A second task that was also quite easy directed adults to look at a short text depicting the results of an election involving three candidates and determine the total number of votes cast. This task received a difficulty value of 192, falling in Level 1 on the numeracy scale. Again, respondents were asked to deal with a realistic type of situation where simple numerical information is displayed in a simple column format showing the name of each candidate and the number of votes that the candidate received. No other numerical information was present that can be a distractor. Finding the total number of votes cast in the election requires a single addition operation that is made explicit in the question by the use of the keyword “total”, and the computation involves relatively small whole numbers.

A more complex numeracy task falling in the middle of Level 2 and receiving a difficulty value of 248 directs adults to look at a gas (petrol) gauge. This gauge has three lines or ticks on it with one showing an “F”, one showing an “E” and the third in the middle between the two. A line on the gauge, representing the gauge's needle, shows a level that is roughly halfway between the middle tick and the tick indicating “F”, suggesting that the tank is about three-quarters full. The directive states that the tank holds 48 gallons and asks the respondent to determine “how many gallons remain in the tank.” This task is drawn from an everyday context and requires an adult to interpret a display that conveys quantitative information but carries virtually no text or numbers. No mathematical information is present other than what is given in the question.