Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

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

A. 0.45

B. 2.30

C. 9.00

D. 15.25

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 7b52985c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 7b52985c

The scatterplot shows the relationship between the length of time , in hours, a certain bird spent in flight and the number of
days after January , .

What is the average rate of change, in hours per day, of the length of time the bird spent in flight on January to the length
of time the bird spent in flight on January ?

ID: 7b52985c Answer

Correct Answer: 4.5, 9/2

Rationale

9
The correct answer is . It's given that the scatterplot shows the relationship between the length of time 𝑦, in hours, a certain
2
bird spent in flight and the number of days after January 11, 𝑥. Since January 13 is 2 days after January 11, it follows that
January 13 corresponds to an x-value of 2 in the scatterplot. In the scatterplot, when 𝑥 = 2, the corresponding value of 𝑦 is 6.
In other words, on January 13, the bird spent 6 hours in flight. Since January 15 is 4 days after January 11, it follows that
January 15 corresponds to an x-value of 4 in the scatterplot. In the scatterplot, when 𝑥 = 4, the corresponding value of 𝑦 is 15.
In other words, on January 15, the bird spent 15 hours in flight. Therefore, the average rate of change, in hours per day, of the
length of time the bird spent in flight on January 13 to the length of time the bird spent in flight on January 15 is the
difference in the length of time, in hours, the bird spent in flight divided by the difference in the number of days after January
11, or 15 - 6 , which is equivalent to 9 . Note that 9/2 and 4.5 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.
4-2 2
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 7ce2830a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Evaluating statistical

Data Analysis claims:
Observational
studies and
experiments

ID: 7ce2830a

A psychologist designed and conducted a study to determine whether playing a

certain educational game increases middle school students’ accuracy in adding
fractions. For the study, the psychologist chose a random sample of 35 students
from all of the students at one of the middle schools in a large city. The
psychologist found that students who played the game showed significant
improvement in accuracy when adding fractions. What is the largest group to
which the results of the study can be generalized?

A. The 35 students in the sample

B. All students at the school

C. All middle school students in the city

D. All students in the city

ID: 7ce2830a Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. The largest group to which the results of a study can be generalized is the population from which the
random sample was chosen. In this case, the psychologist chose a random sample from all students at one particular
middle school. Therefore, the largest group to which the results can be generalized is all the students at the school.

Choice A is incorrect because this isn’t the largest group the results can be generalized to. Choices C and D are incorrect
because these groups are larger than the population from which the random sample was chosen. Therefore, the sample isn’t
representative of these groups.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6a715bed
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Probability and

Data Analysis conditional
probability

ID: 6a715bed

The table summarizes the distribution of age and assigned group for participants in a study.

– years – years years Total

Group A

Group B

Group C

Total
One of these participants will be selected at random. What is the probability of selecting a participant from group A, given
that the participant is at least years of age? (Express your answer as a decimal or fraction, not as a percent.)

ID: 6a715bed Answer

Correct Answer: .3833, 23/60

Rationale

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c7c6445f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Ratios, rates,

Data Analysis proportional
relationships, and
units

ID: c7c6445f

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: c7c6445f Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. Since the number of yards in 1 mile is 1,760, the number of square yards in 1 square mile is
( 1,760 ) ( 1,760 ) = 3,097,600. Therefore, if the area of the town is 4.36 square miles, it is 4.36 ( 3,097,600 ) = 13,505,536, in
square yards.

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID d0430601
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: d0430601

Each dot in the scatterplot above represents the temperature and the number of
people who visited a beach in Lagos, Nigeria, on one of eleven different days. The
line of best fit for the data is also shown. The line of best fit for the data has a
slope of approximately 57. According to this estimate, how many additional people
per day are predicted to visit the beach for each 5°C increase in average
temperature?

