SAT Manual 7.1 Teacher Edition

SAT ®
Manual Version 7.1
Teacher Edition
© 2021 by TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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Contributors
Very special thanks to the primary instructional authors of this book: Aaron Lindh,
Amy Minster, Elizabeth Owens, and Alice Swan.
Special thanks to Deborah A. Weber for her work in producing this edition.
Special thanks also to Sara Kuperstein and Cynthia Ward.
Thank you also to the following individuals who contributed to this edition:
Chris Aylward, Anne Bader, Chris Benson, Grace Cannon, Alex Charles, Chris
Chimera, Gina Donegan, Jenine Faulkner, Anne Goldberg-Baldwin, Brian Hong,
Adam Keller, Ted Klein, Anthony Krupp, Spencer Ledoux, Brittany Lee, Gianna
Marciarille, David McGillicuddy, Jason Morgan, Scott O’Neal, Danielle Perrini,
Stephen Ronkowski, Rodi Steinig, Susan Swinford, Jess Thomas, Christina
Torturo, Christopher Vakulchik, Andrew Williamson.
—Amy Minster
Content Director of
High School Programs
Contents
Digital SAT: What You Need to Know .................................................. 1
Reading ................................................................................................ 10
Reading Introduction....................................................................................... 11
Basic Approach............................................................................................... 19
Basic Approach Practice................................................................................. 37
Mastering POE................................................................................................ 55
Mastering POE Practice.................................................................................. 69
Challenging Question Types............................................................................ 87
Challenging Question Types Practice............................................................. 101
Writing and Language................................................................ 115

Introduction......................................................................................... 117
Words Part I........................................................................................ 127
Words Part I Practice...................................................................................... 141
Questions........................................................................................................ 167
Questions Practice.......................................................................................... 181
Punctuation..................................................................................................... 221
Punctuation Practice....................................................................................... 237
Words Part II................................................................................................... 253
Words Part II Practice..................................................................................... 265
Grammar 101................................................................................................... 285
Full-Length Practice Passages........................................................................ 297
Math. ........................................................................................ 323

Global Techniques................................................................................ 325
Plugging In........................................................................................... 337
Plugging In Practice......................................................................................... 347
Plugging In the Answers................................................................................. 359
Plugging In the Answers Practice................................................................... 367
Plugging In vs. PITA Drill................................................................................. 373
Translating and Meaning in Context............................................................... 381
Translating and Meaning in Context Practice................................................ 393
Solving 101.......................................................................................... 401
Solving (Linear).................................................................................... 409
Solving (Linear) Practice........................................................................ 423
Solving 201.......................................................................................... 431
Solving (Nonlinear)............................................................................... 445
Solving (Nonlinear) Practice.................................................................. 459
Advanced Solving................................................................................ 467
Advanced Solving Practice............................................................................. 477
Charts and Data 101....................................................................................... 481
Charts and Data.............................................................................................. 491
Charts and Data Practice................................................................................ 505
Word Problems 101......................................................................................... 515
Word Problems............................................................................................... 523
Word Problems Practice................................................................................. 541
Functions......................................................................................................... 551
Functions Practice........................................................................................... 565
Coordinate Geometry 101............................................................................... 575
Coordinate Geometry...................................................................................... 585
Coordinate Geometry Practice........................................................................ 601
Advanced Coordinate Geometry.................................................................... 611
Advanced Coordinate Geometry Practice...................................................... 623
Plane Geometry 101........................................................................................ 631
Plane Geometry............................................................................................... 649
Plane Geometry Practice................................................................................ 671
Answer Key............................................................................... 689
Pacing Reviews......................................................................... 713
Supplemental Content ............................................................. 732 (Page numbering restarts at 1)
vi | Contents
DIGITAL SAT:
WHAT YOU
NEED TO
KNOW
1
SAT MANUAL
INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS THE SAT AND

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT?
What DOES SAT stand for, anyway?

SAT means nothing. From 1926 to 1990, it
stood for the “Scholastic Aptitude Test.” From
S tupid
______________________ 1990 to 1994, it stood for “Scholastic
Assessment Test” (yes, the “Scholastic Test
nnoying
A ______________________ Test”). Since 1994, it has stood for nothing.
est
T ______________________
Don’t spend a lot of time here (and don’t write all
this on the board!), but do make fun of the SAT
How important is it? for this nonsense.
Per
so
SAT
nal
Personal SAT
GPA GPA
Small Liberal Large State

Arts Colleges Universities
The SAT and YOU!

Can you really improve your SAT score with test prep? __yes, that’s why we’re here
_________________
Paper-and-pencil: October and December 2022
Digital SAT: March, May, and June 2023
When is the SAT administered?_____________________________________
plus school day administrations
How many times can you take the SAT? __As many as you want
____________________________
Once you’re prepared after this course

When will YOU take the SAT? _____________________________________
Knowing the structure and scoring of the SAT will help you
use the techniques and strategies you will learn in this course.
2 | © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
STRUCTURE OF THE DIGITAL SAT
Reading and Writing

Test Questions “Pretest” Questions Time
Module 1 25 multiple-choice 2 multiple-choice 32 minutes
Module 2 25 multiple-choice 2 multiple-choice 32 minutes
There is no break between the two modules in the RW section or the Math section.
There is a 10-minute break between the RW section and the Math section.
Math
Test Questions “Pretest” Questions Time
Module 1 20 (MC and SPR) 2 35 minutes
Module 2 20 (MC and SPR) 2 35 minutes
Notes:
• Total test time is about 2 and a half hours, including the break.
• Reading and Writing questions are all multiple-choice.
• Math questions are about 75% multiple-choice and 25% student-
produced responses (SPRs).
• All multiple-choice questions have four answer choices.
• There is no penalty for wrong answers, so don’t leave any questions
blank.
• Questions in Math are in a rough order of difficulty.
• Questions in RW are grouped by type and in order of difficulty
within those groups.
Experimental Questions
College Board has stated that 2 questions in each module will be “pretest” ques-
tions, or experimental ones. These are not marked in any way and, in the Math
section, could be multiple-choice or SPRs. There may also be an experimental sec-
tion at the end of the test.
© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC | 3

SAT MANUAL
How is the Digital SAT scored?

how you do on the first
The test is a two-stage adaptive test, which means _______________________
module determines the difficulty of the second module and the possible scoring
_____________________________________________________________
bracket you end up in

_____________________________________________________________
l ___ SECOND MODULE:

“On average” means _w__e_l _ harder ON AVERAGE
___________
D o
that either way, FIRST MODULE:
there will be some
easy and some hard consists of a broad
questions. Students mix of easy, medium,
shouldn’t spend and hard questions
valuable test time Do
n__o_t SECOND MODULE:
trying to determine _a_s_
_w_e_
whether they got ll easier ON AVERAGE
___________
the easier or harder
second module.
Instead, focus on
the question at hand
and keep moving.
If you get enough questions correct in the first section,
your second section will be harder, but you’ll also have a
chance of getting the highest possible score. If you get
too many questions incorrect in the first section, your
second section will be easier, but there will also be a cap
on how high your score can be.
RW + Math = score out of 1600

Total Score:____________________________________________________
RW out of 800, Math out of 800

Section Scores: _________________________________________________
What’s a good score?
A good score can help get you admitted into the school of your
dreams, but it is only one part of your application. Make sure
you do your research when choosing where to apply. This in-
cludes determining how each school uses test scores and what
scores its incoming first-year class had.

DIGITAL SAT STRATEGIES

We’re going to teach you how to nail every part of the Digital SAT. Each section
will have its own approaches and techniques to master. However, there are some
strategies that apply across the Digital SAT.
ersonal
P _________________________ P rocess
_________________________
O rder
________________________ O f_________________________
O f________________________ E limination
_________________________
D ifficulty
________________________
Pacing
The Digital SAT includes a built-in timer. The pace at which you work questions New for Digital!
will depend on the section of the test you’re on and your own strengths and weak-
nesses. You’ll find more information in the content chapters of this book.
Flagging Questions
The Digital SAT tools allow you to flag questions to easily come back to them later.
Doing so can help you meet your pacing goals, allowing you to keep moving and
then come back to the flagged question with fresh eyes. Flag questions that fall
into these categories:
you did some work but then got stuck

1.____________________________________________________________
Don’t flag questions
you never intend to
you think you can do it but want to do better questions first
2.____________________________________________________________ do. If it is not in your
POOD, use LOTD and
move on!
Guessing
etter
_____________
L
f
_____________
O
he
T _____________
ay
_____________
D
Why is it better to use LOTD instead of randomizing guesses?
Guarantee roughly ¼ of your guesses are correct. Easier and faster.

_____________________________________________________________

SAT MANUAL
Using Scratch Paper

New for Digital! As you work, make sure to write stuff down. Think on the page, not in your head.
You can show students Questions in the book are accompanied by space to do your work. Do NOT write
an example of disorga-
nized scratch paper if on the questions or passages themselves, as you won’t be able to do this on the
you want. For the below, Digital SAT. Get a notebook to practice using a separate space to work out your
make sure to point answers in an organized way. Instead of underlining, use a highlighter to mark
out (1) questions are any text you would want to highlight on the test screen.
numbered (2) work is
written down (3) work Having organized scratch paper is an important component of following Personal
is organized for each Order of Difficulty: it allows you to easily find your work from any flagged ques-
question. These things tions you started and understand what you already did. Here’s what that might
make you more accu- look like:
rate and more able to
find work again easily
if you come back to a Reading-Writing scratch paper:
question.
7. way of being 9. tell about 14. I I
surprising study falling | is
The details of the
verbal strategies will 4 A A A
be covered later, so for
now emphasize the fact ~ B ~ B B
that scratch paper will
be helpful for verbal as C ~ C C
much as for math and
that students will learn D 4 D D
how to use the scratch
paper for different
types of questions.

Math scratch paper:
10. Target = 2
A) g(–3) = 2(–(–3) – 1) – 2 = These math ques-

2(3 – 1) – 2 = tions come from
2(2) – 2 = the lessons. You will
4 – 2 = 2 4 cover these strate-
gies in depth later,
B) but for now, point
 C) g (1) = 2(–1 – 1) – 2 =
out the detail and
2(–2) – 2 =
organization of the
–4 – 2 = –6 too small
work. It’s everything
you need to solve it
D) g(3) = 2(–3 – 1) – 2 = on paper.
2(–4) – 2 =
–8 – 2 = –10 too big
11.
similar triangles
A
12 13 5
= =
24 AC BC
AC = 26 and BC = 10
12 Perimeter ABC = 24 + 10 + 26 = 60
13
5
D E 26
24
12
B 10 C

SAT MANUAL
HOW TO USE THIS COURSE TO NAIL

THE DIGITAL SAT
Please keep some things in mind as we go through this course:
• This isn’t school. We don’t give you a grade, but we do expect you to
realize that YOUR score improvement reflects the amount of work
YOU put into the course.
• The homework assigned is, therefore, for YOUR benefit.
• Review your work! Homework questions and supplemental materi-
als have explanations in your online student portal. Entering your
answers there and assessing your progress, strengths, and weaknesses
is the best way to improve.
• Try to do at least a half an hour of practice for the Digital SAT each
day. Like playing an instrument or a sport, preparing for the Digital
SAT will be easier (and you will improve faster) if you do at least
some work each day. Cramming in three hours of Digital SAT prac-
tice the night before class won’t give you a significant improvement.
Consistent daily practice is the best way to ensure success.
• You must try the techniques. Many will seem strange at first. You will
get used to them, but only if you practice them.
Setting Goals
Of course, all students want to improve their scores. A big difference between
those who succeed and those who don’t is whether they set realistic goals and pur-
sue them systematically. Also keep in mind that learning doesn’t always happen
in a linear fashion or overnight; sometimes it takes a step backwards to take two
steps forwards. Don’t be discouraged! Keep working with your instructor, and you
will enjoy success in the long run.
If you are serious about increasing your scores significantly,

then you MUST:
1. Attend ALL the classes.
2. Complete and review ALL the homework.
3. Take and review ALL the diagnostic tests.
4. Use the techniques in class, on the homework, on the
diagnostic tests, and on the real Digital SAT.

Give students some

Your first homework assignment is to set some specific goals for yourself. Fill out direction on how to
the following exercise using your score report from the first test. fill this out. Point
out where areas
My present score: of strength and
focus are on score
Reading-Writing ______________ Math ______________ report and how to
see other things
My target score: like running out of
time, low accuracy,
not guessing, etc. In
Reading-Writing ______________ Math ______________ Class 2, go over the
goals and make sure
they are concrete
and specific.
What are my biggest strengths from the first practice test?
_____________________________________________________________
What are my biggest areas to improve based on the first practice test?
_____________________________________________________________ Teachers: though

students are doing
By the end of this course, I will have accomplished the following (make them this for homework,
specific, and feel free to add more!): they will need some
examples from you
get better at identifying questions that are/aren’t in your POOD, use
One pacing goal:________________________________________________ in order to use this
the flag tool to mark questions that may take a long time, finish all the questions in your exercise success-
POOD before tackling others, use LOTD for any questions you never intend to do, adjust
_____________________________________________________________ fully. You can give
your pace as needed if you ran out of time or finished early them some or all of
don’t know the strategies yet, but might have a certain question
the examples listed
One strategy goal: _______________________________________________ on this page to get
type or content area for which you know you need a stronger strategy, can apply strate-
gies already covered in intro such as using more POE to get to right answer, using LOTD, etc.,
them thinking about
_____________________________________________________________ what to write.
understanding when to use a strategy or technique
One accuracy goal: ______________________________________________
read the passages/questions/answers carefully, improve accuracy
on a certain concept, improve accuracy on a section of the test, write stuff down to avoid
careless mistakes, see if there is a pattern to mistakes and practice to overcome it, under-
_____________________________________________________________
standing what to highlight and disregard in a problem.
One verbal content goal:__________________________________________
do practice targeting certain question types that are difficult
for you (be specific), practice finding the important information in the passage/sentence,
learn what to do when down to two very similar answers
_____________________________________________________________
One math content goal:___________________________________________

do practice targeting certain question types that are difficult
_____________________________________________________________
for you (be specific), practice finding the important information in word problems

READING

INTRODUCTION
While we read a novel, we are insane—

bonkers. We believe in the existence of people
who aren’t there, we hear their voices... Sanity
returns (in most cases) when the book is closed.
—Ursula Le Guin
11
SAT MANUAL
READING
GOALS REVIEW
At the conclusion of this chapter, you will know:
• The structure of the SAT Reading Test

• Global strategies to earn a higher score
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
What to Expect
You will have 65 minutes to complete ______
52 questions spread out over five pas-
sages.
10-11
Each passage will have ____________ questions.
MATH
The passages will fall into the following three categories.
_US/World Literature
___________________________________________________________
_Social Studies/History
___________________________________________________________
_ Science
___________________________________________________________
Dual
One of the five passages will be a ________________ set.
Graphics
Two of the five passages will contain _____________________________.

