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 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 d3b9c8d8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: d3b9c8d8

The box plots summarize the masses, in kilograms, of two groups of gazelles. Based on the box plots, which of the
following statements must be true?

A. The mean mass of group 1 is greater than the mean mass of group 2.

B. The mean mass of group 1 is less than the mean mass of group 2.

C. The median mass of group 1 is greater than the median mass of group 2.

D. The median mass of group 1 is less than the median mass of group 2.

ID: d3b9c8d8 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. The median of a data set represented in a box plot is represented by the vertical line within the box. It
follows that the median mass of the gazelles in group is kilograms, and the median mass of the gazelles in group
is kilograms. Since kilograms is greater than kilograms, the median mass of group is greater than the median
mass of group .

Choice A is incorrect. The mean mass of each of the two groups cannot be determined from the box plots.

Choice B is incorrect. The mean mass of each of the two groups cannot be determined from the box plots.

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

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 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 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 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 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 190be2fc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 190be2fc

Data set A consists of positive integers less than . The list shown gives of the integers from data set A.
, , , , , , , ,
The mean of these integers is . If the mean of data set A is an integer that is greater than , what is the value of the
largest integer from data set A?

ID: 190be2fc Answer

Correct Answer: 52

Rationale

The correct answer is . The mean of a data set is calculated by dividing the sum of the data values by the number of
values. It’s given that data set A consists of values, of which are shown. Let represent the data value in data
set A, which isn’t shown. The mean of data set A can be found using the expression , or
. It’s given that the mean of the values shown is and that the mean of all numbers is greater than .
Consequently, the data value, , is larger than . It’s also given that the data values in data set A are positive
integers less than . Thus, . Finally, it’s given that the mean of data set A is an integer. This means that the
sum of the data values, , is divisible by . Thus, must have a ones digit of . It follows that must
have a ones digit of . Since and has a ones digit of , the only possible value of is . Since is
larger than any of the integers shown, the largest integer from data set A is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c178d4da
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: c178d4da

Value Data set A frequency Data set B frequency

Data set A and data set B each consist of values. The table shows the frequencies of the values for each data set.
Which of the following statements best compares the means of the two data sets?

A. The mean of data set A is greater than the mean of data set B.

B. The mean of data set A is less than the mean of data set B.

C. The mean of data set A is equal to the mean of data set B.

D. There is not enough information to compare the means of the data sets.

ID: c178d4da Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. The mean value of a data set is the sum of the values of the data set divided by the number of values
in the data set. When a data set is represented in a frequency table, the sum of the values in the data set is the sum of
the products of each value and its frequency. For data set A, the sum of products of each value and its frequency is
, or . It's given that there are values in data set A. Therefore, the
mean of data set A is , or approximately . Similarly, the mean of data B is , or approximately .
Therefore, the mean of data set A is greater than the mean of data set B.

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 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
4.0
elm

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 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 69f6717f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: 69f6717f

A sample of oak has a density of kilograms per cubic meter. The sample is in the shape of a cube, where each edge
has a length of meters. To the nearest whole number, what is the mass, in kilograms, of this sample?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 69f6717f Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. It’s given that the sample is in the shape of a cube with edge lengths of meters. Therefore, the
volume of the sample is , or , cubic meters. It’s also given that the sample has a density of kilograms per
cubic meter. Therefore, the mass of this sample is , or kilograms.
Rounding this mass to the nearest whole number gives kilograms. Therefore, to the nearest whole number, the mass,
in kilograms, of this sample is .

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID d65b9a87
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: d65b9a87

The dot plots represent the distributions of values in data sets A and B.

Which of the following statements must be true?

I. The median of data set A is equal to the median of data set B.
II. The standard deviation of data set A is equal to the standard deviation of data set B.

A. I only

B. II only

C. I and II

D. Neither I nor II

ID: d65b9a87 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. The median of a data set with an odd number of values that are in ascending or descending order is
the middle value of the data set. Since the distribution of the values of both data set A and data set B form symmetric
dot plots, and each data set has an odd number of values, it follows that the median is given by the middle value in each
of the dot plots. Thus, the median of data set A is , and the median of data set B is . Therefore, statement I is true.
Data set A and data set B have the same frequency for each of the values , , , and . Data set A has a frequency
of for values and , whereas data set B has a frequency of for values and . Standard deviation is a measure
of the spread of a data set; it is larger when there are more values further from the mean, and smaller when there are
more values closer to the mean. Since both distributions are symmetric with an odd number of values, the mean of each
data set is equal to its median. Thus, each data set has a mean of . Since more of the values in data set A are closer to
than data set B, it follows that data set A has a smaller standard deviation than data set B. Thus, statement II is false.
Therefore, only statement I must be true.

