PSAT Math Multiple-Choice Question 386: Answer and Explanation

Question: 386

The research group that conducted the survey wants to select one participant at random for a follow-up survey. Given that the selected participant is not a freshman, what is the probability of the research group randomly selecting someone who chose baseball as his or her favorite sport?

• A. 0.1622
• B. 0.2164
• C. 0.2399
• D. 0.2948

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

B

Difficulty: Medium

Category: Probability

Getting to the Answer: The question says that the selected candidate is not a freshman, so focus on the sophomore, junior, and senior columns. This makes the total possible outcomes for this drawing 1,355 + 1,349 + 1,340 = 4,044. The total number of upperclassmen who voted for baseball as their favorite sport (number of desired outcomes) is 343 + 249 + 283 = 875. Divide this by the total to find the probability: , which makes (B) correct.