4.1 Word problem strategy

Achievable ASVAB

4. Arithmetic Reasoning

Word problem strategy

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The arithmetic reasoning section of the ASVAB focuses on word problems. These questions test how well you can take a real-world situation and turn it into math you can solve.

Word problem strategy

Use these steps:

Read carefully and recognize what the problem is really asking
Identify your given information
Draw it out!
Write the equation (if needed)
Solve

Let’s break down these steps even more.

Exam tip: No calculator is allowed on the ASVAB, so keep the arithmetic manageable. Simplify fractions before you multiply (reduce $\frac{4}{10}$ to $\frac{2}{5}$ , or cancel common factors in a proportion like $\frac{4}{3} = \frac{16}{x}$ before cross-multiplying), estimate first to rule out answer choices, and keep awkward values as fractions instead of converting to long decimals.

Read carefully and identify what the problem is asking

It may seem obvious, but reading and understanding the question is the most important step in the Arithmetic Reasoning section. Take your time and read carefully without making assumptions.

The test will often word questions in a way that can be confusing or misleading. Sometimes it may seem like they’re asking for one thing, when they’re actually asking for something else. Always double-check what the question is really asking before you start solving.

On the CAT-ASVAB, you can’t skip a question or go back and change an answer once you confirm it, so do this checking before you lock in your choice. If you get stuck, rule out answer choices and make your best guess rather than leaving the question unanswered, since unanswered questions count against you.

Example:

A recipe uses a ratio of $4$ cups of flour for every $3$ cups of sugar. If a baker uses $16$ cups of flour, how much more flour than sugar did they use?

A. $4$ cups
B. $6$ cups
C. $9$ cups
D. $12$ cups

Someone who didn’t read this question closely might assume the question is asking for the total cups of sugar used. If that were the case, they might pick D, $12$ cups.

But that’s not what the question is asking.

The question is asking for the difference between flour and sugar.

So first, we need to find how much sugar was used.

The ratio is:

$\frac{4}{3}$

We are told the baker used $16$ cups of flour, so we set up a proportion:

$\frac{4}{3} = \frac{16}{x}$

Here:

$16$ is the flour used

$x$ is the unknown amount of sugar

Now solve by cross multiplying:

$4 x 4 x = 3 * 16 = 48$

Now divide both sides by $4$ :

$x = 12$

So, the baker used $12$ cups of sugar.

Now we know:

Flour = $16$ cups

Sugar = $12$ cups

The question asks for the difference, so subtract:

$16 - 12 = 4$

Answer: A

Identify your given information

No word problem exists in a vacuum. Every problem gives you some information and expects you to find what’s missing.

Your job is to identify what you know and what you’re trying to find, even if it’s not immediately obvious. Start by pulling out the given values and relationships before trying to solve.

Example:

A teacher gives group lessons that last $1$ hour and private lessons that are half as long. She teaches $4$ group lessons and $3$ private lessons. How many hours does she teach?

A. $4$
B. $5.5$
C. $7$
D. $8.5$

Let’s break this down carefully.

Group lessons: $1$ hour each, $4$ lessons

$1 \times 4 = 4$

Private lessons: half as long → $0.5$ hours each, $3$ lessons

$0.5 \times 3 = 1.5$

Now add both parts:

$4 + 1.5 = 5.5$

Answer: B

Draw it out

Not every problem requires a diagram, but drawing or writing things out is a smart move when you feel stuck or unsure.

A quick sketch helps you keep track of multiple pieces of information and makes relationships easier to see. This is especially helpful for spatial or geometry problems.

The less you try to hold in your head, the fewer mistakes you’ll make. Let’s look at an example where drawing it out helps:

Example:

Kenny has a concrete patio that is $4$ meters wide and $6$ meters long. He wants to expand the patio by adding an additional $1$ meter of concrete to each of the four sides. What is the new area of the patio?

A. $24 m^{2}$
B. $35 m^{2}$
C. $48 m^{2}$
D. $72 m^{2}$

If you don’t draw this out, it’s very easy to make a mistake.

A common error is to just add $1$ to each dimension and say the new patio is $5$ by $7$ :

$5 \times 7 = 35$

This is incorrect.

Let’s look at the original patio:

$A rectangular patio 6 m long and 4 m wide.$
Original patio diagram
Achievable
Image not to scale
Now, Kenny is adding $1$ meter to each side.

