Praxis 5003 Practice Question

Liz received some money for her birthday. On Monday, she spent half of the money on a new video game; on Tuesday, she spent a third of what was left on a shirt; and on Wednesday, she spent a fourth of what was left on a new book. If she has $15 remaining. How much money did Liz receive for her birthday?

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: To determine how much money Liz received, we can work backward from her remaining $15.

On Wednesday, Liz spent a fourth of what was left. If she has $15 remaining after spending, this amount represents three-fourths of what was left after Tuesday's expenses. Thus, $15 is three-fourths of the amount before she bought the book, leading to $15 ÷ (3/4) = $20 before the book purchase.

On Tuesday, she spent a third of what was left after Monday. The $20 represents two-thirds of the remaining amount after her first purchase, so $20 ÷ (2/3) = $30 before the shirt purchase.

On Monday, Liz spent half of the initial amount, meaning $30 is half of what she originally had, resulting in $30 × 2 = $60.

Option A ($360), B ($180), and C ($120) are incorrect because they do not align with the calculations based on the spending pattern described. Therefore, Liz received $60 for her birthday.

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