Problem-Solving and Data Analysis is one of the four major content areas on the Digital SAT Math section, and it's built almost entirely out of realistic scenarios dressed up in numbers: unit rates and unit conversions, ratios and proportions, percentages layered on top of fractions, work rate problems, and age word problems that require setting up a relationship between two people's ages at two different points in time. None of these individually require advanced algebra, but they do require translating a wordy setup into a clean equation without losing track of any detail along the way.
A few strategies make these problems far more manageable. For any rate or ratio problem, find the rate per unit first (miles per gallon, desks per carpenter per day, dollars per pound) before trying to scale up to the specific quantities the question asks about, since jumping straight to the final numbers is where most errors creep in. For "fraction of a fraction" problems, like a fraction of the girls at a camp under a certain height, work through the fractions one at a time rather than trying to combine them mentally in a single step. For work rate problems, remember that the total amount of work done equals the rate per worker per day, multiplied by the number of workers, multiplied by the number of days, so setting up "rate × workers × days = total work" for both scenarios in the problem lets you solve for whatever's missing. And for age problems, always define each person's age using the same variable at the same point in time, then carefully add the same number of years to both sides when the problem shifts to "in five years" or similar.
Below are 7 SAT Math-style Problem-Solving and Data Analysis practice problems covering unit rates, ratios and proportions, work rate problems, and age word problems. Work through each problem, select your answer, and check whether you got it right. Every problem includes a complete, step-by-step explanation. Once you've worked through these, keep building your skills with the free SAT Math Question Bank, with 2,500+ more digital SAT practice problems and instant explanations.