That means:

The width increases by $2$ total (left + right)

The length increases by $2$ total (top + bottom)

So the new dimensions are:

$6 \times 8$

$The 6 m by 4 m patio with 1 m of new concrete added on each of its four sides, making it 8 m long and 6 m wide.$
Patio with addition
Achievable
Image not to scale
Now find the area:

$6 \times 8 = 48$

The new area is $48 m^{2}$ .

Answer: C

Write the equation (if needed)

Once you understand what the question is asking and have identified your given information, the next step is to turn the words into math by writing an equation.

Not every problem requires a complex equation, but using algebra can help organize your thinking and make it easier to solve for the unknown.

Example:

On Monday, Savannah read the first three chapters of her book. Each chapter was one page longer than the one before it. If she read a total of $78$ pages, how many pages were in the first chapter?

A. $25$ pages
B. $30$ pages
C. $35$ pages
D. $40$ pages

This problem involves consecutive values, since each chapter is one page longer than the previous one.

Let the first chapter be $x$ .

Then:

Second chapter = $x + 1$

Third chapter = $x + 2$

We know all three add up to $78$ , so write the equation:

$x + (x + 1) + (x + 2) = 78$

Now combine like terms and solve:

$3 x + 3 3 x x = 78 = 75 = 25$

Before finishing, double-check what the question is asking.

We are looking for the number of pages in the first chapter, and that is what $x$ represents.

So the first chapter is $25$ pages.

Answer: A

Solve

You’ve read the problem, identified the information, drawn it out, and (if needed) written an equation. Now it’s time to solve: carry out the math, then double-check that your answer actually answers the question being asked, not just a number you calculated along the way.

Example:

A $32$ inch party sub is divided in half, and then each half is divided into fourths to make several equal portions. If Annabelle eats two portions of the sandwich, how many inches of sandwich did she eat?

A. $4$ inches
B. $8$ inches
C. $12$ inches
D. $16$ inches

Cutting the sub in half gives two $16$ inch pieces, and cutting each half into fourths gives pieces that are $16 \div 4 = 4$ inches long. Annabelle eats $2$ of those pieces: $4 \times 2 = 8$ inches.

Answer: $8$ inches (B)

Word problem strategy overview

Five-step approach: read carefully, identify given info, draw it out, write an equation (if needed), solve
No calculator allowed — simplify fractions early, estimate to rule out choices, keep values as fractions when possible
On CAT-ASVAB, answers are locked once confirmed and can’t be skipped or revisited — verify before confirming, never leave blank

Read carefully & identify what’s asked

Questions often word things to mislead; don’t assume what’s being asked
Double-check the actual question (e.g., “difference” vs. “total”) before finalizing an answer
Example: ratio/proportion problem — easy to answer a different question than the one asked (correct approach: set up $\frac{4}{3} = \frac{16}{x}$ , cross-multiply, then subtract for the “difference”)

Identify given information

Pull out all known values and relationships before attempting to solve
Break multi-part problems into separate pieces, compute each, then combine
Example: lesson-length problem — calculate each lesson type separately ( $1 \times 4 = 4$ , $0.5 \times 3 = 1.5$ ), then add for total

Draw it out

Sketching helps organize multi-step or spatial/geometry problems and prevents careless errors
Common pitfall: misapplying a single addition to both dimensions instead of accounting for both sides
Example: adding 1m border to all four sides increases each dimension by 2 (not 1), changing $4 \times 6$ to $6 \times 8 = 48 m^{2}$

Write the equation

Translate word relationships into algebra, especially for consecutive or unknown-value problems
Define variable for unknown, express related terms in terms of it, then combine like terms to solve
Example: consecutive chapter pages — $x + (x + 1) + (x + 2) = 78 \Rightarrow x = 25$ ; confirm which value the question wants

Solve & verify

After computing, confirm the final number actually answers the specific question asked (not just an intermediate result)
Example: sub sandwich divided into eighths — each piece is $4$ inches; eating $2$ pieces equals $8$ inches total

Next | 4.2 Percents, money, and rates

Word problem strategy

The arithmetic reasoning section of the ASVAB focuses on word problems. These questions test how well you can take a real-world situation and turn it into math you can solve.

Word problem strategy

Use these steps:

Read carefully and recognize what the problem is really asking
Identify your given information
Draw it out!
Write the equation (if needed)
Solve

Let’s break down these steps even more.