ID: d0430601 Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is 285. The number of people predicted to visit the beach each day is represented by the y-values of the
line of best fit, and the average temperature, in degrees Celsius ( ), is represented by the x-values. Since the slope of the
line of best fit is approximately 57, the y-value, or the number of people predicted to visit the beach each day, increases by 57
for every x-value increase of 1, or every increase in average temperature. Therefore, an increase of in average
temperature corresponds to a y-value increase of additional people per day predicted to visit the beach.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 4626102e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 4626102e

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

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

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

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

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

ID: 4626102e Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. The median of a data set with an odd number of values, in ascending or descending order, is the middle
value of the data set, and the range of a data set is the positive difference between the maximum and minimum values in the
data set. Since the dot plot shown gives the values in data set A in ascending order and there are 15 values in the data set,
the eighth value in data set A, 23, is the median. The maximum value in data set A is 26 and the minimum value is 22, so the
range of data set A is 26 - 22, or 4. It’s given that data set B is created by adding 56 to each of the values in data set A.
Increasing each of the 15 values in data set A by 56 will also increase its median value by 56 making the median of data set B
79. Increasing each value of data set A by 56 does not change the range, since the maximum value of data set B is 26 + 56, or
82, and the minimum value is 22 + 56, or 78, making the range of data set B 82 - 78, or 4. Therefore, the median of data set B is
greater than the median of data set A, and the range of data set B is equal to the range of data set A.

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 55818046
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

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

18–35 years old 295 168 45 508

36–50 years old 246 123 41 410

51–65 years old 238 117 48 403

Greater than 65
137 78 64 279
years old

Total 916 486 198 1,600

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

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

A. 4%

B. 5%

C. 10%

D. 18%

ID: 55818046 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

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

The percentage of adults aged 51 years or greater who responded “warm” is , or about 55.0%. The
difference between 58.9% and 55.0% is 3.9%. Of the answer choices, 4% is closest to this number.
Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may result from calculation errors.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 20845d36
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 20845d36

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

ID: 20845d36 Answer

Correct Answer: .48, 12/25

Rationale

70
The correct answer is .48 . It's given that the number 𝑎 is 70% less than the positive number 𝑏. Therefore, 𝑎 = 1 - 100 𝑏, which
60
is equivalent to 𝑎 = 1 - 0.70𝑏, or 𝑎 = 0.30𝑏. It's also given that the number 𝑐 is 60% greater than 𝑎. Therefore, 𝑐 = 1 + 𝑎,
100
which is equivalent to 𝑐 = 1 + 0.60𝑎, or 𝑐 = 1.60𝑎. Since 𝑎 = 0.30𝑏, substituting 0.30𝑏 for 𝑎 in the equation 𝑐 = 1.60𝑎 yields
𝑐 = 1.600.30𝑏, or 𝑐 = 0.48𝑏. Thus, 𝑐 is 0.48 times 𝑏. Note that .48 and 12/25 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID aa43b41f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Evaluating statistical

Data Analysis claims:
Observational
studies and
experiments

ID: aa43b41f

Near the end of a US cable news show, the host invited viewers to respond to a poll
on the show’s website that asked, “Do you support the new federal policy
discussed during the show?” At the end of the show, the host reported that 28%
responded “Yes,” and 70% responded “No.” Which of the following best explains
why the results are unlikely to represent the sentiments of the population of the
United States?

A. The percentages do not add up to 100%, so any possible conclusions from the poll are invalid.

B. Those who responded to the poll were not a random sample of the population of the United States.

C. There were not 50% “Yes” responses and 50% “No” responses.

D. The show did not allow viewers enough time to respond to the poll.

ID: aa43b41f Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. In order for the poll results from a sample of a population to represent the entire population, the sample
must be representative of the population. A sample that is randomly selected from a population is more likely than a sample
of the type described to represent the population. In this case, the people who responded were people with access to cable
television and websites, which aren’t accessible to the entire population. Moreover, the people who responded also chose to
watch the show and respond to the poll. The people who made these choices aren’t representative of the entire population of
the United States because they were not a random sample of the population of the United States.

