Step 3: Practice with Sample Test Questions

Algebra

The sample questions that follow illustrate

the kinds of questions on the test. They are
not, however, representative of the entire
scope of the test in either content or
difficulty. Answers with
explanations follow the questions.

3.

Jerry is 50 inches tall and is growing at the

1

Directions: In this chapter, questions 1-9, 12-13, and 15- 2 inch per month. Adam is 47 inches
4

rate of
18 are followed by four suggested answers or
completions. Select the one that is best in each
case. For innovative
question types, enter your answer in
the appropriate answer box (questions
10-11) or select one or more answers
(question 14).

tall
1 and is growing at the rate of
8

month. If they each continue to

grow at these rates for the next
four years, in how many
months will they be the same height?
(A)

Number and Quantity

divisor of z is
2

(B)

(C)

(C) 36
(D)
4.

(C) 7
(D)

2. For what value of x is the matrix 1

4

x
6NO
)

(D)

For which of the following values of k does the

4

equation x 4x2+ x+k

= 0 have four distinct real
roots?

(
C
)

(B) 3

5.

(
B
)

42

What is the units digit of 33408 ?

(A)

(D) 16

invertible?
3
(A)

24

(B) 30

1. If x and y are even numbers and

z = 2x2+ 4y2, then the greatest
even number
that must be a
(A)

inch per

2
0

3
2
2

I.
II.

2
1

III.

The Praxis Study Companion

(A) II only

(C) II and III only

(B) III only

(D) I, II, and III

26

Step 3: Practice with Sample Test Questions

8 If f
. of a

Functions
6. If y = 5sin x 6, what is the
maximum value
of y ?
(B) 1
1

(D)

and b for which the graph of

+b
is below the graph of
(x) for all values
of x ?

(A) 6
(C)

(x) = 3x2 , what are all real values

g (x) = ax

a 3 and b is positive.
(B) a 3 and b is negative.
(A)

(C) a is negative and b is positive.

(D) a is any real number and b is
negative.
t

P(t)=

250(3.04)

1.98

7. At the beginning of 2010,

the population of
rabbits in a wooded area
was 250. The
function above was used
to model the
approximate population,
P, of rabbits in the
area t years after January
1, 2010. According
to this model, which of the
following best
describes how the rabbit
population changed
in the area?
(A) The rabbit population
doubled every
4 months.
(B) The rabbit population
tripled every
6 months.
(C) The rabbit population
doubled every
36 months.

log 2

log 9

(D)
9. The
+ =8
rabbit 5
population
If
tripled every

o
f
x
?

10.

x
=

log

24 months.
function f (x) = a | x b |

, what is the value

The graph of the
on the closed interval

[2, 10] is shown in the

xy-plane above. What
is the value of a ?
Give your answer as
a fraction.

The Praxis Study Companion

27

Step 3: Practice with Sample Test Questions

Calculus
11. If lim

(x)= 0
lim

Geometry

g(x)= 0, what can

and

f(x)

x c
x c

be concluded about the value of

(A) The value is not finite.

lim
x c

?
g(x)

(B) The value is 0.

(C) The value is 1.
(D)
The
value
cannot
be
determ
ined
from
the
inform
ation
given.
12. In a certain chemical reaction, the number of
grams,
N,
of
a
substance produced t
hours after the reaction
begins is given by
2

N(t)=16t4t , where 0
< t < 2. At what
rate, in grams per hour, is
the substance being
produced 30 minutes after
the reaction
begins?
(A)

(B) 12
(C) 16
(D) 20
13. For the following
question, select all the

answer choices that

apply.
The function f is defined
by
x

14. For how many angles q ,

where 0 < 2,
will rotation about the origin
by angle q map
the octagon in the figure
above
(A) One

onto

(B) Two
(C) Four
(D) Eight

itself?

