Geometry

About one-fourth of the math problems on the SAT involve geometry. (There are no proofs.) Fortunately,
the figures on the SAT are usually drawn to scale. Hence, you can check your work and in some cases
even solve a problem by “eyeballing” the drawing. We’ll discuss this technique in detail later.
Following is a discussion of the basic properties of geometry. You probably know many of these
properties. Memorize any that you do not know.

Lines & Angles

When two straight lines meet at a point, they form an angle. The point is A
called the vertex of the angle, and the lines are called the sides of the angle.
The angle to the right can be identified in three ways:
1. ∠x x
2. ∠B B
3. ∠ABC or ∠CBA C

When two straight lines meet at a point, they form four

angles. The angles opposite each other are called vertical
angles, and they are congruent (equal). In the figure to the c
right, a = b, and c = d. a b a = b and c = d
d

Angles are measured in degrees, ˚. By definition, a circle has 360˚. So an angle can be measured by its
1
fractional part of a circle. For example, an angle that is of the arc of a circle is 1˚. And an angle that
360
1 1
is of the arc of a circle is × 360 = 90˚.
4 4

1˚ 90˚ 240˚

1/360 of an arc 1/4 of an arc 2/3 of an arc

of a circle of a circle of a circle

There are four major types of angle measures:

An acute angle has measure less than 90˚:

A right angle has measure 90˚:

90˚

48
 Geometry 49

An obtuse angle has measure greater than 90˚:

A straight angle has measure 180˚: y˚ x + y = 180˚

x˚

Example: In the figure, AOB is a straight line. What is

the average of the four numbers a, b, c, d ?
(A) 45
(B) 360/7 b°
(C) 60 c°
(D) 90
(E) 120 a° d°
A B
O

In the figure, AOB is a straight line, and a straight angle measures 180°. Hence, the sum of the angles a, b,
c, and d is 180, and the average of the four is their sum divided by 4: 180/4 = 45. The answer is (A).

Example: In the figure, lines l, m, and n intersect at O. l

m
Which one of the following must be true about
x°
the value of a ?
O y° n
(A) a < 5/8
(B) a = 5/7 x + 10° 120°
(C) a = 5/6 ay°
(D) a = 1
(E) a > 1

Equating vertical angles yields x = ay and y = x + 10. Plugging the second equation into the first yields x =
10a 10a 10a + 10 − 10a 10
a(x + 10). Solving for x yields x = . Also, y = x + 10 = + 10 = = . Now, we
1− a 1− a 1− a 1− a
know that the angle made by any point on a line is 180°. Hence, the angle made by point O on line n is
180°. Hence, 120 + ay + x + 10 = 180. Simplifying yields ay + x = 50. Substituting the known results x =
10a 10 10a 10a  10a 
and y = into this equation yields + = 50. Hence, 2  = 50 . Multiplying both
1− a 1− a 1− a 1− a 1 − a 
sides by (1 – a) yields 20a = 50(1 – a). Distributing the 50 yields 20a = 50 – 50a. Adding 50a to both sides
yields 70a = 50. Finally, dividing both sides by 70 yields a = 5/7. The answer is (B).

Two angles are supplementary if their angle sum is 180˚: 45˚ 135˚
45 + 135 = 180

60˚
Two angles are complementary if their angle sum is 90˚: 30˚
30 + 60 = 90
50 SAT Math Bible

l2

l1
Perpendicular lines meet at right angles: l1 ⊥ l2

Two lines in the same plane are parallel if they never intersect. Parallel lines have the same slope.

When parallel lines are cut by a transversal, three important angle relationships exist:

Alternate interior angles Corresponding angles Interior angles on the same side of
are equal. are equal. the transversal are supplementary.

c
a b
a + b = 180˚
a c a

Shortest
The shortest distance from a point to a line is along a distance
new line that passes through the point and is
perpendicular to the original line. Longer
distance

Triangles
A triangle containing a right angle is called a right
triangle. The right angle is denoted by a small
square:

Isosceles Scalene
Equilateral
A triangle with two equal sides is called b
isosceles. The angles opposite the equal sides
are called the base angles, and they are
60˚
congruent (equal). A triangle with all three x x a
sides equal is called equilateral, and each x x c
angle is 60°. A triangle with no equal sides
(and therefore no equal angles) is called a≠b≠c
scalene: 60˚ 60˚
x
Base angles
 Geometry 51

The altitude to the base of an isosceles or equilateral triangle bisects the base and bisects the vertex angle:

a˚ a˚ s 3
h=
a˚ a˚ s s 2
Isosceles: s s Equilateral: h

s/2 s/2
The angle sum of a triangle is 180°: b
a + b + c = 180˚
a c
Example: In the figure, lines A B and D E are parallel. A
What is the value of x ?
(A) 22.5 x°
(B) 45
(C) 60
(D) 67.5 C E
45°
(E) 70
B x°

Since lines AB and DE are parallel, we can equate the alternate interior angles at A and D to get ∠A = ∠D =
x (from the figure). Also, equating vertical angles ACB and DCE yields ∠ACB = ∠DCE = 45 (from the
figure). Now, we know that the angle sum of a triangle is 180°. Hence, ∠DCE + ∠CED + ∠EDC = 180.
Plugging the known values into this equation yields 45 + x + x = 180. Solving this equation for x yields x =
67.5. The answer is (D).

