Free PSSA Mathematics Questions and Answers

Question 1

Mary was three times as old as Mark was five years ago. If Mark is 10 years old now, how old is Mary?

Accepted Answer

20

Answer

Explanation:
Mary was three times as old as Mark five years ago.
Mark is 10 years old now. Therefore, 5 years ago Mark was just 5 years old.

Five years ago, Mary was:
A = 3 × 5 = 15
15 + 5 = 20

So Mary is 20 years old now.

Question 2

How long was your nap on Tuesday if you napped 1 1/6 hours on Monday and 2 1/2 times as long on Tuesday?

Accepted Answer

2 11/12 hours

Answer

Explanation:
Convert the mixed numbers to improper fractions:
1 1/6 = 7/6 and 2 1/2 = 5/2

Now, multiply these two improper fractions together:
7/6 * 5/2 = 35/12

Simplifying, you get 2 11/12 hours.

Question 3

Which of the following best describes a linear equation with steps starting at 5 and increasing by 8?

Accepted Answer

y = 8x + 5

Answer

Explanation:
The number in front of the x is the slope, which indicates how much it increases with each step, and the number by itself is the y-intercept, or where it begins when using the slope-intercept form. Therefore, the number in this problem must be 5, and the number in front of the x must be 8.

Question 4

ABC Car Rentals charges $100 upfront, plus 10 cents per mile.
Orange Car Rentals charges 25 cents per mile with no upfront fee.

Which of the following best represents the situation If TC represents the total cost for the car, and N represents the number of miles?

Accepted Answer

TC = 100 + 0.10n
TC = 0.25n

Answer

Explanation:
We will be solving for the total cost of the rental (TC) when we set up the equations for the two companies. We will obtain a single value for both equations—the point at which both businesses charge the same amount—by using a system of equations.

Question 5

Using a substitution method to solve this system of equations, which of the following is a valid first step?

2x - y = 7
x = 2y - 1

Accepted Answer

2(2y - 1)- y = 7

Answer

Explanation:
The value of x is provided by the second equation, therefore the first step would be to substitute that value for x, which is 2(2y - 1)- y = 7.

PSSA - Pennsylvania System of School Assessment Practice Test

PSSA - Pennsylvania System of School Assessment Practice Test

Free PSSA Mathematics Questions and Answers