The numeracy test is now part of the interview selection process and consists of a 40-minute online test that contains approximately 20 questions with some having multiple sections.
The level of numeracy required for the test is that for GCSE maths and if an equation is required that will be supplied as part of the question; this could be a BMI or similar calculation.
If you require extra time please provide evidence for assessment and a new link will be provided.
Example numeracy test for applicants
Instructions to candidates:
1. This is a timed test and will close when your time is up
2. Some multipart questions may take longer than others
3. For each question, ensure that your answer is given using the requested units (e.g. £, grams, milligrams, litres etc.)
4. If your internet/ connection drops during the session, the system should save your answers, however this is not always the case so we strongly suggest that you make a note of your answers on paper as you go along
Useful unit conversions
1 ml = 1000µl
1 mg =1000µg
1g = 1000mg
1% (w/v) solution contains 1g of compound in 100ml of solvent
1. The ratio of patients requiring x-rays, CT scans or no scans in an Emergency Department is 8:2:20. On average 360 people attend the Emergency Department every day
(a) On an average day, how many patients have a CT scan?
(b) If the cost of a single CT scan is £350 what is the cost of all the CT scans performed on an average day.
2. Complete the following table
|
Fraction (smallest) |
Decimal (three decimal places) |
Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8 | ||
| 1.08 | ||
| 7/26 |
3. The figure below shows the proportion of running costs of 4 major departments within a hospital.
If the running cost of the Emergency department is £13,650,000, what is the total running cost for all 4 departments?
4. Drug X is prescribed for a patient with a body surface area of 1.95m². The recommended dosage is 8.5mg/m² twice daily. What is the total daily dosage required for this patient in mg? Give the answer to one decimal place.
5. A patient takes two 5mg propranolol tablets three times daily. The patient is going abroad for 7 weeks and asks the doctor to prescribe enough to last this period of time.
(a) How many tablets will the patient take during their time abroad?
(b) Tablets come in packs of 28, how many packs will the patient need to take?
6. A syringe is filled with 3.5 ml of a solution of dextrose. The concentration of the dextrose solution is 0.75g/L. How much dextrose (express the result in mg) is in the syringe? Give the answer to one decimal place.
7. A formula-fed baby needs 8.5µg of Vitamin D per day. The formula contains 1.8 µg Vitamin D per 100ml. How much formula (mls) will give the daily requirement of Vitamin D? Give the answer to the nearest whole ml.
8. The graph below presents the data recorded by one student of the numbers of hours they sleep every day for 31 consecutive days:
Graph description: A bar graph showing the hours of sleep recorded by a student over 31 consecutive days. The vertical axis shows the number of days, increasing in increments of 2 from 0 to 12. The horizontal axis shows the number of hours, increasing in increments of 1 from 6 to 10, totalling 5 bars. The first bar shows 6 hours of sleep for 3 days. The second bar shows 7 hours of sleep for 9 days. The third bar shows 8 hours of sleep for 11 days. The fourth bar shows 9 hours of sleep for 7 days. The fifth and final bar shows 10 hours of sleep for 1 day.
(a) Calculate the mean number of hours of sleep from this data
(b) Determine the mode of this data set
9. You are a diabetic on holiday in the USA and your glucose meter which gives results in mmol/L has stopped working. You have bought a new glucose meter that gives results in mg/dL. Your target levels for glucose before you eat in the morning should be between 4.00 -7.00 mmol/L. Your new meter gives you a result of 94 mg/dL. The information in the box says that to convert mmol/L to mg/dL you must multiply the value in mmol/L by 18 and change the units.
(a) What is 94 mg/dL in mmol/L? Give the answer to two decimal places.
(b) Is this within the target range?
(Answer yes or no)
(c) You notice a sticker on the box that says that you must multiply the new meter value by 1.22 to determine an accurate blood glucose value in mg/dL. Using the more accurate blood glucose level determine blood glucose level in mmol/L; is this new value within the target range? (Answer yes or no)
10. You are asked to fill a syringe with a volume of Trimethoprim solution that contains 1.5mg of Trimethoprim. The concentration of the trimethoprim solution is 0.05%w/v
(a) What volume in mls of solution would you take up in the syringe to give a 1.5mg dose of Trimethoprim? Give the answer to one decimal place.
(b) You can use one of the following syringes for this task 1ml, 2ml, 5ml and 10ml. Which would you use for this and why?
END OF TEST
Published: 6 September 2023