ASVAB · Basic Operations and Word Problems

Sergeant Johnson has 24 soldiers in her platoon. She wants to divide them into squads of equal size. If she creates 4 squads, how many soldiers are in each squad?

Correct answer

6

  1. A 4
  2. B 6
  3. C 12
  4. D 8

Why this is the answer

Division problem: 24 soldiers ÷ 4 squads = 6 soldiers per squad. Verification: 6 × 4 = 24 ✓. Military-themed word problems are common on the ASVAB. Key skill: translating context to operation. 'Divide equally' or 'split into equal groups' is division. Variations might ask: How many squads of 8 can she form from 24 soldiers? (24 ÷ 8 = 3). How many soldiers are left if she forms 5 squads of 4? (5 × 4 = 20 in squads; 24 - 20 = 4 left over — i.e., 24 ÷ 5 = 4 remainder 4). The remainder concept appears in problems like: 'If you have 30 people and each truck holds 4, how many trucks do you need?' (30 ÷ 4 = 7 remainder 2; you need 8 trucks because the leftover 2 still need transport — this is the 'ceiling' division case where you round up).
Source: ASVAB AR — Division Word Problems

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About this topic: Basic Operations and Word Problems

Basic operations word problems are the core of Arithmetic Reasoning: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division dressed up as money, distance, time or quantity problems. The skill tested is setting the problem up correctly, not the arithmetic itself. This is one of 11 Arithmetic Reasoning questions on basic operations and word problems, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

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