1
The area of a triangle is bh, where b is the base and h is the height. Sometimes the base must be extended
2
in order to draw the altitude, as in the third drawing directly below:

1
h h h A= bh
2

b b b
In a triangle, the longer side is opposite the larger angle, and vice versa:

a 100˚ b 50˚ is larger than 30˚, so side b is

longer than side a.
50˚ 30˚
c
Pythagorean Theorem (right triangles only): The
square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the
a c
squares of the legs. c 2 = a2 + b 2

b
Pythagorean triples: The numbers 3, 4, and 5 can always represent the sides of a right triangle and they ap-
pear very often: 52 = 32 + 4 2 . Another, but less common, Pythagorean Triple is 5, 12, 13: 13 2 = 52 +12 2 .
52 SAT Math Bible

Two triangles are similar (same shape and usually different sizes) if their corresponding angles are equal.
If two triangles are similar, their corresponding sides are proportional:

c
a f
d
b
e
a b c
= =
d e f
If two angles of a triangle are congruent to two angles of another
triangle, the triangles are similar.
In the figure to the right, the large and small triangles are
similar because both contain a right angle and they share ∠A..

Two triangles are congruent (identical) if they have the same size and shape.
In a triangle, an exterior angle is equal to the sum of its remote interior angles and is therefore greater than
either of them:

a
e = a + b and e > a and e > b
e b
In a triangle, the sum of the lengths of any two sides is greater than the length of the remaining side:
x+y>z
x y
y+z>x
x+z>y
z
Example: Two sides of a triangle measure 4 and 12. Which one of the following could equal the length
of the third side?
(A) 5
(B) 7
(C) 9
(D) 17
(E) 20

Each side of a triangle is shorter than the sum of the lengths of the other two sides, and, at the same time,
longer than the difference of the two. Hence, the length of the third side of the triangle in the question is
greater than the difference of the other two sides (12 – 4 = 8) and smaller than their sum (12 + 4 = 16).
Since only choice (C) lies between the values, the answer is (C).

In a 30°–60°–90° triangle, the sides have the following relationships:

30˚ 30˚

3
2 In general —> x 3
2x

60˚ 60˚
1 x
 Geometry 53

45˚ s 2
s
In a 45°–45°–90° triangle, the sides have the following relationships:
45˚
s

Quadrilaterals
A quadrilateral is a four-sided closed figure, where each side is a straight line.
The angle sum of a quadrilateral is 360˚. You can
view a quadrilateral as being composed of two 180˚
180-degree triangles: 180˚

A parallelogram is a quadrilateral in which the

opposite sides are both parallel and congruent. Its
area is base × height: h A = bh

b
The diagonals of a parallelogram bisect each other:

A parallelogram with four right angles is a

rectangle. If w is the width and l is the length of a A= l ⋅w
rectangle, then its area is and its perimeter is P = w
2w + 2l. P = 2w + 2l

l
Example: In the figure, the area of quadrilateral ABCD is 75. What is the area of parallelogram EFGH ?
(A) 96
(B) 153
(C) 157
(D) 165
(E) 171
A E F
B

5 2
x x+3

D C
x H G
x+7

In the figure, ∆ACD is right angled. Hence, by The Pythagorean Theorem, AC 2 = AD2 + DC 2 = x2 + x2 = 2x2.
By square rooting the sides, we have AC = x 2 .
The formula for the area of a triangle is 1/2 × base × height. Hence, the area of the right-triangle ACD is
1 1
1/2 · x · x, and the area of triangle ABC is ⋅ AC ⋅ (altitude from B on AC) = ⋅ x 2 ⋅ 5 2 = 5x . Now, the
2 2
area of quadrilateral ABCD, which is given to be 75, is the sum of areas of the two triangles: x2/2 + 5x.
Hence, x2/2 + 5x = 75. Multiplying both sides by 2 yields x2 + 10x = 150.
Now, the formula for the area of a parallelogram is base × height. Hence, the area of EFGH is (x + 3)(x + 7) =
x2 + 10x + 21 = (x2 + 10x) + 21 = 150 + 21 (since x2 + 10x = 150) = 171. The answer is (E).
54 SAT Math Bible

If the opposite sides of a rectangle are equal, it is a s

square and its area is A = s2 and its perimeter is
P
=
4s, where s is the length of a side: s s A = s2
P = 4s

s
The diagonals of a square bisect each other and are
perpendicular to each other:

A quadrilateral with only one pair of parallel sides base

is a trapezoid. The parallel sides are called bases,
and the non-parallel sides are called legs:
leg leg

base
The area of a trapezoid is the average of the two b1
bases times the height:
h b + b 
A =  1 2 h
 2 
b2

