Day 2 Year 6 Thinking Skills Trial Test

Jake and his friends are planning a video game tournament. There are four games they want to play, and each game has a different duration.

• The first game is a racing game that takes 45 minutes to complete.
• The second game is a strategy game, which takes 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• The third game is a battle royale, lasting for 30 minutes.
• Finally, they will play a puzzle game, which takes 40 minutes to finish.

If they play each game back-to-back with no breaks, what is the latest time they should start the tournament to ensure they finish all games by 6:00 PM?

In a team-based relay race, each of the three members must carry a set of items through their leg of the race. The rule is that each member can carry up to 8kg without any time penalty. For every kilogram over this limit, 30 seconds are added to their total race time.

The team has four items to carry, weighing 6kg, 5kg, 8kg, and 4kg.

What is the least amount of time penalty in seconds the team will incur while carrying these items through the race?

In a board game, five players – Alice, Ben, Charlie, Dana, and Emma – are competing with different point totals. They have points totaling 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70, but not necessarily in that order. The following conditions apply:

Alice has more points than Ben.

Charlie has fewer points than Ben.

Dana has 70 points.

Emma has more points than Alice but fewer than Dana.

How many points does Alice have?

At a family barbecue, the conversation turns to the topic of online privacy. The daughter, Emma, a college student studying computer science, argues for stronger online privacy laws. Her cousin, Brian, who works in digital marketing, quickly challenges her stance.

Emma: “We need stricter online privacy laws to protect people’s personal information.”

Brian: “So, you’re saying we should just shut down all social media and online platforms? That’s how people stay connected these days. Without them, we’d be isolating everyone and cutting off vital communication channels.”

What is the flaw in Brian’s argument?

A group of 6 people, including 5 senior citizens, go to a restaurant for a meal. 

3 people have meals costing $12 each 

2 people have meals costing $13 each 

1 person has a meal costing $14 

The restaurant has two special offers:

• Groups of 6 or more can have one of the cheapest meals free. 
• Senior citizens get a reduction of $2.50 each. Only one special offer may be used at a time. 

If they take the better special offer for the group, how much is the total bill? 

A particular lady likes to walk, taking two steps forward and then one back. She takes one second to walk two steps forward and two seconds to step back. Her forward and backward steps are both 60cm in length. 

How long does it take her to move 30m from her starting position?

From July to September 2023, Collin subscribed to Spotify Premium’s individual plan at $10.50 a month. This October, he’s planning to convince his brother to switch to the Premium Duo subscription at $18.80 a month, sharing the cost equally. Collin’s brother has been subscribed to the individual plan at $10.50 a month since January 2023.  

If Collin and his brother had subscribed to the Premium Duo and split the cost from January, how much would Collin’s brother have saved by September?

Sam: “Professor Lee must be a terrible teacher because I failed her course.”

Which of the following options best describes the flaw in Sam’s statement?

Fatima arrives at the airport on the island of Small. She has to visit the towns of Killarn, Dunbil, Corktown and Baffle before returning to the airport. The kilometre chart below shows the distances between the places she must visit. Fatima wishes to visit the towns in the order that makes the total distance she travels on the island as small as possible, but on her route she must visit Baffle immediately after she has visited Corktown.

Which one of the following pieces of advice should Fatima follow in order to keep the route travelled as short as possible?

The Spaydart Club has four categories of membership, each with a distinct annual fee, as follows:

– Category: Full Member, Fee: $50

– Category: Retiree, Fee: $30

– Category: Scholar, Fee: $20

– Category: Youth, Fee: $10

During the recent management committee meeting, the treasurer reported that the club has 98 Full Members, 75 Retirees, 64 Scholars, and 31 Youths, resulting in a total annual revenue from fees of $8380. However, it was noted that based on these membership numbers, the total revenue should be $8740. Realising a mistake, the treasurer understood that the digits in the count of one membership category were swapped. 

Which corrected membership count should the treasurer have reported?

