Basic Math Operations for Non-Math Majors –

CSE 2026 Edition

Definition

Basic Math Operations refer to the fundamental arithmetic processes used to manipulate numerical
values and solve quantitative problems. These operations form the cornerstone of mathematical
literacy and are essential for everyday calculations in professional and personal contexts.
For the Civil Service Exam (CSE), these concepts are not just about performing calculations; they are
a critical component of the clerical and numerical ability subtest. They are used to evaluate an
examinee's foundational quantitative skills, which are essential for various government roles that
involve data handling, record-keeping, budgeting, and basic problem-solving. Mastery of these
operations demonstrates logical reasoning, attention to detail, and the ability to process numerical
information quickly and accurately under pressure.

Basic operations are used in reasoning and tests because they:

Assess computational accuracy: Demonstrate the ability to perform calculations

without errors

Evaluate processing speed: Measure how quickly an individual can work

with numbers

Test logical sequencing: Show understanding of mathematical order of

operations

Measure attention to detail: Reveal ability to maintain precision under time

constraints

Indicate problem-solving approach: Demonstrate systematic thinking and

methodical work habits

Types of Basic Operations in Math

1.​ Addition (+): The process of combining two or more numbers to find their sum.
Example: If a government agency hired 15 new employees in January and 22 in
February, the total number of new employees is 15+22=37.

Civil Service Exam Reviewer​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Page 1 of 5

[Link]
 2.​ Subtraction (-): The process of taking one number away from another to find the difference.
Example: A total of 150 forms were issued. If 85 have been submitted, the number of
unsubmitted forms is 150−85=65.

3.​ Multiplication (× or ⋅): A shortcut for repeated addition. It is used to find the product of two
or more numbers.
Example: A clerk needs to process 12 reports per day. In 5 days, the total number of
reports processed is 12×5=60.

4.​ Division (÷ or /): The process of sharing a number into equal groups. It is the inverse of
multiplication.
Example: A budget of P9,000 needs to be divided equally among 15 project teams.
Each team will receive P9,000÷15=P600.

Examples with Solutions

Examples Problem Solution Answer

An office library has 23 fiction To find the total, add the There are a total
books, 45 non-fiction books, number of books from each of 80 books.
Addition
and 12 reference books. What category.
is the total number of books in
the library? 23+45+12=80

A project was allotted a budget To find the remaining P6,500 is left.

of P15,000. If P8,500 has amount, subtract the spent
Subtraction
already been spent, how much amount from the total
money is left? budget.
P15,000−P8,500=P6,500

An auditor reviews 15 case files To find the total number of They will have
per hour. If they work for 6 case files, multiply the rate reviewed 90 case
Multiplication
hours, how many case files will by the number of hours. files.
they have reviewed?
15×6=90

Civil Service Exam Reviewer​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Page 2 of 5

[Link]
 A container holds 120 pens. If To find the number of pens Each member will
these pens are to be per staff member, divide receive 5 pens.
Division
distributed equally among 24 the total number of pens by
staff members, how many pens the number of staff
will each member receive? members.

120÷24=5

Practice Questions

1.​ A government office receives 38 requests on Monday and 47 on Tuesday. What is the total
number of requests received over the two days?
A) 75 ​ ​ ​ B) 80 ​ ​ ​ C) 85 ​ ​ ​ D) 90

2.​ A clerk processed 250 documents. If 128 were for internal use, how many were for external
use?
A) 120 ​ ​ B) 122 ​ ​ C) 128 ​ ​ D) 130

3.​ A supply cabinet has 15 boxes of bond paper. If each box contains 500 sheets, how many
sheets of paper are there in total?
A) 7,500 ​ ​ B) 7,000 ​ ​ C) 6,500 ​ ​ D) 5,500

4.​ A total of 360 bags of relief goods are to be distributed equally among 12 barangays. How
many bags will each barangay receive?
A) 25 ​ ​ ​ B) 30 ​ ​ ​ C) 32 ​ ​ ​ D) 35

5.​ A public health clinic received 120 vials of a vaccine. If they used 78 vials, how many are left?
A) 42 ​ ​ ​ B) 48 ​ ​ ​ C) 52 ​ ​ ​ D) 58

