Question ID 0dba14e6

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Inferences

Ideas

ID: 0dba14e6
The increased integration of digital technologies throughout the process of book creation in the late 20th and early 21st
centuries lowered the costs of book production, but those decreased costs have been most significant in the
manufacturing and distribution process, which occurs after the authoring, editing, and design of the book are complete.
This suggests that in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, ______

Which choice most logically completes the text?

digital technologies made it easier than it had been previously for authors to write very long works and get them
A. published.

B. customers generally expected the cost of books to decline relative to the cost of other consumer goods.

publishers increased the variety of their offerings by printing more unique titles but also printed fewer copies of
C. each title.

the costs of writing, editing, and designing a book were less affected by the technologies used than were the costs
D. of manufacturing and distributing a book.

ID: 0dba14e6 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it presents the conclusion that most logically follows from the text’s discussion of
how digital technologies affected the process of book creation. The text explains that in the late 20th and early 21st
centuries digital technologies lowered book production costs most significantly in manufacturing and distribution. The
text goes on to point out that authoring, editing, and book design are distinct steps in the process that occur before
manufacturing and distribution. Because the savings connected to digital technologies have been most significant in
manufacturing and distribution, it’s reasonable to infer that those technologies had less of an effect on writing, editing,
and designing books.

Choice A is incorrect because the text focuses on lowered book production costs that occur after authoring has taken
place; there’s no indication in the text whether digital technologies made writing and publishing lengthy books
easier. Choice B is incorrect. Although it’s logical to conclude that customers would expect the cost of books to decline
if production costs have declined, the text doesn’t address customer expectations for the cost of books or any other
consumer goods. Choice C is incorrect because the text focuses broadly on how digital technologies have affected the
cost of the publishing process; it doesn’t address the kinds of books being published or how many copies are printed.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 995d55fd
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 995d55fd
A subject of much speculation, distinctive sets of parallel ridges mark the icy crust of Europa, Jupiter’s smallest moon.
Researchers now claim that the ridges’ formation mechanism mirrors that of a strikingly similar pair on Greenland’s ice
sheet. There, surface water seeped through fissures in the sheet and formed a water pocket that subsequently
disrupted the overlying ice, forcing fragments of it upward and outward into peaks, as the pocket froze and expanded.
Although Europa lacks liquid surface water, the same process could be driven by the moon’s subsurface ocean.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

Researchers think that the ridges on Europa and the ridges in Greenland may have been formed by the same
A. process even though Europa, unlike Greenland, doesn’t have liquid water on its surface.

The primary difference between the ridges on Europa and the ridges in Greenland is that unlike the Europa ridges,
B. the Greenland ridges are parallel.

The pair of ridges found on Greenland’s ice sheet appear to have formed long before the recently discovered sets of
C. ridges on Europa formed.

Researchers don’t understand why Europa is marked by so many sets of ridges when the moon doesn’t have any
D. liquid water on its surface that could have collected and expanded under the icy crust.

ID: 995d55fd Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it accurately states the main idea of the text. The text focuses on formations of
parallel ice ridges on Jupiter’s moon Europa that are said to be formed by the same mechanism that formed a parallel
set of ridges on Greenland’s ice sheet. The text indicates that in Greenland, water on the surface seeps to the lower
portion of the ice sheet, resulting in uplift that creates the ridges, and it states that although Europa lacks liquid water
on its surface, the same process could be driven by an ocean below Europa’s surface. In other words, the main idea of
the text is that parallel ridges in the ice on Europa and Greenland are likely caused by similar processes even though in
Greenland the process begins with liquid water on the surface while Europa lacks liquid water on the surface.

Choice B is incorrect because the text states outright that the ridges on Europa are parallel and furthermore refers to
Greenland’s ridges as "strikingly similar" to those on Europa. Choice C is incorrect because the text makes no mention
of when any of the ice ridges formed, either separately or relative to one another. Choice D is incorrect because the text
does not indicate any uncertainty about the reason for the ice ridges on Europa and, in fact, clearly states that
researchers now claim to know the mechanism that created the ridges.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 860803dd
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: 860803dd
Biologist Valentina Gómez-Bahamón and her team have investigated two subspecies of the fork-tailed flycatcher bird
that live in the same region in Colombia, but one subspecies migrates south for part of the year, and the other doesn’t.
The researchers found that, due to slight differences in feather shape, the feathers of migratory forked-tailed flycatcher
males make a sound during flight that is higher pitched than that made by the feathers of nonmigratory males. The
researchers hypothesize that fork-tailed flycatcher females are attracted to the specific sound made by the males of
their own subspecies, and that over time the females’ preference will drive further genetic and anatomical divergence
between the subspecies.

Which finding, if true, would most directly support Gómez-Bahamón and her team’s hypothesis?

The feathers located on the wings of the migratory fork-tailed flycatchers have a narrower shape than those of the
A. nonmigratory birds, which allows them to fly long distances.

Over several generations, the sound made by the feathers of migratory male fork-tailed flycatchers grows
B. progressively higher pitched relative to that made by the feathers of nonmigratory males.

Fork-tailed flycatchers communicate different messages to each other depending on whether their feathers create
C. high-pitched or low-pitched sounds.

The breeding habits of the migratory and nonmigratory fork-tailed flycatchers remained generally the same over
D. several generations.

ID: 860803dd Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it presents a finding that, if true, would most directly support Gómez-Bahamón and
her team’s hypothesis about fork-tailed flycatchers. The text indicates that although two subspecies of the birds live in
the same region, the tail feathers of the migrating males make a higher-pitched sound than the tail feathers of the
nonmigrating males do. Gómez-Bahamón and her team hypothesize that female fork-tailed flycatchers are attracted to
the particular sound made by the tail feathers of males of their own subspecies, which will bring about additional
“genetic and anatomical divergence” between the two subspecies. If it were found that the pitch generated by the tail
feathers of migrating males is getting higher over successive generations, it would indicate that the shape of the
migrating subspecies’ tail feathers is diverging further from that of the nonmigrating subspecies. And if females
continue to prefer the sounds of the males of their own subspecies, the females of the migrating subspecies will
become acclimated to increasingly higher pitches over subsequent generations, causing further divergence between
the subspecies. Thus, if it were found that migrating males’ tail feathers were producing higher pitches over time, that
would support the researchers’ hypothesis.

Choice A is incorrect because the researchers’ hypothesis is that female flycatchers prefer the sounds produced by the
tail feathers of males of their own subspecies, which will lead to further divergence between the two subspecies. This
finding is about the shape of wing feathers and how that affects long-distance flight, whereas the hypothesis is about
the shape of tail feathers and how that relates to female mate preference. Choice C is incorrect because the
researchers’ hypothesis is that female flycatchers prefer the sounds produced by the tail feathers of males of their own
subspecies, which will lead to further divergence between the two subspecies. This finding focuses on how the tail
feather sounds communicate different messages, which doesn’t address differences between the subspecies or female
preferences. Choice D is incorrect because the researchers’ hypothesis is that female flycatchers prefer the sounds
produced by the tail feathers of males of their own subspecies, which will lead to further divergence between the two
subspecies. The finding that breeding habits haven’t changed for either subspecies does not, by itself, suggest anything
about female preferences or divergence between the two subspecies.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 04bcb7a9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 04bcb7a9
Xin Wang and colleagues have discovered the earliest known example of a flower bud in a 164-million-year-old plant
fossil in China. The researchers have named the new species Florigerminis jurassica. They believe that the discovery
pushes the emergence of flowering plants, or angiosperms, back to the Jurassic period, which occurred between 145
million and 201 million years ago.

