ISEE Upper Level Quantitative : ISEE Upper Level (grades 9-12) Quantitative Reasoning

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ISEE Upper Level Quantitative

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Example Questions

Example Question #12 : Sets

An arithmetic sequence begins as follows:

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The fourth term of the sequence

(b) 200

Possible Answers:

(b) is greater

It is impossible to tell from the information given

(a) and (b) are equal

(a) is greater

Correct answer:

(a) is greater

Explanation:

The common difference of the sequence is , so the next two terms of the sequence are:

215 is the fourth term. This makes (a) greater.

Example Question #13 : Sets

A geometric sequence begins as follows:

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The fourth element of the sequence

(b) 30

Possible Answers:

(a) and (b) are equal

(b) is greater

It is impossible to tell from the information given

(a) is greater

Correct answer:

(a) is greater

Explanation:

The common ratio of the sequence is 

The next two terms of the sequence can be found as follows:

This is the fourth term, which is greater than 30.

Example Question #15 : How To Find The Missing Part Of A List

A geometric sequence begins as follows:

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The fourth term of the sequence

(b) The sixth term of the sequence

Possible Answers:

It is impossible to tell from the information given

(a) is greater

(b) is greater

(a) and (b) are equal

Correct answer:

(a) is greater

Explanation:

The common ratio of the geometric sequence is

The next four terms of the sequence are:

 - the fourth term

 - the sixth term

, so the fourth term, which is (a), is greater

Example Question #14 : Sets

An arithmetic sequence begins as follows:

Which of the following is the greater quantity?

(a) The tenth element of the sequence

(b) 70

Possible Answers:

(a) is greater

It is impossible to tell from the information given

(b) is greater

(a) and (b) are equal

Correct answer:

(a) is greater

Explanation:

The common difference of the sequence is ; then tenth element is

,

which is greater than 70.

Example Question #15 : Sets

A standard deck of cards is altered by removing the red queens and the three of the jacks. A card is drawn at random from this altered deck.

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The probability of drawing a red card

(b) The probability of drawing a black card

Possible Answers:

(b) is greater.

(a) and (b) are equal.

(a) is greater.

It is impossible to tell from the information given.

Correct answer:

(b) is greater.

Explanation:

The three removed jacks must either comprise two red cards and one black card, or one red card and two black cards. Since the two red queens are also removed, the net result is either the removal of four red cards and one black card, or three red cards and two black cards. Either way, more black cards than red cards are left in the altered deck, and (b) must be greater.

Example Question #16 : Sets

An arithmetic sequence begins as follows:

'

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The fifth number in the sequence

(b)

Possible Answers:

(a) is greater.

(b) is greater.

(a) and (b) are equal.

It is impossible to tell from the information given.

Correct answer:

(b) is greater.

Explanation:

The common difference of the sequence is 

.

The fifth number in the sequence is 

.

This makes (b) greater.

Example Question #17 : Sets

A geometric sequence begins as follows:

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The fifth term of the sequence

(b)

Possible Answers:

It is impossible to tell from the information given.

(a) is greater.

(b) is greater.

(a) and (b) are equal.

Correct answer:

(a) is greater.

Explanation:

The common ratio of the sequence is 

.

The next three terms of the sequence are:

, the fifth term.

, making (a) greater.

Example Question #18 : Sets

A geometric sequence begins as follows:

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The nine hundred ninety-ninth term of the sequence

(b) The one-thousandth term of the sequence

Possible Answers:

(a) is greater.

(a) and (b) are equal.

It is impossible to tell from the information given.

(b) is greater.

Correct answer:

(b) is greater.

Explanation:

The common ratio is , which means that the terms will alternate in sign. The first term is negative; therefore, all of the odd-numbered terms will be negative and all of the even-numbered terms will be positive. This makes the one thousandth term greater than the nine hundred ninety-ninth.

Example Question #21 : Sets

The Fibonacci sequence begins 

with each subsequent term being the sum of the previous two.

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The product of the seventh and eighth terms of the Fibonacci sequence

(b) The product of the sixth and ninth terms of the Fibonacci sequence

Possible Answers:

It is impossible to tell from the information given.

(a) is greater.

(b) is greater.

(a) and (b) are equal.

Correct answer:

(a) is greater.

Explanation:

By starting with  and adding each pair of consecutive terms to get each subsequent term, we can generate the first nine terms of the Fibonacci sequence:

(a) The seventh and eighth terms are 13 and 21; their product is .

(b) The sixth and ninth terms are 8 and 34; their product is .

(a) is greater.

Example Question #22 : How To Find The Missing Part Of A List

The first six terms of a sequence are as follows:

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The eighth term of the sequence

(b) 

Possible Answers:

(a) is greater.

(b) is greater.

It is impossible to tell from the information given.

(a) and (b) are equal.

Correct answer:

(a) is greater.

Explanation:

Each successive term is derived by adding a quantity to the previous term that increments by 1 with each term:

, the eighth term, is greater than .

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