(0

t3 + 27

dt for all x in the interval

=
(2, 2). Which of the following statements are
true?
15. In the circle above
with center O and radius
Select all that apply.

f (1)< 0

f (0) = 0
f (1)< 0

2, AP has length 3 and is

tangent to the circle at P. If
CP is a diameter of the
circle, what is the length of
BC ?
(A)

(B) 2
(C) 3.2
(D)

The Praxis Study Companion

1.25

28

Step 3: Practice with Sample Test Questions

result on exactly 2 of the
tosses?

Probability and Statistics

16. The measures of the
handspans
of
ninthgrade students at
Tyler High School are
approximately normally
distributed, with a
mean of 7 inches and a
standard deviation of
1
inch.
Of
the
following,
which
group is expected to
have the greatest
percent of measures?
(A)
The group of
handspan
measures
that
are less than 6
inches
(B)
The group of
handspan
measures
that
are greater than 7
inches
(C)
The group of
handspan
measures
that
are between 6 and
8 inches
(D)
The group of
handspan
measures
that
are between 5 and
7 inches
17. A two-sided coin is
unfairly weighted so that
when it is tossed, the
probability that heads
will result is twice the
probability that tails will
result. If the coin is to be
tossed 3 separate times,
what is the probability that
tails will

f (n) = f (n 1) 6 for n 2,
what is the value of f

Discrete Mathematics
18. Given the recursive function defined by

f (1)=3,
(A)9

(A)

(B)

(C)

10

(D)

21

( 4)?

3
8

(B)

4
(C)
9
2
(D)
3

The Praxis Study Companion

29

Step 3: Practice with Sample Test Questions

Answers to Sample Questions

Number
and
Quantity

Algebra
2

y , it follows
expressed as two

1. Since 2 is a
divisor of both 2
that 2 is a divisor of z. To find out
if there is a greater
even number that must be a
divisor of z, you need to
consider
the
additional
information given, which is that x
and y are both even numbers.
Since x and y are even numbers,
they can be expressed as x = 2m
and

y = 2n, respectively, where m

and n can be either odd
or even integers. Substituting these
values for x and y in
the expression for z yields z =
2(2m)2+4(2n)2. It

3. The heights in this question can be

linear equations. Jerrys height in inches, J, can be

expressed as J = 50 + m,
where m is the number

24

of months from now. Adams height in inches, A, can

be

expressed as A = 47 + m.
The question asks, in how

many months will they be the same

height? This is the same as asking,
for what value of m will J = A ?
The solution can be found by
solving

follows then that z = 8m

+16n 2 and that 8 is a
divisor of z. The number 16 would
also be a divisor of z
if m is even, but not if m is odd.
Since m and n can be
either even or odd and the
question asks for the largest even
number that must be a divisor of
z, the correct

+
50+
m= 47
24 m
f
o
r

m
.

answer is (C), 8.
2. This question asks you to find the value of x
for

1
1
50+ m= 47+ m
24
8
1 1

which the given matrix is NOT invertible. A matrix is

not

5047=

2 m
4

invertible if the determinant of the matrix is equal to

and 42
zero. The determinant
of the matrix

(a

b
3= is equal to

cd )

1
3
m

24
2
4
1

3= m
12
m=36

ad bc. For the

matrix given in the
question, the
determinant is equal to

( )( )(4 )(x). This

equals 0

. The correct answer

when 6 2
4x = 0, or

The correct answer is (C), 36 months.

is (C).

The Praxis Study Companion

30

Step 3: Practice with Sample Test Questions

4. To find the units digit of 33408 ,

it is helpful to find the first few
integer powers of 33 and look for
a pattern. For example,

331 = 33
332 = 1089
333 = 35,937
334 =
1,185,921
335 =
39,135,393
You can see that the pattern in
the units digits is 3, 9, 7, 1, 3,
and that it will continue to repeat
with every four integers of the
exponent. Dividing 408 by 4
yields 102 with no remainder.
Therefore, the units digit of 33408
will be the same as the units
digit of 334 , which is 1. So, the
correct answer is (A).
5. You may recall from your
study of solutions to
polynomial equations that a
fourth-degree polynomial
has at most four distinct real
roots and that the roots of
the equation are the x-intercepts
of the graph of the
equation. One way to determine
for which of the three
given values of k the equation
will have four distinct
real roots is to graph the
equations using your
calculator.
4

I. x 4x2+ x2=0

Functions
6. There are two ways to answer
this question. You should be able
to use either method. The first
solution is based on reasoning
about the function
f (x)= sinx. First, you
need to recall that the
maximum value of sin x is 1
and, therefore, the
maximum value of 5sin x is 5. The maximum value of
y = 5sinx6 is then 56=
1. Alternatively, you could
graph the function y = 5sin x
6 and find the maximum
value of y from the graph.