Read carefully and identify what the problem is asking

It may seem obvious, but reading and understanding the question is the most important step in the Arithmetic Reasoning section. Take your time and read carefully without making assumptions.

Example:

A recipe uses a ratio of $4$ cups of flour for every $3$ cups of sugar. If a baker uses $16$ cups of flour, how much more flour than sugar did they use?

A. $4$ cups
B. $6$ cups
C. $9$ cups
D. $12$ cups

Someone who didn’t read this question closely might assume the question is asking for the total cups of sugar used. If that were the case, they might pick D, $12$ cups.

But that’s not what the question is asking.

The question is asking for the difference between flour and sugar.

So first, we need to find how much sugar was used.

The ratio is:

$\frac{4}{3}$

We are told the baker used $16$ cups of flour, so we set up a proportion:

$\frac{4}{3} = \frac{16}{x}$

Here:

$16$ is the flour used

$x$ is the unknown amount of sugar

Now solve by cross multiplying:

$4 x 4 x = 3 * 16 = 48$

Now divide both sides by $4$ :

$x = 12$

So, the baker used $12$ cups of sugar.

Now we know:

Flour = $16$ cups

Sugar = $12$ cups

The question asks for the difference, so subtract:

$16 - 12 = 4$

Answer: A

Identify your given information

No word problem exists in a vacuum. Every problem gives you some information and expects you to find what’s missing.

Your job is to identify what you know and what you’re trying to find, even if it’s not immediately obvious. Start by pulling out the given values and relationships before trying to solve.

Example:

A teacher gives group lessons that last $1$ hour and private lessons that are half as long. She teaches $4$ group lessons and $3$ private lessons. How many hours does she teach?

A. $4$
B. $5.5$
C. $7$
D. $8.5$

Let’s break this down carefully.

Group lessons: $1$ hour each, $4$ lessons

$1 \times 4 = 4$

Private lessons: half as long → $0.5$ hours each, $3$ lessons

$0.5 \times 3 = 1.5$

Now add both parts:

$4 + 1.5 = 5.5$

Answer: B

Draw it out

Not every problem requires a diagram, but drawing or writing things out is a smart move when you feel stuck or unsure.

A quick sketch helps you keep track of multiple pieces of information and makes relationships easier to see. This is especially helpful for spatial or geometry problems.

The less you try to hold in your head, the fewer mistakes you’ll make. Let’s look at an example where drawing it out helps:

Example:

Kenny has a concrete patio that is $4$ meters wide and $6$ meters long. He wants to expand the patio by adding an additional $1$ meter of concrete to each of the four sides. What is the new area of the patio?

A. $24 m^{2}$
B. $35 m^{2}$
C. $48 m^{2}$
D. $72 m^{2}$

If you don’t draw this out, it’s very easy to make a mistake.

A common error is to just add $1$ to each dimension and say the new patio is $5$ by $7$ :

$5 \times 7 = 35$

This is incorrect.

Let’s look at the original patio:
Image not to scale
Now, Kenny is adding $1$ meter to each side.

That means:

The width increases by $2$ total (left + right)

The length increases by $2$ total (top + bottom)

So the new dimensions are:

$6 \times 8$
Image not to scale
Now find the area:

$6 \times 8 = 48$

The new area is $48 m^{2}$ .

Answer: C

Write the equation (if needed)

Once you understand what the question is asking and have identified your given information, the next step is to turn the words into math by writing an equation.

Not every problem requires a complex equation, but using algebra can help organize your thinking and make it easier to solve for the unknown.

Example:

On Monday, Savannah read the first three chapters of her book. Each chapter was one page longer than the one before it. If she read a total of $78$ pages, how many pages were in the first chapter?

A. $25$ pages
B. $30$ pages
C. $35$ pages
D. $40$ pages

This problem involves consecutive values, since each chapter is one page longer than the previous one.

Let the first chapter be $x$ .

Then:

Second chapter = $x + 1$

Third chapter = $x + 2$

We know all three add up to $78$ , so write the equation:

$x + (x + 1) + (x + 2) = 78$

Now combine like terms and solve:

$3 x + 3 3 x x = 78 = 75 = 25$

Before finishing, double-check what the question is asking.

We are looking for the number of pages in the first chapter, and that is what $x$ represents.

So the first chapter is $25$ pages.

