Question ID 6d99b141

Assessment Test Domain

1 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Lines, angles, and

Trigonometry triangles

ID: 6d99b141

In the figure, . The measure of angle is , and the measure of angle is . What is the
value of ?

ID: 6d99b141 Answer

Correct Answer: 83

Rationale

The correct answer is . It's given that in the figure, . Thus, triangle is an isosceles triangle and the
measure of angle is equal to the measure of angle . The sum of the measures of the interior angles of a
triangle is . Thus, the sum of the measures of the interior angles of triangle is . It's given that the
measure of angle is . It follows that the sum of the measures of angles and is ,
or . Since the measure of angle is equal to the measure of angle , the measure of angle is half of
, or . The sum of the measures of the interior angles of triangle is . It's given that the measure of
angle is . Since the measure of angle , which is the same angle as angle , is , it follows that
the measure of angle is , or . Since angle and angle form a straight line, the
sum of the measures of these angles is . It's given in the figure that the measure of angle is . It follows
that . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e10d8313
Assessment Test Domain
2 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Lines, angles, and

Trigonometry triangles

ID: e10d8313

In the figure shown, points , , , and lie on line segment , and line segment intersects line segment at
point . The measure of is , the measure of is , the measure of is , and the
measure of is . What is the measure, in degrees, of ?

ID: e10d8313 Answer

Correct Answer: 123

Rationale

The correct answer is . The triangle angle sum theorem states that the sum of the measures of the interior angles of
a triangle is degrees. It's given that the measure of is and the measure of is . Since points
, , and form a triangle, it follows from the triangle angle sum theorem that the measure, in degrees, of is
, or . It's also given that the measure of is . Since and are
supplementary angles, the sum of their measures is degrees. It follows that the measure, in degrees, of is
, or . Since points , , and form a triangle, and is the same angle as , it follows from
the triangle angle sum theorem that the measure, in degrees, of is , or . It's given that the
measure of is . Since and are supplementary angles, the sum of their measures is
degrees. It follows that the measure, in degrees, of is , or . Since points , , and form a
triangle, and is the same angle as , it follows from the triangle angle sum theorem that the measure, in
degrees, of is , or .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f88f27e5
Assessment Test Domain
3 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Lines, angles, and

Trigonometry triangles

ID: f88f27e5
Intersecting lines r, s, and t are shown below.

What is the value of x ?

ID: f88f27e5 Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is 97. The intersecting lines form a triangle, and the angle with measure of is an exterior angle of
this triangle. The measure of an exterior angle of a triangle is equal to the sum of the measures of the two nonadjacent
interior angles of the triangle. One of these angles has measure of and the other, which is supplementary to the
angle with measure , has measure of . Therefore, the value of x is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e5c57163
Assessment Test Domain
4 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Area and volume

Trigonometry

ID: e5c57163

Square A has side lengths that are times the side lengths of square B. The area of square A is times the area of
square B. What is the value of ?

ID: e5c57163 Answer

Correct Answer: 27556

Rationale

The correct answer is . The area of a square is , where is the side length of the square. Let represent the
length of each side of square B. Substituting for in yields . It follows that the area of square B is . It’s given
that square A has side lengths that are times the side lengths of square B. Since represents the length of each
side of square B, the length of each side of square A can be represented by the expression . It follows that the area
of square A is , or . It’s given that the area of square A is times the area of square B. Since the area
of square A is equal to , and the area of square B is equal to , an equation representing the given statement
is . Since represents the length of each side of square B, the value of must be positive. Therefore,
the value of is also positive, so it does not equal . Dividing by on both sides of the equation
yields . Therefore, the value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 947a3cde
Assessment Test Domain
5 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Lines, angles, and

Trigonometry triangles

ID: 947a3cde

In the figure above, and intersect at point P, , and .

What is the measure, in degrees, of ? (Disregard the degree symbol
when gridding your answer.)

ID: 947a3cde Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is 30. It is given that the measure of is . Angle MPR and are collinear and
therefore are supplementary angles. This means that the sum of the two angle measures is , and so the measure

of is . The sum of the angles in a triangle is . Subtracting the measure of from yields
the sum of the other angles in the triangle MPR. Since , the sum of the measures of and
is . It is given that , so it follows that triangle MPR is isosceles. Therefore and
must be congruent. Since the sum of the measure of these two angles is , it follows that the measure of each angle

is .

An alternate approach would be to use the exterior angle theorem, noting that the measure of is equal to the
sum of the measures of and . Since both angles are equal, each of them has a measure of .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9966235e
Assessment Test Domain 6 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Area and volume

Trigonometry

ID: 9966235e

A cube has an edge length of inches. A solid sphere with a radius of inches is inside the cube, such that the sphere
touches the center of each face of the cube. To the nearest cubic inch, what is the volume of the space in the cube not
taken up by the sphere?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 9966235e Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. The volume of a cube can be found by using the formula , where is the volume and is the
edge length of the cube. Therefore, the volume of the given cube is , or cubic inches. The volume of a
sphere can be found by using the formula , where is the volume and is the radius of the sphere.
Therefore, the volume of the given sphere is , or approximately cubic inches. The volume of the
space in the cube not taken up by the sphere is the difference between the volume of the cube and volume of the sphere.
Subtracting the approximate volume of the sphere from the volume of the cube gives
cubic inches.

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 a0369739
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Lines, angles, and

Trigonometry triangles

ID: a0369739

In triangle , the measure of angle is and is an altitude of the triangle. The length of is and the
length of is greater than the length of . What is the value of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: a0369739 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. It's given that in triangle , the measure of angle is and is an altitude of the triangle.
Therefore, the measure of angle is . It follows that angle is congruent to angle and angle is congruent
to angle . By the angle-angle similarity postulate, triangle is similar to triangle . Since triangles and
are similar, it follows that . It's also given that the length of is and the length of is
greater than the length of . Therefore, the length of is , or . Substituting for and for in
the equation yields . Therefore, the value of is .