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because they present reasons unrelated to whether the sample is representative of the
population of the United States.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 5dc386fb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Probability and

Data Analysis conditional
probability

ID: 5dc386fb
The table below shows the distribution of US states according to whether they have a state-level sales tax and a state-
level income tax.
2013 State-Level Taxes
State sales tax No state sales tax

State income tax 39 4

No state income tax 6 1

To the nearest tenth of a percent, what percent of states with a state-level sales tax
do not have a state-level income tax?

A. 6.0%

B. 12.0%

C. 13.3%

D. 14.0%

ID: 5dc386fb Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. The sum of the number of states with a state-level sales tax is . Of these states, 6 don’t

have a state-level income tax. Therefore, , or about 13.3%, of states with a state-level sales tax don’t have
a state-level income tax.

Choice A is incorrect. This is the number of states that have a state-level sales tax and no state-level income tax. Choice B is
incorrect. This is the percent of states that have a state-level sales tax and no state-level income tax. Choice D is incorrect.
This is the percent of states that have no state-level income tax.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 98958ae8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 98958ae8

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

ID: 98958ae8 Answer

Correct Answer: 41

Rationale

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 391ae4b2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 391ae4b2

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

A. I only

B. II only

C. I and II

D. Neither I nor II

ID: 391ae4b2 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. It's given that data set F consists of 55 integers between 170 and 290 and data set G consists of all the
integers in data set F as well as the integer 10. Since the integer 10 is less than all the integers in data set F, the mean of data
set G must be less than the mean of data set F. Thus, the mean of data set F isn't less than the mean of data set G. When a
data set is in ascending order, the median is between the two middle values when there is an even number of values and the
median is the middle value when there is an odd number of values. It follows that the median of data set F is either greater
than or equal to the median of data set G. Therefore, the median of data set F isn't less than the median of data set G. Thus,
neither the mean nor the median must be less for data set F than for data set G.

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2a59eb45
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 2a59eb45

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

ID: 2a59eb45 Answer

Correct Answer: 44

Rationale

The correct answer is 44. The mean of a data set is computed by dividing the sum of the values in the data set by the
number of values in the data set. It's given that data set A consists of the heights of 75 buildings and has a mean of 32
𝑥
meters. This can be represented by the equation
75
= 32, where 𝑥 represents the sum of the heights of the buildings, in
meters, in data set A. Multiplying both sides of this equation by 75 yields 𝑥 = 7532, or 𝑥 = 2,400 meters. Therefore, the sum of
the heights of the buildings in data set A is 2,400 meters. It's also given that data set B consists of the heights of 50 buildings
𝑦
and has a mean of 62 meters. This can be represented by the equation = 62, where 𝑦 represents the sum of the heights of
50
the buildings, in meters, in data set B. Multiplying both sides of this equation by 50 yields 𝑦 = 5062, or 𝑦 = 3,100 meters.
Therefore, the sum of the heights of the buildings in data set B is 3,100 meters. Since it's given that data set C consists of the
heights of the 125 buildings from data sets A and B, it follows that the mean of data set C is the sum of the heights of the
2,400 + 3,100
buildings, in meters, in data sets A and B divided by the number of buildings represented in data sets A and B, or ,
125
which is equivalent to 44 meters. Therefore, the mean, in meters, of data set C is 44.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2e92cc21
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 2e92cc21

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

ID: 2e92cc21 Answer

Correct Answer: 9.87, 987/100

Rationale

110
The correct answer is 9.87. It’s given that the number 𝑎 is 110% greater than the number 𝑏. It follows that 𝑎 = 1 + 𝑏, or
100
90
𝑎 = 2.1𝑏. It’s also given that the number 𝑏 is 90% less than 47. It follows that 𝑏 = 1 - 100 47, or 𝑏 = 0.147, which yields 𝑏 = 4.7.
Substituting 4.7 for 𝑏 in the equation 𝑎 = 2.1𝑏 yields 𝑎 = 2.14.7, which is equivalent to 𝑎 = 9.87. Therefore, the value of 𝑎 is
9.87.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 4a422e3e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Evaluating statistical

