Question ID 91e7ea5e

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 91e7ea5e

The quadratic function h is defined as shown. In the xy-plane, the graph of

intersects the x-axis at the points and , where t is a constant.
What is the value of t ?

A. 1

B. 2

C. 4

D. 8

ID: 91e7ea5e Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. It’s given that the graph of intersects the x-axis at and , where t is a constant. Since
this graph intersects the x-axis when or when , it follows that and . If , then

. Adding 32 to both sides of this equation yields . Dividing both sides of this equation by 2

yields . Taking the square root of both sides of this equation yields . Adding 4 to both sides of this
equation yields . Therefore, the value of t is 8.

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect and may result from calculation errors.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID fc3d783a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: fc3d783a

In the -plane, a line with equation intersects a parabola at exactly one point. If the parabola has equation
, where is a positive constant, what is the value of ?

ID: fc3d783a Answer

Correct Answer: 6

Rationale
The correct answer is . It’s given that a line with equation intersects a parabola with equation ,
where is a positive constant, at exactly one point in the xy-plane. It follows that the system of equations consisting of
and has exactly one solution. Dividing both sides of the equation of the line by yields
. Substituting for in the equation of the parabola yields . Adding and subtracting
from both sides of this equation yields . A quadratic equation in the form of ,
where , , and are constants, has exactly one solution when the discriminant, , is equal to zero. Substituting for
and for in the expression and setting this expression equal to yields , or
. Adding to each side of this equation yields . Taking the square root of each side of this equation
yields . It’s given that is positive, so the value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a9084ca4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: a9084ca4

The given function models the number of advertisements a company sent to its clients each year, where represents the
number of years since , and . If is graphed in the xy-plane, which of the following is the best
interpretation of the y-intercept of the graph in this context?

A. The minimum estimated number of advertisements the company sent to its clients during the years was .

B. The minimum estimated number of advertisements the company sent to its clients during the years was .

C. The estimated number of advertisements the company sent to its clients in was .

D. The estimated number of advertisements the company sent to its clients in was .

ID: a9084ca4 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. The y-intercept of a graph in the xy-plane is the point where . For the given function , the y-
intercept of the graph of in the xy-plane can be found by substituting for in the equation ,
which gives . This is equivalent to , or . Therefore, the y-intercept of the graph of
is . It’s given that the function models the number of advertisements a company sent to its clients
each year. Therefore, represents the estimated number of advertisements the company sent to its clients each year. It's
also given that represents the number of years since . Therefore, represents years since , or .
Thus, the best interpretation of the y-intercept of the graph of is that the estimated number of advertisements the
company sent to its clients in was .

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 a5663025
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: a5663025

A system of equations consists of a quadratic equation and a linear equation. The

equations in this system are graphed in the xy-plane above. How many solutions
does this system have?

A. 0

B. 1

C. 2

D. 3

ID: a5663025 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. The solutions to a system of two equations correspond to points where the graphs of the equations
intersect. The given graphs intersect at 2 points; therefore, the system has 2 solutions.

Choice A is incorrect because the graphs intersect. Choice B is incorrect because the graphs intersect more than once.
Choice D is incorrect. It’s not possible for the graph of a quadratic equation and the graph of a linear equation to intersect
more than twice.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID d0a7871e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: d0a7871e

If is a solution to the system of equations above, which of the

following could be the value of x ?

A. –1

B. 0

C. 2

D. 3

ID: d0a7871e Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. It is given that y = x + 1 and y = x2 + x. Setting the values for y equal to each other yields x + 1 = x2 + x.
Subtracting x from each side of this equation yields x2 = 1. Therefore, x can equal 1 or –1. Of these, only –1 is given as a
choice.

Choice B is incorrect. If x = 0, then x + 1 = 1, but x2 + x = 02 + 0 = 0 ≠︀1. Choice C is incorrect. If x = 2, then x + 1 = 3, but x2 + x

= 22 + 2 = 6 ≠︀3. Choice D is incorrect. If x = 3, then x + 1 = 4, but x2 + x = 32 + 3 = 12 ≠︀4.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID dd4ab4c4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: dd4ab4c4

Which of the following is a factor of

the polynomial above?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: dd4ab4c4 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. The first and last terms of the polynomial are both squares such that and .
The second term is twice the product of the square root of the first and last terms: . Therefore, the

polynomial is the square of a binomial such that , and is a factor.

Choice A is incorrect and may be the result of incorrectly factoring the polynomial. Choice C is incorrect and may be the
result of dividing the second and third terms of the polynomial by their greatest common factor. Choice D is incorrect and
may be the result of not factoring the coefficients.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID b8caaf84
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: b8caaf84

If and , which of the following is

equivalent to ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: b8caaf84 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. It’s given that and . Substituting the values for p and v into the expression

yields . Multiplying the terms yields .

Using the distributive property to rewrite yields . Therefore, the entire expression can be represented as

. Combining like terms yields .

Choice A is incorrect and may result from subtracting, instead of adding, the term . Choice C is incorrect. This is the
result of multiplying the terms . Choice D is incorrect and may result from distributing 2, instead of , to the
term .

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 7f81d0c3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 7f81d0c3

What values satisfy the

equation above?

A. and

B. and

C. and

D. and

ID: 7f81d0c3 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. Using the quadratic formula to solve the given expression yields

. Therefore, and satisfy the given equation.

Choices A and B are incorrect and may result from incorrectly factoring or incorrectly applying the quadratic formula. Choice
D is incorrect and may result from a sign error.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 4661e2a9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 4661e2a9

Which ordered pair is a solution to the

system of equations above?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 4661e2a9 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. The solution to the given system of equations can be found by solving the first equation for x, which
gives , and substituting that value of x into the second equation which gives . Rewriting this

equation by adding like terms and expanding gives . Subtracting from both sides of this

equation gives . Adding to 2 to both sides of this equation gives . Therefore, it follows that .
Substituting for y in the first equation yields . Adding to both sides of this equation yields .

Therefore, the ordered pair is a solution to the given system of equations.

Choice B is incorrect. Substituting for x and for y in the first equation yields , or ,
which isn’t a true statement. Choice C is incorrect. Substituting for x and for y in the second equation yields

, or , which isn’t a true statement. Choice D is incorrect. Substituting

for x and for y in the second equation yields , or , which isn’t a

true statement.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID ad2ec615
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: ad2ec615

Which of the following is equivalent to the

expression ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: ad2ec615 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. The term x4 can be factored as . Factoring –6 as yields values that add to –1, the
coefficient of x2 in the expression.

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect and may result from finding factors of –6 that don’t add to the coefficient of x2 in the
original expression.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 42c71eb5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 42c71eb5

Which of the following is equivalent to

the expression above?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 42c71eb5 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. The given expression can be rewritten as . Applying the distributive
property, the expression can be rewritten as , or .
Adding like terms yields . Substituting for in the given expression yields

. By the rules of exponents, the expression is equivalent to . Applying the

distributive property, this expression can be rewritten as , or . Adding

like terms gives . Substituting for in the rewritten expression yields

, and adding like terms yields .

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect. Choices C and D may result from rewriting the expression as , instead

of as . Choices B and C may result from rewriting the expression as , instead of .

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 371cbf6b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 371cbf6b

The equation above is true for all x, where a and b are

constants. What is the value of ab ?

A. 18

B. 20

C. 24

D. 40

ID: 371cbf6b Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. If the equation is true for all x, then the expressions on both sides of the equation will be equivalent.
Multiplying the polynomials on the left-hand side of the equation gives . On the right-

hand side of the equation, the only -term is . Since the expressions on both sides of the equation are equivalent, it

follows that , which can be rewritten as . Therefore, , which

gives .

Choice A is incorrect. If , then the coefficient of on the left-hand side of the equation would be ,

which doesn’t equal the coefficient of , , on the right-hand side. Choice B is incorrect. If , then the coefficient

of on the left-hand side of the equation would be , which doesn’t equal the coefficient of , , on the

right-hand side. Choice D is incorrect. If , then the coefficient of on the left-hand side of the equation would be

, which doesn’t equal the coefficient of , , on the right-hand side.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a05bd3a4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: a05bd3a4

Which of the following expressions is

equivalent to ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: a05bd3a4 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. The expression can be written as a difference of squares x2 – y2, which can be factored as (x + y)(x – y).
Here, y2 = 5, so , and the expression therefore factors as .

Choices A and B are incorrect and may result from misunderstanding how to factor a difference of squares. Choice D is
incorrect; (x + 5)(x – 1) can be rewritten as x2 + 4x – 5, which is not equivalent to the original expression.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 40c09d66
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 40c09d66

If for all positive values of x,

what is the value of ?

ID: 40c09d66 Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is . The value of can be found by first rewriting the left-hand side of the given equation as .

Using the properties of exponents, this expression can be rewritten as . This expression can be rewritten by

subtracting the fractions in the exponent, which yields . Thus, is . Note that 7/6, 1.166, and 1.167 are examples of
ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b8f13a3a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: b8f13a3a

Function is defined by , where and are constants. In the xy-plane, the graph of has a
y-intercept at . The product of and is . What is the value of ?

ID: b8f13a3a Answer

Correct Answer: 20

Rationale
The correct answer is . It’s given that . Substituting for in the equation
yields . It’s given that the y-intercept of the graph of is . Substituting for
and for in the equation yields , which is equivalent to
, or . Adding to both sides of this equation yields . It’s given that the
product of and is , or . Substituting for in this equation yields . Dividing both sides of
this equation by yields .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f65288e8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: f65288e8

If x is a solution to the given equation, which of the

following is a possible value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: f65288e8 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. The given equation can be rewritten as . Multiplying both sides of this equation by

yields . Dividing both sides of this equation by 4 yields . Taking the square root of both sides of

this equation yields or . Therefore, a possible value of is .

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may result from computational or conceptual errors.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f89af023
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: f89af023

A rectangular volleyball court has an area of 162 square meters. If the length of the
court is twice the width, what is the width of the court, in meters?

A. 9

B. 18

C. 27

D. 54

ID: f89af023 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. It’s given that the volleyball court is rectangular and has an area of 162 square meters. The formula for
the area of a rectangle is , where A is the area, is the length, and w is the width of the rectangle. It’s also given
that the length of the volleyball court is twice the width, thus . Substituting the given value into the formula for the
area of a rectangle and using the relationship between length and width for this rectangle yields . This

equation can be rewritten as . Dividing both sides of this equation by 2 yields . Taking the square root of
both sides of this equation yields . Since the width of a rectangle is a positive number, the width of the volleyball
court is 9 meters.

Choice B is incorrect because this is the length of the rectangle. Choice C is incorrect because this is the result of using 162
as the perimeter rather than the area. Choice D is incorrect because this is the result of calculating w in the equation
instead of .

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID e53add44
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: e53add44

The function S above models the annual salary, in dollars, of an employee n years
after starting a job, where a is a constant. If the employee’s salary increases by 4%
each year, what is the value of a ?

A. 0.04

B. 0.4

C. 1.04

D. 1.4

ID: e53add44 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. A model for a quantity S that increases by a certain percentage per time period n is an exponential

function in the form , where I is the initial value at time for r% annual increase. It’s given that the
annual increase in an employee’s salary is 4%, so . The initial value can be found by substituting 0 for n in the given
function, which yields . Therefore, . Substituting these values for r and I into the form of the

exponential function yields , or . Therefore, the

value of a in the given function is 1.04.

Choices A, B, and D are incorrect and may result from incorrectly representing the annual increase in the exponential
function.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID f2f3fa00
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: f2f3fa00

During a 5-second time interval, the average acceleration a, in meters per second
squared, of an object with an initial velocity of 12 meters per second is defined by

the equation , where vf is the final velocity of the object in

meters per second. If the equation is rewritten in the form vf = xa + y, where x and y
are constants, what is the value of x ?

ID: f2f3fa00 Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is 5. The given equation can be rewritten in the form , like so:

It follows that the value of x is 5 and the value of y is 12.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9654add7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 9654add7

The revenue , in dollars, that a company receives from sales of a product is

given by the function f above, where x is the unit price, in dollars, of the product.
The graph of in the xy-plane intersects the x-axis at 0 and a. What does a
represent?

A. The revenue, in dollars, when the unit price of the product is $0

B. The unit price, in dollars, of the product that will result in maximum revenue

C. The unit price, in dollars, of the product that will result in a revenue of $0

D. The maximum revenue, in dollars, that the company can make

ID: 9654add7 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. By definition, the y-value when a function intersects the x-axis is 0. It’s given that the graph of the
function intersects the x-axis at 0 and a, that x is the unit price, in dollars, of a product, and that , where , is the
revenue, in dollars, that a company receives from the sales of the product. Since the value of a occurs when , a is the
unit price, in dollars, of the product that will result in a revenue of $0.

Choice A is incorrect. The revenue, in dollars, when the unit price of the product is $0 is represented by , when .
Choice B is incorrect. The unit price, in dollars, of the product that will result in maximum revenue is represented by the x-
coordinate of the maximum of f. Choice D is incorrect. The maximum revenue, in dollars, that the company can make is
represented by the y-coordinate of the maximum of f.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 34847f8a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 34847f8a

The equation above is true for all , where r and t are positive
constants. What is the value of rt ?

A.

B. 15

C. 20

D. 60

ID: 34847f8a Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. To express the sum of the two rational expressions on the left-hand side of the equation as the single
rational expression on the right-hand side of the equation, the expressions on the left-hand side must have the same

denominator. Multiplying the first expression by results in , and multiplying the second expression by

results in , so the given equation can be rewritten as

, or . Since the two

rational expressions on the left-hand side of the equation have the same denominator as the rational expression on the right-
hand side of the equation, it follows that . Combining like terms on the left-hand side yields
, so it follows that and . Therefore, the value of is .

Choice A is incorrect and may result from an error when determining the sign of either r or t. Choice B is incorrect and may

result from not distributing the 2 and 3 to their respective terms in .

Choice D is incorrect and may result from a calculation error.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID cc776a04
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: cc776a04

Which of the following is an equivalent form of

?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: cc776a04 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. The first expression can be rewritten as . Applying the

distributive property to this product yields . This difference can be rewritten

as . Distributing the factor of through the second expression

yields . Regrouping like terms, the expression becomes

. Combining like terms yields .

Choices A, B, and D are incorrect and likely result from errors made when applying the distributive property or combining the
resulting like terms.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 263f9937
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 263f9937
Growth of a Culture of Bacteria
Number of bacteria per
Day
milliliter at end of day

A culture of bacteria is growing at an exponential rate, as shown in the table above.

At this rate, on which day would the number of bacteria per milliliter reach
?

A. Day 5

B. Day 9

C. Day 11

D. Day 12

ID: 263f9937 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. The number of bacteria per milliliter is doubling each day. For example, from day 1 to day 2, the number
of bacteria increased from 2.5 × 105 to 5.0 × 105. At the end of day 3 there are 106 bacteria per milliliter. At the end of day 4,
there will be 106 × 2 bacteria per milliliter. At the end of day 5, there will be (106 × 2) × 2, or 106 × (22) bacteria per milliliter,
and so on. At the end of day d, the number of bacteria will be 106 × (2d – 3). If the number of bacteria per milliliter will reach
5.12 × 108 at the end of day d, then the equation must hold. Since 5.12 × 108 can be rewritten

as 512 × 106, the equation is equivalent to . Rewriting 512 as 29 gives d – 3 = 9, so d = 12. The number of
bacteria per milliliter would reach 5.12 × 108 at the end of day 12.

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect. Given the growth rate of the bacteria, the number of bacteria will not reach 5.12 × 108 per
milliliter by the end of any of these days.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 926c246b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 926c246b

The equation above estimates the global data traffic D, in terabytes, for the year
that is t years after 2010. What is the best interpretation of the number 5,640 in this
context?

A. The estimated amount of increase of data traffic, in terabytes, each year

B. The estimated percent increase in the data traffic, in terabytes, each year

C. The estimated data traffic, in terabytes, for the year that is t years after 2010

D. The estimated data traffic, in terabytes, in 2010

ID: 926c246b Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. Since t represents the number of years after 2010, the estimated data traffic, in terabytes, in 2010 can be
calculated using the given equation when . Substituting 0 for t in the given equation yields , or
. Thus, 5,640 represents the estimated data traffic, in terabytes, in 2010.

Choice A is incorrect. Since the equation is exponential, the amount of increase of data traffic each year isn’t constant.
Choice B is incorrect. According to the equation, the percent increase in data traffic each year is 90%. Choice C is incorrect.
The estimated data traffic, in terabytes, for the year that is t years after 2010 is represented by D, not the number 5,640.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 137cc6fd
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 137cc6fd

For what value of is the given expression equivalent to , where ?

ID: 137cc6fd Answer

Correct Answer: .0177, .0178, 4/225

Rationale
The correct answer is . An expression of the form , where is an integer greater than and , is equivalent to

. Therefore, the given expression, where , is equivalent to . Applying properties of exponents,

this expression can be rewritten as , or , which can be rewritten as , or .

It's given that the expression is equivalent to , where . It follows that is equivalent
to . Therefore, . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields , or . Thus, the value
of for which the given expression is equivalent to , where , is . Note that 4/225, .0177, .0178, 0.017, and
0.018 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6ce95fc8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 6ce95fc8

Which of the following is a solution to

the equation above?

A. 2

B.

C.

D.

ID: 6ce95fc8 Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale

Choice D is correct. A quadratic equation in the form , where a, b, and c are constants, can be solved

using the quadratic formula: . Subtracting from both sides of the given equation yields

. Applying the quadratic formula, where , , and , yields

. This can be rewritten as . Since , or , the

equation can be rewritten as . Dividing 2 from both the numerator and denominator yields or

. Of these two solutions, only is present among the choices. Thus, the correct choice is D.

Choice A is incorrect and may result from a computational or conceptual error. Choice B is incorrect and may result from

using instead of as the quadratic formula. Choice C is incorrect and may

result from rewriting as instead of .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ea6d05bb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: ea6d05bb

The expression is equivalent to the expression , where , , and are constants. What
is the value of ?

ID: ea6d05bb Answer

Correct Answer: -419

Rationale
The correct answer is . It's given that the expression is equivalent to the expression
, where , , and are constants. Applying the distributive property to the given expression,
, yields , which can be rewritten as
. Combining like terms yields . Since this expression is equivalent to
, it follows that the value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 911383f2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 911383f2

What is the product of the solutions to

the given equation?

A. 8

B. 3

C.

D.

ID: 911383f2 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. By the zero-product property, if , then , , or . Solving
each of these equations for yields , , or . The product of these solutions is .

Choice A is incorrect and may result from sign errors made when solving the given equation. Choice B is incorrect and may
result from finding the sum, not the product, of the solutions. Choice C is incorrect and may result from finding the sum, not
the product, of the solutions in addition to making sign errors when solving the given equation.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID d8789a4c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: d8789a4c

In the expression above, b and c are positive integers. If the expression is

equivalent to and , which of the following could be the value of c ?

A. 4

B. 6

C. 8

D. 10

ID: d8789a4c Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. If the given expression is equivalent to , then , where x isn’t equal to b. Multiplying

both sides of this equation by yields . Since the right-hand side of this equation is in factored
form for the difference of squares, the value of c must be a perfect square. Only choice A gives a perfect square for the value
of c.

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect. None of these values of c produces a difference of squares. For example, when 6 is

substituted for c in the given expression, the result is . The expression can’t be factored with integer values,

and therefore isn’t equivalent to .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b80d10d7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: b80d10d7

What is the solution to the

equation above?

A. 0

B. 2

C. 3

D. 5

ID: b80d10d7 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. Since is equivalent to 1, the right-hand side of the given equation can be rewritten as

, or . Since the left- and right-hand sides of the equation have the same
denominator, it follows that . Applying the distributive property of multiplication to the expression
yields , or . Therefore, . Subtracting x and 2 from both sides of this equation yields .

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect. If , then . This can be rewritten as , which is a false
statement. Therefore, 0 isn’t a solution to the given equation. Substituting 3 and 5 into the given equation yields similarly
false statements.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID fcdf87b7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: fcdf87b7

If the ordered pair satisfies the system of equations above,

what is one possible value of x ?

ID: fcdf87b7 Answer

Rationale
The correct answer is either 0 or 3. For an ordered pair to satisfy a system of equations, both the x- and y-values of the
ordered pair must satisfy each equation in the system. Both expressions on the right-hand side of the given equations are
equal to y, therefore it follows that both expressions on the right-hand side of the equations are equal to each other:
. This equation can be rewritten as , and then through factoring, the equation becomes

. Because the product of the two factors is equal to 0, it can be concluded that either or , or
rather, or . Note that 0 and 3 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID a520ba07
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: a520ba07

Which of the following expressions is equivalent

to the expression above?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: a520ba07 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. One of the properties of radicals is . Thus, the given expression can be rewritten as

. Simplifying by taking the cube root of each part gives x1 ⋅ y2, or xy2.

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect and may be the result of incorrect application of the properties of exponents and radicals.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 652054da
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 652054da

An oceanographer uses the equation to model the speed s, in knots, of an

ocean wave, where p represents the period of the wave, in seconds. Which of the
following represents the period of the wave in terms of the speed of the wave?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 652054da Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. It’s given that p represents the period of the ocean wave, so the equation can be solved for p to
represent the period of the wave in terms of the speed of the wave. Multiplying both sides of the equation by the reciprocal

of will isolate p. This yields , which simplifies to . Therefore, .

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may result from errors made when rearranging the equation to solve for p.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID a255ae72
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: a255ae72

If and , which of the

following is equal to ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: a255ae72 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. It’s given that and . Using the distributive property, the expression can

be rewritten as . Substituting and for and , respectively, in this expression yields

. Expanding this expression yields

. Combining like terms, this expression can be rewritten as

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect and may result from an error in using the distributive property, substituting, or combining
like terms.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 463eec13
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 463eec13

If , which of the following expressions is

equivalent to ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 463eec13 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. Taking the square root of an exponential expression halves the exponent, so ,

which further reduces to . This can be rewritten as .

Choice A is incorrect and may result from neglecting the denominator of the given expression and from incorrectly

calculating the square root of 16. Choice B is incorrect and may result from rewriting as rather than . Choice C is
incorrect and may result from taking the square root of the variables in the numerator twice instead of once.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 18e35375
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 18e35375

The function is defined by the given equation. For what value of does reach its minimum?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 18e35375 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. It's given that , which can be rewritten as . Since the
coefficient of the -term is positive, the graph of in the xy-plane opens upward and reaches its minimum value at
its vertex. The x-coordinate of the vertex is the value of such that reaches its minimum. For an equation in the form
, where , , and are constants, the x-coordinate of the vertex is . For the equation
, , , and . It follows that the x-coordinate of the vertex is , or .
Therefore, reaches its minimum when the value of is .

Alternate approach: The value of for the vertex of a parabola is the x-value of the midpoint between the two x-intercepts of
the parabola. Since it’s given that , it follows that the two x-intercepts of the graph of
in the xy-plane occur when and , or at the points and . The midpoint between two points,
and , is . Therefore, the midpoint between and is , or
. It follows that reaches its minimum when the value of is .

