Learning Lab - Paper 1 - Question 18

[Gilly]

Ok, this is a simple VR multiple choice question and it reads like this:

If A = 64, B = 4, C = 32,
D = 8, E = 54,
what is the answer to this sum
written as a letter?
D + B x D - C = ( ? )

Learning Lab's answer to the above question is A.

Shall we say this is a mistake on their part? I just can't think anything other than D as the correct answer for this.

What do you think?

Gilly

[mitasol]

I think NFER requires you to always work these from left to right. The fact that it is not technically correct has been raised before.

[patricia]

Dear Gilly

The question is technically wrong.

Nfer [now GL assessment] do not use brackets in their VR questions. However they do ensure that the question is mathmatically correct.

Only a few of my children would have come accross BODMAS/BIDMAS as it is normally taught in year 6 [if taught] and the Bucks test takes place at the very beginning of the school year. I tell my students to work left to right in the order that is written because MOST authors have taken this into consideration.

Patricia

[Gilly]

mitasol,

Thank you. That was a very useful reply.

So I checked all the 4 VR papers from NFER and guess what? All their questions are coined in such a way that the multiplication/division comes first (left side) and then the addition/subtraction, if there are.

Looking at these NFER questions whether you apply BIDMAS or not you will always do them correctly. Hope they follow the same principles in the real exam papers as well.

Many thanks.

Gilly

[Gilly]

Hi Patricia,

Thanks for the reply.

Agree with what you said. Also checked the NFER papers and I can see how their questions are technically correct whichever method you follow to find the answers.

Gilly