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID f8a322d9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: f8a322d9

Two data sets of integers each are summarized in the histograms shown. For each of the histograms, the first interval
represents the frequency of integers greater than or equal to , but less than . The second interval represents the
frequency of integers greater than or equal to , but less than , and so on. What is the smallest possible difference
between the mean of data set A and the mean of data set B?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: f8a322d9 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. The histograms shown have the same shape, but data set A contains values between and and
data set B contains values between and . Thus, the mean of data set A is greater than the mean of data set B.
Therefore, the smallest possible difference between the mean of data set A and the mean of data set B is the difference
between the smallest possible mean of data set A and the greatest possible mean of data set B. In data set A, since
there are integers in the interval greater than or equal to but less than , integers greater than or equal to but
less than , integers greater than or equal to but less than , and integers greater than or equal to but less
than , the smallest possible mean for data set A is . In data set B, since there are integers
greater than or equal to but less than , integers greater than or equal to but less than , integers greater
than or equal to but less than , and integers greater than or equal to but less than , the largest possible
mean for data set B is . Therefore, the smallest possible difference between the mean of data
set A and the mean of data set B is , which is equivalent to
. This expression can be rewritten as
 , or , which is equal to . Therefore, the smallest possible difference between the
mean of data set A and the mean of data set B is .

Choice A is incorrect. This is the smallest possible difference between the ranges, not the means, of the data sets.

Choice C is incorrect. This is the difference between the greatest possible mean, not the smallest possible mean, of data
set A and the greatest possible mean of data set B.

Choice D is incorrect. This is the smallest possible difference between the sum of the values in data set A and the sum of
the values in data set B, not the smallest possible difference between the means.

Question Difficulty: Hard

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 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?

1. Every member of team A completed the race in less time than any member of team B.
2. The median time it took the members of team B to complete the race is greater than the median time it took the
members of team A to complete the race.
3. There is at least one member of team B who took more time to complete the race than some member of team A.

A. III only

B. I and III only

C. II and III only

D. I, II, and III

ID: 651d83bb Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

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

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because neither statement I nor statement II must be true.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1e8ccffd
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 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 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 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 40e7a1a9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 40e7a1a9

is greater than . What is the value of ?

ID: 40e7a1a9 Answer

Correct Answer: 600

Rationale

The correct answer is . It’s given that is greater than . It follows that . Dividing both
sides of this equation by yields . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields .
Multiplying both sides of this equation by yields . Therefore, the value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID bf47ad54
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: bf47ad54

Each of the following frequency tables represents a data set. Which data set has the greatest mean?

Value Frequency
A.

B. Value Frequency

Value Frequency
C.

D. Value Frequency

ID: bf47ad54 Answer

Correct Answer: A

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

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 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 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 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 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 c7c6445f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: c7c6445f

A certain town has an area of square miles. What is the area, in square yards, of this town?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: c7c6445f Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. Since the number of yards in mile is , the number of square yards in square mile is
. Therefore, if the area of the town is square miles, it is
, in square yards.

Choice A is incorrect and may result from dividing the number of yards in a mile by the square mileage of the town.

Choice B is incorrect and may result from multiplying the number of yards in a mile by the square mileage of the town.

Choice C is incorrect and may result from dividing the number of square yards in a square mile by the square mileage of
the town.

Question Difficulty: Hard

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 4626102e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 4626102e

The dot plot represents the values in data set A. Data set B is created by adding to each of the values in data set A.
Which of the following correctly compares the medians and the ranges of data sets A and B?

A. The median of data set B is equal to the median of data set A, and the range of data set B is equal to the range of
data set A.

B. The median of data set B is equal to the median of data set A, and the range of data set B is greater than the range of
data set A.

C. The median of data set B is greater than the median of data set A, and the range of data set B is equal to the range of
data set A.

D. The median of data set B is greater than the median of data set A, and the range of data set B is greater than the
range of data set A.

