 Question ID 18087

Assessment Test Cross-Test and Difficulty Primary Secondary Tertiary Calculator

Subscore Dimension Dimension Dimension
SAT Math Heart of Algebra Heart of Algebra Linear functions 4. Make Calculator
connections
between verbal,
tabular, algebraic,
and graphical
representations of
a linear function,
by:
a. deriving one
representation
from the other;
b. identifying
features of one
representation
given another
representation;
c. determining
how a graph is
affected by a
change to its
equation.

Questions 15 and 16 refer to the following information.

The graph above displays the total cost C, in dollars, of renting a boat for h hours.

Which of the following represents the relationship between h and C ?

A.
B.

C.
D.
Rationale
Choice C is correct. If m is the slope and b is the C-intercept of the line, the relationship between h and C can be represented by

. The C-intercept of the line is 5. Since the points and lie on the line, the slope of the line is .

Therefore, the relationship between h and C can be represented by , the slope-intercept equation of the line.
Choices A and D are incorrect because each of these equations represents a line that passes through the origin . However, C is
not equal to zero when . Choice B is incorrect and may result from errors made when reading the scale on each axis as related
to calculating the slope.
 

Question Difficulty: Hard

 Question ID 18088

Assessment Test Cross-Test and Difficulty Primary Secondary Tertiary Calculator

Subscore Dimension Dimension Dimension
SAT Math Analysis in Problem Solving Probability and 1. Compute and Calculator
Science, Problem interpret
Solving and Data and Data Analysis conditional probability and
Analysis probability conditional
probability in
simple contexts.
2. Understand
formulas for
probability, and
conditional
probability in
terms of
frequency.

The data in the table above were produced by a sleep researcher studying the number of dreams people recall when asked
to record their dreams for one week. Group X consisted of 100 people who observed early bedtimes, and Group Y consisted
of 100 people who observed later bedtimes. If a person is chosen at random from those who recalled at least 1 dream, what
is the probability that the person belonged to Group Y ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

Rationale
Choice C is correct. The probability that a person from Group Y who recalled at least 1 dream was chosen at random from the group
of all people who recalled at least 1 dream is equal to the number of people in Group Y who recalled at least 1 dream divided by the
total number of people in the two groups who recalled at least 1 dream. The number of people in Group Y who recalled at least 1
dream is the sum of the 11 people in Group Y who recalled 1 to 4 dreams and the 68 people in Group Y who recalled 5 or more
dreams: . The total number of people who recalled at least 1 dream is the sum of the 79 people in Group Y who recalled
at least 1 dream, the 28 people in Group X who recalled 1 to 4 dreams, and the 57 people in Group X who recalled 5 or more dreams:

. Therefore, the probability is .

Choice A is incorrect; it is the probability of choosing at random a person from Group Y who recalled 5 or more dreams. Choice B is
incorrect; it is the probability of choosing at random a person from Group Y who recalled at least 1 dream. Choice D is incorrect; it
is the probability of choosing at random a person from the two groups combined who recalled at least 1 dream.
 

Question Difficulty: Hard

 Question ID 18089

Assessment Test Cross-Test and Difficulty Primary Secondary Tertiary Calculator

Subscore Dimension Dimension Dimension
SAT Math Analysis in Passport to Nonlinear 1. Create and use Calculator
Science, Passport quadratic or
to Advanced Math Advanced functions exponential
Mathematics functions to solve
problems in a
variety of
contexts.

The equation above expresses the approximate height h, in meters, of a ball t seconds after it is launched vertically upward
from the ground with an initial velocity of 25 meters per second. After approximately how many seconds will the ball hit the
ground?

A. 3.5
B. 4.0
C. 4.5
D. 5.0
Rationale
Choice D is correct. When the ball hits the ground, its height is 0 meters. Substituting 0 for h in gives

, which can be rewritten as . Thus, the possible values of t are and . The time

seconds corresponds to the time the ball is launched from the ground, and the time seconds corresponds to the time after
launch that the ball hits the ground. Of the given choices, 5.0 seconds is closest to 5.1 seconds, so the ball returns to the ground
approximately 5.0 seconds after it is launched.
Choice A, B, and C are incorrect and could arise from conceptual or computation errors while solving for t.
 

