Question ID a9084ca4

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: a9084ca4

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

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

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

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

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

ID: a9084ca4 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. The y-intercept of a graph in the xy-plane is the point where 𝑥 = 0. For the given function 𝑓, the y-
intercept of the graph of 𝑦 = 𝑓𝑥 in the xy-plane can be found by substituting 0 for 𝑥 in the equation 𝑦 = 9,0000.66𝑥 , which
gives 𝑦 = 9,0000.660 . This is equivalent to 𝑦 = 9,0001, or 𝑦 = 9,000. Therefore, the y-intercept of the graph of 𝑦 = 𝑓𝑥 is
0, 9,000. It’s given that the function 𝑓 models the number of advertisements a company sent to its clients each year.
Therefore, 𝑓𝑥 represents the estimated number of advertisements the company sent to its clients each year. It's also given
that 𝑥 represents the number of years since 1997. Therefore, 𝑥 = 0 represents 0 years since 1997, or 1997. Thus, the best
interpretation of the y-intercept of the graph of 𝑦 = 𝑓𝑥 is that the estimated number of advertisements the company sent to
its clients in 1997 was 9,000.

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 4661e2a9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 4661e2a9

Which ordered pair is a solution to the

system of equations above?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 4661e2a9 Answer

Correct Answer: A

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

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

equation gives . Adding to 2 to both sides of this equation gives . Therefore, it follows that .

Substituting for y in the first equation yields . Adding to both sides of this equation yields .

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

Choice B is incorrect. Substituting for x and for y in the first equation yields , or ,

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

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

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

true statement.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 371cbf6b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 371cbf6b

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

constants. What is the value of ab ?

A. 18

B. 20

C. 24

D. 40

ID: 371cbf6b Answer

Correct Answer: C

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

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

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

gives .

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

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

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 40c09d66
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 40c09d66

If for all positive values of x,

what is the value of ?

ID: 40c09d66 Answer

Rationale

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f65288e8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: f65288e8

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

following is a possible value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: f65288e8 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

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

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f2f3fa00
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: f2f3fa00

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

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

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

ID: f2f3fa00 Answer

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9654add7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 9654add7

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

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

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

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

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

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

ID: 9654add7 Answer

Correct Answer: C

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 34847f8a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 34847f8a

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

A.

B. 15

C. 20

D. 60

ID: 34847f8a Answer

Correct Answer: C

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

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

results in , so the given equation can be rewritten as

, or . Since the two

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

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

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

Choice D is incorrect and may result from a calculation error.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 263f9937
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

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

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

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

A. Day 5

B. Day 9

C. Day 11

D. Day 12

ID: 263f9937 Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 137cc6fd
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 137cc6fd

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

ID: 137cc6fd Answer

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

Rationale
1
4
The correct answer is . An expression of the form 𝑘√𝑎 , where 𝑘 is an integer greater than 1 and 𝑎 ≥ 0, is equivalent to 𝑎 𝑘 .
225
1 12
Therefore, the given expression, where 𝑛 > 1, is equivalent to 70𝑛 5 70𝑛 6 . Applying properties of exponents, this expression
1 1 1 1 1 1 8
can be rewritten as 70𝑛 5 70𝑛 6 · 2 , or 70𝑛 5 70𝑛 3 , which can be rewritten as 70𝑛 5 + 3 , or 70𝑛 15 . It's given that the expression
2 8 8
5 6 30𝑥 30𝑥
√70𝑛 √70𝑛 is equivalent to 70𝑛 , where 𝑛 > 1. It follows that 70𝑛 15 is equivalent to 70𝑛 . Therefore, 15 = 30𝑥. Dividing
8 4
both sides of this equation by 30 yields = 𝑥, or = 𝑥. Thus, the value of 𝑥 for which the given expression is equivalent
450 225
30𝑥 4
to 70𝑛 , where 𝑛 > 1, is 225
. Note that 4/225, .0177, .0178, 0.017, and 0.018 are examples of ways to enter a correct
answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6ce95fc8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 6ce95fc8

Which of the following is a solution to

the equation above?