Volume
The volume of a rectangular solid (a box) is the product of the length, width, and height. The surface area
is the sum of the area of the six faces:

h V =l ⋅w⋅h
S = 2wl + 2hl + 2wh

l
w

If the length, width, and height of a rectangular solid (a box) are the same, it is a cube. Its volume is the
cube of one of its sides, and its surface area is the sum of the areas of the six faces:

x
V = x3
S = 6x 2
x
x
 Geometry 55

Example: The length, width, and depth of a rectangular box are 6 feet, 5 feet, and 7 feet, respectively. A
hose supplies water at a rate of 6 cubic feet per minute. How much time in minutes would it
take to fill a conical box whose volume is three times the volume of the rectangle box?
(A) 105
(B) 125
(C) 205
(D) 235
(E) 322
The volume of a rectangular tank is length × width × depth = 6 feet × 5 feet × 7 feet. Hence, the volume of
the conical box, which is 3 times the volume of rectangular box, is 3(6 × 5 × 7). Now, the time taken to fill
a tank equals the (volume of the tank) ÷ (the rate of filling) = 3(6 × 5 × 7) feet/6 cubic feet per minute =
105 minutes. The answer is (A).
The volume of a cylinder is V = πr2 h, and the lateral surface (excluding the top and bottom) is S = 2πrh,
where r is the radius and h is the height:

V = πr 2 h
h
S = 2πrh + 2πr 2

Circles
A circle is a set of points in a plane equidistant from a fixed point (the center of the circle). The perimeter
of a circle is called the circumference.
A line segment from a circle to its center is a radius.
A line segment with both end points on a circle is a chord.
chord
A chord passing though the center of a circle is a diameter.
A diameter can be viewed as two radii, and hence a diameter’s length diameter
is twice that of a radius. O sector
arc
A line passing through two points on a circle is a secant. radius
A piece of the circumference is an arc.
The area bounded by the circumference and an angle with vertex at the
center of the circle is a sector. secant

A tangent line to a circle intersects the circle at

only one point. The radius of the circle is
perpendicular to the tangent line at the point of
tangency:
O

Two tangents to a circle from a common exterior

point of the circle are congruent: A O AB ≅ AC

C
56 SAT Math Bible

An angle inscribed in a semicircle is a right angle:

A central angle has by definition the same measure

as its intercepted arc:
60˚
60˚

An inscribed angle has one-half the measure of its

intercepted arc:
60˚
30˚

r
The area of a circle is π r 2 , and its circumference A = π r2
(perimeter) is 2πr, where r is the radius: C = 2π r

On the SAT, π ≈ 3 is a sufficient approximation for π. You don’t need π ≈ 3.14.

A
Example: In the circle shown in the figure, the length of
the arc ACB is 3 times the length of the arc AB.
What is the length of the line segment AB ?
(A) 3
(B) 4
(C) 5
B
(D) 2 3
(E) 3 2 3 O

Since the length of the arc ACB is 3 times the length of the arc AB, the angle made by the arc ACB must be
three times the angle made by the arc AB. Now, the two arcs together make 360° at the center of the circle.
Hence, the smaller angle, the angle made by the arc AB, must equal one-quarter of the full angle, which is
360°. One-quarter of 360° is 90°. Hence, ∠AOB = 90°. Hence, triangle AOB is a right triangle, and
applying The Pythagorean Theorem to the triangle yields

AB2 = OA2 + OB2

= 32 + 3 2 = 9 + 9 = 18 OA = OB = radius of circle = OC = 3 (from the figure)
AB = 18 = 3 2

The answer is (E).

 Geometry 57

Shaded Regions
To find the area of the shaded region of a figure, subtract the area of the unshaded region from the area of
the entire figure.
Example: In the figure, ABCD is a rectangle. A 8 F 4 B
What is the area of the shaded region in
the figure?
(A) 18 6
(B) 20
(C) 24
(D) 28 E
(E) 32
1

D C
The figure is not drawn to scale.
From the figure, the area of the shaded region equals
(Area of ∆ABD) – (Area of ∆AFE)
Now, the area of ∆ABD, by the formula 1/2 × base × height, equals
1/2 × AB × AD = (1/2)(AF + FB)(AE + ED) = (1/2)(8 + 4)(6 + 1) = (1/2)(12)(7) = 6 × 7 = 42
and the area of ∆AFE equals
1/2 × AF × AE = 1/2 × 8 × 6 = 4 × 6 = 24
Hence, the area of the shaded region equals
(Area of ∆ABD) – (Area of ∆AFE) =
42 – 24 =
18
The answer is (A).

Example: What is the area of shaded region in the figure? A

(A) 10π + 27 3
27
(B) 10π + 3
4
(C) 30π + 27 3 60°
O B
(D) 30π + 9 3 6
(E) 36π + 27 3

From the figure, we have

The area of the Shaded region = (Area of Circle) – (Area of Sector AOB) + (Area of ∆AOB).

By the formula of the area of a circle, the area of the circle in the figure is π × radius 2 = π(6)2 = 36π.