Choice A is incorrect. This is the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph of in the xy-plane.

Choice B is incorrect. This is one of the x-coordinates of the x-intercepts of the graph of in the xy-plane.

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6e02cd78
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 6e02cd78

In the xy-plane, what is the y-coordinate of the point of intersection of the

graphs of and ?

ID: 6e02cd78 Answer

Rationale
The correct answer is 1. The point of intersection of the graphs of the given equations is the solution to the system of the
two equations. Since and , it follows that , or . Applying the

distributive property to the left-hand side of this equation yields . Subtracting from and adding 3 to

both sides of this equation yields . Factoring the left-hand side of this equation yields . By
the zero product property, if , it follows that . Adding 2 to both sides of yields .
Substituting 2 for x in either of the given equations yields . For example, substituting 2 for x in the second given
equation yields , or . Therefore, the point of intersection of the graphs of the given equations is . The
y-coordinate of this point is 1.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 7bd10ef3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 7bd10ef3

In the equation above, t is a constant. If the equation has no real solutions, which
of the following could be the value of t ?

A.

B.

C. 1

D. 3

ID: 7bd10ef3 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. The number of solutions to any quadratic equation in the form , where a, b, and c are

constants, can be found by evaluating the expression , which is called the discriminant. If the value of is a

positive number, then there will be exactly two real solutions to the equation. If the value of is zero, then there will

be exactly one real solution to the equation. Finally, if the value of is negative, then there will be no real solutions to
the equation.

The given equation is a quadratic equation in one variable, where t is a constant. Subtracting t from both sides

of the equation gives . In this form, , , and . The values of t for which the equation has
no real solutions are the same values of t for which the discriminant of this equation is a negative value. The discriminant is
equal to ; therefore, . Simplifying the left side of the inequality gives .
Subtracting 16 from both sides of the inequality and then dividing both sides by 8 gives . Of the values given in the
options, is the only value that is less than . Therefore, choice A must be the correct answer.

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may result from a misconception about how to use the discriminant to determine the
number of solutions of a quadratic equation in one variable.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 50e40f08
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 50e40f08

If the given function is graphed in the xy-plane, where , what is the x-coordinate of an x-intercept of the graph?

ID: 50e40f08 Answer

Correct Answer: -6, 4

Rationale
The correct answer is either or . The x-intercepts of a graph in the xy-plane are the points where . Thus, for an x-
intercept of the graph of , . Substituting for in the equation yields
. By the zero product property, and . Subtracting from both sides of the
equation yields . Adding to both sides of the equation yields . Therefore, the x-
coordinates of the x-intercepts of the graph of are and . Note that -6 and 4 are examples of ways to enter a
correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 5355c0ef
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 5355c0ef

The given expression can be rewritten as , where is a constant. What is the value of ?

ID: 5355c0ef Answer

Correct Answer: .09, 9/100

Rationale
The correct answer is . It's given that the expression can be rewritten as .
Applying the distributive property to the expression yields . Therefore,
can be rewritten as . It follows that in the expressions
and , the coefficients of are equivalent, the coefficients of are equivalent,
and the constant terms are equivalent. Therefore, , , and . Solving any of these equations
for yields the value of . Dividing both sides of the equation by yields . Therefore, the value of is
. Note that .09 and 9/100 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a1bf1c4e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: a1bf1c4e

Which of the following is equivalent to

the expression above?

A. (x + 3)2 + 5

B. (x + 3)2 – 5

C. (x – 3)2 + 5

D. (x – 3)2 – 5

ID: a1bf1c4e Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. The given quadratic expression is in standard form, and each answer choice is in vertex form.
Completing the square converts the expression from standard form to vertex form. The first step is to rewrite the expression
as follows: . The first three terms of the revised expression can be rewritten as a perfect

square as follows: . Combining the constant terms gives .

Choice A is incorrect. Squaring the binomial and simplifying the expression in choice A gives . Combining like

terms gives , not . Choice C is incorrect. Squaring the binomial and simplifying the expression in

choice C gives . Combining like terms gives , not . Choice D is incorrect. Squaring

the binomial and simplifying the expression in choice D gives . Combining like terms gives , not

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID c81b6c57
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: c81b6c57

In the expression , p is a constant. This expression

is equivalent to the expression . What is the value of p ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: c81b6c57 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. Using the distributive property, the first given expression can be rewritten as 6x2 + 3px + 24 – 16px – 64x
+ 24, and then rewritten as 6x2 + (3p – 16p – 64)x + 24. Since the expression 6x2 + (3p – 16p – 64)x + 24 is equivalent to 6x2
– 155x + 24, the coefficients of the x terms from each expression are equivalent to each other; thus 3p – 16p – 64 = –155.
Combining like terms gives –13p – 64 = –155. Adding 64 to both sides of the equation gives –13p = –71. Dividing both
sides of the equation by –13 yields p = 7.

Choice A is incorrect. If p = –3, then the first expression would be equivalent to 6x2 – 25x + 24. Choice C is incorrect. If p =
13, then the first expression would be equivalent to 6x2 – 233x + 24. Choice D is incorrect. If p = 155, then the first
expression would be equivalent to 6x2 – 2,079x + 24.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 802549ac
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 802549ac

Which of the following is a solution to

the given equation?

A. 1

B. 0

C.

D.

ID: 802549ac Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. Applying the distributive property on the left- and right-hand sides of the given equation yields
, or . Subtracting from and adding to both
sides of this equation yields . Subtracting 6 from both sides of this equation and then dividing both sides by 10
yields .

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect. Substituting 0, , or for x in the given equation will result in a false statement. If
, the given equation becomes ; if , the given equation becomes ; and if , the given
equation becomes . Therefore, the values 0, , and aren’t solutions to the given equation.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID a4f61d75
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: a4f61d75

In the equation above, a is a constant and . If the equation has two integer
solutions, what is a possible value of a ?

ID: a4f61d75 Answer

Rationale
The correct answer is either 7, 8, or 13. Since the given equation has two integer solutions, the expression on the left-hand
side of this equation can be factored as , where c and d are also integers. The product of c and d must equal
the constant term of the original quadratic expression, which is 12. Additionally, the sum of c and d must be a negative
number since it’s given that , but the sign preceding a in the given equation is negative. The possible pairs of values for
c and d that satisfy both of these conditions are and , and , and and . Since the value of is the
sum of c and d, the possible values of are , , and . It follows
that the possible values of a are 7, 8, and 13. Note that 7, 8, and 13 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID a31417d1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: a31417d1

From 2005 through 2014, the number of music CDs sold in the United States
declined each year by approximately 15% of the number sold the preceding year. In
2005, approximately 600 million CDs were sold in the United States. Of the
following, which best models C, the number of millions of CDs sold in the United
States, t years after 2005?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: a31417d1 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. A model for a quantity C that decreases by a certain percentage per time period t is an exponential

equation in the form , where I is the initial value at time for r% annual decline. It’s given that C is the
number of millions of CDs sold in the United States and that t is the number of years after 2005. It’s also given that 600
million CDs were sold at time , so . This number declines by 15% per year, so . Substituting these values

into the equation produces , or .

Choice A is incorrect and may result from errors made when representing the percent decline. Choices C and D are incorrect.
These equations model exponential increases in CD sales, not exponential decreases.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 66bce0c1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 66bce0c1

What is the solution set of the

equation above?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 66bce0c1 Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale

Choice B is correct. Subtracting 4 from both sides of isolates the radical expression on the left side of

the equation as follows: . Squaring both sides of yields . This

equation can be rewritten as a quadratic equation in standard form: . One way to solve this quadratic

equation is to factor the expression by identifying two numbers with a sum of and a product of . These

numbers are and 1. So the quadratic equation can be factored as . It follows that 5 and are the
solutions to the quadratic equation. However, the solutions must be verified by checking whether 5 and satisfy the

original equation, . When , the original equation gives , or ,

which is false. Therefore, does not satisfy the original equation. When , the original equation gives

, or , which is true. Therefore, is the only solution to the original equation, and so the
solution set is .

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because each of these sets contains at least one value that results in a false statement
when substituted into the given equation. For instance, in choice D, when 0 is substituted for x into the given equation, the
result is , or . This is not a true statement, so 0 is not a solution to the given equation.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 97e50fa2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 97e50fa2

The graph of the function f, defined by , is shown in the

xy-plane above. If the function g (not shown) is defined by , what is
one possible value of a such that ?

ID: 97e50fa2 Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is either 2 or 8. Substituting in the definitions for f and g gives and

, respectively. If , then . Subtracting 10 from both sides of this

equation gives . Multiplying both sides by gives . Expanding gives

. Combining the like terms on one side of the equation gives . One way to solve this

equation is to factor by identifying two numbers with a sum of and a product of 16. These numbers are
and , so the quadratic equation can be factored as . Therefore, the possible values of a are either 2
or 8. Note that 2 and 8 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Alternate approach: Graphically, the condition implies the graphs of the functions and
intersect at . The graph is given, and the graph of may be sketched as a line with y-intercept 10 and
a slope of (taking care to note the different scales on each axis). These two graphs intersect at and .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9afe2370
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 9afe2370
The population P of a certain city y years after the last census is modeled by the equation below, where r is a constant
and is the population when .

If during this time the population of the city decreases by a fixed percent each year,
which of the following must be true?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 9afe2370 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. The term (1 + r) represents a percent change. Since the population is decreasing, the percent change
must be between 0% and 100%. When the percent change is expressed as a decimal rather than as a percent, the percentage
change must be between 0 and 1. Because (1 + r) represents percent change, this can be expressed as 0 < 1 + r < 1.
Subtracting 1 from all three terms of this compound inequality results in –1 < r < 0.

Choice A is incorrect. If r < –1, then after 1 year, the population P would be a negative value, which is not possible. Choices C
and D are incorrect. For any value of r > 0, 1 + r > 1, and the exponential function models growth for positive values of the
exponent. This contradicts the given information that the population is decreasing.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3d12b1e0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 3d12b1e0

In the given equation, is a constant. The equation has exactly one solution. What is the value of ?

ID: 3d12b1e0 Answer

Correct Answer: -1

Rationale
The correct answer is . A quadratic equation in the form , where , , and are constants, has exactly
one solution when its discriminant, , is equal to . In the given equation, , and
. Substituting for and for in yields , or . Since the given
equation has exactly one solution, . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields .
Dividing both sides of this equation by yields . Therefore, the value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2c88af4d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 2c88af4d

The expression , where and , is

equivalent to which of the following?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 2c88af4d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. For and , and are equivalent to and , respectively. Also, and are

equivalent to and , respectively. Therefore, the given expression can be rewritten as .

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because these choices are not equivalent to the given expression for and .

For example, for and , the value of the given expression is ; the values of the choices, however, are ,

, and 1, respectively.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID c4cd5bcc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: c4cd5bcc

In the xy-plane, the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph of the function f is c.
Which of the following must be equal to c ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: c4cd5bcc Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. A y-intercept is the point in the xy-plane where the graph of the function crosses the y-axis, which is
where . It’s given that the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph of function f is c. It follows that the coordinate
pair representing the y-intercept must be . Therefore, c must equal .

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because , , and would represent the y-value of the coordinate where ,
, and , respectively.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 71014fb1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 71014fb1

How many distinct real solutions does the given equation have?

A. Exactly one

B. Exactly two

C. Infinitely many

D. Zero

ID: 71014fb1 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. Any quantity that is positive or negative in value has a positive value when squared. Therefore, the left-
hand side of the given equation is either positive or zero for any value of . Since the right-hand side of the given equation is
negative, there is no value of for which the given equation is true. Thus, the number of distinct real solutions for the given
equation is zero.

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 22fd3e1f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 22fd3e1f

Which of the following expressions is

equivalent to , for ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 22fd3e1f Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale

Choice D is correct. Since and , the fraction can be written as

. It is given that , so the common factor is not equal to 0. Therefore, the fraction can be further

simplified to .

Choice A is incorrect. The expression is not equivalent to because at , as a value of 1 and

has a value of 0.

Choice B is incorrect and results from omitting the factor x in the factorization of . Choice C is incorrect and may result

from incorrectly factoring as instead of .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 78d5f91a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 78d5f91a

For the function f defined above, what is

the value of ?

A.

B.

C. 7

D. 11

ID: 78d5f91a Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. Substituting for x in the given function f gives , which

simplifies to . This further simplifies to , or .

Choice A is incorrect and may result from correctly substituting for x in the function but incorrectly simplifying the

resulting expression to , or . Choice B is incorrect and may result from arithmetic errors.
Choice D is incorrect and may result from correctly substituting for x in the function but incorrectly simplifying the

expression to , or 11.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID d675744f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: d675744f

Which of the following is the graph in the xy-

plane of the given equation?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: d675744f Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is correct. The y-intercept of the graph of an equation is the point , where b is the value of y when . For
the given equation, when . It follows that the y-intercept of the graph of the given equation is . Additionally,
for the given equation, the value of y doubles for each increase of 1 in the value of x. Therefore, the graph contains the points
, , , and . Only the graph shown in choice D passes through these points.

Choices A and B are incorrect because these are graphs of decreasing, not increasing, exponential functions. Choice C is
incorrect because the value of y increases by a growth factor greater than 2 for each increase of 1 in the value of x.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID a0b4103e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: a0b4103e

The expression can be rewritten as , where k is a

positive constant. What is the value of k ?

A. 2

B. 6

C.

D.

ID: a0b4103e Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. Factoring out the coefficient , the given expression can be rewritten as . The expression

can be approached as a difference of squares and rewritten as . Therefore, k must be .

Choice A is incorrect. If k were 2, then the expression given would be rewritten as , which is equivalent to

, not .

Choice B is incorrect. This may result from incorrectly factoring the expression and finding as the factored

form of the expression. Choice C is incorrect. This may result from incorrectly distributing the and rewriting the

expression as .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e9349667
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: e9349667

If and are the two solutions to the system of equations

above, what is the value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: e9349667 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. The system of equations can be solved using the substitution method. Solving the second equation for y
gives y = –x – 1. Substituting the expression –x – 1 for y into the first equation gives –x – 1 = x2 + 2x + 1. Adding x + 1 to
both sides of the equation yields x2 + 3x + 2 = 0. The left-hand side of the equation can be factored by finding two numbers
whose sum is 3 and whose product is 2, which gives (x + 2)(x + 1) = 0. Setting each factor equal to 0 yields x + 2 = 0 and x +
1 = 0, and solving for x yields x = –2 or x = –1. These values of x can be substituted for x in the equation y = –x – 1 to find the
corresponding y-values: y = –(–2) – 1 = 2 – 1 = 1 and y = –(–1) – 1 = 1 – 1 = 0. It follows that (–2, 1) and (–1, 0) are the
solutions to the given system of equations. Therefore, (x1, y1) = (–2, 1), (x2, y2) = (–1, 0), and y1 + y2 = 1 + 0 = 1.

Choice A is incorrect. The solutions to the system of equations are (x1, y1) = (–2, 1) and (x2, y2) = (–1, 0). Therefore, –3 is the
sum of the x-coordinates of the solutions, not the sum of the y-coordinates of the solutions. Choices B and C are incorrect
and may be the result of computation or substitution errors.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b03adde3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: b03adde3

If , what is t
in terms of u ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: b03adde3 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. Multiplying both sides of the given equation by yields . Dividing both sides of this

equation by yields . Adding 2 to both sides of this equation yields , which can be rewritten

as . Since the fractions on the right-hand side of this equation have a common denominator, adding

the fractions yields . Applying the distributive property to the numerator on the right-hand side of this

equation yields , which is equivalent to .

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect and may result from various misconceptions or miscalculations.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f44a29a8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: f44a29a8

An object’s kinetic energy, in joules, is equal to the product of one-half the object’s
mass, in kilograms, and the square of the object’s speed, in meters per second.
What is the speed, in meters per second, of an object with a mass of 4 kilograms
and kinetic energy of 18 joules?

A. 3

B. 6

C. 9

D. 36

ID: f44a29a8 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. It’s given that an object’s kinetic energy, in joules, is equal to the product of one-half the object’s mass, in
kilograms, and the square of the object’s speed, in meters per second. This relationship can be represented by the equation

, where K is the kinetic energy, m is the mass, and v is the speed. Substituting a mass of 4 kilograms for m and a

kinetic energy of 18 joules for K results in the equation , or . Dividing both sides of this equation by

2 yields . Taking the square root of both sides yields and . Since speed can’t be expressed as a negative
number, the speed of the object is 3 meters per second.

Choice B is incorrect and may result from computation errors. Choice C is incorrect. This is the value of rather than v.

Choice D is incorrect. This is the value of rather than v.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 0121a235
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 0121a235

x p(x)

The table above gives selected values of a polynomial function p. Based on the
values in the table, which of the following must be a factor of p ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 0121a235 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. According to the table, when x is or 2, . Therefore, two x-intercepts of the graph of p are

and . Since and are x-intercepts, it follows that and are factors of the polynomial
equation. This is because when , the value of is 0. Similarly, when , the value of is 0. Therefore, the
product is a factor of the polynomial function p.

Choice A is incorrect. The factor corresponds to an x-intercept of , which isn’t present in the table. Choice B is
incorrect. The factor corresponds to an x-intercept of , which isn’t present in the table. Choice C is incorrect.
The factors and correspond to x-intercepts and , respectively, which aren’t present in the table.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID d71f6dbf
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: d71f6dbf

The height, in feet, of an object x seconds after it is thrown straight up in the air
can be modeled by the function . Based on the model,

which of the following statements best interprets the equation ?

A. The height of the object 1.4 seconds after being thrown straight up in the air is 1.64 feet.

B. The height of the object 1.64 seconds after being thrown straight up in the air is 1.4 feet.

The height of the object 1.64 seconds after being thrown straight up in the air is approximately 1.4 times as great as its
C. initial height.

D. The speed of the object 1.4 seconds after being thrown straight up in the air is approximately 1.64 feet per second.

ID: d71f6dbf Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. The value 1.4 is the value of x, which represents the number of seconds after the object was thrown
straight up in the air. When the function h is evaluated for x = 1.4, the function has a value of 1.64, which is the height, in feet,
of the object.

Choices B and C are incorrect and may result from misidentifying seconds as feet and feet as seconds. Additionally, choice
C may result from incorrectly including the initial height of the object as the input x. Choice D is incorrect and may result
from misidentifying height as speed.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 630897df
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 630897df

The speed of sound in dry air, v, can be modeled by the formula

, where T is the temperature in degrees Celsius and v is
measured in meters per second. Which of the following correctly expresses T in
terms of v ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 630897df Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. To express T in terms of v, subtract 331.3 from both sides of the equation, which gives v – 331.3 =

0.606T. Dividing both sides of the equation by 0.606 gives .

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect and are the result of incorrect steps while solving for T.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 70753f99
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 70753f99

The function f is defined by . The graph of f in the xy-plane is

a parabola. Which of the following intervals contains the x-coordinate of the vertex
of the graph of f ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 70753f99 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. The graph of a quadratic function in the xy-plane is a parabola. The axis of symmetry of the parabola
passes through the vertex of the parabola. Therefore, the vertex of the parabola and the midpoint of the segment between
the two x-intercepts of the graph have the same x-coordinate. Since , the x-coordinate of the vertex is

. Of the shown intervals, only the interval in choice B contains –2. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect and
may result from either calculation errors or misidentification of the graph’s x-intercepts.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6676f055
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 6676f055

An engineer wanted to identify the best angle for a cooling fan in an engine in order
to get the greatest airflow. The engineer discovered that the function above models
the airflow , in cubic feet per minute, as a function of the angle of the fan , in
degrees. According to the model, what angle, in degrees, gives the greatest
airflow?

A. –0.28

B. 0.28

C. 27

D. 880

ID: 6676f055 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. The function f is quadratic, so it will have either a maximum or a minimum at the vertex of the graph.
Since the coefficient of the quadratic term (–0.28) is negative, the vertex will be at a maximum. The equation f( ) = –0.28(
– 27)2 + 880 is given in vertex form, so the vertex is at = 27. Therefore, an angle of 27 degrees gives the greatest airflow.

Choices A and B are incorrect and may be the result of misidentifying which value in a quadratic equation in vertex form
represents the vertex. Choice D is incorrect. This choice identifies the maximum value of f( ) rather than the value of for
which f( ) is maximized.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 29ed5d39
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 29ed5d39

The given equation relates the numbers and , where is not equal to and . Which equation correctly expresses
in terms of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 29ed5d39 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. To express in terms of , the given equation must be solved for . Subtracting from both sides of the
given equation yields . Since is not equal to , multiplying both sides of this equation by yields
. It's given that , which means is not equal to . Therefore, dividing both sides of
by yields , or .

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: Medium

Question ID dd8ac009
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: dd8ac009

Time (years) Total amount (dollars)

Sara opened a savings account at a bank. The table shows the exponential relationship between the time , in years, since
Sara opened the account and the total amount , in dollars, in the account. If Sara made no additional deposits or
withdrawals, which of the following equations best represents the relationship between and ?

A. msup

B. msup

C. msup

D. msup

ID: dd8ac009 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. It’s given that the relationship between and is exponential. The table shows that the value of
increases as the value of increases. Therefore, the relationship between and can be represented by an increasing
exponential equation of the form , where and are positive constants. The table shows that when ,
. Substituting for and for in the equation yields , which is equivalent to
, or . Substituting for in the equation yields . The table also
shows that when , . Substituting for and for in the equation yields
, or . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields .
Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields . Substituting for in the equation
yields . Therefore, of the choices, choice B best represents the relationship between and .

Choice A 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: Medium

Question ID 58dcc59f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 58dcc59f

A landscaper is designing a rectangular garden. The length of the garden is to be 5

feet longer than the width. If the area of the garden will be 104 square feet, what
will be the length, in feet, of the garden?

ID: 58dcc59f Answer

Rationale
The correct answer is 13. Let w represent the width of the rectangular garden, in feet. Since the length of the garden will be 5
feet longer than the width of the garden, the length of the garden will be feet. Thus the area of the garden will be

. It is also given that the area of the garden will be 104 square feet. Therefore, , which is equivalent

to . Factoring this equation results in . Therefore, and . Because

width cannot be negative, the width of the garden must be 8 feet. This means the length of the garden must be
feet.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 30281058
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 30281058

In the xy-plane, the graph of intersects line p at and , where a

and b are constants. What is the slope of line p ?

A. 6

B. 2

C.

D.

ID: 30281058 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. It’s given that the graph of and line p intersect at and . Therefore, the value of y
when is the value of a, and the value of y when is the value of b. Substituting 1 for x in the given equation yields

, or . Similarly, substituting 5 for x in the given equation yields , or . Therefore, the

intersection points are and . The slope of line p is the ratio of the change in y to the change in x between these

two points: , or 6.