According to the text, how old was the fossil that Wang and colleagues discovered?

A. 150 million years old

B. 145 million years old

C. 164 million years old

D. 201 million years old

ID: 04bcb7a9 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it gives the age for the fossil discovered by Wang and colleagues that is directly
supported by the text. According to the text, Xin Wang and colleagues discovered a 164-million-year-old plant fossil.
This plant fossil included a flower bud, which the researchers believe provides evidence that flowering plants emerged
in the Jurassic period, which falls between 145 million and 201 million years ago.

Choice A is incorrect because the text states that Wang and colleagues discovered a 164-million-year-old flowering
plant fossil in China, not one that is 150 million years old. Although 150 million years ago would fall within the Jurassic
period, according to the text it isn’t the age of the discovered fossil. Choice B is incorrect because the text states that
Wang and colleagues discovered a 164-million-year-old flowering plant fossil in China, not one that is 145 million years
old. Although 145 million years ago would fall at the end of the Jurassic period, according to the text it isn’t the age of
the discovered fossil. Choice D is incorrect because the text states that Wang and colleagues discovered a 164-million-
year-old flowering plant fossil in China, not one that is 201 million years old. Although 201 million years ago would fall at
the beginning of the Jurassic period, according to the text it isn’t the age of the discovered fossil.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 12030076
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 12030076
NASA’s Aspera mission, led by Carlos Vargas, will investigate the circumgalactic medium (CGM), the huge swaths of
low-density gas that fill and surround galaxies. Specifically, the team will focus on portions of the gas that exist in a
“warm-hot” phase: these portions haven’t previously been observable but are thought to fuel new star formation and
hold most of the mass that makes up a galaxy. Using a telescope capable of revealing these parts of the CGM, the
Aspera mission should help answer long-standing questions about how galaxies emerge, change, and even interact.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A. As the leader of NASA’s Aspera mission, Vargas will be the first person to investigate the makeup of the CGM.

Although galaxies that are surrounded by the CGM have been studied, researchers have been unable to directly
B. observe low-density gas in the CGM in the “warm-hot” phase.

Researchers don’t yet have a complete understanding of the process of galaxy evolution but have raised the
C. possibility that galaxies interact with each other at times.

The Aspera mission is expected to produce the first direct observations of CGM gas in the “warm-hot” phase, which
D. likely has an important role in the evolution of galaxies.

ID: 12030076 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. The text begins by mentioning
NASA’s Aspera mission, which will investigate the low-density gas that makes up the circumgalactic medium (CGM).
According to the text, this mission will focus on a portion of the CGM’s gas that exists in a “warm-hot” phase; this
“warm-hot” gas has not been previously observed, but it is thought to make up most of the mass of galaxies and play a
part in star formation. Finally, the text mentions a telescope capable of examining this previously unobservable “warm-
hot” gas: the Aspera mission will use this telescope in the hope of answering questions about galaxy formation and
change. Therefore, the main idea of the text is that the Aspera mission is likely to produce the first direct observations
of CGM gas in the “warm-hot” phase, which likely has an important role in the evolution of galaxies.

Choice A is incorrect. Although this choice mentions the Aspera mission, names its leader, and generally states the
mission’s purpose, it does not reference the “warm-hot” gas or fully convey the reason why the Aspera mission is
significant. Choice B is incorrect. Although this choice mentions the “warm-hot” gas that makes up a portion of the
CGM, it does not reference the Aspera mission or describe its importance. The text also does not mention that galaxies
surrounded by the CGM have been studied. Choice C is incorrect. Although this choice describes a problem related to
the CGM that researchers have been attempting to solve and presents the speculation of those researchers, it does not
mention the Aspera mission or describe its purpose.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID b470d853
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: b470d853

Recreation Visits by Month

to Four US National Parks during
the Peak Season in 2021
1,100
1,000
Number of recreation visits
(in thousands of visitors)

900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
ne ly ust
Ju Ju g
Au
Month

Yellowstone
Zion
Grand Canyon
Rocky Mountain

In 2021, four of the United States national parks that were among the most visited were Grand Canyon National Park,
Rocky Mountain National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Zion National Park. The graph shows the number of
visits for recreation to each of these parks during the three-month period with the highest number of visitors. A student
notes that among the parks shown in the graph, the park with the highest monthly recreation visits in all three months
was ______

Which choice most effectively uses data from the graph to complete the text?

A. Zion National Park.

B. Rocky Mountain National Park.

C. Yellowstone National Park.

D. Grand Canyon National Park.

 ID: b470d853 Answer
Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most effectively uses data from the graph to complete the statement about the
US national park with the highest number of recreation visits during a three-month period. The line graph shows the
number of recreation visits to four US national parks for the months of June, July, and August 2021. According to the
graph, the number of recreation visits to Yellowstone National Park in June was approximately 940,000; in July, the
number of visits was approximately 1,080,000; and in August, the number of visits was approximately 920,000. In all
three months, the number of visits to Yellowstone was higher than the number of visits to any other park in each month.

Choice A is incorrect. According to the graph, the number of recreation visits to Zion National Park was approximately
680,000 in June, about 580,000 in July, and about 470,000 in August, each of which is lower than the number of visits to
Yellowstone in the same months. Choice B is incorrect. According to the graph, the number of recreation visits to Rocky
Mountain National Park was approximately 670,000 in June, about 900,000 in July, and about 750,000 in August, each
of which is lower than the number of visits to Yellowstone in the same months. Choice D is incorrect. According to the
graph, the number of recreation visits to Grand Canyon National Park was approximately 540,000 in June, about
560,000 in July, and about 430,000 in August, each of which is lower than the total visits to Yellowstone in the same
months.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 99fdf71c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: 99fdf71c
“When Dawn Comes to the City” is a 1922 poem by Claude McKay, who immigrated to the United States from the island
nation of Jamaica as an adult. The poem conveys McKay’s contrasting feelings about New York City—his adopted home
in the US—and his home country: ______

Which quotation from “When Dawn Comes to the City” most effectively illustrates the claim?

“A lonely newsboy hurries by, / Humming a recent ditty; / Red streaks strike through the gray of the sky, / The dawn
A. comes to the city [New York City].”

“Dark figures start for work; / I watch them sadly shuffle on, / ’Tis dawn, dawn in New York. / But I would be on the
B. island of the sea, / In the heart of the island of the sea.”

“And the shaggy Nannie goat is calling, calling, calling / From her little trampled corner of the long wide lea / That
C. stretches to the waters of the hill-stream falling / Sheer upon the flat rocks joyously!”

“The tired cars go grumbling by, / The moaning, groaning cars, / And the old milk carts go rumbling by / Under the
D. same dull stars.”

ID: 99fdf71c Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it presents a quotation illustrating the claim that the poem conveys McKay’s
contrasting feelings about New York City and Jamaica. McKay first presents a somewhat negative view of New York
City, describing watching “dark figures” who “sadly shuffle” to work at dawn, and then indicates that he would instead
like to be “in the heart of the island of the sea.”

