Standard Two – Foundation Level Problems
Prompt: A twenty-five question mathematics test is scored by allowing 5 points for
each correct answer and –4 points for each wrong answer. A student loses 3 points if
the answer is left blank. If a student scored 64 points, how many answers were correct,
wrong, and blank?
Answer: 18 correct, 5 wrong, 2 blank
Mathematics Teacher December 1995 V88 N9
Prompt: Find the value of x + y if x y  25 and y x  32 .
Answer: 7
Mathematics Teacher December 1995 V88 N9
Prompt: In the expression xy 2 , the values of x and y are each decreased by 25
percent; the value of the expression is decreased by what amount?
Answer: (37/64) xy 2
Mathematics Teacher December 1995 V88 N9
Adapted from Charles T. Salkind, The Contest Problem Book I (Washington, D.C.: Mathematical Association of
America, 1961).
Prompt: An herbicide loses one-half its toxic effect each week. After how many weeks
will the herbicide have less than 10 percent of its original potency?
Answer: 4 weeks
Mathematics Teacher September 1992 V85 N6
Prompt: If a ♥ b means a b and a ◊ b means
a
, find the value of
b
[ ( 4 ♥ 4) ◊ 2] ♥ 3
From “Passport to Algebra and Geometry” published by McDougal Littell Inc.