Data Analysis claims:
Observational
studies and
experiments

ID: 4a422e3e

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

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

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

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

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

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

ID: 4a422e3e Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e821a26d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: e821a26d
The scatterplot below shows the amount of electric energy generated, in millions of megawatt-hours, by nuclear sources
over a 10‑year period.

Of the following equations, which best models the data in the scatterplot?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: e821a26d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. The data in the scatterplot roughly fall in the shape of a downward-opening parabola; therefore, the
coefficient for the term must be negative. Based on the location of the data points, the y-intercept of the parabola should
be somewhere between 740 and 760. Therefore, of the equations given, the best model is
.

Choices A and C are incorrect. The positive coefficient of the term means that these equations each define upward-
opening parabolas, whereas a parabola that fits the data in the scatterplot must open downward. Choice B is incorrect
because it defines a parabola with a y-intercept that has a negative y-coordinate, whereas a parabola that fits the data in the
scatterplot must have a y-intercept with a positive y-coordinate.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 9d935bd8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 9d935bd8

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

A. 0.05%

B. 0.95%

C. 1.22%

D. 7.45%

ID: 9d935bd8 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

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

Choice A is incorrect and may be the result of calculation errors or not finding the median of the data in the table correctly.
Choice C is incorrect and may be the result of finding the mean instead of the median. Choice D is incorrect and may be the
result of using the middle value of the unordered list.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 8c5dbd3e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 8c5dbd3e

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

ID: 8c5dbd3e Answer

Correct Answer: 189/4, 47.25

Rationale

110
The correct answer is 47.25. It’s given that the number 𝑤 is 110% greater than the number 𝑧. It follows that 𝑤 = 1 + 𝑧, or
100
55
𝑤 = 2.1𝑧. It’s also given that the number 𝑧 is 55% less than 50. It follows that 𝑧 = 1 - 100 50, or 𝑧 = 0.4550, which yields 𝑧 = 22.5.
Substituting 22.5 for 𝑧 in the equation 𝑤 = 2.1𝑧 yields 𝑤 = 2.122.5, which is equivalent to 𝑤 = 47.25. Therefore, the value of 𝑤
is 47.25. Note that 47.25 and 189/4 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9ba3e283
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Inference from

Data Analysis sample statistics and
margin of error

ID: 9ba3e283

In State X, Mr. Camp’s eighth-grade class consisting of 26 students was surveyed

and 34.6 percent of the students reported that they had at least two siblings. The
average eighth‑grade class size in the state is 26. If the students in Mr. Camp’s
class are representative of students in the state’s eighth-grade classes and there
are 1,800 eighth-grade classes in the state, which of the following best estimates
the number of eighth‑grade students in the state who have fewer than two
siblings?

A. 16,200

B. 23,400

C. 30,600

D. 46,800

ID: 9ba3e283 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. It is given that 34.6% of 26 students in Mr. Camp’s class reported that they had at least two siblings.
Since 34.6% of 26 is 8.996, there must have been 9 students in the class who reported having at least two siblings and 17
students who reported that they had fewer than two siblings. It is also given that the average eighth-grade class size in the
state is 26 and that Mr. Camp’s class is representative of all eighth-grade classes in the state. This means that in each
eighth-grade class in the state there are about 17 students who have fewer than two siblings. Therefore, the best estimate of
the number of eighth-grade students in the state who have fewer than two siblings is 17 × (number of eighth-grade classes in
the state), or .