Choice A is incorrect because the quotation focuses on a description of only one place (New York City, with its “lonely
newsboy” and “red streaks” in the sky at dawn) rather than on different feelings about two places. Choice C is incorrect
because the quotation focuses on a description of only one place (which isn’t named) rather than on McKay’s different
feelings about two places. Choice D is incorrect because though McKay presents a negative image of an unnamed
place with “tired cars” that grumble, moan, and groan, and “old milk carts“ that rumble by under “dull stars,” the
quotation focuses on McKay’s feelings about only one place rather than on different feelings about two places.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID a44c7bd4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Inferences

Ideas

ID: a44c7bd4
Some ethicists hold that the moral goodness of an individual’s actions depends solely on whether the actions
themselves are good, irrespective of the context in which they are carried out. Philosopher L. Sebastian Purcell has
shown that surviving works of Aztec (Nahua) philosophy express a very different view. Purcell reveals that these works
posit an ethical system in which an individual’s actions are judged in light of how well they accord with the individual’s
role in society and how well they contribute to the community. To the extent that these works are representative of
Aztec thought, Purcell’s analysis suggests that ______

Which choice most logically completes the text?

the Aztecs would have disputed the idea that the morality of an individual’s actions can be assessed by appealing to
A. standards of behavior that are independent of the individual’s social circumstances.

the Aztecs would not have accepted the notion that the morality of an individual’s actions can be fairly evaluated by
B. people who do not live in the same society as that individual.

actions by members of Aztec society who contributed a great deal to their community could be judged as morally
C. good even if those actions were inconsistent with behaviors the Aztecs regarded as good in all contexts.

similar actions performed by people in different social roles in Aztec society would have been regarded as morally
D. equivalent unless those actions led to different outcomes for the community.

ID: a44c7bd4 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion about Aztec (Nahua) ethics. The
text indicates that, according to Purcell’s interpretation of available Aztec philosophical works, the Aztec ethical system
views an individual’s actions in relation to that individual’s societal role and how the actions affect the community. The
text contrasts this view with another held by some ethicists, namely that actions are morally good or bad regardless of
the context in which they occur. Thus, Purcell’s analysis suggests that the Aztecs would have asserted that the morality
of an individual’s actions are rooted in that person’s position in the community and the actions’ effects and therefore
cannot be determined in the absence of that context.

Choice B is incorrect. Although the text indicates that morally judging an action according to Aztec ethics requires an
understanding of the action’s effects and the individual’s social circumstances, it does not specify that only members of
that society can acquire this information. Choice C is incorrect because it implies that the Aztecs considered some
actions good or bad regardless of the surrounding context, which contradicts the text’s claim that the Aztecs believed
that the morality of an individual’s action is dependent on the action’s effects on the community and the person’s
specific circumstances. Choice D is incorrect. Although the text indicates that in Aztec ethics the morality of an action
depends in part on how it affects the community, this is only one of the two factors—the other being the person’s
societal role—that need to be considered. Therefore, it is possible that two actions with the same effect on the
community could be considered morally distinct if they are performed by individuals in different social roles.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID e2829dd7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: e2829dd7

Number of Infrared Beam Breaks by Mice

Treated with CNO or Saline, by Sex
1,500
Number of beam breaks

1,000

500

0
-4 10 24 38 52 66 80 94 108 122 136 150
Minutes from treatment

females with saline

males with saline
males with CNO
females with CNO

To investigate the influence of certain estrogen-responsive neurons on energy expenditure, biologist Stephanie Correa
et al. treated female and male mice with either saline solution or clozapine-N4-oxide (CNO), which activates the
neurons. Monitoring the activity levels of the mice by measuring how frequently the animals broke infrared beams
crossing their enclosures, Correa et al. found that the mice in their study showed sex-specific differences in response to
neuron activation: ______

Which choice most effectively uses data from the graph to complete the assertion?

the four groups of mice differed greatly in their activity levels before treatment but showed identical activity levels at
A. the end of the monitoring period.

saline-treated females showed substantially more activity at certain points in the monitoring period than saline-
B. treated males did.

CNO-treated females showed more activity relative to saline-treated females than CNO-treated males showed
C. relative to saline-treated males.

CNO-treated females showed a substantial increase and then decline in activity over the monitoring period, whereas
D. CNO-treated males showed a substantial decline in activity followed by a steep increase.
 ID: e2829dd7 Answer
Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The graph shows that the CNO-treated females were way more active than the CNO-treated
males, while the saline-treated males and females (the control groups) had very similar activity levels. This supports the
claim that there were sex-specific differences in the mice’s response to neuron activation.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice misreads the graph. All four groups of mice started at nearly the same activity level
before treatment (see how all four points are very close together at -4 minutes, meaning four minutes before treatment).
Choice B is incorrect. This choice doesn’t complete the assertion. The assertion is about the mice’s response to neuron
activation, so we need to include the data about the CNO-treated females and males. Choice D is incorrect. This choice
misreads the graph. The line for the CNO-treated males does not show a “substantial decline” until around 122 minutes,
and there is no “steep increase” afterward.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 194dd448
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: 194dd448
“John of God, the Water-Carrier” is a 1913 short story by María Cristina Mena. In the story, the narrator presents John as
being a hard worker who is fully dedicated to his job as water carrier, or aguador: ______

Which quotation from “John of God, the Water-Carrier” most effectively illustrates the claim?

“Very happy, he would jog home, the heavy silver pieces in his leather pockets making a discreet and dulcet ‘trink-
A. trak’ between his jugs and his body.”

“He learned that the city aguador may not blow his whistle to halt the traffic while he gravely crosses the street, but
B. must wait for the passing of many vehicles, some with horses and some outlandishly without.”

“From early morn to the fall of the afternoon he would go from fountain to fountain and from portal to portal, his
C. lean body so accustomed to bending that he never thought of straightening it, his head bowed as if in prayer.”

“When his first jugs had worn out—the sweet-scented, porous red clay becomes perforated in time—he had buried
D. them to their necks in the corner where he slept, and they were now his treasury.”

ID: 194dd448 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most effectively illustrates the claim in the text that John is hard-working and
dedicated to his job. In the quotation, John is portrayed as spending “early morn to the fall of the afternoon” working
hard as a water carrier. John is also described as “so accustomed to bending” while doing his work “that he never
thought of straightening” his body, instead remaining deeply focused on his work. These details portray John as a
dedicated worker.

Choice A is incorrect because this quotation portrays John as happy about heading home after being paid. It doesn’t
showcase John being hard at work. Choice B is incorrect because this quotation doesn’t pertain to John’s commitment
to his work; it describes difficulties the traffic in the city causes John in the performance of his work. Choice D is
incorrect because this quotation doesn’t pertain to John’s commitment to his work; it discusses what John does with
his worn-out water jugs.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 08b28c1a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: 08b28c1a
A researcher conducted an experiment inspired by studies suggesting that people may benefit from feeling frightened in
certain circumstances, such as when watching scary movies or visiting haunted attractions. The researcher recruited
several participants and had them walk through a local haunted house attraction. Immediately after exiting the
attraction, each participant completed a survey about their experience. Based on the survey responses, the researcher
claims that feeling frightened in controlled situations can boost a person’s mood and confidence.

Which quotation from a participant would best illustrate the researcher’s claim?

A. “After I came out of the haunted house, I felt very accomplished and less stressed.”

B. “My friends kept laughing as we were walking through the haunted house.”

C. “The haunted house was scary at first, but I knew everyone was just acting, so I felt less scared after a few minutes.”

“The sense of relief I felt at the end of the haunted house was similar to the feelings I have when I finish a scary
D. movie.”

ID: 08b28c1a Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. This choice illustrates both “feeling frightened in controlled situations” (the haunted house)
and the benefit of a boosted mood (“less stressed”) and confidence (“very accomplished”).

