Question ID 2d1e5eff

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 2d1e5eff

Text

In the given system of equations, is a constant. The graphs of the equations in the given system intersect at exactly one point,
, in the xy-plane. What is the value of ?

A. 2x2 - 21x + 64 = 3x + a
B.
2X2 - 24x + 64 = a
x2 - 12x + 32 = a/2
C. (x-4)(x-8) = a/2
D.

ID: 2d1e5eff Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. It's given that the graphs of the equations in the given system intersect at exactly one point, , in the xy-
plane. Therefore, is the only solution to the given system of equations. The given system of equations can be solved by
subtracting the second equation, , from the first equation, . This yields
, or . Since the given system has only one solution, this
equation has only one solution. A quadratic equation in the form , where , , and are constants, has one
solution if and only if the discriminant, , is equal to zero. Substituting for , for , and for in the
expression yields . Setting this expression equal to zero yields
, or . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields . Dividing
both sides of this equation by yields . Substituting for in the equation yields
, or . Factoring from the right-hand side of this equation yields
. Dividing both sides of this equation by yields , which is equivalent to
, or . Taking the square root of both sides of this equation yields . Adding to both
sides of this equation yields .

Choice A is incorrect. This is the value of , not .

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 005e9982
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 005e9982

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

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

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

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

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

ID: 005e9982 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

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

 x2 - 6x -26+2k =0
36 - 4(-26+2K)=0
36 = -104 + 8k
Question ID 68298043 8k = 140
k = 17.5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 68298043

In the given system of equations, is a constant. The system has exactly one distinct real solution. What is the value of ?

ID: 68298043 Answer

Correct Answer: 17.5, 35/2

Rationale

The correct answer is . Subtracting the second equation from the first equation yields
, or . This is equivalent to . It's
given that the system has exactly one distinct real solution; therefore, this equation has exactly one distinct real solution. An
equation of the form , where , , and are constants, has exactly one distinct real solution when the
discriminant, , is equal to . The equation is of this form, where , , and
. Substituting these values into the discriminant, , yields . Setting the discriminant
equal to yields , or . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields
. Dividing both sides of this equation by yields . Note that 35/2 and 17.5 are examples of ways to enter
a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 65244c8d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables
(x-2)2 = 3x + 34
x2 - 4x + 4 = 3x + 34
ID: 65244c8d x2 - 7x - 30 = 0
x2 - 10x +3x - 30 = 0
x(x-10) + 3 (x-10)=0
What is the smallest solution to the given equation? (x+3)(x-10)=0
x = 10, -3
ID: 65244c8d Answer
Correct Answer: -3

Rationale

The correct answer is . Squaring both sides of the given equation yields , which can be rewritten as
. Subtracting and from both sides of this equation yields . This quadratic
equation can be rewritten as . According to the zero product property, equals zero when
either or . Solving each of these equations for yields or . Therefore, the given equation
has two solutions, and . Of these two solutions, is the smallest solution to the given equation.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 5822c232
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 5822c232
Done

Which expression is equivalent to ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 5822c232 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. Factoring the denominator in the second term of the given expression gives . This
expression can be rewritten with common denominators by multiplying the first term by , giving . Adding
these two terms yields . Using the distributive property to rewrite this expression gives .
Combining the like terms in the numerator of this expression gives .

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

 7, 5, 13

Question ID fe81a236
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: fe81a236

The function is defined by . The value of is , where is a constant. What is the sum of
all possible values of ?

ID: fe81a236 Answer

Correct Answer: 25

Rationale

The correct answer is . The value of is the value of when , where is a constant. Substituting
for in the given equation yields , which is equivalent to
. It’s given that the value of is . Substituting for in the equation
yields . Since the product of the three factors on the
right-hand side of this equation is equal to , at least one of these three factors must be equal to . Therefore, the possible values
of can be found by setting each factor equal to . Setting the first factor equal to yields . Adding to both sides
of this equation yields . Therefore, is one possible value of . Setting the second factor equal to yields .
Adding to both sides of this equation yields . Therefore, is a second possible value of . Setting the third factor equal
to yields . Taking the square root of both sides of this equation yields . Adding to both sides of
this equation yields . Therefore, is a third possible value of . Adding the three possible values of yields
, or . Therefore, the sum of all possible values of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 54bf74ea
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 54bf74ea

The given function models the population of Lowell years after a census. Which of the following functions best models the
population of Lowell months after the census?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 54bf74ea Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. It’s given that the function models the population of Lowell years after a census. Since there are
months in a year, months after the census is equivalent to years after the census. Substituting for in the equation
yields . Therefore, the function that best models the population of Lowell
months after the census is .

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 8217606b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 8217606b

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: 8217606b Answer

Correct Answer: .0625, 1/16

Rationale

The correct answer is . Let and represent the solutions to the given equation. Then, the given equation can be rewritten as
, or . Since this equation is equivalent to the given equation, it follows that
. Dividing both sides of this equation by yields , or .
Therefore, the sum of the solutions to the given equation, , is equal to . Since it's given that the sum of the
solutions to the given equation is , where is a constant, it follows that . 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 , where and are positive constants.
Dividing both sides of this equation by yields . The solutions for a quadratic equation in the form
, where , , and are constants, can be calculated using the quadratic formula, and
. It follows that the sum of the solutions to a quadratic equation in the form is
, which can be rewritten as , which is equivalent to , or . In
the equation , , , and . Substituting for and for
in yields , which can be rewritten as . Thus, the sum of the solutions to the given equation is
. Since it's given that the sum of the solutions to the given equation is , where is a constant, it follows
that .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a51ff0d6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: a51ff0d6

The function is defined by the given equation. For what value of does reach its minimum?

ID: a51ff0d6 Answer

Correct Answer: -7

Rationale

The correct answer is . For a quadratic function defined by an equation of the form , where , , and
are constants and , the function reaches its minimum when . In the given function, , , and .
Therefore, the value of for which reaches its minimum is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 0e4cd7da
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 0e4cd7da

Which quadratic equation has no real solutions?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 0e4cd7da Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. The number of solutions to a quadratic equation in the form , where , , and are
constants, can be determined by the value of the discriminant, . If the value of the discriminant is greater than zero, then
the quadratic equation has two distinct real solutions. If the value of the discriminant is equal to zero, then the quadratic equation
has exactly one real solution. If the value of the discriminant is less than zero, then the quadratic equation has no real solutions.
For the quadratic equation in choice D, , , , and . Substituting for , for , and
for in yields , or . Since is less than zero, it follows that the quadratic equation
has no real solutions.

Choice A is incorrect. The value of the discriminant for this quadratic equation is . Since is greater than zero, it follows
that this quadratic equation has two real solutions.

Choice B is incorrect. The value of the discriminant for this quadratic equation is . Since zero is equal to zero, it follows that this
quadratic equation has exactly one real solution.

Choice C is incorrect. The value of the discriminant for this quadratic equation is . Since is greater than zero, it
follows that this quadratic equation has two real solutions.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 4443355f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 4443355f

The expression , where is a constant, can be rewritten as , where , , and are integer
constants. Which of the following must be an integer?

A.

B.

C. Greatly Done

D.

ID: 4443355f Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. It's given that can be rewritten as . The expression can
be rewritten as , or . Therefore, is equivalent to
. It follows that . Dividing each side of this equation by yields . Since is an integer,
must be an integer. Therefore, must also be an integer.

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 427f0eea
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 427f0eea

The function gives the product of a number, , and a number that is more than . Which equation defines ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 427f0eea Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. It’s given that the function gives the product of a number, , and a number that is more than . A number
that is more than can be represented by the expression . Therefore, can be defined by the equation
, or .

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 a1397504
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: a1397504

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

ID: a1397504 Answer

Correct Answer: .09, 9/100

Rationale

The correct answer is . It's given that the expression can be rewritten as .
Applying the distributive property to the expression yields . Therefore,
can be rewritten as . It follows that in the expressions
and , the coefficients of are equivalent, the coefficients of are equivalent, and the constant terms are
equivalent. Therefore, , , and . Solving any of these equations for yields the value of .
Dividing both sides of the equation by yields . Therefore, the value of is . Note that .09 and 9/100
are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 536832c0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 536832c0

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: 536832c0 Answer

Correct Answer: 6 Done
Rationale

The correct answer is . It’s given that a line with equation intersects a parabola with equation , where
is a positive constant, at exactly one point in the xy-plane. It follows that the system of equations consisting of and
has exactly one solution. Dividing both sides of the equation of the line by yields . Substituting
for in the equation of the parabola yields . Adding and subtracting from both sides of this equation
yields . A quadratic equation in the form of , where , , and are constants, has
exactly one solution when the discriminant, , is equal to zero. Substituting for and for in the expression
and setting this expression equal to yields , or . Adding to each side of this
equation yields . Taking the square root of each side of this equation yields . It’s given that is positive, so the
value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 32dc74a4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 32dc74a4

A right rectangular prism has a height of inches. The length of the prism's base is inches, which is inches more than the
width of the prism's base. Which function gives the volume of the prism, in cubic inches, in terms of the length of the prism's
base?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 32dc74a4 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. The volume of a right rectangular prism can be represented by a function that gives the volume of the
prism, in cubic inches, in terms of the length of the prism's base. The volume of a right rectangular prism is equal to the area of its
base times its height. It's given that the length of the prism's base is inches, which is inches more than the width of the prism's
base. This means that the width of the prism's base is inches. It follows that the area of the prism's base, in square inches,
is and the volume, in cubic inches, of the prism is . Thus, the function that gives the volume of this right
rectangular prism, in cubic inches, in terms of the length of the prism's base, , is .

Choice A is incorrect. This function would give the volume of the prism if the height were inches more than the length of its
base and the width of the base were inches more than its length.

Choice B is incorrect. This function would give the volume of the prism if the height were inches more than the length of its
base.

Choice C is incorrect. This function would give the volume of the prism if the width of the base were inches more than its length,
rather than the length of the base being inches more than its width.

Question Difficulty: Hard

 x2-48x+576+1728
(x-24)2+1728
Question ID 1d670e5f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 1d670e5f

What is the minimum value of the given function?

ID: 1d670e5f Answer

Correct Answer: 1728

Rationale

The correct answer is . The given function can be rewritten in the form , where is a positive
constant and the minimum value, , of the function occurs when the value of is . By completing the square,
can be written as , or .
This equation is in the form , where , , and . Therefore, the minimum value of the
given function is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 78eae128
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 78eae128

In the given equation, and are unique positive constants. When the equation is graphed in the xy-plane, how many distinct x-
intercepts does the graph have?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 78eae128 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. An x-intercept of a graph in the xy-plane is a point on the graph where the value of is . Substituting for
in the given equation yields . By the zero product property, the solutions to this equation
are , , , and . However, and are identical. It's given that and are unique positive
constants. It follows that the equation has unique solutions: , , and
. Thus, the graph of the given equation has distinct x-intercepts.

Choice A is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.

Choice C is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.

Choice D is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9502a1aa
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 9502a1aa

An auditorium has seats for people. Tickets to attend a show at the auditorium currently cost . For each
increase to the ticket price, fewer tickets will be sold. This situation can be modeled by the equation
, where represents the increase in ticket price, in dollars, and represents the revenue, in
dollars, from ticket sales. If this equation is graphed in the xy-plane, at what value of is the maximum of the graph?

A.
-100(x2-14x -72)
B. -100(x2-14x+49-49
C.
-72)
-100(x-7)2-121
D.

ID: 9502a1aa Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. It’s given that the situation can be modeled by the equation , where
represents the increase in ticket price, in dollars, and represents the revenue, in dollars, from ticket sales. Since the coefficient of
the term is negative, the graph of this equation in the xy-plane opens downward and reaches its maximum value at its vertex. If
a quadratic equation in the form , where , , and are constants, is graphed in the xy-plane, the x-coordinate
of the vertex is equal to . For the equation , , , and . It
follows that the x-coordinate of the vertex is , or . Therefore, if the given equation is graphed in the xy-plane, the
maximum of the graph occurs at an x-value of .

