The 21 Hardest ACT Math Questions Ever

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The 21 Hardest ACT Math Questions Ever
Posted by Courtney Montgomery | Nov 14, 2017 9:00:00 AM

ACT MATH
You’ve studied and now you’re geared up for the ACT math section (whoo!). But are you
ready to take on the most challenging math questions the ACT has to o er? Do you want
to know exactly why these questions are so hard and how best to go about solving
them? If you’ve got your heart set on that perfect score (or you’re just really curious to
see what the most di cult questions will be), then this is the guide for you.
We’ve put together what we believe to be the most 21 most di cult questions the
ACT has given to students in the past 10 years, with strategies and answer
explanations for each. These are all real ACT math questions, so understanding and
studying them is one of the best ways to improve your current ACT score and knock it
out of the park on test day.
Brief Overview of the ACT Math Section

https://blog.prepscholar.com/21-hardest-act-math-problems 1/38
Like all topic sections on the ACT, the ACT math section is one complete section that you
will take all at once. It will always be the second section on the test and you will have 60
minutes to completed 60 questions.
The ACT arranges its questions in order of ascending di culty. As a general rule of
thumb, questions 1-20 will be considered “easy,” questions 21-40 will be considered
“medium-di culty,” and questions 41-60 will be considered “di cult.”
The way the ACT classi es “easy” and “di cult” is by how long it takes the average
student to solve a problem as well as the percentage of students who answer the
question correctly. The faster and more accurately the average student solves a
problem, the “easier” it is. The longer it takes to solve a problem and the fewer people
who answer it correctly, the more “di cult” the problem.
(Note: we put the words “easy” and “di cult” in quotes for a reason—everyone has
di erent areas of math strength and weakness, so not everyone will consider an “easy”
question easy or a “di cult” question di cult. These categories are averaged across
many students for a reason and not every student will t into this exact mold.)
All that being said, with very few exceptions, the most di cult ACT math problems
will be clustered in the far end of the test. Besides just their placement on the test,
these questions share a few other commonalities. We'll take a look at example
questions and how to solve them and at what these types of questions have in
commom, in just a moment.
But First: Should You Be Focusing on the Hardest Math

Questions Right Now?
If you’re just getting started in your study prep, de nitely stop and make some time to
take a full practice test to gauge your current score level and percentile. The absolute
best way to assess your current level is to simply take the ACT as if it were real, keeping
strict timing and working straight through (we know—not the most thrilling way to
spend four hours, but it will help tremendously in the long run). So print o one of the
free ACT practice tests available online and then sit down to take it all at once.
Once you’ve got a good idea of your current level and percentile ranking, you can set
milestones and goals for your ultimate ACT score. If you’re currently scoring in the 0-16
or 17-24 range, your best best is to rst check out our guides on using the key math
strategies of plugging in numbers and plugging in answers to help get your score up to
where you want it to. Only once you've practiced and successfully improved your scores
on questions 1-40 should you start in trying to tackle the most di cult math problems
on the test.
If, however, you are already scoring a 25 or above and want to test your mettle for the
real ACT, then de nitely proceed to the rest of this guide. If you’re aiming for perfect (or
close to), then you’ll need to know what the most di cult ACT math questions look like
and how to solve them. And luckily, that’s exactly what we’re here for.

Ready, set...

21 Hardest ACT Math Questions
Now that you're positive that you should be trying out these di cult math questions,
let’s get right to it! The answers to these questions are in a separate section below, so
you can go through them all at once without getting spoiled.
#1:
#2:
#3:
#4:
#5:
#6:
#7:
#8:
#9:
#10:
#11:
#12:
#13:
#14:
#15:
#16:
#17:
#18:
#19:
#20:
#21:
Disappointed with your ACT scores? Want to improve your ACT score by 4+
points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to
improve your ACT score dramatically.
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(Free Download)
Answers: 1. K, 2. E, 3. J, 4. K, 5. B, 6. H, 7. A, 8. J, 9. F, 10. E, 11. D, 12. F, 13. D, 14. F, 15. C,