Choice B is incorrect. This choice isn’t the best illustration of the claim. While laughing may indicate a good mood, this
choice provides no evidence of “feeling frightened” or boosted confidence. Another choice provides better evidence.
Choice C is incorrect. This choice isn’t the best illustration of the claim. This choice demonstrates “feeling frightened” in
a controlled environment, but it doesn’t provide strong evidence of boosted mood or confidence. Another choice
provides better evidence. Choice D is incorrect. This choice isn’t the best illustration of the claim. While a “sense of
relief” could be interpreted as a boosted mood, this choice doesn’t provide direct evidence of “feeling frightened” or of
increased confidence. This choice simply suggests that haunted houses and scary movies have a similar effect.
Another choice provides better evidence for the researcher’s claim.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID a7c52fa4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: a7c52fa4

Mean Time (in Seconds) Spent per Flower for Four Pollinator Genera

Seconds per
Pollinator Seconds per Seconds per Seconds per intact damaged thrum
genus intact pin flower damaged pin flower thrum flower flower

Habropoda 2.7 5.4 4.1 9.5

Osmia 5.2 8.2 7.1 8.3

Pierid 2.6 4.0 2.4 1.9

Xylocopa 2.3 2.8 2.5 2.2

To study how floral damage affects the behavior of pollinators, such as bees, a team of researchers punched holes in
the floral tissue of flowers from the vine yellow jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens), a plant that produces flowers
that have either a long pistil and a short stamen (pin morphs) or a short pistil and a long stamen (thrum morphs). The
researchers then compared the time different insect pollinators spent visiting intact pin and thrum flowers to the time
such pollinators spent visiting the artificially damaged pin and thrum flowers. The researchers concluded that the effect
of floral damage on time spent per flower varied by both floral morph and the genus of the pollinator.

Which choice best describes data from the table that support the researchers’ conclusion?

For pin flowers, damage led to longer times per flower in all pollinator genera, whereas for thrum flowers, damage
A. led to longer times per flower only in Habropoda and Osmia.

Compared with pollinators belonging to the genus Osmia, pollinators belonging to the genus Xylocopa spent less
B. time on damaged pin flowers but more time on damaged thrum flowers.

Damage led to shorter times per thrum flower in three pollinator genera (Osmia, Pierid, and Xylocopa), whereas it led
C. to longer times per thrum flower in one pollinator genus (Habropoda).

Pollinators belonging to the genus Habropoda spent 2.7 seconds on intact pin flowers and 4.1 seconds on intact
D. thrum flowers.

ID: a7c52fa4 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it describes data from the table that support the researchers’ conclusion that the
effect of floral damage on time spent per flower varied by both floral morph and the genus of the pollinator. The table
presents the average time pollinators spent per floral morph. The data in the table shows that for pin flowers, the
average time spent per flower by all pollinator genera was higher for flowers that had been artificially damaged than for
intact flowers. By contrast, for thrum flowers, the difference in time spent on intact and damaged flowers is seen for
only some pollinator genera. This supports the researchers’ conclusion that both floral morph and the genus of the
pollinator are factors involved in the effect that floral damage has on time pollinators spend per flower.

Choice B is incorrect. The table shows that pollinators belonging to the genus Xylocopa spent less time on both
damaged pin flowers and damaged thrum flowers than pollinators belonging to the genus Osmia did. Choice C is
incorrect. The table shows that the artificial damage to the thrum flowers led to shorter average times spent by
pollinators on those flowers for only two of the four pollinator genera represented in the table, not three. Furthermore,
this choice doesn’t address the effect the artificial damage had on pin flowers; thus, even if accurate, this evidence
doesn’t support the researchers’ conclusion that both floral morph and pollinator genus affect time spent per flower
when a flower has been damaged. Choice D is incorrect. While this statement is true based on the information in the
table, it doesn’t provide evidence that supports the researchers’ conclusion that the effect of floral damage on time
spent per flower varied by both floral morph and the genus of the pollinator because this choice provides information
only about how much time one pollinator genus spent on intact flowers.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a13c1c66
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Inferences

Ideas

ID: a13c1c66
Many animals, including humans, must sleep, and sleep is known to have a role in everything from healing injuries to
encoding information in long-term memory. But some scientists claim that, from an evolutionary standpoint, deep sleep
for hours at a time leaves an animal so vulnerable that the known benefits of sleeping seem insufficient to explain why it
became so widespread in the animal kingdom. These scientists therefore imply that ______

Which choice most logically completes the text?

A. prolonged deep sleep is likely advantageous in ways that have yet to be discovered.

B. most traits perform functions that are hard to understand from an evolutionary standpoint.

C. it is more important to understand how widespread prolonged deep sleep is than to understand its function.

D. many traits that provide significant benefits for an animal also likely pose risks to that animal.

ID: a13c1c66 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. It most logically completes the text. The text says that some scientists can’t explain why
prolonged deep sleep is so widespread, given that the known benefits of sleep don’t seem to make up for how
vulnerable it leaves an animal. This suggests that prolonged deep sleep probably has unknown evolutionary benefits
that make up for the vulnerability.

Choice B is incorrect. It doesn’t logically complete the text. The text only discusses the benefits and risks of one trait:
sleep. So there’s no basis for an inference about “most traits.” Choice C is incorrect. It doesn’t logically complete the
text. The text says that it is already known that prolonged deep sleep is widespread in the animal kingdom. Rather, what
some scientists can’t explain is WHY prolonged deep sleep is so widespread, given that the known benefits of sleep
don’t seem to make up for how vulnerable it leaves an animal. Choice D is incorrect. It doesn’t logically complete the
text. The text only discusses the benefits and risks of one trait: sleep. So there’s no basis for an inference about “many
traits.”

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 350e2336
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Inferences

Ideas

ID: 350e2336
The Haitian Declaration of Independence was issued in 1804, bringing to an end the revolution against colonial France
that began in 1791. Written in French, which was not the first language of most Haitians but which was used throughout
Europe as the language of international diplomacy, the declaration notes that Haiti will not bring rebellion to other
Caribbean nations, promises to respect the sovereignty of its neighbors—widely understood as a reassurance to the
United States—and sets up Haiti as an example for future struggles against colonizers (an implicit reference to the
many colonies then found in the Americas). So even though the declaration is explicitly addressed to the Haitian people,
it’s reasonable to conclude that ______

Which choice most logically completes the text?

A. aspects of the declaration were modeled on similar documents from other countries.

B. the French government may have been surprised by the declaration.

C. many Haitian people opposed the revolution and the declaration.

D. the declaration actually had several intended audiences.

ID: 350e2336 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The passage tells us that the declaration was written in a language important to European
diplomacy but not most Haitians, states that the declaration included "a reassurance to the United States," and made
implicit references to colonies in the Americas. Because of the messages within the declaration that were largely
irrelevant to the Haitian people, we can assume that the Haitian people were not the only audience for this document.

Choice A is incorrect. There’s no mention in the passage of similar documents in other countries, so there’s no basis for
this inference. Choice B is incorrect. Although there’s an implicit reference to European governments when the passage
discusses how the declaration was written in French, "which was used throughout Europe as the language of
international diplomacy," there is no discussion of the French government’s response to the declaration. Therefore,
there’s no basis for this inference. Choice C is incorrect. The passage doesn’t mention the popularity of the revolution
and declaration among the Haitian people, so there’s no basis for this inference.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID c6b470bb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: c6b470bb
“Odalie” is an 1899 short story by Alice Dunbar-Nelson. In the story, a young woman named Odalie attends the annual
Mardi Gras carnival in New Orleans, where she lives with her guardian Tante Louise. Dunbar-Nelson portrays Odalie as
eager to escape the monotony of her everyday life: ______

Which quotation from “Odalie” most effectively illustrates the claim?

A. “Mardi Gras was a tiresome day, after all, she sighed, and Tante Louise agreed with her for once.”

“In the old French house on Royal Street, with its quaint windows and Spanish courtyard green and cool, and made
B. musical by the plashing of the fountain and the trill of caged birds, lived Odalie in convent-like seclusion.”