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

Choice C 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 6c28bdc9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

x2+x-56=4x2-28x
ID: 6c28bdc9 3x2-29x+56=0
-b/a

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

ID: 6c28bdc9 Answer

Correct Answer: 29/3, 9.666, 9.667

Rationale

The correct answer is . Applying the distributive property to the left-hand side of the given equation, , yields
. Applying the distributive property to the right-hand side of the given equation, , yields . Thus,
the equation becomes . Combining like terms on the left- and right-hand sides of this equation yields
, or . For a quadratic equation in the form ,

where , , and are constants, the quadratic formula gives the solutions to the equation in the form .
Substituting for , for , and for from the equation into the quadratic formula yields

, or . It follows that the solutions to the given equation are and .

Adding these two solutions gives the sum of the solutions: , which is equivalent to , or . Note
that 29/3, 9.666, and 9.667 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c9d2651d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: c9d2651d

If , what is the value of ?

ID: c9d2651d Answer

Correct Answer: 5

Rationale

The correct answer is . Dividing each side of the given equation by yields . Adding to each side of this
equation yields . Therefore, if , the value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID eafd61d3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: eafd61d3

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

ID: eafd61d3 Answer

Correct Answer: -419

Rationale

The correct answer is . It's given that the expression is equivalent to the expression ,
where , , and are constants. Applying the distributive property to the given expression, , yields
, which can be rewritten as . Combining like terms
yields . Since this expression is equivalent to , it follows that the value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 80803aed
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 80803aed

The function is defined by , where is a constant. In the xy-plane, the graph of passes
through the point . What is the value of ?

ID: 80803aed Answer

Correct Answer: 336

Rationale

The correct answer is . By the zero product property, if , then , which gives , or
, which gives . Therefore, when and when . Since the graph of passes
through the point , it follows that , so . Substituting for in the equation
yields . The value of can be calculated by substituting for in this equation, which yields
, or .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b40b491b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: b40b491b

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: b40b491b Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. Dividing each side of the given equation by yields , or . Because it's given

that each of the variables is positive, squaring each side of this equation yields the equivalent equation .

Subtracting from each side of this equation yields , or .

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 455fd7e9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 455fd7e9

x
‒10 ‒8 ‒6 ‒4 ‒2 O 2 4 6 8 10
‒2

‒4

‒6

‒8

‒10
The graph of is shown, where , and , , and are constants. For how many values of does
?

A. Three

B. Two

C. One

D. Zero

ID: 455fd7e9 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. Each point on the graph of in the xy-plane gives a value of and its corresponding value of
, or . For any value of for which , there is a corresponding point on the graph of with a y-coordinate of
. A point with a y-coordinate of is a point where the graph intersects the x-axis. It's given that , where , , and
are constants. In the xy-plane, the graph of an equation of this form will lie entirely either above or below the horizontal line
defined by . The part of the graph of shown lies entirely below the horizontal line defined by , and thus the
entire graph of must lie below the line defined by . It follows that the graph of will never intersect the
x-axis. Therefore, there are zero values of x for which .

Choice A is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.

Choice B is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.

Choice C is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID d9799723
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: d9799723

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

Done

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: d9799723 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. Adding to each side of the given equation yields . To complete the square, adding ,
or , to each side of this equation yields , or . Taking the square root of each
side of this equation yields . Adding to each side of this equation yields . Therefore, the
solutions to the given equation are and . The sum of these solutions is
, or .

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 68fb4847
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 68fb4847

Which expression is equivalent to , where ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 68fb4847 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. Two fractions can be added together when they have a common denominator. Since , multiplying the
second term in the given expression by yields , which is equivalent to . Therefore, the expression can
be written as which is equivalent to . Since each term in the numerator of this expression has a factor of
, the expression can be rewritten as , or , which is equivalent to .

Choice A is incorrect. This expression is equivalent to .

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

Choice C is incorrect. This expression is equivalent to .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9298a52e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 9298a52e

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

ID: 9298a52e Answer

Correct Answer: -10

Rationale

The correct answer is . Adding to both sides of the second equation in the given system yields .
Substituting for in the first equation in the given system yields . Subtracting from both
sides of this equation yields . Factoring the left-hand side of this equation yields ,
or . Taking the square root of both sides of this equation yields . Subtracting from both sides of
this equation yields . Therefore, the value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e24f00be
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: e24f00be

The product of two positive integers is . If the first integer is greater than twice the second integer, what is the smaller of the
two integers?

ID: e24f00be Answer

Correct Answer: 14

Rationale

The correct answer is . Let represent the first integer and represent the second integer. If the first integer is greater than
twice the second integer, then . It's given that the product of the two integers is ; therefore .
Substituting for in this equation yields , which can be written as . Subtracting
from each side of this equation yields . The left-hand side of this equation can be factored by finding two
values whose product is , or , and whose sum is . The two values whose product is and whose sum is
are and . Thus, the equation can be rewritten as , which is equivalent
to , or . By the zero product property, it follows that or
. Subtracting from both sides of the equation yields . Dividing both sides of this equation
by yields . Since is a positive integer, the value of isn't . Adding to both sides of the equation
yields . Substituting for in the equation yields . Dividing both sides of this equation by
yields . Therefore, the two integers are and , so the smaller of the two integers is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ec3981ea
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: ec3981ea

If is a factor of the expression , where and are constants and , what is the value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: ec3981ea Answer Text

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. If is a factor of the expression , then the expression can be written as
, where and are constants. This expression can be rewritten as , or
. Since this expression is equivalent to , it follows that , , and
. Dividing each side of the equation by yields . Substituting for in the equation
yields . Adding to each side of this equation yields . Substituting for in the equation
yields . Since is positive, dividing each side of this equation by yields .
Multiplying each side of this equation by yields .

Alternate approach: The expression can be written as , which is a difference of two squares. It follows

that is equivalent to . It’s given that is a factor of

, so the factor is equal to . Adding to both sides of the equation

yields . Since is positive, dividing both sides of this equation by yields

. Squaring both sides of this equation yields . Multiplying both sides of this equation by yields .

Choice A is incorrect. This value of gives the expression , or . This expression doesn't have
as a factor.

Choice B is incorrect. This value of gives the expression , or . This expression

doesn't have as a factor.

Choice C is incorrect. This value of gives the expression , or . This expression

doesn't have as a factor.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a2d5ec41
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: a2d5ec41

Two variables, and , are related such that for each increase of in the value of , the value of increases by a factor of .
When , . Which equation represents this relationship?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: a2d5ec41 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. Since the value of increases by a constant factor, , for each increase of in the value of , the relationship
between and is exponential. An exponential relationship between and can be represented by an equation of the form
, where is the value of when and increases by a factor of for each increase of in the value of . Since
when , . Since increases by a factor of for each increase of in the value of , . Substituting
for and for in the equation yields . Thus, the equation represents the relationship
between and .

Choice A is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.

Choice B is incorrect. This equation represents a relationship where for each increase of in the value of , the value of
increases by a factor of , not , and when , is equal to , not .

Choice C is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 5ec80061
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 5ec80061

The given function models the number of coupons a company sent to their customers at the end of each year, where
represents the number of years since the end of , and . If is graphed in the ty-plane, which of the
following is the best interpretation of the y-intercept of the graph in this context?

A. The minimum estimated number of coupons the company sent to their customers during the years was .

B. The minimum estimated number of coupons the company sent to their customers during the years was .

C. The estimated number of coupons the company sent to their customers at the end of was .

D. The estimated number of coupons the company sent to their customers at the end of was .

ID: 5ec80061 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. The y-intercept of a graph in the ty-plane is the point where . For the given function , the y-intercept of
the graph of in the ty-plane can be found by substituting for in the equation , which gives
. This is equivalent to , or . Therefore, the y-intercept of the graph of is
. It’s given that the function models the number of coupons a company sent to their customers at the end of each
year. Therefore, represents the estimated number of coupons the company sent to their customers at the end of each year.
It's also given that represents the number of years since the end of . Therefore, represents years since the end of
, or the end of . Thus, the best interpretation of the y-intercept of the graph of is that the estimated number of
coupons the company sent to their customers at the end of was .

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 a6c47b9c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: a6c47b9c

The function is defined by . What is the y-intercept of the graph of in the xy-plane?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: a6c47b9c Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. The y-intercept of the graph of in the xy-plane occurs at the point on the graph where . In
other words, when , the corresponding value of is the y-coordinate of the y-intercept. Substituting for in the given
equation yields , which is equivalent to , or . Thus, when , the
corresponding value of is . Therefore, the y-intercept of the graph of in the xy-plane is .

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

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

Choice D is incorrect. This could be the y-intercept for , not .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1145bfcc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 1145bfcc

The given equation relates the variables and . For what value of does the value of reach its minimum?

ID: 1145bfcc Answer 06/01/2026

Correct Answer: 7

Rationale

The correct answer is . When an equation is of the form , where , , and are constants, the value of
reaches its minimum when . Since the given equation is of the form , it follows that ,
, and . Therefore, the value of reaches its minimum when , or .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c7f7ccdd
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: c7f7ccdd

The rational function is defined by an equation in the form , where and are constants. The partial graph of
is shown. If , which equation could define function ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: c7f7ccdd Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. It's given that and that the graph shown is a partial graph of . Substituting for
in the equation yields . The graph passes through the point . Substituting for and for
in the equation yields . Multiplying each side of this equation by yields , or
. The graph also passes through the point . Substituting for and for in the equation
yields . Multiplying each side of this equation by yields , or . Substituting
for in this equation yields . Adding to each side of this equation yields .
Subtracting from each side of this equation yields . Dividing each side of this equation by yields . Substituting
for in the equation yields , or . Substituting for and for in the equation
 yields . It's given that . Substituting for in the equation yields
, which is equivalent to . It follows that .

Choice A is incorrect. This could define function if .

Choice B is incorrect. This could define function if .

Choice D is incorrect. This could define function if .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a0b9a635
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: a0b9a635

The function is defined by the given equation. Which of the following equivalent forms of the equation displays the maximum
value of the function as a constant or coefficient?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: a0b9a635 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. The given equation is quadratic. The maximum value of a function defined by a quadratic equation can be
displayed as a constant in the vertex form of the equation, , where the maximum value of the function is
, which occurs when , and is a constant. The given equation can be rewritten in this form by completing the square. To
complete the square, the given equation can be rewritten as , which is equivalent to
, or . This equation is in vertex form, where ,
, and . Therefore, displays the maximum value, , of the function as a constant.

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

Choice B is incorrect. This form displays one of the zeros, not the maximum value, of the function as a constant.

Choice D is incorrect. This form displays the zeros, not the maximum value, of the function as constants.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2833ad7d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 2833ad7d

A model estimates that at the end of each year from to , the number of squirrels in a population was more than
the number of squirrels in the population at the end of the previous year. The model estimates that at the end of , there were
squirrels in the population. Which of the following equations represents this model, where is the estimated number of
squirrels in the population years after the end of and ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 2833ad7d Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. Since the model estimates that the number of squirrels in the population increased by a fixed percentage,
, each year, the model can be represented by an exponential equation of the form , where is the
estimated number of squirrels in the population at the end of , and the model estimates that at the end of each year, the
number is more than the number at the end of the previous year. Since the model estimates that at the end of each year, the
number was more than the number at the end of the previous year, . Substituting for in the equation
yields , which is equivalent to , or . It’s given that the
estimated number of squirrels at the end of was . This means that when , . Substituting for and
for in the equation yields , or . Dividing each side of this equation by yields
. Substituting for in the equation yields .

Choice A is incorrect. This equation represents a model where at the end of each year, the estimated number of squirrels was
of, not more than, the estimated number at the end of the previous year.

Choice C is incorrect. This equation represents a model where at the end of each year, the estimated number of squirrels was
of, not more than, the estimated number at the end of the previous year, and the estimated number of squirrels at
the end of , not the end of , was .

Choice D is incorrect. This equation represents a model where the estimated number of squirrels at the end of , not the end
of , was .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 317d165b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 317d165b

The function is defined by the given equation. If , which of the following equations defines the function ?