Question Difficulty: Hard

 Question ID 18492

Assessment Test Cross-Test and Difficulty Primary Secondary Tertiary Calculator

Subscore Dimension Dimension Dimension
SAT Math Analysis in Problem Solving Ratios, rates, 1. Apply Calculator
History/ Social proportional
Studies, Problem and Data Analysis proportional relationships,
Solving and Data relationships, and ratios, rates and
Analysis units in a wide
units variety of
contexts.
Examples include
but are not limited
to scale drawings
and problems in
the natural and
social sciences.

Questions 22 and 23 refer to the following information.

Of the following, which program’s ratio of its 2007 budget to its 2010 budget is closest to the human resources program’s
ratio of its 2007 budget to its 2010 budget?

A. Agriculture/natural resources
B. Education
C. Highways and transportation
D. Public safety
Rationale
Choice B is correct. The human resources budget in 2007 was 4,051,050 thousand dollars, and the human resources budget in 2010

was 5,921,379 thousand dollars. Therefore, the ratio of the 2007 budget to the 2010 budget is slightly greater than . Similar

estimates for agriculture/natural resources give a ratio of the 2007 budget to the 2010 budget of slightly greater than ; for

education, a ratio of slightly greater than ; for highways and transportation, a ratio of slightly less than ; and for public safety,

a ratio of slightly greater than . Therefore, of the given choices, education’s ratio of the 2007 budget to the 2010 budget is closest

to that of human resources.

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because the ratio of the 2007 budget to 2010 budget for each of the programs given in these
choices is further from the corresponding ratio for human resources than the corresponding ratio for education.
 

Question Difficulty: Hard

 Question ID 18493

Assessment Test Cross-Test and Difficulty Primary Secondary Tertiary Calculator

Subscore Dimension Dimension Dimension
SAT Math Heart of Algebra Heart of Algebra Linear inequalities 4. Make Calculator
connections
in one or two between tabular,
variables algebraic, and
graphical
representations of
linear inequalities
in one or two
variables by
deriving one from
the other.
5. Given a linear
inequality or
system of linear
inequalities,
interpret a point in
the solution set.

If the system of inequalities and is graphed in the xy-plane above, which quadrant contains no

solutions to the system?

A. Quadrant II
B. Quadrant III
C. Quadrant IV
D. There are solutions in all four quadrants.
Rationale
Choice C is correct. To determine which quadrant does not contain any solutions to the system of inequalities, graph the
inequalities. Graph the inequality by drawing a line through the y-intercept and the point , as shown. The

solutions to this inequality are all points contained on and above this line. Graph the inequality by drawing a dashed

line through the y-intercept and the point , as shown. The solutions to this inequality are all points above this dashed
line.

The solution to the system of inequalities is the intersection of the regions above the graphs of both lines. It can be seen that the
solutions only include points in quadrants I, II, and III and do not include any points in quadrant IV.
Choices A and B are incorrect because quadrants II and III contain solutions to the system of inequalities, as shown in the figure
above. Choice D is incorrect because there are no solutions in quadrant IV.

Question Difficulty: Hard

 Question ID 18494

Assessment Test Cross-Test and Difficulty Primary Secondary Tertiary Calculator

Subscore Dimension Dimension Dimension
SAT Math Passport to Passport to Nonlinear 2. For a quadratic Calculator
Advanced Math or exponential
Advanced functions function, d.
Mathematics determine the
most suitable
form of the
expression
representing the
output of the
function to
display key
features of the
context, including:
i. selecting the
form of a
quadratic that
displays the
initial value, the
zeros, or the
extreme value;
ii. selecting the
form of an
exponential
that displays
the initial value,
the end-
behavior (for
exponential
decay), or the
doubling or
halving time;

Which of the following is an equivalent form of the equation of the graph shown in the xy-plane above, from which the
coordinates of vertex A can be identified as constants in the equation?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Rationale
Choice D is correct. Any quadratic function q can be written in the form , where a, h, and k are constants and
is the vertex of the parabola when q is graphed in the coordinate plane. This form can be reached by completing the square in the
expression that defines q. The equation of the graph is .
Since the coefficient of x is , this equation can be written in terms of as follows:
. From this form of the equation, the coordinates of the vertex can be read as .
Choices A and C are incorrect because the coordinates of the vertex A do not appear as constants in these equations. Choice B is
incorrect because it is not equivalent to the given equation.
 

