INFORMATION FOR
THE NURSING BASIC MATH EXAM


Successful completion of this exam is required of all nursing majors in their first year at Keene State
College and transfer students. The exam will be given throughout the fall and spring semesters at the Math
Center (www.keene.edu/mathctr). To schedule an appointment to take the exam, please contact Barbara
Yardley at [email protected] or (603) 358 – 2023.
The exam is a five part diagnostic exam testing your knowledge and skills in the following areas. Each part
contains 10 questions, for a total of 50 questions.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Fractions
Decimals
Ratios and Proportions
Percentages
Measurements

Use of a calculator will not be allowed while taking this exam.

Basic conversions given on page 3 of the sample should be memorized. They will not be given on the
exam.

You will be given exactly ONE HOUR to complete this exam.

The results of the exam will be emailed to you within two weeks of taking the exam via your ksc.keene.edu
email address.

The FIRST time you TAKE the EXAM, there are 3 OUTCOMES:
1. If you answer at least 8 out of 10 questions correctly (at least 80%) on each of the five topics
listed above on your first attempt, then you have passed the exam and have met the basic math
requirement for the Nursing Program.
2. If you score less than 80% on 1 of the topics listed above on your first attempt, you will need to
complete the assigned review work on that topic, have the work checked by a tutor at the Math
Center, and then take a quiz on that topic. Each quiz contains 10 questions. Once you pass the
quiz by answering at least 8 out 10 questions correctly, you have met the basic math
requirement for the Nursing Program.
3. If you score less than 80% on 2 or more of the 5 topics listed above on your first attempt at the
exam, you must take the ENTIRE EXAM a second time. There is no carryover of results from your
first attempt. You should seek help from the peer tutors at the Math Center for help on the sections
you did not pass.

If you need to RETAKE the EXAM, there are 3 OUTCOMES:
1. If you answer at least 8 out of 10 questions correctly (at least 80%) on each of the five topics
listed above on your second attempt, then you have passed the exam and have met the basic math
requirement for the Nursing Program.
2. If you score less than 80% on 1 of the topics listed above on your second attempt, you will need
to complete the assigned review work on that topic, have the work checked by a tutor at the Math
Center, and then take a quiz on that topic. Each quiz contains 10 questions. Once you pass the
quiz by answering at least 8 out 10 questions correctly, you have met the basic math
requirement for the Nursing Program.
3. If you score less than 80% on 2 or more of the topics you will be advised to take and pass Math
102 Math for Management, a six week, one-credit course, which covers the material on the
exam and gives the basic math exam as the final exam for the course. Once you pass the course,
you will have met the basic math requirement for the Nursing Program.

Internal and external transfer students must successfully pass the exam the end of the last week of the
semester, prior to progression into the nursing major course sequence. Transfer students who do not
successfully pass the exam, will not be admitted for progression into the nursing program and will need to
take MATH 102 Math for Management and reapply to the nursing program the following year. All transfer
students are encouraged to take the basic math competency exam during their first semester at Keene
State.

If you have any questions regarding this exam, please contact Eileen Phillips, Director of the Math Center,
at [email protected] or (603) 358 - 2387.
The following pages include sample questions and solutions to problems similar to those you will find on
the assessment exam. It is in your best interest to do these problems before you take the exam.
Nursing Basic Math Sample F’15
2
Sample Questions for the
Basic Math Exam for Nursing
1)
Insert <, >, or = to form a true statement :
3
_____
4
56
3
4
5
2)
Write as a mixed number:
4)
Write as a decimal:
6)
Add:
8)
Multiply:
10)
A nursing student has an income of $2200 a month. She spends
3
5
8
3)
Write as an improper:
5)
What fraction of an hour is 25 minutes?
3 2

4 5
7)
Subtract:
3 2
1 
4 5
3 2

4 5
9)
Divide:
3
1
1 2
4
10
8
20
2
of her income for rent on her
5
apartment. How much does she spend on rent each month?
11)
Round 54.908732 to the nearest ten-thousandth.
12)
Write 5.02 as a fraction or mixed number in lowest terms.
13)
Add:
15)
Divide: 2.7  6.03 (Round quotient to the nearest hundredth.)
16)
Of 32 cars in a parking lot, 18 are small cars and 14 are large cars. What is the ratio of large cars to
small cars?
17)
If a baseball team wins 21 games and loses 9, express the ratio of losses to games played as a fraction
in lowest terms.
18)
Solve for x :
19)
In a solution of water and alcohol, the ratio of water to alcohol is 4 to 1. If there are 35 liters of the
solution, how many liters of water are in the solution?
20)
Liz and Joe went on a diet together. Joe weighed 225 pounds at the start of the diet and lost 30 lbs in 3
months. Liz lost 24 lbs in 3 months. If they lost the same percentage of weight, how much did Liz
weigh at the start of the diet?
7.45 + 8.3
14)
Multiply:
8.09  0.37
2
x