16. C, 17. D, 18. G, 19. H, 20. A, 21. K
Answer Explanations
#1: The equation we are given (−at2 + bt + c) is a parabola and we are told to
describe what happens when we change c (the y-intercept).
From what we know about functions and function translations, we know that
changing the value of c will shift the entire parabola upwards or downwards, which
will change not only the y-intercept (in this case called the “h intercept”), but also
the maximum height of the parabola as well as its x-intercept (in this case called
the t intercept). You can see this in action when we raise the value of the y-
intercept of our parabola.
Options I, II, and III are all correct.
Our nal answer is K, I, II, and III
#2: First let us set up the equation we are told—that the product of c and 3 is b.
3c = b
Now we must isolate c so that we can add its value to 3.
3c = b
b
c=
3
Finally, let us add this value to 3.
b
+3
3
b
Our nal answer is E, +3
3
[Note: Because this problem uses variables in both the problem and in the answer
choices—a key feature of a PIN question—you can always use the strategy of
plugging in numbers to solve the question.]
#3: Because this question uses variables in both the problem and in the answer
choices, you can always use PIN to solve it. Simply assign a value for x and then
nd the corresponding answer in the answer choices. For this explanation,
however, we’ll be using algebra.
First, distribute out one of your x’s in the denominator.
x+1
(x)(x2 − 1)
Now we can see that the (x2 − 1) can be further factored.
x+1
(x)(x − 1)(x + 1)
We now have two expressions of (x + 1), one on the numerator and one on the
denominator, which means we can cancel them out and simply put 1 in the
numerator.
1
x(x − 1)
And once we distribute the x back in the denominator, we will have:
1
x2 − x
Our nal answer is J, 12 .

x −x
#4: Before doing anything else, make sure you convert all your measurements into
the same scale. Because we are working mainly with inches, convert the table with
a 3 foot diameter into a table with a (3)(12) = (36) inch diameter.
Now we know that the tablecloth must hang an additional 5 + 1 inches on EVERY
side, so our full length of the tablecloth, in any straight line, will be:
1 + 5 + 36 + 5 + 1
48 inches.
Our nal answer is K, 48.
#5: The position of the a values (in front of the sine and cosine) means that they
determine the amplitude (height) of the graphs. The larger the a value, the taller
the amplitude.
Since each graph has a height larger than 0, we can eliminate answer choices C, D,
and E.
Because y1 is taller than y2, it means that y1 will have the larger amplitude. The y1
graph has the amplitude of a1, which means that a1 will be larger than
Our nal answer is B, 0< a2< a1.
#6: If you remember your trigonometry shortcuts, you know that

1 − cos2x + cos2x = 1. This means, then, that sin2x = 1 − cos2x (and that
cos2x = 1 − sin2x).
So we can replace our 1 − cos2x in our rst numerator with sin2x. We can also
replace our 1 − sin2x in our second numerator with cos2x. Now our expression
will look like this:
√ sin2x + √ cos2x
sinx cosx
We also know that the square root of a value squared will cancel out to be the
original value alone (for example, √ 22 = 2), so our expression will end up as:
sinx cosx
+
sinx cosx
Or, in other words:
= 1+1
=2
Our nal answer is H, 2.
#7: We know from working with nested functions that we must work inside out. So
we must use the equation for the function g(x) as our input value for function f (x).
f (g(x)) = √ 7x + b
Now we know that this function passes through coordinates (4, 6), so let us replace
our x and y values for these givens. (Remember: the name of the function—in this
case f (g(x))—acts as our y value).
6 = √ 7(4) + b
36 = 7(4) + b
36 = 28 + b
8=b
Our nal answer is A, b = 8.
#8: If you’ve brushed up on your log basics, you know that