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors in determining the values of a, b, or
the slope of line p.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 84dd43f8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 84dd43f8

For the function , , and for each increase in by , the value of decreases by . What is the value of
?

ID: 84dd43f8 Answer

Correct Answer: 3.44, 86/25

Rationale
The correct answer is . It’s given that and that for each increase in by , the value of decreases by
. Because the output of the function decreases by a constant percentage for each -unit increase in the value of , this
relationship can be represented by an exponential function of the form , where represents the initial value of
the function and represents the rate of decay,
expressed as a decimal. Because , the value of must be . Because the value of decreases by for
each -unit increase in , the value of must be , or . Therefore, the function can be defined by
. Substituting for in this function yields , which is equivalent to ,
or . Either or may be entered as the correct answer.

Alternate approach: It’s given that and that for each increase in by , the value of decreases by .
Therefore, when , the value of is , or , of , which can be expressed as . Since
, the value of is . Similarly, when , the value of is of , which can be
expressed as . Since , the value of is . Either or may be entered
as the correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 59d1f4b5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 59d1f4b5

The equation above models the number of members, M, of a gym t years after the
gym opens. Of the following, which equation models the number of members of
the gym q quarter years after the gym opens?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 59d1f4b5 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. In 1 year, there are 4 quarter years, so the number of quarter years, q, is 4 times the number of years, t ;

that is, . This is equivalent to , and substituting this into the expression for M in terms of t gives

Choices B and D are incorrect and may be the result of incorrectly using instead of . (Choices B and D are

nearly the same since is equivalent to , which is approximately .) Choice C is incorrect and may be
the result of incorrectly using and unnecessarily dividing 0.02 by 4.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 281a4f3b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 281a4f3b

A certain college had 3,000 students enrolled in 2015. The college predicts that
after 2015, the number of students enrolled each year will be 2% less than the
number of students enrolled the year before. Which of the following functions
models the relationship between the number of students enrolled, , and the
number of years after 2015, x ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 281a4f3b Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. Because the change in the number of students decreases by the same percentage each year, the
relationship between the number of students and the number of years can be modeled with a decreasing exponential
function in the form , where is the number of students, a is the number of students in 2015, r is the rate
of decrease each year, and x is the number of years since 2015. It’s given that 3,000 students were enrolled in 2015 and that
the rate of decrease is predicted to be 2%, or 0.02. Substituting these values into the decreasing exponential function yields
, which is equivalent to .

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect and may result from conceptual errors when translating the given information into a
decreasing exponential function.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID f237ccfc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: f237ccfc

The sum of and can be written in the form ,

where a, b, and c are constants. What is the value of ?

ID: f237ccfc Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is 32. The sum of the given expressions is . Combining like terms

yields . Based on the form of the given equation, , , and . Therefore, .

Alternate approach: Because is the value of when , it is possible to first make that substitution
into each polynomial before adding them. When , the first polynomial is equal to and the second
polynomial is equal to . The sum of 30 and 2 is 32.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID a391ed22
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: a391ed22

The expression above is equivalent to , where a, b, and c

are constants. What is the value of b?

ID: a391ed22 Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is . The expression can be written in the form , where a, b, and c
are constants, by multiplying out the expression using the distributive property of multiplication over addition. The result is

. This expression can be rewritten by multiplying as indicated to give

, which can be simplified to , or . This is in the form

, where the value of b is . Note that 5/2 and 2.5 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID c77ef2fb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: c77ef2fb

Blood volume, , in a human can be determined using the equation ,

where is the plasma volume and H is the hematocrit (the fraction of blood
volume that is red blood cells). Which of the following correctly expresses the
hematocrit in terms of the blood volume and the plasma volume?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: c77ef2fb Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. The hematocrit can be expressed in terms of the blood volume and the plasma volume by solving the

given equation for H. Multiplying both sides of this equation by yields . Dividing both

sides by yields . Subtracting 1 from both sides yields . Dividing both sides by yields

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may result from errors made when manipulating the equation.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 364a2d25
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 364a2d25

If one solution to the system of equations above is ,

what is one possible value of x ?

ID: 364a2d25 Answer

Rationale
The correct answer is either 8 or 9. The first equation can be rewritten as . Substituting for y in the second

equation gives . By applying the distributive property, this can be rewritten as . Subtracting 72

from both sides of the equation yields . Factoring the left-hand side of this equation yields
. Applying the Zero Product Property, it follows that and . Solving each equation for x
yields and respectively. Note that 8 and 9 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 100030d9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 100030d9

A rubber ball bounces upward one-half the height that it falls each time it hits the
ground. If the ball was originally dropped from a distance of 20.0 feet above the
ground, what was its maximum height above the ground, in feet, between the third
and fourth time it hit the ground?

ID: 100030d9 Answer

Rationale
The correct answer is 2.5. After hitting the ground once, the ball bounces to feet. After hitting the ground a
second time, the ball bounces to feet. After hitting the ground for the third time, the ball bounces to
feet. Note that 2.5 and 5/2 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 5910bfff
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 5910bfff

The formula above can be used to approximate the dew point D, in degrees
Fahrenheit, given the temperature T, in degrees Fahrenheit, and the relative
humidity of H percent, where . Which of the following expresses the relative
humidity in terms of the temperature and the dew point?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 5910bfff Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. It’s given that . Solving this formula for H expresses the relative humidity in

terms of the temperature and the dew point. Subtracting T from both sides of this equation yields .

Multiplying both sides by yields . Subtracting 100 from both sides yields

. Multiplying both sides by results in the formula .

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may result from errors made when rewriting the given formula.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ad038c19
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: ad038c19

Which of the following is

equivalent to ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: ad038c19 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. The expression can be rewritten as . Using the distributive property, the

expression yields . Combining like terms gives .

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect and may result from errors using the distributive property on the given expression or
combining like terms.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c7a187a7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: c7a187a7

If the given function is graphed in the xy-plane, where , what is an x-intercept of the graph?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: c7a187a7 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. It's given that . The x-intercepts of a graph in the xy-plane are the points where . Thus, for
an x-intercept of the graph of function , . Substituting for in the equation yields
. Factoring the right-hand side of this equation yields . By the zero product
property, and . Subtracting from both sides of the equation yields .
Adding to both sides of the equation yields . Therefore, the x-intercepts of the graph of
are and . Of these two x-intercepts, only is given as a choice.

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: Medium

Question ID 635f54ee
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 635f54ee

The surface area of a cube is , where a is a positive constant. Which of the

following gives the perimeter of one face of the cube?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 635f54ee Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. A cube has 6 faces of equal area, so if the total surface area of a cube is , then the area of one

face is . Likewise, the area of one face of a cube is the square of one of its edges; therefore, if the area of one face is

, then the length of one edge of the cube is . Since the perimeter of one face of a cube is four times the length of

one edge, the perimeter is .

Choice A is incorrect because if the perimeter of one face of the cube is , then the total surface area of the cube is

, which is not . Choice C is incorrect because if the perimeter of one face of the cube is 4a, then

the total surface area of the cube is , which is not . Choice D is incorrect because if the perimeter of

one face of the cube is 6a, then the total surface area of the cube is , which is not .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 0980fcdd
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 0980fcdd

A solution to the given system of equations is . Which of the

following is a possible value of xy ?

A. 0

B. 6

C. 12

D. 36

ID: 0980fcdd Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. Solutions to the given system of equations are ordered pairs that satisfy both equations in the

system. Adding the left-hand and right-hand sides of the equations in the system yields , or

. Subtracting y from both sides of this equation yields . Taking the square root of both sides of this
equation yields and . Therefore, there are two solutions to this system of equations, one with an x-coordinate
of 6 and the other with an x-coordinate of . Substituting 6 for x in the second equation yields , or ;
therefore, one solution is . Similarly, substituting for x in the second equation yields , or ;

therefore, the other solution is . It follows then that if is a solution to the system, then possible values of
are and . Only 0 is among the given choices.

Choice B is incorrect. This is the x-coordinate of one of the solutions, . Choice C is incorrect and may result from
conceptual or computational errors. Choice D is incorrect. This is the square of the x-coordinate of one of the solutions,
.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID e1391dd6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: e1391dd6

According to Moore’s law, the number of transistors included on microprocessors

doubles every 2 years. In 1985, a microprocessor was introduced that had 275,000
transistors. Based on this information, in which of the following years does
Moore’s law estimate the number of transistors to reach 1.1 million?

A. 1987

B. 1989

C. 1991

D. 1994

ID: e1391dd6 Answer

Rationale

Choice B is correct. Let x be the number of years after 1985. It follows that represents the number of 2-year periods that
will occur within an x-year period. According to Moore’s law, every 2 years, the number of transistors included on

microprocessors is estimated to double. Therefore, x years after 1985, the number of transistors will double times. Since
the number of transistors included on a microprocessor was 275,000, or .275 million, in 1985, the estimated number of

transistors, in millions, included x years after 1985 can be modeled as . The year in which the number of

transistors is estimated to be 1.1 million is represented by the value of x when . Dividing both sides of this

equation by .275 yields , which can be rewritten as . Since the exponential equation has equal bases on

each side, it follows that the exponents must also be equal: . Multiplying both sides of the equation by 2
yields . Therefore, according to Moore’s law, 4 years after 1985, or in 1989, the number of transistors included on
microprocessors is estimated to reach 1.1 million.

Alternate approach: According to Moore’s law, 2 years after 1985 (in 1987), the number of transistors included on a
microprocessor is estimated to be , or 550,000, and 2 years after 1987 (in 1989), the number of transistors
included on microprocessors is estimated to be , or 1,100,000. Therefore, the year that Moore’s law estimates
the number of transistors on microprocessors to reach 1.1 million is 1989.

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect. According to Moore’s law, the number of transistors included on microprocessors is
estimated to reach 550,000 in 1987, 2.2 million in 1991, and about 6.2 million in 1994.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 87a3de81
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 87a3de81

If a is a solution of the equation above and

, what is the value of a ?

ID: 87a3de81 Answer

Rationale
The correct answer is 3. The solution to the given equation can be found by factoring the quadratic expression. The factors
can be determined by finding two numbers with a sum of 1 and a product of . The two numbers that meet these
constraints are 4 and . Therefore, the given equation can be rewritten as . It follows that the solutions
to the equation are or . Since it is given that , a must equal 3.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 1697ffcf
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 1697ffcf

In the xy-plane, the graph of intersects the graph of at the

points and . What is the value of a ?

ID: 1697ffcf Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is 5. The intersection points of the graphs of and can be found by solving the
system consisting of these two equations. To solve the system, substitute x for y in the first equation. This gives
. Subtracting x from both sides of the equation gives . Factoring out of each term on the
left-hand side of the equation gives . Therefore, the possible values for x are 0 and 5. Since , the two
intersection points are and . Therefore, .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 5bf0f84a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 5bf0f84a

The function above models the height h, in feet, of an object above ground
t seconds after being launched straight up in the air. What does the number 72
represent in the function?

A. The initial height, in feet, of the object

B. The maximum height, in feet, of the object

C. The initial speed, in feet per second, of the object

D. The maximum speed, in feet per second, of the object

ID: 5bf0f84a Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. The variable t represents the seconds after the object is launched. Since , this means that the
height, in feet, at 0 seconds, or the initial height, is 72 feet.

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may be the result of misinterpreting the function in context.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 70ebd3d0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 70ebd3d0

The function N defined above can be used to model the number of species of
brachiopods at various ocean depths d, where d is in hundreds of meters. Which of
the following does the model predict?

A. For every increase in depth by 1 meter, the number of brachiopod species decreases by 115.

B. For every increase in depth by 1 meter, the number of brachiopod species decreases by 10%.

C. For every increase in depth by 100 meters, the number of brachiopod species decreases by 115.

D. For every increase in depth by 100 meters, the number of brachiopod species decreases by 10%.

ID: 70ebd3d0 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. The function N is exponential, so it follows that changes by a fixed percentage for each increase in
d by 1. Since d is measured in hundreds of meters, it also follows that the number of brachiopod species changes by a fixed
percentage for each increase in ocean depth by 100 meters. Since the base of the exponent in the model is 0.90, which is
less than 1, the number of brachiopod species decreases as the ocean depth increases. Specifically, the number of
brachiopod species at a depth of meters is 90% of the number of brachiopod species at a depth of d meters. This
means that for each increase in ocean depth by 100 meters, the number of brachiopod species decreases by 10%.

Choices A and C are incorrect. These describe situations where the number of brachiopod species are decreasing linearly
rather than exponentially. Choice B is incorrect and results from interpreting the decrease in the number of brachiopod
species as 10% for every 1-meter increase in ocean depth rather than for every 100-meter increase in ocean depth.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID de39858a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: de39858a

The function is defined by , where and are positive constants. The graph of in the -plane
passes through the points ( , ) and ( , ). What is the value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: de39858a Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. It’s given that the function is defined by and that the graph of in the xy-
plane passes through the points and . Substituting for and for in the equation
yields , or . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields .
Substituting for and for in the equation yields . Subtracting from both
sides of this equation yields , which can be rewritten as . Taking the square root of both sides of this
equation yields and , but because it’s given that is a positive constant, must equal . Because the value of
is and the value of is , the value of is , or .

Choice A is incorrect and may result from finding the value of rather than the value of .

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

Choice D is incorrect and may result from correctly finding the value of as , but multiplying it by the y-value in the first
ordered pair rather than by the value of .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2683b5db
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 2683b5db

In a city, the property tax T, in dollars, is calculated using the formula above, where
P is the value of the property, in dollars. Which of the following expresses the value
of the property in terms of the property tax?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 2683b5db Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. To express the value of the property in terms of the property tax, the given equation must be solved for P.
Multiplying both sides of the equation by 100 gives . Adding 40,000 to both sides of the equation gives
. Therefore, .

Choice A is incorrect and may result from multiplying 40,000 by 0.01, then subtracting 400 from, instead of adding 400 to,
the left-hand side of the equation. Choice B is incorrect and may result from multiplying 40,000 by 0.01. Choice C is incorrect
and may result from subtracting instead of adding 40,000 from the left-hand side of the equation.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 1178f2df
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 1178f2df

The table shows three values of and their corresponding values of , where and is a quadratic function.
What is the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph of in the xy-plane?

ID: 1178f2df Answer

Correct Answer: -2112

Rationale
The correct answer is . It's given that is a quadratic function. It follows that can be defined by an equation of the
form , where , , and are constants. It's also given that the table shows three values of and
their corresponding values of , where . Substituting for in this equation yields
. This equation represents a quadratic relationship between and , where is either the
maximum or the minimum value of , which occurs when . For quadratic relationships between and , the maximum
or minimum value of occurs at the value of halfway between any two values of that have the same corresponding
value of . The table shows that x-values of and correspond to the same y-value, . Since is halfway between
and , the maximum or minimum value of occurs at an x-value of . The table shows that when , . It
follows that and . Subtracting from both sides of the equation yields . Substituting
for and for in the equation yields , or . The
value of can be found by substituting any x-value and its corresponding y-value for and , respectively, in this equation.
Substituting for and for in this equation yields , or . Subtracting from
both sides of this equation yields , or . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields .
Substituting for , for , and for in the equation yields .
The y-intercept of the graph of in the xy-plane is the point on the graph where . Substituting for in the
equation yields , or . This is equivalent to
, so the y-intercept of the graph of in the xy-plane is . Thus, the y-coordinate of the y-
intercept of the graph of in the xy-plane is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 97158b3a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 97158b3a

The area A, in square centimeters, of a rectangular painting can be represented by the expression , where is
the width, in centimeters, of the painting. Which expression represents the length, in centimeters, of the painting?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 97158b3a Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. It's given that the expression represents the area, in square centimeters, of a rectangular
painting, where is the width, in centimeters, of the painting. The area of a rectangle can be calculated by multiplying its
length by its width. It follows that the length, in centimeters, of the painting is represented by the expression .

Choice A is incorrect. This expression represents the width, in centimeters, of the painting, not its length, in centimeters.

Choice B is incorrect. This is the difference between the length, in centimeters, and the width, in centimeters, of the painting,
not its length, in centimeters.

Choice D is incorrect. This expression represents the area, in square centimeters, of the painting, not its length, in
centimeters.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 84e8cc72
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 84e8cc72

A quadratic function models the height, in feet, of an object above the ground in terms of the time, in seconds, after the
object is launched off an elevated surface. The model indicates the object has an initial height of feet above the ground
and reaches its maximum height of feet above the ground seconds after being launched. Based on the model, what
is the height, in feet, of the object above the ground seconds after being launched?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 84e8cc72 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. It's given that a quadratic function models the height, in feet, of an object above the ground in terms of
the time, in seconds, after the object is launched off an elevated surface. This quadratic function can be defined by an
equation of the form , where is the height of the object seconds after it was launched, and ,
, and are constants such that the function reaches its maximum value, , when . Since the model indicates the
object reaches its maximum height of feet above the ground seconds after being launched, reaches its
maximum value, , when . Therefore, and . Substituting for and for in the function
yields . Since the model indicates the object has an initial height of
feet above the ground, the value of is when . Substituting for and for in the equation
yields , or . Subtracting from both sides of
this equation yields . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields . Therefore, the model can be
represented by the equation . Substituting for in this equation yields
, or . Therefore, based on the model, seconds after being launched, the
height of the object above the ground is feet.

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 12e7faf8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 12e7faf8

The equation is true for all , where a and d

are integers. What is the value of ?

A.

B.

C. 0

D. 1

ID: 12e7faf8 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. Since the expression can be factored as , the given equation can be rewritten

as . Since , is also not equal to 0, so both the numerator and denominator of

can be divided by . This gives . Equating the coefficient of x on each side of the equation
gives . Equating the constant terms gives . The sum is .

Choice A is incorrect and may result from incorrectly simplifying the equation. Choices B and D are incorrect. They are the
values of d and a, respectively, not .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 89fc23af
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 89fc23af

Which of the following expressions is

equivalent to ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 89fc23af Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. The numerator of the given expression can be rewritten in terms of the denominator, , as follows:

, which is equivalent to . So the given expression is equivalent to

. Since the given expression is defined for , the expression can

be rewritten as .

Long division can also be used as an alternate approach. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect and may result from errors made
when dividing the two polynomials or making use of structure.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c3a72da5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: c3a72da5

Which of the following is equivalent to the sum of

and ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: c3a72da5 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. Adding the two expressions yields . Because the pair of terms and and

the pair of terms and each contain the same variable raised to the same power, they are like terms and can be

combined as and , respectively. The sum of the given expressions therefore simplifies to .

Choice A is incorrect and may result from adding the coefficients and the exponents in the given expressions. Choice B is
incorrect and may result from adding the exponents as well as the coefficients of the like terms in the given expressions.
Choice C is incorrect and may result from multiplying, rather than adding, the coefficients of the like terms in the given
expressions.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 911c415b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 911c415b

The expression above can be written in the form , where a and b are
constants. What is the value of ?

ID: 911c415b Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is 6632. Applying the distributive property to the expression yields .

Then adding together and and collecting like terms results in . This is written

in the form , where and . Therefore .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID dba7432e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: dba7432e

x f(x)

0 5

The table above gives the values of the function f for some values of x. Which
of the following equations could define f ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: dba7432e Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. Each choice has a function with coefficient 5 and base 2, so the exponents must be analyzed. When the
input value of x increases, the output value of f(x) decreases, so the exponent must be negative. An exponent of –x yields

the values in the table: , , , and .

Choices A and B are incorrect and may result from choosing equations that yield an increasing, rather than decreasing,
output value of f(x) when the input value of x increases. Choice C is incorrect and may result from choosing an equation that
doesn’t yield the values in the table.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 16de54c7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 16de54c7

If the given expression is rewritten in the form , where k

is a constant, what is the value of k ?

ID: 16de54c7 Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is 4. It’s given that can be rewritten as ; it follows that

. Expanding the left-hand side of this equation yields

. Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields . Using properties of equality,
and . Either equation can be solved for k. Dividing both sides of by yields
. The equation can be rewritten as . It follows that . Solving this equation for
k also yields . Therefore, the value of k is 4.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 2f958af9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 2f958af9

The formula above expresses the square of the speed v of a wave moving along a
string in terms of tension T, mass m, and length L of the string. What is T in terms
of m, v, and L ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 2f958af9 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. To write the formula as T in terms of m, v, and L means to isolate T on one side of the equation. First,

multiply both sides of the equation by m, which gives , which simplifies to mv2 = LT. Next, divide both sides of

the equation by L, which gives , which simplifies to .

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may be the result of incorrectly applying operations to each side of the equation.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID d9137a84
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: d9137a84

Which expression represents the product of and ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: d9137a84 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. The product of and can be represented by the expression
. Applying the distributive property to this expression yields
, or . This expression is equivalent to
, or .

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: Medium

Question ID 876a731c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 876a731c

If (x, y) is a solution of the system of equations above and

x > 0, what is the value of xy ?

A. 1

B. 2

C. 3

D. 9

ID: 876a731c Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale

Choice A is correct. Substituting for y in the second equation gives . This equation can be solved as
follows:

Apply the distributive property.

Subtract 2x and 6 from both sides of the equation.

Combine like terms.

Factor both terms on the left side of the equation

by 2x.
Thus, and are the solutions to the system. Since , only needs to be considered. The value of y when

is . Therefore, the value of xy is .

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and likely result from a computational or conceptual error when solving this system of
equations.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID f89e1d6f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: f89e1d6f

If , which of the following is equivalent to the

expression ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: f89e1d6f Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. Factoring –1 from the second, third, and fourth terms gives x2 – c2 – 2cd – d2 = x2 – (c2 + 2cd + d2). The
expression c2 + 2cd + d2 is the expanded form of a perfect square: c2 + 2cd + d2 = (c + d)2. Therefore, x2 – (c2 + 2cd + d2) =
x2 – (c + d)2. Since a = c + d, x2 – (c + d)2 = x2 – a2. Finally, because x2 – a2 is the difference of squares, it can be expanded
as x2 – a2 = (x + a)(x – a).

Choices A and B are incorrect and may be the result of making an error in factoring the difference of squares x2 – a2. Choice
D is incorrect and may be the result of incorrectly combining terms.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 4b642eef
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 4b642eef

The total distance d, in meters, traveled by an object moving in a straight line can
be modeled by a quadratic function that is defined in terms of t, where t is the time
in seconds. At a time of 10.0 seconds, the total distance traveled by the object is
50.0 meters, and at a time of 20.0 seconds, the total distance traveled by the
object is 200.0 meters. If the object was at a distance of 0 meters when , then
what is the total distance traveled, in meters, by the object after 30.0 seconds?

ID: 4b642eef Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is 450. The quadratic equation that models this situation can be written in the form ,
where a, b, and c are constants. It’s given that the distance, d, the object traveled was 0 meters when seconds. These

values can be substituted into the equation to solve for a, b, and c: . Therefore, , and it follows that

. Since it’s also given that d is 50 when t is 10 and d is 200 when t is 20, these values for d and t can be

substituted to create a system of two linear equations: and , or

and . Subtracting the first equation from the second equation yields , or . Substituting for a

in the first equation and solving for b yields . Therefore, the equation that represents this situation is .