INTRODUCTION
READING
Why SAT Reading is Challenging
Who caused the deaths of Romeo and Juliet? Friar Lawrence? Lord Capulet and
Lord Montague? Mercutio? In an English class, any of those answers could be
right, given the right support and a solid argument. On the SAT, however, none Don’t over-explain
of them are right. On the SAT, Romeo and Juliet caused the deaths of Romeo and this. We aren’t
Juliet. Case closed. teaching R & J!
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Let’s take a look at the following statements to consider the differences and chal-
lenges between SAT Reading and your English class.
SAT Reading English Class

Analysis, interpretation,
and critical thinking are 4
rewarded
MATH
Prior knowledge of a
topic helps 4
You can explain your
thinking in short answer 4
or essay format
Knowledge of the life
and times of the author 4
helps on the test
Nothing matters except
what’s actually written in 4
the passage
On the SAT, you only get points for answering questions not for
_____________________,
reading the passage So, let’s maximize those points!
__________________.
What Can Help?

1. Line References
_________________________: Some questions will tell you exactly
where to go in the passage to find the information you need to answer
those questions. Use those lines to maximize your efficiency.
2. Chronology
_________________________: Questions are generally arranged in
chronological order, so use that to your advantage. Working through
the questions in order as much as possible means working through
the passage in order.
3. Lead Words
__________________________: Even if a question does not have a
line reference, it might have words or phrases that help you find what
you’re looking for in the passage.
4. Best Evidence Answers

____________________________: Approximately two questions in
every passage will come with a second question that gives you exact
lines in which to find supporting evidence. Use those to be as focused
and efficient as possible.
SAT MANUAL
READING
Scoring and Pacing

Your Reading score makes up half of your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
score:
WRITING AND
EBRW (verbal) Score =

LANGUAGE
10 × (Reading Test Score + Writing and Language Test Score)

Students may have
different strengths
on the Verbal test, W&L Scale Score
so some may focus 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
more on Reading to 10 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
MATH
bring up the Verbal 15 250 300 350 400 450 500 550
score while others 20 300 350 400 450 500 550 600
Reading
may focus more on Scale 25 350 400 450 500 550 600 650
W&L. Some will fo- Score 30 400 450 500 550 600 650 700
cus on both equally.
35 450 500 550 600 650 700 750
40 500 550 600 650 700 750 800
For a Reading Test Score of: You need about this many Correct Answers:
10 <3
12 5
14 7
16 10
18 14
*Students should
20 18
not necessarily
focus on a certain 22 21
number of questions 24 26
per passage, because 26 29
some students will be 28 33
skipping the hardest 30 37
questions throughout 32 41
the test, while others
34 44
might be skipping an
entire passage. 36 47
38 50
40 52

INTRODUCTION
READING
Food for Thought:
Reading Score from first test: _____________________
Number of additional correct answers needed for a 2-point improvement:
_____________________
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
If you improve your Reading score by two points and keep the same Writing and
Language score, your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score will go up by 20
points.
Personal Order of Difficulty
MATH
Use your POOD to play to your strengths.
For example:
If your target Reading score is a 30, that means you need a raw score
of approximately 38.
Do all five passages and get about 75% of the questions right? That’s
a raw score of about 38.
Drop an entire passage and get nearly all of the questions right on
the remaining four passages? That’s a raw score of about 38.
SAME SCORE, DIFFERENT APPROACH.
Not all passages are created equal, and based on your POOD, you might opt to
do them in a different order from that in which they are presented. Consider the *Students will have
following: different POOD points
here. Some may love
Genre? Topic? Publication date?
Type of passage ________________________________________________________ literature while
others hate it.
Charts & graphs? Multiple texts? What vs. Why? etc.
Type of questions ______________________________________________________
Your goal is to make a quick decision about which of the passages would be the
best place for you to start. Find that passage and do it first. As you move through
the Reading Test, save the most challenging passages for last, regardless of where
they come in the test.

SAT MANUAL
READING
Process of Elimination
Multiple-choice Test = Open-book Test
All the right answers are there in front of you, just packed in tight with lots of
wrong answers.
WRITING AND
right answer
Rather than trying to find the one ________________________, try to eliminate
LANGUAGE
incorrect
answers that are clearly ____________________________ based on the text of the
passage.
4 A) 4 A) A) ~ A)
B) ~ B) ~ B) ~ B)
C) C) C) ~ C)
MATH
D) D) ~ D) ~ D)
Guess B/D LOTD!
Keep Your Pencil Moving!

When you’re working on a math problem, you write out your steps, avoid doing
work in your head, and track your thinking on the page. You must do the same
thing on the Reading Test! Mark your windows, underline or bracket relevant
lines, and physically mark out wrong answers. If your pencil stops moving, you’re
probably stuck. Use your LOTD and move on.

INTRODUCTION
READING
How a Rockstar Student’s Passage Should Look
This is NOT for

teaching! “Look! This
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
kid marked up the
text, made POE
notes, tracked her
thinking. This is how
your reading
passages should
look.”
MATH

SAT MANUAL
Summary
• SAT Reading passages fall into one of the following
categories:
US/World Literature
________________________________________
SS/History
________________________________________
Science
________________________________________
• What four things can help you find the location of

the relevant text for a question?
Line References (in questions or answers)

1. ______________________________________
Chronology
2. ______________________________________
Lead Words
3. _____________________________
__________
Best Evidence Answers

4. ______________________________________
_
• Make sure your pencil is
Always moving!
________________________________________
• I have accomplished _________ of the 2 goals

stated in the beginning of this chapter.

BASIC
APPROACH
If you have enough book space, I don’t want to

talk to you.
— Terry Pratchett
19
SAT MANUAL
READING
GOALS REVIEW
At the conclusion of this chapter, you will have mastered the following:
• Know the five steps of the SAT Reading Basic Approach

• Apply each of the five steps in order to effectively and accurately
answer questions
WRITING AND
• Understand how to use the text to effectively work through answers

LANGUAGE
SAT READING: BASIC APPROACH

With only 65 minutes to answer 52 questions spread out over five passages, you
have to maximize the use of your time. The questions are where you get points, so
MATH
the questions are where you should focus.
Once you have established the order in which you’re doing the passages, use the
following approach for each passage.
Put these steps on 1. Read the Blurb

the board here, but do 2. Select and Understand a Question
not teach
3. Read What You Need
them yet.
4. Mark the Answer in the Passage
5. Use POE

BASIC APPROACH
READING
Step 1: Read the Blurb
The bibliographic information before each passage may not contain a lot of details,
but it will give you a frame of reference for the content of the passage.
Read the following blurb:
WRITING AND
This passage is excerpted from Clarence Darrow, Crime: Its Cause and Treatment. ©1922. In
LANGUAGE
the passage, Darrow discusses the difficulties involved in defining the words “crime” and
“criminal,” and the ways in which these words can be interpreted.
Is this passage from US/World Literature, History/Social Studies, or Science? What

is the general topic of the passage?
History/SS
MATH

SAT MANUAL
Here is the text of the passage, but we’re not going to read it yet. Move on to Step 2: Select and Understand a
READING
Question.
Seriously, don’t read it
There can be no sane discussion of “crime” and satisfied that a thing is intrinsically wrong because it
“criminals” without an investigation of the meaning is forbidden by a legislative body.
of the words. A large majority of men, even among Other more or less popular opinions of the way
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Line the educated, speak of a “criminal” as if the word to determine right or wrong are found to be no
5 had a clearly defined meaning and as if men were 50 more satisfactory. Many believe that the question of
divided by a plain and distinct line into the criminal whether an act is right or wrong is to be settled by a
and the virtuous. As a matter of fact, there is no such religious doctrine; but the difficulties are still greater
division, and from the nature of things, there never in this direction. First of all, this involves a thorough
can be such a line. and judicial inquiry into the merits of many, if not
10 Strictly speaking, a crime is an act forbidden by 55 all, forms of religion, an investigation which has
the law of the land, and one which is considered never been made, and from the nature of things
MATH
sufficiently serious to warrant providing penalties cannot be made. The fact is, that one’s religious
for its commission. It does not necessarily follow opinions are settled long before he begins to
that this act is either good or bad; the punishment investigate and quite by other processes than reason.
15 follows for the violation of the law and not 60 Then, too, all religious precepts rest on interpretation,
necessarily for any moral transgression. No doubt and even the things that seem the plainest have ever
most of the things forbidden by the penal code are been subject to manifold and sometimes conflicting
such as are injurious to the organized society of the construction. Few if any religious commands
time and place, and are usually of such a character can be, or ever were, implicitly relied on without
20 as for a long period of time, and in most countries, 65 interpretation. The command, “Thou shalt not kill,”
have been classed as criminal. But even then it does seems plain, but does even this furnish an infallible
not always follow that the violator of the law is not rule of conduct?
a person of higher type than the majority who are Of course this commandment could not be
directly and indirectly responsible for the law. meant to forbid killing animals. Yet there are many
25 It is apparent that a thing is not necessarily bad 70 people who believe that it does, or at least should.
because it is forbidden by the law. Legislators are No Christian state makes it apply to men killing in
forever repealing and abolishing criminal statutes, war. Neither can it be held to apply to accidental
and organized society is constantly ignoring laws, killings, or killings in self-defense, or in defense of
until they fall into disuse and die. The laws against property or family. Laws, too, provide all grades of
30 witchcraft, the long line of “blue laws,” the laws 75 punishment for different kinds of killing, from very
affecting religious beliefs and many social customs, light penalties up to death. Manifestly, then, the
are well-known examples of legal and innocent commandment must be interpreted, “Thou shalt
acts which legislatures and courts have once made not kill when it is wrong to kill,” and therefore it
criminal. Not only are criminal statutes always dying furnishes no guide to conduct. As well say: “Thou
35 by repeal or repeated violation, but every time a 80 shalt do nothing that is wrong.”
legislature meets, it changes penalties for existing
crimes and makes criminal certain acts that were not
forbidden before.
Judging from the kind of men sent to the State
40 legislatures and to Congress, the fact that certain
things are forbidden does not mean that these
things are necessarily evil; but rather, that politicians
believe there is a demand for such legislation from
the class of society that is most powerful in political
45 action. No one who examines the question can be

BASIC APPROACH
READING
Step 2: Select and Understand a Question
Start with the specific questions first, and save the general questions for later, regardless of which question type is first
in the set. The specific questions will be arranged generally in chronological order.
16. The author’s attitude toward the views of the “many”
WRITING AND
11. The position that Darrow takes is primarily that of
LANGUAGE
mentioned in line 50 can be described as
General, not yet!
MATH
12. In the passage, Darrow draws a distinction 17. As used in line 60, “rest” most nearly means
between
Nope
18. Darrow mentions the command “Thou shalt not

13. Which choice provides the best evidence for the kill” (line 65) primarily in order to
answer to the previous question?
Nope
19. Which choice provides the best evidence for the

14. In lines 29–34, Darrow mentions the “laws against answer to the previous question?
witchcraft” and the “blue laws” primarily in order
to
Start here!
15. The passage suggests that legislation is often created
Though Question 11 is the first question in the set, when will you do it? Why?
Last, it’s a general question.

SAT MANUAL
READING
Once you’ve chosen a question, take the time to understand what it is asking.
Make sure you understand the question by turning it back into a question—that
is, back into a sentence that actually ends with a question mark.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
14. In lines 29–34, Darrow mentions the “laws against witchcraft” and the
“blue laws” primarily in order to
How can you rephrase the open-ended statement in Q14 into a “what” or “why”
question?
MATH
Why does Darrow mention those laws?
Step 3: Read What You Need

• Use line references, lead words, or chronology to find the location of
the question in the text.
• Read a window of about 10–12 lines in order to get context and find
an answer to the question.
• Read with the question in mind! Remember, this test doesn’t require
you to interpret the text. It requires you to apply what’s actually in
the text to the questions and answer choices. Try to find a particular
phrase, sentence, or set of lines that answers the question.
• Save the general questions until after you’ve worked the specific ques-
tions. You’ll have a much better idea of what is and isn’t in the text.
Read a window of about 5 lines above and

5 lines below your line reference to get the
context for the question.

BASIC APPROACH
READING
Where in the text will you find the answer to this question?
Start with 25–38, because that’s the paragraph. If they
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
need to expand the window later, they can.
MATH
Step 4: Mark the Answer in the Passage
Know what you’re looking for before you look at the answer choices, and you’ll be
less likely to fall for a trap answer. Before you even glance at the answer choices,
take the time to underline the specific, stated information in your window that
supplies the answer to the question.
Using information from the text, explain why the author mentions the “laws * The prediction
against witchcraft” and the “blue laws.” should not be
the student’s
“Examples of legal/innocent acts once made
interpretation of
criminal (32–34). Just because it’s “forbidden by law”
the text.
doesn’t mean it’s “necessarily bad” (25–26).

SAT MANUAL
READING
Step 5: Use Process of Elimination

Each question has Once you’ve found something in the text that answers the question, eliminate any
three incorrect of the answer choices that don’t match the text you underlined.
answers and only
one correct answer,
so it’s easier to
find an incorrect Eliminate answers that don’t match
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
answer than it is the proof you found in the passage.

to find a correct
answer.
Avoid the temptation to reconsider the proof you underlined in the passage based
on an answer choice. Answer choices that don’t match the text are likely wrong no
MATH
matter how good they sound.