The formula for the area of a sector is

(Angle made by sector/360°) × (Area of the circle) =
60/360 × 36π =
1/6 × 36π =
6π
58 SAT Math Bible

Also, since OA and OB are radii, angles opposite them are equal. Hence, AOB is an isosceles triangle with
one angle (∠OAB =) 60°. An isosceles triangle with one angle measuring 60° is always an equilateral
triangle.

3
Now, the formula for the area of an equilateral triangle is • side 2 . Hence, the area of ∆AOB is
4

3 2 3
•6 = • 36 = 9 3
4 4

Hence, the area of the shaded region is 36π – 6π + 9 3 = 30π + 9 3 . The answer is (D).

“Birds-Eye” View
Most geometry problems on the SAT require straightforward calculations. However, some problems
measure your insight into the basic rules of geometry. For this type of problem, you should step back and
take a “birds-eye” view of the problem. The following example will illustrate.

Example: In the figure to the right, O is both the center of

S R
the circle with radius 2 and a vertex of the square
OPRS. What is the length of diagonal PS ?
(A) 1/2
2 O P
(B)
2
(C) 4
(D) 2
(E) 2 5

The diagonals of a square are equal. Hence, line segment OR (not shown) is equal to SP. Now, OR is a
radius of the circle and therefore OR = 2. Hence, SP = 2 as well, and the answer is (D).
 Geometry 59

Problem Set E:

Easy

1. If p is the circumference of the circle Q and the area of the circle is 25π, what is the value of p ?
(A) 25
(B) 10π
(C) 35
(D) 15π
(E) 25π

2. A rectangular field is 3.2 yards long. A fence marking the boundary is 11.2 yards in length. What is
the area of the field in square yards?
(A) 4.68
(B) 7.68
(C) 9.28
(D) 11.28
(E) 12.38

3. ABCD is a square and one of its sides AB is also a chord of the circle as shown in the figure. What is
the area of the square?
(A) 3
(B) 9
(C) 12
(D) 12 2
(E) 18

A
D

C B
60 SAT Math Bible

4. In the figure, lines l and m are parallel. If y – z = 60, then what is the value of x ?
(A) 60
(B) 75
(C) 90
(D) 120
(E) 135

y° t°
l
z° s°

m
x°

5. What is the value of y in the figure?

(A) 20
(B) 30
(C) 35
(D) 45
(E) 50

3a°

a° 5a°
y° 1 x°

6. In the triangle, what is the value of x ?

(A) 25
(B) 55
(C) 60
(D) 77
(E) 85

y° + x°

70° – y° 60° + x°
 Geometry 61

7. In the figure, what is the value of a ?

(A) 16
(B) 18
(C) 36
(D) 54
(E) 72

2a° 3a°
a° 4a°
l

8. In the figure, what is the average of the five angles shown inside the circle?
(A) 36
(B) 45
(C) 60
(D) 72
(E) 90

a° a° + b°
2a + b°
(2a – b)°
(2a – 2b)°

9. In the figure, O is the center of the circle. What is average of the numbers a, b, c, and d ?
(A) 45
(B) 60
(C) 90
(D) 180
(E) 360

a° b°
d° O c°
62 SAT Math Bible

Medium

10. The perimeter of rectangle ABCD is 5/2 times the length of side AB. What is the value of AB/BC ?
(A) 1/4
(B) 1/2
(C) 1
(D) 2
(E) 4

A B

D C

11. In the figure, AD and BC are lines intersecting at O. What is the value of a ?
(A) 15
(B) 30
(C) 45
(D) 60
(E) 135
C

5x + 5a
A 2x + 30 D
y O
5y/2

12. From the figure, which one of the following must be true?
(A) y=z
(B) y<z
(C) y ≤z
(D) y >z
(E) y≥z

y z
x 3x
 Geometry 63

13. From the figure, which one of the following could be the value of b ?
(A) 20
(B) 30
(C) 60
(D) 75
(E) 90

a° b° – a°/2
2a° – b° O a°/2 + 2b°

2a° – 2b°

14. AD is the longest side of the right triangle ABD shown in the figure. What is the length of longest side
of ∆ABC ?
(A) 2
(B) 3
(C) 41
(D) 9
(E) 41
A

B 5 C D

The figure is not drawn to scale

64 SAT Math Bible

15. In the figure, what is the value of a ?

(A) 30
(B) 45
(C) 60
(D) 72
(E) 90

l m

3c°
6c° 2b°
a° b°
n

16. In the figure, lines l and m are parallel. Which one of the following, if true, makes lines p and q
parallel?
(A) a=b
(B) a=c
(C) c=d
(D) d=b
(E) b=c

p q

l a° b°

c° d°
m

17. A, B, C, and D are points on a line such that point B bisects line AC and point A bisects line CD. What
is the ratio of AB to CD ?
(A) 1/4
(B) 1/3
(C) 1/2
(D) 2/3
(E) 3/4

18. If A, B, C , D, and E are points in a plane such that line CD bisects ∠ACB and line CB bisects right
angle ∠ACE, then ∠DCE =
(A) 22.5°
(B) 45°
(C) 57.5°
(D) 67.5°
(E) 72.5°
 Geometry 65