Question Difficulty: Hard

 Question ID 18686

Assessment Test Cross-Test and Difficulty Primary Secondary Tertiary Calculator

Subscore Dimension Dimension Dimension
SAT Math Analysis in Passport to Nonlinear 1. Create and use Calculator
History/ Social quadratic or
Studies, Passport Advanced functions exponential
to Advanced Math Mathematics functions to solve
problems in a
variety of
contexts.

Questions 37 and 38 refer to the following information.

Jessica opened a bank account that earns 2 percent interest compounded annually. Her initial deposit was $100, and she uses the expression
the account after t years.

Jessica’s friend Tyshaun found an account that earns 2.5 percent interest compounded annually. Tyshaun made an initial
deposit of $100 into this account at the same time Jessica made a deposit of $100 into her account. After 10 years, how
much more money will Tyshaun’s initial deposit have earned than Jessica’s initial deposit? (Round your answer to the
nearest cent and ignore the dollar sign when gridding your response.)
 Question ID 18872

Assessment Test Cross-Test and Difficulty Primary Secondary Tertiary Calculator

Subscore Dimension Dimension Dimension
SAT Math Passport to Passport to Nonlinear 1. Make strategic Calculator
Advanced Math use of algebraic
Advanced equations in one structure, the
Mathematics variable and properties of
operations, and
systems of reasoning about
equations in two equality to:

variables a. solve
quadratic
equations in
one variable
presented in a
wide variety of
forms;
b. solve simple
rational and
radical
equations in
one variable;
c. identify when
the procedures
used to solve a
simple rational
or radical
equation in one
variable lead to
an equation
with solutions
that do not
satisfy the
original
equation
(extraneous
solutions);
d. solve
polynomial
equations in
one variable
that are written
in factored
form;
e. solve
liselenear
absolute value
equations in
one variab;

For what value of x is the function h above undefined?

Rationale
 Question ID 19105

Assessment Test Cross-Test and Difficulty Primary Secondary Tertiary Calculator

Subscore Dimension Dimension Dimension
SAT Math Analysis in Passport to Nonlinear 2. For a quadratic Calculator
History/ Social or exponential
Studies, Passport Advanced functions function, c. for a
to Advanced Math Mathematics function that
represents a
context, interpret
the meaning of an
input/output pair,
constant, variable,
factor, term, or
graph based on
the context,
including
situations where
seeing structure
provides an
advantage;

Questions 37 and 38 refer to the following information.

Jessica opened a bank account that earns 2 percent interest compounded annually. Her initial deposit was $100, and she uses the expression
the account after t years.

What is the value of x in the expression?

Rationale
The correct answer is 1.02. The initial deposit earns 2 percent interest compounded annually. Thus at the end of 1 year, the new

value of the account is the initial deposit of $100 plus 2 percent of the initial deposit: . Since the
 Question ID 19110

Assessment Test Cross-Test and Difficulty Primary Secondary Tertiary Calculator

Subscore Dimension Dimension Dimension
SAT Math Passport to Passport to Nonlinear 1. Make strategic No Calculator
Advanced Math use of algebraic
Advanced equations in one structure, the
Mathematics variable and properties of
operations, and
systems of reasoning about
equations in two equality to:

variables a. solve
quadratic
equations in
one variable
presented in a
wide variety of
forms;
b. solve simple
rational and
radical
equations in
one variable;
c. identify when
the procedures
used to solve a
simple rational
or radical
equation in one
variable lead to
an equation
with solutions
that do not
satisfy the
original
equation
(extraneous
solutions);
d. solve
polynomial
equations in
one variable
that are written
in factored
form;
e. solve
liselenear
absolute value
equations in
one variab;

If and , what is the value of x ?

