While the seventh and ninth grade Maryland Functional Mathematics Tests (MFMT) appear valid and well constructed, the 65 percent passing rate for Montgomery County Public Schools' ninth grade students raises questions about the 81 percent passing score set for the MFMT. This standard is far stiffer than the 59 percent set for the Maryland Functional Reading Test (MFRT), passed by 96 percent of Montgomery County ninth graders. Additional comparisons to the California Achievement Test (CAT) results support this apparent difference in standards. Reversing cutting scores would create an apparent "reading crisis" and passing mathematics rates would be 90 percent. Passing rates for special education students was low, ranging from 3 to 32 percent for the five different levels. Marked differences in the ninth grade test passing grades of racial and ethnic groups, and disparities with CAT results, may indicate bias in the MFMT. The passing percentages were: Blacks: 34, Hispanic: 42, Whites: 70, and Asians: 77. Analysis of passing rates by school and by math class indicate that with the present cut score, the problem is countywide and largely confined to students taking Math 9A and Algebra I, Part 1A. Nine charts and tables accompany the discussion. (BS)