That's the smallest score that beats the bottom 40%.

9,12,15,27,33,45,63,72

Take 40% of 8, the number of numbers.

8×40% = 8×.40 = 3.2

3.2 is between 3 and 4, so the 40% percentile
is the 4th smallest number in the list, or 27.

Answer: 27 is the smallest score in the list that
beats out the bottom 40%.

Edwin