ISEE Lower Level Mathematics Achievement Quiz
Practice Graph Totals And Differences in ISEE Lower Level Mathematics Achievement with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.
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A line graph tracks daily temperature readings over 6 days. The temperatures were 72°F, 68°F, 75°F, 71°F, 69°F, and 73°F. On three of these days, it rained. The rainy days had temperatures of 68°F, 69°F, and 71°F. What is the total temperature for all the non-rainy days combined?
This quiz focuses on Graph Totals And Differences, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for ISEE Lower Level Mathematics Achievement.
Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.
A line graph tracks daily temperature readings over 6 days. The temperatures were 72°F, 68°F, 75°F, 71°F, 69°F, and 73°F. On three of these days, it rained. The rainy days had temperatures of 68°F, 69°F, and 71°F. What is the total temperature for all the non-rainy days combined?
Explanation: This problem tests your ability to categorize data and perform selective calculations based on given conditions. When you encounter questions that ask you to separate data into groups, the key is to carefully identify which items belong to each category before doing any math. Let's identify the non-rainy days first. You're told the rainy days had temperatures of 68°F, 69°F, and 71°F. Looking at all six temperatures (72°F, 68°F, 75°F, 71°F, 69°F, 73°F), the non-rainy days must be the remaining three: 72°F, 75°F, and 73°F. Adding these together: 72+75+73=220°F. Now let's examine why each wrong answer appears: Choice A gives 148°F, which would be the result if you mistakenly used only two of the non-rainy temperatures (like 72+76 or a similar miscalculation). Choice B shows 208°F, which is actually the sum of the rainy day temperatures (68+69+71=208) – this catches students who mix up "rainy" and "non-rainy." Choice C gives 428°F, which is the total of all six days combined (72+68+75+71+69+73=428) – this traps students who ignore the "non-rainy" specification entirely. The correct answer is D: 220°F. Study tip: In data separation problems, always circle or list the items in each category before calculating. This prevents you from accidentally using the wrong group's data or including everything when only a subset is needed.
A double bar graph compares monthly rainfall between two cities over 4 months. City X received 3.2, 4.7, 2.9, and 5.1 inches in January through April respectively. City Y received 4.8, 3.5, 6.2, and 4.0 inches in the same months. In which month was the total rainfall for both cities combined the greatest, and what was that total amount?
Explanation: Calculate combined rainfall for each month: January: 3.2 + 4.8 = 8.0 inches. February: 4.7 + 3.5 = 8.2 inches. March: 2.9 + 6.2 = 9.1 inches. April: 5.1 + 4.0 = 9.1 inches. Both March and April tied at 9.1 inches, but since March occurred first chronologically, it had the greatest combined rainfall. Choice A incorrectly identifies April. Choice C uses the wrong total for April. Choice D incorrectly identifies February with a lower total.
A scatter plot shows the relationship between hours studied and test scores for 30 students. The data reveals that 8 students studied 0-2 hours and scored an average of 65 points, 12 students studied 3-5 hours and scored an average of 78 points, and 10 students studied 6+ hours and scored an average of 89 points. If we calculate the total points earned by all students in each study group, how many more total points did the 3-5 hour group earn compared to the 0-2 hour group?
Explanation: When you encounter scatter plot problems involving grouped data, you need to calculate total values by multiplying the number of students in each group by their average score, then compare the results. Let's find the total points for each study group. For the 0-2 hour group: 8 students × 65 average points = 520 total points. For the 3-5 hour group: 12 students × 78 average points = 936 total points. To find how many more points the 3-5 hour group earned, subtract: 936 - 520 = 416 more points. Looking at the wrong answers: Choice A gives the correct direction (3-5 hour group earned more) but uses 156 instead of 416 - this might come from incorrectly calculating the difference between average scores (78 - 65 = 13) and then multiplying by 12 students. Choice B has the right number (416) but claims the 0-2 hour group earned more, which reverses the comparison since 520 < 936. Choice D combines both errors - wrong direction and wrong calculation, suggesting the 0-2 hour group earned 156 more points. The correct answer is C: the 3-5 hour group earned 416 more total points than the 0-2 hour group. Study tip: In grouped data problems, always multiply the group size by the average to get totals before making comparisons. Don't just compare the averages themselves - the group sizes matter significantly in determining total outcomes.
A pie chart shows how 450 students voted for their favorite school lunch. Pizza received 126 votes, hamburgers received 98 votes, tacos received 87 votes, and salad received the remaining votes. A second survey of 380 students showed that 89 students chose pizza, 112 chose hamburgers, 91 chose tacos, and the rest chose salad. How many more students chose salad in the first survey than in the second survey?
Explanation: When you encounter a multi-step word problem involving comparisons between two data sets, break it down systematically by finding the missing information first, then making the comparison. Start by finding how many students chose salad in each survey. In the first survey, you know the total (450 students) and three of the four categories: pizza (126), hamburgers (98), and tacos (87). To find salad votes: 450−126−98−87=139 students chose salad. For the second survey, the total is 380 students with pizza (89), hamburgers (112), and tacos (91). So salad received: 380−89−112−91=88 votes. Now compare: 139−88=51 more students chose salad in the first survey than in the second. Looking at the wrong answers: Choice A incorrectly calculates the difference as 47, likely from an arithmetic error in finding the salad votes. Choice B correctly calculates 51 but reverses the direction, claiming the second survey had more salad votes than the first. Choice D makes both errors—wrong arithmetic (47) and wrong direction (claiming second survey had more). The key trap here is the direction of comparison. Always double-check which survey had the larger number before stating your final answer. Setting up your subtraction as "first survey salad votes minus second survey salad votes" helps you avoid this reversal error.