Choice A is incorrect. This is 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.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a07ed090
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Area and volume

Trigonometry

ID: a07ed090

The figure shown is a right circular cylinder with a radius of and height of . A second right circular cylinder (not
shown) has a volume that is times as large as the volume of the cylinder shown. Which of the following could
represent the radius , in terms of , and the height , in terms of , of the second cylinder?

A. and

B. and

C. and

D. and

ID: a07ed090 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. The volume of a right circular cylinder is equal to , where is the radius of a base of the cylinder
and is the height of the cylinder. It’s given that the cylinder shown has a radius of and a height of . It follows that the
volume of the cylinder shown is equal to . It’s given that the second right circular cylinder has a radius of and a
height of . It follows that the volume of the second cylinder is equal to . Choice C gives and .
Substituting for and for in the expression that represents the volume of the second cylinder yields
, or , which is equivalent to , or . This expression is equal to times
the volume of the cylinder shown, . Therefore, and could represent the radius , in terms of , and
the height , in terms of , of the second cylinder.

Choice A is incorrect. Substituting for and for in the expression that represents the volume of the second
cylinder yields , or , which is equivalent to , or . This expression is equal
to , not , times the volume of the cylinder shown.

Choice B is incorrect. Substituting for and for in the expression that represents the volume of the second
cylinder yields , or , which is equivalent to , or . This expression
is equal to , not , times the volume of the cylinder shown.

Choice D is incorrect. Substituting for and for in the expression that represents the volume of the second
cylinder yields , or , which is equivalent to , or . This
expression is equal to , not , times the volume of the cylinder shown.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID c8345903
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Circles

Trigonometry

ID: c8345903

The circle above has center O, the length of arc is , and

. What is the length of arc ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: c8345903 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. The ratio of the lengths of two arcs of a circle is equal to the ratio of the measures of the central
angles that subtend the arcs. It’s given that arc is subtended by a central angle with measure 100°. Since the sum

of the measures of the angles about a point is 360°, it follows that arc is subtended by a central angle with

measure . If s is the length of arc , then s must satisfy the ratio . Reducing the

fraction to its simplest form gives . Therefore, . Multiplying both sides of by

yields .

Choice A is incorrect. This is the length of an arc consisting of exactly half of the circle, but arc is greater than half
of the circle. Choice C is incorrect. This is the total circumference of the circle. Choice D is incorrect. This is half the
length of arc , not its full length.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 901c3215
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Lines, angles, and

Trigonometry triangles

ID: 901c3215

In triangles and , angles and each have measure and angles and each have measure .
Which additional piece of information is sufficient to determine whether triangle is congruent to triangle ?

A. The measure of angle

B. The length of side

C. The lengths of sides and

D. No additional information is necessary.

ID: 901c3215 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. Since angles and each have the same measure and angles and each have the same
measure, triangles and are similar, where side corresponds to side . To determine whether two
similar triangles are congruent, it is sufficient to determine whether one pair of corresponding sides are congruent.
Therefore, to determine whether triangles and are congruent, it is sufficient to determine whether sides
and have equal length. Thus, the lengths of and are sufficient to determine whether triangle is
congruent to triangle .

Choice A is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.

Choice B is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.

Choice D is incorrect. The given information is sufficient to determine that triangles and are similar, but not
whether they are congruent.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f7dbde16
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Lines, angles, and

Trigonometry triangles

ID: f7dbde16

In triangles and , angles and each have measure , , and . Which additional
piece of information is sufficient to prove that triangle is similar to triangle ?

A. and

B. and

C. The measures of angles and are and , respectively.

D. The measures of angles and are and , respectively.

ID: f7dbde16 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. Two triangles are similar if they have three pairs of congruent corresponding angles. It’s given that
angles and each measure , and so these corresponding angles are congruent. If angle is , then angle
must be so that the sum of the angles in triangle is . If angle is , then angle must be so
that the sum of the angles in triangle is . Therefore, if the measures of angles and are and ,
respectively, then corresponding angles and are both , and corresponding angles and are both . It
follows that triangles and have three pairs of congruent corresponding angles, and so the triangles are
similar. Therefore, the additional piece of information that is sufficient to prove that triangle is similar to triangle
is that the measures of angles and are and , respectively.

Choice A is incorrect. If the measures of two sides in one triangle are proportional to the corresponding sides in another
triangle and the included angles are congruent, then the triangles are similar. However, the two sides given are not
proportional and the angle given is not included by the given sides.

Choice B is incorrect. If the measures of two sides in one triangle are proportional to the corresponding sides in another
triangle and the included angles are congruent, then the triangles are similar. However, the angle given is not included
between the proportional sides.

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 76c73dbf
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Circles

Trigonometry

ID: 76c73dbf

The graph of in the xy-plane is a circle. What is the length of the circle’s radius?

ID: 76c73dbf Answer

Correct Answer: 10

Rationale

The correct answer is . It's given that the graph of in the xy-plane is a circle. The equation of
a circle in the xy-plane can be written in the form , where the coordinates of the center of the
circle are and the length of the radius of the circle is . The term in this equation can be obtained by
adding the square of half the coefficient of to both sides of the given equation to complete the square. The coefficient
of is . Half the coefficient of is . The square of half the coefficient of is . Adding to each side of
yields , or .
Similarly, the term can be obtained by adding the square of half the coefficient of to both sides of this
equation, which yields , or .
This equation is equivalent to , or . Therefore, the length
of the circle's radius is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2266984b
Assessment Test Domain
13 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Circles

Trigonometry

ID: 2266984b

The equation above defines a circle in the xy-plane. What are the
coordinates of the center of the circle?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 2266984b Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. The standard equation of a circle in the xy-plane is of the form , where
are the coordinates of the center of the circle and r is the radius. The given equation can be rewritten in standard form by
completing the squares. So the sum of the first two terms, , needs a 100 to complete the square, and the sum

of the second two terms, , needs a 64 to complete the square. Adding 100 and 64 to both sides of the given

equation yields , which is equivalent to

. Therefore, the coordinates of the center of the circle are .

