings. Your task is to choose the word that best fits into both sentences. In this example, the words brew, extreme, and excessive only make sense in one sentence. The only word that makes sense in both sentences is steep. It is a good idea in preparing for the Winnipeg Police Service tests to study list of common English homonyms. 

 

Want more Winnipeg police vocabulary practice questions? Check out our Winnipeg Police Officer Practice Tests site for thousands of practice questions.

Parts of speech are the basic words that make up phrases, clauses and sentences. The four basic parts of speech—nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs—make up over 95% of all words in the English language.

 

Noun

We traditionally define a noun as any word that represents a person, place, or thing. However, nouns often do not function on their own; they work with attendant determiners and adjectives to form noun phrases. We can also distinguish further between abstract nouns and proper nouns, those that represent a specific person, historical event, or other name. Proper nouns are always capitalized.

 

Example 1 - Mary jogged.

“Mary” is a proper noun that functions as the subject of the sentence.

 

Example 2 - That tall woman jogged.

“Woman” is a noun, but the word also has the determiner “that” and the adjective “tall” preceding it. All three words working together make up the noun phrase that functions as the subject of the sentence.

 

Adjective

Adjectives modify or describe nouns. Many adjectives have characteristic endings such as –ous (delicious), -ish (waspish), -ful (beautiful), and –ary (wary). You can modify adjectives using qualifiers (very, extremely) and comparative words (more, most, less, least). Just as with nouns, adjectives and attendant modifiers form adjective phrases.

 

Examples 1 - I need to find an affordable car.

The adjective “affordable” is modifying the noun “car.”

 

Example 2 - Ms. Chu needs to find a more reliable car.

Here the adjective “reliable” is preceded by the comparative word “more.” Both of these words make up the adjective phrase modifying the noun “car.”

 

Verb

Verbs are defined as action words, but may also introduce states or descriptions. They are often marked by auxiliaries (will, shall). A verb and its attendant auxiliaries make up a verb phrase. All verbs require a subject, which in most consists of who or what is conducting the action. Often in sentences that command or suggest to listener, the subject “you” will be omitted. Many verbs require an object (who or what is receiving the action).

 

Example 1 - Robert dropped the ball during the final seconds of the game.

The verb of this sentence is “dropped.” The subject of the verb is the noun “Robert” and the object is the noun “ball.”

 

Example 2 - Go to my office and fetch my keys.

The subject of these verbs is the implied “you,” which is omitted in commands or requests.

 

Example 3 - I could finish my essay by eight o’clock tonight.

The verb “finished” is attended by the auxiliary “could.” Both words make up the verb phrase.

 

Here is a list of auxiliaries that can attend a verb. Must and Ought to have no past form. Auxiliaries are defined as part of the verb, not as a separate adverb.

Present	Will	Shall	Can	May	Must / Ought to
Past	Would	Should	Could	Might

 

Adverb

Adverbs act as modifiers of verbs, describing their time, place, reason, or manner. Like adjectives, adverbs can be qualified (very, quite). Many (but not all) adverbs end with –ly (slowly, apparently, strangely).

 

Example 1 - Pierre quickly ran through the main points of his argument.

The adverb “quickly” is modifying the verb “ran.”

 

Example 2 - She threw down the gauntlet quite suddenly.

The adverb “suddenly” is being qualified by the word “quite.” This adverb phrase modifies the verb “threw.”

The Clause

A clause is any group of words that contains both a subject and a verb. The subject can be a simple noun, a group of words known as a phrase (see below), or another clause. Clauses can be split into two categories: independent and dependent clauses.

 

Independent Clause

The independent clause can always stand on its own as a complete sentence; it does not rely on other clauses or phrases for its meaning. A sentence may contain more than one independent clause, but each independent clause can always be separated into a separate complete sentence.

 

Example 1 - Hand me that socket wrench.

 

Here a single independent clause is used as a complete sentence. The verb in this clause is hand. The subject is the implied pronoun you, which is usually omitted in orders or requests.

 

Example 2 - Tell my sister that I miss her; tell my brother that it gets much easier.

 

Here two related independent clauses are joined together with a semicolon to form a compound sentence, which is defined as any sentence that has more than one independent clause.

 

Example 3 - She is going to be a schoolteacher because she believes education is the most fundamental pillar of the republic.