A. 2

B.

C.

D.

ID: 6ce95fc8 Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

result from rewriting as instead of .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ea6d05bb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: ea6d05bb

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

ID: ea6d05bb Answer

Correct Answer: -419

Rationale
The correct answer is -419. It's given that the expression 3𝑥 - 2319𝑥 + 6 is equivalent to the expression 𝑎𝑥2 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐, where 𝑎,
𝑏, and 𝑐 are constants. Applying the distributive property to the given expression, 3𝑥 - 2319𝑥 + 6, yields
3𝑥19𝑥 + 3𝑥6 - 2319𝑥 - 236, which can be rewritten as 57𝑥2 + 18𝑥 - 437𝑥 - 138. Combining like terms yields 57𝑥2 - 419𝑥 - 138.
Since this expression is equivalent to 𝑎𝑥2 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐, it follows that the value of 𝑏 is -419.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID d8789a4c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: d8789a4c

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

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

A. 4

B. 6

C. 8

D. 10

ID: d8789a4c Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

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

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

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

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

and therefore isn’t equivalent to .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 7bd10ef3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 7bd10ef3

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

A.

B.

C. 1

D. 3

ID: 7bd10ef3 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale

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

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

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

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

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

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

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may result from a misconception about how to use the discriminant to determine the
number of solutions of a quadratic equation in one variable.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 5355c0ef
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 5355c0ef

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

ID: 5355c0ef Answer

Correct Answer: .09, 9/100

Rationale
The correct answer is .09 . It's given that the expression 0.36𝑥2 + 0.63𝑥 + 1.17 can be rewritten as 𝑎4𝑥2 + 7𝑥 + 13. Applying
the distributive property to the expression 𝑎4𝑥2 + 7𝑥 + 13 yields 4𝑎𝑥2 + 7𝑎𝑥 + 13𝑎. Therefore, 0.36𝑥2 + 0.63𝑥 + 1.17 can be
rewritten as 4𝑎𝑥2 + 7𝑎𝑥 + 13𝑎. It follows that in the expressions 0.36𝑥2 + 0.63𝑥 + 1.17 and 4𝑎𝑥2 + 7𝑎𝑥 + 13𝑎, the coefficients
of 𝑥2 are equivalent, the coefficients of 𝑥 are equivalent, and the constant terms are equivalent. Therefore, 0.36 = 4𝑎,
0.63 = 7𝑎, and 1.17 = 13𝑎. Solving any of these equations for 𝑎 yields the value of 𝑎. Dividing both sides of the equation
0.36 = 4𝑎 by 4 yields 0.09 = 𝑎. Therefore, the value of 𝑎 is 0.09. Note that .09 and 9/100 are examples of ways to enter a
correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c81b6c57
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: c81b6c57

In the expression , p is a constant. This expression

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: c81b6c57 Answer

Correct Answer: B

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 66bce0c1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 66bce0c1

What is the solution set of the

equation above?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 66bce0c1 Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 97e50fa2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 97e50fa2

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

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

ID: 97e50fa2 Answer

Rationale

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

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

equation gives . Multiplying both sides by gives . Expanding gives

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9afe2370
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

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

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 9afe2370 Answer

Correct Answer: B

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3d12b1e0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 3d12b1e0

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

ID: 3d12b1e0 Answer

Correct Answer: -1

Rationale
The correct answer is -1. A quadratic equation in the form 𝑎𝑥2 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐 = 0, where 𝑎, 𝑏, and 𝑐 are constants, has exactly one
2
solution when its discriminant, 𝑏 - 4𝑎𝑐, is equal to 0. In the given equation, -16𝑥2 - 8𝑥 + 𝑐 = 0, 𝑎 = - 16 and 𝑏 = - 8.
Substituting -16 for 𝑎 and -8 for 𝑏 in 𝑏2 - 4𝑎𝑐 yields -82 - 4-16𝑐, or 64 + 64𝑐. Since the given equation has exactly one solution,
64 + 64𝑐 = 0. Subtracting 64 from both sides of this equation yields 64𝑐 = - 64. Dividing both sides of this equation by 64
yields 𝑐 = - 1. Therefore, the value of 𝑐 is -1.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2c88af4d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 2c88af4d

The expression , where and , is

equivalent to which of the following?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 2c88af4d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

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

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

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

, and 1, respectively.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 71014fb1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 71014fb1

How many distinct real solutions does the given equation have?

