Percent of a whole

HESI A2
Basic Math Skills
Multiple choice
Difficulty 2 of 5

Question

A library sets aside 25% of its 240 new bookmarks for a mobile exhibit. How many bookmarks are set aside?

9.6✗ Incorrect

Incorrect. This answer divides the whole by the percent.
60✓ Correct

Correct. 25% of 240 = 25 ÷ 100 × 240 = 60.
180✗ Incorrect

Incorrect. This answer finds the remaining part instead of the percent asked for.
6,000✗ Incorrect

Incorrect. This answer forgets to divide the percent by 100.

Answer

B. 60

Rationale

A percentage describes a share of the entire collection. Express the rate as a decimal and apply it to the total, rather than finding the bookmarks left over.

Worked solution: 25% of 240 = 25 ÷ 100 × 240 = 60.

RememberApply the requested percentage to the whole to find the selected part.

Sources

DOE-HDBK-1014/1-92 U.S. Department of Energy · License: US government work (public domain) · Retrieved November 2, 2026 · Page 77

Last verified: November 5, 2026 2 independent automated checks Question hesi-bms-00013, version 1

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