The Compass Test

Matt got a letter the other day and has been excepted to UM-Helena! Yay! Before he can sign up for classes he has to take the Compass test. I didn't have to take the compass test when I started taking classes because I was a "non-degree" seeking student and it didn't pertain to the classes I needed to take. However, Matt asked if I would help him go over some practice questions.
Now, it's been a while since I've taken an Algebra course and it's been even longer since Matt has taken one. We found some sample questions online and I'm actually doing better on the them than I thought I would. I have been trying to explain how I get the answers and how I can look at a problem and figure out how to "attack" it. It is always challenging for me to explain to other people how my brain works but I think we are making some progress.
We were running into a few questions that went something along the lines of, "If Joey can do the task in 10 minutes and Mary can do the task in 8 minutes and Marco can do the task in 4 minutes how long will it take them if they all work together?" I could not for the life of me remember how to figure this kind of problem out. But, we did a search online and found the formula for it! Hooray! It was a little complex but we finally got it. It only took Matt 2 questions before he didn't even need my guidance! I hope he does really well on this test so he can really get started on earning his degree. I am so excited for him.