Like modern math word problems, Babylonian mathematics problems had little to do with the real world. Some of the classic examples include finding the original length of a broken reed that was used to measure a field, and flooding fields of several square kilometers to a depth of one finger, for irrigation. However, many of the problems do use realistic coefficients and settings, especially those concerned with defense construction and economic activities, although the standardized work-rates used in the problems were no longer used in the outside world. And this is exactly what we do see. Babylonian 'algebra' problems include both linear and quadratic topics in one or more variables.
Some problems involve a single 'equation,' others systems of linear or quadratic equations.
They often display considerable ingenuity is setting up and solving problems of great complexity. Some problem tablets give just the statement of an exercise, others the problem and the correct answer, but the ones that are most helpful to us give the statement of the problem and then follow it with the outline of the procedure the student should follow to get the answer. The Babylonians never stated a general procedure, instead they gave worked examples. The student would work through lots of examples until they could do the problem with any set of initial values. That they were working from a general procedure is clear from the examples of exercises we have where at one step a student will have to multiply by 1, because in a different example, that would not be a 1.