Question ID 85939da5

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving Inference from

and Data Analysis sample statistics
and margin of error

ID: 85939da5

Texting Talks on cell Does not talk on

behavior phone daily cell phone 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 Probability and

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 Percentages

and 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 Inference from

and Data Analysis sample statistics
and margin of error

ID: c7e73ece
Views on Nuclear Energy
Use
Response Frequency

Strongly favor 56

Somewhat
214
favor

Somewhat
104
oppose

Strongly
37
oppose

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

ID: c7e73ece Answer

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 65c49824
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving Percentages

and Data Analysis

ID: 65c49824

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

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

ID: 65c49824 Answer

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1ea09200
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving Evaluating

and Data Analysis statistical 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 0ea56bb2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving Percentages

and 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 0231050d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving Percentages

and 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 Probability and

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 457d2f2c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving One-variable data:

and Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 457d2f2c

A data set of 27 different numbers has a mean of 33 and a median of 33. A new
data set is created by adding 7 to each number in the original data set that is
greater than the median and subtracting 7 from each number in the original data
set that is less than the median. Which of the following measures does NOT have
the same value in both the original and new data sets?

A. Median

B. Mean

C. Sum of the numbers

D. Standard deviation

ID: 457d2f2c Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c9fb15ad
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving Ratios, rates,

and Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: c9fb15ad

Species of Growth
tree factor

Red maple 4.5

River birch 3.5

Cottonwood 2.0

Black walnut 4.5

White birch 5.0

American elm 4.0

Pin oak 3.0

Shagbark
7.5
hickory

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

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

A. 1.0

B. 1.2

C. 1.3

D. 1.4

ID: c9fb15ad Answer

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

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

and 14 is , or approximately 1.3 inches.

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

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

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID d6af3572
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

and 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 3638f413
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving Ratios, rates,

and 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 One-variable data:

and Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 1142af44

Value Frequency

1 a

2 2a

3 3a

4 2a

5 a

The frequency distribution above summarizes a set of data, where a is a positive

integer. How much greater is the mean of the set of data than the median?

A. 0

B. 1

C. 2

D. 3

ID: 1142af44 Answer

Correct Answer: A

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 651d83bb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving One-variable data:

and Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 651d83bb
Two different teams consisting of 10 members each ran in a race. Each member’s completion time of the race was
recorded. The mean of the completion times for each team was calculated and is shown below.
Team A: 3.41 minutes
Team B: 3.79 minutes

Which of the following MUST be true?

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

A. III only

B. I and III only

C. II and III only

D. I, II, and III

ID: 651d83bb Answer

Correct Answer: A

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

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

SAT Math Problem-Solving One-variable data:

and Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 1e8ccffd

The mean score of 8 players in a basketball game was 14.5 points. If the highest
individual score is removed, the mean score of the remaining 7 players becomes
12 points. What was the highest score?

A. 20

B. 24

C. 32

D. 36

ID: 1e8ccffd Answer

Correct Answer: C

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

Choice A is incorrect because if 20 is removed from the group of 8 scores, then the mean score of the remaining 7 players is

is approximately 13.71, not 12. Choice B is incorrect because if 24 is removed from the group of 8 scores,

then the mean score of the remaining 7 players is is approximately 13.14, not 12. Choice D is incorrect

because if 36 is removed from the group of 8 scores, then the mean score of the remaining 7 players is or
approximately 11.43, not 12.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1e1027a7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

and 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 Ratios, rates,

and 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 Ratios, rates,

and Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: 8637294f

If and , what is the value of ?