Evaluating this function when seconds yields , or meters.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3e9cc0c2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 3e9cc0c2

Which of the following is equivalent to

?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 3e9cc0c2 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. Multiplying (1 – p) by each term of the polynomial within the second pair of parentheses gives (1 – p)1 =
1 – p; (1 – p)p = p – p2; (1 – p)p2 = p2 – p3; (1 – p)p3 = p3 – p4; (1 – p)p4 = p4 – p5; (1 – p)p5 = p5 – p6; and (1 – p)p6 = p6 –
p7. Adding these seven expressions together and combining like terms gives 1 + (p – p) + (p2 – p2) + (p3 – p3) + (p4 – p4) +
(p5 – p5) + (p6 – p6) – p7, which can be simplified to 1 – p7.

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect and may result from incorrectly identifying the highest power of p in the expressions or
incorrectly combining like terms.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 2c5c22d0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 2c5c22d0

How many solutions are there to the

system of equations above?

A. There are exactly 4 solutions.

B. There are exactly 2 solutions.

C. There is exactly 1 solution.

D. There are no solutions.

ID: 2c5c22d0 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. The second equation of the system can be rewritten as . Substituting for y in the first

equation gives . This equation can be solved as shown below:

Substituting 1 for x in the equation gives . Therefore, is the only solution to the system of
equations.

Choice A is incorrect. In the xy-plane, a parabola and a line can intersect at no more than two points. Since the graph of the
first equation is a parabola and the graph of the second equation is a line, the system cannot have more than 2 solutions.
Choice B is incorrect. There is a single ordered pair that satisfies both equations of the system. Choice D is incorrect

because the ordered pair satisfies both equations of the system.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 7348f046
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 7348f046

Which of the following is equivalent to

the given expression?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 7348f046 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. Distributing the negative sign to the terms in the second parentheses yields . This
expression can be rewritten as . Combining like terms results in .

Choice A is incorrect and may result from not distributing the negative sign to the 7. Choice B is incorrect and may result
from adding to instead of subtracting . Choice D is incorrect and may result from adding the product of
and x to the product of 3 and 7.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 928498f3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 928498f3

What are the solutions to the

given equation?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 928498f3 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale

Choice A is correct. The quadratic formula, , can be used to find the solutions to an equation in the

form . In the given equation, , , and . Substituting these values into the quadratic

formula gives , or .

Choice B is incorrect and may result from using as the quadratic formula. Choice C is incorrect and may

result from using as the quadratic formula. Choice D is incorrect and may result from using

as the quadratic formula.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID b47419f4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: b47419f4

Which of the following is equivalent to

the expression above?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: b47419f4 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. By distributing the minus sign through the expression , the given expression can be rewritten

as , which is equivalent to . Combining like terms gives , or

Choice B is incorrect and may be the result of failing to distribute the minus sign appropriately through the second term and

simplifying the expression . Choice C is incorrect and may be the result of multiplying the expressions

and . Choice D is incorrect and may be the result of multiplying the expressions and

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID fc3dfa26
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: fc3dfa26

What value of x satisfies the

equation above?

A.

B.

C.

D. 3

ID: fc3dfa26 Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale

Choice C is correct. Each fraction in the given equation can be expressed with the common denominator . Multiplying

by yields , and multiplying by yields . Therefore, the given equation can be

written as . Multiplying each fraction by the denominator results in the equation

, or . This equation can be solved by setting a quadratic expression equal to 0,

then solving for x. Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields . The expression
can be factored, resulting in the equation . By the zero product property, or . To solve
for x in , 1 can be added to both sides of the equation, resulting in . Dividing both sides of this equation by

2 results in . Solving for x in yields . However, this value of x would result in the second fraction of
the original equation having a denominator of 0. Therefore, is an extraneous solution. Thus, the only value of x that

satisfies the given equation is .

Choice A is incorrect and may result from solving but not realizing that this solution is extraneous because it
would result in a denominator of 0 in the second fraction. Choice B is incorrect and may result from a sign error when solving
for x. Choice D is incorrect and may result from a calculation error.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 8838a672
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 8838a672

Which of the following expressions is equivalent

to the expression above?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 8838a672 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. Using the distributive property, the given expression can be rewritten as .

Combining like terms, this expression can be rewritten as , which is equivalent to

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect and may result from an error when applying the distributive property or an error when
combining like terms.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 9f2ecade
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 9f2ecade

The function h is defined above, where a, b, and c are integer constants. If the
zeros of the function are 6, and 7, what is the value of c ?

ID: 9f2ecade Answer

Rationale
The correct answer is 210. Since , 6, and 7 are zeros of the function, the function can be rewritten as

. Expanding the function yields . Thus, , , and

. Therefore, the value of c is 210.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 0b3d25c5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 0b3d25c5

Which of the following is equivalent to

, where ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 0b3d25c5 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. The given expression can also be written as . The trinomial can be

rewritten in factored form as . Thus, the entire expression can be rewritten as . Simplifying the

exponents yields .

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect and may result from errors made when simplifying the exponents in the expression

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID e117d3b8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: e117d3b8

If a and c are positive numbers, which of the following is

equivalent to ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: e117d3b8 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. Using the property that for positive numbers x and y, with x = (a + c)3 and y = a + c, it

follows that . By rewriting (a + c)4 as ((a + c)2)2, it is possible to simplify the square root

expression as follows: .

Choice A is incorrect and may be the result of . Choice B is incorrect and may be the result of
incorrectly rewriting (a + c)2 as a2 + c2. Choice D is incorrect and may be the result of incorrectly applying properties of
exponents.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6f5540a5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 6f5540a5

Kao measured the temperature of a cup of hot chocolate placed in a room with a
constant temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit (°F). The temperature of the hot
chocolate was 185°F at 6:00 p.m. when it started cooling. The temperature of the
hot chocolate was 156°F at 6:05 p.m. and 135°F at 6:10 p.m. The hot chocolate’s
temperature continued to decrease. Of the following functions, which best models
the temperature , in degrees Fahrenheit, of Kao’s hot chocolate m minutes
after it started cooling?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 6f5540a5 Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is correct. The hot chocolate cools from 185°F over time, never going lower than the room temperature, 70°F. Since
the base of the exponent in this function, 0.75, is less than 1, decreases as time increases. Using the function, the

temperature, in °F, at 6:00 p.m. can be estimated as and is equal to . The temperature, in °F, at

6:05 p.m. can be estimated as and is equal to , which is approximately 156°F. Finally, the

temperature, in °F, at 6:10 p.m. can be estimated as and is equal to , which is approximately 135°F.
Since these three given values of m and their corresponding values for can be verified using the function

, this is the best function out of the given choices to model the temperature of Kao’s hot
chocolate after m minutes.

Choice A is incorrect because the base of the exponent, , results in the value of increasing over time rather than
decreasing. Choice B is incorrect because when m is large enough, becomes less than 70. Choice C is incorrect
because the maximum value of at 6:00 p.m. is 115°F, not 185°F.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f5e8ccf1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: f5e8ccf1

The function f is defined above. Which of the following is NOT an x-intercept of

the graph of the function in the xy-plane?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: f5e8ccf1 Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is correct. The graph of the function f in the xy-plane has x-intercepts at the points , where .
Substituting 0 for in the given equation yields . By the zero product property, if

, then , , or . Solving each of these linear equations for x, it follows

that , , and , respectively. This means that the graph of the function f in the xy-plane has three x-

intercepts: , , and . Therefore, isn’t an x-intercept of the graph of the function f.

Alternate approach: Substitution may be used. Since by definition an x-intercept of any graph is a point in the form
where k is a constant, and since all points in the options are in this form, it need only be checked whether the points in the

options lie on the graph of the function f. Substituting for x and 0 for in the given equation yields

, or . Therefore, the point doesn’t lie on the graph of the

function f and can’t be an x-intercept of the graph.

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because each of these points is an x-intercept of the graph of the function f in the xy-plane.
By definition, an x-intercept is a point on the graph of the form , where k is a constant. Substituting for x and 0 for
in the given equation yields , or . Since this is a true statement, the point
lies on the graph of the function f and is an x-intercept of the graph. Performing similar substitution using the points

and also yields the true statement , illustrating that these points also lie on the graph of the function f and
are x-intercepts of the graph.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 7eed640d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 7eed640d

The quadratic function above models the height above the ground h, in feet, of a
projectile x seconds after it had been launched vertically. If is graphed in
the xy-plane, which of the following represents the real-life meaning of the positive
x-intercept of the graph?

A. The initial height of the projectile

B. The maximum height of the projectile

C. The time at which the projectile reaches its maximum height

D. The time at which the projectile hits the ground

ID: 7eed640d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. The positive x-intercept of the graph of is a point for which . Since models
the height above the ground, in feet, of the projectile, a y-value of 0 must correspond to the height of the projectile when it is
0 feet above ground or, in other words, when the projectile is on the ground. Since x represents the time since the projectile
was launched, it follows that the positive x-intercept, , represents the time at which the projectile hits the ground.

Choice A is incorrect and may result from misidentifying the y-intercept as a positive x-intercept. Choice B is incorrect and
may result from misidentifying the y-value of the vertex of the graph of the function as an x-intercept. Choice C is incorrect
and may result from misidentifying the x-value of the vertex of the graph of the function as an x-intercept.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b73ee6cf
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: b73ee6cf

The population of a town is currently 50,000, and the population is estimated to

increase each year by 3% from the previous year. Which of the following equations
can be used to estimate the number of years, t, it will take for the population of the
town to reach 60,000 ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: b73ee6cf Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. Stating that the population will increase each year by 3% from the previous year is equivalent to saying
that the population each year will be 103% of the population the year before. Since the initial population is 50,000, the
population after t years is given by 50,000(1.03)t. It follows that the equation 60,000 = 50,000(1.03)t can be used to estimate
the number of years it will take for the population to reach 60,000.

Choice A is incorrect. This equation models how long it will take the population to decrease from 60,000 to 50,000, which is
impossible given the growth factor. Choice B is incorrect and may result from misinterpreting a 3% growth as growth by a
factor of 3. Additionally, this equation attempts to model how long it will take the population to decrease from 60,000 to
50,000. Choice C is incorrect and may result from misunderstanding how to model percent growth by multiplying the initial
amount by a factor greater than 1.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2d2ab76b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 2d2ab76b

When the equations above are graphed in the xy-plane, what are the coordinates (x,
y) of the points of intersection of the two graphs?

A. and

B. and

C. and

D. and

ID: 2d2ab76b Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. The two equations form a system of equations, and the solutions to the system correspond to the points
of intersection of the graphs. The solutions to the system can be found by substitution. Since the second equation gives y =
3, substituting 3 for y in the first equation gives 3 = x2 – 1. Adding 1 to both sides of the equation gives 4 = x2. Solving by
taking the square root of both sides of the equation gives x = ±2. Since y = 3 for all values of x for the second equation, the
solutions are (2, 3) and (–2, 3). Therefore, the points of intersection of the two graphs are (2, 3) and (–2, 3).

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may be the result of calculation errors.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 43926bd9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 43926bd9

For the exponential function f, the table above shows several values of x and their corresponding values of , where a

is a constant greater than 1. If k is a constant and , what is the value of k ?

ID: 43926bd9 Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is 8. The values of for the exponential function f shown in the table increase by a factor of for

each increase of 1 in x. This relationship can be represented by the equation , where b is a constant. It’s given

that when , . Substituting 2 for x and for into yields . Since

, it follows that . Thus, an equation that defines the function f is . It follows that the value

of k such that can be found by solving the equation , which yields .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c602140f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: c602140f

Which of the following is equivalent to

the expression above?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: c602140f Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. Expanding all terms yields (x – 11y)(2x – 3y) – 12y(–2x + 3y), which is equivalent to 2x2 – 22xy – 3xy +
33y2 + 24xy – 36y2. Combining like terms gives 2x2 – xy – 3y2.

Choice A is incorrect and may be the result of using the sums of the coefficients of the existing x and y terms as the
coefficients of the x and y terms in the new expressions. Choice C is incorrect and may be the result of incorrectly combining
like terms. Choice D is incorrect and may be the result of using the incorrect sign in front of the 12y term.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID a7711fe8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: a7711fe8

What is the minimum value of the function f

defined by ?

A.

B.

C. 2

D. 4

ID: a7711fe8 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. The given quadratic function f is in vertex form, , where is the vertex of the

graph of in the xy-plane. Therefore, the vertex of the graph of is . In addition, the y-coordinate of
the vertex represents either the minimum or maximum value of a quadratic function, depending on whether the graph of the
function opens upward or downward. Since the leading coefficient of f (the coefficient of the term ) is 1, which is
positive, the graph of opens upward. It follows that at , the minimum value of the function f is .

Choice B is incorrect and may result from making a sign error and from using the x-coordinate of the vertex. Choice C is
incorrect and may result from using the x-coordinate of the vertex. Choice D is incorrect and may result from making a sign
error.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3b4b8831
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 3b4b8831

What is the negative solution to the given equation?

ID: 3b4b8831 Answer

Correct Answer: -3

Rationale
The correct answer is . Dividing both sides of the given equation by yields . Taking the square root of both
sides of this equation yields the solutions and . Therefore, the negative solution to the given equation is .

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID f5247e52
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: f5247e52

In the equation above, a and c are positive constants. How many times does the
graph of the equation above intersect the graph of the equation in the xy-
plane?

A. Zero

B. One

C. Two

D. More than two

ID: f5247e52 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. It is given that the constants a and c are both positive; therefore, the graph of the given quadratic
equation is a parabola that opens up with a vertex on the y-axis at a point below the x-axis. The graph of the second equation
provided is a horizontal line that lies above the x-axis. A horizontal line above the x-axis will intersect a parabola that opens
up and has a vertex below the x-axis in exactly two points.

Choices A, B, and D are incorrect and are the result of not understanding the relationships of the graphs of the two equations
given. Choice A is incorrect because the two graphs intersect. Choice B is incorrect because in order for there to be only one
intersection point, the horizontal line would have to intersect the parabola at the vertex, but the vertex is below the x-axis and
the line is above the x-axis. Choice D is incorrect because a line cannot intersect a parabola in more than two points.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 1a722d7d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 1a722d7d

Let the function p be defined as , where c is a constant. If

, what is the value of ?

A. 10.00

B. 10.25

C. 10.75

D. 11.00

ID: 1a722d7d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. The value of p(12) depends on the value of the constant c, so the value of c must first be determined. It
is given that p(c) = 10. Based on the definition of p, it follows that:

This means that for all values of x. Therefore:

Choice A is incorrect. It is the value of p(8), not p(12). Choices B and C are incorrect. If one of these values were correct, then
x = 12 and the selected value of p(12) could be substituted into the equation to solve for c. However, the values of c that
result from choices B and C each result in p(c) < 10.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 5c00c2c1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 5c00c2c1

There were no jackrabbits in Australia before 1788 when 24 jackrabbits were

introduced. By 1920 the population of jackrabbits had reached 10 billion. If the
population had grown exponentially, this would correspond to a 16.2% increase, on
average, in the population each year. Which of the following functions best models
the population of jackrabbits t years after 1788?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 5c00c2c1 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. This exponential growth model can be written in the form , where is the population t
years after 1788, A is the initial population, and r is the yearly growth rate, expressed as a decimal. Since there were 24
jackrabbits in Australia in 1788, . Since the number of jackrabbits increased by an average of 16.2% each year,

. Therefore, the equation that best models this situation is .

Choices A, B, and D are incorrect and may result from misinterpreting the form of an exponential growth model.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 58b109d4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 58b109d4

The solution to the given system of equations is . What is the value of ?

ID: 58b109d4 Answer

Correct Answer: -10

Rationale
The correct answer is . Adding to both sides of the second equation in the given system yields .
Substituting for in the first equation in the given system yields . Subtracting from
both sides of this equation yields . Factoring the left-hand side of this equation yields
, or . Taking the square root of both sides of this equation yields .
Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields . Therefore, the value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 85939da5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Inference from

Data Analysis sample statistics and
margin of error

ID: 85939da5

Does not talk

Texting Talks on cell on cell phone
behavior phone daily daily Total

Light 110 146 256

Medium 139 164 303

Heavy 166 74 240

Total 415 384 799

In a study of cell phone use, 799 randomly selected US teens were asked how
often they talked on a cell phone and about their texting behavior. The data are
summarized in the table above. Based on the data from the study, an estimate of
the percent of US teens who are heavy texters is 30% and the associated margin of
error is 3%. Which of the following is a correct statement based on the given
margin of error?

A. Approximately 3% of the teens in the study who are classified as heavy texters are not really heavy texters.

B. It is not possible that the percent of all US teens who are heavy texters is less than 27%.

C. The percent of all US teens who are heavy texters is 33%.

D. It is doubtful that the percent of all US teens who are heavy texters is 35%.

ID: 85939da5 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. The given margin of error of 3% indicates that the actual percent of all US teens who are heavy texters is
likely within 3% of the estimate of 30%, or between 27% and 33%. Therefore, it is unlikely, or doubtful, that the percent of all
US teens who are heavy texters would be 35%.

Choice A is incorrect. The margin of error doesn’t provide any information about the accuracy of reporting in the study.
Choice B is incorrect. Based on the estimate and given margin of error, it is unlikely that the percent of all US teens who are
heavy texters would be less than 27%, but it is possible. Choice C is incorrect. While the percent of all US teens who are
heavy texters is likely between 27% and 33%, any value within this interval is equally likely. We can’t be certain that the value
is exactly 33%.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID e29586d5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Probability and

Data Analysis conditional
probability

ID: e29586d5

Number of Contestants by Score and Day

5 out 4 out 3 out 2 out 1 out 0 out
Total
of 5 of 5 of 5 of 5 of 5 of 5

Day
2 3 4 6 2 3 20
1

Day
2 3 5 5 4 1 20
2

Day
3 3 4 5 3 2 20
3

Total 7 9 13 16 9 6 60
The same 20 contestants, on each of 3 days, answered 5 questions in order to win a prize. Each contestant received 1 point
for each correct answer. The number of contestants receiving a given score on each day is shown in the table above.
No contestant received the same score on two different days. If a contestant is
selected at random, what is the probability that the selected contestant received a
score of 5 on Day 2 or Day 3, given that the contestant received a score of 5 on one
of the three days?

ID: e29586d5 Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is . It is given that no contestant received the same score on two different days, so each of the
contestants who received a score of 5 is represented in the “5 out of 5” column of the table exactly once. Therefore, the
probability of selecting a contestant who received a score of 5 on Day 2 or Day 3, given that the contestant received a score
of 5 on one of the three days, is found by dividing the total number of contestants who received a score of 5 on Day 2 or Day
3 by the total number of contestants who received a score of 5, which is given in the table as 7. So the probability

is . Note that 5/7, .7142, .7143, and 0.714 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 954943a4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 954943a4

Jennifer bought a box of Crunchy Grain cereal. The nutrition facts on the box state

that a serving size of the cereal is cup and provides 210 calories, 50 of which
are calories from fat. In addition, each serving of the cereal provides 180
milligrams of potassium, which is 5% of the daily allowance for adults. If p percent
of an adult’s daily allowance of potassium is provided by x servings of Crunchy
Grain cereal per day, which of the following expresses p in terms of x ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 954943a4 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. It’s given that each serving of Crunchy Grain cereal provides 5% of an adult’s daily allowance of
potassium, so x servings would provide x times 5%. The percentage of an adult’s daily allowance of potassium, p, is 5 times
the number of servings, x. Therefore, the percentage of an adult’s daily allowance of potassium can be expressed as .

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect and may result from incorrectly converting 5% to its decimal equivalent, which isn’t
necessary since p is expressed as a percentage. Additionally, choices C and D are incorrect because the context should be
represented by a linear relationship, not by an exponential relationship.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b1b5300b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Probability and

Data Analysis conditional
probability

ID: b1b5300b
Prices of 14 Different Cars
Priced at no more Priced greater
Type of car Total
than $25,000 than $25,000

Nonhybrid 5 3 8

Hybrid 2 4 6

Total 7 7 14

The table above shows information about 14 cars listed for sale on an auto dealership’s website. If one of the
cars listed for sale is selected at random, what is the probability that the car selected will be a hybrid car
priced at no more than $25,000 ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: b1b5300b Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is correct. It’s given that there are 2 hybrid cars priced at no more than $25,000. It’s also given that there are 14 cars
total for sale. Therefore, the probability of selecting a hybrid priced at no more than $25,000 when one car is chosen at

random is .

Choice B is incorrect. This is the probability of selecting a hybrid car priced greater than $25,000 when choosing one car at
random. Choice C is incorrect. This is the probability, when choosing randomly from only the hybrid cars, of selecting one
priced at no more than $25,000. Choice D is incorrect. This is the probability of selecting a hybrid car when selecting at
random from only the cars priced greater than $25,000.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID d28c29e1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: d28c29e1

The International Space Station orbits Earth at an average speed of 4.76 miles per
second. What is the space station’s average speed in miles per hour?

A. 285.6

B. 571.2

C. 856.8

D. 17,136.0

ID: d28c29e1 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. Since 1 minute = 60 seconds and 1 hour = 60 minutes, it follows that 1 hour = (60)(60), or 3,600
seconds. Using this conversion factor, the space station’s average speed of 4.76 miles per second is equal to an average

speed of , or 17,136 miles per hour.

Choice A is incorrect. This is the space station’s average speed in miles per minute. Choice B is incorrect. This is double the
space station’s average speed in miles per minute, or the number of miles the space station travels on average in 2 minutes.
Choice C is incorrect. This is triple the space station’s average speed in miles per minute, or the number of miles the space
station travels on average in 3 minutes.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 1adb39f0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 1adb39f0

The scatterplot shows the relationship between two variables, x and y. A line of
best fit for the data is also shown. Which of the following is closest to the
difference between the y-coordinate of the data point with and the y-value
predicted by the line of best fit at ?

A. 1

B. 2

C. 5

D. 12

ID: 1adb39f0 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. The data point with has a y-coordinate of 12. The y-value predicted by the line of best fit at
is approximately 11. The difference between the y-coordinate of the data point and the y-value predicted by the line of best fit
at is , or 1.

Choices B and C are incorrect and may result from incorrectly reading the scatterplot. Choice D is incorrect. This is the y-
coordinate of the data point at .

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID b4912cc5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: b4912cc5

The population density of Iceland, in people per square kilometer of land area,
increased from 2.5 in 1990 to 3.3 in 2014. During this time period, the land area of
Iceland was 100,250 square kilometers. By how many people did Iceland’s
population increase from 1990 to 2014?

A. 330,825

B. 132,330

C. 125,312

D. 80,200

ID: b4912cc5 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. The increase in Iceland’s population can be found by multiplying the increase in population density, in
people per square kilometer, by the area, in square kilometers. It’s given that the population density of Iceland was 2.5 people
per square kilometer in 1990 and 3.3 people per square kilometer in 2014. The increase in population density can be found
by subtracting 2.5 from 3.3, which yields 0.8. It’s given that the land area of Iceland was 100,250 square kilometers. Thus, the
increase in population is , or 80,200.

