Question ID 457d2f2c 3.

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving One-variable data:

and Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 457d2f2c
A data set of 27 different numbers has a mean of 33 and a median of 33. A
new data set is created by adding 7 to each number in the original data set
that is greater than the median and subtracting 7 from each number in the
original data set that is less than the median. Which of the following
measures does NOT have the same value in both the original and new data
sets?
A. Median
B. Mean
C. Sum of the numbers
D. Standard deviation

ID: 457d2f2c Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. When a data set has an odd number of elements, the median can be found by ordering the
values from least to greatest and determining the middle value. Out of the 27 different numbers in this data
set, 13 numbers are below the median, one number is exactly 33, and 13 numbers are above the median. When 7
is subtracted from each number below the median and added to each number above the median, the data
spread out from the median. Since the median of this data set, 33, is equivalent to the mean of the data set, the
data also spread out from the mean. Since standard deviation is a measure of how spread out the data are from
the mean, a greater spread from the mean indicates an increased standard deviation.

Choice A is incorrect. All the numbers less than the median decrease and all the numbers greater than the
median increase, but the median itself doesn’t change. Choices B and C are incorrect. The mean of a data set is
found by dividing the sum of the values by the number of values. The net change from subtracting 7 from 13
numbers and adding 7 to 13 numbers is zero. Therefore, neither the mean nor the sum of the numbers changes.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1142af44 3.2

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving One-variable data:

and Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 1142af44
Value Frequency
1 a
2 2a
3 3a
4 2a
5 a
The frequency distribution above summarizes a set of data, where a is a
positive integer. How much greater is the mean of the set of data than the
median?
A. 0
B. 1
C. 2
D. 3

ID: 1142af44 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. Since the frequencies of values less than the middle value, 3, are the same as the
frequencies of the values greater than 3, the set of data has a symmetric distribution. When a set of data has a
symmetric distribution, the mean and median values are equal. Therefore, the mean is 0 greater than the
median.

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may result from misinterpreting the set of data.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 651d83bb 3.3

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving One-variable data:

and Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 651d83bb
Two different teams consisting of 10 members each ran in a race. Each member’s completion time of the
race was recorded. The mean of the completion times for each team was calculated and is shown below.
Team A: 3.41 minutes
Team B: 3.79 minutes
Which of the following MUST be true?
1. Every member of team A completed the race in less time than any member of team B.
2. The median time it took the members of team B to complete the race is greater than the median time it took
the members of team A to complete the race.
3. There is at least one member of team B who took more time to complete the race than some member of
team A.
A. III only
B. I and III only
C. II and III only
D. I, II, and III

ID: 651d83bb Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. Since the average time for the 10 members of team A is 3.41 minutes, the sum of the 10
times for team A is equal to minutes. Since the average time for the 10 members of team B is
3.79 minutes, the sum of the 10 times for team B is equal to minutes. Since the sum of the 10
times for team B is greater than the sum of the 10 times for team A, it must be true that at least one of the
times for team B must be greater than one of the times for team A. Thus, statement III is true. However, it’s
possible that at least some of the times for team A were greater than some of the times for team B. For
example, all of team A’s times could be 3.41 minutes, and team B could have 1 time of 3.34 minutes and 9 times
of 3.84 minutes. Thus, statement I need not be true. It’s also possible that the median of the times for team B is
less than the median of the times for team A. For example, all of team A’s times could be 3.41 minutes, and
team B could have 6 times of 3.37 minutes and 4 times of 4.42 minutes; then the median of team B’s times
would be 3.37 minutes and the median of team A’s times would be 3.41 minutes. Thus, statement II need not be
true.

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because neither statement I nor statement II must be true.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 1e8ccffd 3.4

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving One-variable data:

and Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 1e8ccffd
The mean score of 8 players in a basketball game was 14.5 points. If the
highest individual score is removed, the mean score of the remaining 7
players becomes 12 points. What was the highest score?
A. 20
B. 24
C. 32
D. 36

ID: 1e8ccffd Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. If the mean score of 8 players is 14.5, then the total of all 8 scores is . If the
mean of 7 scores is 12, then the total of all 7 scores is . Since the set of 7 scores was made by
removing the highest score of the set of 8 scores, then the difference between the total of all 8 scores and the
total of all 7 scores is equal to the removed score: .

Choice A is incorrect because if 20 is removed from the group of 8 scores, then the mean score of the

remaining 7 players is is approximately 13.71, not 12. Choice B is incorrect because if 24 is

removed from the group of 8 scores, then the mean score of the remaining 7 players is is

approximately 13.14, not 12. Choice D is incorrect because if 36 is removed from the group of 8 scores, then the

mean score of the remaining 7 players is or approximately 11.43, not 12.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID bf47ad54 3.5

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving One-variable data:

and Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: bf47ad54
Each of the following frequency tables represents a data set. Which data set has the greatest mean?
A. Value Frequency

B. Value Frequency

C. Value Frequency

D. Value Frequency

ID: bf47ad54 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. The tables in choices B, C, and D each represent a data set where the values and have
the same frequency and the values and have the same frequency. It follows that each of these data sets
is symmetric around the value halfway between and , or . When a data set is symmetric around a value,
that value is the mean of the data set. Therefore, the data sets represented by the tables in choices B, C, and D
each have a mean of . The table in choice A represents a data set where the value has a greater frequency
than the value and the value has a greater frequency than the value . It follows that this data set has
a mean greater than . Therefore, of the given choices, choice A represents the data set with the greatest
mean.