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect and may result from computational errors made when attempting to complete the
squares or when identifying the coordinates of the center.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 69b0d79d
Assessment Test Domain
14 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Circles

Trigonometry

ID: 69b0d79d

Point O is the center of the circle above, and the measure of is . If

the length of is 18, what is the length of arc ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 69b0d79d Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. Because segments OA and OB are radii of the circle centered at point O, these segments have equal
lengths. Therefore, triangle AOB is an isosceles triangle, where angles OAB and OBA are congruent base angles of the
triangle. It’s given that angle OAB measures . Therefore, angle OBA also measures . Let represent the

measure of angle AOB. Since the sum of the measures of the three angles of any triangle is , it follows that
, or . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields , or

radians. Therefore, the measure of angle AOB, and thus the measure of arc , is radians. Since is a

radius of the given circle and its length is 18, the length of the radius of the circle is 18. Therefore, the length of arc

can be calculated as , or .

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect and may result from conceptual or computational errors.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ebbf23ae
Assessment Test Domain
15 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Circles

Trigonometry

ID: ebbf23ae

A circle in the xy-plane has a diameter with endpoints and . An equation of this circle is
, where is a positive constant. What is the value of ?

ID: ebbf23ae Answer

Correct Answer: 5

Rationale

The correct answer is . The standard form of an equation of a circle in the xy-plane is ,
where , , and are constants, the coordinates of the center of the circle are , and the length of the radius of the
circle is . It′s given that an equation of the circle is . Therefore, the center of this circle is
. It’s given that the endpoints of a diameter of the circle are and . The length of the radius is the
distance from the center of the circle to an endpoint of a diameter of the circle, which can be found using the distance

formula, . Substituting the center of the circle and one endpoint of the diameter

in this formula gives a distance of , or , which is equivalent to . Since the

distance from the center of the circle to an endpoint of a diameter is , the value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b8a225ff
Assessment Test Domain
16 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Circles

Trigonometry

ID: b8a225ff

Circle A in the xy-plane has the equation . Circle B has the same center as circle A. The radius
of circle B is two times the radius of circle A. The equation defining circle B in the xy-plane is ,
where is a constant. What is the value of ?

ID: b8a225ff Answer

Correct Answer: 16

Rationale

The correct answer is . An equation of a circle in the xy-plane can be written as , where the
center of the circle is , the radius of the circle is , and where , , and are constants. It’s given that the equation
of circle A is , which is equivalent to . Therefore, the center of
circle A is and the radius of circle A is . It’s given that circle B has the same center as circle A and that the
radius of circle B is two times the radius of circle A. Therefore, the center of circle B is and the radius of circle B
is , or . Substituting for , for , and for into the equation yields
, which is equivalent to . It follows that the equation of circle B in
the xy-plane is . Therefore, the value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b0a72bdc
Assessment Test Domain
17 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Circles

Trigonometry

ID: b0a72bdc

What is the diameter of the circle in the xy-plane with equation ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: b0a72bdc Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. The standard form of an equation of a circle in the xy-plane is , where the
coordinates of the center of the circle are and the length of the radius of the circle is . For the circle in the xy-
plane with equation , it follows that . Taking the square root of both sides of this
equation yields or . Because represents the length of the radius of the circle and this length must be
positive, . Therefore, the radius of the circle is . The diameter of a circle is twice the length of the radius of the
circle. Thus, yields . Therefore, the diameter of the circle is .

Choice A is incorrect. This is the radius of the circle.

Choice C is incorrect. This is the square of the radius of the circle.

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ba8ca563
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Area and volume

Trigonometry

ID: ba8ca563

A cube has a volume of cubic units. What is the surface area, in square units, of the cube?

ID: ba8ca563 Answer

Correct Answer: 36504

Rationale

The correct answer is . The volume of a cube can be found using the formula , where represents the
edge length of a cube. It’s given that this cube has a volume of cubic units. Substituting for in
yields . Taking the cube root of both sides of this equation yields . Thus, the edge length
of the cube is units. Since each face of a cube is a square, it follows that each face has an edge length of units.
The area of a square can be found using the formula . Substituting for in this formula yields , or
. Therefore, the area of one face of this cube is square units. Since a cube has faces, the surface
area, in square units, of this cube is , or .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 899c6042
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Area and volume

Trigonometry

ID: 899c6042

A right circular cone has a height of and a base with a diameter of . The volume of this cone
is . What is the value of ?

ID: 899c6042 Answer

Correct Answer: 66

Rationale

The correct answer is . It’s given that the right circular cone has a height of centimeters and a base with a
diameter of . Since the diameter of the base of the cone is , the radius of the base is . The volume ,
, of a right circular cone can be found using the formula , where is the height, , and is the
radius, , of the base of the cone. Substituting for and for in this formula yields , or
. Therefore, the volume of the cone is . It’s given that the volume of the cone is . Therefore,
the value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 740bf79f
Assessment Test Domain
20 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Lines, angles, and

Trigonometry triangles

ID: 740bf79f

In the figure above, what is the

length of ?