l ogb( )m
n
= l ogb(m) − l ogb(n). This means that we can work this backwards and
convert our rst expression into:
l og2 ( 24
3 )
l og2(8)
We also know that a log is essentially asking: “To what power does the base need
to raised in order to achieve this certain value?” In this particular case, we are
asking: “To which power must 2 be raised to equal 8?” To which the answer is 3.
(23 = 8)
Now this expression is equal to l og5(x), which means that we must ALSO raise our
5 to the power of 3 in order to achieve x. So:
53
125
Our nal answer is J, 125.
#9: Once we’ve slogged through the text of this question, we can see that we are
essentially being asked to nd the largest value of the square root of the sum of
the squares of our coordinate points ( √ x2 + y2 ). So let us estimate what the
coordinate points are of our z’s.
Because we are working with squares, negatives are not a factor—we are looking
for whichever point has the largest combination of coordinate point, since a
negative square will be a positive. At a glance, the two points with the largest
coordinates are z1 and z5.
Let us estimate and say that z1 looks to be close to coordinates (-4, 5), which would
give us a modulus value of:
√ −42 + 52
√ 16 + 25
6.4
Point z5 looks to be a similar distance along the x-axis in the opposite direction, but
is considerably lower than point z1. This would probably put it around (4, 2), which
would give us a modulus value of:
√ 42 + 22
√ 16 + 4
4.5
The larger (and indeed largest) modulus value is at point z1
Our nal answer is F, z1.
#10: For a problem like this, you may not know what a rational number is, but you
may still be able to solve it just by looking at whatever answer seems to t with the
others the least. Answer choices A, B, C, and D all produce non-integer values when
we take their square root, but answer choice E is the exception.
Becomes:
√64
√49
8
7
A rational number is any number that can be expressed as the fraction of two
integers, and this is the only option that ts the de nition. Or, if you don’t know
what a rational number is, you can simply see that this is the only answer that
produces integer values once we have taken the root, which makes it stand out
from the crowd.
Our nal answer is E, √
#11: Because we are working with numbers in the triple digits, our numbers with at
least one 0 will have that 0 in either the units digit or the tens digit (or both, though
they will only be counted once).
We know that our numbers are inclusive, so our rst number will be 100, and will
include every number from 100 though 109. That gives us 10 numbers so far.
From here, we can see that the rst 10 numbers of 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700,
800, and 900 will be included as well, giving us a total of:
10*9
90 so far.
Now we also must include every number that ends in 0. For the rst 100 (not
including 100, which we have already counted!), we would have:
110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190
This gives us 9 more numbers, which we can also expand to include 9 more in the
200’s, 300’s, 400’s, 500’s, 600’s, 700’s, 800’s, and 900’s. This gives us a total of:
9*9
81
Now, let us add our totals (all the numbers with a units digit of 0 and all the
numbers with a tens digit of 0) together:
90+81
171
There are a total of 900 numbers between 100 and 999, inclusive, so our nal
probability will be:
171
900
171
Our nal answer is D,
900
#12: First, turn our given equation for line q into proper slope-intercept form.
−2x + y = 1
y = 2x + 1
Now, we are told that the angles the lines form are congruent. This means that the
slopes of the lines will be opposites of one another [Note: perpendicular lines have
opposite reciprocal slopes, so do NOT get these concepts confused!].
Since we have already established that the slope of line q is 2, line r must have a
slope of -2.
Our nal answer is F, -2