A. Exactly one

B. Exactly two

C. Infinitely many

D. Zero

ID: 71014fb1 Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 22fd3e1f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 22fd3e1f

Which of the following expressions is

equivalent to , for ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 22fd3e1f Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale

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

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

simplified to .

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

has a value of 0.

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

from incorrectly factoring as instead of .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a0b4103e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: a0b4103e

The expression can be rewritten as , where k is a

positive constant. What is the value of k ?

A. 2

B. 6

C.

D.

ID: a0b4103e Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

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

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

, not .

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

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

expression as .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e9349667
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: e9349667

If and are the two solutions to the system of equations

above, what is the value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: e9349667 Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b03adde3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: b03adde3

If , what is t
in terms of u ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: b03adde3 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

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

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

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

equation yields , which is equivalent to .

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 0121a235
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 0121a235

x p(x)

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 0121a235 Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Choice A is incorrect. The factor corresponds to an x-intercept of , which isn’t present in the table. Choice B is
incorrect. The factor corresponds to an x-intercept of , which isn’t present in the table. Choice C is incorrect.
The factors and correspond to x-intercepts and , respectively, which aren’t present in the table.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 70753f99
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 70753f99

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

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 70753f99 Answer

Correct Answer: B

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 58dcc59f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 58dcc59f

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

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

ID: 58dcc59f Answer

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

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 30281058
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 30281058

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

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

A. 6

B. 2

C.

D.

ID: 30281058 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

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

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

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

two points: , or 6.

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 84dd43f8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 84dd43f8

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

ID: 84dd43f8 Answer

Correct Answer: 3.44, 86/25

Rationale
The correct answer is 3.44. It’s given that 𝑓0 = 86 and that for each increase in 𝑥 by 1, the value of 𝑓𝑥 decreases by 80%.
Because the output of the function decreases by a constant percentage for each 1-unit increase in the value of 𝑥, this
𝑥
relationship can be represented by an exponential function of the form 𝑓𝑥 = 𝑎𝑏 , where 𝑎 represents the initial value of the
function and 𝑏 represents the rate of decay,
expressed as a decimal. Because 𝑓0 = 86, the value of 𝑎 must be 86. Because the value of 𝑓𝑥 decreases by 80% for each 1-
𝑥
unit increase in 𝑥, the value of 𝑏 must be ( 1 − 0 . 80 ) , or 0 . 2. Therefore, the function 𝑓 can be defined by 𝑓𝑥 = 860 . 2 .
Substituting 2 for 𝑥 in this function yields 𝑓2 = 860 . 22 , which is equivalent to 𝑓2 = 860 . 04, or 𝑓2 = 3 . 44. Either 3.44 or
86 / 25 may be entered as the correct answer.

Alternate approach: It’s given that 𝑓0 = 86 and that for each increase in 𝑥 by 1, the value of 𝑓𝑥 decreases by 80%. Therefore,
when 𝑥 = 1, the value of 𝑓𝑥 is ( 100 − 80 ) %, or 20%, of 86, which can be expressed as 0 . 2086. Since 0 . 2086 = 17 . 2, the
value of 𝑓1 is 17.2. Similarly, when 𝑥 = 2, the value of 𝑓𝑥 is 20% of 17.2, which can be expressed as 0 . 2017 . 2. Since
0 . 2017 . 2 = 3 . 44, the value of 𝑓2 is 3.44. Either 3.44 or 86 / 25 may be entered as the correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 59d1f4b5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 59d1f4b5

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 59d1f4b5 Answer

Correct Answer: A

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

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 5910bfff
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 5910bfff

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 5910bfff Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

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

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

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

. Multiplying both sides by results in the formula .

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ad038c19
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: ad038c19

Which of the following is

equivalent to ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: ad038c19 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

expression yields . Combining like terms gives .