ID: 4626102e Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. The median of a data set with an odd number of values, in ascending or descending order, is the
middle value of the data set, and the range of a data set is the positive difference between the maximum and minimum
values in the data set. Since the dot plot shown gives the values in data set A in ascending order and there are values
in the data set, the eighth value in data set A, , is the median. The maximum value in data set A is and the minimum
value is , so the range of data set A is , or . It’s given that data set B is created by adding to each of the
values in data set A. Increasing each of the values in data set A by will also increase its median value by
making the median of data set B . Increasing each value of data set A by does not change the range, since the
maximum value of data set B is , or , and the minimum value is , or , making the range of data set B
, or . Therefore, the median of data set B is greater than the median of data set A, and the range of data set B is
equal to the range of data set A.

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 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
295 168 45 508
old

36–50 years
246 123 41 410
old

51–65 years
238 117 48 403
old

Greater than
137 78 64 279
65 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 20845d36
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 20845d36

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

ID: 20845d36 Answer

Correct Answer: .48, 12/25

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 .48 and 12/25 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

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 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 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 391ae4b2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 391ae4b2

Data set F consists of integers between and . Data set G consists of all the integers in data set F as well as
the integer . Which of the following must be less for data set F than for data set G?
I. The mean
II. The median

A. I only

B. II only

C. I and II

D. Neither I nor II

ID: 391ae4b2 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2a59eb45
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 2a59eb45

Data set A consists of the heights of buildings and has a mean of meters. Data set B consists of the heights of
buildings and has a mean of meters. Data set C consists of the heights of the buildings from data sets A and B.
What is the mean, in meters, of data set C?

ID: 2a59eb45 Answer

Correct Answer: 44

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 buildings and has a mean of
meters. This can be represented by the equation , where represents the sum of the heights of the buildings, in
meters, in data set A. Multiplying both sides of this equation by yields , or meters. Therefore,
the sum of the heights of the buildings in data set A is meters. It's also given that data set B consists of the
heights of buildings and has a mean of meters. This can be represented by the equation , where
represents the sum of the heights of the buildings, in meters, in data set B. Multiplying both sides of this equation by
yields , or meters. Therefore, the sum of the heights of the buildings in data set B is
meters. Since it's given that data set C consists of the heights of the buildings from data sets A and B, it follows that
the mean of data set C is the sum of the heights of the buildings, in meters, in data sets A and B divided by the number of
buildings 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 2e92cc21
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 2e92cc21

The number is greater than the number . The number is less than . What is the value of ?

ID: 2e92cc21 Answer

Correct Answer: 9.87, 987/100

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 .

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.

B. A determination about the mean number of children per household in the community should not be made because
the sample size is too small.

C. The sampling method is flawed and may produce a biased estimate of the mean number of children per household in
the community.

D. The sampling method is not flawed and is likely to produce an unbiased estimate of the mean number of children per
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 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 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 3d73a58b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 3d73a58b

A gift shop buys souvenirs at a wholesale price of dollars each and resells them each at a retail price that is
of the wholesale price. At the end of the season, any remaining souvenirs are marked at a discounted price that is
off the retail price. What is the discounted price of each remaining souvenir, in dollars?

ID: 3d73a58b Answer

Correct Answer: 203/50, 4.06

Rationale

The correct answer is . It's given that the retail price is of the wholesale price of . Thus, the retail price
is , which is equivalent to , or . It's also given that the discounted price is off the
retail price. Thus, the discounted price is , which is equivalent to , or .

Question Difficulty: Hard

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 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 916ffe9b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Inference from

Data Analysis sample statistics and
margin of error

ID: 916ffe9b

Poll Results

Angel Cruz

Terry Smith
The table shows the results of a poll. A total of voters selected at random were asked which candidate they would
vote for in the upcoming election. According to the poll, if people vote in the election, by how many votes would
Angel Cruz be expected to win?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 916ffe9b Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. It's given that out of voters responded that they would vote for Angel Cruz. Therefore, the
proportion of voters from the poll who responded they would vote for Angel Cruz is . It’s also given that there are a
total of voters in the election. Therefore, the total number of people who would be expected to vote for Angel Cruz
is , or . Since of the total voters would be expected to vote for Angel Cruz, it follows that
, or voters would be expected not to vote for Angel Cruz. The difference in the number of votes for
and against Angel Cruz is , or votes. Therefore, if people vote in the election, Angel Cruz
would be expected to win by votes.