#13: If you remember your trigonometry rules, you know that tan−1 ( ab ) is the
a
same as saying tanΘ = . Knowing our mnemonic device SOH, CAH, TOA, we
b
know that tan Θ = opposite/adjacent. If a is our opposite and b is our adjacent, this
means that Θ will be our right-most angle.
Knowing that, we can nd the cos of Θ as well. The cosine will be the adjacent over
the hypotenuse. the adjacent still being b and the hypotenuse being √ a2 + b2 . So
[
cos tan−1 ( ab ) ] will be:
b
√ a2 + b2
b
Our nal answer is D,
√ a2 + b2
#14: By far the easiest way to solve this question is to use PIN and simply pick a
number for our x and nd its corresponding y value. After which, we can test out
our answer choices to nd the right one.
So if we said x was 24, (Why 24? Why not!), then our t value would be 2, our u value
would be 4, and our y value would be 42. And x − y would be 24 − 42 = −18
Now let us test out our answer choices.
At a glance, we can see that answer choices H and J would be positive and answer
choice K is 0. We can therefore eliminate them all.
We can also see that (t − u) would be negative, but (u − t) would not be, so it is
likely that F is our answer. Let us test it fully to be sure.
9(t − u)
9(2 − 4)
9(−2)
−18
Success!
Our nal answer is F, 9(t − u)
#15: In a question like this, the only way to answer it is to go through our answer
choices one by one.
Answer choice A would never be true, since y < −1. Since x is positive, the fraction
positive
would always be , which would give us a negative value.
negative
Answer choice B is not always correct, since we might have a small x value (e.g.,
x = 3) and a very large negative value for y (e.g., y = −100). In this case, |x|2
would be less than |y|.
a positive number
Answer choice C is indeed always true, since − 5 may or may
3
not be a positive number, but it will still always be larger than
a negative number
− 5, which will only get more and more negative.
3
For example, if x = 3 and y = −3, we will have:
3
− 5 = −4
3
and
3
− − 5 = −6
3
−4 > −6
We have found our answer and can stop here.
x y
Our nal answer is C, −5 > −5
3 3
#16: We are told that there is only one possible value for x in our quadratic
equation x2 + mx + n, which means that, when we factor our equation, we must
produce a square.
We also know that our values for x will always be the opposite as the values inside
the factor. (For example, if our factoring gave us (x + 2)(x − 5), our values for x
would be -2 and +5).
So, given that our only possible value for x is -3, our factoring must look like this:
(x + 3)(x + 3)
Which, once we FOIL it out, will give us:
x2 + 3x + 3x + 9
x2 + 6x + 9
The m in our equation stands in place of the 6, which means that m = 6.
Our nal answer is C, 6.
#17: The simplest way to solve this problem (and the key way to avoid making
mistakes with the algebra) is to simply plug in your own numbers for a, r and y. If
we keep it simple, let us say that the loan amount a is 100 dollars, the interest rate
r is 0.1, and the length of the loan is 2 years. Now we can nd our initial p.
.5ary + a
p=
12y
.5(100)(0.1)(2) + 100
p=
12(2)
110
p=
24
p = 4.58
Now if we leave everything else intact, but double our loan amount (a value), we
get:
.5ary + a
p=
12y
.5(200)(0.1)(2) + 200
p=
12(2)
220
p=
24
p = 9.16
When we doubled our a value, our p value also doubled.
Our nal answer is D, p is multiplied by 2.
#18: If we were to make a right triangle out of our diagram, we can see that we
would have a triangle with leg lengths of 8 and 8, making this an isosceles right
triangle.
This means that the full length of EF (the hypotenuse of our right triangle) would be
1
8√2 . Now ED is the length of EF, which means that ED is:
4
8√2
4
1
And the legs of the smaller right triangle will also be the size of the legs of the
4
8 8
larger triangle. So our smaller triangle will have leg lengths of = 2 and = 2
2 4
If we add 2 to both our x-coordinate and our y-coordinate from point E, we will get:
(6 + 2, 4 + 2)
(8, 6)
Our nal answer is G, (8, 6)
#19: First, to solve the inequality, we must approach it like a single variable
equation and subtract the 1 from both sides of the expression
−5 < 1 − 3x < 10
−6 < −3x < 9
Now, we must divide each side by -3. Remember, though, whenever we multiply or
divide an inequality by a negative, the inequality signs REVERSE. So we will now get:
2 > x > −3
And if we put it in proper order, we will have:
−3 < x < 2
Our nal answer is H, −3 < x < 2
#20: The only di erence between our function graphs is a horizontal shift, which
means that our b value (which would determine the vertical shift of a sine graph)
must be 0.
Just by using this information, we can eliminate every answer choice but A, as that
is the only answer with b = 0. For expediency's sake, we can stop here.
Our nal answer is A, a < 0 and b = 0
#21: You may be tempted to solve this absolute value inequality question as
normal, by making two calculations and then solving as a single variable equation.
(For more information on this, check out our guide covering absolute value
equations).
In this case, however, pay attention to the fact that our absolute value must
supposedly be less than a negative number. An absolute value will always be
positive (as it is a measure of distance and there is no such thing as a negative
distance). This means it would be literally impossible to have an absolute value
equation be less than -1.
Our nal answer is K, the empty set, as no number ful lls this equation.
Whoo! You made it to the nish line—go you!
What Do the Hardest ACT Math Questions Have in

