Number & Algebra
The largest section of the FRV WST numeracy test. Fractions and percentages alone account for roughly a third of all questions. Master these first.
Integers and Place Value
ACSF: Identifies and uses whole numbers, including negative integers, in a range of everyday contexts
Reading, writing and ordering whole numbers. Place value to thousands and beyond. Negative numbers in operational contexts — temperature differences, water pressure differentials, altitude variances.
Key skills
Common mistake: Rounding 5 always goes up. Negatives: −3 is greater than −7, not the other way around.
Fractions
ACSF: Calculates with fractions, including mixed numbers, in a range of everyday and work contexts
Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions. Converting between mixed numbers and improper fractions. Comparing fractions — appearing as proportions in operational reports (e.g. 3/4 of crew, 2/5 of tank capacity).
Key skills
Common mistake: Adding fractions by adding numerators AND denominators (e.g. 1/2 + 1/3 ≠ 2/5). Always find a common denominator first.
Decimals
ACSF: Performs calculations with decimals, including in money and measurement contexts
Operations with decimals. Ordering decimals — common in pressure readings, response time logs, hose lengths. Converting between fractions and decimals. Rounding to a given number of decimal places.
Key skills
Common mistake: Ordering decimals: 0.9 > 0.85 > 0.8 > 0.75. More digits doesn't mean a bigger number.
Percentages
ACSF: Calculates percentages and uses them to solve problems in everyday and work contexts, including percentage increase and decrease
Finding a percentage of an amount. Percentage increase and decrease. Expressing one quantity as a percentage of another. Surcharges, levies, GST (10%), conversion rates — common in budget, equipment, and reporting contexts.
Key skills
Common mistake: Removing GST: dividing by 1.1 is NOT the same as subtracting 10%. A $110 item has $10 GST in it, not $11.
Rates and Ratios
ACSF: Uses rates and ratios to solve problems in everyday contexts, including unit rates, scale and proportion
Unit rates (flow rates, speed, pay rates, response time per kilometre). Mixing ratios — foam concentrate to water, equipment maintenance schedules. Scale factors on building plans.
Key skills
Common mistake: Sharing in ratio 3:5 — find total parts (8) first. The shares are 3/8 and 5/8 of the total.
Order of Operations (BODMAS)
ACSF: Applies order of operations to evaluate numerical expressions in context
Evaluating expressions with multiple operations. Brackets, division, multiplication, addition, subtraction — in that order. The on-screen calculator follows BODMAS; trust it but use brackets when the order matters.
Key skills
Common mistake: On the on-screen calculator: 17.50 + 19.75 × 3 = 76.75, NOT 111.75. Use brackets: (17.50 + 19.75) × 3 = 111.75.
Squares and Square Roots
ACSF: Recognises and uses squares and square roots in measurement and everyday contexts
Squares of whole numbers. Square roots of perfect squares. Estimating square roots — useful for area-to-side and distance calculations on building plans and site maps.
Key skills
Common mistake: √9 = 3, not ±3. In WST questions (lengths, areas), the answer is always the positive root.
Basic Algebra
ACSF: Substitutes values into formulae and solves simple equations in everyday and work contexts
Substituting values into formulae. Solving simple one-step and two-step equations. Reading and using algebraic expressions in operational contexts — flow rate × time = volume, total cost = base + rate × duration.
Key skills
Common mistake: WST algebra is about substitution and simple solving — not factorising or quadratics. Keep it straightforward.
Ready to test yourself?
Take the free 13-question diagnostic — see exactly where you stand across the WST numeracy strands. Or sit a full practice paper free, no sign-up needed.