“When one is shut up in a great French house with a grim sleepy tante and no companions of one’s own age, life
C. becomes a dull thing, and one is ready for any new sensation.”

“It was Mardi Gras day at last, and early through her window Odalie could hear the jingle of folly bells on the
D. [participants’] costumes, the tinkle of music, and the echoing strains of songs.”

ID: c6b470bb Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most effectively uses a quotation from “Odalie” to illustrate the claim that Odalie
is eager to escape the monotony, or tedious lack of variety, of her everyday life. In the quotation, Odalie describes
feeling “shut up” and complains that she has “no companions” except for her “sleepy tante.” Odalie goes on to say that,
as a result, her life is “dull” and she is “ready for any new sensation,” meaning she wants a change. This suggests that
Odalie wishes to get away from her monotonous everyday life.

Choice A is incorrect. Although this quotation includes the word “tiresome,” which means dull, it does so to suggest
Odalie’s negative feelings about Mardi Gras, which is a once-a-year celebration, not her feelings about her everyday life.
This quotation therefore doesn’t express that Odalie’s everyday life is monotonous or that she wishes to escape. Choice
B is incorrect. Although this quotation ends by saying that Odalie lives in seclusion, or isolation, it doesn’t express that
Odalie’s everyday life is monotonous or that she wishes to escape. Instead, it describes the pleasant qualities of the
house Odalie lives in, saying that it has “quaint windows” and a “green and cool” courtyard that is “made musical” by the
sounds of a fountain and pet birds. Choice D is incorrect because this quotation describes the lively sounds of a Mardi
Gras celebration that Odalie hears through her window, not the monotony of Odalie’s everyday life or her wish to escape.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID c889e52e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: c889e52e
In 1935 Hallie Flanagan was chosen to lead the Federal Theatre Project (FTP). This project was part of the new Works
Progress Administration (WPA), a program created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide jobs for unemployed
people during the Great Depression. As the director of the FTP, Flanagan created jobs for over 12,500 performers,
designers, and other theater professionals across the country. She also kept ticket prices low for the shows they staged,
which meant that many people could afford to experience theater for the first time.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A. Jobs provided by the FTP were intended mainly for performers, designers, and other theater professionals.

B. President Roosevelt created the WPA to provide jobs for unemployed people.

C. During the Great Depression, many people couldn’t afford to buy theater tickets.

D. As the director of the FTP, Flanagan succeeded in creating many jobs and introducing people to theater.

ID: c889e52e Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. The text begins by stating that
Flanagan was chosen in 1935 to lead the Federal Theatre Project (FTP), which was part of a program created by
President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The text then explains that as the director of the FTP, Flanagan created jobs for more
than 12,500 theater professionals and ensured that ticket prices stayed low so that many people could afford to
experience theater for the first time. Thus, the main idea of the text is that as the FTP’s director, Flanagan succeeded in
creating many jobs and introducing people to theater.

Choice A is incorrect. The text does suggest that jobs provided by the FTP were intended mainly for theater
professionals, but this isn’t the text’s main idea. The focus of the text is Hallie Flanagan’s work as the director of the FTP,
with the text’s main point being that Flanagan succeeded in creating many jobs and introducing people to theater.
Choice B is incorrect. The text does state that President Roosevelt created the WPA to provide jobs for unemployed
people, but this is supporting information, not the text’s main idea. The focus of the text is Hallie Flanagan’s work as the
director of the FTP, which was part of the WPA, and the text’s main point is that Flanagan succeeded in creating many
jobs and introducing people to theater. Choice C is incorrect. It’s true that many people couldn’t afford to buy theater
tickets during the Great Depression, but this isn’t the text’s main idea. The focus of the text is Hallie Flanagan’s work as
the director of the FTP, with the text’s main point being that Flanagan succeeded in creating many jobs and introducing
people to theater.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID f8befe75
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: f8befe75
Many intellectual histories of the Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s rely heavily on essays and other
explicitly ideological works as primary sources, a tendency that can overrepresent the perspectives of a small number
of thinkers, most of whom were male. Historian Ashley D. Farmer has shown that expanding the array of primary
sources to encompass more types of print material—including political cartoons, advertisements, and artwork—leads to
a much better understanding of the movement and the crucial and diverse roles that Black women played in shaping it.

Which choice best describes the main idea of the text?

Farmer’s methods and research have enriched the historical understanding of the Black Power movement and Black
A. women’s contributions to it.

B. Before Farmer’s research, historians had largely ignored the intellectual dimensions of the Black Power movement.

C. Other historians of the Black Power movement have criticized Farmer’s use of unconventional primary sources.

The figures in the Black Power movement whom historians tend to cite would have agreed with Farmer’s
D. conclusions about women’s roles in the movement.

ID: f8befe75 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. It best describes the main idea of the text. The text starts by saying that historians of the
Black Power movement are too reliant on openly ideological works, which were written mostly by men, as sources. The
text then describes Farmer’s research: she has shown that including other kinds of sources leads to a better
understanding of the Black Power movement and the role Black women played in it.

Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t describe the main idea of the text. In fact, it conflicts with the text. The text says that
historians have relied on "essays and other explicitly ideological works," which suggests that they have studied at least
some of the intellectual dimensions of the Black Power movement. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t describe the
main idea of the text. The text never mentions how other historians of the Black Power movement view Farmer’s use of
unconventional sources. In fact, the text itself argues in favor of Farmer’s research, claiming that it has led to a "much
better understanding of the movement." Choice D is incorrect. This doesn’t describe the main idea of the text. The text
never mentions what any figures in the Black Power movement thought about women’s roles in the movement.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID ccf414c9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: ccf414c9

E-book Sales as a Percentage of Total Unit Sales in All

Book Formats for a Large US Trade Publisher, by Genre,
2006, 2011, 2016

Genre 2006 2011 2016

science fiction and fantasy 0.6 27.7 36.7

cookbooks 0 2.9 10.5

travel guides 0 5.5 24.6

romance 0.3 40.6 56.2

E-books became an increasingly popular means of reading in the United States in the 2000s and 2010s, though that
popularity was concentrated in titles that, like those in most fiction genres, are meant to be read straight through from
beginning to end. For books in nonfiction genres that do not tell stories and require the reader to flip back and forth
through a volume, e-books were significantly less commercially successful. This can be seen by comparing ______

Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to illustrate the claim?

the percentage of 2016 cookbook sales that were e-books with the percentage of 2016 science fiction and fantasy
A. sales that were e-books.

the percentage of 2006 romance sales that were e-books with the percentage of 2016 romance sales that were e-
B. books.

the percentage of 2006 romance sales that were e-books with the 2006 science fiction and fantasy sales that were
C. e-books.

the percentage of 2011 travel guide sales that were e-books with the percentage of 2016 travel guide sales that
D. were e-books.

ID: ccf414c9 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it uses data from the table to effectively support the claim that book genres that
typically require the reader to start at the beginning of the story and read straight through are more commercially
successful as e-books than other genres. For each of three years, the table presents four book genres and the
percentage of total sales for each genre in e-book format. Cookbooks, a nonfiction genre, do not require the reader to
read straight through. According to the table, 10.5 percent of total cookbook sales in 2016 were in the e-book format.
The 2016 percentage of e-book sales was 36.7 percent in the science fiction and fantasy genre, which are typically
stories read straight through from start to finish. The higher percentage of total sales of the story-based e-books in
2016 supports the claim in the text.