6.​ An agency has a budget of P1,500,000 for a project. If they need to allocate the budget to 10
equal phases, how much money is allocated per phase?
A) P15,000 ​ ​ B) P150,000 ​ ​ C) P1,500 ​ ​ D) P100,000

Civil Service Exam Reviewer​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Page 3 of 5

[Link]
 7.​ A government vehicle consumed 8 liters of fuel per day for 4 days. What is the total fuel
consumption?
A) 24 liters​ ​ B) 32 liters ​ ​ C) 36 liters ​ ​ D) 40 liters

8.​ A city hall's parking lot has a capacity of 200 vehicles. If there are 135 cars and 28
motorcycles parked, how many parking spaces are still vacant?
A) 37 ​ ​ ​ B) 42 ​ ​ ​ C) 53 ​ ​ ​ D) 65

9.​ An office-wide memo needs to be printed and distributed to 25 teams. If each team consists
of 8 members, how many copies of the memo are needed?
A) 180 ​ ​ B) 200 ​ ​ C) 225 ​ ​ D) 250

10.​A department's total expenses for a quarter were P35,000. If this amount is to be covered by
5 sub-departments contributing equally, how much should each sub-department contribute?
A) P7,000 ​ ​ B) P5,000 ​ ​ C) P8,500 ​ ​ D) P6,000

11.​ A total of 1,200 participants registered for a webinar. On the day of the event, 185 participants
did not attend. How many people attended the webinar?
A) 1,015 ​ ​ B) 1,025 ​ ​ C) 1,115 ​ ​ D) 1,125

12.​A filing clerk can organize 40 files in 20 minutes. At this rate, how many files can they
organize in an hour?
A) 80 ​ ​ ​ B) 100 ​ ​ C) 120 ​ ​ D) 160

13.​The total population of a small municipality is 8,765. In the last census, the population was
7,990. By how much did the population increase?
A) 765 ​ ​ B) 775 ​ ​ C) 785 ​ ​ D) 805

14.​A government project requires 30 boxes of materials. Each box costs P1,200. What is the total
cost of the materials?
A) P30,000 ​ ​ B) P32,000 ​ ​ C) P36,000 ​ ​ D) P40,000

15.​An office manager has a budget of P2,500 to buy new keyboards. If each keyboard costs
P250, how many keyboards can they buy?
A) 8 ​ ​ ​ B) 9 ​ ​ ​ C) 10 ​ ​ ​ D) 12

Civil Service Exam Reviewer​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Page 4 of 5

[Link]
 16.​A team of 5 members completed a task. If the total number of hours worked by the team was
120 hours, what was the average number of hours worked per member?
A) 20 hours ​ ​ B) 24 hours ​ ​ C) 25 hours ​ ​ D) 30 hours

17.​ A city bus route is 18 kilometers long. If the bus completes 5 round trips in a day, what is the
total distance traveled by the bus?
A) 90 km ​ ​ B) 120 km ​ ​ C) 180 km ​ ​ D) 200 km

18.​A local government unit collected P2,500 in fees on Monday, P3,200 on Tuesday, and P1,800
on Wednesday. What is the total collection for the three days?
A) P6,500 ​ ​ B) P7,000 ​ ​ C) P7,500 ​ ​ D) P8,000

19.​A civil service applicant needs to correctly answer 75% of a 200-item exam to pass. How
many items must the applicant get correct?
A) 120 ​ ​ B) 135 ​ ​ C) 150 ​ ​ D) 160

20.​A file room has 4 sections. Each section has 8 shelves, and each shelf can hold 50 folders.
What is the total number of folders the room can hold?
A) 800 ​ ​ B) 1,000 ​ ​ C) 1,200 ​ ​ D) 1,600

Civil Service Exam Reviewer​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Page 5 of 5

[Link]
Answer Key

1.​ C 11.​ A
2.​ B 12.​C
3.​ A 13.​B
4.​ B 14.​C
5.​ A 15.​C
6.​ B 16.​B
7.​ B 17.​ C
8.​ A 18.​C
9.​ B 19.​C
10.​A 20.​D

Civil Service Exam Reviewer​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Page 6 of 5

[Link]