Adult Literacy High Beginner Quiz: Reading Bills And Policies
10 questions · exam conditions
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Reading Bills And PoliciesQuestion 1 of 10

WASTE COLLECTION BILL

Regular charge: 6060 dollars
Early-payment amount: 5555 dollars if received by March 10
Final due date: March 20
Late fee after March 20: 88 dollars

Mailed checks count on the date they are received, not the date they are sent. Luis mails a check for 5555 dollars on March 9. The office receives it on March 12.

How much more must Luis pay by March 20 to complete the regular payment?

An additional 55 dollars
An additional 88 dollars
An additional 1313 dollars
An additional 6060 dollars
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Adult Literacy High Beginner Quiz

Adult Literacy High Beginner Quiz: Reading Bills And Policies

Practice Reading Bills And Policies in Adult Literacy High Beginner with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Reading Bills And Policies, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Adult Literacy High Beginner.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

WASTE COLLECTION BILL

Regular charge: 6060 dollars
Early-payment amount: 5555 dollars if received by March 10
Final due date: March 20
Late fee after March 20: 88 dollars

Mailed checks count on the date they are received, not the date they are sent. Luis mails a check for 5555 dollars on March 9. The office receives it on March 12.

How much more must Luis pay by March 20 to complete the regular payment?

  1. An additional 55 dollars (correct answer)
  2. An additional 88 dollars
  3. An additional 1313 dollars
  4. An additional 6060 dollars
Explanation: When a bill has an early-payment discount, always check whether the payment actually qualifies for that discount before calculating what's owed. The bill clearly states that $55\$55 is only accepted if the payment is received by March 10. Luis mailed his check on March 9, but the office didn't receive it until March 12 — two days late for the discount. The bill also tells you that mailed checks count on the date received, not the date sent. So Luis's $55\$55 check does not qualify for the early-payment price. Instead, he owes the regular charge of $60\$60. Since he already paid $55\$55, the remaining balance is $60−$55=$5\$60 - \$55 = \$5, and he has until March 20 to pay it without a late fee. That makes A correct. Choice B ($8\$8) confuses the late fee with the remaining balance. The $8\$8 late fee only applies after March 20 — it hasn't been triggered yet, and the question asks about completing payment by March 20. Choice C ($13\$13) appears to add the $5\$5 balance plus the $8\$8 late fee together, but since Luis pays the remaining $5\$5 on time, no late fee is charged. Choice D ($60\$60) ignores the $55\$55 already paid — he doesn't owe the full bill again. A good strategy: on bill-reading questions, always identify which rule applies to the specific situation before doing any math. Rules often have conditions (like deadlines) that change everything.

Question 2

WORK SCHEDULE POLICY

Employees must give schedule-change requests to a supervisor in writing at least 22 workdays before the requested change. A request is not approved until the supervisor gives written approval. Without approval, the employee must report for the original shift.

On Tuesday morning, Deon gives his supervisor a written request to change his Friday shift. By Thursday evening, he has not received an answer.

What must Deon do if he receives no approval before Friday?

  1. Stay home because he submitted the request on time
  2. Report for the original Friday shift as scheduled (correct answer)
  3. Work the requested shift without written approval
  4. Ask a coworker to approve the schedule change
Explanation: When a question asks what an employee must do, your job is to find the rule that applies and follow it exactly — even when real life might feel different. Workplace policy questions like this one test whether you can locate the key condition and apply it correctly. The policy states two things clearly: a request is not approved until the supervisor gives written approval, and without approval, the employee must report for the original shift. Deon submitted his request on Tuesday — two workdays before Friday — so he followed the submission rule correctly. But by Thursday evening, he still has no written approval. That means the condition for working the new shift has not been met. Under the policy, Deon must report for his original Friday shift. That makes B the correct answer. Choice A is a common trap. Submitting a request on time is only the first step — it does not equal approval. Confusing "I did my part" with "the request is granted" is exactly the mistake this question is designed to catch. Choice C would have Deon work the new shift without written approval, which the policy directly forbids. The rule doesn't make exceptions for cases where an answer is simply late. Choice D misreads who has authority here — only a supervisor can approve schedule changes, not a coworker. A good strategy for policy-reading questions: find the "if/then" rules buried in the text. Here, the rule is if no written approval, then report to the original shift. Once you spot that structure, the question almost answers itself.

Question 3

RENT PAYMENT NOTICE

Rent still owed: 900900 dollars
Late charge: 3535 dollars
Amount required by August 8: 935935 dollars

Online card payments have a 44-dollar service fee. The service fee is not applied to the rent balance.

What is the lowest total card charge that will clear the required amount by August 8?