Fill out the POE
marks accord-
ing to student
responses
“Example of
________ A) assert that penalties for certain actions should not be altered.
something not
________
4 B) provide illustrations of an earlier statement.
necessarily bad ~
________ C) hint at the value of laws long since repealed.
b/c it’s forbidden.” ________ D) qualify a position by conceding exceptions to a rule.
Once you have eliminated any answer choices that don’t match the text you
underlined, you may still be left with more than one choice. Before you select an
answer, ask yourself if you might be falling for one of the most common—and
avoidable!—traps:
• Mostly Right/Slightly Wrong

Don’t teach
these in • Could Be True (But Isn’t Supported by the Text)
detail here.
• Right Words, Wrong Meaning
• Right Answer, Wrong Question

BASIC APPROACH
READING
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TEXT
Remember, this is not a test in your English class at school. As you go through the
answer choices, you should be more focused on whether or not each answer choice
is consistent with the text you underlined rather than whether or not you could
explain that answer to your English teacher in 500 words or less.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Use your pencil to physically mark the
answer in the passage.
15. The passage suggests that legislation is often created
MATH
What is this question asking?
Why are laws created?
The answer most likely comes after which line in the text?
Based on chronology, after line 34.
What lead words can you scan for?
“legislation”
What exactly does the text say about the creation of legislation?
“Politicians believe there is a demand for
such legislation from class of society
most powerful in political action.”
Which answer choices can you eliminate?
A) to prevent wicked actions. could be true, but doesn’t match prediction

B) to satisfy the demands of crime victims. mostly right, slightly wrong
C) by men who are morally weak.
D) to appease prevailing political powers.

SAT MANUAL
READING
The text always matters, even on questions that might seem to be asking for your
opinion. Consider the following question.
16. The author’s attitude toward the views of the “many” mentioned in line 50 can
best be described as
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
In an English class, a question about an author’s “attitude” or “tone” might be a

great place for you to use some solid critical thinking skills. On the SAT, however,
it’s still a straight reading comprehension question.
What do the “many” described in these lines think?

“the question of whether an act is right
MATH
or wrong is to be settled by religious

doctrine” (lines 50–52)
Does Darrow agree or disagree? How do you know?

Disagree
“...but the difficulties are still greater in

this direction” and “’no more satisfactory’”
What answer choices can you eliminate?

A) apathetic. He has an opinion
B) curious.
C) puzzled.
D) skeptical.

BASIC APPROACH
READING
Another way your comprehension of context will be tested is with Vocabulary in
Context questions. Although the SAT no longer tests your knowledge of obscure
four-syllable words, College Board still cares that you can figure out what words
mean, based on the contexts in which they are used.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
17. As it is used in line 60, “rest” most nearly means
Where is the word “rest”? What do you think of
MATH
when you hear the word
Line 60 “rest”? Pillows? Your
couch? Peace and quiet?
Mark out the word. Based on the context, what other word or short phrase could
you put into the sentence?
Rely
Which answer choices can you eliminate, based on the word you used to replace
“rest”?
A) recline. (A) and (C) are “Could Be True”

B) depend. trap answers based on another
C) pause. meaning of rest. This is a very
D) conceal. common trap on VIC questions.

SAT MANUAL
READING
Paired Questions
Most reading passages have two sets of paired questions. The second question asks
you to match lines from the text to the answer to the first question, which could
be general or specific. There are a few different ways to approach these sets.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Specific
18. Darrow mentions the command “Thou shalt not kill” (line 65) primarily
in order to
MATH
What is this question asking?

Why does Darrow mention the command?
Where in the text will you find the answer?

L57-67 (ish)
What exactly does the text say about why Darrow mentions the command?
Few commands can be implicitly relied on without inter-
pretation (L63-65).
What answer choices can you eliminate?
A) argue that even accidental killing or killing in self-defense should be
made punishable by law.
B) demonstrate that even some seemingly straightforward laws may be
4
understood in multiple ways.
C) provide evidence to show that laws do not punish all types of killings
with equal severity.
D) indicate the importance of investigating the religious opinions of
those conducting judicial inquiries.
Once you have determined your answer, the next question asks for the textual
evidence you used to reach that answer. Consider what it was in the text that an-
swered your “Why?” question.
19. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous
The Basic Approach makes question?
some paired sets a Buy-One-
A) Lines 34–38 (“Not only . . . before”)
Get-One-Free for points!
B) Lines 53–59 (“First . . . reason”)
BOGO! C) Lines 60–65 (“Then . . . interpretation”) Free point!
D) Lines 74–76 (“Laws . . . death”)

BASIC APPROACH
READING
Parallel POE
Sometimes the question will be a general question, or the location of the question If you were looking for
might be tough to find. In those cases, it’s helpful to consider the question and the treasure on an island,
textual evidence at the same time. Remember, the citation must support the cor- would it be easier with or
rect answer, so if there are no clear connections between the answer for the ques- without landmarks and
tion and the line given in the next question, both answers can be eliminated. a map?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
12. In the passage, Darrow draws a distinction between Students may want
A) actions that are illegal and actions that are morally wrong. to pair (12B) with
B) the opinions of legislators and the rituals of organized society. (13B) because they
C) criminals and individuals who are inherently virtuous. both contain the
D) personal responsibility and responsibility imposed by religious doctrine. words “legislators”
and “society”. Point
MATH
out that the word
question?
“and” in line 28 in-
A) Lines 3–7 (“A large . . . virtuous”) “Large majority” “No such division” dicates a similarity
B) Lines 26–29 (“Legislators . . . die”)
between legislators
C) Lines 39–42 (“Judging . . . evil”)
D) Lines 57–59 (“The fact . . . reason”)
and society, not a
difference.
Ask:
–Does the best evidence answer address the
first question?
–Does the best evidence answer support any of
the answer choices for the first question?

SAT MANUAL
READING
General Questions
The general and main idea questions that may seem a bit overwhelming at the
beginning of a passage become much more approachable once you’ve completed
the specific questions. Even if you haven’t read every word of the passage, you’ve
spent time with the parts the test writers think are important.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
11. The position that Darrow takes is primarily that of

A) an authority arguing a particular point of view.
B) a critic discounting the opinion of an uninformed adversary.
C) a lawyer advocating the right of citizens to defend themselves.
D) an intellectual presenting an historical overview.
MATH
We get the answer with POE. While

we can’t necessarily prove that
Darrow IS an authority, we can
definitely say that he takes the
position of an authority.
Students may want to eliminate

(A) because they don’t know that
“authority” can mean “expert.”

BASIC APPROACH
READING
BASIC APPROACH DRILL
(13 minutes)
Questions 1–10 are based on the following passage. 40 She said she was going to give me some books
and that I not only must read them, I must read
The following passage is excerpted from I Know Why the
them aloud.
WRITING AND
Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. ©1969 and renewed
LANGUAGE
“I’ll accept no excuse if you return a book to
1997 by Maya Angelou. Used by permission of Random
me that has been badly handled.” My imagination
House, an imprint and division of Penguin Random
45 boggled at the punishment I would deserve if in fact
Q4
House LLC. All rights reserved. This passage from the
I did abuse a book of Mrs. Flowers’s. Death would be
autobiographical novel describes an incident from the
too kind and brief.
author’s youth.
The odors in the house surprised me. Somehow
One summer afternoon, sweet-milk fresh in my I had never connected Mrs. Flowers with food or
memory, Mrs. Flowers stopped at the Store to buy 50 eating or any other common experience of common
MATH
provisions. Another Negro woman of her health and people. There must have been an outhouse, too, but
Line age would have been expected to carry the paper my mind never recorded it.
5 sacks home in one hand, but Momma said, “Sister The sweet scent of vanilla had met us as she
Flowers, I’ll send Bailey up to your house with these opened the door.
things.” 55 “I made tea cookies this morning. You see, I had
She smiled that slow dragging smile. “Thank planned to invite you for cookies and lemonade so
you, Mrs. Henderson. I’d prefer Marguerite, though.” we could have this little chat.”
10 They gave each other age-group looks. They were flat round wafers, slightly browned on
Momma said, “Well, that’s all right then. Sister, go the edges and butter-yellow in the center. With the
and change your dress. You going to Sister Flowers’s.” 60 cold lemonade they were sufficient for childhood’s
There was a little path beside the rocky road, and lifelong diet. Remembering my manners, I took nice
Mrs. Flowers walked in front swinging her arms and little lady-like bites off the edges. She said she had
15 picking her way over the stones. made them expressly for me. So I jammed one whole
She said, without turning her head, to me, “I hear cake in my mouth and the rough crumbs scratched
you’re doing very good school work, Marguerite, 65 the insides of my jaws, and if I hadn’t had to swallow,
but that it’s all written. The teachers report that they it would have been a dream come true.
have trouble getting you to talk in class.” We passed As I ate she began the first of what we later called
20 the triangular farm on our left and the path widened “my lessons in living.” She said that I must always
to allow us to walk together. I hung back in the be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of Q5
separate unasked and unanswerable questions. 70 illiteracy. That some people, unable to go to school,
“Come and walk along with me, Marguerite.” I were more educated and even more intelligent than
couldn’t have refused even if I wanted to. She college professors. She encouraged me to listen
Q2 25 pronounced my name so nicely. Or more correctly, carefully to what country people called mother wit.
she spoke each word with such clarity that I was When I finished the cookies she brushed off
certain a foreigner who didn’t understand English 75 the table and brought a thick, small book from
could have understood her. the bookcase. I had read A Tale of Two Cities and Q7
“Now no one is going to make you talk—possibly found it up to my standards as a romantic novel. She
30 no one can. But bear in mind, language is man’s opened the first page and I heard poetry for the first
way of communicating with his fellow man and it is time in my life.
language alone which separates him from the lower 80 “It was the best of times and the worst of times . . .”
animals.” That was a totally new idea to me, and I Her voice slid in and curved down through and
would need time to think about it. over the words. She was nearly singing. I wanted to
35 “Your grandmother says you read a lot. Every look at the pages. Were they the same that I had read?
chance you get. That’s good, but not good enough. Or were there notes, music, lined on the pages, as in a
Words mean more than what is set down on paper. 85 hymn book?
It takes the human voice to infuse them with the
shades of deeper meaning.”
SAT MANUAL
“How do you like that?” 4

READING
It occurred to me that she expected a response. In the context of the passage, Marguerite’s
The sweet vanilla flavor was still on my tongue statement in lines 44–46 (“My imagination . . .
Q8 and her reading was a wonder in my ears. I had to Flowers’s”) is primarily meant to convey the idea
90 speak. that M. will not mess up the book!
I said, “Yes ma’am.” It was the least I could do, but
it was the most also. A) Mrs. Flowers is known for her strict and
unforgiving nature. No details about Mrs. F!
WRITING AND
On that first day, I ran down the hill and into the
LANGUAGE
road (few cars ever came along it). I was liked, and B) Mrs. Flowers is overly concerned with the
95 what a difference it made. I was respected not as Mrs. importance of books.
Henderson’s grandchild or Bailey’s sister but for just C) Marguerite would fear for her life if she harmed
being Marguerite Johnson. one of Mrs. Flowers’s books. Too literal
4 D) Marguerite is unlikely to mistreat one of Mrs.
1 Flowers’s books.
MATH
The narrative point of view of the passage is that of

Do A) a woman explaining the importance of reading. 5
this
B) a child presenting her opinions on a particular According to Mrs. Flowers, which of the following
last
novel. Not the narrative POV is a “lesson in living”?
4 C) an adult recounting a memorable childhood 4 A) Intelligence is not dependent on formal
experience. education. L70-72
D) a writer describing why she chose to write. B) Intellectuals are not as clever as many people
suppose.
C) Well-educated people lack common sense.
2
D) Impoverished people are deserving of
In the context of the passage, lines 23–28 compassion. Could be true,
(“I couldn’t . . . her”) are primarily meant to but not in text
A) recount an anecdote. Describe her way
B) describe a theory. of speaking 6
C) present an example. Which choice provides the best evidence for the
4 D) note an impression.
A) Lines 40–42 (“She said . . . aloud”)
B) Lines 61–62 (“Remembering . . . edges”)
3 C) Lines 68–70 (“She said . . . illiteracy”)
As used in line 39, “shades” most nearly means D) Lines 70–72 (“That . . . professors”)
A) shadows. BOGO!
B) reflections. “Nuances”
“Degrees” 7
4 C) levels.
~ D) insights. Marguerite’s statement in lines 76–77 (“I had . . .
novel”) suggests that she initially viewed A Tale of
Two Cities as
A) original. Fine Amazing
“Up to my “Poetry”
Trap for “romantic” B) sentimental.
standards”
C) satisfactory.
D) stunning.

BASIC APPROACH
8 9
READING
Marguerite’s attitude toward Mrs. Flowers in lines Mrs. Flowers’s main objective in inviting
87–92 (“It occurred . . . also”) is best described as Marguerite to her house was to
one of “Yes, Ma’am” A) help Marguerite to appreciate the importance of
A) respectful awe. “Most I could do” the spoken word.
B) grudging acceptance. B) urge Marguerite to spend less time reading and
WRITING AND
more time living.
LANGUAGE
C) relaxed affection.
D) guarded fear. C) expose Marguerite to a wide variety of literary
influences.
D) convince Marguerite to put more effort into her
schoolwork. She’s doing well. She’s just
not talking.
MATH
10
Which choice provides the best evidence for the
A) Lines 16–19 (“I hear . . . class”)
B) Lines 35–39 (“Your . . . meaning”)
C) Lines 62–66 (“She said . . . true”)
D) Lines 93–95 (“On that . . . made”)
*Students may want to

connect (9D) and (I0A)
initially.