Choice B is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.

Choice C is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.

Choice D is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 4ff597db 3.6

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving One-variable data:

and Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 4ff597db
The mean amount of time that the 20 employees of a construction company
have worked for the company is 6.7 years. After one of the employees
leaves the company, the mean amount of time that the remaining
employees have worked for the company is reduced to 6.25 years. How
many years did the employee who left the company work for the company?
A. 0.45
B. 2.30
C. 9.00
D. 15.25

ID: 4ff597db Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. The mean amount of time that the 20 employees worked for the company is 6.7 years. This
means that the total number of years all 20 employees worked for the company is (6.7)(20) = 134 years. After
the employee left, the mean amount of time that the remaining 19 employees worked for the company is 6.25
years. Therefore, the total number of years all 19 employees worked for the company is (6.25)(19) = 118.75 years.
It follows that the number of years that the employee who left had worked for the company is 134 – 118.75 =
15.25 years.

Choice A is incorrect; this is the change in the mean, which isn’t the same as the amount of time worked by
the employee who left. Choice B is incorrect and likely results from making the assumption that there were
still 20 employees, rather than 19, at the company after the employee left and then subtracting the original
mean of 6.7 from that result. Choice C is incorrect and likely results from making the assumption that there
were still 20 employees, rather than 19, at the company after the employee left.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 391ae4b2 3.7

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving One-variable data:

and Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 391ae4b2
Data set F consists of integers between and . Data set G consists of all the integers in data set F as
well as the integer . Which of the following must be less for data set F than for data set G?
I. The mean
II. The median
A. I only
B. II only
C. I and II
D. Neither I nor II

ID: 391ae4b2 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. It's given that data set F consists of integers between and and data set G
consists of all the integers in data set F as well as the integer . Since the integer is less than all the
integers in data set F, the mean of data set G must be less than the mean of data set F. Thus, the mean of data
set F isn't less than the mean of data set G. When a data set is in ascending order, the median is between the
two middle values when there is an even number of values and the median is the middle value when there is
an odd number of values. It follows that the median of data set F is either greater than or equal to the median
of data set G. Therefore, the median of data set F isn't less than the median of data set G. Thus, neither the
mean nor the median must be less for data set F than for data set G.

Choice A is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.

Choice B is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.

Choice C is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9d935bd8 3.8

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving One-variable data:

and Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 9d935bd8

A survey was given to residents of all 50 states asking if they had earned a
bachelor’s degree or higher. The results from 7 of the states are given in the
table above. The median percent of residents who earned a bachelor’s
degree or higher for all 50 states was 26.95%. What is the difference
between the median percent of residents who earned a bachelor’s degree
or higher for these 7 states and the median for all 50 states?
A. 0.05%
B. 0.95%
C. 1.22%
D. 7.45%

ID: 9d935bd8 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. The median of a set of numbers is the middle value of the set values when ordered from
least to greatest. If the percents in the table are ordered from least to greatest, the middle value is 27.9%. The
difference between 27.9% and 26.95% is 0.95%.

Choice A is incorrect and may be the result of calculation errors or not finding the median of the data in the
table correctly. Choice C is incorrect and may be the result of finding the mean instead of the median. Choice D
is incorrect and may be the result of using the middle value of the unordered list.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 54d93874 3.9

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving One-variable data:

and Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 54d93874
Masses (kilograms)
Andrew 2.4 2.5 3.6 3.1 2.5 2.7
Maria x 3.1 2.7 2.9 3.3 2.8

Andrew and Maria each collected six rocks, and the masses of the rocks are
shown in the table above. The mean of the masses of the rocks Maria
collected is 0.1 kilogram greater than the mean of the masses of the rocks
Andrew collected. What is the value of x ?
ID: 54d93874 Answer
Rationale

The correct answer is 2.6. Since the mean of a set of numbers can be found by adding the numbers together
and dividing by how many numbers there are in the set, the mean mass, in kilograms, of the rocks Andrew

collected is , or 2.8. Since the mean mass of the rocks Maria

collected is 0.1 kilogram greater than the mean mass of rocks Andrew collected, the mean mass of the rocks
Maria collected is kilograms. The value of x can be found by writing an equation for finding the

mean: . Solving this equation gives . Note that 2.6 and 13/5 are
examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 94237701 3.10

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving One-variable data:

and Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 94237701
For a certain computer game, individuals receive an integer score that ranges from 2 through 10. The table
below shows the frequency distribution of the scores of the 9 players in group A and the 11 players in group B.
Score
Frequencies
Score
Group Group
A B
2 1 0
3 1 0
4 2 0
5 1 4
6 3 2
7 0 0
8 0 2
9 1 1
10 0 2
Total 9 11

The median of the scores for group B is how much greater than the median
of the scores for group A?
ID: 94237701 Answer
Rationale

The correct answer is 1. When there are an odd number of values in a data set, the median of the data set is the
middle number when the data values are ordered from least to greatest. The scores for group A, ordered from
least to greatest, are 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6, and 9. The median of the scores for group A is therefore 5. The scores for
group B, ordered from least to greatest, are 5, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 8, 8, 9, 10, and 10. The median of the scores for group B
is therefore 6. The median score for group B is more than the median score for group A.
Question Difficulty: Hard