Algebra 2 — Standards-Aligned Skills Examination
A calculation-focused, standards-walkthrough exam covering every CCSS-M Algebra 2 conceptual category (N-CN, A-SSE, A-APR, A-CED, A-REI, F-IF, F-BF, F-LE, F-TF, S-ID). Each problem header cites the standard(s) the items address. Form B complements Form A (which is more applied / problem-solving).
Instructions
- Time limit: 120 minutes. Part I (no-calculator) about 50 minutes; Part II (calculator-permitted) about 70 minutes.
- Show all algebraic work. Final answers without supporting work earn at most half credit.
- Express exact values exactly unless rounding is requested.
- Each problem header cites the CCSS-M code(s) the items target.
- Simplify each: \(i^9,\ i^{20},\ i^{-3}\).
- Simplify and write in \(a + bi\) form:
(i) \((4 + 2i) + (3 - 5i)\) (ii) \((4 + 2i)(3 - 5i)\) (iii) \((1 - i)^2\) (iv) \( \dfrac{3 + i}{1 + 2i} \)
- Compute \(|3 - 4i|\) and \(|{-5 + 12i}|\).
- If \(z = 2 + 3i\), find \(\bar z\) and verify \(z \cdot \bar z = |z|^2\).
- Multiply: \((x - 4)(2x^2 + 3x - 1)\). Show partial products.
- Divide using long division: \( (x^3 - 2x^2 + 5x - 6) \div (x - 1) \). State quotient and remainder.
- Use synthetic division to compute \( (2x^3 - 7x^2 + 4x + 3) \div (x - 3) \). State quotient and remainder.
- Factor each completely:
(i) \( x^4 - 81 \) (ii) \( x^3 + 8 \) (sum of cubes) (iii) \( x^4 - 5x^2 + 4 \) (treat as quadratic in \(x^2\)) (iv) \( 3x^2 - 11x - 4 \)
- Use the Remainder Theorem: find \(P(-2)\) where \(P(x) = x^3 + 4x^2 - 7x + 3\).
- Solve each quadratic by factoring:
(i) \( x^2 - 5x - 14 = 0 \) (ii) \( 6x^2 + 11x - 10 = 0 \) (iii) \( 4x^2 - 25 = 0 \)
- Solve each quadratic by the quadratic formula. Express exactly:
(i) \( 2x^2 + 3x - 1 = 0 \) (ii) \( x^2 - 4x + 7 = 0 \)
- Solve by completing the square: \( x^2 + 8x - 5 = 0 \). Show every step.
- Solve each rational equation. Check for extraneous roots:
(i) \( \dfrac{2}{x - 1} + \dfrac{3}{x + 2} = 1 \) (ii) \( \dfrac{x}{x - 3} = \dfrac{6}{x - 3} + 2 \)
- Solve each radical equation. Check for extraneous roots:
(i) \( \sqrt{x + 7} = x - 5 \) (ii) \( \sqrt{2x - 3} = 5 \)
- For \(f(x) = x^2 - 4x - 5\):
(i) Find the vertex (use \(x = -b/(2a)\) and substitution).
(ii) Find the \(x\)-intercepts (factor or formula).
(iii) State the axis of symmetry.
(iv) Sketch the parabola; label vertex and intercepts. - For \( g(x) = \dfrac{x + 1}{x - 4} \):
(i) Find the vertical and horizontal asymptotes.
(ii) Find the \(x\)- and \(y\)-intercepts.
(iii) State the domain. - Find the average rate of change of \( h(x) = x^2 + 3x \) on \([1, 5]\).
- Determine if each is even, odd, or neither:
(i) \( f(x) = 3x^4 - x^2 \) (ii) \( g(x) = x^3 - x \) (iii) \( h(x) = x + \cos x \)
- Find each exact value (no calculator):
(i) \( \sin(\pi/3) \) (ii) \( \cos(2\pi/3) \) (iii) \( \tan(3\pi/4) \) (iv) \( \sin(7\pi/6) \) (v) \( \cos(5\pi/4) \)
- Convert to radian measure: \(120°,\ 270°,\ -60°\). Convert to degree measure: \(\pi/4,\ 5\pi/6\).
- Solve each on \([0, 2\pi)\):
(i) \( 2 \cos\theta + 1 = 0 \) (ii) \( \tan\theta = 1 \) (iii) \( \sin(2\theta) = \tfrac{1}{2} \) (find both solutions in the interval)
- Verify the identity \( \tan x \cdot \cos x = \sin x \) by writing each side in terms of \(\sin\) and \(\cos\).
- Evaluate each (no calculator):
(i) \( \log_3 81 \) (ii) \( \log_{1/2} 16 \) (iii) \( \ln e^{3} \) (iv) \( \log 0.01 \) (v) \( \log_4 \sqrt{8} \)
- Expand using log properties:
(i) \( \log\!\left(\dfrac{x^2 y}{z}\right) \) (ii) \( \ln\!\sqrt{\dfrac{x}{y}} \)
- Condense to a single log:
(i) \( 3 \log x - \log y \) (ii) \( \tfrac{1}{2}(\log a + \log b) - 2 \log c \)
- Solve each:
(i) \( 4^{x} = 32 \) (ii) \( 2 \cdot 5^{x - 1} = 50 \) (iii) \( \log_2(x) + \log_2(x - 2) = 3 \) (iv) \( \ln(x + 1) = 2 \) (round to 4 decimals) (v) \( e^{2x} = 18 \) (round to 4 decimals)
- Compute \( \log_5 17 \) using natural log (change-of-base). Round to four decimals.
- Let \(f(x) = 2x + 1\), \(g(x) = x^2 - 3\).
(i) Compute \((f \circ g)(2)\). (ii) Compute \((g \circ f)(2)\). (iii) Find \((f \circ g)(x)\) and \((g \circ f)(x)\) symbolically.
- Find the inverse \(f^{-1}(x)\) for each:
(i) \( f(x) = \dfrac{x - 5}{3} \) (ii) \( f(x) = (x + 2)^3 \) (iii) \( f(x) = \dfrac{1}{x - 4} \)
- Verify that the functions \(f(x) = 4x - 7\) and \(g(x) = \dfrac{x + 7}{4}\) are inverses by computing \(f(g(x))\) and \(g(f(x))\). Show your work.
- Describe the transformation taking \(y = f(x)\) to:
(i) \( y = f(x - 2) + 5 \) (ii) \( y = -3 f(x) \) (iii) \( y = f(2x) - 1 \)
- Write the first 5 terms of each:
(i) arithmetic with \(a_1 = 4\), \(d = 3\) (ii) geometric with \(b_1 = 6\), \(r = -2\) (iii) defined by \(a_n = n^2 - n + 1\)
- Find a closed form for the \(n\)th term:
(i) \(2, 7, 12, 17, \ldots\) (ii) \(3, 6, 12, 24, \ldots\)
- Compute each finite sum using a formula:
(i) \( \sum_{n = 1}^{30} (2n + 5) \) (ii) \( \sum_{n = 0}^{8} 3 \cdot 2^n \)
- Compute the infinite geometric sum, or state divergence:
(i) \( \sum_{n = 0}^{\infty} 5 \cdot \left(\tfrac{1}{3}\right)^n \) (ii) \( \sum_{n = 0}^{\infty} 2 \cdot \left(\tfrac{4}{3}\right)^n \)
- Identify each conic and write in standard form by completing the square:
(i) \( x^2 + y^2 - 4x + 6y - 12 = 0 \) (circle: center, radius)
(ii) \( y = x^2 - 6x + 5 \) (parabola: vertex)
(iii) \( \dfrac{x^2}{36} + \dfrac{y^2}{16} = 1 \) (ellipse: vertices, foci)
(iv) \( \dfrac{x^2}{4} - \dfrac{y^2}{9} = 1 \) (hyperbola: vertices, asymptotes) - Write the equation of a circle with center \((-1, 4)\) and radius 5.
- Write the equation of a parabola with vertex \((2, -3)\) opening upward and passing through \((4, 5)\).
- The heights of adult women in a population are normally distributed with \(\mu = 64\) inches and \(\sigma = 3\) inches. Compute (using a calculator or Z-table; round to 4 decimals):
(i) \(P(X < 60)\) (ii) \(P(X > 70)\) (iii) \(P(60 < X < 67)\)
- Apply the empirical (68-95-99.7) rule to the same distribution: estimate the proportion of women between 58 and 70 inches.
- Apply the empirical rule again: estimate the proportion of women between 61 and 67 inches.
- What height marks the 95th percentile of this distribution? Use the calculator's inverse-normal feature or a Z-table (\(z \approx 1.645\)). Round to one decimal.
- Compute the standard score (z-score) of an observation \(x = 70\) in the population from (a).
- The standard normal table gives \(P(Z < 1.5) \approx 0.9332\). What is \(P(-1.5 < Z < 1.5)\)? Justify by symmetry.