SAT MANUAL
Summary
• The five steps of the Reading Basic Approach
are:
Read the blurb

1. _______________________________________
Select and understand the question

2. _______________________________________
Read what you need

3. _______________________________________
Mark the answer in the passage

4. _______________________________________
Use POE
5. _______________________________________
• How much of the passage do you need to read

to find the answer to a specific question?
10-12 lines, usually

________________________________________
________________________________________
• What’s generally true about the order of the

questions?
Specific questions in chronological order

________________________________________
• How can correct answers on the SAT Reading

Test differ from correct answers in an English
class?
No interpretation or analysis
________________________________________
on the SAT
________________________________________
• What is the most important thing to remember

in the Reading Test?
Find support in the text!

________________________________________
________________________________________

stated in the beginning of this chapter.

BASIC
APPROACH
PRACTICE
Work through the following passages using the steps of

the Basic Approach. Don’t worry about timing yourself yet.
This is all about accuracy and focusing on the text.
• Read the Blurb
• Select and Understand the Question
• Read What You Need
• Mark the Answer in the Passage
• Use POE
37
SAT MANUAL
READING
VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
• Mark out the word. These are not representative of
• Read for context. CB text! These VIC are just to
• Write in your own word or short phrase. practice using context.
• Use POE.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Pat tried to ignore the shoe salesman in the 1

next booth, who was telling his children more than
Line anyone wanted to know about the importance of As used in line 12, “buckle” most nearly means
10 job security. She flipped through the newspaper, A) belt.
stopping at the astrology section. Her horoscope “Give way”
4 B) bend.
read: “As a Libra, you do not easily buckle under
pressure.” She sighed. Clearly, the horoscope knew C) bolt. “Yield”
MATH
nothing of her sudden flight from work earlier that D) fasten.

15 day.
The police officer standing at my front door 2

Line quotes directly from a thick book: “Whoever
As used in line 25, “harbors” most nearly means
25 harbors or conceals any person who he knows, or
has reasonable grounds to believe or suspect, has A) ships.
“Hides”
committed, or is about to commit, an offense under B) begrudges.
sections 793 or 794 of this title, shall be fined under C) doubts. “Conceals”
this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or
30 both.” 4 D) shelters. “Gives safety to”
Yesterday, a man dressed like a sailor knocked,
politely asked if he could sleep the night in my barn,
and chopped some wood for me in return. He kept
the axe, but I didn’t find that strange at the time.
Line As I listened to members of the South Beach 3

55 Literary Diet Group calmly discuss their plans for
As used in line 64, “novel” most nearly means
the coming year, I wondered how such diverse
readers could want to regularly meet together to 4 A) unusual.
“Odd”
discuss texts as different as bleak anti-stories by B) depressing.
Samuel Beckett, young readers’ science fiction tales C) fictional. “Original”
60 by Madeleine L’Engle, A Day in the Life of Marlon
Bundo, and The Story of My Teeth. This was clearly D) bookish.
no traditional book-of-the-month club. The fact
that meetings always begin with interpretive dance
moves struck me as another novel feature of this
65 group.

BASIC APPROACH PRACTICE
“What’s a lady like you doing in a place like this?” 4
READING
Sophie sipped from her neon-blue cocktail As used in line 6, “current” most nearly means
before replying to the two-bit detective. “And what
Line makes you think I am a lady?” Everything about A) electric.
5 her was painfully up-to-date. The sparkly red shoes, 4 B) contemporary. “Up-to-date”
reflecting current taste in this realm, complemented C) drifting.
the emerald socks and hyper-modern tan pant-suit.
D) watery.
WRITING AND
His left eye tearing slightly, he replied, “You have
LANGUAGE
this ... je-ne-sais-quoi.”
10 Her eyebrows rose; the air crackled with tension.
She sipped once more, flung the cherry from the
drink, and said as she stood to leave, “I don’t know
what that means.”
MATH
The wind howling through the cracks of the door, 5
Toby clung to his mug of hot cider, shrinking back
As used in line 20, “season” most nearly means
Line further toward the feeble hearth.
20 “If you plan to season yourself to this climate, A) spice.
“Get used to”
you must embrace the discomfort,” said the kindly B) infuse.
innkeeper. Toby wondered what had ever possessed 4 C) accustom.
him to agree to this expedition—pure folly, it was.
D) direct.
Line The first mate glowered at the sailors. 6

30 “Wherefore ye be a playin’ at balls when there be As used in line 35, “racket” most nearly means
work to do?”
A) court.
The parson added: “And gambling, melads, does
B) scam.
“Noise”
not befit good folk, as the good book sayeth.”
The captain flung open his cabin door, 4 C) ruckus. “Hub-bub”
35 exclaiming: “And what be the reason for this racket?”
D) ship.
The first mate looked left, the parson looked right,
and the sailors all sprung into the sea for shame.

SAT MANUAL
READING
PRACTICE PASSAGE 1: LITERATURE
Questions 1–10 are based on the following 40 addressed to Mrs. Zeena-Frome, and usually bearing
passage. conspicuously in the upper left-hand corner the
address of some manufacturer of patent medicine.
WRITING AND
This passage is adapted from Edith Wharton, Ethan Frome.

LANGUAGE
Everyone in Starkfield knew him and gave him

©1911 by Scribner’s. The novel tells the story of a man
a greeting tempered to his own grave bearing; but
whose dreams have been defeated by an unexpected turn
45 his taciturnity was respected and it was only on rare
of events. 7B occasions that one of the older men of the place
I had the story, bit by bit, from various people, detained him for a word. When this happened he
and, as generally happens in such cases, each time it would listen quietly, his blue eyes on the speaker’s
was a different story. face, and answer in so low a tone that his words
Line If you know Starkfield, Massachusetts, you know 50 never reached me; then he would climb stiffly into
MATH
5 the post-office, and you must have seen Ethan Frome his buggy, gather up the reins in his left hand and
drive up to it, drop the reins on his hollow-backed drive slowly away toward his farm.
bay and drag himself across the brick pavement, and “It was a pretty bad smash-up?” I questioned
you must have asked who he was. Harmon, looking after Frome’s retreating figure, and
It was there that, several years ago, I saw him for 55 thinking how gallantly his lean brown head, with
10 the first time; and the sight pulled me up sharp. Even its shock of light hair, must have sat on his strong
then he was the most striking figure in Starkfield, shoulders before they were bent out of shape.
though he was but the ruin of a man. It was not “The worst kind,” my informant assented. “More
so much his great height that marked him, for than enough to kill most men. But the Fromes are
the “natives” were easily singled out by their lank 60 tough. Ethan’ll likely touch a hundred.”
15 longitude from the stockier foreign breed: it was the “Good God!” I exclaimed. At the moment Ethan
Q3
careless powerful look he had, in spite of a lameness Frome, after climbing to his seat, had leaned over
checking each step like the jerk of a chain. There to assure himself of the security of a wooden box,
was something bleak and unapproachable in his face, which he had placed in the back of the buggy, and I
and he was so stiffened and grizzled that I took him 65 saw his face as it probably looked when he thought Q10
20 for an old man and was surprised to hear that he was himself alone. “That man touch a hundred? He looks
not more than fifty-two. as if he was dead and in hell now!”
“He’s looked that way ever since he had his “Guess he’s been in Starkfield too many winters.
smash-up; and that’s twenty-four years ago come next Most of the smart ones get away,” said Harmon.
February,” said Harmon Gow, who had driven the 70 “Why didn’t he?”
25 stage from Bettsbridge to Starkfield in pre-trolley days “Somebody had to stay and care for the folks.
and knew the chronicle of all the families on his line. There weren’t ever anybody but Ethan. First his
The “smash-up,” I gathered, had, besides drawing father—then his mother—then his wife.”
the red gash across Ethan Frome’s forehead, so “And then the smash-up?”
shortened and warped his right side that it cost 75 Harmon chuckled sardonically. “That’s so. He
30 him a visible effort to take the few steps from his had to stay then.”
buggy to the post-office window. He used to drive in “I see. And since then they’ve had to care for him?”
from his farm every day at about noon, and I often Harmon thoughtfully passed his tobacco to the
passed him in the porch or stood beside him while other cheek. “Oh, it’s always Ethan done the caring.” Q5
we waited on the motions of the distributing hand 80 Though Harmon Gow developed the tale as far
35 behind the grating. I noticed that, though he came as his mental and moral reach permitted there were 9D
so punctually, he seldom received anything but a perceptible gaps between his facts, and I sensed that
7B copy of the Bettsbridge Eagle, which he put without a the deeper meaning of the story was in the gaps.
glance into his sagging pocket. At intervals, however, But one phrase nevertheless stuck in my memory:
the post-master would hand him an envelope 85 “Guess he’s been in Starkfield too many winters.”
CONTINUE
Before my own time there was up I would come 5
READING
to know what that meant. Harmon’s statement in line 79 (“Oh, it’s . . . caring”)
primarily serves to
1 A) speculate on a probable outcome.
The passage is primarily concerned with 4 B) contradict a presumption. Ethan wasn’t cared for
→ he did the caring
Do thisA) describing life in a rural community. C) qualify a primary argument.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
last! B) comparing possible causes of a tragedy. D) justify a point of view.
4 C) examining an unusual figure.
D) criticizing one man’s habits.
6
Based on the passage, which of the following most
2 accurately describes Ethan Frome?
As used in line 17, “checking” most nearly means ~ A) Rigid and reticent
MATH
A) studying. B) Rude and imposing
“Stopping”
4 B) halting. “Pulling back” C) Decrepit and ignorant
~ C) limping. D) Generous and friendly
D) verifying.
7
3 Which choice provides the best evidence for the
As revealed in the third paragraph (lines 9–21), answer to the previous question?
the narrator’s attitude toward Frome is best A) Lines 4–12 (“If you . . . man”)
characterized as B) Lines 35–52 (“I noticed . . . farm”) punctual & quiet
4 A) startled and intrigued. “Ruin of a Man” C) Lines 61–66 (“At the . . . alone”)
B) dismayed and disapproving. “Bleak & D) Lines 71–79 (“Somebody . . . caring”)
Unapproachable”
C) bewildered and fearful. “Surprised not more
D) saddened and protective. than S2”
8
The passage suggests which of the following about
4 Harmon Gow?
As used in line 56, “shock” most nearly means A) He is originally from Bettsbridge.
A) surprise. B) He does not stay in Starkfield for the winters.
“Patch”
B) lack. “Amount” 4 C) He knows more about Ethan’s story than he
feels it is his place to say. “moral reach”
C) clash.
D) He works at the Post Office in Starkfield.
4 D) mass.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
9 10
READING
Which choice provides the best evidence for the Which of the following can best be inferred from
answer to the previous question? the narrator’s mention of Ethan’s face in line 65?
A) Lines 22–26 (“He’s looked . . . line”) A) The narrator believes that Ethan would be angry
B) Lines 53–57 (“It was . . . shape”) if he knew anyone was watching him.
C) Lines 68–69 (“Guess . . . Harmon”) B) The narrator feels guilty for spying on Ethan.
WRITING AND
4 C) The narrator presumes that Ethan wears a

LANGUAGE
D) Lines 80–83 (“Though . . . gaps”)

different face in public than in private. L65-66
D) The narrator believes that Ethan is older than
Harmon Gow thinks he is.
MATH
CONTINUE
READING
PRACTICE PASSAGE 2: SOCIAL STUDIES
Questions 11–21 are based on the following of Bavaria could more easily collect a tax on the salt
passage. being transported from the city of Salzburg (German
for “Salt Castle”).
WRITING AND
This passage is adapted from The Monuments Men: Allied
LANGUAGE
40 And throughout the centuries, as cities and
Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in
empires rose and fell, the Steinberg mine in the Q15 &
History by Robert M. Edsel with Bret Witter. Copyright
Sandling Mountain of Austria, just above the 16A
©2009 by Robert M. Edsel. Reprinted with the permission
village and lake known as Altaussee, continued to
of Center Street, a division of Hachette Book Group USA
produce salt. The salt was not mined with picks
Inc. The passage describes the setting of a salt mine in the
45 and shovels, but dissolved by the flow of water
Austrian Alps.
through special pipes and sluices. The water came
from the mountain above, especially during the
MATH
From there, the road begins a climb so steep that
the Pötschen Pass seems a mild slope by comparison. spring snowmelt, and descended by gravitational
Along the road runs a clear, crashing alpine stream, force through the mine. There it was inundated
Line and beyond are the immense and breathtaking 50 with rock salt, then sent down the mountain to Bad
5 mountains. They are limestone deposits, formed Ischl, more than seventeen miles away, where the
Q12 in the depths of an ancient sea, and even on the brine was evaporated to form pure crystal salt. It
sunniest day they are pale gray beneath their caps of was left to 125 miners to maintain the pipes and
snow. A bleak stone building, perched precariously sluices, shore up the catacombs against the pressure
above a thousand-foot precipice, marks the 55 of the mountain, and make sure the vast labyrinth
10 beginning of the end. Beyond is only a low irregular of rooms and tunnels didn’t merge together and
Q13 building and a wall of rock, the steep side of the destabilize the entire structure.
Sandling Mountain. Bored into the mountain is a Since the 1300s, this job had been performed
small tunnel, the main entrance to an ancient salt by members of a small group of families, all living
mine. Local legend holds that salt had been mined 60 in the hills near the mine. Over the centuries
15 here for three thousand years—before the founding humans grew larger, but the miners stayed the same
of Rome, at the height of the ancient Egyptian size, until they eventually seemed dwarfed by the
empire. Local written records, however, only date demands of the mine and their time underground
back to the 1100s. (diet and inbreeding were more likely causes). Even
In those days, at the turn of the first millennium, 65 in the early twentieth century, this small isolated
20 salt was one of the foundations of civilization. community spoke a dialect last popular in the
Q19
Without it, food couldn’t be preserved or transported, Middle Ages. They explored their tunnels with
so whole societies survived because of salt. Roman acetylene torches, and wore the white linen suits and
legionnaires were sometimes paid in salt (the basis peaked caps of medieval miners.
of the English word “salary”), and merchants trod 70 But in the winter of 1943-1944, the salt mine at
25 the salt roads in large caravans, linking the Western Altaussee was assaulted by the modern world. First
world of Europe with the Eastern world of Asia came the tracked vehicles necessary for maneuvering
and Arabia. In Tibet, Marco Polo noticed that salt over the roads in the winter, when the five meters of
was pressed into wafers, imprinted with the image snow were almost level with the treetops. They were
of the Grand Khan, and used as money. Timbuktu, 75 followed by supply jeeps, and eventually a seemingly
30 the great lost civilization of Africa, valued salt as endless line of Nazi officers descended on the mine
highly as gold. The early Germans, whose Visigoth as guards. Workers arrived, expanding catacombs Q21
ancestors sacked Rome and threw civilization into and building wooden floors, walls, and ceilings in
darkness, were economically dependent on their salt dozens of salt chambers. Giant wooden racks were
mines, and especially the taxes for their salt trading 80 assembled in workrooms deep within the mountain
35 routes. The city of Munich, an early base of power and hammered into position, in some places three
for the Nazi Party, was founded in 1158 so the ruler stories high. Experts and clerks moved in; a shop
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
was built deep inside the mine where technicians 15

READING
Q21 could work and even live for days at a time. And it The author most likely includes the description
85 was all done for art. of the importance of salt through history in the
second paragraph in order to Salt matters!
11 A) share some interesting but ultimately irrelevant
facts.
Which of the following best expresses the main idea
WRITING AND
of the passage? B) suggest that the Nazi party would not exist
LANGUAGE
without the salt tax.