A. 2.2

B. 2.3

C. 2.4

D. 2.5

ID: 740bf79f Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. First, is the hypotenuse of right , whose legs have lengths 3 and 4. Therefore,

, so and . Second, because corresponds to and because

corresponds to , is similar to . The ratio of corresponding sides of similar triangles is

constant, so . Since and it’s given that and , . Solving for NQ results in

, or 2.4.

Choices A, B, and D are incorrect and may result from setting up incorrect ratios.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3b225698
Assessment Test Domain
21 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Lines, angles, and

Trigonometry triangles

ID: 3b225698

Triangle is similar to triangle such that , , and correspond to , , and , respectively. The measure
of is and . What is the measure of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 3b225698 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. It’s given that triangle is similar to triangle , such that , , and correspond to , ,
and , respectively. Since corresponding angles of similar triangles are congruent, it follows that the measure of is
congruent to the measure of . It’s given that the measure of is . Therefore, the measure of is .

Choice A is incorrect and may result from a conceptual error.

Choice B is incorrect. This is half the measure of .

Choice D is incorrect. This is twice the measure of .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 249d3f80
Assessment Test Domain
22 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Circles

Trigonometry

ID: 249d3f80

Point is the center of a circle. The measure of arc on this circle is . What is the measure, in degrees, of its
associated angle ?

ID: 249d3f80 Answer

Correct Answer: 100

Rationale

The correct answer is . It's given that point is the center of a circle and the measure of arc on the circle is
. It follows that points and lie on the circle. Therefore, and are radii of the circle. A central angle is an
angle formed by two radii of a circle, with its vertex at the center of the circle. Therefore, is a central angle.
Because the degree measure of an arc is equal to the measure of its associated central angle, it follows that the
measure, in degrees, of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ab176ad6
Assessment Test Domain
23 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Circles

Trigonometry

ID: ab176ad6

The equation defines a circle in the

xy‑plane. What is the radius of the circle?

ID: ab176ad6 Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is 11. A circle with equation , where a, b, and r are constants, has center

and radius r. Therefore, the radius of the given circle is , or 11.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3e577e4a
Assessment Test Domain
24 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Circles

Trigonometry

ID: 3e577e4a

A circle in the xy-plane has its center at . Line is tangent to this circle at the point . What is the
slope of line ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 3e577e4a Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. A line that's tangent to a circle is perpendicular to the radius of the circle at the point of tangency. It's
given that the circle has its center at and line is tangent to the circle at the point . The slope of a
radius defined by the points and can be calculated as . The points and define the
radius of the circle at the point of tangency. Therefore, the slope of this radius can be calculated as , or . If a
line and a radius are perpendicular, the slope of the line must be the negative reciprocal of the slope of the radius. The
negative reciprocal of is . Thus, the slope of line is .

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

Choice C is incorrect. This is the slope of the radius of the circle at the point of tangency, not the slope of line .

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b0dc920d
Assessment Test Domain
25 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Area and volume

Trigonometry

ID: b0dc920d

A manufacturer determined that right cylindrical containers with a height that is

4 inches longer than the radius offer the optimal number of containers to be
displayed on a shelf. Which of the following expresses the volume, V, in cubic
inches, of such containers, where r is the radius, in inches?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: b0dc920d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. The volume, V, of a right cylinder is given by the formula , where r represents the radius of
the base of the cylinder and h represents the height. Since the height is 4 inches longer than the radius, the expression
represents the height of each cylindrical container. It follows that the volume of each container is represented by

the equation . Distributing the expression into each term in the parentheses yields .

Choice A is incorrect and may result from representing the height as instead of . Choice B is incorrect and may
result from representing the height as instead of . Choice C is incorrect and may result from representing the

volume of a right cylinder as instead of .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID bd7f6e30
Assessment Test Domain
26 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Lines, angles, and

Trigonometry triangles

ID: bd7f6e30

In the figure above, .

What is the value of x ?

A. 72

B. 66

C. 64

D. 58

ID: bd7f6e30 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. Since , it follows that is an isosceles triangle with base RU. Therefore,
and are the base angles of an isosceles triangle and are congruent. Let the measures of both and
be . According to the triangle sum theorem, the sum of the measures of the three angles of a triangle is .
Therefore, , so .

Note that is the same angle as . Thus, the measure of is . According to the triangle exterior

angle theorem, an external angle of a triangle is equal to the sum of the opposite interior angles. Therefore, is equal
to the sum of the measures of and ; that is, . Thus, the value of x is 64.

Choice B is incorrect. This is the measure of , but is not congruent to . Choices A and D are
incorrect and may result from a calculation error.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 24cec8d1
Assessment Test Domain
27 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Circles

Trigonometry

ID: 24cec8d1

A circle has center , and points and lie on the circle. In triangle , the measure of is . What is the
measure of , in degrees? (Disregard the degree symbol when entering your answer.)

ID: 24cec8d1 Answer

Correct Answer: 46

Rationale

The correct answer is . It's given that is the center of a circle and that points and lie on the circle. Therefore,
and are radii of the circle. It follows that . If two sides of a triangle are congruent, then the angles
opposite them are congruent. It follows that the angles and , which are across from the sides of equal
length, are congruent. Let represent the measure of . It follows that the measure of is also . It's
given that the measure of is . Because the sum of the measures of the interior angles of a triangle is ,
the equation , or , can be used to find the measure of . Subtracting from
both sides of this equation yields . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields . Therefore, the
measure of , in degrees, is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9e44284b
Assessment Test Domain
28 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Circles

Trigonometry

ID: 9e44284b

In the xy-plane, the graph of is a

circle. What is the radius of the circle?

A. 5

B. 6.5

C.

D.