Andrew Leland’s experience with progressive vision loss, as detailed in his memoir, reflects the broader experiences and challenges faced by the blind community. His story, along with Selina Mills’, who also navigates life with decreasing sight, delves into the historical, personal, and societal aspects of blindness. Their narratives reveal the shared experiences among people with blindness, highlighting the importance of understanding and empathy towards this community. Therefore, their accounts emphasise the need for a more nuanced perception of blindness in society, moving beyond stereotypes and misconceptions.

Which of the following, if true, best strengthens the argument above?

During a family road trip, the conversation shifts to the possibility of extraterrestrial life. The son, Alex, a high school student interested in astronomy, believes that there must be other life forms in the universe. His grandfather, Mr. Thompson, a retired pilot, counters his view.

Alex: “With so many galaxies and planets out there, there must be other intelligent life.”

Mr. Thompson: “In all my years of flying, I’ve never seen any evidence of aliens or UFOs. Until there’s concrete proof of extraterrestrial life, we should assume it doesn’t exist.”

Which of the following best describes the flaw in Mr. Thompson’s argument?

In a school’s soccer tournament, teams earn points in each match they play. The points are awarded based on the type of win or draw:

A win by scoring more goals: 3 points.

A draw with both teams scoring goals: 2 points.

A draw with no goals scored (0-0): 1 point.

Each team plays four matches in the tournament.

Which of the following point totals is impossible to achieve in their four matches?

To make Alex’s Elixir, you need 1 part blueberry juice, 2 parts guava juice, 4 parts grapefruit juice, 6 parts peach juice, and 12 parts iced tea. I already have 1½ litres of guava juice, 3 litres of grapefruit juice, 9 litres of peach juice, and 10 litres of iced tea. Everything is sold in 1-litre bottles.

I am having a Halloween party and would like to make Alex’s Elixir. I want to make sure that I use up all the ingredients that I already have.

What is the minimum number of bottles that I will need to buy?

I have decided to invest my savings of $1000 for a year. However, I want to deposit it in only one account and take it out at the end of the year. The best four choices on the market are as follows: 

ZEUS BANK – 5% per annum interest; the account is for a fixed term of six months but can be renewed; minimum investment $1000. Loyalty bonus for customers on interest paid after 18 months of 0.5%. 

MAPLE BANK – 4% per annum interest; minimum investment $250 with an annual bonus of $7.50 for each $500 deposited. 

GOLDEN BANK – 6% per annum interest; maximum investment $900. 

SILVER BANK – 3% per annum – but a bonus of double the interest if retained for a year. Administration charge of $3 for withdrawals. 

Which bank should I choose to get the highest return?

At a family breakfast, the conversation turns to the city’s new policy on reducing car emissions. The father, Mr. Thompson, supports the policy for environmental reasons. His teenage daughter, Sarah, raises concerns about its impact on low-income families.

Sarah: “This policy might be hard on families who can’t afford newer, eco-friendly cars.”

Mr. Thompson: “You know, it’s important to think about the environment. Just last week, I read about the ice caps melting at an alarming rate. We need to do everything we can to protect our planet.”

Which of the following best describes the flaw in Mr. Thompson’s argument?

Elen’s aunt promised her money for Christmas based on her school grades. The agreement was as follows:

Elen’s grades were:

English: 92 

Maths: 85 

Science: 75

History: 70

However, Elen’s aunt was extra generous for Christmas that she gave Elen $200. How much more did her aunt gave her compared to the agreement they initially set?

Nicky has a five-digit code for her gaming console.

The third digit is one

The second digit is two values higher than the third digit

The first digit is thrice the second digit

The last digit is the first digit divided by three

The fourth digit is two values higher than the fifth digit.

What is the five-digit code?

At a Sunday family lunch, the topic of the new school policy requiring uniforms comes up. The daughter, Grace, thinks it’s a good idea for promoting equality. Her uncle, a lawyer, disagrees.