Answer: A

Solve

Example:

A $32$ inch party sub is divided in half, and then each half is divided into fourths to make several equal portions. If Annabelle eats two portions of the sandwich, how many inches of sandwich did she eat?

A. $4$ inches
B. $8$ inches
C. $12$ inches
D. $16$ inches

Cutting the sub in half gives two $16$ inch pieces, and cutting each half into fourths gives pieces that are $16 \div 4 = 4$ inches long. Annabelle eats $2$ of those pieces: $4 \times 2 = 8$ inches.

Answer: $8$ inches (B)

Achievable ASVAB

4. Arithmetic Reasoning

Word problem strategy

8 min read

Font

Discuss

Feedback

The arithmetic reasoning section of the ASVAB focuses on word problems. These questions test how well you can take a real-world situation and turn it into math you can solve.

Word problem strategy

Use these steps:

Read carefully and recognize what the problem is really asking
Identify your given information
Draw it out!
Write the equation (if needed)
Solve

Let’s break down these steps even more.

Read carefully and identify what the problem is asking

It may seem obvious, but reading and understanding the question is the most important step in the Arithmetic Reasoning section. Take your time and read carefully without making assumptions.

Example:

A recipe uses a ratio of $4$ cups of flour for every $3$ cups of sugar. If a baker uses $16$ cups of flour, how much more flour than sugar did they use?

A. $4$ cups
B. $6$ cups
C. $9$ cups
D. $12$ cups

Someone who didn’t read this question closely might assume the question is asking for the total cups of sugar used. If that were the case, they might pick D, $12$ cups.

But that’s not what the question is asking.

The question is asking for the difference between flour and sugar.

So first, we need to find how much sugar was used.

The ratio is:

$\frac{4}{3}$

We are told the baker used $16$ cups of flour, so we set up a proportion:

$\frac{4}{3} = \frac{16}{x}$

Here:

$16$ is the flour used

$x$ is the unknown amount of sugar

Now solve by cross multiplying:

$4 x 4 x = 3 * 16 = 48$

Now divide both sides by $4$ :

$x = 12$

So, the baker used $12$ cups of sugar.

Now we know:

Flour = $16$ cups

Sugar = $12$ cups

The question asks for the difference, so subtract:

$16 - 12 = 4$

Answer: A

Identify your given information

No word problem exists in a vacuum. Every problem gives you some information and expects you to find what’s missing.

Your job is to identify what you know and what you’re trying to find, even if it’s not immediately obvious. Start by pulling out the given values and relationships before trying to solve.

Example:

A teacher gives group lessons that last $1$ hour and private lessons that are half as long. She teaches $4$ group lessons and $3$ private lessons. How many hours does she teach?

A. $4$
B. $5.5$
C. $7$
D. $8.5$

Let’s break this down carefully.

Group lessons: $1$ hour each, $4$ lessons

$1 \times 4 = 4$

Private lessons: half as long → $0.5$ hours each, $3$ lessons

$0.5 \times 3 = 1.5$

Now add both parts:

$4 + 1.5 = 5.5$

Answer: B

Draw it out

Not every problem requires a diagram, but drawing or writing things out is a smart move when you feel stuck or unsure.

A quick sketch helps you keep track of multiple pieces of information and makes relationships easier to see. This is especially helpful for spatial or geometry problems.

The less you try to hold in your head, the fewer mistakes you’ll make. Let’s look at an example where drawing it out helps:

Example:

Kenny has a concrete patio that is $4$ meters wide and $6$ meters long. He wants to expand the patio by adding an additional $1$ meter of concrete to each of the four sides. What is the new area of the patio?

A. $24 m^{2}$
B. $35 m^{2}$
C. $48 m^{2}$
D. $72 m^{2}$

If you don’t draw this out, it’s very easy to make a mistake.

A common error is to just add $1$ to each dimension and say the new patio is $5$ by $7$ :

$5 \times 7 = 35$

This is incorrect.

Let’s look at the original patio:

$A rectangular patio 6 m long and 4 m wide.$
Original patio diagram
Achievable
Image not to scale
Now, Kenny is adding $1$ meter to each side.

That means:

The width increases by $2$ total (left + right)

The length increases by $2$ total (top + bottom)

So the new dimensions are:

$6 \times 8$

$The 6 m by 4 m patio with 1 m of new concrete added on each of its four sides, making it 8 m long and 6 m wide.$
Patio with addition
Achievable
Image not to scale
Now find the area:

$6 \times 8 = 48$

The new area is $48 m^{2}$ .

