Cracking The SAT Premium

12. 
    

    D This is a perfect question for PITA. The question asks for the greatest possible number of 20-
    ounce boxes. Start with (B). If there are twenty-five 20-ounce boxes, then there are twenty-five
    8-ounce boxes because a total of 50 boxes was purchased. In this case, the twenty-five 20-
    ounce boxes weigh 500 ounces, and the twenty-five 8-ounce boxes weigh 200 ounces; the total
    is 700 ounces. This is too big because the question says the total weight was less than 600. If
    (B) is too big, (A) must also be too big; eliminate both answers. If you try (C), the total weight
    is 604 ounces, which is still too big. Thus, the answer is (D).

    
    


13. 
    

    D Since you are never told what x is, and there is no way to find it, plug in for x. Say that x = 100.

    
    

63% of  100 is  63, and     of  100 is  37.5.   The ratio   of  a   to  c   is   .  So,     =   1.68.   To  save    time,

you can Ballpark    the answer, since   a   >   c   and (D) is  the only    choice  greater than    1.

21. D Here’s yet another chance to plug in because of the variables in the answer choices. In this case,

you have    several variables.  You should  start   by  plugging    in  values  for x   and y,  and then    work

out c.  Because x   >   y   >   0,  let’s   say x   =   6   and y   =   3.  Therefore,  c   =       +       =       +       =       =    .  The

question    asks    for the value   of   ,  which   is  the reciprocal  of   ,  or  2.  This    is  your    target  answer.

If  you plug    x   =   6   and y   =   3   into    all of  the answer  choices,    you’ll  find    that    only    (D) equals  2.

24. 
    

    B When asked for a specific value, try Plugging In the Answers. Label them as gallons of premium
    and start with the value in (B). If 75 gallons of premium were sold, the station would make
    75($2.79) = $209.25 for those sales. A total of 550 gallons was sold, so the station would have
    sold 550 – 75 = 475 gallons of regular gasoline. The sales for the regular gasoline would be
    475($2.39) = $1,135.25. The total sales for both types of gasoline would be $209.25 +
    $1,135.25 = $1,344.50. That matches the information in the question, so (B) is correct.

    
    


25. 
    

    A Variables in the answer choices? Plug in! This is a percent question, so make k = 100 and d =

    
    


26. 
    

    If 40 out of the 100 gallons have been pumped, that equals 40%. So 40% is your target
    answer. When you plug k = 100 and d = 40 into the answers, only (A) gives you 40. Remember,
    Plugging In can turn a difficult question into a much more straightforward one.