A.

B. LETS GO!!! ADAM IS SO SMART YIPPEE YES LETS GO!!!!!

C.

D.

ID: 317d165b Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. It’s given that and . Substituting for in gives

. Rewriting this equation using properties of exponents gives , which is equivalent to
. Multiplying and in this equation gives . Since ,
.

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

Choice C 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 2a093c45
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 2a093c45
Text

The function is defined by the given equation. For what value of does reach its minimum?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 2a093c45 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. It's given that , which can be rewritten as . Since the
coefficient of the -term is positive, the graph of in the xy-plane opens upward and reaches its minimum value at its
vertex. The x-coordinate of the vertex is the value of such that reaches its minimum. For an equation in the form
, where , , and are constants, the x-coordinate of the vertex is . For the equation
, , , and . It follows that the x-coordinate of the vertex is , or . Therefore,
reaches its minimum when the value of is .

Alternate approach: The value of for the vertex of a parabola is the x-value of the midpoint between the two x-intercepts of the
parabola. Since it’s given that , it follows that the two x-intercepts of the graph of in the xy-
plane occur when and , or at the points and . The midpoint between two points, and
, is . Therefore, the midpoint between and is , or . It follows
that reaches its minimum when the value of is .

Choice A is incorrect. This is the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph of in the xy-plane.

Choice B is incorrect. This is one of the x-coordinates of the x-intercepts of the graph of in the xy-plane.

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9d146dca
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

Text
ID: 9d146dca

Which of the following expressions has a factor of , where is a positive integer constant?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 9d146dca Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. Since each choice has a term of , which can be written as , and each choice has a term of ,
which can be written as , the expression that has a factor of , where is a positive integer constant, can be
represented as . Using the distributive property of multiplication, this expression is equivalent to
, or . Combining the x-terms in this expression yields .
It follows that the coefficient of the x-term is equal to . Thus, from the given choices, must be equal to , , , or
. Therefore, must be equal to , , , or , respectively, and must be equal to , , , or , respectively. Of these
four values of , only , or , is a positive integer. It follows that must be equal to because this is the only choice for
which the value of is a positive integer constant. Therefore, the expression that has a factor of is .

Choice A is incorrect. If this expression has a factor of , then the value of is , which isn't positive.

Choice B is incorrect. If this expression has a factor of , then the value of is , which isn't an integer.

Choice C is incorrect. If this expression has a factor of , then the value of is , which isn't an integer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

06/13/2026
Question ID a4a86ebb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: a4a86ebb

In the xy-plane, a parabola has vertex and intersects the x-axis at two points. If the equation of the parabola is written in
the form , where , , and are constants, which of the following could be the value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: a4a86ebb Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. The equation of a parabola in the xy-plane can be written in the form , where is a
constant and is the vertex of the parabola. If is positive, the parabola will open upward, and if is negative, the parabola
will open downward. It’s given that the parabola has vertex . Substituting for and for in the equation
gives , which can be rewritten as , or
. Distributing the factor of on the right-hand side of this equation yields
. Therefore, the equation of the parabola, , can be written in the
form , where , , and . Substituting for and for in the
expression yields , or . Since the vertex of the parabola, , is below the
x-axis, and it’s given that the parabola intersects the x-axis at two points, the parabola must open upward. Therefore, the constant
must have a positive value. Setting the expression equal to the value in choice D yields . Adding
to both sides of this equation yields . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields , which is a positive value.
Therefore, if the equation of the parabola is written in the form , where , , and are constants, the value of
could be .

Choice A is incorrect. If the equation of a parabola with a vertex at is written in the form , where , ,
and are constants and , then the value of will be negative, which means the parabola will open downward,
not upward, and will intersect the x-axis at zero points, not two points.

Choice B is incorrect. If the equation of a parabola with a vertex at is written in the form , where , ,
and are constants and , then the value of will be negative, which means the parabola will open downward,
not upward, and will intersect the x-axis at zero points, not two points.

Choice C is incorrect. If the equation of a parabola with a vertex at is written in the form , where , ,
and are constants and , then the value of will be , which is inconsistent with the equation of a parabola.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 05cec180
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 05cec180

Which expression is equivalent to ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 05cec180 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. The expression can be rewritten as . To add the two terms of this expression, the
terms can be rewritten with a common denominator. Since , the expression can be rewritten as . Since
, the expression can be rewritten as . Therefore, the expression can be rewritten as
, which is equivalent to . Applying the distributive property to each term of the
numerator yields , or . Adding like terms in the numerator yields .

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 b91b2899
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: b91b2899

The function is defined by the given equation. The equation can be rewritten as , where is a constant.
Which of the following is closest to the value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: b91b2899 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. The equation can be rewritten as , which is equivalent to

, or approximately . Since it's given that can be rewritten as
, where is a constant, it follows that is approximately equal to . Therefore, is
approximately equal to . It follows that the value of is approximately equal to . Of the given choices, is
closest to the value of .

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

Choice C 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 f5f840a0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: f5f840a0

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

ID: f5f840a0 Answer

Correct Answer: 3.44, 86/25

Rationale

The correct answer is . It’s given that and that for each increase in by , the value of decreases by .
Because the output of the function decreases by a constant percentage for each -unit increase in the value of , this relationship
can be represented by an exponential function of the form , where represents the initial value of the function and
represents the rate of decay,
expressed as a decimal. Because , the value of must be . Because the value of decreases by for each
-unit increase in , the value of must be , or . Therefore, the function can be defined by .
Substituting for in this function yields , which is equivalent to , or . Either
or may be entered as the correct answer.

Alternate approach: It’s given that and that for each increase in by , the value of decreases by .
Therefore, when , the value of is , or , of , which can be expressed as . Since
, the value of is . Similarly, when , the value of is of , which can be expressed
as . Since , the value of is . Either or may be entered as the correct
answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 03d0309b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 03d0309b

In the xy-plane, when the graph of the function , where , is shifted up units, the resulting graph is defined by the
function . If the graph of crosses through the point , where is a constant, what is the value of ?

ID: 03d0309b Answer

Correct Answer: 48 06/14/2026
Rationale

The correct answer is . It's given that in the xy-plane, when the graph of the function , where , is shifted up units,
the resulting graph is defined by the function . Therefore, function can be defined by the equation . It's given
that . Substituting for in the equation yields
. For the point , the value of is . Substituting for in the equation
yields , or . It follows that the graph of
crosses through the point . Therefore, the value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 8e46ba71
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 8e46ba71 Text

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

ID: 8e46ba71 Answer

Correct Answer: 231

Rationale

The correct answer is . It's given that . Squaring both sides of this equation yields ,
which is equivalent to the given equation if . It follows that if a solution to the equation satisfies
, then it's also a solution to the given equation; if not, it's extraneous. The equation can be
rewritten as . Adding to both sides of this equation yields . Subtracting
from both sides of this equation yields . The number of solutions to a quadratic equation in the
form , where , , and are constants, can be determined by the value of the discriminant, .
Substituting for , for , and for in yields , or . The
equation has exactly one real solution if the discriminant is equal to zero, or .
Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields .
Therefore, if , then the equation has exactly one real solution. Substituting for
in this equation yields , or , which is equivalent to
. Taking the square root of both sides of this equation yields . Adding to both sides of this
equation yields . To check whether this solution satisfies , the solution, , can be substituted for in
, which yields , or . Since is greater than , it follows that if , or , then
the given equation has exactly one real solution. If , then the discriminant, , is negative and the given equation
has no solutions. Therefore, the minimum possible value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

 3x*2
Question ID fead0fc7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: fead0fc7

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

ID: fead0fc7 Answer

Correct Answer: 361/8, 45.12, 45.13

Rationale

The correct answer is . The rational exponent property is , where , and are integers, and . This
property can be applied to rewrite the given expression as , or .

This expression can be rewritten by multiplying the constants, which gives . The multiplication exponent property is

, where . This property can be applied to rewrite the expression as , or .

Therefore, . It's given that is equivalent to ; therefore, and . It
follows that . Finding a common denominator on the right-hand side of this equation gives ,
or . Note that 361/8, 45.12, and 45.13 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e1774551
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: e1774551

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: e1774551 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. By the definition of absolute value, if , then or .

Subtracting from both sides of the equation yields . Dividing both sides of this equation by
yields . Subtracting from both sides of the equation yields . Dividing both sides of
this equation by yields . Therefore, the solutions to the given equation are and , and it follows that the sum of
the solutions to the given equation is , or .

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

Choice B is incorrect. This is a solution, not the sum of the solutions, to the given equation.

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1caa83ee
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 1caa83ee

For the function , the value of decreases by for every increase in the value of by . If , which equation
defines ?

A. 6/19/2026
Good job, Adam!
B.

C.

D.

ID: 1caa83ee Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. Since the value of decreases by a fixed percentage, , for every increase in the value of by , the
function is a decreasing exponential function. A decreasing exponential function can be written in the form
, where is the value of and the value of decreases by for every increase in the value of by
. If , then . Since the value of decreases by for every increase in the value of by , .
Substituting for and for in the equation yields , which is equivalent to
, or .

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. For this function, the value of increases, rather than decreases, by for every increase in the value
of by .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3ae42a32
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 3ae42a32

The functions and are defined by the given equations, where . Which of the following equations displays, as a constant
or coefficient, the minimum value of the function it defines, where ?
I.
II.

A. I only

B. II only

C. I and II

D. Neither I nor II

ID: 3ae42a32 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. A function defined by an equation in the form , where , , and are positive constants and
, has a minimum value of . It's given that function is defined by , which is equivalent to
. Substituting for in this equation yields , or . Therefore, the
minimum value of is , so doesn't display its minimum value as a constant or coefficient.
It's also given that function is defined by . Substituting for in this equation yields ,
or . Therefore, the minimum value of is , so doesn't display its minimum
value as a constant or coefficient. Therefore, neither I nor II displays, as a constant or coefficient, the minimum value of the
function it defines, where .

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 3138e379
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 3138e379

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

ID: 3138e379 Answer

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

Rationale

The correct answer is . An expression of the form , where is an integer greater than and , is equivalent to .

Therefore, the given expression, where , is equivalent to . Applying properties of exponents, this

expression can be rewritten as , or , which can be rewritten as , or . It's given

that the expression is equivalent to , where . It follows that is equivalent to .

Therefore, . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields , or . Thus, the value of for which the
given expression is equivalent to , where , is . Note that 4/225, .0177, .0178, 0.017, and 0.018 are examples of
ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

 b=-26
23=a2-26

Question ID ae4d719d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: ae4d719d

The function is defined by , where and are constants and . In the xy-plane, the graph of has
a y-intercept at and passes through the point . What is the value of ?

ID: ae4d719d Answer

Correct Answer: -19

Rationale

The correct answer is . It's given that function is defined by , where and are constants and . It's
also given that the graph of in the xy-plane has a y-intercept at and passes through the point . Since
the graph has a y-intercept at , . Substituting for in the given equation yields , or
, and substituting for in this equation yields . Subtracting from each side of this equation
yields . Substituting for in the equation yields . Since the graph also passes
through the point , . Substituting for in the equation yields , and
substituting for yields . Adding to each side of this equation yields . Taking the square root of
both sides of this equation yields . Since it's given that , the value of is . It follows that the value of is
, or .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6a8a7fbd
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 6a8a7fbd a√-24+b=0

a√24+b<0
The function is defined by , where and are constants. In the xy-plane, the graph of passes
through the point , and . Which of the following must be true?

A.
06/24/2026
B.

C.

D.

ID: 6a8a7fbd Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. It's given that . Substituting for in the equation yields
. Therefore, . Since can't be negative, it follows that . It's also given that the
graph of passes through the point . It follows that when , . Substituting for and
for in the equation yields . By the zero product property, either or
. Since , it follows that . Squaring both sides of this equation yields . Adding
to both sides of this equation yields . Since and is , it follows that must be true.

Choice A is incorrect. The value of is , which must be negative.

