Answers to the JOURNALISM MATH TEST (By Steve Doig, Arizona State University, inspired by one developed by Phil Meyer, UNC-Chapel Hill)
1	Last year's city budget was $8,325,198. This year, you're told, the budget will be cut by 3 percent. What will this year's budget be? 8325198 * (1 - 0.03)= 8325198 * 0.97 = $8,075,442
2	The city's parks and recreation budget was cut from $2.4 million to $1.2 million. What was the percent change? NEW/OLD - 1: (1.2 / 2.4) - 1 = -0.5, or a 50% decrease
3	In a loose crowd, each person takes up about 10 square feet. What is the best estimate of how many people gathered for a protest demonstration that loosely filled a plaza that measures 100 yards by 40 yards? (300 * 120) / 10 = 3,600
4	Today is Nov. 3, 2002. You are doing a story about a fatal shooting last night. The police report says the victim was born on April 21, 1948. How old was the victim? 2002 - 1948 = 54 years old
5	One out of 12 residents of your city speaks Spanish. About what percent of the population speaks Spanish? 1/12 = 0.083, or about 8 percent
6	Your city of 152,000 had a total of 82 murders last year. What was the murder rate per 100,000? 82 / (152000 / 100000) = 82 / 1.52 = 53.9 murders per 100,000 population
7	An oil tanker hit a rock offshore from your city and spilled about 170,000 gallons of crude oil. You want to make that volume relevant to your readers by saying how many backyard swimming pools (which hold about 12,000 gallons) it would take to hold that much oil. About how many swimming pools would the spilled oil fill? 170000 / 12000 = 14.2, or about 14 swimming pools
8	Your city has a property tax rate of $13.50 per $1,000 assessed value (but $25,000 of the home value can't be taxed because of the state's homestead exemption.) What would be the tax bill for a typical homeowner if the median assessed value of homes is $182,000? ((182000 - 25000) / 1,000) * 13.50 = 157 * 13.50 = 2119.5, or about $2,120
9	Every year your city has a large one-day street festival that draws a big crowd. The festival is held along one 40-block stretch of street that is two miles long and about 70 feet across. The festival organizers predict that 1.1 million people will attend this year's event. What is a more realistic estimate, knowing that the area will be filled with a loose crowd (10 square feet per person) all day, and assuming that on average everyone stays for half the time? 2 * ((5280 * 2 * 70) / 10) = 2 * (739200 / 10) = 2 * (73920) = 147840, or about 150,000 attendees
10	Last year your small town had three murders. This year there were none. How would you describe the change? 100% decrease — not 300%, which John Allen Paulos notes would mean bringing victims back to life
11	Last year's police and fire budget for your town was $4.83 million. This year it's $4.96 million. What was the percentage change? NEW / OLD - 1: (4.96 / 4.83) - 1 = 0.0269151, or a 2.7% increase
12	The city managers in five towns in your circulation area are paid $76,000, $68,000, $83,000, $122,000 and $65,000 a year. What is their average salary? (76000 + 68000 + 83000 + 122000 + 65000) / 5 = $82,800 average
13	In question 12, what is the median salary? The median (middle) is $76,000. *To get the median, list all of your numbers in order, beginning with the lowest and ending with the highest. Count how many numbers you have and divide by two. Now add 0.5. If the result is a whole number, count up the list that many values and that will be your median. If the result is not a whole number, take the average of the two numbers surrounding that number.*
*From "Numbers in the Newsroom: Using Math and Statistics in News" by Sarah Cohen for Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. (p. 36)
Get help with your math skills If you had trouble with this test, you should get a copy of "Numbers in the Newsroom: Using Math and Statistics in News," published by IRE. Computer-Assisted Reporting: A Practical Guide (Second Edition) by IRE and NICAR executive director Brant Houston also offers chapters on dealing with numbers and statistics. IRE and NICAR also offer many training opportunities, including computer-assisted reporting boot camps.