Answer: C

Write the equation (if needed)

Once you understand what the question is asking and have identified your given information, the next step is to turn the words into math by writing an equation.

Not every problem requires a complex equation, but using algebra can help organize your thinking and make it easier to solve for the unknown.

Example:

On Monday, Savannah read the first three chapters of her book. Each chapter was one page longer than the one before it. If she read a total of $78$ pages, how many pages were in the first chapter?

A. $25$ pages
B. $30$ pages
C. $35$ pages
D. $40$ pages

This problem involves consecutive values, since each chapter is one page longer than the previous one.

Let the first chapter be $x$ .

Then:

Second chapter = $x + 1$

Third chapter = $x + 2$

We know all three add up to $78$ , so write the equation:

$x + (x + 1) + (x + 2) = 78$

Now combine like terms and solve:

$3 x + 3 3 x x = 78 = 75 = 25$

Before finishing, double-check what the question is asking.

We are looking for the number of pages in the first chapter, and that is what $x$ represents.

So the first chapter is $25$ pages.

Answer: A

Solve

Example:

A $32$ inch party sub is divided in half, and then each half is divided into fourths to make several equal portions. If Annabelle eats two portions of the sandwich, how many inches of sandwich did she eat?

A. $4$ inches
B. $8$ inches
C. $12$ inches
D. $16$ inches

Cutting the sub in half gives two $16$ inch pieces, and cutting each half into fourths gives pieces that are $16 \div 4 = 4$ inches long. Annabelle eats $2$ of those pieces: $4 \times 2 = 8$ inches.

Answer: $8$ inches (B)

Word problem strategy overview

Five-step approach: read carefully, identify given info, draw it out, write an equation (if needed), solve
No calculator allowed — simplify fractions early, estimate to rule out choices, keep values as fractions when possible
On CAT-ASVAB, answers are locked once confirmed and can’t be skipped or revisited — verify before confirming, never leave blank

Read carefully & identify what’s asked

Questions often word things to mislead; don’t assume what’s being asked
Double-check the actual question (e.g., “difference” vs. “total”) before finalizing an answer
Example: ratio/proportion problem — easy to answer a different question than the one asked (correct approach: set up $\frac{4}{3} = \frac{16}{x}$ , cross-multiply, then subtract for the “difference”)

Identify given information

Pull out all known values and relationships before attempting to solve
Break multi-part problems into separate pieces, compute each, then combine
Example: lesson-length problem — calculate each lesson type separately ( $1 \times 4 = 4$ , $0.5 \times 3 = 1.5$ ), then add for total

Draw it out

Sketching helps organize multi-step or spatial/geometry problems and prevents careless errors
Common pitfall: misapplying a single addition to both dimensions instead of accounting for both sides
Example: adding 1m border to all four sides increases each dimension by 2 (not 1), changing $4 \times 6$ to $6 \times 8 = 48 m^{2}$

Write the equation

Translate word relationships into algebra, especially for consecutive or unknown-value problems
Define variable for unknown, express related terms in terms of it, then combine like terms to solve
Example: consecutive chapter pages — $x + (x + 1) + (x + 2) = 78 \Rightarrow x = 25$ ; confirm which value the question wants

Solve & verify

After computing, confirm the final number actually answers the specific question asked (not just an intermediate result)
Example: sub sandwich divided into eighths — each piece is $4$ inches; eating $2$ pieces equals $8$ inches total

Next | 4.2 Percents, money, and rates

Word problem strategy

The arithmetic reasoning section of the ASVAB focuses on word problems. These questions test how well you can take a real-world situation and turn it into math you can solve.

Word problem strategy

Use these steps:

Read carefully and recognize what the problem is really asking
Identify your given information
Draw it out!
Write the equation (if needed)
Solve

Let’s break down these steps even more.

Read carefully and identify what the problem is asking

It may seem obvious, but reading and understanding the question is the most important step in the Arithmetic Reasoning section. Take your time and read carefully without making assumptions.

Example:

A recipe uses a ratio of $4$ cups of flour for every $3$ cups of sugar. If a baker uses $16$ cups of flour, how much more flour than sugar did they use?

A. $4$ cups
B. $6$ cups
C. $9$ cups
D. $12$ cups

Someone who didn’t read this question closely might assume the question is asking for the total cups of sugar used. If that were the case, they might pick D, $12$ cups.

