💡 The Core Skill
When a GED table shows Item / Quantity / Unit Cost, the total cost of each item is Quantity × Unit Cost. Then add all item totals together. This is one of the most common GED applied math problems — it tests reading comprehension AND decimal multiplication!
Item: The name of the product purchased
Number of Items Purchased: How many of that item Anna bought (the quantity)
Item Cost: The price per individual item (unit price — NOT the total for that row!)
| Item | Number of Items Purchased | Item Cost (each) |
|---|---|---|
| 🖌️ Brush | 3 | $15.13 |
| 🎨 Canvas | 2 | $10.27 |
| 🖍️ Paint tube | 7 | $8.96 |
"Item Cost" = the cost of ONE item. The brush costs $15.13 each. Since Anna bought 3, the total for brushes = 3 × $15.13 = $45.39 — not just $15.13!
The problem asks for the total cost of ALL items Anna purchased. That means we need to:
1. Calculate row subtotals (qty × unit price)
2. Add all three subtotals together
This gives the subtotal for that item. Do this for every row in the table.
Sum the subtotals from every row. This is the grand total cost.
Line up decimal points when adding. Round only at the final step if needed.
Before submitting, estimate: 3 items around $15 = ~$45, 2 items around $10 = ~$20, 7 items around $9 = ~$63. Total ≈ $45 + $20 + $63 = $128. Our answer of $128.65 is very close — makes sense! ✅
2 canvases @ $10.27 each
7 paint tubes @ $8.96 each
$45.39
$20.54
$62.72
$128.65
| Item | Qty | Unit Price | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🖌️ Brush | 3 | $15.13 | $45.39 |
| 🎨 Canvas | 2 | $10.27 | $20.54 |
| 🖍️ Paint tube | 7 | $8.96 | $62.72 |
| TOTAL | $128.65 | ||
$20.54
+ $62.72
$128.65 ✅
Set quantities to 3, 2, 7 → should get $128.65 (the GED answer)
Set all quantities to 1 → should get $34.36
Set paint tubes to 0 → should get $65.93
"Item Cost" always means the cost of ONE item — not the row total. Never add up the unit prices directly!
Always calculate each row's subtotal (qty × price) before adding anything. Adding first leads to wrong answers.
$45.39 + $20.54 + $62.72: make sure the decimal points are aligned. Misaligned decimals cause errors of $10 or $100!
Round prices: $15 × 3 = $45, $10 × 2 = $20, $9 × 7 = $63. Estimate ≈ $128. Final answer $128.65 is close → reasonable!
The answer box accepts numbers, decimals, and negative signs. Write $128.65 as 128.65 (no dollar sign needed in the box).
| Step | What to Do | Anna's Example |
|---|---|---|
| Row subtotal | Qty × Unit Price | 3 × $15.13 = $45.39 |
| Grand total | Add all subtotals | $45.39+$20.54+$62.72 |
| Final answer | Check with estimate | $128.65 ✅ |