  1. A total card charge of 900900 dollars
  2. A total card charge of 904904 dollars
  3. A total card charge of 935935 dollars
  4. A total card charge of 939939 dollars (correct answer)
Explanation: When a question lists a required payment amount plus mentions an extra fee for a specific payment method, you need to add both together — the fee doesn't replace any part of what you owe, it stacks on top. Here, the notice tells you that $935\$935 must be cleared by August 8. If you pay by card, there is an additional $4\$4 service fee. The notice is explicit: the service fee is not applied to the rent balance, meaning it doesn't count toward your $935\$935. It's a separate charge you pay just for using the card. So the total card charge is $935+$4=$939\$935 + \$4 = \$939, making D the correct answer. Choice A ($900\$900) ignores both the $35\$35 late fee and the $4\$4 card fee — it's just the base rent, which is no longer enough. Choice B ($904\$904) adds only the card fee to the base rent (900+4900 + 4), forgetting that the late charge has already raised the required amount to $935\$935. Choice C ($935\$935) is the amount required by the deadline, but it doesn't account for the card service fee on top — if you charge exactly $935\$935, only $931\$931 reaches your balance after the $4\$4 fee is taken out, leaving you short. A useful strategy: whenever you see a notice with fees, underline every separate charge and ask yourself, "Does this replace something I already owe, or does it add to it?" Extra service fees almost always add — they never reduce your existing balance.

Question 4

CITY ELECTRIC — FINAL NOTICE

Past-due amount: 2424 dollars
Current charges: 6868 dollars
Total balance: 9292 dollars

Pay at least the past-due amount by May 14 to prevent shutoff. Any balance left must be paid by May 28. A 1010-dollar late fee will be added after May 28.

Sam pays 7070 dollars on May 13.

What must Sam do next to avoid both shutoff and the late fee?

  1. Pay 2424 dollars by May 14.
  2. Pay 1010 dollars by May 28.
  3. Pay 2222 dollars by May 28. (correct answer)
  4. Pay 6868 dollars by May 28.
Explanation: When a bill has two separate deadlines and you make a partial payment, you need to track what's left — and when it's due. That's exactly what this question tests. Sam's total balance is $92\$92. He pays $70\$70 on May 13, which is before the first deadline, so the shutoff is prevented — but there's still a remaining balance. To find it: 92−70=2292 - 70 = 22. Sam still owes $22\$22, and the notice says any remaining balance must be paid by May 28 to avoid the late fee. So the correct answer is C: pay $22\$22 by May 28. Here's why the other choices miss the mark. A says pay $24\$24 by May 14 — but Sam already paid $70\$70 on May 13, which covers the $24\$24 past-due amount and more. That deadline is already handled. B says pay $10\$10 by May 28 — but $10\$10 is the late fee, not the remaining balance. The late fee only appears if Sam misses the May 28 deadline; it's not something he needs to pay on purpose. D says pay $68\$68 by May 28 — that's the current charges from the original bill, not what's left after his payment. A useful strategy: whenever a question involves a payment plan or partial payment, write out the subtraction step by step. Don't pull numbers directly from the passage without checking whether they've already been reduced by a payment. The trap is always using an original number when the situation has already changed.

Question 5

RIVER CLINIC STATEMENT

Cost of care: 240240 dollars
Insurance payment: 150150 dollars
Clinic adjustment: 3030 dollars
Patient balance: 6060 dollars

Pay the patient balance by October 18. If the full patient balance is paid by October 4, subtract a 66-dollar early-payment discount.

Mara pays the full amount on October 3. How much should she pay?

  1. She should pay 5454 dollars. (correct answer)
  2. She should pay 6060 dollars.
  3. She should pay 8484 dollars.
  4. She should pay 9090 dollars.
Explanation: When reading a medical bill, you often need to track multiple steps: what the clinic charges, what insurance covers, and what's left for you to pay. Then watch for any special conditions — like early-payment discounts — that change the final amount. Here, the statement already does the hard work of calculating the patient balance. The cost was 240240, insurance paid 150150, the clinic adjusted 3030, and that leaves a patient balance of 6060. You don't need to recalculate that part. The key detail is the early-payment rule: if the full balance is paid by October 4, subtract 66. Mara pays on October 3, which is before October 4, so she qualifies. That means she pays 60−6=5460 - 6 = 54 dollars, making A the correct answer. B (6060) is tempting because it's the stated patient balance — but it ignores the early-payment discount Mara earned by paying on October 3. Always re-read for conditions like "if paid by" before accepting the first number you see. C (8484) likely comes from adding the clinic adjustment back in (60+30−6=8460 + 30 - 6 = 84), but the adjustment has already been applied in the bill — you don't add it again. D (9090) may come from adding the clinic adjustment without the discount (60+30=9060 + 30 = 90), which is the same mistake as C but worse. A good strategy: on any bill or invoice question, circle every conditional word — if, by, unless — because those small words almost always affect the math.