4 A) The salt mines in Altaussee have a long and
varied history. C) track the fluctuating value of salt in many cultures.
B) Salt has been an essential component of 4 D) provide historical context for the output of the
civilization since the Roman Empire. Steinberg mine.
Lines 40–44 introduce Steinberg mine. Purpose
C) Mining techniques in Altaussee were not question answers often just before/after given
modernized until the Nazis arrived. 16 line reference.
MATH
D) The presence of the salt mines made Germany The passage most strongly suggests which of the
into a modern world power. Do this following about the Steinberg Mine?
last!
A) It was owned by the same family for many
centuries until the Nazis came.
12 not mentioned
B) It used a unique system to mine salt with water
The passage indicates that Sandling Mountain is instead of picks and shovels.
A) a salt mine first established by Egyptians. C) It was inaccessible during the winter before the
B) a milder slope than Pötschen Pass. Nazis brought their tracked vehicles.
C) the remnant of an ancient sea bed. L6 D) It was mostly unaffected by political and social
D) a bleak and boring place. upheaval through the ages.
17
13
The author uses the word “precariously” (line 8) in answer to the previous question?
order to
A) Lines 40–44 (“And throughout . . . salt”)
A) suggest that the stone building is in danger of
B) Lines 44–46 (“The salt . . . sluices”)
falling down the cliff.
C) Lines 58–60 (“Since the, . . . mine”)
4 B) indicate the rugged and remote terrain around
the salt mine. L9, L10-11 D) Lines 71–74 (“First came . . . treetops”)
C) imply that the buildings associated with the salt
mine were poorly constructed. no evidence 18
D) indicate that the people who built the stone
As used in line 54, “shore up” most nearly means
building were skilled mountaineers.
Could be true, but not in text A) disembark.
B) catch. “Reinforce”
14 4 C) strengthen.
As used in line 16, “height” most nearly means D) build.
4 A) pinnacle.
“Peak”
B) epitome.
“Highest power”
C) elevation.
D) stature.
CONTINUE
19 21
READING
The author of the passage most likely mentions the In the context of the passage, the author’s use of the
“acetylene torches” (line 68) and “white linen suits phrase “And it was all done for art” (lines 84–85) is
and peaked caps” (lines 68–69) in order to primarily meant to convey the idea that
A) show how eager the miners were to modernize A) the Nazis carved sculptures into the salt mines
the mines. in Altaussee.
“Assaulted by modern world”
WRITING AND
4 B) establish a contrast between the mine at B) modern mining techniques were seen by the
LANGUAGE
Altaussee and the world outside it. Nazis as an art form.
C) prove that the miners of Altaussee were unique C) the Nazis took over the salt mines for a purpose
among all other salt miners. other than mining.
D) describe the factors that made the mine difficult D) the salt mines were turned into a mining
to repurpose. museum by the Nazis.
Not why the author includes the
details
MATH
20
A) Lines 60–64 (“Over . . . underground”)
B) Lines 70–71 (“But in . . . world”) BOGO!
C) Lines 74–77 (“They . . . guards”)
D) Lines 79–82 (“Giant . . . high”)
Purpose question answers often

appear after given reference.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
READING
PRACTICE PASSAGE 3: SCIENCE
Questions 22–31 are based on the following A male’s system is designed to recognize the
passage. songs of other males and copy his father’s. If he
doesn’t learn, perfect and memorize his father’s
WRITING AND
This passage is adapted from JoAnna Klein, “Some

LANGUAGE
song within the first 90 days of life, when his brain Q26
Songbirds Have Brains Specifically Designed to Find Mates
45 is especially malleable, he never will. He still sings,
for Life.” ©2018 by the New York Times.
but “he sings a disaster,” said Dr. Woolley. “And the Q27
If Cupid wanted to make two songbirds fall in females want nothing to do with him.”
love, he’d have better luck aiming at their brains. When a female’s brain is young and malleable, she
That’s because songbirds, which form lifelong tunes into her father’s song, memorizes it and then
Q28
Line mating pairs, have brain systems perfectly tuned to 50 stores it as a template for evaluating a mate’s song later.
5 fit together. While you sort through the messages This example reminds her that she didn’t die, and her
MATH
of admirers, deciding who to make your Valentine, father helped ensure that. Perhaps something similar
consider finches. will work for her offspring. Females tend to prefer
Young males in this family of feathered crooners elaborate songs with more syllables.
learn the song of their father, perfect it and perform 55 How well the birds learn depends on a genetic
10 it as adults to attract a lifelong mate. It’s loud, predisposition to tune into sounds specific to their
elaborate and precise. With their songs they say species. But experience is important too. Because
“chirp, chirp—my brain is healthy, and my body is social relationships are so powerful, a baby bird
strong. That’s something you’re into, right?” reared by the wrong species, Dr. Woolley has
A female finch also learns the songs of her father 60 found, can learn the wrong species’ song even if its
24A biological father’s song is audible.
15 from a young age, but she doesn’t perform. She’s
the critic. She analyzes every detail of a potential “The magic of the songbird is that vocal learning 30C
mate’s song, compares it to her father’s example and is incredibly rare to find in animals,” said Dr. Woolley.
decides if this performer is one she’d like to keep “No ape can do it (except the human), no monkey can
around. If she detects a song is too simple or off in 65 do it, and no rodent can do it.” And she believes that
20 any way, she’ll have nothing to do with its performer. by understanding more about how songbirds use their
She’s very picky, as she should be, because the mate brains to make sense of sound, she can learn more
she chooses will help raise their young—till death do about how humans use theirs to develop a spoken
they part. language early to communicate later in life.
Over the past decade, researchers looking into the 70 For songbirds that form bonds with members of
Q25 25 chickpea-sized brains of finches have discovered that the same sex for life, songs, though still important
each sex uses what’s called its sound control system to message bearers, may be less important for finding
convert sound waves to social messages and then use a match. And although some humans may be less
them to find mates, kind of how humans use vocal interested in words than other aspects like looks, Q31
sounds to communicate. And while these systems 75 scent, youth, money, power or whatever we find
30 are well-developed and finely tuned in both sexes of attractive in a partner, birdsongs remind us that
songbirds, the wiring is different. good communication, in any pair, makes love
“The biggest difference between male and female possible. “The way that people fall in love, is talking
brains of the same species is found in songbirds,” to each other,” Dr. Woolley said.
said Sarah Woolley, a neuroscientist who studies
35 finches at Columbia University’s Zuckerman
Institute. Dr. Woolley’s lab has been looking into
the acoustic systems of zebra, bengalese and long-
tailed finches to see how their brains take in and
process sounds—learning, performing and analyzing
40 different parts of them to make sense of songs.
CONTINUE
22 26
READING
The main purpose of the passage is to What is the most likely reason the author includes
A) describe the sound of the mating songs of the quantity of 90 days in line 44?
Do this finches that makes them unique. ~ A) To demonstrate how long it takes most birds to
last! B) explain the role songbird brains play in their learn one song
4
mating rituals. B) To present accurate data on the length of the
WRITING AND
C) discuss the reasons songbirds have for mating process for finches
LANGUAGE
establishing and maintaining lifelong mating C) To show at what age finches find their mates
pairs. ~ D) To provide the length of time male finches have
~ D) illustrate how songbird brains process sound before they must know their song exactly
compared to other species. clear cut off!
comparison not the main focus
27
23
MATH
The author includes the quotation “he sings a
What does the author imply about the mating songs disaster” (line 46) to
of male and female finches? A) explain how zebra, bengalese, and long-tailed
A) Finches all learn the same mating song when finches’ songs sound.
they are young. B) emphasize the importance of female finches
B) Males and females learn the songs the same way learning their songs at a young age.
but use them differently. C) suggest that male finches do not sing well.
C) Male finches can learn every song that they hear. D) indicate what happens when a male finch does
D) Male and female finches prefer different songs. not learn his song.
24 28
Which choice provides the best evidence for the As used in line 50, “stores” most nearly means
answer to the previous question? 4 A) remembers.
A) Lines 14–16 (“A female . . . critic”) “Keeps it”
B) stockpiles.
B) Lines 29–31 (“And while . . . different”) C) conceals.
C) Lines 32–36 (“The biggest . . . Institute”) D) guards.
D) Lines 57–61 (“Because . . . audible”)
29
25
What can reasonably be inferred about the reason
The author uses the phrase “chickpea-sized brains”
30 Woolley used finches as the subjects of her study?
in line 25 most likely to A) A) Male and female finches make beautiful music
A) suggest that a certain size of brain is best for to hear.
learning birdsong. B) B) Finches are very good at a particular skill that is
~ B) diminish the cognitive capabilities of the birds. uncommon for most animals.
4 C) describe the subject of research. C) C) Woolley knew finches would be easy to study
D) indicate the finches’ powerful mental capacity because of their small brains.
for thought. D) D) Finches and humans share a number of
important similarities that Woolley hopes to
explain. nope
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
30 31
READING
Which choice provides the best evidence for the What is a main idea of the ninth paragraph
answer to the previous question? (lines 62–69)? we could learn about humans
A) Lines 24–29 (“Over . . . communicate”) A) Only finches are capable of such exceptional
B) Lines 55–57 (“How well . . . species”) vocal learning.
C) Lines 62–65 (“The magic . . . it”) 4 B) Observations of one species can inform
WRITING AND
understanding of other species.

LANGUAGE
D) Lines 65–69 (“And she . . . life”)

C) Different types of animals use vocal learning in
unique ways.
D) Songbirds are capable of communication using
a spoken language as humans do.
MATH
CONTINUE
READING
Questions 32–41 are based on the following tsunami will result. Once the seismic waves from an
passage. earthquake have reached enough seismometers, the
distinction becomes clear. But near any given quake
WRITING AND
The following passage is excerpted from “Finding More
LANGUAGE
there are rarely enough seismometers around.
Time to Detect a Tsunami.” ©2018 by The Economist Group
45 Except, as the panelists pointed out, there are.
Limited.
America’s satellite-based Global Positioning System
Tsunamis are terrible things. And part of their and subsequent similar efforts from other countries
terror lies in their unpredictability. Even when (known collectively as GNSS, the Global Navigation
a submarine earthquake that may cause one Satellite System) have permitted the creation in
Line is detected, the information that is needed to 50 many places of networks of sensors that measure,
within millimetres, local distortions of Earth’s crust.
MATH
5 determine whether a giant wave has actually been
created takes time to gather. That is time unavailable The main reason for doing this is to understand the
for the evacuation of coastlines at risk. Contrariwise, build-up of earthquake-causing strain in the crust,
issuing a warning when no subsequent wave arrives so such monitors are most abundant where tremors
provokes cynicism and a tendency to ignore future 55 are commonest. And, if a tremor does happen,
10 evacuation calls. monitors nearby will be shaken by it.
Such tsunami-warning systems as do exist rely on There are, by the panelists’ estimates, about
seismometers to detect earthquakes, and tide gauges 17,000 such monitoring devices around the world.
and special buoys to track a wave’s passage. That is Of those, around 2,300 make their data available Q36 &
reliable, but can often be too late to get people away 60 instantly. If these instant monitors’ signals could
38B
15 from threatened coastlines. What these warning all be gathered together and run through suitable
Q33 systems cannot do reliably is predict immediately software, the true nature of a big submarine
whether a given earthquake will cause a tsunami. earthquake would be apparent almost at once, and
And that, in the view of some seismologists, is a appropriate warnings could be issued.
scandal. For, as the annual meeting of the American 65 At the moment, two regional projects are
20 Association for the Advancement of Science learned testing this idea. One, READI, on the Pacific coast
from Gerald Bawden of NASA, Paul Huang of of America, is under the aegis of NASA. The other,
America’s National Tsunami Warning Centre, Tim GEONET, in Japan, is organised by that country’s
Melbourne of Central Washington University, land-mapping agency. The hope is that, if these local 40D
and Meghan Miller of UNAVCO, a geoscience 70 ventures work, other countries will join in and a
25 research consortium, the tools for accurate tsunami global network can be created over the next decade.
prediction already exist. All that needs to happen is Really clever use of the GNSS, moreover, might
to connect them up. be able to do even better than this, by tracking
The nub of the problem is that it is hard to a tsunami as it travels. Though the most visible
distinguish immediately whether a submarine 75 consequence of a tsunami is a wave in the ocean,
30 earthquake is powerful enough to cause a tsunami. it also creates one in the atmosphere. This affects
Big quakes (those above about magnitude 7.3) the arrival time of GNSS radio waves in a way that,
involve slippage along many kilometres of a fault. with enough ground-based detectors, would permit Q41
Q34 That means their energy is not radiating from a the passage of the wave to be followed. And these
point. A single seismometer therefore has difficulty 80 detectors, too, will soon be commonplace. For many
35 distinguishing between a quake of magnitude 7.3, years, smartphones have contained GNSS receivers,
8.3 or even 9.3 (about as large as they get). The so a phone’s apps can use location information. The
logarithmic nature of the earthquake-magnitude latest phones have equipment so sensitive that it
scale, though, means the third of these is 1,000 times could, in principle, detect a passing tsunami in the
more powerful than the first. And the more powerful 85 atmosphere. All this would require is for someone to
40 the shock, the more likely it is that a dangerous write a suitable app, and for enough phone users to
download it. CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
32 35
READING
The main purpose of the passage is to As used in line 51, “distortions” most nearly means
A) illustrate how seismometers sense and measure A) falsehoods.
submarine quakes. 4 B) disturbances. “Change”
B) explain the research of GEONET and READI C) sections. “Cracks”
and future changes that will be put in place.
D) features.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
4 C) describe the current seismometer systems and

how improvements can be made.
D) discuss the consequences of the out-of-date 36
system of detecting earthquakes around the
world. The author includes the phrase, “There are, by the
panelists’ estimates, about 17,000 such monitoring
devices around the world.” (lines 57–58) to
We have the technolgy, but we can’t use it to
33 save people. ~ A) suggest that materials available are
MATH
underutilized and wasted.