Choice B is incorrect. The value of is , which could be , but doesn't have to be.

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 81aa6aa9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 81aa6aa9

When the quadratic function is graphed in the xy-plane, where , its vertex is . One of the x-intercepts of this
graph is . What is the other x-intercept of the graph?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 81aa6aa9 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. Since the line of symmetry for the graph of a quadratic function contains the vertex of the graph, the x-
coordinate of the vertex of the graph of is the x-coordinate of the midpoint of its two x-intercepts. The midpoint of two
points with x-coordinates and has x-coordinate , where . It′s given that the vertex is and one of the
x-intercepts is . Substituting for and for in the equation yields .
Multiplying each side of this equation by yields . Adding to each side of this equation yields .
Therefore, the other x-intercept is .

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

Choice C 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 b017359f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: b017359f

A submersible device is used for ocean research. The function gives the depth below the
surface of the ocean, in meters, of the submersible device minutes after collecting a sample, where . How many minutes
after collecting the sample did it take for the submersible device to reach the surface of the ocean?

ID: b017359f Answer

Correct Answer: 35

Rationale

The correct answer is . It's given that the function gives the depth below the surface of the
ocean, in meters, of the submersible device minutes after collecting a sample, where . It follows that when the
submersible device is at the surface of the ocean, the value of is . Substituting for in the equation
yields . Multiplying both sides of this equation by yields
. Since a product of two factors is equal to if and only if at least one of the factors is , either
or . Subtracting from both sides of the equation yields . Adding to both
sides of the equation yields . Since , minutes after collecting the sample the submersible device
reached the surface of the ocean.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID cde831b3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: cde831b3

One solution to the given equation can be written as , where is a constant. What is the value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: cde831b3 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. Adding to each side of the given equation yields . To complete the square, adding to each
side of this equation yields , or . Taking the square root of each side of this equation yields
. Adding to each side of this equation yields . Since it's given that one of the solutions to the
equation can be written as , the value of must be .

Alternate approach: It's given that is a solution to the given equation. It follows that . Substituting

for in the given equation yields , or .

Expanding the products on the left-hand side of this equation yields , or . Adding
to each side of this equation yields .

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

Choice C 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 73935d4f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 73935d4f

A park ranger hung squirrel houses each in the shape of a right rectangular prism for fox squirrels. Each house has a height of
inches. The length of each house's base is inches, which is inch more than the width of the house's base. Which function
gives the volume of each house, in cubic inches, in terms of the length of the house's base?

A.

B. 06/29/2026

C.

D.

ID: 73935d4f Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. The volume of a prism is equal to the area of its base times its height. It's given that the length of each
house's base is inches and that this length is inch more than the width, in inches, of the house's base. It follows that the width,
in inches, of the house's base is . The area of a rectangle is the product of its length and its width. Therefore, the area of the
base of the house is square inches. It's given that the height of each house is inches. Therefore, the function that
gives the volume of each house, in cubic inches, in terms of the length of the house's base is , or
.

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

Choice C 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 3e4e3220
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

f(21) =-12
ID: 3e4e3220 f(23) = 4
f(25) = -12

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

ID: 3e4e3220 Answer

Correct Answer: -2112

Rationale

The correct answer is . It's given that is a quadratic function. It follows that can be defined by an equation of the form
, where , , and are constants. It's also given that the table shows three values of and their
corresponding values of , where . Substituting for in this equation yields
. This equation represents a quadratic relationship between and , where is either the maximum
or the minimum value of , which occurs when . For quadratic relationships between and , the maximum or minimum
value of occurs at the value of halfway between any two values of that have the same corresponding value of . The table
shows that x-values of and correspond to the same y-value, . Since is halfway between and , the maximum or
minimum value of occurs at an x-value of . The table shows that when , . It follows that and
. Subtracting from both sides of the equation yields . Substituting for and for in the equation
yields , or . The value of can be found by substituting
any x-value and its corresponding y-value for and , respectively, in this equation. Substituting for and for in this
equation yields , or . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields
, or . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields . Substituting for , for , and for
in the equation yields . The y-intercept of the graph of in the xy-
plane is the point on the graph where . Substituting for in the equation yields
, or . This is equivalent to , so the y-intercept of the graph of
in the xy-plane is . Thus, the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph of in the xy-plane is
.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 95b69a20
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 95b69a20

In the given equation, is a positive constant. Which of the following is one of the solutions to the given equation?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 95b69a20 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. If , then neither side of the given equation is defined and there can be no solution. Therefore,
. Subtracting from both sides of the given equation yields , or .

Squaring both sides of this equation yields , or . Since is positive and,

therefore, nonzero, the expression is defined and equivalent to . It follows that the equation can be
rewritten as , or , which is equivalent to . Adding to both sides
of this equation yields . Taking the square root of both sides of this equation yields two solutions:
and . Therefore, of the given choices, is one of the solutions to the given
equation.

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

Text
Question ID eb92492d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: eb92492d

The area of a triangle is equal to square centimeters. The length of the base of the triangle is centimeters, and the
height of the triangle is centimeters. What is the value of ?

ID: eb92492d Answer

Correct Answer: 110

Rationale

The correct answer is . The area of a triangle is equal to one half of the product of the length of the base of the triangle and
the height of the triangle. It's given that the length of the base of the triangle is centimeters and the height of the triangle
is centimeters; therefore, its area is square centimeters. It's also given that the area of the triangle
is equal to square centimeters. Therefore, it follows that . This equation can be rewritten as
, or . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields . Adding
to both sides of this equation yields . Therefore, the value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 16ff7151
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 16ff7151

The function is defined by the given equation. For what value of does reach its minimum?

7/7/2026
ID: 16ff7151 Answer
Correct Answer: -13/2, -6.5

Rationale

The correct answer is . The value of for which reaches its minimum can be found by rewriting the given equation in
the form , where reaches its minimum, , when the value of is . The given equation,
, can be rewritten as . By completing the square, this equation can be rewritten
as , which is equivalent to , or

. Therefore, reaches its minimum when the value of is . Note that -13/2 and -6.5 are
examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Alternate approach: The graph of in the xy-plane is a parabola. The value of for the vertex of a parabola is the x-value
of the midpoint between the two x-intercepts of the parabola. Since it's given that , it follows that the
two x-intercepts of the graph of in the xy-plane occur when and , or at the points and .
The midpoint between two points, and , is . Therefore, the midpoint between and
is , or . It follows that reaches its minimum when the value of is . Note that -13/2
and -6.5 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b939a904
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: b939a904

In the given equation, is a constant. For which of the following values of will the equation have more than one real solution?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: b939a904 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. A quadratic equation of the form , where , , and are constants, has either no real
solutions, exactly one real solution, or exactly two real solutions. That is, for the given equation to have more than one real
solution, it must have exactly two real solutions. When the value of the discriminant, or , is greater than 0, the given
equation has exactly two real solutions. In the given equation, , and . Therefore, the given
equation has exactly two real solutions when , or . Adding to both sides of this
inequality yields . Taking the square root of both sides of yields two possible inequalities: or
. Of the choices, only choice A satisfies or .

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

Choice C 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 a44eb7d8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: a44eb7d8

The graph of is shown, where and are constants. What is the value of ?

ID: a44eb7d8 Answer

Correct Answer: -24

Rationale

The correct answer is . Since the graph passes through the point , it follows that when the value of is , the value of
is . Substituting for and for in the given equation yields , or . Therefore, the value
of is . Substituting for in the given equation yields . Since the graph passes through the point
, it follows that when the value of is , the value of is . Substituting for and for in the equation
yields , or , which is equivalent to . Adding to
each side of this equation yields . Dividing each side of this equation by yields . Since the value of is and
the value of is , it follows that the value of is , or .

Alternate approach: The given equation represents a parabola in the xy-plane with a vertex at . Therefore, the given
equation, , which is written in standard form, can be written in vertex form, , where
is the vertex of the parabola and is the value of the coefficient on the term when the equation is written in standard form. It
follows that . Substituting for , for , and for in this equation yields , or
. Squaring the binomial on the right-hand side of this equation yields . Multiplying
each term inside the parentheses on the right-hand side of this equation by yields , which is equivalent
to . From the given equation , it follows that the value of is and the value of is .
Therefore, the value of is , or .
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 79eb41b9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 79eb41b9

The quadratic function models the depth, in meters, below the surface of the water of a seal minutes after the seal entered the
water during a dive. The function estimates that the seal reached its maximum depth of meters minutes after it entered
the water and then reached the surface of the water minutes after it entered the water. Based on the function, what was the
estimated depth, to the nearest meter, of the seal minutes after it entered the water?

ID: 79eb41b9 Answer

Correct Answer: 168

Rationale

The correct answer is . The quadratic function gives the estimated depth of the seal, , in meters, minutes after the seal
enters the water. It's given that function estimates that the seal reached its maximum depth of meters minutes after it
entered the water. Therefore, function can be expressed in vertex form as , where is a constant.
Since it's also given that the seal reached the surface of the water after minutes, . Substituting for and for
in yields , or . Dividing both sides of this equation by
gives . Substituting for in gives . Substituting
for in gives , which is equivalent to , or .
Therefore, the estimated depth, to the nearest meter, of the seal minutes after it entered the water was meters.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f85886ff
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: f85886ff

A machine launches a softball from ground level. The softball reaches a maximum height of meters above the ground at
seconds and hits the ground at seconds. Which equation represents the height above ground , in meters, of the softball
seconds after it is launched?

A.

B.
7/11/2026
C.

D.

ID: f85886ff Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. An equation representing the height above ground , in meters, of a softball seconds after it is launched by
a machine from ground level can be written in the form , where , , and are positive constants. In this
equation, represents the time, in seconds, at which the softball reaches its maximum height of meters above the ground. It's
given that this softball reaches a maximum height of meters above the ground at seconds; therefore, and
. Substituting for and for in the equation yields . It's
also given that this softball hits the ground at seconds; therefore, when . Substituting for and for in
the equation yields , which is equivalent to ,
or . Adding to both sides of this equation yields . Dividing both sides of this equation
by yields . Substituting for in the equation yields .
Therefore, represents the height above ground , in meters, of this softball seconds after it is
launched.

Choice A is incorrect. This equation represents a situation where the maximum height is meters above the ground at
seconds, not meters above the ground at seconds.

Choice B is incorrect. This equation represents a situation where the maximum height is meters above the ground at
seconds, not seconds.

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6b56736a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: 6b56736a

Which of the following expressions is(are) a factor of ?

I.
II.

A. I only

B. II only

C. I and II

D. Neither I nor II

ID: 6b56736a Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. The given expression can be factored by first finding two values whose sum is and whose product is
, or . Those two values are and . It follows that the given expression can be rewritten as
. Since the first two terms of this expression have a common factor of and the last two terms of this
expression have a common factor of , this expression can be rewritten as . Since the two terms of this
expression have a common factor of , it can be rewritten as . Therefore, expression II, , is a
factor of , but expression I, , is not a factor of .

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

Choice C 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 1844a2ab
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 1844a2ab

In the given system of equations, is a positive integer constant. The system has no real solutions. What is the least possible
value of ?

ID: 1844a2ab Answer

Correct Answer: 14

Rationale

The correct answer is . It's given by the first equation of the system of equations that . Substituting for in the
second given equation, , yields . Adding to both sides of this equation yields
. A quadratic equation of the form , where , , and are constants, has no real
solutions if and only if its discriminant, , is negative. In the equation , where is a positive
integer constant, , , and . Substituting for , for , and for in yields
, or . Since this value must be negative, . Adding to both
sides of this inequality yields . Dividing both sides of this inequality by yields . Subtracting
from both sides of this inequality yields . Since is a positive integer constant, the least possible value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 98a35f81
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 98a35f81

In the given equation, is an integer constant. If the equation has no real solution, what is the least possible value of ?

