Question ID 41e027e7

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Inference from

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis sample statistics
and margin of error

ID: 41e027e7

Poll Results

Angel Cruz

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 41e027e7 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. It's given that 483 out of 803 voters responded that they would vote for Angel Cruz. Therefore,
483
the proportion of voters from the poll who responded they would vote for Angel Cruz is . It’s also given that
803
there are a total of 6,424 voters in the election. Therefore, the total number of people who would be expected to
483
vote for Angel Cruz is 6,424 803 , or 3,864. Since 3,864 of the 6,424 total voters would be expected to vote for Angel
Cruz, it follows that 6,424 - 3,864, or 2,560 voters would be expected not to vote for Angel Cruz. The difference in
the number of votes for and against Angel Cruz is 3,864 - 2,560, or 1,304 votes. Therefore, if 6,424 people vote in
the election, Angel Cruz would be expected to win by 1,304 votes.

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 374f75b9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Inference from

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis sample statistics
and margin of error

ID: 374f75b9
Views on Nuclear Energy
Use
Response Frequency

Strongly
56
favor

Somewhat
214
favor

Somewhat
104
oppose

Strongly
37
oppose

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

ID: 374f75b9 Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is 94. Of those interviewed, “strongly favor” or “somewhat favor” the
56 plus 214, equals 270
use of nuclear energy, and interviewees “somewhat oppose” or “strongly oppose” the use
104 plus 37, equals 141
of nuclear energy. The difference between the sizes of the two surveyed groups is .
270 minus 141, equals 129
The proportion of this difference among the entire group of interviewees is . Because
the fraction 129 over 411
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.
the fraction 129 over 411, end fraction, times 300

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6fd95a0a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Inference from

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis sample statistics
and margin of error

ID: 6fd95a0a

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

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

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

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

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

ID: 6fd95a0a Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

4 and 5 miles, is plausibly the mean distance hiked for all visitors.

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID bada6c7e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Inference from

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis sample statistics
and margin of error

ID: bada6c7e

From a population of people, were chosen at random and surveyed about a proposed piece of legislation.
Based on the survey, it is estimated that of people in the population support the legislation, with an associated
margin of error of . Based on these results, which of the following is a plausible value for the total number of people
in the population who support the proposed legislation?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: bada6c7e Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. It’s given that an estimated 35% of people in the population support the legislation, with an
associated margin of error of 3%. Subtracting and adding the margin of error from the estimate gives an interval
of plausible values for the true percentage of people in the population who support the legislation. Therefore, it’s
plausible that between 32% and 38% of people in this population support the legislation. The corresponding
numbers of people represented by these percentages in the population can be calculated by multiplying the total
population, 50,000, by 0.32 and by 0.38, which gives 50,0000.32 = 16,000 and 50,0000.38 = 19,000, respectively. It
follows that any value in the interval 16,000 to 19,000 is a plausible value for the total number of people in the
population who support the proposed legislation. Of the choices given, only 16,750 is in this interval.

Choice A is incorrect. This is the number of people in the sample, rather than in the population, who support the
legislation.

Choice B is incorrect. This is the number of people in the sample who do not support the legislation.

Choice D is incorrect. This is a plausible value for the total number of people in the population who do not
support the proposed legislation.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a4c7f14a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Inference from

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis sample statistics
and margin of error

ID: a4c7f14a

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: a4c7f14a 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 7eafb9fd
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Inference from

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis sample statistics
and margin of error

ID: 7eafb9fd

Does not talk

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

Light 110 146 256

Medium 139 164 303

Heavy 166 74 240

Total 415 384 799

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

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

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

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

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

ID: 7eafb9fd 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