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 635f54ee
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 635f54ee

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

following gives the perimeter of one face of the cube?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 635f54ee Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

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

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

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

one edge, the perimeter is .

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

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1697ffcf
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 1697ffcf

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

points and . What is the value of a ?

ID: 1697ffcf Answer

Rationale

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

left-hand side of the equation gives . Therefore, the possible values for x are 0 and 5. Since , the two
intersection points are and . Therefore, .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID de39858a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: de39858a

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: de39858a Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. It’s given that the function ℎ is defined by ℎ𝑥 = 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏 and that the graph of 𝑦 = ℎ ( 𝑥 ) in the xy-plane
325
passes through the points 0, 10 and -2, 36 . Substituting 0 for 𝑥 and 10 for ℎ𝑥 in the equation ℎ𝑥 = 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏 yields 10 = 𝑎0 + 𝑏,
325
or 10 = 1 + 𝑏. Subtracting 1 from both sides of this equation yields 9 = 𝑏. Substituting -2 for 𝑥 and 36
for ℎ𝑥 in the equation
325 1
ℎ ( 𝑥 ) = 𝑎𝑥 + 9 yields 36
= 𝑎-2 + 9. Subtracting 9 from both sides of this equation yields 36
= 𝑎-2 , which can be rewritten as
𝑎2 = 36. Taking the square root of both sides of this equation yields 𝑎 = 6 and 𝑎 = - 6, but because it’s given that 𝑎 is a
positive constant, 𝑎 must equal 6. Because the value of 𝑎 is 6 and the value of 𝑏 is 9, the value of 𝑎𝑏 is ( 6 ) ( 9 ) , or 54.

Choice A is incorrect and may result from finding the value of 𝑎-2 𝑏 rather than the value of 𝑎𝑏.

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

Choice D is incorrect and may result from correctly finding the value of 𝑎 as 6, but multiplying it by the y-value in the first
ordered pair rather than by the value of 𝑏.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1178f2df
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 1178f2df

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

ID: 1178f2df Answer

Correct Answer: -2112

Rationale
The correct answer is -2,112. It's given that 𝑓 is a quadratic function. It follows that 𝑓 can be defined by an equation of the
form 𝑓𝑥 = 𝑎𝑥 - ℎ2 + 𝑘, where 𝑎, ℎ, and 𝑘 are constants. It's also given that the table shows three values of 𝑥 and their
corresponding values of 𝑦, where 𝑦 = 𝑓𝑥 + 4. Substituting 𝑎𝑥 - ℎ2 + 𝑘 for 𝑓𝑥 in this equation yields 𝑦 = 𝑎𝑥 - ℎ2 + 𝑘 + 4. This
equation represents a quadratic relationship between 𝑥 and 𝑦, where 𝑘 + 4 is either the maximum or the minimum value of 𝑦,
which occurs when 𝑥 = ℎ. For quadratic relationships between 𝑥 and 𝑦, the maximum or minimum value of 𝑦 occurs at the
value of 𝑥 halfway between any two values of 𝑥 that have the same corresponding value of 𝑦. The table shows that x-values
of 21 and 25 correspond to the same y-value, -8. Since 23 is halfway between 21 and 25, the maximum or minimum value of
𝑦 occurs at an x-value of 23. The table shows that when 𝑥 = 23, 𝑦 = 8. It follows that ℎ = 23 and 𝑘 + 4 = 8. Subtracting 4
from both sides of the equation 𝑘 + 4 = 8 yields 𝑘 = 4. Substituting 23 for ℎ and 4 for 𝑘 in the equation 𝑦 = 𝑎𝑥 - ℎ2 + 𝑘 + 4
yields 𝑦 = 𝑎𝑥 - 232 + 4 + 4, or 𝑦 = 𝑎𝑥 - 232 + 8. The value of 𝑎 can be found by substituting any x-value and its corresponding
2
y-value for 𝑥 and 𝑦, respectively, in this equation. Substituting 25 for 𝑥 and -8 for 𝑦 in this equation yields -8 = 𝑎25 - 23 + 8,
or -8 = 𝑎22 + 8. Subtracting 8 from both sides of this equation yields -16 = 𝑎22 , or -16 = 4𝑎. Dividing both sides of this
equation by 4 yields -4 = 𝑎. Substituting -4 for 𝑎, 23 for ℎ, and 4 for 𝑘 in the equation 𝑓𝑥 = 𝑎𝑥 - ℎ2 + 𝑘 yields
2
𝑓𝑥 = - 4𝑥 - 23 + 4. The y-intercept of the graph of 𝑦 = 𝑓𝑥 in the xy-plane is the point on the graph where 𝑥 = 0. Substituting
0 for 𝑥 in the equation 𝑓𝑥 = - 4𝑥 - 232 + 4 yields 𝑓0 = - 40 - 232 + 4, or 𝑓0 = - 4-232 + 4. This is equivalent to 𝑓0 = - 2,112,
so the y-intercept of the graph of 𝑦 = 𝑓𝑥 in the xy-plane is 0, - 2,112. Thus, the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph of
𝑦 = 𝑓𝑥 in the xy-plane is -2,112.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 84e8cc72
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 84e8cc72