14 217
Nursing Basic Math Sample F’15
3
3
as a percent.
5
21)
Write 0.783 as a percent.
22)
Write
23)
Write 7.5% as a decimal.
24)
Write 24% as a fraction in lowest terms.
25)
What is 110% of 400?
26)
0.4% of what number is 16?
27)
A basketball player attempts 120 free throws. She makes 90% of them. How many free throws does
she make?
28)
A reporter states that 380 people in a survey indicated that they felt their schools were safe. If the
reporter interviewed 950 people, what percent felt their schools were safe?
29)
How many milliliters are in 3 teaspoons?
30)
How many kilograms does a 164 pound person weigh? Round the number of kilograms to the nearest
tenth.
31)
A child is 35 inches tall. How tall is that child in centimeters?
32)
How many micrograms are in 0.043 mg?
Basic conversions you need to MEMORIZE for the exam.
CONVERSIONS
HOUSEHOLD & APOTHECARY
EXACT VOLUME EQUIVALENTS
METRIC
Volume
Liter (L)
1 L = 1000 ml
Milliliter (ml)
1 ml = 0.001 L
1 ml = 1000 mcl
30 ml = 1 oz
5 ml = 1 tsp
15 ml = 1 Tbs
Microliter (mcl)
1 mcl = 0.001 ml
1000 mcl = 1 ml
Length
Weight
Kilogram (kg)
1 kg = 2.2 lbs
1 kg = 1000 g
Milligrams (mg)
1 mg = 0.001 g
1 mg = 1000 mcg
Microgram (mcg)
1 mcg = 0.001 mg
Gram (g)
1 g = 1000 mg
1 g = 1 ml
1 g = 0.001 kg
453.6 g = 1 lb
Centimeter (cm)
2.54 cm = 1 inch
Nursing Basic Math Sample F’15
Volume (Liquid)
Measuring cup
1 cup = 8 oz
1 cup = 240 ml
2 cups = 1 pint
Weight (Dry)
Pounds (lb)
1 lb = 0.45 kg
1 lb = 453.6 g
1 lb = 16 oz
Ounces (oz)
1 oz = 30 ml
1 oz = 2 Tbs
8 oz = 1 cup
16 oz = 1 pint
Tablespoons (Tbs)
1 Tbs = 3 tsp
1 Tbs = 15 ml
2 Tbs = 1 oz
Teaspoon (tsp)
1 tsp = 5 ml
3 tsp = 1 Tbs
4
ANSWERS
3 15

4 20
1)
4 16
3 4
Thus,

 .
5 20
4 5
8
 8  20  0.4
20
4)
6)
and
3 15

4 20
2
8
 
5 20
2)
56
2
 18
3
3
3)
5 29
3 
8 8
25 5
 of an hour
60 12
5)
3
15
1 1
4
20
2
8
 
5
20
7)
8)
3 2 3 2
6
3
 


4 5 4  5 20 10
____________
__________
23
3
1
20
20
1
7
20
9)
3
1 7 21 7 10
7  5  2
5
5
1 2 = 
 



4
10 4 10 4 21 2  2  7  3 2  3 6
10)
2
2 2200 4400
of 2200  

 880 She spends $880 on rent each month.
5
5
1
5
11)
Since 7 is in the ten-thousandths place, we look to the right. Since the 3 is less than five the 7
will remain a 7: 54.9087 (If the number to the right of 7 was 5 or greater, we would have
changed the 7 to an 8.)
12)
5.02  5
13)
Line up decimal points, add the numbers, and then bring down the decimal point in the answer: 15.75
14)
Multiply as usual, count the number of decimal places in the factors, and then place that many decimal
places in the answer:
2.9933
15)
Move the decimal point in the divisor (6.03) to the right until you have a whole number (603). Move the
decimal point in the dividend (2.7) the same number of places (270). Bring the decimal point up into the
quotient (answer) and then divide.
.447
2
1
5
100
50
603 270.000
Since the directions said to round to the nearest hundredth, you need to carry the division out to the
thousandths place and then round back to the hundredths place: 0.45.
16)
large:small = 14:18 = 7:9
17)
losses 9
3

games 30 10
18)
2
x

14 217
14 x  434
x
Nursing Basic Math Sample F’15
434
 31
14
5
19)
4 water
x water

5 solution 35 solution
5 x  35(4)
20)
5 x  140
140
x
 28
5
There are 28 L of water in the 35 L of solution.
30 lbs lost
24 lbs lost

225 lbs
x lbs
30 x  225  24
30 x  5400
5400
x
 180
30
Liz started the diet weighing 180 lbs.
21)
Move the decimal point 2 places to the right (multiply by 100): 78.3%
22)
Divide 5 into 3, which equals 0.6, then move the decimal point 2 places to the right: 60%
23)
Move the decimal point 2 places to the left (divide by 100): 0.075
24)
24% 
24
6

100 25
For #25 – 27, the proportion method will be used,
25)
110
x

100 400
100 x 44000

100
100
x  440
26)
%
is
part
.


100 of total
0.4 16

100
x
0.4 x 1600

0 .4
0.4
x  4000
27)
90
x

100 120
100 x 10800

100
100
x  108
She makes 108 free throws.
28)
The translation method will be used,
% of total is part .
x of 950 is 380
So, 40% felt their school is safe.
x  950  380
380
x
 0.4  40%
950
29)
Since 1 teaspoons (t) = 5 milliliters (mL), then 3 t = 15 mL.
30)
Since 1 kilogram (kg) = 2.2 pounds (lbs), then we can set up the following conversion:
164 lbs 
31)
Since 1 inch (in) = 2.54 centimeters (cm), then we can set up the following conversion:
35 in 
32)
1 kg
164

kg  74.5 kg
2.2 lbs 2.2
2.54 cm 35  2.54

cm  88.9 cm
1 in
1
Since 1 milligram (mg) = 1000 micrograms (mcg), then we multiply 0.043 by 1000 to get 43 mcg.
Nursing Basic Math Sample F’15
6