Year 8 General Abilities Test

Crafting a test

I’m piecing together a year 8 General Abilities test, covering verbal, numerical, spatial, and logical reasoning for 13-14-year-olds, ensuring the questions are fitting and nuanced.

Crafting the test paper

I’m mapping out the test paper's structure: instructions, sections, and questions. Each section will feature 5 questions, focusing on verbal, numerical, logical, spatial reasoning, and problem-solving.

Year 8 General Abilities Test

Instructions:

• Read each question carefully.
• Write your answers in the space provided.
• You may use rough paper for calculations, but ensure your final answers are clear.
• There is no time limit, but try to work efficiently.
• Do not use calculators or any electronic devices.

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Section A: Verbal Reasoning

1. Choose the word that is most similar in meaning to the word provided.

Aberrant

A) Normal
B) Deviant
C) Common
D) Expected

2. Identify the two words that are opposite in meaning.

A) Obscure
B) Transparent
C) Opaque
D) Hidden

3. Complete the analogy:

_Cat is to Kitten as Dog is to ______.

A) Puppy
B) Cub
C) Calf
D) Foal

4. Which word does not belong in the group?

A) Apple
B) Banana
C) Carrot
D) Grape

5. Rearrange the following letters to form a meaningful word and select the category it belongs to.

Letters: R E T A W

A) Animal
B) Plant
C) Liquid
D) Mineral

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Section B: Numerical Reasoning

1. What is the next number in the sequence?

2, 5, 10, 17, 26, _____

2. If $3x + 7 = 22$, what is the value of $x$?

3. A rectangle has a length of 10 cm and a width of 4 cm. What is its perimeter?

4. Simplify the fraction $\frac{28}{42}$ to its lowest terms.

5. If a shirt costs $40 after a 20% discount, what was the original price?

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Section C: Logical Reasoning

1. All roses are flowers. Some flowers are red. Therefore, can we conclude that some roses are red?

A) Yes
B) No
C) Cannot be determined

2. If all squares are rectangles, and all rectangles are shapes, are all squares shapes?

A) Yes
B) No
C) Cannot be determined

3. Find the missing number in the series:

5, 11, 23, 47, _____

4. If it rains, the ground gets wet. The ground is wet. Can we conclude that it rained?

A) Yes
B) No
C) Cannot be determined

5. Spot the odd one out:

A) 2
B) 3
C) 5
D) 9

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Section D: Spatial Reasoning

1. Which shape comes next in the sequence?

[Provide images of shapes changing in a logical sequence]

2. A cube is painted red on all its faces. It is then cut into 64 smaller equal cubes. How many small cubes have no red faces?

3. Identify the 3D shape that can be formed from the following net:

[Provide an image of a net]

4. If a mirror is placed on the line MN, which of the following options shows the correct reflection?

[Provide an image with options]

5. Which two pieces fit together to make the shape below?

[Provide an image of a shape and several puzzle pieces]

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Section E: Problem Solving

1. Sarah is twice as old as Tom. Five years ago, Sarah was three times as old as Tom. How old is Tom now?

2. A farmer has chickens and cows. There are 20 heads and 56 legs in total. How many chickens are there?

3. If a car travels at 60 km/h, how long will it take to cover 150 km?

4. A tank fills with water at a rate of 5 liters per minute. How many hours will it take to fill a 3,000-liter tank?

5. Three friends share a sum of money. Alice gets half the amount, Bob gets a third, and Carol gets the remaining $20. How much money was there in total?

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End of Test

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Answers

Section A: Verbal Reasoning

1. B) Deviant
2. B) Transparent and C) Opaque
3. A) Puppy
4. C) Carrot
5. C) Liquid (Word: WATER)

Section B: Numerical Reasoning

1. 37
2. $x = 5$
3. 28 cm
4. $\frac{2}{3}$
5. $50

Section C: Logical Reasoning

1. C) Cannot be determined
2. A) Yes
3. 95
4. C) Cannot be determined
5. D) 9

Section D: Spatial Reasoning

(As images cannot be displayed in this format, please refer to your test paper for visual answers.)

Section E: Problem Solving

1. Tom is 10 years old.
2. 12 chickens and 8 cows
3. 2.5 hours
4. 10 hours
5. $120

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Explanation of Selected Answers:

Section B, Question 1:

Sequence pattern: Add consecutive odd numbers.

• 2 + 3 = 5
• 5 + 5 = 10
• 10 + 7 = 17
• 17 + 9 = 26
• 26 + 11 = 37

Section E, Question 1:

Let Tom's age be $t$. Sarah's age now: $2t$. Five years ago:

• Sarah: $2t - 5$
• Tom: $t - 5$ Equation: $2t - 5 = 3(t - 5)$ Simplify: $2t - 5 = 3t - 15$ $3t - 2t = -5 + 15$ $t = 10$

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Good luck!