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
2
side of this equation yields 𝑏 = 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 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 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 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 1fe32f7d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 1fe32f7d

In the given equation, is a positive integer. The equation has no real solution. What is the greatest possible value of ?

ID: 1fe32f7d Answer

Correct Answer: 51

Rationale

The correct answer is 51. A quadratic equation of the form 𝑎𝑥2 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐 = 0, where 𝑎, 𝑏, and 𝑐 are constants, has no real
solution if and only if its discriminant, -4𝑎𝑐 + 𝑏2 , is negative. In the given equation, 𝑎 = - 1 and 𝑐 = - 676. Substituting -1 for 𝑎
2 2
and -676 for 𝑐 in this expression yields a discriminant of 𝑏 - 4-1-676, or 𝑏 - 2,704. Since this value must be negative,
𝑏2 - 2,704 < 0, or 𝑏2 < 2,704. Taking the positive square root of each side of this inequality yields 𝑏 < 52. Since 𝑏 is a positive
integer, and the greatest integer less than 52 is 51, the greatest possible value of 𝑏 is 51.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c303ad23
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: c303ad23

If , what is the value of ?

ID: c303ad23 Answer

Correct Answer: 5

Rationale

The correct answer is 5. Dividing each side of the given equation by 3 yields 𝑥2 - 6𝑥 - 5 = 0. Adding 5 to each side of this
equation yields 𝑥2 - 6𝑥 = 5. Therefore, if 3𝑥2 - 18𝑥 - 15 = 0, the value of 𝑥2 - 6𝑥 is 5.

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 17d0e87d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 17d0e87d

The given equation relates the distinct positive real numbers , , and . Which equation correctly expresses in terms of
and ?

A.

B.

C. msup

D. msup

ID: 17d0e87d Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

14𝑥 2√𝑤 + 19 𝑥
Choice C is correct. Dividing each side of the given equation by 2 yields 14𝑦
=
2
, or 𝑦
= √𝑤 + 19 . Because it's given
𝑥2
that each of the variables is positive, squaring each side of this equation yields the equivalent equation 𝑦
= 𝑤 + 19.
𝑥2 𝑥2
Subtracting 19 from each side of this equation yields 𝑦
- 19 = 𝑤, or 𝑤 =
𝑦
- 19.

Choice A is incorrect. This equation isn't equivalent to the given equation.

Choice B is incorrect. This equation isn't equivalent to the given equation.

Choice D is incorrect. This equation isn't equivalent to the given equation.

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 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.
2 2
Substituting -16 for 𝑎 and -8 for 𝑏 in 𝑏 - 4𝑎𝑐 yields -8 - 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 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 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 1ce9ffcd
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 1ce9ffcd

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 1ce9ffcd Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. It's given that the equation -9𝑥2 + 30𝑥 + 𝑐 = 0 has exactly one solution. A quadratic equation of the form
2
𝑎𝑥2 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐 = 0 has exactly one solution if and only if its discriminant, -4𝑎𝑐 + 𝑏 , is equal to zero. It follows that for the given
2 2
equation, 𝑎 = - 9 and 𝑏 = 30. Substituting -9 for 𝑎 and 30 for 𝑏 into 𝑏 - 4𝑎𝑐 yields 30 - 4-9𝑐, or 900 + 36𝑐. Since the
discriminant must equal zero, 900 + 36𝑐 = 0. Subtracting 36𝑐 from both sides of this equation yields 900 = -36𝑐. Dividing
each side of this equation by -36 yields -25 = 𝑐. Therefore, the value of 𝑐 is -25.

Choice A is incorrect. If the value of 𝑐 is 3, this would yield a discriminant that is greater than zero. Therefore, the given
equation would have two solutions, rather than exactly one solution.

Choice B is incorrect. If the value of 𝑐 is 0, this would yield a discriminant that is greater than zero. Therefore, the given
equation would have two solutions, rather than exactly one solution.

Choice D is incorrect. If the value of 𝑐 is -53, this would yield a discriminant that is less than zero. Therefore, the given
equation would have no real solutions, rather than exactly one solution.

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 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 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 5edc8c98
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: 5edc8c98

In the given equation, and are positive constants. The sum of the solutions to the given equation is , where
is a constant. What is the value of ?