Alternate approach: It’s given that the population density of Iceland, in people per square kilometer of land area, in 1990 was
2.5. Since the land area of Iceland was 100,250 square kilometers, it follows that the population of Iceland in 1990 was
, or 250,625. Similarly, the population of Iceland in 2014 was , or 330,825. The population
increase is the difference in the population from 1990 to 2014, or , which yields 80,200. Therefore,
Iceland’s population increased by 80,200 from 1990 to 2014.

Choice A is incorrect. This is the population of Iceland in 2014. Choice B is incorrect and may result from dividing 3.3 by 2.5,
instead of subtracting 2.5 from 3.3. Choice C is incorrect and may result from dividing the population of Iceland in 1990 by 2.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID c7e73ece
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Inference from

Data Analysis sample statistics and
margin of error

ID: c7e73ece
Views on Nuclear Energy
Use
Response Frequency

Strongly
56
favor

Somewhat
214
favor

Somewhat
104
oppose

Strongly
37
oppose

A researcher interviewed 411 randomly selected US residents and asked about their views on the use of nuclear energy. The
table above summarizes the responses of the interviewees. If the population of the United States was 300 million when the
survey was given, based on the sample data for the 411 US residents, what is the best estimate, in millions, of the difference
between the number of US residents who somewhat favor or strongly favor the use of nuclear energy and the number of
those who somewhat oppose or strongly oppose it? (Round your answer to the nearest whole number.)

ID: c7e73ece Answer

Rationale
The correct answer is 94. Of those interviewed, “strongly favor” or “somewhat favor” the use of nuclear
energy, and interviewees “somewhat oppose” or “strongly oppose” the use of nuclear energy. The difference
between the sizes of the two surveyed groups is . The proportion of this difference among the entire group

of interviewees is . Because the sample of interviewees was selected at random from US residents, it is reasonable to
assume that the proportion of this difference is the same among all US residents as in the sample. Therefore, the best
estimate, in millions, of the difference between the number of US residents who somewhat favor or strongly favor the use of

nuclear energy and the number of those who somewhat oppose or strongly oppose it is , which to the nearest
million is 94.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 65c49824
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 65c49824

A school district is forming a committee to discuss plans for the construction of a

new high school. Of those invited to join the committee, 15% are parents of
students, 45% are teachers from the current high school, 25% are school and
district administrators, and the remaining 6 individuals are students. How many
more teachers were invited to join the committee than school and district
administrators?

ID: 65c49824 Answer

Rationale
The correct answer is 8. The 6 students represent of those invited to join the committee. If

x people were invited to join the committee, then . Thus, there were people invited to join the
committee. It follows that there were teachers and school and district administrators invited
to join the committee. Therefore, there were 8 more teachers than school and district administrators invited to join the
committee.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1ea09200
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Evaluating statistical

Data Analysis claims:
Observational
studies and
experiments

ID: 1ea09200

A sample of 40 fourth-grade students was selected at random from a certain

school. The 40 students completed a survey about the morning announcements,
and 32 thought the announcements were helpful. Which of the following is the
largest population to which the results of the survey can be applied?

A. The 40 students who were surveyed

B. All fourth-grade students at the school

C. All students at the school

D. All fourth-grade students in the county in which the school is located

ID: 1ea09200 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. Selecting a sample of a reasonable size at random to use for a survey allows the results from that survey
to be applied to the population from which the sample was selected, but not beyond this population. In this case, the
population from which the sample was selected is all fourth-grade students at a certain school. Therefore, the results of the
survey can be applied to all fourth-grade students at the school.

Choice A is incorrect. The results of the survey can be applied to the 40 students who were surveyed. However, this isn’t the
largest group to which the results of the survey can be applied. Choices C and D are incorrect. Since the sample was
selected at random from among the fourth-grade students at a certain school, the results of the survey can’t be applied to
other students at the school or to other fourth-grade students who weren’t represented in the survey results. Students in
other grades in the school or other fourth-grade students in the country may feel differently about announcements than the
fourth-grade students at the school.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 37930b2a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Evaluating statistical

Data Analysis claims:
Observational
studies and
experiments

ID: 37930b2a

Residents of a town were surveyed to determine whether they are satisfied with the
concession stand at the local park. A random sample of 200 residents was
selected. All 200 responded, and 87% said they are satisfied. Based on this
information, which of the following statements must be true?
I. Of all the town residents, 87% would say they are satisfied with the concession stand at the local park.
II. If another random sample of 200 residents were surveyed, 87% would say they are satisfied.

A. Neither

B. I only

C. II only

D. I and II

ID: 37930b2a Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. The purpose of surveying a random sample of residents is to approximate the percent of the town
residents that are satisfied with the concession stand. The sample doesn’t necessarily get the same result as surveying
every resident of the town, nor would another sample necessarily have identical results. Therefore, although it’s possible that
either statement I or statement II could prove true by surveying every resident of the town, these statements cannot be
proven true solely based on the results of the sample.

Choice B is incorrect because surveying a sample of the town residents may not have the same result as surveying all the
town residents. Choices C and D are incorrect because surveying a different sample of residents could yield different results.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 4c774b00
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 4c774b00

Ages of 20 Students Enrolled in a College Class

Age Frequency

18 6

19 5

20 4

21 2

22 1

23 1

30 1

The table above shows the distribution of ages of the 20 students enrolled in a
college class. Which of the following gives the correct order of the mean, median,
and mode of the ages?

A. mode < median < mean

B. mode < mean < median

C. median < mode < mean

D. mean < mode < median

ID: 4c774b00 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is correct. The mode is the data value with the highest frequency. So for the data shown, the mode is 18. The
median is the middle data value when the data values are sorted from least to greatest. Since there are 20 ages ordered, the
median is the average of the two middle values, the 10th and 11th, which for these data are both 19. Therefore, the median is
19. The mean is the sum of the data values divided by the number of the data values. So for these data, the mean is

Since the mode is 18, the median is 19, and the mean is 20, .

Choices B and D are incorrect because the mean is greater than the median. Choice C is incorrect because the median is
greater than the mode.

Alternate approach: After determining the mode, 18, and the median, 19, it remains to determine whether the mean is less
than 19 or more than 19. Because the mean is a balancing point, there is as much deviation below the mean as above the
mean. It is possible to compare the data to 19 to determine the balance of deviation above and below the mean. There is a
total deviation of only 6 below 19 (the 6 values of 18); however, the data value 30 alone deviates by 11 above 19. Thus the
mean must be greater than 19.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID e1ad3d41
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Probability and

Data Analysis conditional
probability

ID: e1ad3d41

Eye color
Coat color
Deep blue Light brown Total

Cream-tortoiseshell 16 16 32

Chocolate 12 4 16

Total 28 20 48

The data on the coat color and eye color for 48 Himalayan kittens available for
adoption were collected and summarized in the table above. What fraction of the
chocolate-colored kittens has deep blue eyes?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: e1ad3d41 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. The table shows that there are a total of 16 kittens that have a chocolate-colored coat. Of the 16 with a
chocolate-colored coat, 12 have deep blue eyes. Therefore, the fraction of chocolate-colored kittens with deep blue eyes is

simply the ratio of those two numbers, or .

Choice A is incorrect; this is the fraction of all chocolate-colored kittens. Choice B is incorrect; this is the fraction of kittens
with deep blue eyes that have a chocolate-colored coat. Choice C is incorrect; this is the fraction of cream-tortoiseshell-
colored kittens with deep blue eyes.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 0ea56bb2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 0ea56bb2

Subscriptions
Year
sold

2012 5,600

2013 5,880

The manager of an online news service received the report above on the number of
subscriptions sold by the service. The manager estimated that the percent
increase from 2012 to 2013 would be double the percent increase from 2013 to
2014. How many subscriptions did the manager expect would be sold in 2014?

A. 6,020

B. 6,027

C. 6,440

D. 6,468

ID: 0ea56bb2 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. The percent increase from 2012 to 2013 was , or 5%. Since the percent increase
from 2012 to 2013 was estimated to be double the percent increase from 2013 to 2014, the percent increase from 2013 to
2014 was expected to be 2.5%.
Therefore, the number of subscriptions sold in 2014 is expected to be the number of subscriptions sold in 2013 multiplied by
, or .

Choice A is incorrect and is the result of adding half of the value of the increase from 2012 to 2013 to the 2013 result.
Choice C is incorrect and is the result adding twice the value of the increase from 2012 to 2013 to the 2013 result. Choice D
is incorrect and is the result of interpreting the percent increase from 2013 to 2014 as double the percent increase from
2012 to 2013.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 8e528129
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: 8e528129

Pure beeswax has a density of 0.555 ounce per cubic inch. An online company
sells pure beeswax at a price of $8.00 per ounce. What is the selling price, in
dollars per cubic inch, for pure beeswax purchased from this company?

ID: 8e528129 Answer

Rationale
The correct answer is 4.44. The selling price, in dollars per cubic inch, is found by multiplying the density, in ounces per cubic

inch, by the unit price, in dollars per ounce: yields . Thus, the selling price, in
dollars per cubic inch, is 4.44.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 0231050d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 0231050d

The line graph shows the total amount of snow, in inches, recorded each year in
Washington, DC, from 2003 to 2015. If is the percent decrease in the annual
snowfall from 2003 to 2007, what is the value of p ?

ID: 0231050d Answer

Rationale
The correct answer is 75. The percent decrease between two values is found by dividing the difference between the two
values by the original value and multiplying by 100. The line graph shows that the annual snowfall in 2003 was 40 inches,
and the annual snowfall in 2007 was 10 inches. Therefore, the percent decrease in the annual snowfall from 2003 to 2007 is

, or 75. It’s given that this is equivalent to , so the value of p is 75.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 53d97af5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Inference from

Data Analysis sample statistics and
margin of error

ID: 53d97af5

A study was done on the weights of different types of fish in a pond. A random
sample of fish were caught and marked in order to ensure that none were weighed
more than once. The sample contained 150 largemouth bass, of which 30%
weighed more than 2 pounds. Which of the following conclusions is best
supported by the sample data?

A. The majority of all fish in the pond weigh less than 2 pounds.

B. The average weight of all fish in the pond is approximately 2 pounds.

C. Approximately 30% of all fish in the pond weigh more than 2 pounds.

D. Approximately 30% of all largemouth bass in the pond weigh more than 2 pounds.

ID: 53d97af5 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. The sample of 150 largemouth bass was selected at random from all the largemouth bass in the pond,
and since 30% of the fish in the sample weighed more than 2 pounds, it can be concluded that approximately 30% of all
largemouth bass in the pond weigh more than 2 pounds.

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect. Since the sample contained 150 largemouth bass, of which 30% weighed more than 2
pounds, this result can be generalized only to largemouth bass in the pond, not to all fish in the pond.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID d4413871
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Probability and

Data Analysis conditional
probability

ID: d4413871

Blood type

Rhesus factor A B AB O

33 9 3 37

7 2 1 x

Human blood can be classified into four common blood types—A, B, AB, and O. It is
also characterized by the presence or absence of the rhesus factor. The
table above shows the distribution of blood type and rhesus factor for a group of
people. If one of these people who is rhesus negative is chosen at random, the

probability that the person has blood type B is . What is the value of x ?

ID: d4413871 Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is 8. In this group, of the people who are rhesus negative have blood type B. The total number of
people who are rhesus negative in the group is , and there are 2 people who are rhesus negative with blood type

B. Therefore, . Combining like terms on the left-hand side of the equation yields .

Multiplying both sides of this equation by 9 yields , and multiplying both sides of this equation by
yields . Subtracting 10 from both sides of this equation yields .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 0301c5dc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Probability and

Data Analysis conditional
probability

ID: 0301c5dc
The table below shows the number of state parks in a certain state that contain camping facilities and bicycle paths.

Has bicycle paths Does not have bicycle paths

Has camping facilities 20 5

Does not have camping facilities 8 4

If one of these state parks is selected at random, what is the probability that it has
camping facilities but does not have bicycle paths?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 0301c5dc Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. The total number of state parks in the state is . According to the table, 5 of these
have camping facilities but not bicycle paths. Therefore, if a state park is selected at random, the probability that it has

camping facilities but not bicycle paths is .

Choice B is incorrect. This is the probability that a state park selected at random from the state parks with camping facilities
does not have bicycle paths. Choice C is incorrect. This is the probability that a state park selected at random from the state
parks with bicycle paths does not have camping facilities. Choice D is incorrect. This is the probability that a state park
selected at random from the state parks without bicycle paths does have camping facilities.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 3f2ee20a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 3f2ee20a
The results of two independent surveys are shown in the table below.
Men's Height
Group Sample size Mean (centimeters) Standard deviation (centimeters)

A 2,500 186 12.5

B 2,500 186 19.1

Which statement is true based on the table?

A. The Group A data set was identical to the Group B data set.

B. Group B contained the tallest participant.

C. The heights of the men in Group B had a larger spread than the heights of the men in Group A.

D. The median height of Group B is larger than the median height of Group A.

ID: 3f2ee20a Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. Standard deviation is a measure of spread, so data sets with larger standard deviations tend to have
larger spread. The standard deviation of the heights of the men in Group B is larger than the standard deviation of the
heights of the men in Group A. Therefore, the heights of the men in Group B had a larger spread than the heights of the men
in Group A.

Choice A is incorrect. If two data sets are identical, they will have equivalent means and equivalent standard deviations.
Since the two data sets have different standard deviations, they cannot be identical. Choice B is incorrect. Without knowing
the maximum value for each data set, it’s impossible to know which group contained the tallest participant. Choice D is
incorrect. Since the means of the two groups are equivalent, the medians could also be the same or could be different, but
it's impossible to tell from the given information.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID d0efc1dd
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: d0efc1dd
15, 14, 18, 17, x

The mean and the median of the five numbers above are equal. Which of the
following is NOT a possible value of x ?

A. 6

B. 11

C. 16

D. 21

ID: d0efc1dd Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. If x is 6, then the five numbers in the given list are 15, 14, 18, 17, 6. The mean of these five numbers is the

sum of all the values divided by the number of values, or . The median of these five
numbers can be found by ordering the numbers from least to greatest and determining the middle value. When ordered from
least to greatest, the numbers in the given list are 6, 14, 15, 17, 18, and the middle value is 15. Since the mean is 14 and the
median is 15, the mean and median aren’t equal when x is 6.

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect. If any of these values is substituted for x, the mean and median of the data set would be
equal.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID f8f79e11
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Inference from

Data Analysis sample statistics and
margin of error

ID: f8f79e11

A park ranger asked a random sample of visitors how far they hiked during their
visit. Based on the responses, the estimated mean was found to be 4.5 miles, with
an associated margin of error of 0.5 miles. Which of the following is the best
conclusion from these data?

A. It is likely that all visitors hiked between 4 and 5 miles.

B. It is likely that most visitors hiked exactly 4.5 miles.

C. It is not possible that any visitor hiked less than 3 miles.

D. It is plausible that the mean distance hiked for all visitors is between 4 and 5 miles.

ID: f8f79e11 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. The given estimated mean has an associated margin of error because from sample data, the population
mean can’t be determined precisely. Rather, from the sample mean, an interval can be determined within which it’s plausible
that the population’s mean is likely to lie. Since the estimated mean is 4.5 miles with an associated margin of error of 0.5
miles, it follows that between miles and miles, or between 4 and 5 miles, is plausibly the mean distance
hiked for all visitors.

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect. Based on the estimated mean, no determination can be made about the number of miles
hiked for all visitors to the park.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 707db2d3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 707db2d3

For the finale of a TV show, viewers could use either social media or a text
message to vote for their favorite of two contestants. The contestant receiving
more than 50% of the vote won. An estimated 10% of the viewers voted, and 30%
of the votes were cast on social media. Contestant 2 earned 70% of the votes cast
using social media and 40% of the votes cast using a text message. Based on this
information, which of the following is an accurate conclusion?

A. If all viewers had voted, Contestant 2 would have won.

B. Viewers voting by social media were likely to be younger than viewers voting by text message.

C. If all viewers who voted had voted by social media instead of by text message, Contestant 2 would have won.

D. Viewers voting by social media were more likely to prefer Contestant 2 than were viewers voting by text message.

ID: 707db2d3 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. It is given that Contestant 2 earned 70% of the votes cast using social media and 40% of the votes cast
using a text message. Based on this information, viewers voting by social media were more likely to prefer Contestant 2 than
were viewers voting by text message.

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect. There is not enough information about the viewers to reach these conclusions.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 9a144a01
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 9a144a01

Which of the following is true about the values of and

for ?

A. For all , it is true that .

B. For all , it is true that .

C. There is a constant c such that if , then , but if , then .

D. There is a constant c such that if , then , but if , then .

ID: 9a144a01 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. At , the value of is less than the value of , which is equivalent to . As
the value of x increases, the value of remains less than the value of until , which is when the two values are

equal: , which is equivalent to . Then, for , the value of is greater than the value of . So
there is a constant, 3, such that when , then , but when , then .

Choice A is incorrect because when . Choice B is incorrect because when . Choice D

is incorrect because when and when .

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 457d2f2c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

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 c9fb15ad
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: c9fb15ad

Species of Growth
tree factor

Red maple 4.5

River birch 3.5

Cottonwood 2.0

Black walnut 4.5

White birch 5.0

American elm 4.0

Pin oak 3.0

Shagbark
7.5
hickory

One method of calculating the approximate age, in years, of a tree of a particular

species is to multiply the diameter of the tree, in inches, by a constant called the
growth factor for that species. The table above gives the growth factors for eight
species of trees. If a white birch tree and a pin oak tree each now have a diameter
of 1 foot, which of the following will be closest to the difference, in inches, of their
diameters 10 years from now? (1 foot = 12 inches)

A. 1.0

B. 1.2

C. 1.3

D. 1.4

ID: c9fb15ad Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is correct. According to the given information, multiplying a tree species’ growth factor by the tree’s diameter is a
method to approximate the age of the tree. A white birch with a diameter of 12 inches (or 1 foot) has a given growth factor of
5 and is approximately 60 years old. A pin oak with a diameter of 12 inches (or 1 foot) has a given growth factor of 3 and is
approximately 36 years old. The diameters of the two trees 10 years from now can be found by dividing each tree’s age in 10

years, 70 years, and 46 years, by its respective growth factor. This yields 14 inches and inches. The difference between

and 14 is , or approximately 1.3 inches.

Alternate approach: Since a white birch has a growth factor of 5, the age increases at a rate of 5 years per inch or,

equivalently, the diameter increases at a rate of of an inch per year. Likewise, the pin oak has a growth factor of 3, so its

diameter increases at a rate of of an inch per year. Thus, the pin oak grows of an inch per year more than the white

birch. In 10 years it will grow of an inch more, which is approximately 1.3 inches.

Choices A, B, and D are incorrect and a result of incorrectly calculating the diameters of the two trees in 10 years.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 63573fea
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 63573fea

During the first month of sales, a company sold 1,300,000 units of a certain type of
smartphone. During the same month, 15% of the units sold were returned. If sales
and the return rate remain the same for each of the next 5 months, about how
many units of this smartphone will be returned to the company during this 6-month
period?

A. 195,000

B. 975,000

C. 1,170,000

D. 6,630,000

ID: 63573fea Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. Of the 1,300,000 units sold during the first month, 15% were returned, so
units were returned during the first month. If the units were sold and returned at the same rate for the next 5 months, then a
total of smartphone units were returned during the 6-month period.

Choice A is incorrect. This is the number of units that were returned in 1 month. Choice B is incorrect. This is the number of
units that were returned in 5 months. Choice D is incorrect. This is the number of units sold and not returned during the first
6 months.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 03a16790
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 03a16790

The scatterplot shows the relationship between two variables, and . A line of best fit is also shown.

Which of the following is closest to the slope of the line of best fit shown?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 03a16790 Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is correct. A line of best fit is shown in the scatterplot such that as the value of increases, the value of
decreases. Thus, the slope of the line of best fit shown is negative. The slope of a line passing through two points,
and , can be calculated as . The line of best fit shown passes approximately through the points and
. Substituting and for and , respectively, in gives , which is equivalent to
, or . Therefore, of the given choices, is closest to the slope of the line of best fit shown.

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

Choice C is incorrect. The line of best fit shown has a negative slope, not a positive slope.

Choice D is incorrect. The line of best fit shown has a negative slope, not a positive slope.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID b4f5a7ca
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Evaluating statistical

Data Analysis claims:
Observational
studies and
experiments

ID: b4f5a7ca

A survey was conducted using a sample of history professors selected at random

from the California State Universities. The professors surveyed were asked to
name the publishers of their current texts. What is the largest population to which
the results of the survey can be generalized?

A. All professors in the United States

B. All history professors in the United States

C. All history professors at all California State Universities

D. All professors at all California State Universities

ID: b4f5a7ca Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. Selecting a sample at random when conducting a survey allows the results to be generalized to the
population from which the sample was selected, but not beyond this population. In this situation, the population that the
sample was selected from is history professors from the California State Universities. Therefore, the largest population to
which the results of the survey can be generalized is all history professors at all California State Universities.

Choices A, B, and D are incorrect. Since the sample was selected at random from history professors from the California
State Universities, the results of the survey can’t be generalized to all professors in the United States, all history professors in
the United States, or all professors at all California State Universities. All three of these populations may use different texts
and therefore may name different publishers.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID d6af3572
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: d6af3572

The scatterplot above shows the federal-mandated minimum wage every 10 years
between 1940 and 2010. A line of best fit is shown, and its equation is
. What does the line of best fit predict about the increase in the
minimum wage over the 70-year period?

A. Each year between 1940 and 2010, the average increase in minimum wage was 0.096 dollars.

B. Each year between 1940 and 2010, the average increase in minimum wage was 0.49 dollars.

C. Every 10 years between 1940 and 2010, the average increase in minimum wage was 0.096 dollars.

D. Every 10 years between 1940 and 2010, the average increase in minimum wage was 0.488 dollars.

ID: d6af3572 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. The given equation is in slope-intercept form, or , where m is the value of the slope of the
line of best fit. Therefore, the slope of the line of best fit is 0.096. From the definition of slope, it follows that an increase of 1
in the x-value corresponds to an increase of 0.096 in the y-value. Therefore, the line of best fit predicts that for each year
between 1940 and 2010, the minimum wage will increase by 0.096 dollar per hour.

Choice B is incorrect and may result from using the y-coordinate of the y-intercept as the average increase, instead of the
slope. Choice C is incorrect and may result from using the 10-year increments given on the x-axis to incorrectly interpret the
slope of the line of best fit. Choice D is incorrect and may result from using the y-coordinate of the y-intercept as the average
increase, instead of the slope, and from using the 10-year increments given on the x-axis to incorrectly interpret the slope of
the line of best fit.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID fea831fc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: fea831fc

On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere set off on his midnight ride from Charlestown to
Lexington. If he had ridden straight to Lexington without stopping, he would have
traveled 11 miles in 26 minutes. In such a ride, what would the average speed of
his horse have been, to the nearest tenth of a mile per hour?