19. From the figure, which of the following must be true?

(I) x + y = 90
(II) x is 35 units greater than y
(III) x is 35 units less than y

(A) I only
(B) II only
(C) III only
(D) I and II only
(E) I and III only

l
35°

x° y°
m

20. In the figure, triangles ABC and ABD are right triangles. What is the value of x ?
(A) 20
(B) 30
(C) 50
(D) 70
(E) 90
B

20° x°
A C D
5
66 SAT Math Bible

21. In the figure, ABC is a right triangle. What is the value of y ?

(A) 20
(B) 30
(C) 50
(D) 70
(E) 90
B

y°

20° y° x°
A D 2 C

22. The following are the measures of the sides of five different triangles. Which one of them represents a
right triangle?
(A) 3, 4 , 5
(B) 1, 5, 4
(C) 7, 3, 4
(D) 3, 7 , 4
(E) 4, 8, 10

23. ∆ABC is a right-angled isosceles triangle, and ∠B is the right angle in the triangle. If AC measures
7 2 , then which one of the following would equal the lengths of AB and BC, respectively?
(A) 7, 7
(B) 9, 9
(C) 10, 10
(D) 11, 12
(E) 7, 12
 Geometry 67

24. In the figure, if AB = 8, BC = 6, AC = 10 and CD = 9, then AD =

(A) 12
(B) 13
(C) 15
(D) 17
(E) 24

8
10

B C D
6 9

25. The average length of the sides of ∆ABC is 12. What is the perimeter of ∆ABC ?
(A) 4
(B) 6
(C) 12
(D) 24
(E) 36
A

60°
B C

26. Which one of the following is true regarding the triangle shown in figure?
(A) x>y>z
(B) x<y<z
(C) x=y=z
(D) 2x = 3y/2 = z
(E) x/2 = 2y/3 = z

z°

1 1/2 2

x° A 1 C y°
68 SAT Math Bible

27. In the figure, ABCD is a rectangle, and the area of ∆ACE is 10. What is the area of the rectangle?
(A) 18
(B) 22.5
(C) 36
(D) 44
(E) 45

A
B

D C

28. In the figure, what is the area of ∆ABC ?

(A) 2
(B) 2
(C) 1
1
(D)
2
(E) 1/2

2z°
A

B z° y° C
y° x°
 Geometry 69

29. In the figure, O is the center of the circle. Which one of the following must be true about the
perimeter of the triangle shown?
(A) Always less than 10
(B) Always greater than 40
(C) Always greater than 30
(D) Always less than 30
(E) Less than 40 and greater than 20

10

B
A

30. Which of the following must be true?

(I) The area of triangle P.
(II) The area of triangle Q.
(III) The area of triangle R.
(A) I = II = III
(B) I < II < III
(C) I > II < III
(D) III < I < II
(E) III > I > II

10 10 z
10 x y z y
10

10 y

P Q R
70 SAT Math Bible

31. In the figure, ABCD is a parallelogram. Which one of the following is true?
(A) x<y
(B) x>q
(C) x>p
(D) y>p
(E) y>q

A y
B

x
q
30°
31°
D p C

32. In the figure, the areas of parallelograms EBFD and AECF are 3 and 2, respectively. What is the area
of rectangle ABCD ?
(A) 3
(B) 4
(C) 5
(D) 4 3
(E) 7

A E B

D F C
 Geometry 71

33. In the figure, the area of rectangle ABCD is 100. What is the area of the square EFGH ?
(A) 256
(B) 275
(C) 309
(D) 399
(E) 401

E 2x + 5 F
A x+3 B
x+2

D C

H G

34. In the figure, the area of rectangle EFGH is 3 units greater than the area of rectangle ABCD. What is
the value of ab if a + b = 8?
(A) 9
(B) 12
(C) 15
(D) 18
(E) 21

E x+a F
A x+6 B
x+2

x+b

D C

H G
72 SAT Math Bible

35. In the figure, the area of rectangle ABCD is 45. What is the area of the square EFGH ?
(A) 20
(B) 40
(C) 50
(D) 65
(E) 70

E x F
A x+5 B
x–5

D C

H G

36. In the figure, ABCD is a parallelogram, what is the value of b ?

(A) 46
(B) 48
(C) 72
(D) 84
(E) 96

A B
48° b°
48°

D C
 Geometry 73

37. In the figure, AB and CD are the diameters of the circle. What is the value of x ?
(A) 16°
(B) 18°
(C) 26°
(D) 32°
(E) 58°

x°
D

A
32°
O
B

C
74 SAT Math Bible

38. In the figure, a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, and j are chords of the circle. Which two chords are parallel to each
other?
(A) a and f
(B) b and g
(C) c and h
(D) d and i
(E) e and j

c
b

40° 35°

d
35°
a
30°

40°e

35°
j 32° f
32°
i
45° 36°
h g

The figure is not drawn to scale.