 

This sentence is made up of an independent clause and a subordinate (dependent) clause. A sentence with one independent clause and one or more dependent clause is called a complex sentence.

 

Example 4 - This peach is way beyond ripe, and I refuse to pay for it.

 

This sentence consists of two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction.

 

Dependent Clause

Like the independent clause, the dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb. However, the dependent clause relies on an independent clause to complete its meaning.

 

Example 1 - If you chase two rabbits, you will lose them both.

 

The first clause is dependent because it begins with “if,” which is classified as a subordinating conjunction. All clauses that begin with subordinating conjunctions are considered dependent. Notice that the dependent clause still contains both a subject and a verb.

 

Example 2 - Janis spent her vacation in Goa, which is on the west coast of the Indian subcontinent.

 

Here the dependent clause is being used like one big adjective to modify or describe “Goa.” The dependent clause begins with the relative pronoun “which,” which stands in for “Goa” as the subject of the clause.

 

Here is a list of common subordinating conjunctions. Remember that any clause beginning with these words is considered dependent and cannot stand on its own as a complete sentence.

 

After	How	Till	Although
If	Unless	As	Though
Until	As if	In order that	When
As long as	Lest	Whenever	As much as
Now that	Whether	Before	Wherever
Since	While	Because	So that

 

The Phrase

A phrase is defined as any word or group of words, excluding clauses, that functions as a unit within a sentence. In other words, a phrase can be any group of words that is missing either a subject or a verb. There are many different types of phrases; here we will outline those more commonly seen in English sentences.

 

Prepositional Phrase

Any phrase (with a handful of exceptions) that begins with a preposition is considered a prepositional phrase. There are dozens of different prepositions; the following is a list of common prepositions.

 

Aboard	Below	Since	In	About	Beneath	Into
Through	Above	Beside	Like	Throughout	Across	Between
Near	Till	After	Beyond	Of	To	Against
But	Off	Toward	Along	By	On	Under
Amid	Concerning	Onto	Underneath	Among	Despite	Out
Until	Around	Down	Outside	Up	As	During
Over	Upon	At	Except	Past	With	Atop
For	Per	Within	Before	From	Regarding	Without

 

Example 1 - After swimming in the ocean, Marco jumped in the pool.

 

There are three prepositional phrases in this sentence; the second, “in the ocean,” is contained within the first. Remember that a preposition will always be modifying either a noun or a verb. All three, in this case, are adverbial: “after swimming” is describing when Marco jumped, while “in the pool” is describing where.

 

Example 2 - Our company now imports semiconductors from the Republic of China.

 

Here is an example of two prepositional phrases acting adjectivally. “From” is telling us the origin of the semiconductors (though, in this case, it could also be functioning adverbially—that is, describing the verb “imports”), while “of” tells us which republic we're talking about.

 

Participial Phrase

A participle is defined as any verb that ends with -ing or -ed (with regular verbs) and functions as either an adjective or adverb. The participle may also have an object (something receiving the action of the verb) after it, causing it to become a participle phrase.

 

Example 1 - Skipping along the forested path, the dwarfs whistled in a merry chorus.

 

Here the participle phrase is modifying the subject “dwarfs.” Notice that you can move the participial phrase to different parts of the sentence. It could go either after the subject or at the end of the sentence.

 

Example 2 - The kids went bounding down the stairs.

 

The participial phrase is acting adverbially in this sentence. In other words, the participle is modifying the verb “went.”

 

Gerund Phrase

The gerund is defined as any -ing verb that functions as a noun. In other words, you can place a gerund phrase in any place in the sentence where a noun could normally function. When the gerund verb has an attendant object or modifiers, we describe it as a gerund phrase.

 

Example 1 - For thirty years, Marcel has started every morning by swimming around the bay.

 

This gerund phrase is functioning as the object of the preposition “by.”

 

Example 2 - Snooping around Facebook is the new way to vet potential employees.

 

The gerund phrase here is functioning as the subject of the sentence.

 

Infinitive Phrase

The infinitive is defined as the base (present tense) form of a verb preceded by the word to. An infinitive phrase can function nominally (as a noun), adverbially, or adjectivally.