The author uses the phrase “And that, . . . scandal”
in lines 18–19 most likely to B) indicate that more resources are needed to
make significant improvements to the warning
4 A) express seismologists’ dismay with the use of systems.
current technologies.
C) stress how complacent scientists have been in
B) stress the importance of tide gauges and special
implementing improvements.
buoys in the current warning system.
4 D) emphasize how many devices are already in
C) explain that improvements to the current existence as resources for improvements.
warning system already exist.
D) describe how disastrous the current system has
proven in the past for alerting civilians. 37
What can be reasonably inferred about why the
panelists believe there are enough seismometers
34
available to measure earthquakes around the world?
What is the main idea of the third paragraph 38B
A) Monitoring devices already in the world
(lines 28–44)? could be used to work together with proper
A) Different seismometers along fault lines can technology to issue warnings.
detect slippage many kilometers away. B) Suitable software is only possible through the
B) Strategic location and placement of creation of an app for phone users to download.
seismometers helps to distinguish between 7.3, C) The number of monitoring devices is
8.3, and 9.3 magnitude earthquakes. proportional to the number of smartphones in
4 C) It is difficult to detect whether an earthquake various locations.
will cause a tsunami given the current D) No new monitoring devices need to be added.
placement of seismometers. L28-30
True but doesn’t answer question
D) The size of the earthquake is irrelevant to the
formation of tsunamis.
CONTINUE
38 40
READING
Which choice provides the best evidence for answer Which choice provides the best evidence for the
to the previous question? answer to the previous question?
A) Lines 57–60 (“There . . . instantly”) A) Lines 36–39 (“The logarithmic . . . first”)
B) Lines 60–64 (“If these . . . issued”) B) Lines 43–44 (“But near . . . around”)
C) Lines 65–66 (“At the . . . idea”) C) Lines 55–56 (“And, if . . . it”)
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
D) Lines 85–87 (“All this . . . it”) D) Lines 69–71 (“The hope . . . decade”)
39 41
What does the author imply about programs in What is the most likely reason the author includes
America and in other countries? the last sentence in lines 85–87?
A) The Global Positioning System is developing A) To illustrate the simplicity of the current
MATH
monitoring devices 1,000 times more powerful warning systems
than previous generations of devices. B) To present data results that suggest
B) Programs in America and other countries in improvements to warning systems are miniscule
earthquake-prone areas hope to inspire more C) To question why improvements to warning
collaborative connections. systems have not been done already
C) Tremors will shake nearby monitors in these
4 D) To show how improvements to warning systems
systems, but they do not yet have the capability are achievable
to predict tsunamis.
D) Competition among countries has hindered the
global system for monitoring tsunamis in real
time.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Teacher note: New passage for 7.0

READING
PRACTICE PASSAGE 5: SOCIAL STUDIES WITH GRAPH
Questions 42–52 are based on the following There are also some problems with the system. In
passage and supplemental material. particular, people do not tend to share their exact
location via Twitter and relying on geographic
WRITING AND
This passage is adapted from Jason Daly, “Your Hysterical

LANGUAGE
information listed in a user’s bio is not reliable. But

Tweet About That Spider in Your Sink Could Prove Useful for
45 the researchers think that a recently launched “share
Science.” ©2018 by Smithsonian.
precise location” tool, which adds latitude and
Social media over-sharers can be annoying, longitude to tweets could help change that.
especially if they gum up your Facebook or Twitter Though the system handled the insects well,
feed with pictures of every noodle they’ve ever when it came to starlings, the results were mixed.
Line slurped or every well-lit selfie they’ve ever posed for. 50 Most people viewing the crazy aerial displays do
5 But it turns out that obsessive personal log might mention their location, which can attract more
MATH
have some scientific value. Jonathan Amos at the viewers. However, unlike the insect tweets, the
BBC reports that a new study tested how well Twitter starling posts didn’t really yield much scientifically 47C
captures animal behavior, like spider habits and useful information, like whether birds of prey, such
the emergence of flying ants, and found that it has 55 as the sparrowhawk, were present during the flight.
10 potential as a decent research tool. The researchers speculate that could be because the
For the study, published in Methods in Ecology motivations behind the tweets are different. While
and Evolution, ecologists from the University of those posting photos of a spider on the wall might
Gloucestershire mined Twitter for data on three be heavy social media users, accustomed to sharing Q48
UK phenomena, the emergence of winged ants for 60 every detail, those going to the countryside to watch
15 mating flights in the summer, the appearance of starlings might not be “typical tweeters.” Though
house spiders in fall and the occurrence of starling the motivations behind tweets were not studied for
murmurations, those crazy synchronized flights this paper, the researchers “strongly suggest” future
of thousands of the birds that take place at dusk in investigation into this as it “would be a sensible
autumn and winter. 65 approach if Twitter mining is to be used for ecology
20 They then compared the Twitter-mined data to research.”
previously published studies about the creatures. Similar social media-mining has already been
What they found is that Twitter users who uploaded used to help detect earthquakes and study political
Q43 photos did a pretty good job at detecting these sentiment. But Hart thinks it also has a big future
Q44 natural patterns, creating a data set that more or less 70 in phenology, the study of when things happen
25 corresponded with past research. They were even in nature, for instance when flowers bloom, birds
able to show the correct sex ratio of house spiders. migrate and leaves fall. In the past, the journals of
“With caveats, it turns out to be very reliable,” naturalists, scientists and gardeners helped keep
lead author Adam Hart tells Amos. “In the future, track of the changes that happened throughout the
our tendency to share everything could be an 75 year. But as climate change begins to upend the
30 absolute goldmine for scientists using this type of world we know, the once-quaint science has become
52B ‘passive citizen science.’” much more important for researchers who want 50C
According to a press release, Twitter has some to monitor more precisely how rapidly the world
built-in advantages for scientists: The tweets are is changing. Luckily for them, climate change will
time-stamped, and when it comes to “urgent” tweets, 80 likely make spiders bigger and faster, meaning that
Q45 35 like the discovery of a spider in the sink, people tend if current trends hold, there will probably be more
to post what they have observed soon after instead spider photos coming to Twitter than researchers
of waiting a few days or weeks. The hashtags, such as can handle.
#flyingantday, which occasionally trend on the social
media network, are also useful for tracking data and
40 eliciting even more responses.
CONTINUE
When do British people tweet the word “spider”? 45
READING
4,000
The author most likely includes lines 37–40 (“The
hashtags . . . responses”) to suggest that
Tweets per day
3,000
A) the conventions adopted by Twitter users are
2,000 helpful for researchers.
B) posts regarding nature trend on Twitter only
1,000
WRITING AND
occasionally.
LANGUAGE
C) the use of data gathered from social media
0 presents some problems.
Ma r
Jan
Jan
y
Ma r
Ma r
y
Jan
Jul
S ep
Jul
S ep
v
Jul
S ep
v
Ma
Ma
Ma
No
No 2012 2013 2014

D) researchers recommend that citizen scientists
include hashtags in their posts.
Author: Geert Barentsen
Jan-Mar 2012 Could Be True trap
and
46
MATH
Jan-Mar 2013
According to the passage, which of the following is
42 Do this last true about the Twitter observations?
The main purpose of the passage is to A) They provide precise location data.
comparison not the main focus B) They are useful only for studying spiders and
A) demonstrate that social media is more useful for
studying insects than for studying birds. ants.
B) question the reliability of data gathered by C) They can lack important information.
Adam Hart and other researchers. D) They are useful for tracking migration patterns.
C) explore Twitter’s usefulness for research and
suggest ways to encourage more citizen science.
D) examine the potential of using social media 47
posts to collect data about the natural world. What choice provides the best evidence for the
A) Lines 1–4 (“Social . . . for”)
43
B) Lines 33–37 (“The tweets . . . weeks”)
The primary purpose of lines 22–26 (“What . . .
C) Lines 52–55 (“However . . . flight”)
spiders”) is to
no problem D) Lines 69–72 (“But Hart . . . fall”)
A) propose a possible solution.
mentioned
B) contradict a previous claim.
C) describe a new method. 48
D) evaluate a set of findings. “turns out to be As used in line 59, “heavy” most nearly means
very reliable” A) frequent. “habitual”
B) important. heavy users = “people who use it often”
44
C) aggressive. Could Be True traps
As used in line 24, “set” most nearly means
A) arrangement. D) tiresome.
B) classification. “group”
C) kit.
D) collection.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
49 51
READING
The author indicates that scientists can use social- According to the figure, the maximum number of
media mining to Could Be True tweets per day between January and March of 2012
A) inform the public about climate change. was closest to the maximum number of tweets per
day during which period?
B) better observe future changes.
A) November 2012 to January 2013
C) predict the location of starling murmurations.
WRITING AND
B) January 2013 to March 2013

LANGUAGE
D) measure physical characteristics more

accurately. C) September 2013 to November 2013
D) January 2014 to March 2014
50
What choice provides the best evidence for the 52
answer to the previous question? The data in the graph best serve as an example of
MATH
A) Lines 12–19 (“ecologists . . . winter”) A) “previously published studies” (line 21).

B) Line 27 (“With . . . reliable”) B) “passive citizen science” (line 31).
C) Lines 75–79 (“But as . . . changing”) C) “problems with the system” (line 41).
D) Lines 79–83 (“Luckily . . . handle”) D) “geographic information” (lines 43–44).
“this type of passive citizen science”

refers back to the tweets about
spiders, starlings, etc. that the
researchers studied.
Answers can be found on page 690.

MASTERING
POE
“There is more treasure in books than in all the

pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.”
— Walt Disney
55
SAT MANUAL
READING
GOALS REVIEW
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
• Recognize the trap answers College Board often gives on Reading

questions
• Use Process of Elimination to effectively eliminate wrong answers
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
MASTER THE POE

By eliminating wrong answers, you leave yourself with the answer that must be
right, even if you aren’t completely in love with it.
MATH
Look for wrong answers instead

of right answers.
The “best” SAT answers:
• Are supported by the text of the passage

• Answer the question that’s asked
You must read the answer choices carefully. College Board is very good at creating
answers that look good with a cursory skim, so make sure you’re reading for con-
tent. Don’t simply match words from the text.
Mark every answer choice as you work through them. Which mark should you
use for each answer choice?
4 Good match
_____
~
_____ So-so match
/
_____ Poor match
? Don’t understand
_____

MASTERING POE
READING
It’s quite common for you to get down to two answers and then feel stuck. Or feel
like you always pick the wrong answer. Often, both answers will seem like they
could be correct. College Board is very good at creating attractive wrong answers.
Learn the traps and they’ll be easier to avoid!
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Common Trap Answers
Mostly Right/Slightly Wrong

This trap answer mostly looks perfect, but it doesn’t quite say what it needs to.
Even if 90% of the answer choice is exactly what you’re looking for, if there’s one
wrong word, you can eliminate that answer choice. The entire answer must be
MATH
supported by the text. Be careful with answer choices that use extreme words like
only, never, or must.
Could Be True (But Isn’t Supported)

This trap answer is usually one of the two you’ll narrow the answers down to. It
might make sense based on the text, and you could justify it if you had a chance
to explain your answer, but the concrete support isn’t actually there in the text.
Put your pencil on actual words in the text that support keeping or eliminating an
answer, and you’ll be more accurate. If you’re justifying your answer in your head
without using the text, you’re likely talking yourself into a trap.
Right Words, Wrong Meaning

This trap answer looks very attractive if you’re just matching words from the text.
If you aren’t reading thoroughly (question, answers, and text), and instead are
simply matching words, you may find your accuracy negatively affected. College
Board will give you answer choices that look really familiar but don’t always say
what you want them to say. This could also include answers that are too literal.
Right Answer, Wrong Question

This trap answer may be tempting if you forget about the particular question you
are trying to answer. For example, these traps could include a small detail from
the text in answer to a main idea question or an answer choice that describes what
the author says when the question asks why the author says it.