ID: 98a35f81 Answer

Correct Answer: 50

Rationale

The correct answer is . An equation of the form , where , , and are constants, has no real solutions if
and only if its discriminant, , is negative. Applying the distributive property to the left-hand side of the equation
yields . Adding to each side of this equation yields .
Substituting for , for , and for in yields a discriminant of , or . If the
given equation has no real solution, it follows that the value of must be negative. Therefore, .
Adding to both sides of this inequality yields . Dividing both sides of this inequality by yields , or
. Since it's given that is an integer, the least possible value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID d5b08036
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: d5b08036

The graph of the given equation in the xy-plane has a y-intercept of . Which of the following equivalent equations displays
the value of as a constant, a coefficient, or the base?

A.
7/16/2026
B.

C.

D.

ID: d5b08036 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. The y-intercept of a graph in the xy-plane is the point where . Substituting for in the given equation,
, yields , which is equivalent to , or . Therefore, the graph of the given
equation in the xy-plane has a y-intercept of . It follows that and . Thus, the equivalent equation
displays the value of as the base.

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

Choice C 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

 a^2-324
Question ID 95954b57
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 95954b57

The function is defined by , where and are constants. In the -plane, the graph of has an -
intercept at and a -intercept at . What is the value of ?

ID: 95954b57 Answer

Correct Answer: -324

Rationale

The correct answer is . It's given that the function is defined by , where and are constants. It's also
given that the graph of has a y-intercept at . It follows that . Substituting for and
for in yields , or . Subtracting from each side of this equation yields
. Therefore, the value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID eec1aa3e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: eec1aa3e

The function is defined by , where . What is the product of and ?

ID: eec1aa3e Answer

Correct Answer: 609

Rationale

The correct answer is . It’s given that the function is defined by , where . Substituting for in
function yields . This function can be rewritten as , or .

Since , it follows that . Substituting for in yields , or

. Similarly, substituting for in function yields . This function can be rewritten as

, or . Since , it again follows that . Substituting for in

yields , or . Therefore, and . Thus, the

product of and is , or .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2d8f1f6a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables
x^2+4x-165
ID: 2d8f1f6a
-4+-26
11 or -30

The graphs of the equations in the given system of equations intersect at the point in the -plane. What is a possible
value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 2d8f1f6a Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. It's given that the graphs of the equations in the given system of equations intersect at the point .
Therefore, this intersection point is a solution to the given system. The solution can be found by isolating in each equation. The
given equation can be rewritten to isolate by subtracting from both sides of the equation, which gives
. The given equation can be rewritten to isolate by subtracting from both sides of the
equation, which gives . With each equation solved for , the value of from one equation can be substituted into
the other, which gives . Adding and to both sides of this equation results in
. Dividing both sides of this equation by results in . This equation can be rewritten by
factoring the left-hand side, which yields . By the zero-product property, if , then
, or . It follows that , or . Since only is given as a choice, a possible value of
is .

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

Choice C 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 962eb92e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 962eb92e
7/22/2026

The given equation relates the variables , , and , where , , and . Which expression is equivalent to ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 962eb92e Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. Adding to each side of the given equation yields . The fractions on the right side of this
equation have a common denominator of ; therefore, the equation can be written as , or , which is
equivalent to . Dividing each side of this equation by yields . Since , , , and are all positive
quantities, taking the reciprocal of each side of the equation yields an equivalent equation: . Multiplying
each side of this equation by yields .

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. This is equivalent to rather than .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1b30fd79
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 1b30fd79

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 1b30fd79 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. It's given that the table shows values of and their corresponding values of , where . It's
also given that is a linear function. It follows that an equation that defines can be written in the form , where
represents the slope and represents the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph of in the xy-plane. The
slope of the graph of can be found using two points, and , that are on the graph of , and the
formula . Since the table shows values of and their corresponding values of , substituting values of and
in the equation can be used to define function . Using the first pair of values from the table, and
, yields , or . Multiplying each side of this equation by yields , so the point
is on the graph of . Using the second pair of values from the table, and , yields
, or . Multiplying each side of this equation by yields , so the point is on the graph of
. Substituting and for and , respectively, in the formula yields
, or . Substituting for in the equation yields . Since ,
substituting for and for in the equation yields , or . Adding to both
sides of this equation yields . It follows that is the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph of .
Therefore, the y-intercept of the graph of is .

Choice B is incorrect. is the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph of .

Choice C is incorrect. is the slope of the graph of .

Choice D is incorrect. is the x-coordinate of the x-intercept of the graph of .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 41ab1df4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 41ab1df4

The function is defined by the given equation. If , which of the following equations defines function ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 41ab1df4 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. It's given that and . Substituting for in yields

. Substituting for in this equation yields . Using the properties of
exponents, the function can be rewritten as , which is equivalent to , or
. Therefore, of the given choices, an equation that defines function is .

Choice B is incorrect. This equation defines function if , not .

Choice C is incorrect. This equation defines function if , not .

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 7b54c7af
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 7b54c7af

The functions and are defined by the given equations, where . Which of the following equations displays, as a constant
or coefficient, the maximum value of the function it defines, where ?
I.
II.

A. I only

B. II only

C. I and II

D. Neither I nor II

ID: 7b54c7af Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. Functions and are both exponential functions with a base of . Since is less than , functions
and are both decreasing exponential functions. This means that and decrease as increases. Since and
decrease as increases, the maximum value of each function occurs at the least value of for which the function is defined. It's
given that functions and are defined for . Therefore, the maximum value of each function occurs at . Substituting
for in the equation defining yields , which is equivalent to , or .
Therefore, the maximum value of is . Since the equation doesn't display the value , the
equation defining doesn't display the maximum value of . Substituting for in the equation defining yields
, which can be rewritten as , or , which is equivalent
to . Therefore, the maximum value of is . Since the equation displays the value , the
equation defining displays the maximum value of . Thus, only equation II displays, as a constant or coefficient, the maximum
value of the function it defines.

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

Choice C 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 2e655326
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 2e655326
7/25/2026

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 2e655326 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. It's given that the equation , where is a constant, has exactly one solution. A
quadratic equation of the form has exactly one solution if and only if its discriminant, , is equal to
zero. It follows that for the given equation, and . Substituting for and for in yields
, or . Since the discriminant must equal zero, it follows that . Subtracting from both
sides of this equation yields . Dividing each side of this equation by yields . Therefore, the value of is
.

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

Choice C 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 edcedac7
Assessment Test r=-4.41 Domain Skill Difficulty
s=-1.59
SAT Math u=-1.17 Advanced Math Nonlinear equations
t=-6.83 in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: edcedac7

The solutions to are and , where . The solutions to are and , where . The
solutions to , where is a constant, are and . What is the value of ?

ID: edcedac7 Answer

Correct Answer: 31

Rationale

The correct answer is . Subtracting from both sides of the equation yields . To complete
the square, adding , or , to both sides of this equation yields , or . Taking the
square root of both sides of this equation yields . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields
. Therefore, the solutions and to the equation are and . Since , it
follows that and . Subtracting from both sides of the equation yields
. To complete the square, adding , or , to both sides of this equation yields , or
. Taking the square root of both sides of this equation yields , or . Subtracting
from both sides of this equation yields . Therefore, the solutions and to the equation are
and . Since , it follows that and . It's given that the solutions to
, where is a constant, are and . It follows that this equation can be written as
, which is equivalent to . Therefore, the value
of is . Substituting for , for , for , and for in this equation
yields , which is equivalent to

, or , which is equivalent to , or . Therefore, the value of

is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 14fe10e5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

|x - 9|=18
ID: 14fe10e5

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

ID: 14fe10e5 Answer

Correct Answer: 18

Rationale

The correct answer is . Subtracting from each side of the given equation yields . By the definition of absolute
value, if , then or . Adding to each side of the equation yields .
Adding to each side of the equation yields . Therefore, the solutions to the given equation are and
, and it follows that the sum of the solutions to the given equation is , or .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f9e32510
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: f9e32510

The function gives a metal ball's height above the ground , in inches, seconds after it started
moving on a track, where . Which of the following is the best interpretation of the vertex of the graph of in
the xy-plane?

A. The metal ball's minimum height was inches above the ground.

B. The metal ball's minimum height was inches above the ground.

C. The metal ball's height was inches above the ground when it started moving.

D. The metal ball's height was inches above the ground when it started moving.

ID: f9e32510 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. The graph of a quadratic equation in the form , where , , and are positive constants,
is a parabola that opens upward with vertex . The given function is in the form
, where , , , and . Therefore, the graph of is a parabola that opens
upward with vertex . Since the parabola opens upward, the vertex is the lowest point on the graph. It follows that the y-
coordinate of the vertex of the graph of is the minimum value of . Therefore, the minimum value of is . It’s
given that represents the metal ball’s height above the ground, in inches, seconds after it started
moving on a track. Therefore, the best interpretation of the vertex of the graph of is that the metal ball’s minimum
height was inches above the ground.

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

Choice C 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 db4aea78
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: db4aea78

y
10

x
‒1 O 1 2 3 4 5
‒2

‒4

The graph of is shown. Which equation defines function ?

7/28/2026
A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: db4aea78 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. The graph of is shown, and the graph passes through the point . Substituting for
and for in this equation yields . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields . Therefore, when
, the value of is . Each of the given choices is in the form , where is a constant. Substituting
for and for in this equation yields , or . Adding to both sides of this equation yields .
Substituting for in the equation yields .

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

Choice C 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 23923e5b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 23923e5b

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 23923e5b Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. It's given that a quadratic function models the height, in feet, of an object above the ground in terms of the
time, in seconds, after the object is launched off an elevated surface. This quadratic function can be defined by an equation of the
form , where is the height of the object seconds after it was launched, and , , and are
constants such that the function reaches its maximum value, , when . Since the model indicates the object reaches its
maximum height of feet above the ground seconds after being launched, reaches its maximum value, , when
. Therefore, and . Substituting for and for in the function yields
. Since the model indicates the object has an initial height of feet above the ground, the value of
is when . Substituting for and for in the equation yields
, or . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields .
Dividing both sides of this equation by yields . Therefore, the model can be represented by the equation
. Substituting for in this equation yields , or
. Therefore, based on the model, seconds after being launched, the height of the object above the ground is feet.

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

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6ef1d0a7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 6ef1d0a7

The function is defined by the given equation. For what value of does reach its minimum?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 6ef1d0a7 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. It's given that , which can be rewritten as . Since the
coefficient of the -term is positive, the graph of in the xy-plane opens upward and reaches its minimum value at its
vertex. For an equation in the form , where , , and are constants, the x-coordinate of the vertex is .
For the equation , , , and . It follows that the x-coordinate of the vertex is
, or . Therefore, reaches its minimum when the value of is .

Choice A is incorrect. This is one of the x-coordinates of the x-intercepts of the graph of in the xy-plane.

Choice C is incorrect. This is one of the x-coordinates of the x-intercepts of the graph of in the xy-plane.

Choice D is incorrect. This is the y-coordinate of the vertex of the graph of in the xy-plane.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 960aabc0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 960aabc0

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

ID: 960aabc0 Answer

Correct Answer: 20.25, 81/4

Rationale

The correct answer is . The given linear equation is . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields .
Substituting for in the equation of the parabola yields . Adding and to both sides of this equation
yields . Since it’s given that the line and the parabola intersect at exactly one point, the equation
must have exactly one solution. An equation of the form , where , , and are
constants, has exactly one solution when the discriminant, , is equal to . In the equation , where
, , and , the discriminant is . Setting the discriminant equal to yields
, or . Adding to both sides of this equation yields . Dividing both sides of this
equation by yields . Note that 81/4 and 20.25 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b9b42f28
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: b9b42f28

Function is a quadratic function where and . The graph of in the xy-plane has a vertex at
. What is the value of ?

ID: b9b42f28 Answer

Correct Answer: -12

Rationale 7/31/2026

The correct answer is . It’s given that function is a quadratic function where and . It follows that
the graph of in the xy-plane passes through the points and . When the graph of a quadratic function
contains two points and , the x-coordinate of the vertex of the graph is the average of and . Therefore, the x-
coordinate of the vertex of the graph of is , or . It's given that the graph of in the xy-plane has a
vertex at . It follows that the value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2b7d8635
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 2b7d8635 Text

In the given system of equations, is a positive constant. The system has exactly one distinct real solution. What is the value of
?