 

1. To talk about poll numbers at this stage of the election is simply counterproductive.

 

The infinitive phrase is functioning as a noun by being the subject of the sentence. Notice that there are two prepositional phrases proceeding the infinitive verb: “about poll numbers” and “at this stage of the election.” Because these phrases are both modifying the infinitive verb, we consider them part of the infinitive phrase.

 

2. To ensure a full refund, you must also bring your receipt.

 

The infinitive phrase is functioning as an adverb modifying the main verb “bring.” Notice that when the infinitive is positioned at the beginning of the sentence and is acting as an adverb (not as the subject), we place a comma after it.

 

3. A fistfight is no way to resolve an argument.

 

The infinitive phrase is functioning as an adjective modifying the noun “way.”

Commas

Use commas with coordinating conjunctions that join two independent clauses. There are seven coordinating conjunctions: for, and, but, or, yet, and so. Using the acronym FANBOYS will help you remember them.

 

You should only connect two independent clauses per sentence. Long strings of independent clauses are usually considered run-on sentences.

 

Example 1 - Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.

 

The coordinating conjunction “and” is connecting two independent clauses. Notice that in the first clause, the subject is a missing but implied “you.” We still consider clauses with an implied “you” (what we term imperative statements) to be independent.

 

Example 2 - I looked all over the house, but I couldn’t find my keys.

 

The coordinating conjunction “but” is connecting two independent clauses. Since the subject “I” is restated in the second clause, we consider it a separate subject.

 

Example 3 - Ms. Brenner went to the local police station and disputed her speeding ticket with the officer at the front desk.

 

Notice that the coordinating conjunction “and” is connecting two verbs (“went” and “disputed”) instead of two independent clauses. Do not use commas when connecting two verbs, adjectives, or nouns unless you want to place special emphasis on the second item.

 

Use the comma to separate three or more elements in a series. Although you are not absolutely required to place a comma before the last item in a series, it seems to be a general academic convention to include. Whether you decide to use it or not, make sure to keep it consistent throughout your writing.

 

Example 1 - During her trip to Europe, Erica visited Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Holland.

 

Use a comma after a dependent clause when it comes before an independent clause. Use a comma with a dependent clause that comes after an independent clause only if the subordinating conjunction implies contrast (i.e. though, whereas).

 

Example 1 - If you speak the truth, have a foot in the stirrup.

 

The subordinating conjunction “if” marks the dependent clause as coming before the independent clause. Place a comma between the ending of the dependent clause and the beginning of the independent clause.

 

Example 2 - He cancelled his magazine subscription because he thought the editors no longer addressed important issues.

 

The subordinating conjunction “because” does not imply a contrast between the independent clause and the dependent clause. Therefore, we do not use a comma before “because.”

 

Example 3 - Allen is scrambling to finish all of his projects, whereas Amy planned ahead and had everything finished by last Thursday.

 

The subordinating conjunction “whereas” implies a contrast between the independent clause and the dependent clause.

 

Many sentences begin with a prepositional, gerund, or infinitive phrase that introduces or explains the sentence. Place a comma between the end of the introductory phrase and the beginning of the subject. If the introductory phrase is less than four words long, you often do not need to use a comma, although it is never wrong to use one to be safe.

 

Example 1 - To get a good grade, you must complete all of your assignments.

 

The sentence is introduced with an infinitive phrase, and the comma is placed before the subject “you.”

 

Example 2 - Justifying a fault doubles it.

 

Notice that the gerund phrase is not working as an introductory phrase, but as the subject itself. If a phrase is filling the role of sentence subject, then we do not place a comma after it.

 

Semicolons

Use semicolons to connect two independent clauses when the second clause restates the first, or when the two clauses are closely related.

 

Example 1 - Road construction in Seattle has hindered travel around town; streets have become covered with bulldozers, trucks, and cones.

 

The second independent clause is describing the same situation as the first, but in a different manner.

 

Example 2 - It rained heavily during the afternoon; however, we still managed to have a picnic.

 

The second independent clause is linked to the first with a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb. Whenever you use a conjunctive adverb, either after a semicolon or at the beginning of the sentence, place a comma after it.

 

Here is a list of common conjunctive adverbs. Be wary of confusing conjunctive adverbs with subordinating conjunctions, for they have distinctly different uses.
 