ID: 9e44284b Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. One way to find the radius of the circle is to rewrite the given equation in standard form,
, where is the center of the circle and the radius of the circle is r. To do this, divide the

original equation, , by 2 to make the leading coefficients of and each equal to 1:

. Then complete the square to put the equation in standard form. To do so, first rewrite

as . Second, add 2.25 and 0.25 to

both sides of the equation: . Since ,

, and , it follows that . Therefore, the radius of the circle is

5.

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may be the result of errors in manipulating the equation or of a misconception
about the standard form of the equation of a circle in the xy-plane.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID eeb4143c
Assessment Test Domain
29 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Lines, angles, and

Trigonometry triangles

ID: eeb4143c

The area of triangle ABC above is at least 48 but no more than 60. If y is an
integer, what is one possible value of x ?

ID: eeb4143c Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is either , , or . The area of triangle ABC can be expressed as or . It’s
given that the area of triangle ABC is at least 48 but no more than 60. It follows that . Dividing by 6 to
isolate y in this compound inequality yields . Since y is an integer, . In the given figure, the two
right triangles shown are similar because they have two pairs of congruent angles: their respective right angles and angle

A. Therefore, the following proportion is true: . Substituting 8 for y in the proportion results in . Cross

multiplying and solving for x yields . Substituting 9 for y in the proportion results in . Cross multiplying and

solving for x yields . Substituting 10 for y in the proportion results in . Cross multiplying and solving for x

yields . Note that 10/3, 15/4, 25/6, 3.333, 3.75, 4.166, and 4.167 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 5b2b8866
Assessment Test Domain
30 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Area and volume

Trigonometry

ID: 5b2b8866

A rectangular poster has an area of square inches. A copy of the poster is made in which the length and width of the
original poster are each increased by . What is the area of the copy, in square inches?

ID: 5b2b8866 Answer

Correct Answer: 2592/5, 518.4

Rationale

The correct answer is . It's given that the area of the original poster is square inches. Let 𝓁 represent the
length, in inches, of the original poster, and let represent the width, in inches, of the original poster. Since the area of a
rectangle is equal to its length times its width, it follows that 𝓁 . It's also given that a copy of the poster is made
in which the length and width of the original poster are each increased by . It follows that the length of the copy is
the length of the original poster plus of the length of the original poster, which is equivalent to 𝓁 𝓁 inches.

This length can be rewritten as 𝓁 𝓁 inches, or 𝓁 inches. Similarly, the width of the copy is the width of the

original poster plus of the width of the original poster, which is equivalent to inches. This width can be
rewritten as inches, or inches. Since the area of a rectangle is equal to its length times its width, it
follows that the area, in square inches, of the copy is equal to 𝓁 , which can be rewritten as 𝓁 .
Since 𝓁 , the area, in square inches, of the copy can be found by substituting for 𝓁 in the expression
𝓁 , which yields , or . Therefore, the area of the copy, in square inches, is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9f934297
Assessment Test Domain
31 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Area and volume

Trigonometry

ID: 9f934297

A right rectangular prism has a length of , a width of , and a height of . What is the
surface area, , of the right rectangular prism?

ID: 9f934297 Answer

Correct Answer: 2216

Rationale

The correct answer is . The surface area of a prism is the sum of the areas of all its faces. A right rectangular
prism consists of six rectangular faces, where opposite faces are congruent. It's given that this prism has a length of
, a width of , and a height of . Thus, for this prism, there are two faces with area , two
faces with area , and two faces with area . Therefore, the surface area, , of the right
rectangular prism is , or .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID dc71597b
Assessment Test Domain
32 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Area and volume

Trigonometry

ID: dc71597b

A right circular cone has a volume of cubic feet and a height of 9 feet.
What is the radius, in feet, of the base of the cone?

A.

B.

C.

D. 3

ID: dc71597b Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. The equation for the volume of a right circular cone is . It’s given that the volume of the

right circular cone is cubic feet and the height is 9 feet. Substituting these values for V and h, respectively, gives

. Dividing both sides of the equation by gives . Dividing both sides of the equation by 9

gives . Taking the square root of both sides results in two possible values for the radius, or .

Since the radius can’t have a negative value, that leaves as the only possibility. Applying the quotient property of

square roots, , results in , or .

Choices B and C are incorrect and may result from incorrectly evaluating . Choice D is incorrect and may result

from solving instead of .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9acd101f
Assessment Test Domain
33 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Circles

Trigonometry

ID: 9acd101f

The equation represents circle A. Circle B is obtained by shifting circle A down units in the xy-
plane. Which of the following equations represents circle B?

A. msup

B. msup

C. msup

D. msup

ID: 9acd101f Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. The graph in the xy-plane of an equation of the form is a circle with
center and a radius of length . It's given that circle A is represented by , which can be
rewritten as . Therefore, circle A has center and a radius of length . Shifting circle A down
two units is a rigid vertical translation of circle A that does not change its size or shape. Since circle B is obtained by
shifting circle A down two units, it follows that circle B has the same radius as circle A, and for each point on circle
A, the point lies on circle B. Moreover, if is the center of circle A, then is the center of circle
B. Therefore, circle B has a radius of and the center of circle B is , or . Thus, circle B can be
represented by the equation , or .

Choice A is incorrect. This is the equation of a circle obtained by shifting circle A right units.

Choice B is incorrect. This is the equation of a circle obtained by shifting circle A up units.

Choice C is incorrect. This is the equation of a circle obtained by shifting circle A left units.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 5b4757df
Assessment Test Domain
34 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Lines, angles, and

Trigonometry triangles

ID: 5b4757df

In triangle , angle is a right angle, point lies on , point lies on , and is parallel to . If the length
of is units, the length of is units, and the area of triangle is square units, what is the length of
, in units?