 Geometry 75

39. A and B are centers of two circles that touch each other externally, as shown in the figure. What is the
area of the circle whose diameter is AB ?
(A) 4π
(B) 25π/4
(C) 9π
(D) 16π
(E) 25π

B A
2 3

40. In the figure, which one of the following angles is the greatest?
(A) ∠A
(B) ∠B
(C) ∠C
(D) ∠D
(E) ∠CDB

3 B
A

2
4 5

D 6
C

The figure is not drawn to scale.

76 SAT Math Bible

A B C D

41. In the figure, A, B, C, and D are points on a line in that order. If AC = 5, BD = 10, and AD = 13, then
what is the length of BC ?
(A) 2
(B) 8
(C) 15
(D) 18
(E) 28

42. The side length of a square inscribed in a circle is 2. What is the area of the circle?
(A) π
(B) 2π
(C) 2π
(D) 2 2π
(E) π2

43. In the figure shown, if ∠A = 60°, ∠B = ∠C, and BC = 20, then AB =

(A) 20
(B) 10 2
(C) 10 3
(D) 20 2
(E) 20 3
A

60°

C B

44. Which of the following could be the four angles of a parallelogram?

(I) 50°, 130°, 50°, 130°
(II) 125°, 50°, 125°, 60°
(III) 60°, 110°, 60°, 110°
(A) I only
(B) II only
(C) I and II only
(D) I and III only
(E) I, II and III
 Geometry 77

45. In the figure, ABCD is a rectangle and E is a point on the side AB. If AB = 10 and AD = 5, what is the
area of the shaded region in the figure?
(A) 25
(B) 30
(C) 35
(D) 40
(E) 45
A E B

D C

46. What is the area of the equilateral triangle if the base BC = 6?

(A) 9 3
(B) 18 3
(C) 26 3
(D) 30 3
(E) 36 3
A

C D B
78 SAT Math Bible

47. In the figure, ABCD is a square, and OB is a radius of the circle. If BC is a tangent to the circle and
PC = 2, then what is the area of the square?
(A) 16
(B) 20
(C) 25
(D) 36
(E) 42

B 3 O
A

D C

48. In the figure shown, AB is a diameter of the circle and O is the center of the circle. If A = (3, 4), then
what is the circumference of the circle?
(A) 3
(B) 4
(C) 4π
(D) 5π
(E) 10π

y-axis

O(0, 0) x-axis

B
 Geometry 79

49. A, B, and C are three unequal faces of a rectangular tank. The tank contains a certain amount of water.
When the tank is based on the face A, the height of the water is half the height of the tank. The
dimensions of the side B are 3 ft × 4 ft and the dimensions of side C are 4 ft × 5 ft. What is the
measure of the height of the water in the tank in feet?
(A) 2
(B) 2.5
(C) 3
(D) 4
(E) 5

50. In the figure, if line CE bisects ∠ACB, then x =

(A) 45
(B) 50
(C) 55
(D) 65
(E) 70
A

40°

D
E
90°
x°

x°

B C
80 SAT Math Bible

51. In the figure, ∠P =

(A) 15°
(B) 30°
(C) 35°
(D) 40°
(E) 50°

A
105°

115° C
D
P

52. The length of a rectangular banner is 3 feet 2 inches, and the width is 2 feet 4 inches. Which one of
the following equals the area of the banner?
(A) 5 sq. feet
(B) 5 1/2 sq. feet
(C) 6 1/3 sq. feet
(D) 7 sq. feet
(E) 7 7/18 sq. feet
 Geometry 81

Hard

53. In the figure, lines l and k are parallel. Which one of the following must be true?
(A) a< b
(B) a≤b
(C) a= b
(D) a≥b
(E) a> b

(b + 30)° l

O a°

b° k

54. In the figure, lines l and k are parallel. If a is an acute angle, then which one of the following must be
true?
(A) b > 10
(B) b > 15
(C) b < 20
(D) b < 30
(E) b > 45

(b + 30)° l

O a°

b° k

55. The diagonal length of a square is 14.1 sq. units. What is the area of the square, rounded to the nearest
integer? ( 2 is approximately 1.41.)
(A) 96
(B) 97
(C) 98
(D) 99
(E) 100
82 SAT Math Bible

56. In the figure, ABC and ADC are right triangles. Which of the following could be the lengths of AD
and DC, respectively?
(I) 3 and 4
(II) 4 and 6
(III) 1 and 24
(IV) 1 and 26
(A) I and II only
(B) II and III only
(C) III and IV only
(D) IV and I only
(E) I, II and III only

B D

3
C

57. In the figure, what is the value of x ?

(A) 15
(B) 30
(C) 45
(D) 60
(E) 75
x°

x°

x°

x°
 Geometry 83

58. In the figure, what is the value of x ?

(A) 10°
(B) 30°
(C) 45°
(D) 60°
(E) 75°

5 5

5 2
5
5

x°

59. If ABCD is a square and the area of ∆AFG is 10, then what is the area of ∆AEC ?
(A) 5
10
(B)
2
10
(C)
3
(D) 10
(E) 20