Choice B is incorrect because it compares the e-book sales of romance books in 2006 to those in 2016. Romance
books are meant to be read straight through from start to finish. The text claims that books that are not stories and do
not require reading straight through are not as commercially successful in e-book format as those that do. As this
choice is only comparing e-book sales for one genre, it does not support the claim. Choice C is incorrect because both
science fiction and fantasy and romance novels are fiction books meant to be read straight through from beginning to
end. The text claims that books that are not stories and do not require reading straight through are less commercially
successful in e-book format than those that do. As this choice does not compare e-book sales of story genres to e-book
sales in genres that are not stories, it does not support the claim. Choice D is incorrect. Although the data in the table
show that the travel guide e-books made up a greater percentage of total sales in 2016 than in 2011, this doesn’t
illustrate the claim in the text that e-books in nonfiction genres not meant to be read straight through are less
commercially successful. The claim cannot be supported without comparing the percentage of e-book sales between
fiction and nonfiction book genres from the table.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID f942646f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Inferences

Ideas

ID: f942646f
Researchers Suchithra Rajendran and Maximilian Popfinger modeled varying levels of passenger redistribution from
short-haul flights (flights of 50 to 210 minutes, from takeoff to landing) to high-speed rail trips. Planes travel faster than
trains, but air travel typically requires 3 hours of lead time for security, baggage handling, and boarding that rail travel
doesn’t, so short-haul routes take similar amounts of time by air and by rail. However, the model suggests that as rail
passenger volumes approach current capacity limits, long lead times emerge. Therefore, for rail to remain a viable
alternative to short-haul flights, ______

Which choice most logically completes the text?

A. rail systems should offer fewer long-haul routes and airlines should offer more long-haul routes.

B. rail systems may need to schedule additional trains for these routes.

C. security, baggage handling, and boarding procedures used by airlines may need to be implemented for rail systems.

passengers who travel by rail for these routes will need to accept that lead times will be similar to those for air
D. travel.

ID: f942646f Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. Air travel usually requires much more “lead time” than train travel, so short flights end up
taking the same amount of time as a train trip to the same destination. But train travel starts to need more “lead time”
when the trains approach their capacity limits. This suggests that train companies should add more trains for these
routes if they want to encourage travelers to take a train instead of a plane.

Choice A is incorrect. This inference isn’t supported. The text never discusses “long-haul routes” for either air travel or
rail travel, so there is no basis to make this inference. Choice C is incorrect. This inference isn’t supported. The text only
mentions these procedures to explain why the “lead time” is so long for air travel. It never suggests that trains need to
start implementing these procedures too. Choice D is incorrect. This inference isn’t supported. The goal is to make sure
that trains “remain a viable alternative” to short flights, which suggests that anything that makes train travel take longer
should be avoided.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3cc7d73b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 3cc7d73b
Using the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a team of astronomers mapped out the magnetic
field of G47, one of the Milky Way’s galactic bones (dense clouds of gas and dust that run through the middle of the arm
of a spiral galaxy). Surprisingly, the map revealed a magnetic field with no clear pattern or direction. The researchers
had expected the magnetic field to be similar to the more uniform fields seen in galactic bones in other arms of the
Milky Way.

According to the text, what was surprising about the researchers’ mapping of the magnetic field of galactic bone G47?

A. It showed a weaker magnetic field than expected.

B. It implied that previous mappings of the magnetic field were inaccurate.

C. It produced magnetic field measurements similar to those for other galactic bones.

D. It revealed a magnetic field that wasn’t uniform.

ID: 3cc7d73b Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it presents the point about the magnetic field mapping that the text describes as
surprising. The text indicates that a team of astronomers mapped the magnetic field of G47, a galactic bone in the Milky
Way, and that the mapping "surprisingly" revealed "no clear pattern or direction" in the magnetic field. The text then adds
that the researchers had thought the magnetic field would be as uniform as the magnetic fields of other galactic bones
in the Milky Way are. In other words, the researchers were surprised that the mapping revealed a magnetic field that
wasn’t uniform.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t indicate that the mapping surprisingly showed a weaker magnetic field
than the researchers had expected. The text makes no mention of the magnetic field’s strength, only its lack of a clear
pattern or direction. Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t indicate that the magnetic field mapping suggested
to researchers that previous mappings were inaccurate. Although the text states that the mapping didn’t show what
researchers had expected based on their knowledge of other magnetic fields, there’s no indication that G47’s magnetic
field had ever been mapped before. Choice C is incorrect because the text indicates that the researchers were surprised
that the magnetic field was different from, not similar to, the magnetic fields of other galactic bones; the text states that
because other galactic bones in the Milky Way are more uniform, the researchers had expected the magnetic field of
G47 to be more uniform than it turned out to be.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 3f05e40f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 3f05e40f
In many of his sculptures, artist Richard Hunt uses broad forms rather than extreme accuracy to hint at specific people
or ideas. In his first major work, Arachne (1956), Hunt constructed the mythical character Arachne, a weaver who was
changed into a spider, by welding bits of steel together into something that, although vaguely human, is strange and
machine-like. And his large bronze sculpture The Light of Truth (2021) commemorates activist and journalist Ida B.
Wells using mainly flowing, curved pieces of metal that create stylized flame.

Which choice best states the text’s main idea about Hunt?

A. He often depicts the subjects of his sculptures using an unrealistic style.

B. He uses different kinds of materials depending on what kind of sculpture he plans to create.

C. He tends to base his art on important historical figures rather than on fictional characters.

D. He has altered his approach to sculpture over time, and his works have become increasingly abstract.

ID: 3f05e40f Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. According to the text, many of
Richard Hunt’s sculptures “use broad forms rather than extreme accuracy”—in other words, they are more abstract than
realistic. To illustrate Hunt’s abstract approach, the text characterizes his sculpture of Arachne as “vaguely human” and
his work in honor of Ida B. Wells as “using mainly flowing, curved pieces of metal that create stylized flame.” Thus, the
main idea is that Hunt often depicts the subjects of his sculptures using an unrealistic style.

Choice B is incorrect. Although the text indicates that one of Hunt’s sculptures is made of steel and another of bronze,
there is no mention of why he chose these materials. Choice C is incorrect because the text says nothing about how
Hunt chose the subjects for his sculptures. Furthermore, of the two examples provided in the text, only Ida B. Wells is an
important historical figure; Arachne is a “mythical character.” Choice D is incorrect because the text says nothing about
how Hunt’s style changed over time. In fact, although the two examples of Hunt’s work discussed in the text were
created 65 years apart, they are both described as heavily stylized rather than realistic, which may suggest that some
aspects of Hunt’s style haven’t changed over that time.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 4a85fea6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Inferences

Ideas

ID: 4a85fea6
Euphorbia esula (leafy spurge) is a Eurasian plant that has become invasive in North America, where it displaces native
vegetation and sickens cattle. E. esula can be controlled with chemical herbicides, but that approach can also kill
harmless plants nearby. Recent research on introducing engineered DNA into plant species to inhibit their reproduction
may offer a path toward exclusively targeting E. esula, consequently ______

Which choice most logically completes the text?

A. making individual E. esula plants more susceptible to existing chemical herbicides.

B. enhancing the ecological benefits of E. esula in North America.

C. enabling cattle to consume E. esula without becoming sick.

D. reducing invasive E. esula numbers without harming other organisms.

ID: 4a85fea6 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it presents the conclusion that most logically follows from the text’s discussion of
leafy spurge and engineered DNA. The text establishes that using chemical herbicides to control leafy spurge in North
America can also harm other plants nearby. The text then indicates that it might be possible to use engineered DNA to
prevent plants from reproducing, which would be useful for “exclusively targeting” leafy spurge. If it’s possible to
exclusively target leafy spurge with engineered DNA—meaning that only leafy spurge is affected by the engineered DNA
—and prevent the plant from reproducing, then leafy spurge numbers could be reduced “without harming other
organisms.”