Question 6

HOMEPLUS RETURN POLICY

Unopened items with a receipt may be returned for a refund within 3030 days. An opened small appliance may be exchanged within 1414 days only if it does not work. After 1414 days, the customer must contact the maker.

Nina bought a blender on September 1. She opened it, but it did not work. She brings it back with her receipt on September 12.

What does the policy allow Nina to request?

  1. A full refund for the opened blender
  2. An exchange for another working blender (correct answer)
  3. Store credit to use within 3030 days
  4. A repair provided by the blender's maker
Explanation: When a question asks what a policy "allows," your job is to match the customer's exact situation to the right rule — ignore rules that don't apply to her case. Nina's situation has three key facts: she bought a blender, she opened it, and it doesn't work. She's returning it on September 12, which is 11 days after September 1 — well within the 14-day window. Now find the rule that fits: "An opened small appliance may be exchanged within 14 days only if it does not work." Nina checks every box — opened item, not working, within 14 days — so the policy allows her to request an exchange. That makes B correct. A is tempting because Nina has her receipt, but the refund rule applies only to unopened items. Since Nina opened the blender, she no longer qualifies for a refund regardless of how soon she returns it. C mentions store credit, but the policy never mentions store credit at all — don't choose options that introduce ideas the passage doesn't support. D describes contacting the maker for a repair, but that rule only kicks in after 14 days have passed. Since Nina is returning the blender on day 11, she doesn't need to go to the maker yet. A useful strategy: when a policy has multiple rules, slow down and ask, "Which rule matches this customer's situation?" Policies often have different rules for different conditions (opened vs. unopened, within vs. after a deadline). Matching the right rule to the right situation is the skill these questions test.

Question 7

MONTHLY BUS PASS CANCELLATION POLICY

A cancellation must be received at least 55 business days before the next automatic reload. Saturdays and Sundays are not business days. Requests received later will stop the following month's reload. Reloads already made cannot be refunded.

Omar's next reload is Monday, June 17. He sends a request on Thursday, June 6, but the office receives it on Monday, June 10.

What should Omar expect under this policy?

  1. The June 17 reload will stop because he sent the request early.
  2. The June 17 reload will stop, but he must pay a cancellation fee.
  3. The June 17 reload will occur, but the following month's reload will stop. (correct answer)
  4. The June 17 reload will occur, and he must submit a new request to cancel any future reload.
Explanation: When a policy says a request must be received by a deadline, the date it was sent doesn't matter — only the date it arrives counts. That distinction is the key to this question. The policy requires cancellation requests to be received at least 55 business days before the reload. Omar's reload is Monday, June 17. To count back 55 business days (skipping Saturday and Sunday), you go: Friday June 14 = day 1, Thursday June 13 = day 2, Wednesday June 12 = day 3, Tuesday June 11 = day 4, Monday June 10 = day 5. So the deadline to receive the request is Monday, June 10. Omar's request arrived on June 10 — exactly on the deadline, not before it. The policy says requests received later than the deadline will stop the following month's reload, meaning the June 17 reload will still happen. That makes C correct: the June 17 reload goes through, but the month after will be stopped. A is wrong because the policy is based on when the office receives the request, not when Omar sent it. Sending it on June 6 is irrelevant. B is wrong because the policy mentions no cancellation fee anywhere — don't add rules that aren't there. D is wrong because Omar's request is already valid; he doesn't need to submit a new one. The following month's reload will stop automatically based on the request already received. When reading policy questions, always ask: what exact event triggers the rule? Here, "received" is the trigger — not sent, not processed.

Question 8

MOBILE PHONE AUTOPAY NOTICE

Regular monthly charge: 7676 dollars
Autopay discount: 55 dollars
Discounted account charge: 7171 dollars

If an autopay payment is returned by the bank, a 1212-dollar returned-payment fee is added and the 55-dollar discount is removed.

Tariq's bank returns his autopay payment.

What new amount must Tariq pay for this bill?