ID: 5edc8c98 Answer

Correct Answer: .0625, 1/16

Rationale

1
The correct answer is 16
. Let 𝑝 and 𝑞 represent the solutions to the given equation. Then, the given equation can be rewritten
as 64𝑥 - 𝑝𝑥 - 𝑞 = 0, or 64𝑥2 - 64𝑝 + 𝑞 + 𝑝𝑞 = 0. Since this equation is equivalent to the given equation, it follows that
16𝑎 + 4𝑏 1
-16𝑎 + 4𝑏 = - 64𝑝 + 𝑞. Dividing both sides of this equation by -64 yields 64
= 𝑝 + 𝑞, or 16
4𝑎 + 𝑏 = 𝑝 + 𝑞. Therefore, the
1
sum of the solutions to the given equation, 𝑝 + 𝑞, is equal to 4𝑎 + 𝑏. Since it's given that the sum of the solutions to the
16
1
given equation is 𝑘4𝑎 + 𝑏, where 𝑘 is a constant, it follows that 𝑘 = 16
. Note that 1/16, .0625, 0.062, and 0.063 are examples
of ways to enter a correct answer.

Alternate approach: The given equation can be rewritten as 64𝑥2 - 44𝑎 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑎𝑏 = 0, where 𝑎 and 𝑏 are positive constants.
𝑎𝑏
Dividing both sides of this equation by 4 yields 16𝑥2 - 4𝑎 + 𝑏𝑥 + 4
= 0. The solutions for a quadratic equation in the form
-𝐵 + √𝐵2 - 4𝐴𝐶
𝐴𝑥2 + 𝐵𝑥 + 𝐶 = 0, where 𝐴, 𝐵, and 𝐶 are constants, can be calculated using the quadratic formula, 𝑥 = 2𝐴
and
-𝐵 - √𝐵2 - 4𝐴𝐶
𝑥=
2𝐴
. It follows that the sum of the solutions to a quadratic equation in the form 𝐴𝑥2 + 𝐵𝑥 + 𝐶 = 0 is
-𝐵 + √𝐵2 - 4𝐴𝐶 -𝐵 - √𝐵2 - 4𝐴𝐶 -𝐵 + - 𝐵 + √𝐵2 - 4𝐴𝐶 - √𝐵2 - 4𝐴𝐶 -2𝐵 𝐵
2𝐴
+
2𝐴
, which can be rewritten as 2𝐴
, which is equivalent to 2𝐴
, or - 𝐴 . In the equation
𝑎𝑏 𝑎𝑏 𝐵 -4𝑎 + 𝑏
2
16𝑥 - 4𝑎 + 𝑏𝑥 + = 0, 𝐴 = 16, 𝐵 = - 4𝑎 + 𝑏, and 𝐶 = . Substituting 16 for 𝐴 and -4𝑎 + 𝑏 for 𝐵 in - yields - , which
4 4 𝐴 16
1 1
can be rewritten as 16
4𝑎+ 𝑏. Thus, the sum of the solutions to the given equation is 4𝑎 +
16
𝑏. Since it's given that the sum of
1
the solutions to the given equation is 𝑘4𝑎 + 𝑏, where 𝑘 is a constant, it follows that 𝑘 = 16 .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ff2e5c76
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: ff2e5c76

What is the sum of the solutions to the given equation?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: ff2e5c76 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

40 2
Choice D is correct. Adding 10 to each side of the given equation yields 𝑥2 - 40𝑥 = 10. To complete the square, adding 2
, or
2 2 2 2
20 , to each side of this equation yields - 40𝑥 + 20 = 10 + 20 , or 𝑥 - 20 = 410. Taking the square root of each side of
𝑥2
this equation yields 𝑥 - 20 = ± √410 . Adding 20 to each side of this equation yields 𝑥 = 20 ± √410 . Therefore, the solutions
to the given equation are 𝑥 = 20 + √410 and 𝑥 = 20 - √410 . The sum of these solutions is 20 + √410 + 20 - √410 , or 40.

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 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 a54753ca
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of equations
in two variables

ID: a54753ca

In the xy-plane, the graph of the equation intersects the line at exactly one point. What is the
value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: a54753ca Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. In the xy-plane, the graph of the line 𝑦 = 𝑐 is a horizontal line that crosses the y-axis at 𝑦 = 𝑐 and the
graph of the quadratic equation 𝑦 = - 𝑥2 + 9𝑥 - 100 is a parabola. A parabola can intersect a horizontal line at exactly one
point only at its vertex. Therefore, the value of 𝑐 should be equal to the y-coordinate of the vertex of the graph of the given
equation. For a quadratic equation in vertex form, 𝑦 = 𝑎𝑥 - ℎ2 + 𝑘, the vertex of its graph in the xy-plane is ℎ, 𝑘. The given
9 92 92 92 319
quadratic equation, 𝑦 = - 𝑥2 + 9𝑥 - 100, can be rewritten as 𝑦 = - 𝑥2 - 2 2 𝑥 + 2 + 2 - 100, or 𝑦 = - 𝑥 - 2 + - 4
. Thus, the
319
value of 𝑐 is equal to - .
4

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 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
2
𝑥 + 10 = 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