The maximum value is -1, and the correct answer is

(B).
7. In this question, a model is
given for the growth of the rabbit
population as a function of time,
t, in years. The question asks for
a verbal description of the
change in the rabbit population
based on the function given. You
should recall the meaning of the
base

(growth factor) and the exponent in an exponential

growth model. You should
note that the function given
t

P(t)= 250(3.04)1.98

2503
2

You

can observe
from this approximation (with
base 3, and exponent
II. + +1=0
4

x4

t) that the population tripled every two years.

Thus,
the correct
answer is
(D), The
rabbit
population
tripled
every 24
months.

II4 4x2+ x+3=0

I.

The Praxis Study Companion

Using an appropriate viewing window to see the

behavior of the graphs for the three values of k clearly,
you can see that the values of k given in I and III each
result in the equation having only two distinct real
roots. The value of k given in II results in the equation
having four distinct real roots. The correct answer is (A),
II only.

31

Step 3: Practice with Sample Test Questions

8. This question asks about your

understanding

of

Calculus

how

changing the values of the

coefficient a and y-intercept
b in a quadratic function f (x) =
ax

+b affects the
graph of the function. You
should recall that for a > 0, as
a decreases, the width of the
parabola that is the graph of y =
ax2 increases, and for a < 0,
the graph opens downward. You
should also recall that as the
value of b decreases, the vertex
of the graph of

11. In a problem such as

this, which contains the
answer choice It cannot be
determined from the
information given, you should be
careful to base your answer on
correct reasoning. If you
conclude that the value can be
determined, you should base your
conclusion
on
known
mathematical facts or principles;
if, however, you conclude that the
value cannot be
determined, you should support
your

conclusion

by

producing two different possible

y = ax2+b moves in a negative

direction along the

values

for

the

limit.

You should recall that the

y-axis. So for the graph of g (x)
quotient property of limits
= ax +b to be below
the graph of f (x)=3 x 2 for
states that if lim f(x )= L
all values of x, a must be
and limg(x)=M, and if
less than or equal to 3 and b
must be negative (the
xc
x
vertex will be below the vertex of f
f(x)
c
However, this property
(x), which is at
L
2

the origin). The correct answer,

therefore, is (B).
9. The correct answer is 11. Recall
that logarithmic
c

g(x)

M 0,
then lim

(x)

g(x)
f

cannot be used to
determine lim
x

for the

functions are the inverse functions problem at hand since the value of limg(x) is 0
of exponential
and
xc
functions and that, more specifically,
the quotient property is inconclusive in this case. In
we have the
loga b

identity a
=b for any positive numbers a and b,
fact, for this problem,
log32
log59
where a 1. 2, 5
= 9, and
lim f(x)
Since 3
=xc
f(x)

log8 x

l
i
m

=
= x, the equation in the
problem is equivalent to 2 + 9 =
x. Therefore, the value of x is 11.
8

The answer can be entered by

typing 11 in the answer box.
1

10. The correct answer is . The

graph of the
2

function f consists of two line

segments that have a
common end point at the point

(b, 0)

on the x-axis.

Since the graph of y = f (x)

lies on or above the

xc

g(x) limg(x) 0
xc

Note that the expression 0 does

not represent a real

number; in particular, it is not equal to either 0 or 1.

