ASVAB · Word Problems

A jacket is marked down 20%, then an additional 10% is taken off the sale price. If the original price was $100, what is the final price?

Correct answer

$72

  1. A $72
  2. B $75
  3. C $68
  4. D $70

Why this is the answer

Successive discounts must be applied ONE AT A TIME (not added together). First discount: 20% off $100 → pay 80% → 0.80 × $100 = $80. Second discount: 10% off $80 → pay 90% → 0.90 × $80 = $72. ASVAB Arithmetic Reasoning tests successive percentages.

Common error: adding 20% + 10% = 30% off ($70) is WRONG — the second discount applies to the already-reduced price. Strategy: apply each discount sequentially. The final price is $72, not $70.

Source: ASVAB Arithmetic Reasoning — Successive Discounts

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About this topic: Word Problems

Arithmetic Reasoning is almost entirely word problems: the maths is basic, the skill is translating a sentence into an operation — rate × time, part of a whole, unit price, remaining amount. Read for the question being asked, write the setup before calculating, and sanity-check the answer against the choices. This is one of 7 Arithmetic Reasoning questions on word problems, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

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