Uncle: “Uniforms are just the beginning. Next, they’ll impose restrictions on how students can wear their hair, then they’ll start dictating what they can wear outside of school. Soon, there’ll be no personal freedom left for these kids.”

Which of the following best describes the flaw in the uncle’s argument?

Last week I took a memory card to Anderson’s Photography to get some photos printed. I was given the choice of next-day printing at 30 cents per print or one-hour printing at 50 cents per print. I had a voucher that entitled me to either $7.50 off next-day printing or 50% off one-hour printing, subject to a minimum order of 40 prints. The one-hour printing turned out to cost me $1.75 less than the next-day printing would have done. 

How many prints did I order? 

When viewed from above, an object looks like the picture shown below. Which one of the following is a possible view from the side?

Maria’s monthly broadband bill with her current supplier is $16. She is considering changing to a new provider, but they all insist on a minimum 2-year contract. 

Which of the following alternative contracts would give her the lowest average monthly bill over the next two years?

In a role-playing game, four characters – Aria, Blake, Casey, and Devon – each decide to disguise themselves as one of the other three characters for a masquerade event. None of them chooses to disguise themselves as the same character.

Blake does not disguise as Devon, and Devon does not disguise as Aria.

The character disguised as Blake is Casey.

Given this information, who is disguised as Casey?

In the game “Junior Astronauts,” a young space explorer named Leo is preparing for a space camp adventure. He has 50 space coins to spend on gear at the space camp store. The store has several items, each with a price tag, but Leo needs to choose wisely to stay within his budget.

Here are the items and their prices:

Space Helmet: 20 space coins

Star Map: 15 space coins

Comet Toy: 10 space coins

Moon Boots: 25 space coins

Alien Stickers: 5 space coins

Rocket Backpack: 30 space coins

Astro Light: 15 space coins

Leo decides that he definitely wants the Space Helmet and the Star Map for his adventure. After buying these, he picks two more items and uses all his 50 space coins.

Which one of the following items must have been the one of the two more items he chose?

In the game “Pirates of the Mystic Sea,” three treasure hunters – Captain Redbeard, First Mate Scarlett, and Sailor Finn – find a chest of gold coins. Here’s how they shared the loot:

The combined share of Captain Redbeard and First Mate Scarlett is 180 coins.

Captain Redbeard has 2 more coins than First Mate Scarlett.

The combined share of Captain Redbeard and Sailor Finn is 150 coins.

How many coins does Sailor Finn get?

At a family gathering, the discussion turns to the latest fitness craze, a high-intensity workout program that has become very popular in the community. The son, Jake, is eager to join the program, citing its popularity.

Jake: “Everyone’s joining this new workout program. It’s got to be good if so many people are doing it!”

Which of the following best describes the flaw in Jake’s argument?

The recent omission of women from a list of key figures in the modern artificial intelligence movement by a New York Times article highlights a longstanding issue in STEM fields. Historically, women have been crucial in the development of computing and AI, yet their contributions are often overlooked. Women like Ada Lovelace, Katherine Johnson, and many others laid the groundwork for today’s AI advancements. Despite this, women continue to be underrepresented and unrecognised in the AI industry. Therefore, acknowledging and integrating women’s contributions is essential for a more inclusive and accurate representation of AI’s history and future development.

Which of the following, if true, best strengthens the argument above?

A train departs from the station at 13:10 and 13:40, and then every 30 minutes until 22:10. When Alex leaves work, it either takes 5 minutes or 40 minutes to reach the station, depending on whether Alex stops to see a colleague on the way. Sometimes Alex arrives at the station 5 minutes before a train leaves, and sometimes 20 minutes before. 

Which one of the following could explain this?

What is the initial amount of fuel in the car’s tank at the beginning of the journey, given that the car travels 400 kilometres with a fuel consumption rate of 5 kilometres per litre, has a range of 500 kilometres on a full tank, and is refuelled three times during the journey with 30 litres, 50 litres, and 30 litres respectively, and ends the journey with half a tank of fuel?