Thus, the value of lim
x c

f(x)
g(x)

cannot be determined by

using the basic properties of limits. As a result, you

should suspect that, in fact, lim
x c

determined and verify your

hunch by producing examples
to show that the value of the
limit depends on the particular
functions f and g.

f(x)

x-axis, a is positive. The slope of

In the remaining discussion, it

will be assumed that

the left line segment

c = 0. (It is always possible

(with end points at (2, 1) and

to apply a translation of
c units to the two functions.) You
should be aware that,

(b, 0) ) is a,

and the

slope of the right line segment

(with end points at

(b, 0)

and ( 10, 3 ) ) is a.

cannot be

g(x)

although both f and g have the

limit 0 as x 0, one

Therefore,

01 3
0
ab =10 b
=
quickly than
2
Solving for b gives1 b = 4, which
implies that a = .
The answer can be
entered by typing 1 for the
numerator in the top
answer box and 2 for the
denominator in the
bottom answer box.

The Praxis Study Companion

function might be approaching 0 more

the other, which would affect the value of
the limit of
the quotient. Thus, if one of the functions is x and
2 the
other x2 , then the quotient is
either x or 1

x,

and so

the limit of the quotient is either

0 or nonexistent,
respectively. The value of the limit
can, in fact, be any
nonzero real number b, as the
functions bx and x show. Thus,
answer choices (A), (B), and (C) are
incorrect and the correct answer is
(D).

32

Step 3: Practice with Sample Test Questions

12. In this question, you are

given a function, N, that
models the production of a
certain chemical reaction
in grams as a function of time, t, in
hours. You are asked
to find the rate of production at
30 minutes after the
reaction begins. The rate of
production will be equal to
the first derivative of N evaluated
at 30 minutes. You
should recognize that you first
need to convert 30
minutes into hours and
then evaluate the first
derivative of N at that
value of t. Since

Thus, the statement in the third

answer choice is false. The
answer can be entered by
selecting the first and second
answer choices.

Geometry
14. The question asks you to
consider rotation about the
origin of the octagon in the
figure and to
determine for how many angles
q , where
0 < 2, would rotation of
the octagon result in
the octagon being mapped
onto itself. One way to

hour, you will need to

30
minutes 2
evaluate
equals

1
. First, find N t .
N

2
N t
8t.
1

T N =16 = 12. The

h
answer
er 2 8 2
ef
or
e,
is 12 grams per hour, so the correct
answer is (B).
13. The answer consists of the first
and second choices. For the first
answer
choice, recall
that
swapping the

begin is to consider a single point

on the octagon, such as the
point (0,4), at the top of the
octagon in the
figure. This point is 4 units from
the origin, so any
rotation that maps the octagon
onto itself would need
to map this point onto a point
that is also 4 units from
the origin. The only other point
on the octagon that is 4
units from the origin is the point
(0, 4). A rotation of angle
= would map the point (0,4)
onto the
end points of a definite integral
changes the sign of the integral.
Thus,
1

1
1

point (0, 4). You can see that

the octagon is
symmetric about both the x- and yaxes, so a rotation
of angle = would map all of
the points of the

1)
=

dt

dt

10 t + 27

t + 27

S3 + is a continuous function of t
i 27 on the
n
1
c
e

closed interval
[2, 2] and since

>0

t
0

+ 27

for

t[2, 2], then

> 0, and, therefore,

dt

octagon onto corresponding

points of the octagon.
Likewise, a rotation of angle =
2 would map the
point (0, 4) onto itself (and map
all other points of the

octagon onto themselves). No

other values of q such
that 0 < 2 would map
the octagon onto itself.
Therefore the correct answer is two, choice (B).

15. To determine the length of

BC, it would be helpful
to first label the figure with the
information given. Since
the circle has radius 2, then both OC and OP have

t +27

length 2 and CP has length 4.

AP is tangent to the circle

at P, so angle APC is a right

angle. The length of AP is

f (1)= 3

dt < 0
t + 27

The statement in the first answer

choice is true.
For the second answer choice,
recall that the value of a
definite integral with the same
value for the two end

given as 3. This means that

triangle ACP is a 3-4-5 right
triangle and AC has length 5.
You should also notice
that since CP is a diameter of the
circle, angle CBP is
also a right angle. Angle BCP is in
both triangle ACP and triangle PCB
and, therefore, the two triangles are
similar. You can then find the length
of BC by setting up a

points is zero.
Thus, f (0)=

1
dt = 0. The
of the

+ 27
statement in the second answer
choice is true.
For the third answer choice, recall
that the fundamental

proportion between the corresponding parts

theorem of calculus applied to
function f implies that

similar triangles as follows:

CP

=
f x3 .