ID: 2b7d8635 Answer

Correct Answer: 14.5, 29/2

Rationale

The correct answer is . According to the first equation in the given system, the value of is . Substituting for in
the second equation in the given system yields . Adding to both sides of this equation yields
. If the given system has exactly one distinct real solution, it follows that has
exactly one distinct real solution. A quadratic equation in the form , where , , and are constants, has
exactly one distinct real solution if and only if the discriminant, , is equal to . The equation is
in this form, where , , and . Therefore, the discriminant of the equation is
, or . Setting the discriminant equal to to solve for yields . Adding to both
sides of this equation yields . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields , or . Therefore, if the given
system of equations has exactly one distinct real solution, the value of is . Note that 29/2 and 14.5 are examples of ways to
enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1ba110f2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 1ba110f2

The function models the population, in thousands, of a certain city years after . According to the model, the population is
predicted to increase by every months. What is the value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 1ba110f2 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. It’s given that the function models the population, in thousands, of a certain city years after . The
value of the base of the given exponential function, , corresponds to an increase of for every increase of in the
exponent, . If the exponent is equal to , then . Multiplying both sides of this equation by yields . If the
exponent is equal to , then . Multiplying both sides of this equation by yields , or . Therefore, the
population is predicted to increase by every of a year. It’s given that the population is predicted to increase by every
months. Since there are months in a year, of a year is equivalent to , or , months. Therefore, the value of is .

Choice B is incorrect. This is the number of months in which the population is predicted to increase by according to the model
, not .

Choice C is incorrect. This is the number of months in which the population is predicted to increase by according to the model
, not .

Choice D is incorrect. This is the number of months in which the population is predicted to increase by according to the model
, not .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 59cf1dd3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 59cf1dd3

How many distinct real solutions does the given equation have?

A. Exactly one

B. Exactly two

C. Infinitely many

D. Zero

ID: 59cf1dd3 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 . Since the right-hand side of the given equation is negative,
there is no value of 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 33cc7555
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 33cc7555
8/3/2026

What is the positive solution to the given equation?

ID: 33cc7555 Answer

Correct Answer: 9

Rationale

The correct answer is . The given equation can be rewritten as . Dividing each side of this equation by yields
. By the definition of absolute value, if , then or . Subtracting from each side of
the equation yields . Dividing each side of this equation by yields . Similarly, subtracting from
each side of the equation yields . Dividing each side of this equation by yields . Therefore,
since the two solutions to the given equation are and , the positive solution to the given equation is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a4b12e2f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: a4b12e2f

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: a4b12e2f Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. It's given that the equation has exactly one solution. A quadratic equation of the form
has exactly one solution if and only if its discriminant, , is equal to zero. It follows that for the
given equation, and . Substituting for and for into yields , or .
Since the discriminant must equal zero, . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields .
Dividing each side of this equation by yields . Therefore, the value of is .

Choice A is incorrect. If the value of is , 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 is , 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 is , 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 aefae524
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: aefae524

The function models the population, in thousands, of a certain city years after . According to the model, the population is
predicted to increase by every months. What is the value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: aefae524 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. It's given that the function models the population of the city years after . Since there are months
in a year, months is equivalent to years. Therefore, the expression can represent the number of years in -month
periods. Substituting for in the given equation yields , which is equivalent to
. Therefore, for each -month period, the predicted population of the city is times, or of, the
previous population. This means that the population is predicted to increase by every months.

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

Choice B is incorrect. Each year, the predicted population of the city is times the previous year's predicted population, which
is not the same as an increase of .

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 46be0119
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 46be0119

The function is defined by the given equation, where and are constants. In the xy-plane, the graph of passes
through the point , and . What is the value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 46be0119 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. It's given that in the xy-plane, the graph of passes through the point . It follows that
. Substituting for and for in the given equation yields , which is equivalent to , or
. Multiplying each side of this equation by yields . Substituting for in the equation defining the function
yields . It's given that . Substituting for and for in the equation
yields . Since a rational expression equals if and only if its numerator is , it follows that
, or . Dividing each side of this equation by yields , or
. Adding to each side of this equation yields , so the value of is .

Choice B is incorrect. This is the value of , not the value of .

Choice C is incorrect. This is a value of for which , not the value of .

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b136bc4f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: b136bc4f 8/6/2026

In the given equation, and . If , where is a constant, what is the value of ?

ID: b136bc4f Answer

Correct Answer: .5061, .5062, 41/81

Rationale

The correct answer is . An expression of the form , where and are integers greater than and , is equivalent
to . Therefore, the expression on the left-hand side of the given equation is equivalent to ; thus, . If ,
where is a constant, then substituting for in the equation yields . It's given that ; therefore,
. Multiplying each side of this equation by yields . Distributing multiplication over
subtraction yields . Adding to each side of this equation yields . Dividing each side of this equation
by yields . Therefore, if , where is a constant, the value of is . Note that 41/81, .5061, .5062, and
0.506 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9f13fad1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 9f13fad1

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

ID: 9f13fad1 Answer

Correct Answer: -1

Rationale

The correct answer is . A quadratic equation in the form , where , , and are constants, has exactly one
solution when its discriminant, , is equal to . In the given equation, , and .
Substituting for and for in yields , or . Since the given equation has exactly
one solution, . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields . Dividing both sides of this
equation by yields . Therefore, the value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b2e26a55
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: b2e26a55

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: b2e26a55 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. In the xy-plane, the graph of the line is a horizontal line that crosses the y-axis at and the graph
of the quadratic equation is a parabola. A parabola can intersect a horizontal line at exactly one point only
at its vertex. Therefore, the value of should be equal to the y-coordinate of the vertex of the graph of the given equation. For a
quadratic equation in vertex form, , the vertex of its graph in the xy-plane is . The given quadratic
equation, , can be rewritten as , or

. Thus, the value of is equal to .

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 032caee7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 032caee7

In the given equation, is a constant. The equation has no real solutions if . What is the least possible value of ?

ID: 032caee7 Answer

Correct Answer: 289

Rationale

The correct answer is . A quadratic equation of the form , where , , and are constants, has no real
solutions when the value of the discriminant, , is less than . In the given equation, , and
. Therefore, the discriminant of the given equation can be expressed as , or . It follows
that the given equation has no real solutions when . Adding to both sides of this inequality yields .
Dividing both sides of this inequality by yields , or . It's given that the equation has no real
solutions when . Therefore, the least possible value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 49de5e98
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 49de5e98

The given equation defines the function . For what value of does reach its minimum?

ID: 49de5e98 Answer

Correct Answer: 25/4, 6.25

Rationale

The correct answer is . The given equation can be rewritten in the form , where , , and are
constants. When , is the value of for which reaches its minimum. The given equation can be rewritten as
, which is equivalent to . This equation can be

rewritten as , or , which is equivalent to

. Therefore, , so the value of for which reaches its minimum is . Note that 25/4
and 6.25 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 54fecb11
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 54fecb11

One solution to the given equation can be written as , where is a constant. What is the value of ?

ID: 54fecb11 Answer

Correct Answer: 120

Rationale

The correct answer is . The solutions to a quadratic equation of the form can be calculated using the
quadratic formula and are given by . The given equation is in the form , where ,

, and . It follows that the solutions to the given equation are , which is equivalent to
, or . It's given that one solution to the equation can be written as . The
solution is in this form. Therefore, the value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 37cf569f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 37cf569f

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

ID: 37cf569f Answer

Correct Answer: 94

Rationale

The correct answer is . Taking the square root of each side of the given equation yields or . Adding
to both sides of the equation yields . Adding to both sides of the equation yields
. Therefore, the sum of the solutions to the given equation is , or .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3de3402c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 3de3402c

The functions and are defined by the given equations, where . Which of the following equations displays, as a constant
or coefficient, the maximum value of the function it defines, where ?
I.
II.

A. I only

B. II only

C. I and II

D. Neither I nor II

ID: 3de3402c Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. For the function , since the base of the exponent, , is greater than , the value of increases as
increases. Therefore, the value of and the value of also increase as increases. Since is therefore
an increasing function where , the function has no maximum value. For the function , since the base of the exponent,
, is less than , the value of decreases as increases. Therefore, the value of also decreases as
increases. It follows that the maximum value of for occurs when . Substituting for in the function yields
, which is equivalent to , or . Therefore, the maximum value of for is , which
appears as a coefficient in equation II. So, of the two equations given, only II displays, as a constant or coefficient, the maximum
value of the function it defines, where .

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

Choice C 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 5e98384e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 5e98384e

The function is defined by . In the xy-plane, the graph of is the result of translating
the graph of up units. What is the value of ?

ID: 5e98384e Answer

Correct Answer: 76

Rationale

The correct answer is . It's given that the graph of is the result of translating the graph of up units in the
xy-plane. It follows that the graph of is the same as the graph of . Substituting for in the equation
yields . It's given that . Substituting
for in the equation yields . Substituting for in this equation
yields , or . Thus, the value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 94dc4ce8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 94dc4ce8

One solution to the given equation can be written as , where is a constant. What is the value of ?

ID: 94dc4ce8 Answer

Correct Answer: 29

Rationale

The correct answer is . The solutions to a quadratic equation in the form , where , , and are constants,
can be calculated using the quadratic formula, which gives two solutions: and . The given
equation is in the form , where , , and . It follows that one solution to the given quadratic
equation is , or , which is equivalent to . It's given that one solution to the
given equation can be written as , where is a constant. It follows that the value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c56a9f57
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: c56a9f57

The first term of a sequence is . Each term after the first is times the preceding term. If represents the th term of the
sequence, which equation gives in terms of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: c56a9f57 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. Since represents the th term of the sequence and is the first term of the sequence, the value of is
when the value of is . Since each term after the first is times the preceding term, the value of is when the value of
is . Therefore, the value of is , or , when the value of is . More generally, the value of is for a given
value of . Therefore, the equation gives in terms of .

Choice A is incorrect. This equation describes a sequence for which the first term is , rather than , and each term after the first
is , rather than , times the preceding term.

Choice B is incorrect. This equation describes a sequence for which the first term is , rather than , and each term after the first
is , rather than , times the preceding term.

Choice C is incorrect. This equation describes a sequence for which the first term is , rather than .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 14787dca
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 14787dca

Which of the following are solutions to the given equation, where is a constant and ?
I.
II.
III.

A. I and II only

B. I and III only

C. II and III only

D. I, II, and III

ID: 14787dca Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. Subtracting the expression from both sides of the given equation yields
, which can be rewritten as . Since the two terms on
the right-hand side of this equation have a common factor of , it can be rewritten as , or
. Since is equivalent to , the equation can be
rewritten as . By the zero product property, it follows that or . Adding
to both sides of the equation yields . Adding to both sides of the equation yields
. Therefore, the two solutions to the given equation are and . Thus, only and , not , are solutions to
the given equation.

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 24331e5e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 24331e5e

The function is defined by the given equation. The function is defined by . Which expression represents the
maximum value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 24331e5e Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. It’s given that function is defined by and that . Substituting
for in yields , or . The maximum value of can be
found by completing the square to rewrite the equation defining in the form , where the maximum value
of the function is , which occurs when , and is a negative constant. The equation is equivalent
to , which can be rewritten as , or

. This equation is in the form , where , , and

. Thus, the maximum value of is .
Alternate approach: Since the function is a quadratic function, the maximum value of occurs at the value of that’s halfway
between the two zeros of the function. The zeros of function can be found by substituting for in the equation defining ,
which yields . This equation can be rewritten as . By the zero product property, it follows that
or . Subtracting from each side of the equation yields . Dividing each side of this
equation by yields . Therefore, the zeros of function are and . The value that’s halfway between and can
be found by calculating the average of and , which is , or . It follows that the maximum of function occurs when
. Substituting for in the equation defining function yields , which is equivalent to

. Multiplying by in this equation to get a common denominator yields

, or , which is equivalent to . Thus, the maximum value of

is . Since the equation defining is , the maximum value of is greater than the maximum
value of . It follows that the maximum value of is .