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 84e8cc72 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is correct. It's given that a quadratic function models the height, in feet, of an object above the ground in terms of
the time, in seconds, after the object is launched off an elevated surface. This quadratic function can be defined by an
equation of the form 𝑓𝑥 = 𝑎𝑥 - ℎ2 + 𝑘, where 𝑓𝑥 is the height of the object 𝑥 seconds after it was launched, and 𝑎, ℎ, and 𝑘 are
constants such that the function reaches its maximum value, 𝑘, when 𝑥 = ℎ. Since the model indicates the object reaches its
maximum height of 1,034 feet above the ground 8 seconds after being launched, 𝑓𝑥 reaches its maximum value, 1,034, when
𝑥 = 8. Therefore, 𝑘 = 1,034 and ℎ = 8. Substituting 8 for ℎ and 1,034 for 𝑘 in the function 𝑓𝑥 = 𝑎𝑥 - ℎ2 + 𝑘 yields
𝑓𝑥 = 𝑎𝑥 - 82 + 1,034. Since the model indicates the object has an initial height of 10 feet above the ground, the value of 𝑓𝑥 is
10 when 𝑥 = 0. Substituting 0 for 𝑥 and 10 for 𝑓𝑥 in the equation 𝑓𝑥 = 𝑎𝑥 - 82 + 1,034 yields 10 = 𝑎0 - 82 + 1,034, or
10 = 64𝑎 + 1,034. Subtracting 1,034 from both sides of this equation yields 64𝑎 = - 1,024. Dividing both sides of this
equation by 64 yields 𝑎 = - 16. Therefore, the model can be represented by the equation 𝑓𝑥 = - 16𝑥 - 82 + 1,034. Substituting
10 for 𝑥 in this equation yields 𝑓10 = - 1610 - 82 + 1,034, or 𝑓10 = 970. Therefore, based on the model, 10 seconds after
being launched, the height of the object above the ground is 970 feet.

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 12e7faf8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 12e7faf8

The equation is true for all , where a and d

are integers. What is the value of ?

A.

B.

C. 0

D. 1

ID: 12e7faf8 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

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

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 89fc23af
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 89fc23af

Which of the following expressions is

equivalent to ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 89fc23af Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

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

be rewritten as .

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 911c415b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 911c415b

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

ID: 911c415b Answer

Rationale

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

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

in the form , where and . Therefore .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f89e1d6f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: f89e1d6f

If , which of the following is equivalent to the

expression ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: f89e1d6f Answer

Correct Answer: C

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 4b642eef
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 4b642eef

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

ID: 4b642eef Answer

Rationale

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

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

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

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

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

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

Evaluating this function when seconds yields , or meters.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2c5c22d0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 2c5c22d0

How many solutions are there to the

system of equations above?

