If you increase your current quality score of 85% by 7%, you will have a score of _

The Correct Answer and Explanation is:

Correct Answer: 90.95%

Explanation

To calculate a 7% increase on a current score of 85%, we are looking to find 7% of 85 and then add that to 85.

Step 1: Convert the Percentage Increase to a Decimal

Percent means “per hundred,” so:

7% = 7 ÷ 100 = 0.07

Step 2: Multiply the Current Score by the Decimal

Now, we find 7% of 85:

0.07 × 85 = 5.95

This result (5.95) is the amount by which the score increases.

Step 3: Add the Increase to the Original Score

85 + 5.95 = 90.95

So, increasing 85% by 7% gives a new score of 90.95%.

Why It’s Not Just 85 + 7 = 92

A common mistake is to simply add 7 to 85 and get 92%. But a 7% increase is not the same as adding 7 percentage points. Rather, it means adding 7 percent of the original number.

If your score was 85%, then 7% of that is 5.95. You’re not adding 7 directly—you’re adding a portion of 85.

This distinction is important in many real-world contexts—such as interest rates, salary increases, and performance metrics—where percent increase or decrease refers to a proportion of the original value, not just a fixed number.

Summary

Increasing 85% by 7% means:

Find 7% of 85 → 5.95
Add to 85 → 90.95%

Hence, your new score is 90.95%.