BC

+ In
( 1
x p

AC

PC

4C
5=B
4
16

= r

t
i
c
u
l
a
r
(),

2
7

1
f 13 + = > 0
28
27

BC 5 =3.2
=

(
1
)

=
The correct answer is (C), 3.2.

The Praxis Study Companion

33

Step 3: Practice with Sample Test Questions

Probability and
Statistics
16. In this question, you will
need to use your
knowledge of a normally
distributed set of data. In
particular, you should know that
approximately 68
percent of a normally distributed
set of data lie within
1 standard deviation of the
mean and approximately
95 percent of the data lie
within 2 standard
deviations of the mean. The
question asks you to
identify which of the
groups given in the answer
choices is expected to
correspond to the greatest
percent if the handspan
measures are approximately
normally distributed with a
mean of 7 inches and a
standard deviation of 1 inch. You
will
need
to
evaluate
each answer choice in order to
determine which of the
groups has the greatest percent.

17. In this question, you

are asked to apply your
knowledge of independent
events to find the
probability of tossing tails exactly 2
out of 3 times when using an
unfairly weighted coin. Because
each toss of the coin is an
independent event, the probability
of

P(HTT ), is equal to

tossing heads then 2 tails,

P(H)P(T)P(T),
where P(H) is the
probability

of

tossing

heads and P(T ) is the

probability of tossing tails. In this
case, you are given that the
probability of tossing heads is
twice the

3 and
P(H ) =
( )=1
.
3 (Out of 3 tosses, 2 would be expected to
probability of tossing tails. So,

be heads and 1 would expected to be tails.)

(A) is the group of handspan
Therefore,
measures less than 6
inches. Since the mean
211
2
handspan is 7 inches and the
. There are 3 ways in
standard deviation is 1 inch, the group of

handspan
27
=

P(HTT) =

3 3
3

measures that is less than 6 inches is the group

that is
which exactly 2 of 3 tosses would
more than 1 standard deviation
be tails, and each of them has an
less than the mean. The group
equal probability of occurring:
of handspan measures that is
less than 7 inches includes 50
2
percent of the measures.
1
. Therefore,
P(THT) = P(TTH) =
Approximately 34 percent (

P(HTT) =

27

of 68
2percent) the total probability that tails will result exactly 2
of the
times

measures are between 6 inches

and 7 inches (within 1
standard deviation less than the
mean). So the group
with handspan measures less
than 6 inches would be
approximately equal to 50%
34% , or 16 percent of the
measures.

in 3 tosses is =
. So the
3
correct answer is
(A).

27

Discrete
Mathematics

(B) is the group of handspan measures greater than 7

inches. Since 7 inches is the
18. Given the recursive function
mean, approximately 50
defined in the
percent of the measures are
greater than the mean.
question, in order to find f (4 ),
(C) is the group of handspan
measures between 6 and
8 inches. This is the group that
is within 1 standard deviation
of the mean. This group
contains
approximately 68 percent of the
measures.
(D) is the group of handspan
measures between 5 and
7 inches. This group is between
the mean and 2
standard deviations less than the
mean. Approximately
1

47.5 percent ( of 95 percent)

of the measures are

you need first to find

f (2) and f (3). ( f (1) is given.)

Since f(1)=3 and f (n)
= f (n 1) 6 for n 2,
then

(
2

)
=

between 5 inches and 7 inches.

Of the answer choices given, the
group described in (C) is expected
to contain the greatest percent of
the
measures, approximately 68
percent, so (C) is the correct
answer.

6
=

9
f

3)

f (4) = 15 6 = 21.

The correct answer is (D).

PT

The Praxis Study Companion

34