College Math Placement Test Elementary Algebra 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the slope of the line passing through (2, 1) and (6, 9)?
- 1/2
- 4
- 2 (Correct answer)
- 1/4
Correct answer: 2
Slope = (9−1)/(6−2) = 8/4 = 2.
Question 2: Solve the inequality: −3x + 6 > 15
- x > −3
- x < −3 (Correct answer)
- x > 3
- x < 3
Correct answer: x < −3
Subtract 6: −3x > 9, then divide by −3 and flip the inequality: x < −3.
Question 3: What is the y-intercept of the line 5x − 2y = 10?
- 5
- −5 (Correct answer)
- 2
- −2
Correct answer: −5
Set x = 0: −2y = 10, so y = −5.
Question 4: Solve the system: x + y = 8 and x − y = 2
- x = 3, y = 5
- x = 5, y = 3 (Correct answer)
- x = 6, y = 2
- x = 4, y = 4
Correct answer: x = 5, y = 3
Adding the equations: 2x = 10, so x = 5; substituting back gives y = 3.
Question 5: Which of the following is NOT a function?
- y = 3x + 2
- y = x²
- x = 4 (Correct answer)
- y = |x|
Correct answer: x = 4
x = 4 is a vertical line, and a vertical line fails the vertical line test, so it does not represent a function.
Question 6: Simplify: (15x³y²) ÷ (3xy)
- 5x²y (Correct answer)
- 5x³y
- 12x²y
- 12x³y²
Correct answer: 5x²y
Divide coefficients (15÷3 = 5) and subtract exponents: x³⁻¹ = x², y²⁻¹ = y, giving 5x²y.
Question 7: The sum of three consecutive integers is 48. What is the largest integer?
- 15
- 16
- 17 (Correct answer)
- 18
Correct answer: 17
Let the integers be n, n+1, n+2; then 3n+3 = 48, n = 15, so the largest is 17.
What is the slope of the line passing through (2, 1) and (6, 9)?