  1. He must pay 7171 dollars.
  2. He must pay 7676 dollars.
  3. He must pay 8383 dollars.
  4. He must pay 8888 dollars. (correct answer)
Explanation: When a question gives you a starting amount and then lists multiple changes to it, your job is to apply every change carefully — don't stop at just one. This question tests whether you can track two separate adjustments at once. Here's how to work through Tariq's situation. His bill started at 7676 dollars (the regular monthly charge). He had been getting a 55-dollar autopay discount, bringing it down to 7171 dollars. But when his bank returns the payment, two things happen: the 55-dollar discount is removed, and a 1212-dollar returned-payment fee is added. So you start from the original 7676 dollars (discount gone) and then add 1212 dollars: 76+12=8876 + 12 = 88 dollars. Choice D is correct. Choice A (7171 dollars) is the discounted amount Tariq would have paid if everything went smoothly — it ignores both penalties entirely. Choice B (7676 dollars) correctly removes the discount and goes back to the regular charge, but it forgets to add the 1212-dollar returned-payment fee. This is the most tempting wrong answer — it's only half right. Choice C (8383 dollars) adds the 1212-dollar fee to the already-discounted 7171 dollars, which means it keeps the discount Tariq is no longer supposed to receive: 71+12=8371 + 12 = 83. A good strategy here: when a passage says a penalty is added and a benefit is removed, treat those as two separate math steps. Read penalty notices slowly — they often hide multiple changes in one sentence.

Question 9

PARKING CITATION NOTICE

Citation amount: 4545 dollars

You may pay or appeal within 2121 calendar days after the notice date. The day after the notice date is day 11. If an appeal is denied, payment is due within 1010 calendar days after the denial date. A 1515-dollar late fee is added after that.

The notice date is April 3. Jada appeals on April 24. Her appeal is denied on May 2, and she pays on May 13.

How much does Jada owe when she pays on May 13?

  1. She owes only the 1515-dollar fee.
  2. She owes a total of 6060 dollars. (correct answer)
  3. She owes a total of 4545 dollars.
  4. She owes a total of 3030 dollars.
Explanation: When a question involves fees and deadlines, your job is to track two things: whether each deadline was met, and what the final total owed becomes based on those outcomes. Here's how Jada's timeline plays out. Her appeal is denied on May 2, which means she has 10 calendar days to pay — counting May 3 as day 1, her deadline falls on May 12. She pays on May 13, which is one day late. That means the 1515-dollar late fee is added to her original 4545-dollar citation: 45+15=6045 + 15 = 60 dollars total. Choice B is correct. Now let's look at why the other options miss the mark. Choice A says she owes only the 1515-dollar fee — this ignores the original citation entirely. The late fee is added on top of what she already owed, not instead of it. Choice C says she owes just 4545 dollars, which would be correct only if she had paid on time after her appeal was denied. Since she paid on May 13 — one day past the May 12 deadline — the late fee applies. Choice D, 3030 dollars, doesn't match any meaningful combination of the numbers in the problem; it may seem like a partial amount, but nothing in the notice supports it. A useful strategy: when a problem has multiple deadlines, map them out step by step before calculating any money. Confirm whether each deadline was met before deciding which fees apply — missing that step is exactly the trap choices C and A are designed to catch.

Question 10

WATER LEAK ADJUSTMENT POLICY

To receive a bill adjustment, a customer must:

  • repair the leak within 3030 days after the notice date, and
  • send a repair receipt within 1010 days after the repair.

The day after each listed date is day 11.

Lena's notice is dated August 1. The leak is repaired on August 28. She sends the receipt on September 9.

Why does Lena's request fail to meet the full policy?

  1. The repair was late, but the receipt was sent on time.
  2. Both the repair and the receipt were completed too late.
  3. Both steps were timely, but a second receipt was required.
  4. The repair was timely, but the receipt was sent too late. (correct answer)
Explanation: When a policy has multiple steps, your job is to check each one separately against its own deadline — don't assume that getting one right means the other is fine too. Here's how to work through Lena's situation. The notice is dated August 1, and the counting starts the next day (August 2 = Day 1). Counting forward 30 days lands on August 31 as the repair deadline. Lena repairs the leak on August 28 — that's within 30 days, so Step 1 passes. Now check Step 2. The repair happened on August 28, and again, counting starts the next day (August 29 = Day 1). Counting forward 10 days lands on September 7 as the receipt deadline. Lena sends the receipt on September 9 — two days too late. Step 2 fails. So the correct answer is D: the repair was timely, but the receipt arrived after the deadline. Choice A gets it backwards — it says the repair was late, but the repair was actually the step she completed on time. Choice B is wrong because it claims both steps were late, when in fact the repair met its deadline. Choice C invents a "second receipt" requirement that appears nowhere in the policy — don't let unfamiliar answer choices trick you into second-guessing what you read. Study tip: When a question involves multiple deadlines, slow down and calculate each one independently. Write out "Day 1 = [date]" for each step so you don't mix them up — a small note can prevent a costly mistake.