Choice A is incorrect because the text raises the possibility of using engineered DNA to prevent leafy spurge from
reproducing, not to make individual leafy spurge plants more vulnerable to chemical herbicides that already
exist. Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t describe any ecological benefits of leafy spurge in North America;
instead, the text is focused on using engineered DNA to prevent leafy spurge from reproducing and thereby reduce its
numbers. The only ecological effects of leafy spurge in North America that are described in the text are harmful. Choice
C is incorrect because the text describes the possibility of using engineered DNA to prevent leafy spurge from
reproducing; it doesn’t offer a way to enable cattle to eat leafy spurge without becoming sick.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID de0a5b4e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: de0a5b4e
In 2022, researchers rediscovered ancient indigenous glyphs, or drawings, on the walls of a cave in Alabama. The cave’s
ceiling was only a few feet high, affording no position from which the glyphs, being as wide as ten feet, could be viewed
or photographed in their entirety. However, the researchers used a technique called photogrammetry to assemble
numerous photos of the walls into a 3D model. They then worked with representatives of tribes originally from the
region, including the Chickasaw Nation, to understand the significance of the animal and humanoid figures adorning the
cave.

According to the text, what challenge did the researchers have to overcome to examine the glyphs?

A. The cave was so remote that the researchers couldn’t easily reach it.

B. Some of the glyphs were so faint that they couldn’t be photographed.

C. The researchers were unable to create a 3D model of the cave.

D. The cave’s dimensions prevented the researchers from fully viewing the glyphs.

ID: de0a5b4e Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The text describes the very low ceiling of the cave, making it impossible to photograph the
very wide glyphs all at once.

Choice A is incorrect. The text doesn’t say this. It never suggests that the cave was remote or difficult to access, just
that the cave itself was difficult to photograph well. Choice B is incorrect. The text doesn’t say this. The glyphs were so
wide that they couldn’t be photographed completely. Choice C is incorrect. The text states the opposite of this. The
researchers “used a technique called photogrammetry to assemble numerous photos of the walls into a 3D model.”

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID a04807d8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: a04807d8

Number of Museum Visits (in Millions) from 2016 to 2019

Museum 2016 2017 2018 2019

National Museum of the American Indian 1.1 1.2 1.1 0.96

National Museum of African American History and Culture 0.73 2.4 1.9 2.0

A student is researching the number of visits each year to two museums, the National Museum of the American Indian
and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Of the four years included in the table, the year when
both museums had the highest number of visits was ______

Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement?

A. 2016.

B. 2018.

C. 2019.

D. 2017.

ID: a04807d8 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement about the
year when both museums had the highest number of visits. The table shows the number of visits (in millions) from
2016 to 2019 to two museums: the National Museum of the American Indian and the National Museum of African
American History and Culture. It indicates that the highest number of visits to the National Museum of the American
Indian was 1.2 million in 2017 and that the highest number of visits to the National Museum of African American
History and Culture was 2.4 million, also in 2017.

Choice A is incorrect because the table shows that in 2016, the National Museum of the American Indian had 1.1 million
visits and that the National Museum of African American History and Culture had 0.73 million visits, both of which are
lower than the number of visits these museums had in 2017. Choice B is incorrect because the table shows that in
2018, the National Museum of the American Indian had 1.1 million visits and that the National Museum of African
American History and Culture had 1.9 million visits, both of which are lower than the number of visits these museums
had in 2017. Choice C is incorrect because the table shows that in 2019, the National Museum of the American Indian
had 0.96 million visits and that the National Museum of African American History and Culture had 2.0 million visits, both
of which are lower than the number of visits these museums had in 2017.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID a0203977
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: a0203977

Annual Spending by International

Tourists in Four Countries (in billions of
US dollars)

Country 2016 2017 2018

South Korea $21.0 $17.2 $23.1

Japan $33.5 $37.0 $45.3

Thailand $48.5 $57.1 $61.4

Malaysia $19.7 $20.3 $21.8

One measure of international tourism is how much money visitors from abroad spend in a country. A student writing a
report about tourism in several Asian countries notes that among the countries in the table, most had annual increases
in international tourism revenue in 2017 and 2018, but that trend wasn’t universal. For example, ______

Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the example?

in each year shown, the revenue from tourism by residents of those countries was greater than the revenue from
A. international tourism.

B. Japan’s international tourism revenue was higher in 2016 than it was in 2018.

C. South Korea’s annual international tourism revenue decreased from 2016 to 2017.

D. in each year shown, Thailand had higher international tourism income than any of the other countries.

ID: a0203977 Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most effectively uses data from the table to complete the text, providing an
example that illustrates that the annual increases in international tourism revenue in 2017 and 2018 weren’t universal.
The table shows the annual spending by international tourists (which indicates annual international tourism revenue) in
2016–2018 in four Asian countries. According to the table, annual spending by international tourists in South Korea was
$21.0 billion in 2016 and then decreased to $17.2 billion in 2017. This decrease shows that not all of the countries
included in the table saw increases in annual international tourism revenue in 2017.

Choice A is incorrect because the table doesn’t provide any data regarding revenue from tourism by residents of those
countries. Even if that data were provided, it wouldn’t be relevant to the claim that the trend of annual increases in
international tourism revenue in 2017 and 2018 was not universal. Choice B is incorrect because the data in the table do
not support the statement that Japan’s international tourism revenue was higher in 2016 than it was in 2018: the table
indicates that Japan’s annual international tourism revenue was $33.5 billion in 2016, which is less than Japan’s annual
international tourism revenue of $45.3 billion in 2018. Choice D is incorrect. Although the table does indicate that
Thailand’s revenue from international tourism was higher than that of the other three Asian countries in 2016, 2017, and
2018, this information has no direct bearing on the text’s claim that not all the Asian countries represented in the table
saw an increase in revenue from international tourism.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 0ec15b5a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: 0ec15b5a

Incorporated and Unincorporated Self-Employment Rates in Four Occupational Fields, 2015

Incorporated self- Unincorporated self-

Occupational field employment rate employment rate

Construction and resource

4.4% 14.8%
extraction

Installation, maintenance, and

2.7% 6.2%
repair

Management, business, and

8.9% 9.7%
financial services

Sales and related 5.8% 7.8%

Self-employed workers—individuals who are not employees of other individuals or businesses but instead earn their
income as business owners, independent contractors, or freelance workers—make up an important part of the US labor
force. In order to receive legal and tax benefits enjoyed by corporations, self-employed individuals may choose to
incorporate their business. A 2015 survey of incorporated and unincorporated self-employment rates in four
occupational fields showed that the highest incorporated self-employment rate occurred among people working in
______

Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the text?

A. sales and related occupations.

B. installation, maintenance, and repair occupations.

C. construction and resource extraction occupations.

D. management, business, and financial services occupations.

ID: 0ec15b5a Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most effectively uses data from the table to complete the text. The text
discusses self-employed workers in the US, and the table shows the US incorporated and unincorporated self-
employment rates in four occupational fields in 2015. According to the table, the incorporated self-employment rate
was 8.9% for the management, business, and financial services occupational field, which is higher than the incorporated
self-employment rate shown for any other occupational field.

