Question

Jimmy set his score for his math test. After the math teacher returnee his paper to him, he realized that if he increased his target by 10%, he would need 1 more mark to reach his actual score. If he increased his target by 15%, this target would exceed his actual test marks by 3. What is his actual test score.

Answer 1

When ever you have percentages, it should be helpful to bear in mind you can express them as multipliers. In this case, it will be helpful.
So, if we let:
a = test score
b = target score
then, using the information given:
a = 1.1b + 1
a = 1.15b - 3
and we get simultaneous equations.
'1.1' and '1.15' are the multipliers that I got using the percentages. Multiplying a value by 1.1 is the equivalent of increasing the value by 10%. If you multiplied it by 0.1 (which is the same as dividing by 10), you would get just 10% of the value.
Back to the simultaneous equations, we can just solve them now:
There are a number of ways to do this but I will use my preferred method:
Rearrange to express in terms of b:
a = 1.1b + 1
then b = (a - 1)/1.1
a = 1.15b - 3
then b = (a + 3)/1.15
Since they are both equal to b, they are of the same value so we can set them equal to each other and solve for a:
(a - 1)/1.1 = (a + 3)/1.15
1.15 * (a - 1) = 1.1 * (a + 3)
1.15a - 1.15 = 1.1a + 3.3
0.05a = 4.45
a = 89