Besides	Hence	However	Incidentally	Indeed	Likewise
Meanwhile	Moreover	Nevertheless	Similarly	Still	That is
Thereafter	Therefore	Thus	Undoubtedly	In fact	As a result

 

Use a semicolon to separate elements in a sequence when those elements already have commas within them. Doing so clarifies for the reader how the commas are functioning.

 

Example 1 - Recent sites of the Summer Olympic Games include Beijing, China; Athens, Greece; Sydney Australia; and Atlanta, Georgia.

 

The semicolons separate the larger elements, while the commas separate the city and country within each element.

 

Colons

Use the colon after an independent clause when it is followed by a list, quotation, or other idea directly related to the independent clause.

 

Example 1 - Julie went to the store for some groceries: milk, bread, coffee, and cheese. The colon is announcing a list of items that describes the noun “groceries” in more detail.

 

Example 2 - The crier said those dreaded words: “The King is dead! Long live the king!” The colon is announcing a quote that specifies which “words” were said.

 

You can also use the colon to join two independent clauses when you wish to emphasize the second clause. The colon in this case announces that the second independent clause will complete the idea set up in the first.

 

Example 1 - Road construction in Yoknapatawpha County hindered travel along many routes: parts of Highway 56 and Vienda Drive are closed during construction.

 

The colon here announces that the first clause about “road construction” will be completed using the more specific detail from the second clause.

 

Hyphens

Use the hyphen to join two or more words serving as a single modifier before a noun. We use hyphens to clarify how multiple modifiers function before a noun.

 

Example 1 - You might not know it on first seeing her, but she is a well-known author.

 

Example 2 - That novelty shop on the boardwalk sells chocolate-covered peanuts.

 

Example 3 - Last night Ms. Munoz attended a high-school prom-night fundraiser.

 

If each word works separately to modify a noun, they are not hyphenated. We also do not use a hyphen when the compound modifiers come after a noun.

 

Example 1 - The old manor house was covered with creeping green Wisteria.

 

In this case, “creeping” is not modifying “green”; both words work as separate modifiers to describe “Wisteria.”

 

Example 2 - You might not know it on first seeing her, but the author is well known.

 

Example 3 - That novelty shop on the boardwalk sells peanuts that are chocolate covered.

 

Apostrophes

We use apostrophes to indicate a possessive noun. Follow these rules to create possessive nouns with apostrophes.

 

1. Add [‘s] to the singular form of the word (even if it ends in –s).

 

Ex. the owner’s insurance, the waitress’s coat

 

2. Add [‘s] to the plural forms that do not end in –s.

 

Ex. the children’s game, the people’s opinion

 

3. Add [‘] to the end of plural nouns that end in –s.

 

Ex. the three friends’ cars, the workers’ benefits

 

4. Add [‘s] to the end of compound words.

 

Ex. my brother-in-law’s money

 

5. Add [‘s] to the last noun to show joint possession of an object.

 

Ex. Tom and Monica’s house

 

Apostrophes are also used in contractions. We define a contraction as a word in which one or more letters have been omitted. The apostrophe shows this omission.

 

Examples

don’t = do not

I’m = I am

he’ll = he will

you’re = you are

won’t = will not

could’ve = could have

 

Dashes and Parentheses

Use dashes to set off or emphasize the content enclosed within them or the content that follows a dash. Dashes place more emphasis on the enclosed content than either parentheses or commas. We also use dashes to set off an appositive phrase that already includes commas.

 

An appositive is a word or phrase that adds explanatory or clarifying information to the noun that precedes it.

 

Example 1 - The U.S.S. Constitution became known as “Old Ironsides” during the War of 1812—during which the cannonballs fired from the British H.M.S. Guerriere merely bounced off the sides of the Constitution.

 

In this case, the phrase that comes after the dash is more important than the independent clause that comes before.

 

Example 2 - To some of you, my proposals may seem radical—even revolutionary. Here the dash works in conjunction with “even” to emphasize the adjective “revolutionary.”

 

Example 3- The cousins—Tina, Todd, and Sam—arrived at the party together. Here the dash is not being used for emphasis, but to stand in the place of additional commas that might confuse the reader.

