Juan scored 5 points higher on his midterm and 37 points higher on his final than he did on his first exam.If his mean (average) score was 81, what was his score on the first exam?
A) 65
B) 74
C) 69
D) 67
E) 66

Question

Juan scored 5 points higher on his midterm and 37 points higher on his final than he did on his first exam.If his mean (average) score was 81, what was his score on the first exam? 
A) 65
B) 74
C) 69
D) 67
E) 66

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Let x be Juan's score on the first exam.

According to the problem, Juan scored 5 points higher on his midterm, so his score on the midterm was x + 5.

Juan also scored 37 points higher on his final than he did on his first exam, so his score on the final was x + 37.

Since his mean score was 81, we can set up the following equation:

(x + x + 5 + x + 37) / 3 = 81

Simplifying this equation, we get:

3x + 42 = 243

Subtracting 42 from both sides, we get:

3x = 201

Dividing both sides by 3, we get:

x = 67

Therefore, Juan's score on the first exam was 67.

Juan Scored 5 Points Higher on His Midterm and 37