ID: 8637294f Answer

Correct Answer: .0625, 1/16

Rationale
4𝑎 𝑎 4𝑎 𝑎
The correct answer is .0625 . It's given that 𝑏
= 6.7 and
𝑏𝑛
= 26.8. The equation
𝑏
= 6.7 can be rewritten as 4 = 6.7.
𝑏
𝑎 𝑎 𝑎1
Dividing both sides of this equation by 4 yields 𝑏
= 1.675. The equation 𝑏𝑛
= 26.8 can be rewritten as 𝑏𝑛
= 26.8. Substituting
𝑎 1 1.675
1.675 for in this equation yields 1.675 = 26.8, or = 26.8. Multiplying both sides of this equation by 𝑛 yields
𝑏 𝑛 𝑛
1.675 = 26.8𝑛. Dividing both sides of this equation by 26.8 yields 𝑛 = 0.0625. Therefore, the value of 𝑛 is 0.0625. 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 Probability and

and Data Analysis conditional
probability

ID: 6626cac3

Phone Email

Dinner
55% 80%
dance

Football
20% 10%
game

Picnic 20% 5%

Pool party 5% 5%

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 Inference from

and 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 Ratios, rates,

and 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 353 kilograms per cubic meter kg/m3 , and a
sample of this type of wood has a mass of 345 kg. Let 𝑥 represent the volume, in m3 , of the sample. It follows that the
relationship between the density, mass, and volume of this sample can be written
353 kg 345 kg 345
as 3 =
1 m 3 , or 353 =
𝑥 m
. Multiplying both sides of this equation by 𝑥 yields 353𝑥 = 345. Dividing both sides of this
𝑥
345 345
equation by 353 yields 𝑥 = 353
. Therefore, the volume of this sample is 353
m3 . 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,
345
𝑉 = 𝑠3 , where 𝑉 represents the volume, in m3 , and 𝑠 represents the length, in m, of one edge of the cube. Substituting 353
for 𝑉
345 3 345
in this formula yields 353
= 𝑠3 . Taking the cube root of both sides of this equation yields √ 353 = 𝑠, or 𝑠 ≈ 0 . 99. Therefore, the

length of one edge of this sample to the nearest hundredth of a meter is 0.99.

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 7d68096f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving Evaluating

and Data Analysis statistical 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 55 teams at random from all trivia teams in the tournament. A table
is also given displaying the information for the 40 teams in the sample that practiced for at least 3 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 14 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 Probability and

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 One-variable data:

and Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 4ff597db

The mean amount of time that the 20 employees of a construction company have
worked for the company is 6.7 years. After one of the employees leaves the
company, the mean amount of time that the remaining employees have worked for
the company is reduced to 6.25 years. How many years did the employee who left
the company work for the company?

A. 0.45

B. 2.30

C. 9.00

D. 15.25

ID: 4ff597db Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 7b52985c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

and 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
9
The correct answer is 2 . It's given that the scatterplot shows the relationship between the length of time 𝑦, in hours, a certain
bird spent in flight and the number of days after January 11, 𝑥. Since January 13 is 2 days after January 11, it follows that
January 13 corresponds to an x-value of 2 in the scatterplot. In the scatterplot, when 𝑥 = 2, the corresponding value of 𝑦 is 6.
In other words, on January 13, the bird spent 6 hours in flight. Since January 15 is 4 days after January 11, it follows that
January 15 corresponds to an x-value of 4 in the scatterplot. In the scatterplot, when 𝑥 = 4, the corresponding value of 𝑦 is
15. In other words, on January 15, the bird spent 15 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 13 to the length of time the bird spent in flight on January 15 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
15 - 6 9
11, or 4 - 2 , which is equivalent to 2 . 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 Evaluating

and Data Analysis statistical 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 Probability and

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
23
The correct answer is 60
. 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 10 years of age is the number of participants in group A who
are at least 10 years of age divided by the total number of participants who are at least 10 years of age. The table shows that
in group A, there are 14 participants who are 10–19 years of age and 9 participants who are 20 + years of age. Therefore,
there are 14 + 9, or 23, participants in group A who are at least 10 years of age. The table also shows that there are a total of
30 participants who are 10–19 years of age and 30 participants who are 20 + years of age. Therefore, there are a total of
30 + 30, or 60, participants who are at least 10 years of age. It follows that the probability of selecting a participant from
23
group A given that the participant is at least 10 years of age is 60
. Note that 23/60, .3833, and 0.383 are examples of ways to
enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID d0430601
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

and 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 55818046
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving Percentages

and Data Analysis

ID: 55818046
According to the 2010 Census, the adult population aged 18 years or greater of the United States in 2010 was 234,564,071.
In 2010, a survey was conducted among a randomly chosen sample of adults aged 18 years or greater in the United States
about their preference to live in a warm climate or a cool climate. The table below displays a summary of the survey results.
Climate Preferences
No
Warm Cool Total
preference