Rationale
The correct answer is 100. Since one can substitute for a in giving . Squaring each side of

gives , which simplifies to , or . This gives . To verify,

substitute 100 for x and for

i th ti hi h i ld thi i t i d
 Question ID 19646

Assessment Test Cross-Test and Difficulty Primary Secondary Tertiary Calculator

Subscore Dimension Dimension Dimension
SAT Math Additional Topics Additional Topics Lines, angles, and 4. Know and No Calculator
in Math directly apply
in Math triangles relevant theorems
such as:
a. the vertical
angle theorem;
b. triangle
similarity and
congruence
criteria;
c. triangle
angle sum
theorem;
d. the
relationship of
angles formed
when a
transversal
cuts parallel
lines.
 Question ID 19650

Assessment Test Cross-Test and Difficulty Primary Secondary Tertiary Calculator

Subscore Dimension Dimension Dimension
SAT Math Analysis in Passport to Nonlinear 2. For a quadratic Calculator
History/ Social or exponential
Studies, Passport Advanced functions function, a.
to Advanced Math Mathematics identify or create
an appropriate
function to model
a relationship
between
quantities;

In planning maintenance for a city’s infrastructure, a civil engineer estimates that, starting from the present, the population of
the city will decrease by 10 percent every 20 years. If the present population of the city is 50,000, which of the following
expressions represents the engineer’s estimate of the population of the city t years from now?

A.
B.

C.
D.

Rationale
Choice D is correct. For the present population to decrease by 10 percent, it must be multiplied by the factor 0.9. Since the engineer
estimates that the population will decrease by 10 percent every 20 years, the present population, 50,000, must be multiplied by 
, where n is the number of 20-year periods that will have elapsed t years from now. After t years, the number of 20-year

periods that have elapsed is . Therefore, represents the engineer’s estimate of the population of the city t years

from now.
Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because each of these choices either confuses the percent decrease with the multiplicative factor
that represents the percent decrease or mistakenly multiplies t by 20 to find the number of 20-year periods that will have elapsed
in t years.
 

Question Difficulty: Hard

 Question ID 19722

Assessment Test Cross-Test and Difficulty Primary Secondary Tertiary Calculator

Subscore Dimension Dimension Dimension
SAT Math Analysis in Problem Solving Two-variable 1. Using a model Calculator
Science, Problem that fits the data
Solving and Data and Data Analysis data: Models and in a scatterplot,
Analysis scatterplots compare values
predicted by the
model to values
given in the data
set.
8. Estimate the
line of best fit for
a given
scatterplot; use
the line to make
predictions.

Michael swam 2,000 yards on each of eighteen days. The scatterplot above shows his swim time for and corresponding
heart rate after each swim. The line of best fit for the data is also shown. For the swim that took 34 minutes, Michael’s actual
heart rate was about how many beats per minutes less than the rate predicted by the line of best fit?

A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
Rationale
Choice B is correct. To answer this question, find the point in the graph that represents Michael’s 34-minute swim and then
compare the actual heart rate for that swim with the expected heart rate as defined by the line of best fit. To find the point that
represents Michael’s swim that took 34 minutes, look along the vertical line of the graph that is marked “34” on the horizontal axis.
That vertical line intersects only one point in the scatterplot, at 148 beats per minute. On the other hand, the line of best fit
intersects the vertical line representing 34 minutes at 150 beats per minute. Therefore, for the swim that took 34 minutes,
Michael’s actual heart rate was beats per minute less than predicted by the line of best fit.
Choices A, C, and D are incorrect and may be the result of misreading the graph.

Question Difficulty: Hard

 Question ID 19943

Assessment Test Cross-Test and Difficulty Primary Secondary Tertiary Calculator

Subscore Dimension Dimension Dimension
SAT Math Additional Topics Additional Topics Lines, angles, and 4. Know and No Calculator
in Math directly apply
in Math triangles relevant theorems
such as:
a. the vertical
angle theorem;
b. triangle
similarity and
congruence
criteria;
c. triangle
angle sum
theorem;
d. the
relationship of
angles formed
when a
transversal
cuts parallel
lines.

In the figure above, lines k, , and m intersect at a point. If , which of the following must be true?

I.
II.
III.

A. I and II only
B. I and III only
C. II and III only
D. I, II, and III
Rationale
Choice B is correct. Since the angles marked y° and u° are vertical angles, . Substituting y for u in the equation
gives . Since the angles marked w° and z° are vertical angles, . Therefore, by the transitive property, , and so I must
be true.
The equation in II need not be true. For example, if and , then all three pairs of vertical angles in the
figure have equal measure and the given condition holds. But it is not true in this case that y is equal to w. Therefore,
II need not be true.
Since the top three angles in the figure form a straight angle, it follows that . Similarly, , and so
. Subtracting the sides of the given equation from the corresponding sides of
gives . Therefore, III must be true. Since only I and III must be true, the correct answer is choice B.
Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because each of these choices includes II, which need not be true.