A sculpture is placed in a glass box and displayed in a museum as shown in the diagram below. The sculpture can be viewed from all sides. Which one of the following is a possible view from one of the sides of the glass box?

The effectiveness of science communication is increasingly seen as dependent on more than just conveying information. Effective communicators recognize the importance of engaging with audiences by considering their values, attitudes, and worldviews. This approach, known as values-based communication, contrasts with the traditional “deficit model” of simply filling knowledge gaps. Therefore, modern science communication is evolving to focus on empathetic engagement rather than mere information dissemination.

Which of the following, if true, best strengthens the argument above?

During a weekend family hike, the discussion turns to the topic of dietary choices. The mother, Mrs. Clark, suggests that the family should consider adopting a vegetarian diet for health reasons. Her brother, Uncle Mike, a gym instructor, disagrees.

Uncle Mike: “A vegetarian diet isn’t suitable for everyone. Just last week, a famous celebrity trainer on TV said that a high-protein, meat-based diet is essential for peak physical fitness. We should really consider his expert opinion before making any changes.”

Which of the following best describes the flaw in Uncle Mike’s argument?

The steam room in the local spa has three coloured lights, with a cycle that repeats every 60 seconds. The red light comes on for 30 seconds. Twenty seconds after it starts, the green light comes on for 30 seconds. Twenty seconds after the green light starts, the blue light comes on for 30 seconds. Unfortunately, the blue light has now broken, but the others continue as normal. 

For how much time each minute is there now no light on?

During a family dinner, the topic of implementing a new city-wide recycling initiative comes up. The father, Mr. Harris, a local business owner, supports the initiative. His teenage daughter, Lily, however, questions its effectiveness.

Lily: “I’m not sure if a city-wide recycling program will make a significant environmental impact.”

Mr. Harris: “You should support recycling, Lily. Remember how well you did in your science project on conservation? You always get good grades in school, so you should understand the importance of this program.”

Which of the following best describes the flaw in Mr. Harris’s argument?

During a weekend family gathering, the topic of adopting a new pet comes up. The son, Tim, wants to adopt a dog from the local shelter. His mother, Mrs. Johnson, a veterinarian, is hesitant.

Tim: “There are so many dogs in shelters that need a home. We should adopt one.”

Mrs. Johnson: “Every time someone adopts a shelter dog, it’s a victory for those who abandon their pets. It sends a message that it’s okay to give up on them because someone else will take care of their responsibility.”

Which of the following best describes the flaw in Mrs. Johnson’s argument?

Chanchan is a language. Here are some words in Chanchan, together with their correct English translations.

gamanor means collection

imopleh means distaste

imogring means disinfect

Which word could mean “transfiguration”?

Earl passed me some messages in code. When he saw that I could not work out the messages, he ‘decoded’ them for me. The “(space)” is used to indicate word separation. Here are the three messages in code, each with its ‘translation’ written next to it.

• November Oscar (space) Tango Romeo Echo Alfa Tango Mike Echo November Tango (space) Oscar November (space) Charlie Alfa November Charlie Echo Romeo = NO TREATMENT ON CANCER
• Sierra Uniform Romeo Romeo Echo November Delta Echo Romeo (space) Yankee Oscar Uniform Romeo (space) Papa Hotel Oscar November Echo = SURRENDER YOUR PHONE
• November Oscar (space) Papa Alfa India November (space) November Oscar (space) Golf Alfa India November = NO PAIN NO GAIN

He passed me another message in the same code and gave me 4 possible ‘translations’, only one of which could be correct. Here is the message:

Nimo  November Nine Oscar Octagon (space) Romeo Rake Rusty Echo Eagle Tango Romeo Echo Alfa Apple Tango Ten (space) November Online Oscar (space) Sierra Save Uniform University Romeo Ranking Romeo Echo November Nut Delta Defence Echo Eastern Romeo

Which one of these ‘translations’ must be the correct one?

Fill in the gaps: