These are 10 SAT-style percentage questions with full working. Each answer names the trap in the wrong options, its mistake type, and the fast route: Desmos or mental. These are practice questions, not real past questions.
10 questions · 16 minutes
What these SAT percentage questions cover
“Percentages” is one of 7 skills in Problem-Solving and Data Analysis, says College Board. Each SAT has 5 to 7 of these questions out of 44.
Change, reverse, repeat
Percent change, “percent of”, a discount with VAT, two rises, an expression.
Tables, groups, models
A sales table, two groups, “percent less than”, a remainder, price and sales.
Prices are made up. The 5% VAT is real: u.ae says “The rate of VAT is 5 per cent.”
Find the base before you calculate
Ask “percent of what?” first. Then turn each change into a multiplier.
| The question says | Do this |
|---|---|
| Up 12% | × 1.12 |
| Down 12%, or 12% off | × 0.88 |
| Two changes in a row | Multiply by both multipliers |
| The value before a change | Divide by the multiplier |
Allow 16 minutes. Desmos is built into Bluebook for all of SAT maths. A typed answer takes up to 5 characters, or 6 with a minus sign. College Board says: “Don’t enter symbols such as a percent sign, comma, or dollar sign.” Mark each wrong answer with its mistake type from the Free BMI Maths Test.
SAT-style percentage questions 1 to 5
Question 1
A gym membership in Al Barsha went up from AED 250 to AED 290 a month. By what percent did the price go up? (Made-up prices.)
- 13.8%
- 16%
- 40%
- 116%
Show answer
Answer: B, 16%. The change is 40. The base is the old price: 40 ÷ 250 = 0.16.
Fast route: mental. 1% of 250 is 2.5.
Traps: A divides by the new price (40 ÷ 290). BMI type: CNC, concept not clear. C is the change in dirhams. D is 290 as a percent of 250.
Question 2
A 2-litre bottle of laban costs 125% of the price of a 1-litre bottle. The 1-litre bottle costs AED 6.40. What does the 2-litre bottle cost? (Made-up prices.)
- AED 1.60
- AED 8.00
- AED 12.80
- AED 14.40
Show answer
Answer: B, AED 8.00. “125% of” means × 1.25, and 6.40 × 1.25 = 8.00.
Fast route: mental. A quarter of 6.40 is 1.60. Add it on.
Traps: D reads “125% of” as “125% more than” (× 2.25). BMI type: DRC, did not read carefully. A is the extra 25% only. C doubles it.
Question 3
A shop takes 20% off the price of a lamp. Then 5% VAT is added to the sale price. A customer pays AED 252. What was the price before the discount? (Made-up price.)
- AED 287.28
- AED 300
- AED 315
- AED 336
Show answer
Answer: B, AED 300. Price paid = old price × 0.8 × 1.05. Undo each step: 252 ÷ 1.05 = 240, then 240 ÷ 0.8 = 300.
Fast route: Desmos. Type 252/(0.8·1.05).
Traps: C adds 25% back, D takes one 25% drop, and A adds 20% then takes off 5%. Each uses the wrong base. BMI type: CNC.
Question 4
The rent of a flat in Sharjah goes up by 8% in one year and by 5% the next year. By what percent did it go up over the two years? (Made-up rates.)
Show answer
Answer: 13.4 (no % sign). 1.08 × 1.05 = 1.134, so the rent is 13.4% higher.
Fast route: mental. Start at 100: 108, then 108 + 5.4 = 113.4.
Trap: typing 13, from 8 + 5. The 5% is of the higher rent. BMI type: CNC. Typing the % sign: BPT, bad presentation.
Question 5
A bus pass costs x dirhams. The price goes up by 5%. Which expression gives the new price?
- 0.05x
- 1.05x
- 1.5x
- x + 5
Show answer
Answer: B, 1.05x. x + 0.05x = 1.05x. Fast check: x = 100 must give 105.
Traps: C writes 5% as 0.5. BMI type: CMT, calculation mistake. A is only the rise. D adds 5 dirhams, not 5%.
Free BMI Maths Test
Right sum, wrong base? The test finds why.
A wrong base is one mistake type. The Free BMI Maths Test sorts each mistake into one of 6 types and finds your real maths level.
SAT-style percentage questions 6 to 10
Question 6
A juice bar in Deira counted cups sold. (Made-up numbers.)
| Drink | October | November |
|---|---|---|
| Mango | 400 | 460 |
| Avocado | 160 | 200 |
| Lemon mint | 240 | 264 |
By what percent did avocado sales go up from October to November?
- 15%
- 20%
- 25%
- 40%
Show answer
Answer: C, 25%. Avocado went from 160 to 200. The base is October: 40 ÷ 160 is a quarter.
Traps: A is the mango change, from the row above. BMI type: CWV, copied a wrong value. B uses November as the base. BMI type: CNC. D is the change in cups.
Question 7
In a running club, 40% of the members are women and the rest are men. 25% of the women and 10% of the men ran a 10 km race in Dubai. What percent of all the members ran? (Made-up numbers.)
- 10%
- 16%
- 17.5%
- 35%
Show answer
Answer: B, 16%. Women who ran: 0.4 × 0.25 = 0.10 of the club. Men who ran: 0.6 × 0.10 = 0.06. Together: 0.16.
Fast route: pick 500 members: 50 women and 30 men ran, and 80 ÷ 500 = 16%.
Traps: D adds 25 and 10. C averages them, but the groups differ in size. BMI type: CNC. A stops after the women. BMI type: DRC.
Question 8
A taxi ride from Bur Dubai to Dubai Marina costs 25% more at night than in the day. The day fare is what percent less than the night fare? (Made-up fares.)
Show answer
Answer: 20. Let the day fare be 100, so the night fare is 125. “Less than the night fare” makes 125 the base: 25 ÷ 125 = 0.2.
Fast route: day AED 48, night AED 60: 12 ÷ 60 = 20%.
Trap: typing 25. The base changed to the night fare. BMI type: CNC.
Question 9
Noor spends 40% of her monthly pocket money on transport and 25% of what is left on books. She then has AED 270. How much is her monthly pocket money, in dirhams? (Made-up amounts.)
Show answer
Answer: 600. After transport, 60% is left. After books, 75% of that is left: 0.6 × 0.75 = 0.45. So 270 ÷ 0.45 = 600. Check: 600 − 240 − 90 = 270.
Trap: taking 65% off in one step: 270 ÷ 0.35 ≈ 771.43. The 25% is of the rest. BMI type: CNC. Guessing one by one: ROT, ran out of time.
Question 10
A water park in Dubai raises its ticket price by p% and then sells 20% fewer tickets. Its ticket money goes up by 4%. What is the value of p? (Made-up numbers.)
- 16
- 24
- 30
- 130
Show answer
Answer: C, 30. Money = price × tickets. So (1 + p/100) × 0.8 = 1.04. Then 1 + p/100 = 1.04 ÷ 0.8 = 1.3, and p = 30.
Fast route: start with AED 100 and 100 tickets: AED 10,000. After the change, 80 tickets bring AED 10,400, so each costs AED 130.
Traps: B adds 20 and 4. A takes 4 from 20. BMI type: CNC. D is the new price as a percent of the old. BMI type: DRC.
Score yourself
| Right answers | What it means | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| 9 or 10, on time | You find the base every time. | Try harder mixed sets. |
| 7 or 8, or over 16 minutes | A base slip or slow steps. | Redo the wrong ones with multipliers. |
| 6 or fewer | A gap to find before more practice. | Book the Free BMI Maths Test. |
6 or fewer right? Book the Free BMI Maths Test to find the cause. Parents: ask “percent of what?” before your child calculates.
Practise next
More official questions: College Board’s free Student Question Bank, skill “Percentages”.
Percent of what? Still unsure?
The Free BMI Maths Test finds your real maths level and the reason for each mistake.
Questions people ask about SAT percentages
How many SAT maths questions use percentages?
College Board gives no separate count. Each SAT has 5 to 7 Problem-Solving and Data Analysis questions, and “Percentages” is one of its 7 skills.
How do I find the original price after a discount?
Divide the sale price by what is left. After 35% off, 65% is left, so AED 130 came from 130 ÷ 0.65 = AED 200. If VAT was added too, divide by 1.05 first.
Why is a 20% rise then a 20% fall not zero?
The fall is taken from the higher number. AED 500 goes up to 600, then down by 120 to 480. That is 4% below the start.
Can I type a percent sign in a typed answer?
No. College Board’s Bluebook directions say: “Don’t enter symbols such as a percent sign, comma, or dollar sign.” For 16%, type 16.
Sources
Facts checked on 12 November 2026. Every answer and trap value checked in Python.