Question Difficulty: Hard

 Question ID 19944

Assessment Test Cross-Test and Difficulty Primary Secondary Tertiary Calculator

Subscore Dimension Dimension Dimension
SAT Math Passport to Passport to Nonlinear 2. For a quadratic No Calculator
Advanced Math or exponential
Advanced functions function, e. make
Mathematics connections
between tabular,
algebraic, and
graphical
representations of
the function,
based on the
context. by i.
given one
representation,
selecting another
representation;
2. For a quadratic
or exponential
function, e. make
connections
between tabular,
algebraic, and
graphical
representations of
the function, by ii.
identifying
features of one
representation
given another
representation,
including
maximum and
minimum values
of the function;
2. For a quadratic
or exponential
function, e. make
connections
between tabular,
algebraic, and
graphical
representations of
the function, by
iii. determining
how a graph is
affected by a
change to its
equation,
including a
vertical shift or
scaling of the
graph.
3. For a factorable
or factored
polynomial or
simple rational
function, c.
identify the graph
given an algebraic
representation of
the function and
an algebraic
representation
given the graph
(with or without a
context).
 In the quadratic equation above, a is a nonzero constant. The graph of the equation in the xy-plane is a parabola with vertex
. Which of the following is equal to d ?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Rationale
Choice A is correct. The parabola with equation crosses the x-axis at the points and . By symmetry, the
x-coordinate of the vertex of the parabola is halfway between the x-coordinates of and . Thus, the x-coordinate of the

vertex is . This is the value of c. To find the y-coordinate of the vertex, substitute for x in :

Therefore, the value of d is .

Choice B is incorrect because the value of the constant term in the equation is not the y-coordinate of the vertex, unless there were
no linear terms in the quadratic. Choice C is incorrect and may be the result of a sign error in finding the x-coordinate of the
vertex. Choice D is incorrect because the negative of the coefficient of the linear term in the quadratic equation is not the y-
coordinate of the vertex.

Question Difficulty: Hard

 Question ID 20013

Assessment Test Cross-Test and Difficulty Primary Secondary Tertiary Calculator

Subscore Dimension Dimension Dimension
SAT Math Problem Solving Problem Solving Probability and 1. Compute and Calculator
and Data Analysis interpret
and Data Analysis conditional probability and
probability conditional
probability in
simple contexts.
2. Understand
formulas for
probability, and
conditional
probability in
terms of
frequency.

The incomplete table above summarizes the number of left-handed students and right-handed students by gender for the
eighth-grade students at Keisel Middle School. There are 5 times as many right-handed female students as there are left-
handed female students, and there are 9 times as many right-handed male students as there are left-handed male students.
If there is a total of 18 left-handed students and 122 right-handed students in the school, which of the following is closest to
the probability that a right-handed student selected at random is female? (Note: Assume that none of the eighth-grade
students are both right-handed and left-handed.)

A. 0.410
B. 0.357
C. 0.333
D. 0.250
Rationale
Choice A is correct. Let x be the number of left-handed female students and let y be the number of left-handed male students.
Then the number of right-handed female students will be 5x and the number of right-handed male students will be 9y. Since the
total number of left-handed students is 18 and the total number of right-handed students is 122, the system of equations below
must be satisfied.

Solving this system gives and . Thus, 50 of the 122 right-handed students are female. Therefore, the probability that a

right-handed student selected at random is female is , which to the nearest thousandth is 0.410.

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may be the result of incorrectly calculating the missing values in the table.

Question Difficulty: Hard

 Question ID 20015

Assessment Test Cross-Test and Difficulty Primary Secondary Tertiary Calculator

Subscore Dimension Dimension Dimension
SAT Math Heart of Algebra Heart of Algebra Linear inequalities 4. Make Calculator
connections
in one or two between tabular,
variables algebraic, and
graphical
representations of
linear inequalities
in one or two
variables by
deriving one from
the other.
5. Given a linear
inequality or
system of linear
inequalities,
interpret a point in
the solution set.