A B

F
4
G

C
D E 2
84 SAT Math Bible

60. In the figure, ABCD is a rectangle, and F and E are points on AB and BC, respectively. The area of
∆DFB is 9 and the area of ∆BED is 24. What is the perimeter of the rectangle?
(A) 18
(B) 23
(C) 30
(D) 42
(E) 48

A F 2 B

D C

61. In the figure, ABCD is a rectangle. The area of quadrilateral EBFD is one-half the area of the
rectangle ABCD. Which one of the following is the value of AD ?
(A) 5
(B) 6
(C) 7
(D) 12
(E) 15

A B

F
E
3

D C
 Geometry 85

62. In the figure, ABCD is a rectangle, and the area of quadrilateral AFCE is equal to the area of ∆ABC.
What is the value of x ?
(A) 5
(B) 6
(C) 7
(D) 12
(E) 15

A x E B

D 5 F 3 C

63. In the figure, ABCD is a rectangle. Points E and F cut the sides BC and CD of the rectangle
respectively such that EC = 3, FC = 4, and AD = 12, and the areas of the crossed and the shaded
regions in the figure are equal. Which one of the following equals the perimeter of rectangle ABCD ?
(A) 42
(B) 50
(C) 56
(D) 64
(E) 72

A B

12

D F 4 C
86 SAT Math Bible

64. What is the perimeter of ∆ABC shown in the figure?

(A) 2+ 4 2
(B) 4+ 2 2
(C) 8
(D) 4+ 4 2
(E) 4+ 4 3

2z°
A

z° y°
y° C B x°

65. In the figure, what is the value of x ?

(A) 90
(B) 95
(C) 100
(D) 105
(E) 115

x°
4
1
5
1

3 1
x°
 Geometry 87

66. In the figure, ABCD is a rectangle. Points P, Q, R, S, and T cut side AB of the rectangle such that
AP = 3, PQ = QR = RS = ST = 1. E is a point on AD such that AE = 3. Which one of the following line
segments is parallel to the diagonal BD of the rectangle?
(A) EP
(B) EQ
(C) ER
(D) ES
(E) ET

15

A 3 P 1 Q 1 R 1 S 1 T B

9 E

D C
The figure is not drawn to scale.

67. In the, figure A, B and C are points on the circle. What is the value of x ?
(A) 45
(B) 55
(C) 60
(D) 65
(E) 70

B
x°

C
A
75° 35°

O
88 SAT Math Bible

68. In the figure, ABCD and PQRS are two rectangles inscribed in the circle as shown and AB = 4, AD =
3, and QR = 4. What is the value of l ?
(A) 3/2
(B) 8/3
(C) 3
(D) 4
(E) 5

P Q

A B
4

l 4
3

D C

S R

69. In the figure, ABCD and PQRS are rectangles inscribed in the circle shown in the figure. If AB = 5,
AD = 3, and QR = 4, then what is the value of l ?
(A) 3
(B) 4
(C) 5
(D) 15
(E) 3 2

P l Q
A B
5

3 4

D C

S R
 Geometry 89

70. In the figure, ABCD is a rectangle inscribed in the circle shown. What is the length of the arc DC ?
(A) π/4
(B) 2π/3
(C) π/2
(D) 3π/4
(E) 4π/3

A B

2
D C

71. Which one of the following relations is true regarding the angles of the quadrilateral shown in figure?
(A) ∠A = ∠C
(B) ∠B > ∠D
(C) ∠A < ∠C
(D) ∠B = ∠D
(E) ∠A = ∠B
B
3
A

4 5

D 6
C

The figure is not drawn to scale.

72. In a triangle with sides of lengths 3, 4, and 5, the smallest angle is 36.87°. In the figure, O is the center
of the circle of radius 5. A and B are two points on the circle, and the distance between the points is 6.
What is the value of x ?
(A) 36.87
(B) 45
(C) 53.13
(D) 116.86
(E) 126.86

73. Which of following indicates that ∆ABC is a right triangle?

90 SAT Math Bible

(I) The angles of ∆ABC are in the ratio 1 : 2 : 3.

(II) One of the angles of ∆ABC equals the sum of the other two angles.
(III) ∆ABC is similar to the right triangle ∆DEF.
(A) I only
(B) II only
(C) III only
(D) I and II only
(E) I, II, and III

74. In the figure, O is the center of the circle of radius 3, and ABCD is a square. If PC = 3 and the side BC
of the square is a tangent to the circle, then what is the area of the square ABCD ?
(A) 25
(B) 27
(C) 36
(D) 42
(E) 56

A B
O

D C
 Geometry 91

75. In the figure shown, ABCDEF is a regular hexagon and AOF is an equilateral triangle. The perimeter
of ∆AOF is 2a feet. What is the perimeter of the hexagon in feet?
(A) 2a
(B) 3a
(C) 4a
(D) 6a
(E) 12a

A B

F C
O

E D

76. The area of the base of a tank is 100 sq. ft. It takes 20 seconds to fill the tank with water poured at rate
of 25 cubic feet per second. What is the height in feet of the rectangular tank?
(A) 0.25
(B) 0.5
(C) 1
(D) 5
(E) 25