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

Choice C 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 2f88a547
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 2f88a547

At the time that an article was first featured on the home page of a news website, there were comments on the article. An
exponential model estimates that at the end of each hour after the article was first featured on the home page, the number of
comments on the article had increased by of the number of comments on the article at the end of the previous hour. Which
of the following equations best represents this model, where is the estimated number of comments on the article hours after
the article was first featured on the home page and ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 2f88a547 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. It's given that an exponential model estimates that the number of comments on an article increased by a fixed
percentage at the end of each hour. Therefore, the model can be represented by an exponential equation of the form ,
where is the estimated number of comments on the article hours after the article was first featured on the home page and
and are constants. It's also given that when the article was first featured on the home page of the news website, there were
comments on the article. This means that when , . Substituting for and for in the equation
yields , or . It's also given that the number of comments on the article at the end of an hour had increased by
of the number of comments on the article at the end of the previous hour. Multiplying the percent increase by the number
of comments on the article at the end of the previous hour yields the number of estimated additional comments the article has on
its home page: , or comments. Thus, the estimated number of comments for the following hour is the sum of the
comments from the end of the previous hour and the number of additional comments, which is , or . This means that
when , . Substituting for , for , and for in the equation yields , or
. Dividing both sides of this equation by yields . Substituting for and for in the equation yields
. Thus, the equation that best represents this model is .

Choice A is incorrect. This model represents a situation where the number of comments at the end of each hour increased by
of the number of comments at the end of the previous hour, rather than .

Choice B is incorrect. This model represents a situation where the number of comments at the end of each hour increased by
of the number of comments at the end of the previous hour, rather than .

Choice C is incorrect. This model represents a situation where the number of comments at the end of each hour was times the
number of comments at the end of the previous hour, rather than increasing by of the number of comments at the end of
the previous hour.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID d93eac68
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: d93eac68

Function is defined by , where and are constants. In the xy-plane, the graph of has a y-
intercept at . The product of and is . What is the value of ?

ID: d93eac68 Answer

Correct Answer: 5

Rationale

The correct answer is . It’s given that . Substituting for in the equation yields
. It’s given that the y-intercept of the graph of is . Substituting for and for
in the equation yields , which is equivalent to , or
. Adding to both sides of this equation yields . It’s given that the product of and is , or .
Substituting for in this equation yields . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ebf50998
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: ebf50998

Function is defined by . Function is defined by . The graph of in

the xy-plane has x-intercepts at , , and , where , , and are distinct constants. What is the value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: ebf50998 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. It's given that . Since , it follows that

. Combining like terms yields . Therefore,
. The x-intercepts of a graph in the xy-plane are the points where . The x-coordinates of the x-
intercepts of the graph of in the xy-plane can be found by solving the equation . Applying the
zero product property to this equation yields three equations: , , and . Solving each of these equations
for yields , , and , respectively. Therefore, the x-intercepts of the graph of are , ,
and . It follows that the values of , , and are , , and . Thus, the value of is , which
is equal to .

Choice A is incorrect. This is the value of if .

Choice C is incorrect. This is the value of if .

Choice D is incorrect. This is the value of if .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 7189ece4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 7189ece4

For the exponential function , the value of is , where is a constant. Which of the following equivalent forms of the
function shows the value of as the coefficient or the base?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 7189ece4 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. For the form of the function in choice C, , the value of can be found as
, which is equivalent to , or . Therefore, , which is shown in as the
coefficient.

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 385cd016
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 385cd016

10

2
x
‒5 ‒4 ‒3 ‒2 ‒1 O 1 2 3 4 5
‒2

‒4

‒6

‒8

‒10
The graph of is shown. If , where , , and are constants, which of the
following could be the value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 385cd016 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. Substituting for in the given equation yields , which is

equivalent to , or . It follows that when , . There are
three points where the graph of intersects the x-axis: , , and . Therefore, , , and
. It follows that either , , or . Subtracting from each side of the equation
yields . Subtracting from each side of the equation yields . Subtracting from
each side of the equation yields . Thus, the value of must be either , , or . Of these values,
only is given as a choice.
Choice A is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.

Choice B is incorrect. This would be a possible value of if the graph shown was the graph of , not .

Choice C is incorrect. This would be the value of , not the value of , if the graph shown was the graph of , not
.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ca44c7ce
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: ca44c7ce

The function is defined by the given equation. For which of the following values of does ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: ca44c7ce Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. The value of for which can be found by substituting for and for in the given
equation, , which yields . For this equation to be true, either or
. Adding to both sides of the equation yields . Dividing both sides of this equation by
yields . To check whether is the value of , substituting for in the equation yields
, which is equivalent to , or , which isn't a true statement. Therefore,
isn't the value of . Adding to both sides of the equation yields . Dividing both sides of this equation
by yields . To check whether is the value of , substituting for in the equation yields
, which is equivalent to , or , which is a true statement. Therefore, the value of
for which is .

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

Choice C 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 409b7ab8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 409b7ab8

If the given equations are graphed in the xy-plane, at how many points do the graphs of the equations intersect?

A. Exactly one

B. Exactly two

C. Infinitely many

D. Zero

ID: 409b7ab8 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. A point is a solution to a system of equations if it lies on the graphs of both equations in the xy-plane.
In other words, a solution to a system of equations is a point at which the graphs intersect. It’s given that the first equation
is . Substituting for in the second equation yields . Subtracting from each side of this
equation yields . Dividing each side of this equation by yields . Since the square of a real
number is at least , this equation can't have any real solutions. Therefore, the graphs of the equations intersect at zero points.

Alternate approach: The graph of the second equation is a parabola that opens downward and has a vertex at . Therefore,
the maximum value of this parabola occurs when . The graph of the first equation is a horizontal line at on the y-axis, or
. Since is greater than , or the horizontal line is above the vertex of the parabola, the graphs of these equations
intersect at zero points.

Choice A is incorrect. The graph of , not , and the graph of the second equation intersect at exactly one point.

Choice B is incorrect. The graph of any horizontal line such that the value of is less than , not greater than , and the graph
of the second equation intersect at exactly two points.

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 5b955063
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 5b955063

A rectangle has an area of square inches. The length of the rectangle is inches less than times the width of the rectangle.
What is the width of the rectangle, in inches?

ID: 5b955063 Answer

Correct Answer: 5

Rationale

The correct answer is . Let represent the width, in inches, of the rectangle. It's given that the length of the rectangle is inches
less than times its width, or inches. The area of a rectangle is equal to its width multiplied by its length. Multiplying the
width, inches, by the length, inches, yields square inches. It’s given that the rectangle has an area of
square inches, so it follows that , or . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields
. Factoring the left-hand side of this equation yields . Applying the zero product
property to this equation yields two solutions: and . Since is the rectangle’s width, in inches, which must be
positive, the value of is . Therefore, the width of the rectangle, in inches, is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 99b8a5c8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 99b8a5c8

In the given quadratic function, and are constants. The graph of in the xy-plane is a parabola that opens upward and
has a vertex at the point , where and are constants. If and , which of the following must be true?
I.
II.

A. I only

B. II only

C. I and II

D. Neither I nor II

ID: 99b8a5c8 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. It's given that the graph of in the xy-plane is a parabola with vertex . If , then
for the graph of , the point with an x-coordinate of and the point with an x-coordinate of have the same y-
coordinate. In the xy-plane, a parabola is a symmetric graph such that when two points have the same y-coordinate, these points
are equidistant from the vertex, and the x-coordinate of the vertex is halfway between the x-coordinates of these two points.
Therefore, for the graph of , the points with x-coordinates and are equidistant from the vertex, , and is
halfway between and . The value that is halfway between and is , or . Therefore, . The equation
defining can also be written in vertex form, . Substituting for in this equation yields
, or . This equation is equivalent to , or
. Since , it follows that and . Dividing both sides of the
equation by yields , or . Since , it's not true that . Therefore, statement II isn't true.
Substituting for in the equation yields , or . Subtracting from both sides of this
equation yields . If , then , or . Since could be any value less than , it's not necessarily true
that . Therefore, statement I isn't necessarily true. Thus, neither I nor II must be true.

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 fe6b22a2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: fe6b22a2

The given expression can be written in the form , where is a constant. What is the value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: fe6b22a2 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. The given expression is equivalent to . By combining like terms, this
can be written as . This expression is in the form , where is a constant. Therefore,
the value of is .

Choice B is incorrect. This may result from adding and rather than and .

Choice C is incorrect. This may result from adding and rather than and .

Choice D is incorrect. This may result from adding and rather than and .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ab245384
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: ab245384

If , what is the value of ?

ID: ab245384 Answer

Correct Answer: .2916, .2917, 7/24

Rationale

The correct answer is . An expression of the form , where and are integers greater than and , is equivalent to
. Therefore, the expression on the right-hand side of the given equation, , is equivalent to . Thus, . It follows
that . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields . Note that 7/24, .2916, .2917, 0.219, and 0.292 are examples
of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 98f7ab7a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 98f7ab7a

Function is defined by , where and are constants. In the xy-plane, the graph of has a y-
intercept at . The product of and is . What is the value of ?

ID: 98f7ab7a Answer

Correct Answer: 20

Rationale

The correct answer is . It’s given that . Substituting for in the equation yields
. It’s given that the y-intercept of the graph of is . Substituting for and for
in the equation yields , which is equivalent to , or
. Adding to both sides of this equation yields . It’s given that the product of and is , or
. Substituting for in this equation yields . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields
.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e7f2ab9c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: e7f2ab9c

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: e7f2ab9c Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. The left-hand side of the given equation is the expression . Applying the
distributive property to this expression yields . Since the first two terms of this expression have a
common factor of and the last two terms of this expression have a common factor of , this expression can be rewritten as
. Since the two terms of this expression have a common factor of , it can be rewritten as
. Therefore, the given equation can be rewritten as . By the zero product property, it
follows that or . Subtracting from both sides of the equation yields . Subtracting
from both sides of the equation yields . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields .
Therefore, the solutions to the given equation are and . It follows that the product of the solutions of the given equation is
, or . It’s given that the product of the solutions of the given equation is . It follows that , which can
also be written as . It’s given that and are positive constants. Therefore, dividing both sides of the equation
by yields . Thus, the value of is .

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

Choice C 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 06fac60b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 06fac60b

The function gives the value, in dollars, of a certain piece of equipment after months of use. If the value of the equipment
decreases each year by of its value the preceding year, what is the value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 06fac60b Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. For a function of the form , where , , and are constants and , the value of
decreases by for every increase of by . In the given function, , , and . Therefore, for
the given function, the value of decreases by , or , for every increase of by . Since
represents the value, in dollars, of the equipment after months of use, it follows that the value of the equipment decreases every
months by of its value the preceding months. Since there are months in a year, the value of the equipment
decreases each year by of its value the preceding year. Thus, the value of is .

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 2aaaec85
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 2aaaec85

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

ID: 2aaaec85 Answer

Correct Answer: 51

Rationale

The correct answer is . A quadratic equation of the form , where , , and are constants, has no real
solution if and only if its discriminant, , is negative. In the given equation, and . Substituting for
and for in this expression yields a discriminant of , or . Since this value must be
negative, , or . Taking the positive square root of each side of this inequality yields . Since is
a positive integer, and the greatest integer less than is , the greatest possible value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID da9efa2f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: da9efa2f

The function is defined by the given equation. For what value of does reach its minimum?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: da9efa2f Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. It's given that , which can be rewritten as . Since the
coefficient of the -term is positive, the graph of in the xy-plane opens upward and reaches its minimum value at its
vertex. The x-coordinate of the vertex is the value of such that reaches its minimum. For an equation in the form
, where , , and are constants, the x-coordinate of the vertex is . For the equation
, , , and . It follows that the x-coordinate of the vertex is , or . Therefore,
reaches its minimum when the value of is .

Alternate approach: The value of for the vertex of a parabola is the x-value of the midpoint between the two x-intercepts of the
parabola. Since it’s given that , it follows that the two x-intercepts of the graph of in the xy-
plane occur when and , or at the points and . The midpoint between two points, and
, is . Therefore, the midpoint between and is , or . It follows
that reaches its minimum when the value of is .

Choice A is incorrect. This is the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph of in the xy-plane.

Choice B is incorrect. This is one of the x-coordinates of the x-intercepts of the graph of in the xy-plane.

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 033e2be3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 033e2be3

The functions and are defined by the given equations.

If , where is a constant, what is the value of ?

ID: 033e2be3 Answer

Correct Answer: -4.9, -49/10

Rationale

The correct answer is . The value of is the value of when . Substituting for in the equation
yields , or , which is equivalent to
, or . Since it's given that , it follows that and the value of is the value of
. Substituting for in the equation yields , or
, which is equivalent to , or . Note that -4.9 and -49/10 are examples of ways to enter a correct
answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 36ca6037
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 36ca6037

The given equation relates the positive variables , , , and . Which of the following is equivalent to ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 36ca6037 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. Multiplying each side of the given equation by yields . Distributing
on each side of this equation yields , or . Adding to each side of this equation
yields . Multiplying by , by , and by yields , which is equivalent to
. Since , and it's given that , , , and are positive, it follows that the reciprocals of each side of
this equation are also equal. Thus, , or . Therefore, is equivalent to .

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 b7f055bc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: b7f055bc

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: b7f055bc Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. It’s given that the function is defined by and that the graph of in the xy-plane
passes through the points and . Substituting for and for in the equation yields
, or . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields . Substituting for and for
in the equation yields . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields ,
which can be rewritten as . Taking the square root of both sides of this equation yields and , but because
it’s given that is a positive constant, must equal . Because the value of is and the value of is , the value of is ,
or .

Choice A is incorrect and may result from finding the value of rather than the value of .

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID d02e610e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: d02e610e

The function is defined by , where and are integer constants and . The functions and
are equivalent to function , where and are constants. Which of the following equations displays the y-coordinate of the y-
intercept of the graph of in the xy-plane as a constant or coefficient?
I.
II.

A. I only

B. II only

C. I and II

D. Neither I nor II

ID: d02e610e Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. A y-intercept of a graph in the xy-plane is a point where the graph intersects the y-axis, or a point where
. Substituting for in the equation defining function yields , or . So, the y-
coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph is , or equivalently, . It's given that function is equivalent to
function , where . It follows that . Since can't be equal to , the coefficient can't be equal to
. Since , the constant , which is equal to , can't be equal to . Therefore, function doesn't
display the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph of in the xy-plane as a constant or coefficient. It's also given that
function is equivalent to function , where . The equation defining can be rewritten as
. It follows that . Since can't be equal to , the coefficient can't be equal to . Since , the
constant , which is equal to , can't be equal to . Therefore, function doesn't display the y-coordinate of the
y-intercept of the graph of in the xy-plane as a constant or coefficient. Thus, neither function nor function displays
the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph of in the xy-plane as a constant or coefficient.

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 aea3b524
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: aea3b524

Square P has a side length of inches. Square Q has a perimeter that is inches greater than the perimeter of square P. The
function gives the area of square Q, in square inches. Which of the following defines ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: aea3b524 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. Let represent the side length, in inches, of square P. It follows that the perimeter of square P is inches.
It's given that square Q has a perimeter that is inches greater than the perimeter of square P. Thus, the perimeter of square Q
is inches greater than inches, or inches. Since the perimeter of a square is times the side length of the
square, each side length of Q is , or inches. Since the area of a square is calculated by multiplying the length of
two sides, the area of square Q is , or square inches. It follows that function is defined by
.

Choice B is incorrect. This function represents a square with side lengths inches.

Choice C is incorrect. This function represents a square with side lengths inches.

Choice D is incorrect. This function represents a square with side lengths inches.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID bcbf0e45
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Equivalent

expressions

ID: bcbf0e45

One of the factors of is , where is a positive constant. What is the smallest possible value of ?

ID: bcbf0e45 Answer

Correct Answer: 8

Rationale

The correct answer is . Since each term of the given expression, , has a factor of , the expression can be
rewritten as , or . Since the values and have a sum of and a
product of , the expression can be factored as . Therefore, the given expression can be
factored as . It follows that the factors of the given expression are , , , and . Of these factors,
only and are of the form , where is a positive constant. Therefore, the possible values of are and .
Thus, the smallest possible value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1aec2be9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 1aec2be9

A solution to the given system of equations is . What is the greatest possible value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 1aec2be9 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. It's given that and ; therefore, it follows that . This
equation can be rewritten as . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields
. This equation can be rewritten as , or . By the
zero product property, or . Subtracting from both sides of the equation yields .
Subtracting from both sides of the equation yields . Therefore, the given system of equations has solutions,
, that occur when and . Since is greater than , the greatest possible value of is .

Choice B is incorrect. This is the negative of the greatest possible value of when for the second equation in the given
system of equations.

Choice C is incorrect. This is the value of when for the first equation in the given system of equations.

Choice D is incorrect. This is the value of when for the second equation in the given system of equations.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a9e93fa1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: a9e93fa1

The function is defined by . For what value of does reach its minimum?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: a9e93fa1 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. It's given that . Since , it follows that

. Expanding the quantity in this equation yields
. Distributing the and the yields
. Combining like terms yields . Therefore,
. For a quadratic function defined by an equation of the form , where , ,
and are constants and is positive, reaches its minimum, , when the value of is . The equation
can be rewritten in this form by completing the square. This equation is equivalent to
, or . This equation can be rewritten as
, or , which is equivalent to
. This equation is in the form , where , , and . Therefore, reaches its minimum
when the value of is .

Choice B is incorrect. This is the value of for which , rather than , reaches its minimum.

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

Choice D is incorrect. This is the value of for which , rather than , reaches its minimum.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9a182495
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: 9a182495

How many distinct real solutions does the given equation have?

A. Exactly one

B. Exactly two

C. Infinitely many

D. Zero

ID: 9a182495 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. The number of solutions of a quadratic equation of the form , where , , and are
constants, can be determined by the value of the discriminant, . If the value of the discriminant is positive, then the
quadratic equation has exactly two distinct real solutions. If the value of the discriminant is equal to zero, then the quadratic
equation has exactly one real solution. If the value of the discriminant is negative, then the quadratic equation has zero real
solutions. In the given equation, , , , and . Substituting these values for , , and in
yields , or . Since the value of its discriminant is negative, the given equation has zero real
solutions. Therefore, the number of distinct real solutions the given equation has is zero.

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 af1aea31
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: af1aea31

Which of the following functions has(have) a minimum value at ?

I.
II.

A. I only

B. II only

C. I and II

D. Neither I nor II

ID: af1aea31 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. A function of the form , where and , is a decreasing function. Both of the
given functions are of this form; therefore, both are decreasing functions. If a function is decreasing as the value of increases,
the corresponding value of decreases; therefore, the function doesn’t have a minimum value. Thus, neither of the given
functions has a minimum value.

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 0bb72c19
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 0bb72c19

The area of a rectangular banner is square inches. The banner's length , in inches, is inches longer than its width, in
inches. Which equation represents this situation?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 0bb72c19 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. It’s given that the banner’s length , in inches, is inches longer than its width, in inches. It follows that the
banner’s width, in inches, can be represented by the expression . The area of a rectangle is the product of its length and its
width. It's given that the area of the banner is square inches, so it follows that , or .
Subtracting from each side of this equation yields . Therefore, the equation that represents this
situation is .

Choice B is incorrect and may result from representing the width, in inches, of the banner as , rather than .

Choice C is incorrect and may result from representing the width, in inches, of the banner as , rather than .

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c3e3b12e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: c3e3b12e

The function is defined by , where , , and are constants. The graph of in the xy-plane
passes through the points and . If is an integer greater than , which of the following could be the value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: c3e3b12e Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. It's given that the graph of in the xy-plane passes through the points and . It follows
that when the value of is either or , the value of is . It's also given that the function is defined by
, where , , and are constants. It follows that the function is a quadratic function and, therefore, may
be written in factored form as , where the value of is when is either or . Since the value of
is when the value of is either or , and the value of is when the value of is either or , it follows that
and are equal to and . Substituting for and for in the equation yields
, or . Distributing the right-hand side of this equation yields
, or . Since it's given that , it follows that
. Adding to each side of this equation yields . Since , if is an integer, the value of
must be a multiple of . If is an integer greater than , it follows that . Therefore, . It follows that the value
of is less than or equal to , or . Of the given choices, only is a multiple of that's less than or equal to .

Choice B is incorrect. This is the value of if is equal to, not greater than, .

Choice C 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 dba8a697
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear equations

in one variable and
systems of
equations in two
variables

ID: dba8a697

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

ID: dba8a697 Answer

Correct Answer: 10.33, 31/3

Rationale

The correct answer is . Subtracting from each side of the given equation yields
. Since is a common factor of each of the terms on the right-hand side of this
equation, it can be rewritten as . This is equivalent to , or
. Dividing both sides of this equation by yields . Since a product of two factors
is equal to if and only if at least one of the factors is , either or . Subtracting from both sides of the
equation yields . Adding to both sides of the equation yields . Dividing both sides
of this equation by yields . Therefore, the solutions to the given equation are and . It follows that the sum of the
solutions to the given equation is , which is equivalent to , or . Note that 31/3 and 10.33 are examples of
ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c9e4bac1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: c9e4bac1

A quadratic function models a projectile's height, in meters, above the ground in terms of the time, in seconds, after it was
launched. The model estimates that the projectile was launched from an initial height of meters above the ground and reached
a maximum height of meters above the ground seconds after the launch. How many seconds after the launch does the
model estimate that the projectile will return to a height of meters?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: c9e4bac1 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. It's given that a quadratic function models the projectile's height, in meters, above the ground in terms of the
time, in seconds, after it was launched. It follows that an equation representing the model can be written in the form
, where is the projectile's estimated height above the ground, in meters, seconds after the launch,
is a constant, and is the maximum height above the ground, in meters, the model estimates the projectile reached seconds
after the launch. It's given that the model estimates the projectile reached a maximum height of meters above the ground
seconds after the launch. Therefore, and . Substituting for and for in the equation
yields . It's also given that the model estimates that the projectile was
launched from an initial height of meters above the ground. Therefore, when , . Substituting for and for
in the equation yields , or . Subtracting from both
sides of this equation yields . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields . Substituting for in
the equation yields . Therefore, the equation
models the projectile's height, in meters, above the ground seconds after it was launched. The
number of seconds after the launch that the model estimates that the projectile will return to a height of meters is the value of
when . Substituting for in yields . Subtracting
from both sides of this equation yields . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields
. Taking the square root of both sides of this equation yields two equations: and . Adding
to both sides of the equation yields . Adding to both sides of the equation yields . Since
seconds after the launch represents the time at which the projectile was launched, must be the number of seconds the model
estimates that the projectile will return to a height of meters.

Alternate approach: It's given that a quadratic function models the projectile's height, in meters, above the ground in terms of the
time, in seconds, after it was launched. It's also given that the model estimates that the projectile was launched from an initial
height of meters above the ground and reached a maximum height of meters above the ground seconds after the
launch. Since the model is quadratic, and quadratic functions are symmetric, the model estimates that for any given height less
than the maximum height, the time the projectile takes to travel from the given height to the maximum height is the same as the
time the projectile takes to travel from the maximum height back to the given height. Thus, since the model estimates the
projectile took seconds to travel from meters above the ground to its maximum height of meters above the ground, the
model also estimates the projectile will take more seconds to travel from its maximum height of meters above the ground
back to meters above the ground. Thus, the model estimates that the projectile will return to a height of meters seconds
after it reaches its maximum height, which is seconds after the launch.

Choice A is incorrect. The model estimates that seconds after the launch, the projectile reached a height of meters, not
meters.

Choice C 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