Choice A is incorrect because 16,200 is the best estimate for the number of eighth-grade students in the state who have at
least, not fewer than, two siblings. Choice B is incorrect because 23,400 is half of the estimated total number of eighth-grade
students in the state; however, since the students in Mr. Camp’s class are representative of students in the eighth-grade
classes in the state and more than half of the students in Mr. Camp’s class have fewer than two siblings, more than half of
the students in each eighth-grade class in the state have fewer than two siblings, too. Choice D is incorrect because 46,800
is the estimated total number of eighth-grade students in the state.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3d73a58b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Percentages

Data Analysis

ID: 3d73a58b

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

ID: 3d73a58b Answer

Correct Answer: 203/50, 4.06

Rationale

The correct answer is 4.06. It's given that the retail price is 290% of the wholesale price of $ 7.00. Thus, the retail price is
$ 7.00 290 , which is equivalent to $ 7.002.9, or $ 20.30. It's also given that the discounted price is 80% off the retail price. Thus,
100
80
the discounted price is $ 20.301 - 100 , which is equivalent to $ 20.300.20, or $ 4.06.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 79137c1b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 79137c1b

The scatterplot above shows the size x and the sale price y of 25 houses for sale in
Town H. Which of the following could be an equation for a line of best fit for the
data?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 79137c1b Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. From the shape of the cluster of points, the line of best fit should pass roughly through the points
and . Therefore, these two points can be used to find an approximate equation for the line of best fit. The

slope of this line of best fit is therefore , or 100. The equation for the line of best fit, in slope-
intercept form, is for some value of b. Using the point , 1 can be substituted for x and 200 can be
substituted for y: , or . Substituting this value into the slope-intercept form of the equation gives
.

Choice A is incorrect. The line defined by passes through the points and , both of which
are well above the cluster of points, so it cannot be a line of best fit. Choice C is incorrect. The line defined by
passes through the points and , both of which lie at the bottom of the cluster of points, so it cannot be a line
of best fit. Choice D is incorrect and may result from correctly calculating the slope of a line of best fit but incorrectly
assuming the y-intercept is at .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 54d93874
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and One-variable data:

Data Analysis Distributions and
measures of center
and spread

ID: 54d93874

Masses (kilograms)

Andrew 2.4 2.5 3.6 3.1 2.5 2.7

Maria x 3.1 2.7 2.9 3.3 2.8

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

ID: 54d93874 Answer

Rationale

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 916ffe9b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Inference from

Data Analysis sample statistics and
margin of error

ID: 916ffe9b

Poll Results

Angel Cruz

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 916ffe9b Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. It's given that 483 out of 803 voters responded that they would vote for Angel Cruz. Therefore, the
483
proportion of voters from the poll who responded they would vote for Angel Cruz is . It’s also given that there are a total of
803
6,424 voters in the election. Therefore, the total number of people who would be expected to vote for Angel Cruz is 6,424 483 803
,
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 9b5b23fc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:

Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 9b5b23fc

For , the function is defined as follows:

equals of
Which of the following could describe this function?

A. Decreasing exponential

B. Decreasing linear

C. Increasing exponential

D. Increasing linear

ID: 9b5b23fc Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

201
Choice D is correct. It's given that for 𝑥 > 0, 𝑓𝑥 is equal to 201% of 𝑥. This is equivalent to 𝑓𝑥 = 𝑥, or 𝑓𝑥
= 2.01𝑥, for 𝑥 > 0.
100
This function indicates that as 𝑥 increases, 𝑓𝑥 also increases, which means 𝑓 is an increasing function. Furthermore, 𝑓𝑥
increases at a constant rate of 2.01 for each increase of 𝑥 by 1. A function with a constant rate of change is linear. Thus, the
function 𝑓 can be described as an increasing linear function.

Choice A is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.

Choice B is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.

Choice C is incorrect. This could describe the function 𝑓𝑥 = 2.01𝑥 , where 𝑓𝑥 is equal to 201% of 𝑓𝑥 - 1, not 𝑥, for 𝑥 > 0.

Question Difficulty: Hard