SAT MANUAL
The following passage is adapted from a speech given nothing to be argued. What point in the anti-slavery
READING
on July 5, 1852 by Frederick Douglass, fugitive slave and creed would you have me argue? On what branch of
Abolitionist. 50 the subject do the people of this country need light?
Must I undertake to prove that the slave is
Pardon me, and allow me to ask, why am I
a man? That point is conceded already. Nobody
called to speak here today? What have I or those I
doubts it. Would you have me argue that man is
represent to do with your national independence?
entitled to liberty? That he is the rightful owner of
Line Are the great principles of political freedom and
WRITING AND
55 his own body? You have already declared it. Must I

LANGUAGE
5 natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of

argue the wrongfulness of slavery? Is that a question
Independence, extended to us? And am I, therefore, Q16
for republicans? How should I look today in the
called upon to bring our humble offering to the
presence of Americans to show that men have a
national altar, and to confess the benefits, and
natural right to freedom, speaking of it relatively
express devout gratitude for the blessings resulting
60 and positively, negatively and affirmatively? To do so
10 from your independence to us?
makes me ridiculous and would offer an insult your
I say it with a sad sense of disparity between
understanding.
us. Your high independence only reveals the
MATH
Am I to argue that it is wrong to make men

immeasurable distance between us. The rich
brutes, to rob them of their liberty, to work them
inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity, and
65 without wages, to keep them ignorant of their
15 independence bequeathed by your fathers is shared
Q12 relations to their fellow men, to beat them with
by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought life
sticks, to flay their flesh with the last, to load their
and healing to you has brought stripes and death to Q17
limbs with irons, to hunt them with dogs, to sell
me. This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may
them at auction, to sunder their families, to knock
rejoice, I must mourn. Do you mean, citizens, to
70 out their teeth, to burn their flesh, to starve them
20 mock me, by asking me to speak today?
into obedience and submission to their masters?
Fellow citizens, above your national, tumultuous
Must I argue that a system thus marked with blood
joy, I hear the mournful wail of millions, whose
and stained with pollution is wrong? No; I will not.
chains, heavy and grievous yesterday, are today
I have better employment for my time and strength
rendered more intolerable by the jubilant shouts
75 than such arguments would imply.
25 that reach them. If I do forget, if I do not remember
At a time like this, scorching irony, not
those bleeding children of sorrow this day, “may my
convincing argument, is needed. What, to the
right hand forget her cunning, and may my tongue
American slave, is your Fourth of July? I answer: a
cleave to the roof of my mouth!” To forget them,
day that reveals to him more than all other days of
to pass lightly over their wrongs, and to chime in
80 the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he
30 with the popular theme, would be treason most
is the constant victim. To him your celebration is a
scandalous and shocking, and would make me a Q18
sham; your denunciation of tyrants, brass-fronted
reproach before God and the world.
impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality,
My subject, then, fellow citizens, is American
hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns are to him
Slavery. I shall see this day and its popular
85 mere bombast, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy’s
35 characteristics from the slave’s point of view. In the
Q13/14 thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a
name of humanity, which is outraged, in the name
nation of savages. There is not a nation of the earth
of liberty, which is fettered, in the name of the
guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than
Constitution and the Bible, which are disregarded
are the people of these United States at this very
and trampled upon, I will dare to denounce
90 hour.
40 everything that serves to perpetuate slavery.
But I fancy I hear some of my audience say it is
just in this circumstance that you and your brother
Abolitionists fail to make a favorable impression
Q15 on the public mind. Would you argue more and
45 denounce less, would you persuade more and
rebuke less, your cause would be much more likely
to succeed. But, I submit, where all is plain there is

MASTERING POE
12. The principle rhetorical effect of the second Right Words, Wrong Meaning
READING
paragraph (lines 11–20) is to
A) Which answer is the trap answer?
B)
C
Why? “sad” “mourn” “mock me”
C) demonstrate how upset Douglass is about the but it’s not the speech he’s upset about
speech he is about to give.
Which answer is the right answer?
WRITING AND
D) highlight the irony of asking a slave to speak
LANGUAGE
D
about a holiday whose theme is liberty.
Why? “independence is shared by you, not me”
Teacher note:
New question
for 7.0
13. The primary purpose of the fourth paragraph Right Answer, Wrong Question
(lines 33–40) is to
MATH
B) indicate the subject of Douglass’s speech. B
Why? The first sentence indicates that slavery is the
C) condemn a reprehensible practice.
topic, but that’s not the purpose of the paragraph
D) Which answer is the right answer?
C
Teacher note: Why? “I will dare to denounce everything that...
New question perpetuates slavery”
for 7.0
14. Which choice provides the best evidence for the Which answer is the trap answer?
answer to the previous question? A
A) Lines 33–34 (“My subject…Slavery”) Which answer is the right answer?
B) Lines 35–40 (“In the…slavery”) B
C)
D)
15. The primary purpose of lines 44–47 as they relate to Right Words, Wrong Meaning
the rest of the passage as a whole is to
A) discuss criticisms of Abolitionism which Which answer is the trap answer?
Douglass finds legitimate. A
B) Why? those lines by themselves seem to support this
but it’s not Douglass’s point of view
C) introduce a perspective which Douglass later
refutes.
C
D) Why? in the next lines, he says “but...nothing to be argued”

SAT MANUAL
16. Douglass most likely uses the word “republicans” in Could Be True
READING
line 57 to refer to
A) those who are socially conservative. Which answer is the trap answer?
A
B) those living in a democracy.
Why? “Republicans” can be “socially conservative”
C)
D) Which answer is the right answer?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
B
Why? “In the presence of Americans” “liberty”
“freedom”
17. Douglass asks his audience, “Am I to argue…” Right Words, Wrong Meaning
(lines 63–71) in order to
MATH
A) draw attention to the absurdity of the Which answer is the trap answer?
arguments in question. B
B) ask his audience for assistance in determining Why? He does ask “Am I to argue...?” But this
the right subject for the speech. interpretation is too literal
C) Which answer is the right answer?
A
D)
Why? He’s asking a rhetorical question to make a
point
Teacher note: “No, I will not. I have better employment for
New question my time...”
for 7.0
18. In lines 77–78, Douglass asks, “What to the Mostly Right/Slightly Wrong
American slave, is your Fourth of July?” to indicate
that Which answer is the trap answer?
A) enslaved people in the United States are not A
given an opportunity to celebrate. Why? They have no reason to celebrate, not
B) “opportunity”
C)
D
D) the benefits of liberty are not enjoyed by those
Why? “a day that reveals to him...the gross injustice”
living in slavery. “celebration is a sham”
19. Douglass’s primary rhetorical strategy in this Could Be True

passage is to
B) mention a series of arguments and then refuse D
to make them. Why? He is a fugitive slave, so he would have personal
C) anecdotes, but there are none in this speech
D) offer personal anecdotes as proof of slavery’s
evils. B
Why? “Must I undertake to prove...The point is
conceded already”
60 | © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC “Am I to argue...No, I will not.”
MASTERING POE
This passage is adapted from G.K. Chesterton, “Valentin 45 But how was he to find him? On this the great Q3
READING
Follows a Curious Trail.” First published in 1910 by the Valentin’s ideas were still in process of settlement.
Saturday Evening Post. The story follows the actions of There was one thing which Flambeau, with all
Q4/5
Aristide Valentin, head of the Paris police, as he tracks his dexterity of disguise, could not cover, and that
the world’s most famous criminal, a clever crook named was his singular height. If Valentin’s quick eye had
Flambeau who is a master of disguise. 50 caught a tall apple-woman, a tall grenadier, or even
a tolerably tall duchess, he might have arrested them
Flambeau was in England. Probably he would
WRITING AND
on the spot. But all along his train there was nobody
LANGUAGE
travel as some minor clerk or secretary connected
Q1 that could be a disguised Flambeau, any more than
with it; but, of course, Valentin could not be certain.
a cat could be a disguised giraffe. About the people
Line Nobody could be certain about Flambeau.
55 on the boat he had already satisfied himself; and
5 It is many years now since this colossus of
the people picked up at Harwich or on the journey Q6
crime suddenly ceased keeping the world in a
limited themselves with certainty to six. There was
turmoil; and when he ceased, as they said after the
a short railway official travelling up to the terminus,
death of Roland, there was a great quiet upon the
three fairly short market gardeners picked up two
earth. But in his best days (I mean, of course, his
MATH
60 stations afterwards, one very short widow lady going
10 worst) Flambeau was a figure as statuesque and
up from a small Essex town, and a very short Roman
international as the Kaiser. Almost every morning
Catholic priest going up from a small Essex village.
the daily paper announced that he had escaped
When it came to the last case, Valentin gave it up and
the consequences of one extraordinary crime by
almost laughed. The little priest was so much the
committing another. He was a Gascon of gigantic
65 essence of those Eastern flats; he had a face as round
15 stature and bodily daring; and the wildest tales were
and dull as a Norfolk dumpling; he had eyes as
told of his outbursts of athletic humour; how he
empty as the North Sea; he had several brown paper
turned the juge d’instruction upside down and stood
parcels, which he was quite incapable of collecting.
him on his head, “to clear his mind”; how he ran
The Eucharistic Congress had doubtless sucked out
down the rue de Rivoli with a policeman under each
70 of their local stagnation many such creatures, blind
20 arm. Each of his thefts was almost a new sin, and
and helpless, like moles disinterred. Valentin was a
would make a story by itself. It was he who ran the
sceptic in the severe style of France, and could have
great Tyrolean Dairy Company in London, with no
no love for priests. But he could have pity for them,
dairies, no cows, no carts, no milk, but with some
and this one might have provoked pity in anybody.
thousand subscribers. These he served by the simple
75 He had a large, shabby umbrella, which constantly
25 operation of moving the little milk cans outside
fell on the floor. He did not seem to know which the
people’s doors to the doors of his own customers.
right end of his return ticket was. He explained with
It was he who had kept up an unaccountable
a moon-calf simplicity to everybody in the carriage
and close correspondence with a young lady
that he had to be careful, because he had something
whose whole letter-bag was intercepted, by the
80 made of real silver “with blue stones” in one of his
30 extraordinary trick of photographing his messages
brown-paper parcels. His quaint blending of Essex
infinitesimally small upon the slides of a microscope.
flatness with saintly simplicity continuously amused
A sweeping simplicity, however, marked many of his
the Frenchman till the priest arrived (somehow) at
experiments. It is said that he once repainted all the
Tottenham with all his parcels, and came back for his
numbers in a street in the dead of night merely to
85 umbrella. When he did the last, Valentin even had
35 divert one traveler into a trap. It is quite certain that
the good nature to warn him not to take care of the
he invented a portable mailbox, which he put up at
silver by telling everybody about it. But to whomever
corners in quiet suburbs on the chance of strangers
he talked, Valentin kept his eye open for someone
dropping postal orders into it. Lastly, he was known
else.
to be a startling acrobat. Despite his huge figure, he
40 could leap like a grasshopper and melt into the tree-
tops like a monkey. Hence the great Valentin, when
he set out to find Flambeau, was perfectly aware that
his adventures would not end when he had found
him.

SAT MANUAL
Let’s try it without some answers! Use the line references, lead words, chronology, and best evidence answers to find
READING
your windows. Read carefully and answer the questions on your own, using support from the text.
1. The information in line 4 suggests primarily that 5. Which choice provides the best evidence for the
Flambeau was answer to the previous question?
A) Lines 32–33 (“A sweeping . . . experiments”)
was in England but wasn’t easily
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
identifiable b/c he would change how B) Lines 38–39 (“Lastly . . . acrobat”)

he looked; blurb mentions that he’s a C) Lines 47–49 (“There . . . height”) BOGO!
“master of disguise.”
D) Lines 52–54 (“But all . . . giraffe”)
2. As used in line 40, “melt” most nearly means 6. The statement in lines 63–64 (“When it . . .
MATH
laughed”) serves primarily to emphasize that

“Hide” Valentin
“Disappear” He’s totally not Flambeau.
This one requires an unusually
wide window.
3. As described in lines 45–46, Valentin could best be 7. According to the information in the passage, the
described as Roman Catholic priest can best be described as
Not very likely be-
Still not sure how to find (8A) short cause the lines are
Flambeau (8B) provoking pity more focused on
(8C) c lumsy & simple other people.
(8D) d oesn’t answer the question
(not about the priest)
4. Based on the information in the passage, it can be 8. Which choice provides the best evidence for the
inferred that Valentin believes that he is most likely answer to the previous question?
to recognize Flambeau through his A) Lines 57–64 (“There . . . laughed”)
Use this question to demonstrate B) Lines 71–74 (“Valentin . . . anybody”)
chronology—the answer appears right
after the answer to Q3. C) Lines 75–81 (“He had . . . parcels”)
“his singular height” D) Lines 85–89 (“When . . . else”)

MASTERING POE
Armed with actual words from the text, let’s tackle the answer choices now!
READING
1. The information in line 4 suggests primarily that 5. Which choice provides the best evidence for the
Flambeau was answer to the previous question?
A) never in the same region as Valentin. A) Lines 32–33 (“A sweeping . . . experiments”)
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
4 B) able to take on different roles to disguise himself. B) Lines 38–39 (“Lastly . . . acrobat”)
C) not ready to give up a life of crime. C) Lines 47–49 (“There . . . height”)
D) likely to change his career at any given moment. D) Lines 52–54 (“But all . . . giraffe”)
2. As used in line 40, “melt” most nearly means 6. The statement in lines 63–64 (“When he . . .
A) thaw. laughed”) serves primarily to emphasize that
Valentin
MATH
4 B) vanish.
A) is frustrated by the number of short passengers
C) flow. on the train.
D) disintegrate. 4 B) does not believe it likely that the priest is
actually Flambeau.
3. As described in lines 45–46, Valentin could best be C) is amused at the prospect of conversing with the
described as priest.
A) determined. D) has decided to quit his detective work.
B) amused.
4 C) uncertain. 7. According to the information in the passage, the
D) merciless. Roman Catholic priest can best be described as
A) burdened and exhausted.
4. Based on the information in the passage, it can be 4 B) confused and naïve.
inferred that Valentin believes that he is most likely C) pious and unlovable.
to recognize Flambeau through his
D) good-natured and street-smart.
A) athleticism.
4 B) stature. 8. Which choice provides the best evidence for the
C) simplicity. answer to the previous question?
D) gender. A) Lines 57–64 (“There . . . laughed”)
B) Lines 71–74 (“Valentin . . . anybody”)
C) Lines 75–81 (“He had . . . parcels”)
D) Lines 85–89 (“When . . . else”)