In the xy-plane, if a point with coordinates lies in the solution set of the system of inequalities above, what is the
maximum possible value of b ?

Rationale
The correct answer is 750. The inequalities and can be graphed in the xy-plane. They are represented by
h l h lf l ih h b d li d i l Th l i f h f
 Question ID 20080

Assessment Test Cross-Test and Difficulty Primary Secondary Tertiary Calculator

Subscore Dimension Dimension Dimension
SAT Math Analysis in Passport to Nonlinear 2. For a quadratic Calculator
History/ Social or exponential
Studies, Passport Advanced functions function, c. for a
to Advanced Math Mathematics function that
represents a
context, interpret
the meaning of an
input/output pair,
constant, variable,
factor, term, or
graph based on
the context,
including
situations where
seeing structure
provides an
advantage;

Questions 17 and 18 refer to the following information.

The quantity of a product supplied and the quantity of the product demanded in an economic market are functions of the price of the product.
estimated supply and demand functions for a certain product. The function gives the quantity of the product supplied to the market whe
function gives the quantity of the product demanded by the market when the price is dollars.

How will the quantity of the product supplied to the market change if the price of the product is increased by $10 ?

A. The quantity supplied will decrease by 5 units.

B. The quantity supplied will increase by 5 units.
C. The quantity supplied will increase by 10 units.
D. The quantity supplied will increase by 50 units.
Rationale
Choice B is correct. The quantity of the product supplied to the market is given by the function . If the price P of the

product increases by $10, the effect on the quantity of the product supplied can be determined by substituting for P in the

function . This gives , which shows that . Therefore, the

quantity supplied to the market will increase by 5 units when the price of the product is increased by $10.
Alternatively, look at the coefficient of P in the linear function S. This is the slope of the graph of the function, where P is on the

horizontal axis and is on the vertical axis. Since the slope is , for every increase of 1 in P, there will be an increase of in

, and therefore, an increase of 10 in P will yield an increase of 5 in .

Choice A is incorrect. If the quantity supplied decreases as the price of the product increases, the function would be

decreasing, but is an increasing function. Choice C is incorrect and may be the result of assuming the slope of the

graph of is equal to 1. Choice D is incorrect and may be the result of confusing the y-intercept of the graph of with the
slope, and then adding 10 to the y-intercept.
 

Question Difficulty: Hard

 Question ID 20156

Assessment Test Cross-Test and Difficulty Primary Secondary Tertiary Calculator

Subscore Dimension Dimension Dimension
SAT Math Analysis in Problem Solving Two-variable 7. Compare linear Calculator
History/ Social and exponential
Studies, Problem and Data Analysis data: Models and growth.
Solving and Data scatterplots
Analysis

Of the following four types of savings account plans, which option would yield exponential growth of the money in the
account?

A. Each successive year, 2% of the initial savings is added to the value of the account.
B. Each successive year, 1.5% of the initial savings and $100 is added to the value of the account.
C. Each successive year, 1% of the current value is added to the value of the account.
D. Each successive year, $100 is added to the value of the account.
Rationale
Choice C is correct. Linear growth is characterized by an increase of a quantity at a constant rate. Exponential growth is
characterized by an increase of a quantity at a relative rate; that is, an increase by the same factor over equal increments of time.
In choice C, the value of the account increases by 1% each year; that is, the value is multiplied by the same factor, 1.01, each year.
Therefore, the value described in choice C grows exponentially.
Choices A and B are incorrect because the rate depends only on the initial value, and thus the value increases by the same amount
each year. Both options A and B describe linear growth. Choice D is incorrect; it is also a description of linear growth, as the
increase is constant each year.
 

Question Difficulty: Hard

 Question ID 20159

Assessment Test Cross-Test and Difficulty Primary Secondary Tertiary Calculator

Subscore Dimension Dimension Dimension
SAT Math Additional Topics Additional Topics Circles 2. Solve problems Calculator
in Math using:
in Math
a. radian
measure;
b.
trigonometric
ratios in the
unit circle.

In a circle with center O, central angle AOB has a measure of radians. The area of the sector formed by central

angle AOB is what fraction of the area of the circle?

Rationale
The correct answer is or .625. A complete rotation around a point is 360° or 2π radians. Since the central angle AOB has