ID: 5b4757df Answer

Correct Answer: 14.66, 14.67, 44/3

Rationale

The correct answer is . It's given that in triangle , angle is a right angle. The area of a right triangle can be
found using the formula 𝓁 𝓁 , where represents the area of the right triangle, 𝓁 represents the length of one
leg of the triangle, and 𝓁 represents the length of the other leg of the triangle. In triangle , the two legs are and
. Therefore, if the length of is and the area of triangle is , then , or
. Dividing both sides of this equation by yields . Therefore, the length of is . It's also
given that point lies on , point lies on , and is parallel to . It follows that angle is a right angle.
Since triangles and share angle and have right angles and , respectively, triangles and
are similar triangles. Therefore, the ratio of the length of to the length of is equal to the ratio of the length of
to the length of . If the length of is and the length of is , it follows that the ratio of the length of to
the length of is , or , so the ratio of the length of to the length of is . Therefore, . Multiplying
both sides of this equation by yields . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields .
Since the length of , , is the sum of the length of , , and the length of , it follows that the length of is
, or . Note that 44/3, 14.66, and 14.67 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID ca2235f6
Assessment Test Domain
35 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Circles

Trigonometry

ID: ca2235f6

A circle has center , and points and lie on the circle. The measure of arc is and the length of arc is
inches. What is the circumference, in inches, of the circle?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: ca2235f6 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. It’s given that the measure of arc is and the length of arc is . The arc measure
of the full circle is . If represents the circumference, in inches, of the circle, it follows that . This
equation is equivalent to , or . Multiplying both sides of this equation by yields , or
. Therefore, the circumference of the circle is .

Choice A is incorrect. This is the length of arc .

Choice B is incorrect and may result from multiplying the length of arc by .

Choice C is incorrect and may result from squaring the length of arc .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9d159400
Assessment Test Domain
36 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Circles

Trigonometry

ID: 9d159400

Which of the following equations represents a circle in the xy-plane that intersects the y-axis at exactly one point?

A. msup

B. msup

C. msup

D. msup

ID: 9d159400 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. The graph of the equation in the xy-plane is a circle with center
and a radius of length . The radius of a circle is the distance from the center of the circle to any point on the circle. If a
circle in the xy-plane intersects the y-axis at exactly one point, then the perpendicular distance from the center of the
circle to this point on the y-axis must be equal to the length of the circle's radius. It follows that the x-coordinate of the
circle's center must be equivalent to the length of the circle's radius. In other words, if the graph of
is a circle that intersects the y-axis at exactly one point, then must be true. The
equation in choice C is , or . This equation is in the form
, where , , and , and represents a circle in the xy-plane with center
and radius of length . Substituting for and for in the equation yields , or , which is true.
Therefore, the equation in choice C represents a circle in the xy-plane that intersects the y-axis at exactly one point.

Choice A is incorrect. This is the equation of a circle that does not intersect the y-axis at any point.

Choice B is incorrect. This is an equation of a circle that intersects the x-axis, not the y-axis, at exactly one point.

Choice D is incorrect. This is the equation of a circle with the center located on the y-axis and thus intersects the y-axis at
exactly two points, not exactly one point.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 981275d2
Assessment Test Domain
37 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Circles

Trigonometry

ID: 981275d2

In the xy-plane, the graph of the equation above is a circle. Point P is on the
circle and has coordinates . If is a diameter of the circle, what are
the coordinates of point Q ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 981275d2 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. The standard form for the equation of a circle is , where are the
coordinates of the center and r is the length of the radius. According to the given equation, the center of the circle is
. Let represent the coordinates of point Q. Since point P and point Q are the endpoints
of a diameter of the circle, the center lies on the diameter, halfway between P and Q. Therefore, the following

relationships hold: and . Solving the equations for and , respectively, yields

and . Therefore, the coordinates of point Q are .

Alternate approach: Since point P on the circle and the center of the circle have the same y-coordinate,

it follows that the radius of the circle is . In addition, the opposite end of the diameter must have the same
y-coordinate as P and be 4 units away from the center. Hence, the coordinates of point Q must be .

Choices B and D are incorrect because the points given in these choices lie on a diameter that is perpendicular to the
diameter . If either of these points were point Q, then would not be the diameter of the circle. Choice C is

incorrect because is the center of the circle and does not lie on the circle.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 89661424
Assessment Test Domain
38 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Circles

Trigonometry

ID: 89661424

A circle in the xy-plane has its center at and has a radius of . An equation of this circle is
, where , , and are constants. What is the value of ?

ID: 89661424 Answer

Correct Answer: -52

Rationale

The correct answer is . The equation of a circle in the xy-plane with its center at and a radius of can be
written in the form . It's given that a circle in the xy-plane has its center at and has a
radius of . Substituting for , for , and for in the equation yields
, or . It's also given that an equation of this circle is
, where , , and are constants. Therefore, can be rewritten
in the form . The equation , or
, can be rewritten as .
Combining like terms on the left-hand side of this equation yields . Subtracting
from both sides of this equation yields , which is equivalent to
. This equation is in the form . Therefore, the
value of is .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e80d62c6
Assessment Test Domain
39 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Circles

Trigonometry

ID: e80d62c6

The equation represents circle A. Circle B is obtained by shifting circle A down units in the xy-
plane. Which of the following equations represents circle B?

A. msup

B. msup

C. msup

D. msup

ID: e80d62c6 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. The standard form of an equation of a circle in the xy-plane is , where the
coordinates of the center of the circle are and the length of the radius of the circle is . The equation of circle A,
, can be rewritten as . Therefore, the center of circle A is at and
the length of the radius of circle A is . If circle A is shifted down units, the y-coordinate of its center will decrease by ;
the radius of the circle and the x-coordinate of its center will not change. Therefore, the center of circle B is at ,
or , and its radius is . Substituting for , for , and for in the equation
yields , or . Therefore, the equation
represents circle B.

Choice B is incorrect. This equation represents a circle obtained by shifting circle A up, rather than down, units.

Choice C is incorrect. This equation represents a circle obtained by shifting circle A right, rather than down, units.

Choice D is incorrect. This equation represents a circle obtained by shifting circle A left, rather than down, units.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f243c383
Assessment Test
40
Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Area and volume

Trigonometry

ID: f243c383

Two identical rectangular prisms each have a height of . The base of each prism is a square, and
the surface area of each prism is . If the prisms are glued together along a square base, the resulting prism has a
surface area of . What is the side length, in , of each square base?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: f243c383 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. Let represent the side length, in , of each square base. If the two prisms are glued together
along a square base, the resulting prism has a surface area equal to twice the surface area of one of the prisms, minus
the area of the two square bases that are being glued together, which yields . It’s given that this resulting
surface area is equal to , so . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields
. This equation can be rewritten by multiplying on the left-hand side by , which yields
, or . Adding to both sides of this equation yields .
Multiplying both sides of this equation by yields . The surface area , in , of each rectangular prism
is equivalent to the sum of the areas of the two square bases and the areas of the four lateral faces. Since the height of
each rectangular prism is and the side length of each square base is , it follows that the area of each square
base is and the area of each lateral face is . Therefore, the surface area of each rectangular prism can
be represented by the expression , or . Substituting this expression for in the equation
yields . Subtracting and from both sides of this equation yields
. Factoring from the right-hand side of this equation yields . Applying the zero
product property, it follows that and . Adding to both sides of the equation
yields . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields . Since a side length of a rectangular prism
can’t be , the length of each square base 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 93de3f84
Assessment Test Domain
41 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Area and volume

Trigonometry

ID: 93de3f84

The volume of right circular cylinder A is 22 cubic centimeters. What is the

volume, in cubic centimeters, of a right circular cylinder with twice the radius and
half the height of cylinder A?

A. 11

B. 22

C. 44

D. 66

ID: 93de3f84 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. The volume of right circular cylinder A is given by the expression , where r is the radius of its
circular base and h is its height. The volume of a cylinder with twice the radius and half the height of cylinder A is given

by , which is equivalent to . Therefore, the volume is twice the volume of cylinder A,

or .

Choice A is incorrect and likely results from not multiplying the radius of cylinder A by 2. Choice B is incorrect and likely
results from not squaring the 2 in 2r when applying the volume formula. Choice D is incorrect and likely results from a
conceptual error.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID fb58c0db
Assessment

SAT
Test

Math
Domain
42
Geometry and
Skill

Circles
Difficulty

Trigonometry

ID: fb58c0db

Points A and B lie on a circle with radius 1, and arc has length . What

fraction of the circumference of the circle is the length of arc ?

ID: fb58c0db Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is . The circumference, C, of a circle is , where r is the length of the radius of the circle.

For the given circle with a radius of 1, the circumference is , or . To find what fraction of the

circumference the length of arc is, divide the length of the arc by the circumference, which gives . This

division can be represented by . Note that 1/6, .1666, .1667, 0.166, and 0.167 are examples of ways to
enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID eb70d2d0
Assessment Test Domain
43 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Area and volume

Trigonometry

ID: eb70d2d0

What is the area, in square units, of the triangle formed by connecting the three points shown?

ID: eb70d2d0 Answer

Correct Answer: 24.5, 49/2

Rationale

The correct answer is . It's given that a triangle is formed by connecting the three points shown, which are ,
, and . Let this triangle be triangle A. The area of triangle A can be found by calculating the area of the
rectangle that circumscribes it and subtracting the areas of the three triangles that are inside the rectangle but outside
triangle A. The rectangle formed by the points , , , and circumscribes triangle A. The
width, in units, of this rectangle can be found by calculating the distance between the points and . This
distance is , or . The length, in units, of this rectangle can be found by calculating the distance between the
points and . This distance is , or . It follows that the area, in square units, of the rectangle is
, or . One of the triangles that lies inside the rectangle but outside triangle A is formed by the points ,
, and . The length, in units, of a base of this triangle can be found by calculating the distance between the
points and . This distance is , or . The corresponding height, in units, of this triangle can be found by
calculating the distance between the points and . This distance is , or . It follows that the area,
in square units, of this triangle is , or . A second triangle that lies inside the rectangle but outside triangle A is
formed by the points , , and . The length, in units, of a base of this triangle can be found by
calculating the distance between the points and . This distance is , or . The corresponding
height, in units, of this triangle can be found by calculating the distance between the points and . This
distance is , or . It follows that the area, in square units, of this triangle is , or . The third triangle that lies
inside the rectangle but outside triangle A is formed by the points , , and . The length, in units,
of a base of this triangle can be found by calculating the distance between the points and . This
distance is , or . The corresponding height, in units, of this triangle can be found by calculating the distance
between the points and . This distance is , or . It follows that the area, in square units, of
this triangle is , or . Thus, the area, in square units, of the triangle formed by connecting the three points
shown is , or . Note that 24.5 and 49/2 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f329442c
Assessment Test Domain
44 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Area and volume

Trigonometry

ID: f329442c

Circle has a radius of and circle has a radius of , where is a positive constant. The area of circle is
how many times the area of circle ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: f329442c Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. The area of a circle can be found by using the formula , where is the area and is the
radius of the circle. It’s given that the radius of circle A is . Substituting this value for into the formula gives
, or . It’s also given that the radius of circle B is . Substituting this value for into the formula
gives , or . Dividing the area of circle B by the area of circle A gives ,
which simplifies to . Therefore, the area of circle B is times the area of circle A.

Choice A is incorrect. This is how many times greater the radius of circle B is than the radius of circle A.

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

Choice C is incorrect. This is the coefficient on the term that describes the radius of circle B.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 17912810
Assessment Test Domain
45 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Lines, angles, and

Trigonometry triangles

ID: 17912810

In the figure, parallel lines and are intersected by lines and . If and , what is the value of ?

ID: 17912810 Answer

Correct Answer: 101/2, 50.5

Rationale

The correct answer is . In the figure, lines , , and form a triangle. One interior angle of this triangle is vertical to
the angle marked ; therefore, the interior angle also has measure . It's given that . Therefore, the interior
angle of the triangle has measure . A second interior angle of the triangle forms a straight line, , with the angle
marked . Therefore, the sum of the measures of these two angles is . It's given that . Therefore, the angle
marked has measure and the second interior angle of the triangle has measure , or . The sum
of the interior angles of a triangle is . Therefore, the measure of the third interior angle of the triangle is
, or . It's given that parallel lines and are intersected by line . It follows that the triangle's
interior angle with measure is congruent to the same side interior angle between lines and formed by lines and
. Since this angle is supplementary to the two angles marked , the sum of , , and is . It follows that
, or . Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields . Dividing
both sides of this equation by yields . Note that 101/2 and 50.5 are examples of ways to enter a correct
answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f7e626b2
Assessment Test Domain
46 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Area and volume

Trigonometry

ID: f7e626b2

The dimensions of a right rectangular prism are 4 inches by 5 inches by

6 inches. What is the surface area, in square inches, of the prism?

A. 30

B. 74

C. 120

D. 148

ID: f7e626b2 Answer

Rationale

Choice D is correct. The surface area is found by summing the area of each face. A right rectangular prism consists of
three pairs of congruent rectangles, so the surface area is found by multiplying the areas of three adjacent rectangles by
2 and adding these products. For this prism, the surface area is equal to , or
, which is equal to 148.

Choice A is incorrect. This is the area of one of the faces of the prism. Choice B is incorrect and may result from adding
the areas of three adjacent rectangles without multiplying by 2. Choice C is incorrect. This is the volume, in cubic inches,
of the prism.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID acd30391
Assessment Test Domain
47 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Circles

Trigonometry

ID: acd30391

A circle in the xy-plane has equation . Which of the

following points does NOT lie in the interior of the circle?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: acd30391 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. The circle with equation has center and radius 5. For a point to be
inside of the circle, the distance from that point to the center must be less than the radius, 5. The distance between

and is , which is greater than 5. Therefore, does NOT lie

in the interior of the circle.

Choice A is incorrect. The distance between and is ,

which is less than 5, and therefore lies in the interior of the circle. Choice B is incorrect because it is the center of
the circle. Choice C is incorrect because the distance between and is

, which is less than 5, and therefore in the interior of the circle.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 306264ab
Assessment Test Domain
48 Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Area and volume

Trigonometry

ID: 306264ab

A right triangle has sides of length , , and units. What is the area of the triangle, in square units?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 306264ab Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. The area, , of a triangle can be found using the formula , where is the length of the base
of the triangle and is the height of the triangle. It's given that the triangle is a right triangle. Therefore, its base and
height can be represented by the two legs. It’s also given that the triangle has sides of length , , and units.
Since units is the greatest of these lengths, it's the length of the hypotenuse. Therefore, the two legs have lengths
and units. Substituting these values for and in the formula gives ,
which is equivalent to square units, or square units.

Choice A is incorrect. This expression represents the perimeter, rather than the area, of the triangle.

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 6a3fbec3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Lines, angles, and

Trigonometry triangles

ID: 6a3fbec3

In the figure above, and .

What is the length of ?

ID: 6a3fbec3 Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is 4.5. According to the properties of right triangles, BD divides triangle ABC into two similar triangles,
ABD and BCD. The corresponding sides of ABD and BCD are proportional, so the ratio of BD to AD is the same as the ratio

of DC to BD. Expressing this information as a proportion gives . Solving the proportion for DC results in
. Note that 4.5 and 9/2 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 459dd6c5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Area and volume

Trigonometry

ID: 459dd6c5

Triangles and are similar. Each side length of triangle is times the corresponding side length of
triangle . The area of triangle is square inches. What is the area, in square inches, of triangle ?

ID: 459dd6c5 Answer

Correct Answer: 135/8, 16.87, 16.88

Rationale

The correct answer is . It's given that triangles and are similar and each side length of triangle is
times the corresponding side length of triangle . For two similar triangles, if each side length of the first triangle is
times the corresponding side length of the second triangle, then the area of the first triangle is times the area of the
second triangle. Therefore, the area of triangle is , or , times the area of triangle . It's given that the area
of triangle is square inches. Let represent the area, in square inches, of triangle . It follows that is
times , or . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields , which is equivalent to .
Thus, the area, in square inches, of triangle is . Note that 135/8, 16.87, and 16.88 are examples of ways to
enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 310c87fe
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Geometry and Area and volume

Trigonometry

ID: 310c87fe

A cube has a surface area of 54 square meters. What is the

volume, in cubic meters, of the cube?

A. 18

B. 27

C. 36

D. 81

ID: 310c87fe Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. The surface area of a cube with side length s is equal to . Since the surface area is given as 54

square meters, the equation can be used to solve for s. Dividing both sides of the equation by 6 yields .
Taking the square root of both sides of this equation yields and . Since the side length of a cube must be a
positive value, can be discarded as a possible solution, leaving . The volume of a cube with side length s is

equal to . Therefore, the volume of this cube, in cubic meters, is , or 27.

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect and may result from calculation errors.

Question Difficulty: Hard