ID: fea831fc Answer

Rationale
The correct answer is 25.4. The average speed is the total distance divided by the total time. The total distance is 11 miles

and the total time is 26 minutes. Thus, the average speed is miles per minute. The question asks for the average speed
in miles per hour, and there are 60 minutes in an hour; converting miles per minute to miles per hour gives the following:

Therefore, to the nearest tenth of a mile per hour, the average speed of Paul Revere’s ride would have been 25.4 miles per
hour. Note that 25.4 and 127/5 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID e03f3477
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Inference from

Data Analysis sample statistics and
margin of error

ID: e03f3477

A sample consisting of adults who own televisions was selected at random for a study. Based on the sample, it is
estimated that of all adults who own televisions use their televisions to watch nature shows, with an associated margin
of error of . Which of the following is the most plausible conclusion about all adults who own televisions?

A. More than of all adults who own televisions use their televisions to watch nature shows.

B. Between and of all adults who own televisions use their televisions to watch nature shows.

Since the sample included adults who own televisions and not just those who use their televisions to watch nature
C. shows, no conclusion can be made.

D. Since the sample did not include all the people who watch nature shows, no conclusion can be made.

ID: e03f3477 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. It's given that based on a sample selected at random, it's estimated that of all adults who own
televisions use their televisions to watch nature shows, with an associated margin of error of . Subtracting the margin
of error from the estimate and adding the margin of error to the estimate gives an interval of plausible values for the true
percentage of adults who own televisions who use their televisions to watch nature shows. This means it's plausible that
between , or , and , or , of all adults who own televisions use their televisions
to watch nature shows. Therefore, of the given choices, the most plausible conclusion is that between and
of all adults who own televisions use their televisions to watch nature shows.

Choice A is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.

Choice C is incorrect. To make a plausible conclusion about all adults who own televisions, the sample must be selected at
random from all adults who own televisions, not just those who use their televisions to watch nature shows.

Choice D is incorrect. Since the sample was selected at random from all adults who own televisions, a plausible conclusion
can be made about all adults who own televisions.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 07f2829b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 07f2829b

International Tourist
Arrivals, in millions
Country 2012 2013

France 83.0 84.7

United
66.7 69.8
States

Spain 57.5 60.7

China 57.7 55.7

Italy 46.4 47.7

Turkey 35.7 37.8

Germany 30.4 31.5

United
26.3 32.2
Kingdom

Russia 24.7 28.4

The table above shows the number of international tourist arrivals, rounded to the
nearest tenth of a million, to the top nine tourist destinations in both 2012 and
2013. Based on the information given in the table, how much greater, in millions,
was the median number of international tourist arrivals to the top nine tourist
destinations in 2013 than the median number in 2012, to the nearest tenth of a
million?

ID: 07f2829b Answer

Rationale
The correct answer is 1.3. The median number of tourists is found by ordering the number of tourists from least to greatest
and determining the middle value from this list. When the number of tourists in 2012 is ordered from least to greatest, the
middle value, or the fifth number, is 46.4 million. When the number of tourists in 2013 is ordered from least to greatest, the
middle value, or the fifth number, is 47.7 million. The difference between these two medians is
. Note that 1.3 and 13/10 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.
Question Difficulty: Medium
Question ID 7ac5d686
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 7ac5d686

An inspector begins a day of work with a large sample of shirts that need to be
checked for defects. The inspector works at a constant rate throughout the
morning. What type of model is best to model the number of shirts remaining to be
checked for defects at any given time throughout the morning?

A. A linear model with a positive slope

B. A linear model with a negative slope

C. An exponential growth model

D. An exponential decay model

ID: 7ac5d686 Answer

Rationale
Choice B is correct. Since the work is done at a constant rate, a linear model best models the situation. The number of shirts
remaining is dependent on the length of time the inspector has worked; therefore, if the relationship were graphed, time
would be the variable of the horizontal axis and the number of remaining shirts would be the variable of the vertical axis.
Since the number of shirts decreases as the time worked increases, it follows that the slope of this graph is negative.

Choice A is incorrect and may result from incorrectly reasoning about the slope. Choices C and D are incorrect and may
result from not identifying the constant rate of work as a characteristic of a linear model.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 181cc4d6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: 181cc4d6

Rectangle A has length 15 and width w. Rectangle B has length 20 and the same
length-to-width ratio as rectangle A. What is the width of rectangle B in terms
of w ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 181cc4d6 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. It’s given that rectangle A has length 15 and width w. Therefore, the length-to-width ratio of rectangle A is
15 to w. It’s also given that rectangle B has length 20 and the same length-to-width ratio as rectangle A. Let x represent the

width of rectangle B. The proportion can be used to solve for x in terms of w. Multiplying both sides of this

equation by x yields , and then multiplying both sides of this equation by w yields . Dividing both

sides of this equation by 15 yields . Simplifying this fraction yields .

Choices B and D are incorrect and may result from interpreting the difference in the lengths of rectangle A and rectangle B as
equivalent to the difference in the widths of rectangle A and rectangle B. Choice C is incorrect and may result from using a
length-to-width ratio of w to 15, instead of 15 to w.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 7fd284ac
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 7fd284ac

The scatterplot above shows data for ten charities along with the line of best fit. For the charity with the greatest percent of
total expenses spent on programs, which of the following is closest to the difference of the actual percent and the percent
predicted by the line of best fit?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 7fd284ac Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is correct. The charity with the greatest percent of total expenses spent on programs is represented by the highest
point on the scatterplot; this is the point that has a vertical coordinate slightly less than halfway between 90 and 95 and a
horizontal coordinate slightly less than halfway between 3,000 and 4,000. Thus, the charity represented by this point has a
total income of about $3,400 million and spends about 92% of its total expenses on programs. The percent predicted by the
line of best fit is the vertical coordinate of the point on the line of best fit with horizontal coordinate $3,400 million; this
vertical coordinate is very slightly more than 85. Thus, the line of best fit predicts that the charity with the greatest percent of
total expenses spent on programs will spend slightly more than 85% on programs. Therefore, the difference between the
actual percent (92%) and the prediction (slightly more than 85%) is slightly less than 7%.

Choice A is incorrect. There is no charity represented in the scatterplot for which the difference between the actual percent
of total expenses spent on programs and the percent predicted by the line of best fit is as much as 10%. Choices C and D are
incorrect. These choices may result from misidentifying in the scatterplot the point that represents the charity with the
greatest percent of total expenses spent on programs.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 2df8f293
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Probability and

Data Analysis conditional
probability

ID: 2df8f293

Each vertex of a -sided polygon is labeled with one of the letters through , with a different letter at each vertex. If
one vertex is selected at random, what is the probability that the letter will be at the selected vertex? (Express your answer
as a decimal or fraction, not as a percent.)

ID: 2df8f293 Answer

Correct Answer: .0714, 1/14

Rationale
The correct answer is . If one vertex of the polygon is selected at random, the probability that the letter will be at the
selected vertex is equal to the number of vertices labeled with the letter divided by the total number of vertices. It's given
that each vertex is labeled with one of the letters through , with a different letter at each vertex. It follows that there
is vertex labeled with the letter . It's also given that the polygon is -sided. It follows that there are a total of vertices.
Thus, the probability that the letter will be at the selected vertex is . Note that 1/14, .0714, and 0.071 are examples of
ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 3638f413
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: 3638f413

Jeremy deposited x dollars in his investment account on January 1, 2001. The

amount of money in the account doubled each year until Jeremy had 480 dollars in
his investment account on January 1, 2005. What is the value of x ?

ID: 3638f413 Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is 30. The situation can be represented by the equation , where the 2 represents the fact
that the amount of money in the account doubled each year and the 4 represents the fact that there are 4 years between
January 1, 2001, and January 1, 2005. Simplifying gives . Therefore, .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1142af44
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

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 445dd032
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: 445dd032

Tanya earns $13.50 per hour at her part-time job. When she works z hours, she
earns dollars. Which of the following expressions gives the amount, in
dollars, Tanya will earn if she works hours?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 445dd032 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. It’s given that when Tanya works z hours, she earns dollars. Since her hourly rate is constant, if
she works 3 times as many hours, or hours, she will earn 3 times as many dollars, or .

Choice B is incorrect. This expression represents adding 3 dollars to the dollars Tanya will earn. Choice C is
incorrect. This expression can be rewritten as , which implies that Tanya earns $16.50 per hour, not $13.50. Choice D
is incorrect. This expression adds 3 to the number of hours Tanya works, rather than multiplying the hours she works by 3.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 651d83bb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

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?

Every member of team A completed the race in less time than any member of team B.
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.
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
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

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 1e1027a7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 1e1027a7

The scatterplot above shows a company’s ice cream sales d, in dollars, and the
high temperature t, in degrees Celsius (°C), on 12 different days. A line of best fit
for the data is also shown. Which of the following could be an equation of the line
of best fit?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 1e1027a7 Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is correct. On the line of best fit, d increases from approximately 480 to 880 between and . The slope

of the line of best fit is the difference in d-values divided by the difference in t-values, which gives , or
approximately 33. Writing the equation of the line of best fit in slope-intercept form gives , where b is the y-
coordinate of the y-intercept. This equation is satisfied by all points on the line, so when . Thus,
, which is equivalent to . Subtracting 396 from both sides of this equation gives .
Therefore, an equation for the line of best fit could be .

Choice A is incorrect and may result from an error in calculating the slope and misidentifying the y-coordinate of the y-
intercept of the graph as the value of d at rather than the value of d at . Choice B is incorrect and may result
from using the smallest value of t on the graph as the slope and misidentifying the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the
graph as the value of d at rather than the value of d at . Choice C is incorrect and may result from misidentifying
the y-coordinate of the y-intercept as the smallest value of d on the graph.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 939c46d1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: 939c46d1

The glass pictured above can hold a maximum volume of 473 cubic centimeters,
which is approximately 16 fluid ounces. Jenny has a pitcher that contains 1 gallon
of water. How many times could Jenny completely fill the glass with 1 gallon of
water?

A. 16

B. 8

C. 4

D. 3

ID: 939c46d1 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. It is given that the volume of the glass is approximately 16 fluid ounces. If Jenny has 1 gallon of water,

which is 128 fluid ounces, she could fill the glass times.

Choice A is incorrect because Jenny would need fluid ounces = 256 fluid ounces, or 2 gallons, of water to fill the
glass 16 times. Choice C is incorrect because Jenny would need only fluid ounces = 64 fluid ounces of water to fill
the glass 4 times. Choice D is incorrect because Jenny would need only fluid ounces = 48 fluid ounces to fill the glass
3 times.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID fc46af57
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Inference from

Data Analysis sample statistics and
margin of error

ID: fc46af57

A bag containing 10,000 beads of assorted colors is purchased from a craft store.
To estimate the percent of red beads in the bag, a sample of beads is selected at
random. The percent of red beads in the bag was estimated to be 15%, with an
associated margin of error of 2%. If r is the actual number of red beads in the bag,
which of the following is most plausible?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: fc46af57 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. It was estimated that 15% of the beads in the bag are red. Since the bag contains 10,000 beads, it
follows that there are an estimated red beads. It’s given that the margin of error is 2%, or
beads. If the estimate is too high, there could plausibly be red beads. If the
estimate is too low, there could plausibly be red beads. Therefore, the most plausible statement of the
actual number of red beads in the bag is .

Choices A and D are incorrect and may result from misinterpreting the margin of error. It’s unlikely that more than 1,700
beads or fewer than 1,300 beads in the bag are red. Choice C is incorrect because 200 is the margin of error for the number
of red beads, not the lower bound of the range of red beads.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 7b65bb28
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 7b65bb28

Station 1 Station 2 Station 3 Station 4 Station 5

$3.699 $3.609 $3.729 $3.679 $3.729

In the table above, Melissa recorded the price of one gallon of regular gas from five
different local gas stations on the same day. What is the median of the gas prices
Melissa recorded?

A. $3.679

B. $3.689

C. $3.699

D. $3.729

ID: 7b65bb28 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. The median of a data set is the middle value when the data is in ascending or descending order. In
ascending order, the gas prices are $3.609, $3.679, $3.699, $3.729, and $3.729. The middle number of this list is 3.699, so it
follows that $3.699 is the median gas price.

Choice A is incorrect. When the gas prices are listed in ascending order, this value isn’t the middle number. Choice B is
incorrect. This value represents the mean gas price. Choice D is incorrect. This value represents both the mode and the
maximum gas price.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 8a714fa1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 8a714fa1

Which of the following represents the result of increasing the

quantity x by 9%, where ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 8a714fa1 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. Increasing the positive quantity x by 9% is the result of adding 9% of x to x. 9% of x can be represented

algebraically as , or . Adding this expression to x yields , or .

Choice B is incorrect. This represents 9% of x. Choice C is incorrect. This represents increasing x by 9, not by 9%. Choice D is
incorrect. This represents increasing x by 0.09, not by 9%.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 3f775bbf
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: 3f775bbf

Power capacity
State
Low Medium High Total

Texas 4 2 3 9

California 1 0 1 2

Oregon 1 0 1 2

Indiana 0 2 0 2

Colorado 1 1 0 2

Iowa 2 0 0 2

Oklahoma 1 0 0 1

Total 10 5 5 20

The table shows the distribution, by location and power capacity (maximum rate of
power generation) of the twenty largest wind projects in the United States in 2013.
The total power capacity of the nine wind projects located in Texas was 4,952
megawatts (MW), and the total power capacity of the twenty wind projects was
11,037 MW in 2013. The amount of energy produced in one hour at a rate of one
megawatt is one megawatt-hour. If each of the nine Texas wind projects in 2013
had operated continuously for 24 hours at the maximum rate of power generation,
approximately how many megawatt-hours of energy would the nine projects have
produced?

A. 200

B. 5,000

C. 11,000

D. 120,000

ID: 3f775bbf Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is correct. It’s given that the total power capacity of the nine wind projects in Texas was 4,952 megawatts.
Therefore, if all nine Texas projects operated continuously for 1 hour, the amount of energy produced would be 4,952
megawatt-hours. It follows that, if all nine Texas projects operated continuously for 24 hours, the amount of energy
produced, in megawatt-hours, would be , which is closest to 120,000.

Choice A is incorrect. This is approximately the amount of energy produced for the nine projects divided by 24 hours. Choice
B is incorrect. This is approximately the amount of energy produced for the nine projects. Choice C is incorrect. This is
approximately the given amount of energy produced for all twenty projects in the table.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 8637294f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: 8637294f

If and , what is the value of ?

ID: 8637294f Answer

Correct Answer: .0625, 1/16

Rationale
The correct answer is . It's given that and . The equation can be rewritten as
. Dividing both sides of this equation by yields . The equation can be rewritten as
. Substituting for in this equation yields , or . Multiplying both
sides of this equation by yields . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields .
Therefore, the value of is . Note that .0625, 0.062, 0.063, and 1/16 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 8e2e424e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 8e2e424e

The number k is 36% greater than 50. If k is the product of

50 and r, what is the value of r ?

A. 36

B. 3.6

C. 1.36

D. 0.36

ID: 8e2e424e Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. It’s given that the number k is 36% greater than 50. Therefore, the value of k is the number 50 plus 36%

of 50. This can be rewritten as . Multiplying the terms yields 18, so , or

. It’s also given that k is the product of 50 and r, which can be rewritten as . Substituting 68 for k yields
. Dividing both sides of this equation by 50 yields .

Choice A is incorrect. This is the percentage that k is greater than 50. Choice B is incorrect and may result from a calculation
error. Choice D is incorrect. This would be the value of r if k were 36% of 50, instead of 36% greater than 50.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID be00d896
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: be00d896

For which of the following data sets is the mean

greater than the median?

A. 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

B. 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80

C. 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512

D. 7, 107, 107, 207, 207, 207, 307, 307, 307

ID: be00d896 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. If the values in a data set are ordered from least to greatest, the median of the data set will be the middle
value. Since each data set in the choices is ordered and contains exactly 9 data values, the 5th value in each is the median. It
follows that the median of the data set in choice C is 32. The sum of the positive differences between 32 and each of the
values that are less than 32 is significantly smaller than the sum of the positive differences between 32 and each of the
values that are greater than 32. If 32 were the mean, these sums would have been equal to each other. Therefore, the mean
of this data set must be greater than 32. This can also be confirmed by calculating the mean as the sum of the values

divided by the number of values in the data set: .

Choices A and B are incorrect. Each of the data sets in these choices is symmetric with respect to its median, so the mean
and the median for each of these choices are equivalent. Choice D is incorrect. The median of this data set is 207. Since the
sum of the positive differences between 207 and each of the values less than 207 is greater than the sum of the positive
differences between 207 and each value greater than 207 in this data set, the mean must be less than the median.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 6626cac3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Probability and

Data Analysis conditional
probability

ID: 6626cac3

Phone Email

Dinner
55% 80%
dance

Football
20% 10%
game

Picnic 20% 5%

Pool
5% 5%
party

Total 100% 100%

An alumni association survey asked each high school graduate to select the one activity he or she preferred
for the association’s next event. Some of the people responded by phone, and the others responded by email.
The table above shows the distribution of preferred activity, in percent, for each response type used. For the
survey, the number of email responses was twice the number of phone responses. If a person who preferred
a picnic is selected at random, what is the probability that the person responded by email?

ID: 6626cac3 Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is . It’s given that the number of email responses is twice the number of phone responses. Therefore,
if the number of phone responses is p, then the number of email responses is . The table shows that 20% of people who
responded by phone preferred a picnic. It follows that the expression represents the number of these people. The
table also shows that 5% of the people who responded by email preferred a picnic. The expression , or ,
represents the number of these people. Therefore, a total of , or people preferred a picnic. Thus, the

probability of selecting at random a person who responded by email from the people who preferred a picnic is , or
. Note that 1/3, .3333, and 0.333 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3d985614
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 3d985614

Each dot in the scatterplot above represents the height x, in feet, in the high jump,
and the distance y, in feet, in the long jump, made by each student in a group of
twenty students. The graph of which of the following equations is a line that most
closely fits the data?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 3d985614 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. A line that most closely fits the data is a line with an approximately balanced number of data points
above and below the line. Fitting a line to the data shown results in a line with an approximate slope of 3 and a y-intercept
near the point . An equation for the line can be written in slope-intercept form, , where m is the slope and b
is the y-coordinate of the y-intercept. The equation in choice C fits the data most closely.

Choices A and B are incorrect because the slope of the lines of these equations is 0.82, which is a value that is too small to
be the slope of the line that fits the data shown. Choice D is incorrect. The graph of this equation has a y-intercept at
, not . This line would lie below all of the data points, and therefore would not closely fit the data.
Question Difficulty: Medium
Question ID 308084c5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Inference from

Data Analysis sample statistics and
margin of error

ID: 308084c5

Sample Percent in favor Margin of error

A 52% 4.2%

B 48% 1.6%

The results of two random samples of votes for a proposition are shown above.
The samples were selected from the same population, and the margins of error
were calculated using the same method. Which of the following is the most
appropriate reason that the margin of error for sample A is greater than the margin
of error for sample B?

A. Sample A had a smaller number of votes that could not be recorded.

B. Sample A had a higher percent of favorable responses.

C. Sample A had a larger sample size.

D. Sample A had a smaller sample size.

ID: 308084c5 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. Sample size is an appropriate reason for the margin of error to change. In general, a smaller sample size
increases the margin of error because the sample may be less representative of the whole population.

Choice A is incorrect. The margin of error will depend on the size of the sample of recorded votes, not the number of votes
that could not be recorded. In any case, the smaller number of votes that could not be recorded for sample A would tend to
decrease, not increase, the comparative size of the margin of error. Choice B is incorrect. Since the percent in favor for
sample A is the same distance from 50% as the percent in favor for sample B, the percent of favorable responses doesn’t
affect the comparative size of the margin of error for the two samples. Choice C is incorrect. If sample A had a larger margin
of error than sample B, then sample A would tend to be less representative of the population. Therefore, sample A is not
likely to have a larger sample size.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 7d721177
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: 7d721177

The density of a certain type of wood is kilograms per cubic meter. A sample of this type of wood is in the shape of a
cube and has a mass of kilograms. To the nearest hundredth of a meter, what is the length of one edge of this sample?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 7d721177 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. It’s given that the density of a certain type of wood is kilograms per cubic meter , and a
sample of this type of wood has a mass of . Let represent the volume, in , of the sample. It follows that the
relationship between the density, mass, and volume of this sample can be written
as , or . Multiplying both sides of this equation by yields . Dividing both sides of
this equation by yields . Therefore, the volume of this sample is . Since it’s given that the sample of this
type of wood is a cube, it follows that the length of one edge of this sample can be found using the volume formula for a
cube, , where represents the volume, in , and represents the length, in m, of one edge of the cube.
Substituting for in this formula yields . Taking the cube root of both sides of this equation yields
, or . Therefore, the length of one edge of this sample to the nearest hundredth of a meter is .

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 67c0200a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 67c0200a

The number is less than the positive number . The number is greater than . The number is how many
times ?

ID: 67c0200a Answer

Correct Answer: .54, 27/50

Rationale
The correct answer is . It's given that the number is less than the positive number . Therefore, ,
which is equivalent to , or . It's also given that the number is greater than . Therefore,
, which is equivalent to , or . Since , substituting for in the
equation yields , or . Thus, is times . Note that .54 and 27/50 are examples
of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 7d68096f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Evaluating statistical

Data Analysis claims:
Observational
studies and
experiments

ID: 7d68096f

A trivia tournament organizer wanted to study the relationship between the number of points a team scores in a trivia round
and the number of hours that a team practices each week. For the study, the organizer selected teams at random from all
trivia teams in a certain tournament. The table displays the information for the teams in the sample that practiced for at
least hours per week.

Number of points per round

Hours practiced
6 to 13 points 14 or more points Total

3 to 5 hours

More than 5 hours

Total
Which of the following is the largest population to which the results of the study can be generalized?

A. All trivia teams in the tournament that scored or more points in the round

B. The trivia teams in the sample

C. The trivia teams in the sample that practiced for at least hours per week

D. All trivia teams in the tournament

ID: 7d68096f Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is correct. It's given that the organizer selected teams at random from all trivia teams in the tournament. A table
is also given displaying the information for the teams in the sample that practiced for at least hours per week. Selecting
a sample of a reasonable size at random to use for a survey allows the results from that survey to be applied to the
population from which the sample was selected, but not beyond this population. Thus, only the sampling method
information is necessary to determine the largest population to which the results of the study can be generalized. Since the
organizer selected the sample at random from all trivia teams in the tournament, the largest population to which the results
of the study can be generalized is all trivia teams in the tournament.

Choice A is incorrect. The sample was selected at random from all trivia teams in the tournament, not just from the teams
that scored an average of or more points per round.