Choice A is incorrect because according to the table, the incorporated self-employment rate was 5.8% for the sales and
related occupational field, which is lower than the 8.9% for the management, business, and financial services
occupational field. Choice B is incorrect because according to the table, the incorporated self-employment rate was
2.7% for the installation, maintenance, and repair occupational field, which is lower than the 8.9% for the management,
business, and financial services occupational field. Choice C is incorrect because according to the table, the
incorporated self-employment rate was 4.4% for the construction and resource extraction occupational field, which is
lower than the 8.9% for the management, business, and financial services occupational field.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID a9390104
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: a9390104
East Australian humpback whales migrate up to 10,000 kilometers each year to reach their breeding grounds.
Researchers long believed that migrating whales live only on the extra energy they stored up during the feeding season.
But marine biologist Vanessa Pirotta and her team aren’t so sure. They analyzed 20 years of observations of the
migrating whales made by citizen scientists (members of the public who help collect data for scientific research). The
team claims that the whales may not live only on their stored energy during migration.

Which finding, if true, would most directly support the team’s claim?

A. Citizen scientists have observed many different types of marine animals feeding alongside the whales.

B. Citizen scientists have made many observations of the whales feeding as they migrate to their breeding grounds.

Citizen scientists have made more observations of the whales migrating to their breeding grounds than of the
C. whales returning to their feeding grounds.

D. Citizen scientists have recently begun to observe the whales migrating to their breeding grounds earlier in the year.

ID: a9390104 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it presents a finding that, if true, would most directly support Pirotta and her
team’s claim that East Australian humpback whales may not live only on stored energy during migration. The text
explains that it has long been thought that East Australian humpback whales store extra energy during the feeding
season and then use that energy to survive while traveling to their breeding grounds. If it were true that citizen scientists
have often seen the whales feeding as they migrate to the breeding grounds, that would indicate that the whales
sometimes feed and take in additional energy during the journey, meaning that they may not rely only on energy they
stored before migrating.

Choice A is incorrect because finding that citizen scientists have observed many different types of marine animals
feeding alongside the whales would have no bearing on the team’s claim; the behavior of other animals is irrelevant, and
without indicating the timing of the observed feeding, the finding wouldn’t reveal whether the whales rely only on
previously stored energy or ever take in additional energy during migration. Choice C is incorrect because finding that
citizen scientists have more often observed whales on the way to their breeding grounds than returning to their feeding
grounds would have no bearing on the team’s claim. Since it would provide information about the timing of observations
but not about the whales’ observed activities, the finding wouldn’t reveal whether the whales rely only on previously
stored energy or ever take in additional energy during migration. Choice D is incorrect because finding that citizen
scientists have recently started seeing the whales migrate to their breeding grounds earlier in the year would have no
bearing on the team’s claim. Since it would provide information about a change in the timing of migration but not about
the whales’ observed activities while migrating, the finding wouldn’t reveal whether the whales rely only on previously
stored energy or ever take in additional energy during migration.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 16025337
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 16025337
The following text is adapted from William Shakespeare’s 1609 poem “Sonnet 27.” The poem is addressed to a close
friend as if he were physically present.
Weary with toil, I [hurry] to my bed, The dear repose for limbs with travel tired; But then begins a journey in my head
To work my mind, when body’s work’s expired: For then my thoughts—from far where I abide—
[Begin] a zealous pilgrimage to thee, And keep my drooping eyelids open wide,

What is the main idea of the text?

A. The speaker is asleep and dreaming about traveling to see the friend.

B. The speaker is planning an upcoming trip to the friend’s house.

C. The speaker is too fatigued to continue a discussion with the friend.

D. The speaker is thinking about the friend instead of immediately falling asleep.

ID: 16025337 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer it most accurately states the main idea of the text. The speaker describes going to bed for
“repose” (rest) but finding that his thoughts are focused on the friend the speaker is addressing, and the thoughts are
keeping the speaker awake.

Choice A is incorrect because the speaker isn’t asleep; the thoughts about the friend are keeping the speaker awake.
Choice B is incorrect because the speaker isn’t talking about taking a literal trip; rather, the speaker uses the metaphor
of a journey to describe internal thoughts. Choice C is incorrect because the speaker isn’t having a discussion with the
friend.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 20583752
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: 20583752
“The Poet Walt Whitman” is an 1887 essay by José Martí, a Cuban author and political activist, originally written in
Spanish. In the essay, Martí explores the value of literature, arguing that a society’s spiritual well-being depends on the
character of its literary culture: ______

Which quotation from a translation of “The Poet Walt Whitman” most effectively illustrates the claim?

“Poetry, which brings together or separates, which fortifies or brings anguish, which shores up or demolishes souls,
which gives or robs men of faith and vigor, is more necessary to a people than industry itself, for industry provides
A. them with a means of subsistence, while literature gives them the desire and strength for life.”

“Every society brings to literature its own form of expression, and the history of the nations can be told with greater
B. truth by the stages of literature than by chronicles and decades.”

“Where will a race of men go when they have lost the habit of thinking with faith about the scope and meaning of
their actions? The best among them, those who consecrate Nature with their sacred desire for the future, will lose, in
C. a sordid and painful annihilation, all stimulus to alleviate the ugliness of humanity.”

“Listen to the song of this hardworking and satisfied nation; listen to Walt Whitman. The exercise of himself exalts
D. him to majesty, tolerance exalts him to justice, and order to joy.”

ID: 20583752 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most effectively illustrates the claim that Martí argues that a society’s spiritual
well-being depends on the character of its literary culture. In the quotation, Martí asserts that poetry is “more necessary
to a people than industry itself” and that it has the power to provide people with “faith and vigor.” He also adds that
literature gives people “the desire and strength for life.” Therefore, this quotation shows that Martí believes that
literature is a societal necessity because it uplifts people and nourishes their spiritual well-being.

Choice B is incorrect. Although this quotation emphasizes the importance of literature, it focuses on how the nature of a
society is reflected in that society’s literature rather than on literature’s value for people’s spiritual well-being. Choice C is
incorrect. Although this quotation involves an element of spirituality, it doesn’t discuss literature. The quotation instead
focuses on humanity’s actions. Choice D is incorrect because this quotation mainly focuses on the importance of Walt
Whitman rather than on the value of literature in general.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 659c6c1d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 659c6c1d
The following text is adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel Treasure Island. Bill is a sailor staying at the
Admiral Benbow, an inn run by the narrator’s parents.
Every day when [Bill] came back from his stroll he would ask if any seafaring men had gone by along the road. At first
we thought it was the want of company of his own kind that made him ask this question, but at last we began to see he
was desirous to avoid them. When a seaman did [stay] at the Admiral Benbow (as now and then some did) he would
look in at him through the curtained door before he entered the parlour; and he was always sure to be as silent as a
mouse when any such was present.

According to the text, why does Bill regularly ask about “seafaring men”?

A. He’s hoping to find an old friend and fellow sailor.

B. He’s trying to secure a job as part of the crew on a new ship.

C. He isn’t sure that other guests at the inn will be welcoming of sailors.

D. He doesn’t want to encounter any other sailor unexpectedly.

ID: 659c6c1d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The narrator says that, at first, they thought Bill asked regularly about other seafarers
because he wanted their company, but eventually they realized that Bill actually wanted to avoid them.

Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t the reason the text gives for why Bill regularly asks about “seafaring men.” The narrator
says that, at first, they thought Bill asked regularly about other seafarers because he wanted their company, but
eventually they realized that Bill wanted to avoid them. Choice B is incorrect. This isn’t the reason the text gives for why
Bill regularly asks about “seafaring men.” The narrator says that, at first, they thought Bill asked regularly about other
seafarers because he wanted their company, but eventually they realized that Bill wanted to avoid them. Choice C is
incorrect. This isn’t the reason the text gives for why Bill regularly asks about “seafaring men.” The narrator says that, at
first, they thought Bill asked regularly about other seafarers because he wanted their company, but eventually they
realized that Bill wanted to avoid them.

Question Difficulty: Medium