18–35 years old 295 168 45 508

36–50 years old 246 123 41 410

51–65 years old 238 117 48 403

Greater than 65
137 78 64 279
years old

Total 916 486 198 1,600

Which of the following is closest to the difference between the percentage of

adults aged 18–50 years who responded “warm” and the percentage of adults
aged 51 years or greater who responded “warm”?

A. 4%

B. 5%

C. 10%

D. 18%

ID: 55818046 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale

Choice A is correct. The percentage of adults aged 18–50 who responded “warm” is , or about 58.9%.

The percentage of adults aged 51 years or greater who responded “warm” is , or about 55.0%. The
difference between 58.9% and 55.0% is 3.9%. Of the answer choices, 4% is closest to this number.

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID aa43b41f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving Evaluating

and Data Analysis statistical 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 Probability and

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 One-variable data:

and 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 41. 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 75 objects and has a mean of 25
𝑥
meters. This can be represented by the equation 75
= 25, where 𝑥 represents the sum of the heights of the objects, in meters,
in data set A. Multiplying both sides of this equation by 75 yields 𝑥 = 7525, or 𝑥 = 1,875 meters. Therefore, the sum of the
heights of the objects in data set A is 1,875 meters. It’s also given that data set B consists of the heights of 50 objects and
𝑦
has a mean of 65 meters. This can be represented by the equation 50
= 65, where 𝑦 represents the sum of the heights of the
objects, in meters, in data set B. Multiplying both sides of this equation by 50 yields 𝑦 = 5065, or 𝑦 = 3,250 meters.
Therefore, the sum of the heights of the objects in data set B is 3,250 meters. Since it’s given that data set C consists of the
heights of the 125 objects from data sets A and B, it follows that the mean of data set C is the sum of the heights of the
1,875 + 3,250
objects, in meters, in data sets A and B divided by the number of objects represented in data sets A and B, or 125
,
which is equivalent to 41 meters. Therefore, the mean, in meters, of data set C is 41.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 4a422e3e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving Evaluating

and Data Analysis statistical claims:
Observational
studies and
experiments

ID: 4a422e3e

To determine the mean number of children per household in a community, Tabitha

surveyed 20 families at a playground. For the 20 families surveyed, the mean
number of children per household was 2.4. Which of the following statements
must be true?

A. The mean number of children per household in the community is 2.4.

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

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

The sampling method is not flawed and is likely to produce an unbiased estimate of the mean number of children per
D. household in the community.

ID: 4a422e3e Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. In order to use a sample mean to estimate the mean for a population, the sample must be representative
of the population (for example, a simple random sample). In this case, Tabitha surveyed 20 families in a playground. Families
in the playground are more likely to have children than other households in the community. Therefore, the sample isn’t
representative of the population. Hence, the sampling method is flawed and may produce a biased estimate.