Choice B is incorrect. If a study uses a sample selected at random from a population, the results of the study can be
generalized to the population, not just the sample.

Choice C is incorrect. If a study uses a sample selected at random from a population, the results of the study can be
generalized to the population, not just a subset of the sample.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 8917ce38
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: 8917ce38

Which of the following speeds is equivalent to 90 kilometers per

hour? (1 kilometer = 1,000 meters)

A. 25 meters per second

B. 32 meters per second

C. 250 meters per second

D. 324 meters per second

ID: 8917ce38 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. Since 1 kilometer is equal to 1,000 meters, it follows that 90 kilometers is equal to
meters. Since 1 hour is equal to 60 minutes and 1 minute is equal to 60 seconds, it follows that 1 hour is equal to

seconds. Now is equal to , which reduces to or 25 meters

per second.

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 585de39a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Probability and

Data Analysis conditional
probability

ID: 585de39a

On May 10, 2015, there were 83 million Internet subscribers in Nigeria. The major
Internet providers were MTN, Globacom, Airtel, Etisalat, and Visafone. By
September 30, 2015, the number of Internet subscribers in Nigeria had increased
to 97 million. If an Internet subscriber in Nigeria on September 30, 2015, is selected
at random, the probability that the person selected was an MTN subscriber is 0.43.
There were p million MTN subscribers in Nigeria on September 30, 2015. To the
nearest integer, what is the value of p ?

ID: 585de39a Answer

Rationale
The correct answer is 42. It’s given that in Nigeria on September 30, 2015, the probability of selecting an MTN subscriber
from all Internet subscribers is 0.43, that there were p million, or , MTN subscribers, and that there were 97
million, or 97,000,000, Internet subscribers. The probability of selecting an MTN subscriber from all Internet subscribers can
be found by dividing the number of MTN subscribers by the total number of Internet subscribers. Therefore, the equation

can be used to solve for p. Dividing 1,000,000 from the numerator and denominator of the

expression on the left-hand side yields . Multiplying both sides of this equation by 97 yields
, which, to the nearest integer, is 42.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 4ff597db
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

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 ec787383
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: ec787383

A distance of furlongs is equivalent to how many feet?

ID: ec787383 Answer

Correct Answer: 40260

Rationale
The correct answer is . It's given that and . It follows that a distance of
furlongs is equivalent to , or feet.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 7e6c745f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: 7e6c745f

Food Protein Cost

1 large egg 6 grams $0.36

1 cup of milk 8 grams $0.24

The table above shows the amount of protein in two foods and the cost of each
food. Based on the table, what is the ratio of the cost per gram of protein in a large
egg to the cost per gram of protein in a cup of milk?

A. 1 : 2

B. 2 : 3

C. 3 : 4

D. 2 : 1

ID: 7e6c745f Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. The cost per gram of protein in 1 large egg is $0.36 ÷ 6 = $0.06. The cost per gram of protein in 1 cup of
milk is $0.24 ÷ 8 = $0.03. It follows that the ratio of the cost per gram of protein in a large egg to the cost per gram of protein
in a cup of milk is 0.06:0.03, which can be rewritten as 2:1.

Choice A is incorrect and may result from finding the ratio of the cost per gram of protein in a cup of milk to the cost per
gram of protein in a large egg (the reciprocal of the ratio specified in the question). Choices B and C are incorrect and may
result from incorrectly calculating the unit rates or from errors made when simplifying the ratio.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 7b52985c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 7b52985c

The scatterplot shows the relationship between the length of time , in hours, a certain bird spent in flight and the number of
days after January , .

What is the average rate of change, in hours per day, of the length of time the bird spent in flight on January to the length
of time the bird spent in flight on January ?

ID: 7b52985c Answer

Correct Answer: 4.5, 9/2
Rationale
The correct answer is . It's given that the scatterplot shows the relationship between the length of time , in hours, a
certain bird spent in flight and the number of days after January , . Since January is days after January , it
follows that January corresponds to an x-value of in the scatterplot. In the scatterplot, when , the corresponding
value of is . In other words, on January , the bird spent hours in flight. Since January is days after January , it
follows that January corresponds to an x-value of in the scatterplot. In the scatterplot, when , the corresponding
value of is . In other words, on January , the bird spent hours in flight. Therefore, the average rate of change, in
hours per day, of the length of time the bird spent in flight on January to the length of time the bird spent in flight on
January is the difference in the length of time, in hours, the bird spent in flight divided by the difference in the number of
days after January , or , which is equivalent to . Note that 9/2 and 4.5 are examples of ways to enter a correct
answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 7ce2830a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Evaluating statistical

Data Analysis claims:
Observational
studies and
experiments

ID: 7ce2830a

A psychologist designed and conducted a study to determine whether playing a

certain educational game increases middle school students’ accuracy in adding
fractions. For the study, the psychologist chose a random sample of 35 students
from all of the students at one of the middle schools in a large city. The
psychologist found that students who played the game showed significant
improvement in accuracy when adding fractions. What is the largest group to
which the results of the study can be generalized?

A. The 35 students in the sample

B. All students at the school

C. All middle school students in the city

D. All students in the city

ID: 7ce2830a Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. The largest group to which the results of a study can be generalized is the population from which the
random sample was chosen. In this case, the psychologist chose a random sample from all students at one particular
middle school. Therefore, the largest group to which the results can be generalized is all the students at the school.

Choice A is incorrect because this isn’t the largest group the results can be generalized to. Choices C and D are incorrect
because these groups are larger than the population from which the random sample was chosen. Therefore, the sample isn’t
representative of these groups.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 642519d7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Evaluating statistical

Data Analysis claims:
Observational
studies and
experiments

ID: 642519d7

A polling agency recently surveyed 1,000 adults who were selected at random from
a large city and asked each of the adults, “Are you satisfied with the quality of air in
the city?” Of those surveyed, 78 percent responded that they were satisfied with the
quality of air in the city. Based on the results of the survey, which of the following
statements must be true?
Of all adults in the city, 78 percent are satisfied with the quality of air in the city.
If another 1,000 adults selected at random from the city were surveyed, 78 percent of them would report they are
satisfied with the quality of air in the city.
If 1,000 adults selected at random from a different city were surveyed, 78 percent of them would report they are
satisfied with the quality of air in the city.

A. None

B. II only

C. I and II only

D. I and III only

ID: 642519d7 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. Statement I need not be true. The fact that 78% of the 1,000 adults who were surveyed responded that
they were satisfied with the air quality in the city does not mean that the exact same percentage of all adults in the city will
be satisfied with the air quality in the city. Statement II need not be true because random samples, even when they are of the
same size, are not necessarily identical with regard to percentages of people in them who have a certain opinion. Statement
III need not be true for the same reason that statement II need not be true: results from different samples can vary. The
variation may be even bigger for this sample since it would be selected from a different city. Therefore, none of the
statements must be true.

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because none of the statements must be true.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 912cd125
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Probability and

Data Analysis conditional
probability

ID: 912cd125
For a science project, Anka recorded whether it rained each weekday and weekend day for 12 weeks. Her results are
summarized in the table below.
Weekday and Weekend Day Rain for 12 Weeks
Rain No rain Total

Number of weekdays 12 48 60

Number of weekend days 8 16 24

Total 20 64 84

If one of the days on which there was no rain is selected at random, what is the
probability the day was a weekend day?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 912cd125 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. There were 64 days with no rain. It was a weekend day for 16 of those 64 days. So 16 out of 64 of the
days with no rain were weekend days. Because the day is selected at random, each day has an equal chance of being

selected, so the probability is .

Choice A is incorrect. It is the probability that a day selected at random from any one of the days during the 12 weeks is a
weekend day with no rain. Choice C is incorrect. It is the probability that a day selected at random from the weekend days
has no rain. Choice D is incorrect. It is the probability that a day selected at random from the days with no rain is a weekday.
Question Difficulty: Medium
Question ID 6a715bed
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Probability and

Data Analysis conditional
probability

ID: 6a715bed

The table summarizes the distribution of age and assigned group for participants in a study.

– years – years years Total

Group A

Group B

Group C

Total
One of these participants will be selected at random. What is the probability of selecting a participant from group A, given
that the participant is at least years of age? (Express your answer as a decimal or fraction, not as a percent.)

ID: 6a715bed Answer

Correct Answer: .3833, 23/60

Rationale
The correct answer is . It's given that one of the participants will be selected at random. The probability of selecting a
participant from group A given that the participant is at least years of age is the number of participants in group A who
are at least years of age divided by the total number of participants who are at least years of age. The table shows
that in group A, there are participants who are – years of age and participants who are years of age.
Therefore, there are , or , participants in group A who are at least years of age. The table also shows that there
are a total of participants who are – years of age and participants who are years of age. Therefore, there
are a total of , or , participants who are at least years of age. It follows that the probability of selecting a
participant from group A given that the participant is at least years of age is . Note that 23/60, .3833, and 0.383 are
examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 8cbf1415
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 8cbf1415

In a group, % of the items are red. Of all the red items in the group, % also have stripes. What percentage of the items in
the group are red with stripes?

A. %

B. %

C. %

D. %

ID: 8cbf1415 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. It’s given that in a group, of the items are red. It follows that the number of red items in the group
can be represented by , where represents the total number of items in the group. It’s also given that of all the red
items in the group, also have stripes. It follows that the number of items in the group that are red and have stripes can
be represented by , or . The expression represents of . Since represents the total number
of items in the group, it follows that of the items in the group are red and have stripes.

Choice A is incorrect and may result from subtracting from rather than calculating of .

Choice C is incorrect and may result from adding and rather than calculating of .

Choice D is incorrect and may result from calculating the percentage that is of rather than calculating of
.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 3c5b19ef
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 3c5b19ef

The scatterplot above shows the number of visitors to a railroad museum in

Pennsylvania each year from 1968 to 1980, where t is the number of years since
1968 and n is the number of visitors. A line of best fit is also shown. Which of the
following could be an equation of the line of best fit shown?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 3c5b19ef Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is correct. An equation of a line of best fit can be written in the form , where a is the y-intercept of the
line and b is the slope. In the scatterplot shown, the line of best fit intersects the y-axis just over halfway between 10,000 and
20,000, or approximately 16,000. The line of best fit also intersects the graph at . Using the slope formula

and two points that lie on the graph such as and , the slope can be approximated as

, or 4,800. Only choice A has a y-intercept near the estimate of 16,000 and a slope near the estimate of
4,800. Therefore, an equation of the line of best fit could be .

Choice B is incorrect because the values for the slope and the y-coordinate of the y-intercept are switched. Choice C is
incorrect because the value for the slope is approximately double the actual slope. Choice D is incorrect because the values
for the slope and the y-intercept are switched and because the slope is approximately double the actual slope.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 96a45430
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 96a45430

A number n is increased 6%. If the result is

318, what is the value of n ?

A. 199

B. 299

C. 300

D. 337

ID: 96a45430 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. The decimal equivalent of 6% is 0.06. Since increasing the number n by 6% yields the number 318, this
situation can be represented by the equation , or . Dividing both sides of this equation by
1.06 yields .

Choice A is incorrect. This is the result when n is increased by 60%, not by 6%. Choice B is incorrect. This is the approximate
result of decreasing 318 by 6%. Choice D is incorrect. This is the approximate result of increasing 318 by 6%.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 5c3c2e3c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 5c3c2e3c

The weights, in pounds, for 15 horses in a stable were reported, and the mean,
median, range, and standard deviation for the data were found. The horse with the
lowest reported weight was found to actually weigh 10 pounds less than its
reported weight. What value remains unchanged if the four values are reported
using the corrected weight?

A. Mean

B. Median

C. Range

D. Standard deviation

ID: 5c3c2e3c Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. The median weight is found by ordering the horses’ weights from least to greatest and then determining
the middle value from this list of weights. Decreasing the value for the horse with the lowest weight doesn’t affect the
median since it’s still the lowest value.

Choice A is incorrect. The mean is calculated by finding the sum of all the weights of the horses and then dividing by the
number of horses. Decreasing one of the weights would decrease the sum and therefore decrease the mean. Choice C is
incorrect. Range is the difference between the highest and lowest weights, so decreasing the lowest weight would increase
the range. Choice D is incorrect. Standard deviation is calculated based on the mean weight of the horses. Decreasing one of
the weights decreases the mean and therefore would affect the standard deviation.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 30db8f77
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Probability and

Data Analysis conditional
probability

ID: 30db8f77

At a conference, there are a total of attendees. Each attendee is assigned to either group A, group B, or group C. If one
of these attendees is selected at random, the probability of selecting an attendee who is assigned to group A is and the
probability of selecting an attendee who is assigned to group B is . How many attendees are assigned to group C?

ID: 30db8f77 Answer

Correct Answer: 88

Rationale
The correct answer is . It's given that there are a total of attendees and each attendee is assigned to either group A,
group B, or group C. It's also given that if one of these attendees is selected at random, the probability of selecting an
attendee who is assigned to group A is and the probability of selecting an attendee who is assigned to group B is .
It follows that there are , or , attendees who are assigned to group A and , or , attendees who are
assigned to group B. The number of attendees who are assigned to group C is the number of attendees who are not
assigned to group A or group B. In other words, the number of attendees who are assigned to group C is the total number of
attendees minus the number of attendees who are assigned to group A and group B. Therefore, the number of attendees
who are assigned to group C is , or .

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID d0430601
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: d0430601

Each dot in the scatterplot above represents the temperature and the number of
people who visited a beach in Lagos, Nigeria, on one of eleven different days. The
line of best fit for the data is also shown. The line of best fit for the data has a
slope of approximately 57. According to this estimate, how many additional people
per day are predicted to visit the beach for each 5°C increase in average
temperature?

ID: d0430601 Answer

Rationale
The correct answer is 285. The number of people predicted to visit the beach each day is represented by the y-values of the
line of best fit, and the average temperature, in degrees Celsius ( ), is represented by the x-values. Since the slope of the
line of best fit is approximately 57, the y-value, or the number of people predicted to visit the beach each day, increases by 57
for every x-value increase of 1, or every increase in average temperature. Therefore, an increase of in average
temperature corresponds to a y-value increase of additional people per day predicted to visit the beach.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9110c120
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 9110c120

Which of the following statements about the means and medians

of data set A and data set B is true?

A. Only the means are different.

B. Only the medians are different.

C. Both the means and the medians are different.

D. Neither the means nor the medians are different.

ID: 9110c120 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. The mean of a data set is the sum of the values divided by the number of values. The mean of data set A

is , or 5. The mean of data set B is , or 14.5. Thus, the means are different. The median of a data set is the middle
value when the values are ordered from least to greatest. The medians of data sets A and B are both 5. Therefore, the
medians are the same, so only the means are different.

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID b2f6f17d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: b2f6f17d

A customer’s monthly water bill was $75.74. Due to a rate increase, her monthly bill
is now $79.86. To the nearest tenth of a percent, by what percent did the amount of
the customer’s water bill increase?

A. 4.1%

B. 5.1%

C. 5.2%

D. 5.4%

ID: b2f6f17d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. To find the percent increase of the customer’s water bill, the absolute increase of the bill, in dollars, is

divided by the original amount of the bill, and the result is multiplied by 100%, as follows: ;
.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice is the difference rounded to the nearest tenth, which is the (absolute)
increase of the bill’s amount, not its percent increase. Choice B is incorrect and may be the result of some calculation errors.
Choice C is incorrect and is the result of dividing the difference between the two bill amounts by the new bill amount instead
of the original bill amount.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID ab7740a8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: ab7740a8

In which of the following tables is the relationship between the values of x and
their corresponding y-values nonlinear?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: ab7740a8 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. The relationship between the values of x and their corresponding y-values is nonlinear if the rate of
change between these pairs of values isn’t constant. The table for choice D gives four pairs of values: , , ,

and . Finding the rate of change, or slope, between and by using the slope formula, , yields

, or 6. Finding the rate of change between and yields , or 12. Finding the rate of change

between and yields , or 24. Since the rate of change isn’t constant for these pairs of values, this table
shows a nonlinear relationship.

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect. The rate of change between the values of x and their corresponding y-values in each of
these tables is constant, being 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Therefore, each of these tables shows a linear relationship.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 38a9ac45
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Probability and

Data Analysis conditional
probability

ID: 38a9ac45

If 1,200 customers register for new accounts at a social media website every day,
what fraction of the first 60,000 new accounts are registered in the first 5 days?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 38a9ac45 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. If 1,200 customers register for new accounts every day, then (1,200)(5) = 6,000 customers registered for

new accounts in the first 5 days. Therefore, of the first 60,000 new accounts that were registered, , or , were
registered in the first 5 days.

Choice A is incorrect. The fraction represents the fraction of accounts registered in 1 of the first 5 days. Choice C is

incorrect and may result from conceptual or computation errors. Choice D is incorrect. The fraction represents the
fraction of the first 60,000 accounts that were registered in 1 day.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID eb672707
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: eb672707

How many tablespoons are equivalent to teaspoons?

ID: eb672707 Answer

Correct Answer: 14/3, 4.666, 4.667

Rationale
The correct answer is . It's given that teaspoons is equivalent to tablespoon. Therefore, teaspoons is equivalent to
, or tablespoons. Note that 14/3, 4.666, and 4.667 are examples of ways to enter a
correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 881ef5f5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 881ef5f5

If a is the mean and b is the median of nine consecutive

integers, what is the value of ?

ID: 881ef5f5 Answer

Rationale
The correct answer is 0. Any nine consecutive integers can be written as , , , , , , , ,

. The mean of the integers is their sum divided by 9: , which simplifies to

. So . Since there is an odd number of integers (nine), the median is the integer in the middle when all the
integers are ordered from least to greatest: . So . Therefore, , which is 0.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 55818046
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 55818046
According to the 2010 Census, the adult population aged 18 years or greater of the United States in 2010 was 234,564,071.
In 2010, a survey was conducted among a randomly chosen sample of adults aged 18 years or greater in the United States
about their preference to live in a warm climate or a cool climate. The table below displays a summary of the survey results.
Climate Preferences
No
Warm Cool Total
preference

18–35 years old 295 168 45 508

36–50 years old 246 123 41 410

51–65 years old 238 117 48 403

Greater than 65
137 78 64 279
years old

Total 916 486 198 1,600

Which of the following is closest to the difference between the percentage of

adults aged 18–50 years who responded “warm” and the percentage of adults
aged 51 years or greater who responded “warm”?

A. 4%

B. 5%

C. 10%

D. 18%

ID: 55818046 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale

Choice A is correct. The percentage of adults aged 18–50 who responded “warm” is , or about 58.9%.

The percentage of adults aged 51 years or greater who responded “warm” is , or about 55.0%. The
difference between 58.9% and 55.0% is 3.9%. Of the answer choices, 4% is closest to this number.

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may result from calculation errors.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID aa43b41f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Evaluating statistical

Data Analysis claims:
Observational
studies and
experiments

ID: aa43b41f

Near the end of a US cable news show, the host invited viewers to respond to a poll
on the show’s website that asked, “Do you support the new federal policy
discussed during the show?” At the end of the show, the host reported that 28%
responded “Yes,” and 70% responded “No.” Which of the following best explains
why the results are unlikely to represent the sentiments of the population of the
United States?

A. The percentages do not add up to 100%, so any possible conclusions from the poll are invalid.

B. Those who responded to the poll were not a random sample of the population of the United States.

C. There were not 50% “Yes” responses and 50% “No” responses.

D. The show did not allow viewers enough time to respond to the poll.

ID: aa43b41f Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. In order for the poll results from a sample of a population to represent the entire population, the sample
must be representative of the population. A sample that is randomly selected from a population is more likely than a sample
of the type described to represent the population. In this case, the people who responded were people with access to cable
television and websites, which aren’t accessible to the entire population. Moreover, the people who responded also chose to
watch the show and respond to the poll. The people who made these choices aren’t representative of the entire population of
the United States because they were not a random sample of the population of the United States.

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because they present reasons unrelated to whether the sample is representative of the
population of the United States.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b6569d0e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Probability and

Data Analysis conditional
probability

ID: b6569d0e
United States
Presidents
from 1789 to
2015
Ages Number

40–44 2

45–49 7

50–54 13

55–59 11

60–64 7

65–69 3

The table above gives the number of United States presidents from 1789 to 2015
whose age at the time they first took office is within the interval listed. Of those
presidents who were at least 50 years old when they first took office, what fraction
were at least 60 years old?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: b6569d0e Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is correct. The sample space is restricted to the presidents who were at least 50 years old when they first took
office. Therefore, the sum of the values in the final four rows of the table, , is the total number of
presidents in the sample space. The number of presidents who were at least 60 years old is the sum of the values in the final
two rows of the table: . Thus, the fraction of the 34 presidents who were at least 50 years old when they first took

office who were at least 60 years old is .

Choice A is incorrect. This is the fraction of all presidents in the table who were at least 60 years old when they first took
office. Choice C is incorrect and may result from treating the number of presidents who were between 50 and 59 years old
when they first took office, instead of the number of presidents who were at least 50 years old, as the sample space. Choice
D is incorrect and may result from a calculation error.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 5dc386fb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Probability and

Data Analysis conditional
probability

ID: 5dc386fb
The table below shows the distribution of US states according to whether they have a state-level sales tax and a state-
level income tax.
2013 State-Level Taxes
State sales tax No state sales tax

State income tax 39 4

No state income tax 6 1

To the nearest tenth of a percent, what percent of states with a state-level sales tax
do not have a state-level income tax?

A. 6.0%

B. 12.0%

C. 13.3%

D. 14.0%

ID: 5dc386fb Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. The sum of the number of states with a state-level sales tax is . Of these states, 6 don’t

have a state-level income tax. Therefore, , or about 13.3%, of states with a state-level sales tax don’t have
a state-level income tax.

Choice A is incorrect. This is the number of states that have a state-level sales tax and no state-level income tax. Choice B is
incorrect. This is the percent of states that have a state-level sales tax and no state-level income tax. Choice D is incorrect.
This is the percent of states that have no state-level income tax.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1180401d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: 1180401d

The total area of a coastal city is 92.1 square miles, of which 11.3 square miles is
water. If the city had a population of 621,000 people in the year 2010, which of the
following is closest to the population density, in people per square mile of land
area, of the city at that time?

A. 6,740

B. 7,690

C. 55,000

D. 76,000

ID: 1180401d Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. The land area of the coastal city can be found by subtracting the area of the water from the total area of
the coastal city; that is, square miles. The population density is the population divided by the land area,

or , which is closest to 7,690 people per square mile.

Choice A is incorrect and may be the result of dividing the population by the total area, instead of the land area. Choice C is
incorrect and may be the result of dividing the population by the area of water. Choice D is incorrect and may be the result of
making a computational error with the decimal place.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID f6cbb04a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: f6cbb04a

The equation above can be used to calculate the distance d, in miles, traveled by a
car moving at a speed of 55 miles per hour over a period of t hours. For any
positive constant k, the distance the car would have traveled after hours is how
many times the distance the car would have traveled after hours?