Choice A is incorrect. This is the difference in the number of voters from the poll who responded that they would vote for
and against Angel Cruz.

Choice C is incorrect. This is the total number of people who would be expected to vote for Angel Cruz.

Choice D is incorrect. This is the difference between the total number of people who vote in the election and the number
of voters from the poll.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9b5b23fc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 9b5b23fc

For , the function is defined as follows:

equals of
Which of the following could describe this function?

A. Decreasing exponential

B. Decreasing linear

C. Increasing exponential

D. Increasing linear

ID: 9b5b23fc Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. It's given that for , is equal to of . This is equivalent to , or

, for . This function indicates that as increases, also increases, which means is an
increasing function. Furthermore, increases at a constant rate of for each increase of by . A function with
a constant rate of change is linear. Thus, the function can be described as an increasing linear function.

Choice A is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.

Choice B is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.

Choice C is incorrect. This could describe the function , where is equal to of , not
, for .

Question Difficulty: Hard

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 040f2a84
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 040f2a84

The regular price of a shirt at a store is . The sale price of the shirt is less than the regular price, and the sale
price is greater than the store's cost for the shirt. What was the store’s cost, in dollars, for the shirt? (Disregard the
sign when entering your answer. For example, if your answer is , enter )

ID: 040f2a84 Answer

Correct Answer: 1.8, 9/5

Rationale

The correct answer is . It’s given that the regular price of a shirt at a store is , and the sale price of the shirt is
less than the regular price. It follows that the sale price of the shirt is , or ,
which is equivalent to . It’s also given that the sale price of the shirt is greater than the store’s cost for the
shirt. Let represent the store’s cost for the shirt. It follows that , or . Dividing both
sides of this equation by yields . Therefore, the store’s cost, in dollars, for the shirt is . Note that 1.8
and 9/5 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

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 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 d6456c7a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: d6456c7a

A certain park has an area of square yards. What is the area, in square miles, of this park?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: d6456c7a Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. Since mile is equal to yards, square mile is equal to , or , square yards.
It’s given that the park has an area of square yards. Therefore, the park has an area of
, or square miles. Thus, the area, in square miles, of the
park is .

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

Choice C is incorrect. This is the square root of the area of the park in square yards, not the area of the park in square
miles.

Choice D is incorrect and may result from converting yards to miles, rather than converting
square yards to square miles.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 25faa756
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 25faa756

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

ID: 25faa756 Answer

Correct Answer: .88, 22/25

Rationale

The correct answer is . It’s given that the number is greater than the positive number . Therefore,
, which is equivalent to , or . It’s also given that the number is less
than . Therefore, , which is equivalent to , or . Since ,
substituting for in the equation yields , or . Thus, the number is
times the number . Note that .88 and 22/25 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ad911622
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: ad911622

The value of a collectible comic book increased by from the end of to the end of and then decreased
by from the end of to the end of . What was the net percentage increase in the value of the collectible
comic book from the end of to the end of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: ad911622 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. It’s given that the value of the comic book increased by from the end of to the end of
. Therefore, if the value of the comic book at the end of was dollars, then the value, in dollars, of the comic
book at the end of was , which can be rewritten as , or . It’s also given that the value
of the comic book decreased by from the end of to the end of . Therefore, the value, in dollars, of the
comic book at the end of was , which can be rewritten as , or
. Thus, if the value of the comic book at the end of was dollars, and the value of the comic book at the
end of was dollars, then from the end of to the end of , the value of the comic book increased
by , or , dollars. Therefore, the increase in the value of the comic book from the end of to
the end of is equal to times the value of the comic book at the end of . It follows that from the end of
to the end of , the net percentage increase in the value of the comic book was , or
.

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

Choice C is incorrect. This is the difference between the net percentage increase in the value of the comic book from the
end of to the end of and the net percentage decrease in the value of the comic book from the end of to
the end of , not the net percentage increase in the value of the comic book from the end of to the end of
.

Choice D is incorrect. This is the net percentage increase in the value of the comic book from the end of to the end
of , if the value of the comic book increased by from the end of to the end of and then increased,
not decreased, by from the end of to the end of .

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