But that’s not what the question is asking.

The question is asking for the difference between flour and sugar.

So first, we need to find how much sugar was used.

The ratio is:

$\frac{4}{3}$

We are told the baker used $16$ cups of flour, so we set up a proportion:

$\frac{4}{3} = \frac{16}{x}$

Here:

$16$ is the flour used

$x$ is the unknown amount of sugar

Now solve by cross multiplying:

$4 x 4 x = 3 * 16 = 48$

Now divide both sides by $4$ :

$x = 12$

So, the baker used $12$ cups of sugar.

Now we know:

Flour = $16$ cups

Sugar = $12$ cups

The question asks for the difference, so subtract:

$16 - 12 = 4$

Answer: A

Identify your given information

No word problem exists in a vacuum. Every problem gives you some information and expects you to find what’s missing.

Your job is to identify what you know and what you’re trying to find, even if it’s not immediately obvious. Start by pulling out the given values and relationships before trying to solve.

Example:

A teacher gives group lessons that last $1$ hour and private lessons that are half as long. She teaches $4$ group lessons and $3$ private lessons. How many hours does she teach?

A. $4$
B. $5.5$
C. $7$
D. $8.5$

Let’s break this down carefully.

Group lessons: $1$ hour each, $4$ lessons

$1 \times 4 = 4$

Private lessons: half as long → $0.5$ hours each, $3$ lessons

$0.5 \times 3 = 1.5$

Now add both parts:

$4 + 1.5 = 5.5$

Answer: B

Draw it out

Not every problem requires a diagram, but drawing or writing things out is a smart move when you feel stuck or unsure.

A quick sketch helps you keep track of multiple pieces of information and makes relationships easier to see. This is especially helpful for spatial or geometry problems.

The less you try to hold in your head, the fewer mistakes you’ll make. Let’s look at an example where drawing it out helps:

Example:

Kenny has a concrete patio that is $4$ meters wide and $6$ meters long. He wants to expand the patio by adding an additional $1$ meter of concrete to each of the four sides. What is the new area of the patio?

A. $24 m^{2}$
B. $35 m^{2}$
C. $48 m^{2}$
D. $72 m^{2}$

If you don’t draw this out, it’s very easy to make a mistake.

A common error is to just add $1$ to each dimension and say the new patio is $5$ by $7$ :

$5 \times 7 = 35$

This is incorrect.

Let’s look at the original patio:
Image not to scale
Now, Kenny is adding $1$ meter to each side.

That means:

The width increases by $2$ total (left + right)

The length increases by $2$ total (top + bottom)

So the new dimensions are:

$6 \times 8$
Image not to scale
Now find the area:

$6 \times 8 = 48$

The new area is $48 m^{2}$ .

Answer: C

Write the equation (if needed)

Once you understand what the question is asking and have identified your given information, the next step is to turn the words into math by writing an equation.

Not every problem requires a complex equation, but using algebra can help organize your thinking and make it easier to solve for the unknown.

Example:

On Monday, Savannah read the first three chapters of her book. Each chapter was one page longer than the one before it. If she read a total of $78$ pages, how many pages were in the first chapter?

A. $25$ pages
B. $30$ pages
C. $35$ pages
D. $40$ pages

This problem involves consecutive values, since each chapter is one page longer than the previous one.

Let the first chapter be $x$ .

Then:

Second chapter = $x + 1$

Third chapter = $x + 2$

We know all three add up to $78$ , so write the equation:

$x + (x + 1) + (x + 2) = 78$

Now combine like terms and solve:

$3 x + 3 3 x x = 78 = 75 = 25$

Before finishing, double-check what the question is asking.

We are looking for the number of pages in the first chapter, and that is what $x$ represents.

So the first chapter is $25$ pages.

Answer: A

Solve

Example:

A $32$ inch party sub is divided in half, and then each half is divided into fourths to make several equal portions. If Annabelle eats two portions of the sandwich, how many inches of sandwich did she eat?

A. $4$ inches
B. $8$ inches
C. $12$ inches
D. $16$ inches

Cutting the sub in half gives two $16$ inch pieces, and cutting each half into fourths gives pieces that are $16 \div 4 = 4$ inches long. Annabelle eats $2$ of those pieces: $4 \times 2 = 8$ inches.

Answer: $8$ inches (B)