A. 3

B. 6

C.

D.

ID: f6cbb04a Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. Since the distance is equal to the amount of time multiplied by a constant, the given equation
represents a proportional relationship between distance and time in this situation. Since , the time when
hours is 3 times the time when hours. Therefore, the distance traveled after hours is 3 times the distance after
hours.

Choices B and D are incorrect and may result from interpreting the proportional relationship between time and distance as
additive rather than multiplicative. Choice C is incorrect and may result from an arithmetic error.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 98958ae8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 98958ae8

Data set A consists of the heights of objects and has a mean of meters. Data set B consists of the heights of
objects and has a mean of meters. Data set C consists of the heights of the objects from data sets A and B. What is
the mean, in meters, of data set C?

ID: 98958ae8 Answer

Correct Answer: 41

Rationale
The correct answer is . The mean of a data set is computed by dividing the sum of the values in the data set by the
number of values in the data set. It’s given that data set A consists of the heights of objects and has a mean of
meters. This can be represented by the equation , where represents the sum of the heights of the objects, in
meters, in data set A. Multiplying both sides of this equation by yields , or meters. Therefore, the
sum of the heights of the objects in data set A is meters. It’s also given that data set B consists of the heights of
objects and has a mean of meters. This can be represented by the equation , where represents the sum of the
heights of the objects, in meters, in data set B. Multiplying both sides of this equation by yields , or
meters. Therefore, the sum of the heights of the objects in data set B is meters. Since it’s given that data
set C consists of the heights of the objects from data sets A and B, it follows that the mean of data set C is the sum of
the heights of the objects, in meters, in data sets A and B divided by the number of objects represented in data sets A and B,
or , which is equivalent to meters. Therefore, the mean, in meters, of data set C is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 4a422e3e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Evaluating statistical

Data Analysis claims:
Observational
studies and
experiments

ID: 4a422e3e

To determine the mean number of children per household in a community, Tabitha

surveyed 20 families at a playground. For the 20 families surveyed, the mean
number of children per household was 2.4. Which of the following statements
must be true?

A. The mean number of children per household in the community is 2.4.

A determination about the mean number of children per household in the community should not be made because the
B. sample size is too small.

The sampling method is flawed and may produce a biased estimate of the mean number of children per household in the
C. community.

The sampling method is not flawed and is likely to produce an unbiased estimate of the mean number of children per
D. household in the community.

ID: 4a422e3e Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. In order to use a sample mean to estimate the mean for a population, the sample must be representative
of the population (for example, a simple random sample). In this case, Tabitha surveyed 20 families in a playground. Families
in the playground are more likely to have children than other households in the community. Therefore, the sample isn’t
representative of the population. Hence, the sampling method is flawed and may produce a biased estimate.

Choices A and D are incorrect because they incorrectly assume the sampling method is unbiased. Choice B is incorrect
because a sample of size 20 could be large enough to make an estimate if the sample had been representative of all the
families in the community.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e821a26d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: e821a26d
The scatterplot below shows the amount of electric energy generated, in millions of megawatt-hours, by nuclear sources
over a 10‑year period.

Of the following equations, which best models the data in the scatterplot?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: e821a26d Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is correct. The data in the scatterplot roughly fall in the shape of a downward-opening parabola; therefore, the
coefficient for the term must be negative. Based on the location of the data points, the y-intercept of the parabola should
be somewhere between 740 and 760. Therefore, of the equations given, the best model is
.

Choices A and C are incorrect. The positive coefficient of the term means that these equations each define upward-
opening parabolas, whereas a parabola that fits the data in the scatterplot must open downward. Choice B is incorrect
because it defines a parabola with a y-intercept that has a negative y-coordinate, whereas a parabola that fits the data in the
scatterplot must have a y-intercept with a positive y-coordinate.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9eb896c5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 9eb896c5

Which of the following could be the equation for a line of best fit for the
data shown in the scatterplot above?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 9eb896c5 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is correct. The data show a strong linear relationship between x and y. The line of best fit for a set of data is a linear
equation that minimizes the distances from the data points to the line. An equation for the line of best fit can be written in
slope-intercept form, , where m is the slope of the graph of the line and b is the y-coordinate of the y-intercept
of the graph. Since, for the data shown, the y-values increase as the x-values increase, the slope of a line of best fit must be
positive. The data shown lie almost in a line, so the slope can be roughly estimated using the formula for slope,

. The leftmost and rightmost data points have coordinates of about and , so the slope is

approximately , which is a little greater than 3. Extension of the line to the left would intersect the y-axis at
about . Only choice A represents a line with a slope close to 3 and a y-intercept close to .

Choice B is incorrect and may result from switching the slope and y-intercept. The line with a y-intercept of and a slope
of 0.8 is farther from the data points than the line with a slope of 3 and a y-intercept of . Choices C and D are
incorrect. They represent lines with negative slopes, not positive slopes.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 9d935bd8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

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 8c5dbd3e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 8c5dbd3e

The number is greater than the number . The number is less than . What is the value of ?

ID: 8c5dbd3e Answer

Correct Answer: 189/4, 47.25

Rationale
The correct answer is . It’s given that the number is greater than the number . It follows that
, or . It’s also given that the number is less than . It follows that ,
or , which yields . Substituting for in the equation yields , which is
equivalent to . Therefore, the value of is . Note that 47.25 and 189/4 are examples of ways to enter a
correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9e2bf782
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 9e2bf782

A fish hatchery has three tanks for holding fish before they are introduced into the
wild. Ten fish weighing less than 5 ounces are placed in tank A. Eleven fish
weighing at least 5 ounces but no more than 13 ounces are placed in tank B.
Twelve fish weighing more than 13 ounces are placed in tank C. Which of the
following could be the median of the weights, in ounces, of these 33 fish?

A. 4.5

B. 8

C. 13.5

D. 15

ID: 9e2bf782 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. The median of a set of numbers is the middle number when the values in the set are ordered from least
to greatest. There are 33 fish, so in an ordered list of the weights, the 17th value would be the median weight. The 10 fish in
tank A weigh the least, and these 10 weights would be the first 10 values on the ordered list. The 11 fish in tank B have the
next set of higher weights, and so would be the 11th through 21st weights in the ordered list, which includes the median
weight as the 17th value. The fish in tank B weigh at least 5 ounces but no more than 13 ounces; of the given choices, only 8
ounces falls within this range of values.

Choice A is incorrect. It’s given that tank A has ten fish weighing less than 5 ounces. Since there are more than ten fish in
tanks B and C combined, the median weight cannot be less than 5 ounces. Choice C and D are incorrect. It’s given that tank
C has twelve fish weighing more than 13 ounces. There are more than twelve fish in tanks A and B combined, so the median
weight can’t be more than 13 ounces.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 9ba3e283
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Inference from

Data Analysis sample statistics and
margin of error

ID: 9ba3e283

In State X, Mr. Camp’s eighth-grade class consisting of 26 students was surveyed

and 34.6 percent of the students reported that they had at least two siblings. The
average eighth‑grade class size in the state is 26. If the students in Mr. Camp’s
class are representative of students in the state’s eighth-grade classes and there
are 1,800 eighth-grade classes in the state, which of the following best estimates
the number of eighth‑grade students in the state who have fewer than two
siblings?

A. 16,200

B. 23,400

C. 30,600

D. 46,800

ID: 9ba3e283 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. It is given that 34.6% of 26 students in Mr. Camp’s class reported that they had at least two siblings.
Since 34.6% of 26 is 8.996, there must have been 9 students in the class who reported having at least two siblings and 17
students who reported that they had fewer than two siblings. It is also given that the average eighth-grade class size in the
state is 26 and that Mr. Camp’s class is representative of all eighth-grade classes in the state. This means that in each
eighth-grade class in the state there are about 17 students who have fewer than two siblings. Therefore, the best estimate of
the number of eighth-grade students in the state who have fewer than two siblings is 17 × (number of eighth-grade classes in
the state), or .

Choice A is incorrect because 16,200 is the best estimate for the number of eighth-grade students in the state who have at
least, not fewer than, two siblings. Choice B is incorrect because 23,400 is half of the estimated total number of eighth-grade
students in the state; however, since the students in Mr. Camp’s class are representative of students in the eighth-grade
classes in the state and more than half of the students in Mr. Camp’s class have fewer than two siblings, more than half of
the students in each eighth-grade class in the state have fewer than two siblings, too. Choice D is incorrect because 46,800
is the estimated total number of eighth-grade students in the state.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 89c39d77
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: 89c39d77

A competition consisted of four different events. One participant completed the first event with an average speed of
miles per hour. What was this average speed, in yards per hour?

ID: 89c39d77 Answer

Correct Answer: 35728

Rationale
The correct answer is . It's given that . It follows that an average speed of miles per
hour is equivalent to , or yards per hour.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 8193e8cd
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 8193e8cd

The mean of the list of numbers above is what fraction of

the sum of the five numbers?

ID: 8193e8cd Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is . The mean of the list of numbers is found by dividing the sum of the numbers by the number of

values in the list. Since there are 5 numbers in the list, the mean is of the sum of the numbers. Note that 1/5 and .2 are
examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 79137c1b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 79137c1b

The scatterplot above shows the size x and the sale price y of 25 houses for sale in
Town H. Which of the following could be an equation for a line of best fit for the
data?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 79137c1b Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is correct. From the shape of the cluster of points, the line of best fit should pass roughly through the points
and . Therefore, these two points can be used to find an approximate equation for the line of best fit. The

slope of this line of best fit is therefore , or 100. The equation for the line of best fit, in slope-
intercept form, is for some value of b. Using the point , 1 can be substituted for x and 200 can be
substituted for y: , or . Substituting this value into the slope-intercept form of the equation gives
.

Choice A is incorrect. The line defined by passes through the points and , both of which
are well above the cluster of points, so it cannot be a line of best fit. Choice C is incorrect. The line defined by
passes through the points and , both of which lie at the bottom of the cluster of points, so it cannot be a line
of best fit. Choice D is incorrect and may result from correctly calculating the slope of a line of best fit but incorrectly
assuming the y-intercept is at .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID fdfc90e4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: fdfc90e4

The scatterplot shows the relationship between two variables, and . A line of best fit for the data is also shown.

At , which of the following is closest to the y-value predicted by the line of best fit?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: fdfc90e4 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. At , the line of best fit has a y-value between and . The only choice with a value between and
is choice C.

Choice A is incorrect. This is the difference between the y-value predicted by the line of best fit and the actual y-value at
rather than the y-value predicted by the line of best fit at .

Choice B is incorrect. This is the y-value predicted by the line of best fit at rather than at .

Choice D is incorrect. This is the y-value predicted by the line of best fit at rather than at .

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 89f8d08a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Inference from

Data Analysis sample statistics and
margin of error

ID: 89f8d08a

A store manager reviewed the receipts from 80 customers who were selected at
random from all the customers who made purchases last Thursday. Of those
selected, 20 receipts showed that the customer had purchased fruit. If
1,500 customers made purchases last Thursday, which of the following is the most
appropriate conclusion?

A. Exactly 75 customers must have purchased fruit last Thursday.

B. Exactly 375 customers must have purchased fruit last Thursday.

C. The best estimate for the number of customers who purchased fruit last Thursday is 75.

D. The best estimate for the number of customers who purchased fruit last Thursday is 375.

ID: 89f8d08a Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. It’s given that the manager took a random selection of the receipts of 80 customers from a total of
1,500. It’s also given that of those 80 receipts, 20 showed that the customer had purchased fruit. This means that an

appropriate estimate of the fraction of customers who purchased fruit is , or . Multiplying this fraction by the total

number of customers yields . Therefore, the best estimate for the number of customers who purchased
fruit is 375.

Choices A and B are incorrect because an exact number of customers can’t be known from taking a random selection.
Additionally, choice A may also be the result of a calculation error. Choice C is incorrect and may result from a calculation
error.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 54d93874
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

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 a3384df0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Probability and

Data Analysis conditional
probability

ID: a3384df0

Penguin Exhibit

Type of penguin Male Female Total

Chinstrap 41 59 100

Emperor 8 27 35

Gentoo 49 54 103

Macaroni 42 40 82

Total 140 180 320

The number of penguins in a zoo exhibit, sorted by gender and type of penguin, is
shown in the table above. Which type of penguin has a female population that is

the closest to being of the total female penguin population in the exhibit?

A. Chinstrap

B. Emperor

C. Gentoo

D. Macaroni

ID: a3384df0 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale

Choice A is correct. It is given that there are 180 female penguins in the exhibit. Therefore, of the female penguins is

penguins. According to the table, there are 59 female chinstrap penguins, 27 female emperor penguins, 54
female gentoo penguins, and 40 female macaroni penguins. So the female chinstrap penguin population is the closest to 60,

or of the total female population in the exhibit.

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may result from reading data from the table incorrectly. Since the total female penguin

population is 180, of the total female penguin population is 60. The numbers of female emperor (27), female gentoo
(54), and female macaroni (40) penguins are not as close to 60 as the number of female chinstrap penguins (59).

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID af142f8d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: af142f8d

Amount invested Balance increase

Account A $500 6% annual interest

Account B $1,000 $25 per year

Two investments were made as shown in the table above. The interest in Account
A is compounded once per year. Which of the following is true about the
investments?

A. Account A always earns more money per year than Account B.

B. Account A always earns less money per year than Account B.

C. Account A earns more money per year than Account B at first but eventually earns less money per year.

D. Account A earns less money per year than Account B at first but eventually earns more money per year.

ID: af142f8d Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is correct. Account A starts with $500 and earns interest at 6% per year, so in the first year Account A earns (500)
(0.06) = $30, which is greater than the $25 that Account B earns that year. Compounding interest can be modeled by an
increasing exponential function, so each year Account A will earn more money than it did the previous year. Therefore, each
year Account A earns at least $30 in interest. Since Account B always earns $25 each year, Account A always earns more
money per year than Account B.

Choices B and D are incorrect. Account A earns $30 in the first year, which is greater than the $25 Account B earns in the first
year. Therefore, neither the statement that Account A always earns less money per year than Account B nor the statement
that Account A earns less money than Account B at first can be true. Choice C is incorrect. Since compounding interest can
be modeled by an increasing exponential function, each year Account A will earn more money than it did the previous year.
Therefore, Account A always earns at least $30 per year, which is more than the $25 per year that Account B earns.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 566759ef
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 566759ef

Thomas installed a new stove in his restaurant. At the time of installation, the stove
had a value of $800. Thomas estimates that each year the value of the stove will
depreciate by 20% of the previous year’s estimated value. What is the estimated
value of the stove exactly 2 years after Thomas installed it?

A. $480

B. $512

C. $556

D. $640

ID: 566759ef Answer

Rationale
Choice B is correct. If the stove’s value depreciates by 20% of the previous year’s estimated value, then each year it retains
100% – 20% = 80%, or 0.80, of the previous year’s estimated value. Since the stove’s value was $800 when Thomas installed
it, the estimated value after two years would be (0.80)(0.80)($800) = $512.

Choice A is incorrect. This is the value of the stove if each year it had depreciated by 20% of the original value rather than by
20% of the previous year’s estimated value. Choice C is incorrect and may be the result of a computational error. Choice D is
incorrect. This is the estimated value of the stove 1 year after Thomas installed it, not 2 years.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 9ee22c16
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Inference from

Data Analysis sample statistics and
margin of error

ID: 9ee22c16
A random sample of 400 town voters were asked if they plan to vote for Candidate A or Candidate B for mayor. The results
were sorted by gender and are shown in the table below.

Plan to Plan to
vote for vote for
Candidate Candidate
A B

Female 202 20

Male 34 144

The town has a total of 6,000 voters. Based on the table, what is the best estimate of the number of voters who plan to vote
for Candidate A?

ID: 9ee22c16 Answer

Rationale
The correct answer is 3,540. According to the table, of 400 voters randomly sampled, the total number of men and women
who plan to vote for Candidate A is . The best estimate of the total number of voters in the town who plan to

vote for Candidate A is the fraction of voters in the sample who plan to vote for Candidate A, , multiplied by the total

voter population of 6000. Therefore, the answer is .

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 46b2e169
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Probability and

Data Analysis conditional
probability

ID: 46b2e169

A box contains red pens and blue pens. If one of these pens is selected at random, what is the probability of selecting
a red pen? (Express your answer as a decimal or fraction, not as a percent.)

ID: 46b2e169 Answer

Correct Answer: .26, 13/50

Rationale
The correct answer is . It's given that a box contains red pens and blue pens. If one of these pens is selected at
random, the probability of selecting a red pen is the number of red pens in the box divided by the number of red and blue
pens in the box. The number of red and blue pens in the box is , or . Since there are red pens in the box, it
follows that the probability of selecting a red pen is . Note that 13/50 and .26 are examples of ways to enter a correct
answer.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 8213b1b3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 8213b1b3

According to a set of standards, a certain type of substance can contain a maximum of phosphorus by mass. If a
sample of this substance has a mass of grams, what is the maximum mass, in grams, of phosphorus the sample can
contain to meet these standards?

ID: 8213b1b3 Answer

Correct Answer: .0014

Rationale
The correct answer is . It's given that a certain type of substance can contain a maximum of phosphorus by
mass to meet a set of standards. If a sample of the substance has a mass of grams, it follows that the maximum mass,
in grams, of phosphorus the sample can contain to meet the standards is of , or , which is
equivalent to , or . Note that .0014 and 0.001 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f8696cd8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Probability and

Data Analysis conditional
probability

ID: f8696cd8

Human Resources Accounting

Bachelor’s degree 4 3

Master’s degree 2 6

The table above shows the number of people who work in the Human Resources
and Accounting departments of a company and the highest level of education they
have completed. A person from one of these departments is to be chosen at
random. If the person chosen works in the Human Resources department, what is
the probability that the highest level of education the person completed is a
master’s degree?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: f8696cd8 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is correct. In total, there are 6 people in the Human Resources department. Of those 6, 2 have a master’s degree as
their highest level of education. Therefore, the probability of an employee selected at random from the Human Resources

department having a master’s degree is , which simplifies to .

Choice A is incorrect; it is the probability that an employee selected at random from either department will be in the Human
Resources department and have a master’s degree. Choice C is incorrect; it is the probability that an employee with a
master’s degree selected at random will be in the Human Resources department. Choice D is incorrect; it is the probability
that an employee selected at random from either department will have a master’s degree.
Question Difficulty: Medium
Question ID 34f8cd89
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 34f8cd89

of the items in a box are green. Of those, are also rectangular. Of the green rectangular items, are also
metal. Which of the following is closest to the percentage of the items in the box that are not rectangular green metal items?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 34f8cd89 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. It's given that of the items in a box are green. Let represent the total number of items in the box.
It follows that , or , items in the box are green. It's also given that of those, are also rectangular. Therefore,
, or , items in the box are green rectangular items. It's also given that of the green rectangular items,
are also metal. Therefore, , or , items in the box are rectangular green metal items. The
number of the items in the box that are not rectangular green metal items is the total number of items in the box minus the
number of rectangular green metal items in the box. Therefore, the number of items in the box that are not rectangular green
metal items is , or . The percentage of items in the box that are not rectangular green metal
items is the percentage that is of . If represents this percentage, the value of is , or
. Of the given choices, is closest to the percentage of items in the box that are not rectangular green metal
items.

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 20b69297
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: 20b69297

Anita created a batch of green paint by mixing 2 ounces of blue paint with 3
ounces of yellow paint. She must mix a second batch using the same ratio of blue
and yellow paint as the first batch. If she uses 5 ounces of blue paint for the
second batch, how much yellow paint should Anita use?

A. Exactly 5 ounces

B. 3 ounces more than the amount of yellow paint used in the first batch

C. 1.5 times the amount of yellow paint used in the first batch

D. 1.5 times the amount of blue paint used in the second batch

ID: 20b69297 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. It’s given that Anita used a ratio of 2 ounces of blue paint to 3 ounces of yellow paint for the first batch.

For any batch of paint that uses the same ratio, the amount of yellow paint used will be , or 1.5, times the amount of blue
paint used in the batch. Therefore, the amount of yellow paint Anita will use in the second batch will be 1.5 times the amount
of blue paint used in the second batch.

Alternate approach: It’s given that Anita used a ratio of 2 ounces of blue paint to 3 ounces of yellow paint for the first batch
and that she will use 5 ounces of blue paint for the second batch. A proportion can be set up to solve for x, the amount of

yellow paint she will use for the second batch: . Multiplying both sides of this equation by 3 yields , and
multiplying both sides of this equation by x yields . Dividing both sides of this equation by 2 yields . Since

Anita will use 7.5 ounces of yellow paint for the second batch, this is times the amount of blue paint (5 ounces)
used in the second batch.

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect and may result from incorrectly interpreting the ratio of blue paint to yellow paint used.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 94237701
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

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

Question ID 9d95e7ad
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 9d95e7ad

The scatterplot above shows the numbers of grams of both total protein and total fat for eight sandwiches on a restaurant
menu. The line of best fit for the data is also shown. According to the line of best fit, which of the following is closest to the
predicted increase in total fat, in grams, for every increase of 1 gram in total protein?

A. 2.5

B. 2.0

C. 1.5

D. 1.0

ID: 9d95e7ad Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. The predicted increase in total fat, in grams, for every increase of 1 gram in total protein is represented
by the slope of the line of best fit. Any two points on the line can be used to calculate the slope of the line as the change in
total fat over the change in total protein. For instance, it can be estimated that the points and are on the line

of best fit, and the slope of the line that passes through them is , or 1.4. Of the choices given, 1.5 is the
closest to the slope of the line of best fit.

Choices A, B, and D are incorrect and may be the result of incorrectly finding ordered pairs that lie on the line of best fit or of
incorrectly calculating the slope.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ecd09c38
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Probability and

Data Analysis conditional
probability

ID: ecd09c38
Employees working for a customer service line at an electric company recorded all the calls last Monday and noted
whether the caller asked for repairs and whether the caller asked about a bill. The results are summarized in the table
below.

Asked for Did not ask

Total
repairs for repairs

Asked
48 623 671
about a bill

Did not ask

130 90 220
about a bill

Total 178 713 891

If a caller last Monday who asked about his or her bill is selected at random, which
of the following is closest to the probability that the customer also asked for
repairs?

A. 0.05

B. 0.07

C. 0.20

D. 0.27

ID: ecd09c38 Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is correct. According to the table, a total of 671 customers asked about a bill. Of these, 48 also asked for repairs.
Therefore, if a customer who asked about a bill is selected at random, the probability that the customer also asked for

repairs is .

Choice A is incorrect. This is the probability that a customer selected at random from all customers who called on Monday
both asked for repairs and asked about a bill. Choice C is incorrect. This is the probability that a customer selected at
random from all customers who called on Monday asked for repairs, regardless of whether or not the customer asked about
a bill. Choice D is incorrect. This is the probability that a customer selected at random from those who asked for repairs also
asked about a bill.

Question Difficulty: Hard