Choices A and D are incorrect because they incorrectly assume the sampling method is unbiased. Choice B is incorrect
because a sample of size 20 could be large enough to make an estimate if the sample had been representative of all the
families in the community.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e821a26d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

and 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 One-variable data:

and Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 9d935bd8

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

A. 0.05%

B. 0.95%

C. 1.22%

D. 7.45%

ID: 9d935bd8 Answer

Correct Answer: B

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

Choice A is incorrect and may be the result of calculation errors or not finding the median of the data in the table correctly.
Choice C is incorrect and may be the result of finding the mean instead of the median. Choice D is incorrect and may be the
result of using the middle value of the unordered list.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 8c5dbd3e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving Percentages

and 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
110
The correct answer is 47.25. It’s given that the number 𝑤 is 110% greater than the number 𝑧. It follows that 𝑤 = 1 + 100 𝑧, or
55
𝑤 = 2.1𝑧. It’s also given that the number 𝑧 is 55% less than 50. It follows that 𝑧 = 1 - 100 50, or 𝑧 = 0.4550, which yields
𝑧 = 22.5. Substituting 22.5 for 𝑧 in the equation 𝑤 = 2.1𝑧 yields 𝑤 = 2.122.5, which is equivalent to 𝑤 = 47.25. Therefore, the
value of 𝑤 is 47.25. 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 Inference from

and 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 79137c1b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

and 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 One-variable data:

and Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 54d93874

Masses (kilograms)

Andrew 2.4 2.5 3.6 3.1 2.5 2.7

Maria x 3.1 2.7 2.9 3.3 2.8

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

ID: 54d93874 Answer

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

, or 2.8. Since the mean mass of the rocks Maria collected is 0.1 kilogram
greater than the mean mass of rocks Andrew collected, the mean mass of the rocks Maria collected is

kilograms. The value of x can be found by writing an equation for finding the mean: .
Solving this equation gives . Note that 2.6 and 13/5 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID af142f8d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

and 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 8213b1b3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving Percentages

and 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 .0014 . It's given that a certain type of substance can contain a maximum of 0.001% phosphorus by
mass to meet a set of standards. If a sample of the substance has a mass of 140 grams, it follows that the maximum mass,
0.001
in grams, of phosphorus the sample can contain to meet the standards is 0.001% of 140, or 100
140, which is equivalent to
0.00001140, or 0.0014. 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 Percentages

and 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 37% of the items in a box are green. Let 𝑥 represent the total number of items in the box. It
37
follows that 100
𝑥, or 0.37𝑥, items in the box are green. It's also given that of those, 37% are also rectangular. Therefore,
37
100
0.37𝑥, or 0.1369𝑥, items in the box are green rectangular items. It's also given that of the green rectangular items, 42% are
42
also metal. Therefore, 0.1369𝑥, or 0.057498𝑥, items in the box are rectangular green metal items. The number of the items
100
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
𝑥 - 0.057498𝑥, or 0.942502𝑥. The percentage of items in the box that are not rectangular green metal items is the percentage
0.942502𝑥
that 0.942502𝑥 is of 𝑥. If 𝑝% represents this percentage, the value of 𝑝 is 100 𝑥
, or 94.2502. Of the given choices,
94.25% 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 Ratios, rates,

and 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 One-variable data:

and Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 94237701
For a certain computer game, individuals receive an integer score that ranges from 2 through 10. The table below shows the
frequency distribution of the scores of the 9 players in group A and the 11 players in group B.

Score
Score Frequencies

Group A Group 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 Two-variable data:

and Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 9d95e7ad

The scatterplot above shows the numbers of grams of both total protein and total fat for eight sandwiches on a restaurant
menu. The line of best fit for the data is also shown. According to the line of best fit, which of the following is closest to the
predicted increase in total fat, in grams, for every increase of 1 gram in total protein?

A. 2.5

B. 2.0

C. 1.5

D. 1.0

ID: 9d95e7ad Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. The predicted increase in total fat, in grams, for every increase of 1 gram in total protein is represented
by the slope of the line of best fit. Any two points on the line can be used to calculate the slope of the line as the change in
total fat over the change in total protein. For instance, it can be estimated that the points and are on the line

of best fit, and the slope of the line that passes through them is , or 1.4. Of the choices given, 1.5 is the
closest to the slope of the line of best fit.

Choices A, B, and D are incorrect and may be the result of incorrectly finding ordered pairs that lie on the line of best fit or of
incorrectly calculating the slope.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ecd09c38
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving Probability and

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