 

Whereas dashes are used to emphasize content, parentheses are used to downplay content. They place less emphasis on the enclosed content than commas. Use parentheses to set off nonessential material—such as dates, clarifying information, clarifying information, or sources—from a sentence

 

Example 1 - Muhammad Ali (1942-present), arguably the greatest boxer of all time, claimed he would “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”

 

Example 2 - Denis Johnson’s new novel (which is bound in a luminous red hardback cover) is a worthy addition to the crime fiction genre.

 

Notice that information enclosed in parentheses has little relevance to the primary idea or meaning of the sentence.

 

COMMON GRAMMATICAL ERRORS

 

Commas and Semicolons

Avoid using commas to connect independent clauses. Consider the following comma splices:

 

Example 1 - I finally found my keys, I got to work just in time.

 

Example 2 - It rained heavily during the afternoon, however we still managed to have a picnic.

 

Use a period, semicolon, or coordinating conjunction to connect independent clauses:

 

Example 1 - I finally found my keys, and I got to work just in time.

 

Example 2 - It rained heavily during the afternoon; however, we still managed to have a picnic.

 

In most cases, we only use semicolons to connect two independent clauses. Avoid using semicolons to separate words or phrases from the independent clause.

 

Example 1 - The roof of that car was covered in Astroturf; a strange sight!

 

Example 2 - Quentin’s father gave him a golden pocket watch; which was a priceless family heirloom.

 

Use dashes to emphasize or set off a phrase, or use a comma to set off a phrase if you do not want to convey as much emphasis.

 

Example 1 - The roof of that car was covered in Astroturf—a strange sight!

 

Example 2 - Quentin’s father gave him a golden pocket watch, which was a priceless family heirloom.

 

Let’s take a look at some of the sample questions provided by the Winnipeg Police Service.

 

Language Mechanics Examples #1

 

For the following questions, decide which punctuation mark, if any, is needed in the sentences.

 

1. "The grass is getting pretty long" Marla commented to her brother.

 

1. ,

2. !

3. ;

4. None

In this example, you are given a quotation in a sentence. In such situations, quotations are always separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma. For this sentence, the comma should be placed after the word long but before the closing quotation mark. The answer is therefore a). “The grass is getting pretty long,” Marla commented to her brother.

 

2. He yelled at her in a loud voice, "Stop"

 

1. .

2. ?

3. !

4. :

In this example, the subject is yelling loudly. In such situations, an exclamation point is required. For this sentence, the exclamation point should come after the word ‘stop’ but before the closing quotation mark. The answer is therefore c). He yelled at her in a loud voice, "Stop!"

 

3. The agenda included the following activities role playing, a written exam, a workshop, and a class critique.

 

1. .

2. :

3. ;

4. None

In this example, you are given a sentence that lists out all the activities on an agenda. Proper punctuation in this situation requires a colon following the word ‘activities.’ Colons are often used to include a list that elaborates or expands upon whatever precedes it. In this case, the colon provides a simple way to list all of the activities that are included on the agenda. The agenda included the following activities: role playing, a written exam, a workshop, and a class critique.

 

Language Mechanics Examples #2

 

Read the passage and look at the underlined part of the sentence. Choose the answer that shows the best capitalization and punctuation for that part.

 

1. I asked the teacher if the rain stops, can we go outside for recess?"

 

1. teacher, If

2. teacher, "if

3. teacher, "If

4. Correct as it is

In this example, the sentence includes a direct quote of the question the subject asked of the teacher. Direct quotes must be contained within opening and closing quotation marks (note that there is only a closing quotation mark at the end of the sentence), and they are separated from the rest of the sentence by use of a comma. This quote is also a complete sentence in itself, and therefore the first word must be capitalized. The answer is therefore c). I asked the teacher, "If the rain stops, can we go outside for recess?"

 

2. Robert the company treasurer made copies of the report for the meeting.

 

1. Robert the company treasurer,

2. Robert, the company treasurer,

3. Robert, the company treasurer

4. Correct as it is

In this example, the phrase ‘the company treasurer’ can be considered a non-essential detail about the subject of the sentence (Robert). It must therefore be enclosed in commas to separate it from the rest of the sentence. The answer is therefore b). Robert, the company treasurer, made copies of the report for the meeting.

 

Want more practice questions? Check out our Winnipeg Police Officer Practice Tests site for thousands of practice questions.