A bar graph shows the number of books read by students in three different grades. Fourth graders read a total of 847 books, fifth graders read 623 books, and sixth graders read 729 books. If the librarian wants to find how many more books the fourth and sixth graders combined read than the fifth graders, what calculation should she perform?
Explanation: To find how many more books fourth and sixth graders combined read than fifth graders, we calculate (847 + 729) - 623 = 1,576 - 623 = 953. Choice B incorrectly combines fourth and fifth graders instead of fourth and sixth. Choice C incorrectly combines fifth and sixth graders instead of fourth and sixth. Choice D incorrectly compares fourth graders alone against the sum of fifth and sixth graders.
A histogram displays test scores for two classes. Class A had 8 students score between 90-100, 12 students score between 80-89, 15 students score between 70-79, and 5 students score below 70. Class B had 11 students score between 90-100, 9 students score between 80-89, 18 students score between 70-79, and 2 students score below 70. What is the total number of students who scored 80 or above across both classes combined?
Explanation: Students scoring 80 or above include those in the 80-89 and 90-100 ranges. Class A: 8 + 12 = 20 students scored 80 or above. Class B: 11 + 9 = 20 students scored 80 or above. Combined total: 20 + 20 = 40 students. Choice A incorrectly includes students from the 70-79 range. Choice C gives the total number of all students in both classes. Choice D uses an incorrect partial calculation.
A school cafeteria tracked the number of meals sold each day for two weeks. In the first week, they sold 245, 268, 291, 256, and 223 meals from Monday through Friday. In the second week, they sold 312, 289, 267, 294, and 258 meals from Monday through Friday. What is the difference between the total number of meals sold in the second week compared to the first week?
Explanation: First week total: 245 + 268 + 291 + 256 + 223 = 1,283 meals. Second week total: 312 + 289 + 267 + 294 + 258 = 1,420 meals. Difference: 1,420 - 1,283 = 137 meals. Since the second week had more meals, the answer is 137 more meals in the second week. Choice B incorrectly reverses which week had more. Choices C and D use an incorrect calculation of 127 instead of 137.
A pictograph shows how many cupcakes were sold at a bake sale. Each cupcake symbol represents 5 cupcakes. Chocolate shows 9 symbols, vanilla shows 7 symbols, and strawberry shows 4 symbols. How many more chocolate and strawberry cupcakes were sold than vanilla cupcakes?
Explanation: First, find the total number of chocolate and strawberry cupcakes. This is (9 + 4) symbols = 13 symbols. Convert this to cupcakes: 13 symbols × 5 cupcakes/symbol = 65 cupcakes. Next, find the number of vanilla cupcakes: 7 symbols × 5 cupcakes/symbol = 35 cupcakes. Finally, find the difference: 65 - 35 = 30 cupcakes.
A bar graph shows the number of hours four employees worked in a week. Ana worked 38 hours, Ben worked 40 hours, Carla worked 35 hours, and David worked 32 hours. How many more hours did Ana and Ben work together than Carla and David worked together?
Explanation: When you encounter word problems involving combining and comparing groups, break them down into clear steps to avoid calculation errors. First, find how many hours Ana and Ben worked together: 38+40=78 hours. Next, find how many hours Carla and David worked together: 35+32=67 hours. Finally, subtract to find the difference: 78−67=11 hours. Ana and Ben worked 11 more hours together than Carla and David. Looking at the wrong answers: Choice (A) gives 2 hours, which might result from incorrectly finding the difference between just Ana and Ben's hours (40 - 38 = 2) rather than comparing the two pairs. Choice (C) shows 8 hours, which could come from various calculation mistakes, such as finding the difference between the highest and lowest individual totals (40 - 32 = 8). Choice (D) gives 78 hours, which is actually the total hours that Ana and Ben worked together, but this doesn't answer the question about the difference between the two pairs. The key strategy for these comparison problems is to organize your work clearly: calculate each group's total separately, then find the difference. Always reread the question to make sure you're answering what's being asked—here, it's asking for a comparison between two pairs, not individual differences or single group totals.
A line graph tracks the number of cars sold at a dealership over four weeks. Week 1: 17 cars, Week 2: 24 cars, Week 3: 21 cars, and Week 4: 12 cars. How many cars were sold in the weeks that had neither the highest nor the lowest sales?
Explanation: First, identify the best sales week (most cars): Week 2 with 24 cars. Identify the worst sales week (fewest cars): Week 4 with 12 cars. The two weeks that were neither the best nor worst are Week 1 (17 cars) and Week 3 (21 cars). The total for these two weeks is 17 + 21 = 38 cars.
A bar graph shows the number of tickets sold for a school play on different nights. On Thursday, 75 tickets were sold. On Friday, 110 tickets were sold. On Saturday, 125 tickets were sold. How many tickets were sold on Friday and Saturday combined?
Explanation: To find the total number of tickets sold on Friday and Saturday, add the ticket sales from those two nights: 110 (Friday) + 125 (Saturday) = 235 tickets.
A chart lists the number of students who participate in after-school activities. There are 32 students in band, 45 in sports, 20 in art club, and 18 in drama club. How many more students participate in sports than in art club and drama club combined?
Explanation: First, find the combined number of students in the art and drama clubs: 20 + 18 = 38 students. Next, find how many more students are in sports than this combined total by subtracting: 45 - 38 = 7 students.