Common?
Now, lastly, before we get to the questions themselves, it is important to understand

what makes these hard questions “hard.” By doing so, you will be able to both
understand and solve similar questions when you see them on test day, as well as have
a better strategy for identifying and correcting your previous ACT math errors.
In this section, we will look at what these questions have in common and give
examples for each type. In the next section, we will give you all 21 of the most
di cult questions as well as answer explanations for each question, including the
ones we use as examples here.
Some of the reasons why the hardest math questions are the hardest math questions
are because the questions do the following:
#1: Test Several Mathematical Concepts at Once
As you can see, this question deals with a combination of functions and coordinate
geometry points.
#2: Require Multiple Steps
Many of the most di cult ACT Math questions primarily test just one basic
mathematical concept. What makes them di cult is that you have to work through
multiple steps in order to solve the problem. (Remember: the more steps you need to
take, the easier it is to mess up somewhere along the line!)
Though it may sound like a simple probability question, you must run through a
long list of numbers with 0 as a digit. This leaves room for calculation errors along
the way.
#3: Use Concepts You're Less Familiar With
Another reason the questions we picked are so di cult for many students is that they
focus on subjects you likely have limited familiarity with. For example, many students
are less familiar with algebraic and/or trigonometric functions than they are with
fractions and percentages, so most function questions are considered “high di culty”
problems.
Many students get intimidated with function problems because they lack familiarity
with these types of questions.
#4: Give You Convoluted or Wordy Scenarios to Work Through
Some of the most di cult ACT questions are not so much mathematically di cult as
they are simply tough to decode. Especially as you near the end of the math section, it
can be easy to get tired and misread or misunderstand exactly what the question is even
asking you to nd.
This question presents students with a completely foreign mathematical concept

and can eat up the limited available time.
#5: Appear Deceptively Easy
Remember—if a question is located at the very end of the math section, it means that a
lot of students will likely make mistakes on it. Look out for these questions, which may
give a false appearance of being easy in order to lure you into falling for bait answers. Be
careful!
This question may seem easy, but, because of how it is presented, many students
will fall for one of the bait answers.
#6: Involve Multiple Variables or Hypotheticals
The more di cult ACT Math questions tend to use many di erent variables—both in the
question and in the answer choices—or present hypotheticals. (Note: The best way to
solve these types of questions—questions that use multiple integers in both the
problem and in the answer choices—is to use the strategy of plugging in numbers.)
Working with hypothetical scenarios and variables is almost always more

challenging than working with numbers.
Now picture something delicious and sooth your mind as a reward for all that hard
work.

The Take-Aways
Taking the ACT is a long journey; the more you get acclimated to it ahead of time, the
better you'll feel on test day. And knowing how to handle the hardest questions the test-
makers have ever given will make taking your ACT seem a lot less daunting.
If you felt that these questions were easy, make sure not underestimate the e ect of
adrenaline and fatigue on your ability to solve your math problems. As you study, try to
follow the timing guidelines (an average of one minute per ACT math question) and try
to take full tests whenever possible. This is the best way to recreate the actual testing
environment so that you can prepare for the real deal.
If you felt these questions were challenging, be sure to strengthen your math
knowledge by checking out our individual math topic guides for the ACT. There, you'll
see more detailed explanations of the topics in question as well as more detailed
answer breakdowns.
What’s Next?
Felt that these questions were harder than you were expecting? Take a look at all
the topics covered on the ACT math section and then note which sections you had
particular di culty in. Next, take a look at our individual math guides to help you
strengthen any of those weak areas.
Running out of time on the ACT math section? Our guide to helping you beat the
clock will help you nish those math questions on time.
Aiming for a perfect score? Check out our guide on how to get a perfect 36 on the ACT
math section, written by a perfect-scorer.
Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points?
Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money
back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more.
Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths
and weaknesses. If you liked this Math lesson, you'll love our program. Along
with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by
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Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article!
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Ask a Question Below
Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!
Vk Kao 4/27/2017, 12:29:45 PM
For # 11,
you can also just nd every single number that doesn't contain zero = 9 * 9 * 9 =729.
Subtract 1000 from 729 to get 171, and divide by 900.
Reply to Vk Kao
kabir kapoor 9/22/2017, 8:22:15 PM
this is some bloody marvellous stu . Continue with the good work!! Go on sunny boy,
thrive and prosper for the best. I wish u the best fort the future,
Yours, carefully, Kabir
Reply to kabir kapoor

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SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

The 21 Hardest ACT Math Questions Ever

Posted by Courtney Montgomery | Nov 14, 2017 9:00:00 AM

Brief Overview of the ACT Math Section

But First: Should You Be Focusing on the Hardest Math

21 Hardest ACT Math Questions

Raise Your ACT Score by 4 Points

Answers: 1. K, 2. E, 3. J, 4. K, 5. B, 6. H, 7. A, 8. J, 9. F, 10. E, 11. D, 12. F, 13. D, 14. F, 15. C,

Options I, II, and III are all correct.

Our nal answer is K, I, II, and III

Now we must isolate c so that we can add its value to 3.

Finally, let us add this value to 3.

First, distribute out one of your x’s in the denominator.

Now we can see that the (x2 − 1) can be further factored.

And once we distribute the x back in the denominator, we will have:

Our nal answer is J, 12 .

Our nal answer is K, 48.

Our nal answer is B, 0< a2< a1.

#6: If you remember your trigonometry shortcuts, you know that

Or, in other words:

Our nal answer is H, 2.

Our nal answer is A, b = 8.

#8: If you’ve brushed up on your log basics, you know that

convert our rst expression into:

Our nal answer is J, 125.

The larger (and indeed largest) modulus value is at point z1

Our nal answer is F, z1.

Our nal answer is E, √

110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190

Our nal answer is F, -2

Now let us test out our answer choices.

Our nal answer is F, 9(t − u)

For example, if x = 3 and y = −3, we will have:

We have found our answer and can stop here.

Which, once we FOIL it out, will give us:

The m in our equation stands in place of the 6, which means that m = 6.

Our nal answer is C, 6.

When we doubled our a value, our p value also doubled.

Our nal answer is D, p is multiplied by 2.

Our nal answer is G, (8, 6)

−6 < −3x < 9

And if we put it in proper order, we will have:

Our nal answer is H, −3 < x < 2

Our nal answer is A, a < 0 and b = 0

Whoo! You made it to the nish line—go you!

What Do the Hardest ACT Math Questions Have in

Now, lastly, before we get to the questions themselves, it is important to understand

#1: Test Several Mathematical Concepts at Once

#2: Require Multiple Steps

#3: Use Concepts You're Less Familiar With

#4: Give You Convoluted or Wordy Scenarios to Work Through

This question presents students with a completely foreign mathematical concept

#5: Appear Deceptively Easy

#6: Involve Multiple Variables or Hypotheticals

Working with hypothetical scenarios and variables is almost always more

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Vk Kao 4/27/2017, 12:29:45 PM

kabir kapoor 9/22/2017, 8:22:15 PM