77. Point A is 10 miles West of Point B. Point B is 30 miles North of Point C. Point C is 20 miles East of
Point D. What is the distance between points A and D ?
(A) 10 10 miles
(B) 10 20 miles
(C) 20 10 miles
(D) 30 10 miles
(E) 30 20 miles

78. Water is poured into an empty cylindrical tank at a constant rate. In 10 minutes, the height of the
water increased by 7 feet. The radius of the tank is 10 feet. What is the rate at which the water is
poured?
(A) 11/8 π cubic feet per minute.
(B) 11/3 π cubic feet per minute.
(C) 7/60 π cubic feet per minute.
(D) 11π cubic feet per minute.
(E) 70π cubic feet per minute.
92 SAT Math Bible

79. The length of a rectangle is increased by 25%. By what percentage should the width be decreased so
that the area of the rectangle remains unchanged?
(A) 20
(B) 25
(C) 30
(D) 33.33
(E) 50

80. In the rectangular coordinate system shown, ABCD is a parallelogram. If the coordinates of the points
A, B, C, and D are (0, 2), (a, b), (a, 2), and (0, 0), respectively, then b =
(A) 0
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4
(E) 5

B(a, b)

A(0, 2)

C(a, 2)

D(0, 0)
 Geometry 93

81. In the figure, if AB = 10, what is the length of the side CD ?

(A) 5
(B) 5 3
10
(C)
3
(D) 10
(E) 10 3
E

x° 90° – x°
A C
D

82. In the figure, what is the area of ∆ABC if EC/CD = 3 ?

(A) 12
(B) 24
(C) 81
(D) 121.5
(E) 143
E

B
x°

x°
A C
D
94 SAT Math Bible

83. AB and CD are chords of the circle, and E and F are the midpoints of the chords, respectively. The
line EF passes through the center O of the circle. If EF = 17, then what is radius of the circle?
(A) 10
(B) 12
(C) 13
(D) 15
(E) 25

C
A

12
5
O
E F

B
D

84. A circular park is enlarged uniformly such that it now occupies 21% more land. Which one of the
following equals the percentage increase in the radius of the park due to the enlargement?
(A) 5%
(B) 10%
(C) 11%
(D) 21%
(E) 42%

85. A closed rectangular tank contains a certain amount of water. When the tank is placed on its 3 ft by 4
ft side, the height of the water in the tank is 5 ft. When the tank is placed on another side of
dimensions 4 ft by 5 ft, what is the height, in feet, of the surface of the water above the ground?
(A) 2
(B) 3
(C) 4
(D) 5
(E) 6
 Geometry 95

86. In the figure, A and B are centers of two circles touching each other. The ratio of the radii of the two
circles is 2 : 3, respectively. The two circles also touch a bigger circle of radius 9 internally as shown.
If OB = 6, then AB =
(A) 10/3
(B) 13/3
(C) 5
(D) 13/2
(E) 15/2

B
O

87. AC, a diagonal of the rectangle ABCD, measures 5 units. The area of the rectangle is 12 sq. units.
What is the perimeter of the rectangle?
(A) 7
(B) 14
(C) 17
(D) 20
(E) 28
96 SAT Math Bible

88. In the figure, ∆ABC is inscribed in the circle. The triangle does not contain the center of the circle O.
Which one of the following could be the value of x in degrees?
(A) 35
(B) 70
(C) 85
(D) 90
(E) 105
A

x°

C B
.O

89. In the figure, ABCD is a square, and BC is tangent to the circle with radius 3. If PC = 2, then what is
the area of square ABCD ?
(A) 9
(B) 13
(C) 16
(D) 18
(E) 25

A B
O

P
2

D
C
 Geometry 97

90. In the figure, ABCD is a square and BCP is an equilateral triangle. What is the measure of x ?
(A) 7.5
(B) 15
(C) 30
(D) 45
(E) 60

A B

x° P

y°
D C

91. In the figure, ABCD and BECD are two parallelograms. If the area of parallelogram ABCD is 5 square
units, then what is the area of parallelogram BECD ?
(A) 2.5
(B) 3.33
(C) 5
(D) 10
(E) 25

A B E

D C
98 SAT Math Bible

92. In the figure, ABCD and ABEC are parallelograms. The area of the quadrilateral ABED is 6. What is
the area of the parallelogram ABCD ?
(A) 2
(B) 4
(C) 4.5
(D) 5
(E) 6

A B

D C E

93. In the figure, lines l 1, l 2, and l 3 are parallel to one another. Line-segments AC and DF cut the three
lines. If AB = 3, BC = 4, and DE = 5, then which one of the following equals DF ?
(A) 3/30
(B) 15/7
(C) 20/3
(D) 6
(E) 35/3

A D l1

B E l2

l3
C F
 Geometry 99

94. In the figure, AB is parallel to CD. What is the value of x ?

(A) 36
(B) 45
(C) 60
(D) 75
(E) Cannot be determined
E
A B
x° y°

y° x°
C D