A. There are exactly 4 solutions.

B. There are exactly 2 solutions.

C. There is exactly 1 solution.

D. There are no solutions.

ID: 2c5c22d0 Answer

Correct Answer: C

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

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

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

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

because the ordered pair satisfies both equations of the system.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID fc3dfa26
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: fc3dfa26

What value of x satisfies the

equation above?

A.

B.

C.

D. 3

ID: fc3dfa26 Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale

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

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

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

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

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

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

satisfies the given equation is .

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9f2ecade
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 9f2ecade

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

ID: 9f2ecade Answer

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

. Expanding the function yields . Thus, , , and

. Therefore, the value of c is 210.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e117d3b8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: e117d3b8

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

equivalent to ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: e117d3b8 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

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

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

expression as follows: .

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6f5540a5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 6f5540a5

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 6f5540a5 Answer

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

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

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

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b73ee6cf
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: b73ee6cf

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

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: b73ee6cf Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 7eed640d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 7eed640d

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

A. The initial height of the projectile

B. The maximum height of the projectile

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

D. The time at which the projectile hits the ground

ID: 7eed640d Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 43926bd9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 43926bd9

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

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

ID: 43926bd9 Answer

Rationale

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

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

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a7711fe8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: a7711fe8

What is the minimum value of the function f

defined by ?

A.

B.

C. 2

D. 4

ID: a7711fe8 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1a722d7d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 1a722d7d

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

, what is the value of ?

A. 10.00

B. 10.25

C. 10.75

D. 11.00

ID: 1a722d7d Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

This means that for all values of x. Therefore:

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 58b109d4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 58b109d4

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

ID: 58b109d4 Answer

Correct Answer: -10

Rationale
The correct answer is -10. Adding 𝑦 to both sides of the second equation in the given system yields 20𝑥 + 100 = 𝑦.
Substituting 20𝑥 + 100 for 𝑦 in the first equation in the given system yields 𝑥2 + 20𝑥 + 100 + 7 = 7. Subtracting 7 from both
sides of this equation yields 𝑥2 + 20𝑥 + 100 = 0. Factoring the left-hand side of this equation yields 𝑥 + 10𝑥 + 10 = 0, or
𝑥 + 102 = 0. Taking the square root of both sides of this equation yields 𝑥 + 10 = 0. Subtracting 10 from both sides of this
equation yields 𝑥 = - 10. Therefore, the value of 𝑥 is -10.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID fc3d783a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: fc3d783a

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

ID: fc3d783a Answer

Correct Answer: 6

Rationale
The correct answer is 6. It’s given that a line with equation 2𝑦 = 4 . 5 intersects a parabola with equation 𝑦 = - 4𝑥2 + 𝑏𝑥,
where 𝑏 is a positive constant, at exactly one point in the xy-plane. It follows that the system of equations consisting of
2𝑦 = 4 . 5 and 𝑦 = - 4𝑥2 + 𝑏𝑥 has exactly one solution. Dividing both sides of the equation of the line by 2 yields 𝑦 = 2 . 25.
Substituting 2.25 for 𝑦 in the equation of the parabola yields 2 . 25 = - 4𝑥2 + 𝑏𝑥. Adding 4𝑥2 and subtracting 𝑏𝑥 from both
sides of this equation yields 4𝑥2 - 𝑏𝑥 + 2 . 25 = 0. A quadratic equation in the form of 𝑎𝑥2 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐 = 0, where 𝑎, 𝑏, and 𝑐 are
constants, has exactly one solution when the discriminant, 𝑏2 - 4𝑎𝑐, is equal to zero. Substituting 4 for 𝑎 and 2.25 for 𝑐 in the
expression 𝑏2 - 4𝑎𝑐 and setting this expression equal to 0 yields 𝑏2 - 4 ( 4 ) ( 2 . 25 ) = 0, or 𝑏2 - 36 = 0. Adding 36 to each
side of this equation yields 𝑏2 = 36. Taking the square root of each side of this equation yields 𝑏 = ± 6. It’s given that 𝑏 is
positive, so the value of 𝑏 is 6.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 91e7ea5e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 91e7ea5e

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

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

A. 1

B. 2

C. 4

D. 8

ID: 91e7ea5e Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard