SSAT Upper Level Math : SSAT Upper Level Quantitative (Math)

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SSAT Upper Level Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : How To Read Tables

The menu of a local coffeehouse reads as follows:

\displaystyle \begin{matrix} \textrm{Espresso}\; \; \; & \$1.79 \\ \textrm{Cafe Latte} & \$2.19 \\ \textrm{Cappucino} & \$2.29 \\ \textrm{Americano} & \$2.39 \\ \textrm{Turkish\; \; } & \$2.09 \\ \textrm{Iced Tea}\; \; \; & \$1.59 \end{matrix}

A boss is treating his employees to drinks. Seven of them want iced tea, five want cafe latte, four want espresso, three want cappucino, one wants Americano, and one wants Turkish coffee. How much will the boss spend, disregarding tax?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle \$42.68

\displaystyle \$ 42.98

\displaystyle \$40.59

\displaystyle \$45.07

\displaystyle \$38.81

Correct answer:

\displaystyle \$40.59

Explanation:

Multiply each price by the quantity ordered:

Seven iced teas:

\displaystyle \$ 1.59 \times 7 = \$ 11.13

Five cafe lattes:

\displaystyle \$2.19 \times 5 = \$ 10.95

Four espressos:

\displaystyle \$1.79 \times 4 = \$7.16

Three cappucinos:

\displaystyle \$2.29 \times 3 = \$6.87

Add the $2.39 for the Americano and the $2.09 for the Turkish coffee. The sum:

\displaystyle \begin{matrix} \$11.13\\ \; \: 10.95\\ \; \; \; 7.16\\ \; \; \; 6.87\\ \; \; \; 2.39\\ \underline{\; \; \;2.09}\\\$ 40.59 \end{matrix}

Example Question #11 : Data Analysis / Probablility

Untitled

The above is an annual income tax table for married couples for a given state.

Mr. Phillips earned $27,287 last year; Mrs. Phillips earned $25,879. How much will the couple pay in income tax for that year (nearest hundred dollars)?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle \$1,200

\displaystyle \$700

\displaystyle \$300

\displaystyle \$900

\displaystyle \$400

Correct answer:

\displaystyle \$700

Explanation:

The Phillips's income totaled 

\displaystyle \$27,287+\$25,879= \$53,166.

This puts them in the 1.3% tax bracket, so they will pay

\displaystyle \$53,166 \times 0.013 = \$ 691.16 in taxes.

The correct response is $700.

Example Question #1 : How To Read Tables

Untitled

The above is an annual income tax table for single persons in a given state.

Grant earned $4,389 per month over a one-year period in his regular job. He also claimed $1,736 in interest income and $3,781 in stock dividends. Based on the above table, how much income tax will he pay (nearest dollar)?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle \$756

\displaystyle \$446

\displaystyle \$236

\displaystyle \$355

\displaystyle \$519

Correct answer:

\displaystyle \$446

Explanation:

Grant earned, in salary, interest, and dividends:

\displaystyle \$4,389 \times 12 + \$1,736 + \$3,781 = \$58,185

This puts him in the $40-60,000 range, so he will pay $210 plus 1.3% of his income above $40,000. This will be

\displaystyle \$210 + \left (\$58,185 - \$40,000 \right ) \times 0.013

\displaystyle = \$210 + \$18,185 \times 0.013

\displaystyle = \$210 + \$236.41

\displaystyle = \$446.41

Example Question #12 : Data Analysis / Probablility

Untitled

The above is an annual income tax table for single persons in a given state.

Mr. Wells, a single man, paid $690 in taxes last year. Which of the following amounts comes closest to his income for the year?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle \$65,000

\displaystyle \$75,000

\displaystyle \$60,000

\displaystyle \$80,000

\displaystyle \$70,000

Correct answer:

\displaystyle \$75,000

Explanation:

Since he paid between $470 and $810, his earnings had to have been in the $60,000 to $80,000 range.

Let \displaystyle x be his earnings; then, since he paid $470 plus 1.7% of his income in excess of $60,000, which is equal to $690, we can set up and solve the equation:

\displaystyle 470 + 0.017 (x-60,000) = 690

\displaystyle 470 + 0.017 x-1,020= 690

\displaystyle 0.017 x-550= 690

\displaystyle 0.017 x= 1,240

\displaystyle x =1,240 \div 0.017 = 72,941.18

The correct choice is $75,000.

Example Question #2 : How To Read Tables

Untitled

The above is an annual income tax table for married couples for a given state.

Mr. Clarke earned a monthly salary of \displaystyle \$6,287 throughout last year; Mrs. Clarke earned a monthly salary of \displaystyle \$8,112, although she started on April 1. Also the couple claimed interest earnings of \displaystyle \$7,448 and \displaystyle \$8,711 in stock dividends. How much will the couple pay in income tax for that year (nearest dollar)?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle \$2,7 56

\displaystyle \$3,786

\displaystyle \$3,319

The correct answer is not among the other choices.

\displaystyle \$4,347

Correct answer:

\displaystyle \$2,7 56

Explanation:

Mr. and Mrs. Clarke earned a total of 

\displaystyle \$6,287 \times 12 +\$8,112 \times 9 + \$7,448 + \$8,711

(noting that Mrs. Clarke worked for nine months)

\displaystyle = \$75,444 +\$73,008 + \$7,448 + \$8.711

\displaystyle = \$164,611

This places them in the highest tax bracket, so they will pay $810 plus 2.3% of their income over $80,000:

\displaystyle =\$810 + \left (\$164,611 - \$80,000 \right ) \times 0.023

\displaystyle =\$810 + \$84,611 \times 0.023

\displaystyle =\$810 + \$1,946.05

\displaystyle = \$2,7 56.05

Round this to $2,756.

Example Question #3 : How To Read Tables

Untitled

The above is an annual income tax table for single persons in a given state.

Michael earned \displaystyle \$3,217 per month over a one-year period in his regular job. He also claimed \displaystyle \$1,182 in interest income and \displaystyle \$781 in stock dividends. Based on the above table, which of the following comes closest to the amount of income tax he will pay?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle \$900

\displaystyle \$700

\displaystyle \$500

\displaystyle \$200

\displaystyle \$300

Correct answer:

\displaystyle \$500

Explanation:

From salary, interest, and dividends, Michael earned

\displaystyle \$3,217 \times 12 + \$1,182 + \$781 = \$40,567,

putting him in the 1.3% tax bracket.

His income tax will be 

\displaystyle \$40,567 \times 0.013 = \$527.31

making $500 the correct response.

Example Question #4 : How To Read Tables

What is the probability of rolling a single die and it landing on 2 and 4?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle \frac{1}{6}

\displaystyle \frac{1}{3}

\displaystyle 0

\displaystyle \frac{1}{2 }

\displaystyle 1

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 0

Explanation:

When you roll on die you can only get one possible value facing up.  The expression "the probability of getting a 2 and 4"  means that they both occur at the same time.  Since you can not get two results with one die, the probability must be \displaystyle 0.

Example Question #4 : How To Read Tables

What is the probability of rolling a single die and it landing on 2 and 4?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle \frac{1}{6}

\displaystyle \frac{1}{3}

\displaystyle 0

\displaystyle \frac{1}{2 }

\displaystyle 1

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 0

Explanation:

When you roll on die you can only get one possible value facing up.  The expression "the probability of getting a 2 and 4"  means that they both occur at the same time.  Since you can not get two results with one die, the probability must be \displaystyle 0.

Example Question #22 : Data Analysis / Probablility

Column1 Column2
1 0
2 0
3 2
4 3
5 4
6 5
7 8
8 8
9 8
10 8
11 5
12 0

Looking the the table given above, what is the range of the data set?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 3

\displaystyle 7

\displaystyle 11

\displaystyle 8

\displaystyle 10

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 8

Explanation:

The range of the data is the difference between the highest and lowest independent variable values.  

In this set, the lowest is \displaystyle 3 and the highest is \displaystyle 11.  

The difference between these two is \displaystyle 11-3=8.

Example Question #25 : Interpretation Of Tables And Graphs

Scrabble

A popular word game uses one hundred tiles, each of which is marked with a letter or a blank. The distribution of the tiles is shown above, with each letter paired with the number of tiles marked with that letter. Notice that there are two blank tiles.

In the game, the four letters that are the most difficult to play are the "J", the "Q", the "X", and the "Z". John and Jane, who are in third grade, agree to remove these letters. After this is done, what percent of the letter tiles are marked with consonants (Note: "Y" counts as a consonant)?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 56 \%

\displaystyle 54 \%

\displaystyle 50\%

\displaystyle 52 \%

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 54 \%

Explanation:

The easiest way to count the consonants is to count the vowels and blanks first.

There are nine "A" tiles, twelve "E" tiles, nine "I" tiles, eight "O" tiles, four "U" tiles, and two "blanks". This is a total of 

\displaystyle 9 + 12 + 9 + 8 + 4 + 2= 44 tiles that are not consonants. 

There are 96 tiles left after the removal of the "J", the "Q", the "X", and the "Z". Therefore, the number of consonants remaining is

\displaystyle 96 - 44 = 52, which is

\displaystyle \frac{52}{96 } \times 100 \% \approx 54.2 \%

This rounds to 54%.

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