 

Let’s take a look at some of the examples provided by the Winnipeg Police Service.

1. Which of the following means 7x - 6 = 20?

 

1. 7 less than 6 times a number is 20

2. 6 more than 7 times a number is 20

3. 7 less than 6 times a number is 20

4. 6 less than 7 times a number is 20

This question tests your understanding of basic algebra by asking you to determine which of the answers is equivalent to the formula given in the question. ‘7x’ represents ‘7 times a number,’ and minus six is the same as ‘six less than.’ The answer to this question is therefore d). Note that this answer reverses the order of the operations compared to the formula given in the question, but that is not important, as it does not change the answer.

 

2. Which of these radicals equals a number that is between 3 and 4?

 

1. √81

2. √25

3. √9

4. √15

This question tests your knowledge of square roots. Remember that a square root is a number that results from multiplying that number by itself. For example, 9 times 9 is equal to 81, so the square root of 81 is 9. Your task in this question is to determine which of the given square roots is equal to a number between 3 and 4. Let’s start by figuring out which numbers have square roots that equal 3 and 4. The square root of 9 is 3, and the square root of 16 is 4. That means that the answer is the square root of a number that falls somewhere between 9 and 16. If we look at the given answers, we see that only one falls within this range, √15. The answer is therefore d).

 

3. A rectangle has a perimeter of 40 m and a length of 12 m. What is the width of the rectangle?

 

1. 4 m

2. 6 m

3. 8 m

4. 10 m

This question is asking you to solve for an unknown number, the width of a rectangle with a perimeter of 40m and a length of 12m. To solve this question, let’s start by recalling how we calculate the perimeter of a rectangle. The perimeter of a rectangle is simply the sum of  all of its sides. As it is a rectangle we know that for each side of the rectangle, there is another side of equal length. 

 

P = (2 x length) + (2 x width)

 

To solve this question, all you have to do is enter the known values into this equation, and then use the basic rules of algebra to solve for the unknown value. 

40 = (2 x 12) + 2w

40 = 24 + 2w

40 - 24 = 2w

16 = 2w

16 / 2 = w

8 = w 

 

The answer is therefore c).
 

4. A number is 10 greater than another number. If the smaller number is subtracted from twice the larger number, the difference is 50. What is the larger number?

 

1. 20

2. 10

3. 40

4. 15

To solve this question, we have to represent the information provided in the question text as an algebraic equation. Once we do that, we can use the rules of algebra to solve for the answer.

 

There are two unknown numbers in this question: the larger number and the smaller number. Let’s have ‘x’ represent the smaller number. From the question, we know that the larger number is 10 greater than the smaller number, so we can represent the larger number as ‘x + 10.’ 

 

We can now use these values to write out an equation. The smaller number (x) is subtracted from twice (or two times) the larger number (2(x + 10)), the product of which is equal to 50. This can be written as:

 

2(x + 10) - x = 50

 

Now we can use the rules of algebra to solve for x. 

 

2(x + 10) - x = 50

2x + 20 -x = 50

2x - x = 50 - 20

X = 30

 

We now know that x = 30. However, that does not mean that 30 is the answer to the question.  30 is the value of the smaller number. Remember that we are looking for the larger number, which is equal to the smaller number plus 10. 

 

Larger number = x + 10

Larger number = 30 + 10

Larger number = 40

 

The answer is therefore c), 40.

 

5. If the discount given on a ghetto blaster is $40.00 off the original price of $200.00, what is the rate of the discount?

 

1. 25%

2. 15%

3. 20%

4. 10%

This question tests your ability to calculate percentages. You are asked to determine what percent $40 is of $200. To get this answer, we simply divide 40 by 200. Doing so, we get 0.2. Next, we convert this number to a percentage by multiplying it by 100. 0.2 x 100 = 20. The answer is therefore c), 20%. 

 

We say this a lot at TEST PREP HACKER. You must study hard and practice a lot if you want to get a great mark on this test. Nowhere is this more important than with basic math. The questions themselves may not be overly difficult, but all computations must be done by hand. Things like long division by hand can bog people down and eat up a lot of time. Don’t let this happen to you. Practice math. A lot.

 

Want more practice questions? Check out our Winnipeg Police Officer Practice Tests site for thousands of practice questions.