SAT MANUAL
Teacher note:
READING
MASTERING THE POE DRILL New passage for 7.0

(13 minutes)
Questions 22–31 are based on the following global phenomenon; we set out to see just how
passage. widespread this effect was. Might animals all over
the world be adjusting their daily activity patterns 24D
This passage is adapted from Kaitlyn Gaynor, “To avoid
WRITING AND
to avoid humans in time, given that it is becoming

LANGUAGE
humans, more wildlife now work the night shift.” ©2018 by

45 harder to avoid us in space?
Kaitlyn Gaynor.
To explore this question, we conducted a meta-
For their first 100 million years on planet analysis, or a study of studies. We systematically
Earth, our mammal ancestors relied on the cover Q26 scoured the published literature for peer-reviewed Q25
of darkness to escape their dinosaur predators journal articles, reports and theses that documented
Line and competitors. Only after the meteor-induced 50 the 24-hour activity patterns of large mammals.
5 mass extinction of dinosaurs 66 million years ago We focused on mammals because their need for
MATH
could these nocturnal mammals explore the many plenty of space often brings them into contact Q27/
wondrous opportunities available in the light of day. with humans, and they possess traits that allow for 28
Fast forward to the present, and the honeymoon some flexibility in their activity. We needed to find
in the sun may be over for mammals. They’re 55 examples that provided data for areas or seasons
10 increasingly returning to the protection of night to of low human disturbance – that is, more natural
avoid the Earth’s current terrifying super-predator: conditions – and high human disturbance. For
Homo sapiens. example, studies compared deer activity in and out
My colleagues and I have made the first effort of the hunting season, grizzly bear activity in areas
to measure the global effects of human disturbance 60 with and without hiking, and elephant activity inside
15 on the daily activity patterns of wildlife. In our protected areas and outside among rural settlement.
new study in the journal Science, we documented Based on reported data from remote camera
a powerful and widespread process by which traps, radio collars or observations, we determined
mammals alter their behavior alongside people: each species’ nocturnality, which we defined as the
Human disturbance is creating a more nocturnal 65 percentage of the animal’s total activity that occurred
20 natural world. Many catastrophic effects of between sunset and sunrise. We then quantified the
humans on wildlife communities have been difference in nocturnality between low and high
well-documented: We are responsible for habitat disturbance to understand how animals changed
destruction and overexploitation that have imperiled their activity patterns in response to people.
animal populations around the world. However, just 70 Overall, for the 62 species in our study, mammals
25 our presence alone can have important behavioral were 1.36 times as nocturnal in response to human
impacts on wildlife, even if these effects aren’t disturbance. An animal that naturally split its
immediately apparent or easy to quantify. Many activity evenly between the day and night, for
animals fear humans: We can be large, noisy, novel example, would increase its nighttime activity to 68
and dangerous. Animals often go out of their way to 75 percent around people. While we expected to find a
30 avoid encountering us. But it’s becoming more and trend toward increased wildlife nocturnality around
Q29
more challenging for wildlife to seek out human- people, we were surprised by the consistency of the
free spaces, as the human population grows and our results around the world. Eighty-three percent of the
footprint expands across the planet. case studies we examined showed some increase in
My collaborators and I noticed a striking pattern 80 nocturnal activity in response to disturbance. Our
35 in some of our own data from research in Tanzania, finding was consistent across species, continents and
Nepal and Canada: animals from impala to tigers to habitat types. Antelope on the savanna of Zimbabwe,
grizzly bears seemed to be more active at night when tapir in the Ecuadorian rainforests, bobcats in the
they were around people. Once the idea was on our American southwest deserts – all seemed to be doing
radar, we began to see it throughout the published 85 what they could to shift their activity to the cover of
40 scientific literature. It appeared to be a common darkness.

MASTERING POE
Perhaps most surprisingly, the pattern also 24
READING
held across different types of human disturbance, Which choice provides the best evidence for the
including activities such as hunting, hiking, answer to the previous question?
90 mountain biking, and infrastructure such as roads,
residential settlement and agriculture. Animals A) Lines 4–7 (“Only . . . day”) Doesn’t address Q23
responded strongly to all activities, regardless of B) Lines 22–24 (“We are . . . world”) Doesn’t address Q23
Q30 whether people actually posed a direct threat. It C) Lines 27–29 (“Many . . . dangerous”) Doesn’t address Q23
WRITING AND
Q31 seems human presence alone is enough to disrupt
LANGUAGE
D) Lines 42–45 (“Might . . . space”)
95 their natural patterns of behavior. People may think
our outdoor recreation leaves no trace, but our mere
presence can have lasting consequences.
25
Based on lines 46–50, the author would most likely
agree that
22 Do this last A) the studies considered in her meta-analysis
MATH
The primary purpose of the passage is to included some unpublished reports by her peers.
A) discourage people from engaging in outdoor B) prior to her research, there had not been a
recreation near wildlife. could be true study documenting the 24-hour activity of large
mammals. contradicted
B) criticize the recent trend toward human
disturbance of nature. C) the conclusions that she and her colleagues
arrived at were based on research by others.
C) describe the findings of a recent study on
mammals. D) the research that she and her colleagues
conducted inspired further study by other
D) contrast the effects of various human
scientists. could be true
disturbances on mammals throughout the
world.
26
23 As used in line 48, “scoured” most nearly means
What question was the author’s study primarily A) searched. “looked through”
intended to answer? B) exhausted.
A) How have animals adapted to the increase in C) tested.
human hunting and hiking? too narrow
D) cleaned. Could be True Trap
B) Are mammals worldwide changing the timing
of their activity due to human presence?
C) How have human behaviors changed the 27
habitats of mammals around the globe? According to the passage, the author and her Lead word!
D) Did human population growth precede or colleagues chose to study mammals because Use chronology to
follow nocturnal behaviors in animals? mammals find the window.
Q24 A) are relatively likely to encounter humans.
A B) are typically consistent in their behaviors.
B C) have a tendency to avoid humans.
C D) adapt well to the effects of study.
D

SAT MANUAL
28 30
READING
Which choice provides the best evidence for the As used in line 93, “posed” most nearly means
answer to the previous question? A) offered. Could Be True trap
A) Lines 38–40 (“Once . . . literature”) B) presented. “represented”
BOGO! B) Lines 51–54 (“We focused . . . activity”) C) signaled. “were”
C) Lines 54–57 (“We needed . . . disturbance”) D) modeled. Could Be True trap
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
D) Lines 57–61 (“For example . . . settlement”)
31
29 Which choice provides the best evidence for the
From the data in lines 70–80, it can most reasonably claim that mammals may alter their behavior even
be inferred that in non-threatening situations?
A) the author’s research contributed to a consensus A) Lines 9–12 (“They’re . . . sapiens”)
MATH
on the nocturnal habits of mammals. B) Lines 29–30 (“Animals . . . us”)

Could Be True
B) other researchers will continue making C) Lines 82–86 (“Antelope . . . darkness”)
discoveries about animals’ nocturnal activity.
contradicted D) Lines 93–95 (“It seems . . . behavior”)
by text C) the mammals’ responses to human disturbance
varied by species and habitat type.
D) some of the animals studied did not show an
increase in nocturnal activity as a result of
human disturbance.
83% showed an increase;

implies that 17% did not.

MASTERING POE
Summary
• What four markings should you use as you
work through POE?
~7 ?
________________________________________
4
• As you work through the answer choices, you
Wrong answers
should be looking for ______________________.
• With Reading, it’s important to remember that

the correct answers are always
Supported by the text

________________________________________.
• What are four common trap answers you’ll see

on the SAT?
Mostly right/slightly wrong

________________________________________
Could be true
________________________________________
Right words, wrong meaning

________________________________________
Right answer, wrong question

________________________________________

stated at the beginning of this chapter.

MASTERING
POE
PRACTICE
As you work through the following passages, remember

to eliminate what you know is wrong, and then compare
your remaining answers.
Common Wrong Answers:
• Mostly Right/Slightly Wrong
• Could Be True (But Isn’t Supported)
• Right Words, Wrong Meaning
• Right Answer, Wrong Question
It all comes down to the text!
69
SAT MANUAL
This exercise can be Teacher note: New exercise for 7.0.
used in class if there’s
time. It’s a great
READING
Office Hours activity for Which Traps Do You Fall Into?

Honors classes. Other- To identify which trap answers you tend to choose, review your most recent prac-
wise, it can be assigned tice test. Open your score report in your student dashboard and navigate to the
as homework. To have Reading section. Review the questions that you worked on but missed. (Don’t
students “turn it in” if look at LOTD questions for this exercise.)
assigned as homework,
WRITING AND
you might ask them to For each question you missed, read the explanation and answer the following
LANGUAGE
be prepared to share questions:

their notes about one
question or their overall 1. What was wrong with the answer you chose?
trends in the next class. e.g. It was the Right Answer to the Wrong Question (not the
They can do this in primary purpose).
partners in a live class 2. What attracted you to that answer?
or all at once in the e.g. It was stated in the passage.
MATH
chat window in an online

3. Why did you eliminate the correct answer?
class so it doesn’t take
e.g. It had abstract language I didn’t recognize from the passage.
up much time.
4. What was the key difference between your answer and the correct
answer?
e.g. Correct answer answered the question that was asked.
5. What will you do differently next time to avoid this error?

e.g. Rephrase the question for myself before starting to answer it.
Re-read the question before selecting my final answer.
Once you have reviewed all your missed questions, look for trends in your Read-
ing test as a whole. Which types of trap answers did you choose most often?
Overall, what shifts in your strategy will pay off the most?

MASTERING POE PRACTICE
READING
Questions 1–10 are based on the following 35 even remember what happens in the story, but I do
passage. remember the faces of the dogs with their gigantic
eyes; it must have been a children’s picture book or
WRITING AND
This passage is adapted from Mieko Kawakami, “Ms Ice
LANGUAGE
something… Anyway, Ms Ice Sandwich has eyes just
Sandwich.” Translated by Louise Heal Kawai. ©2017 by
like those dogs do in that story, which has a soldier
Pushkin Press.
40 in it, and a castle, and there’s a princess—that story.
Around the train station, there’s only the The dogs with the giant eyes run around like crazy
chemist’s and the level crossing and the supermarket everywhere. Where was it they came from? And
that are lit up at night. But to be honest there’s not then someone got married to someone else, or they
Line much there in the daytime either—this town is really didn’t get married, I forget what the story was about.
The day I first saw Ms Ice Sandwich, I was with
MATH
5 just made up of houses, and the top floor of that two- 45
storey supermarket is full of laundry detergent and Mum, but when I said out loud in surprise, Look Q7
buckets and dishes and toilet paper, all those things at her eyes!, Mum pretended not to hear me and
that’s not food, and the meat and the vegetables and started talking about something totally different, and
yogurt and fish and stuff is all on the ground floor, it wasn’t until we’d paid for our shopping and got
Q2 10 and everyone in the town comes here nearly every 50 completely outside the supermarket that she started
day to buy what they need. I watch Ms Ice Sandwich in on me. You have to stop that! You cannot say things
from the only door in and out of the supermarket; like that out loud, she can hear you, it’s rude. Mum’s
she’s always standing behind a big round glass face is awesome whenever she gets annoyed, if there
case, just to the left and a little bit behind the cash was an animal that didn’t know what being annoyed
15 registers, with that look on her face that’s like a 55 meant, then just one look at my mum’s face and
mixture of surprise and boredom, as she’s selling they’d get the idea. You could make a rubber stamp
sandwiches and salads and bread and things like that. of Mum’s face as a demo. I say, Why can’t I talk out
“Ms Ice Sandwich” is a name I made up; of loud about her eyes? They’re huge, they’re amazing!
Q7
course, I thought of it the minute I first saw her. Mum says, It doesn’t matter what they are, it’s not
20 Ms Ice Sandwich’s eyelids are always painted with 60 proper to talk about other people’s faces. Me: Why?
6B a thick layer of a kind of electric blue, exactly the Her: Because! All the way home I keep asking Mum
same colour as those hard ice lollies that have been why, but now she’s busy playing with her mobile
sitting in our freezer since last summer. There’s one phone and just keeps nodding and saying yeah every
Q3 more awesome thing about her—if you watch when so often. Well, I’m kind of getting used to her being
25 she looks down, there’s a sharp dark line above 65 like that these days, not paying attention to me, but
her eyes, as if when she closed her eyes, someone the more we walk the more it bugs me, so I stop
Q7 started to draw on two extra eyes with a felt-tip and say, If video games make you stupid, then what Q9
pen but stopped halfway. It’s the coolest thing. And do mobile phones do to you? (This is me being real
then when she looks straight at me, she has these extreme to her.) She answers, What?, not stopping,
30 enormous eyes which are so big I feel like I get 70 I’m not playing a game, I’m updating something. It’s Q8
Q4 swallowed up in them. They look exactly like the work. It’s hot, can we walk faster? And of course she
great big eyes of the dogs that I read about in a hasn’t taken her eyes off the screen for a second,
storybook long ago… What is the title of that book? madly pressing buttons, keeps on walking.
Well, it’s not only the title that I’ve forgotten, I can’t
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Do this last!
1 5
READING
Over the course of the passage, the main focus It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that
shifts from the main reason the narrator gave Ms Ice Sandwich
A) a synopsis of a trip to the supermarket to an that name is because
examination of the eyes of two women. A) the narrator gave everyone in the store names
4 B) a description of the setting to an account of like that.
WRITING AND
encounters with two women in the narrator’s life. B) Ms Ice Sandwich had sold the narrator the ice
LANGUAGE
C) a summary of the narrator’s relationship with her cream stored in her freezer. “sitting in our
freezer”
mother to a specific interaction between them. C) a physical feature reminded the narrator of a
D) a character sketch of a woman to a description type of ice cream treat.
of a confrontation between that woman and the D) Ms Ice Sandwich was always staring at her
narrator’s mother. phone.
MATH
2 6
The main purpose of lines 1–17 (“Around the . . . Which choice provides the best evidence for the
that”) is to Describe town & lady answer to the previous question?
4 A) introduce the setting and title character of the A) Lines 11–17 (“I watch . . . that”)
story. B) Lines 18–23 (“Ms Ice . . . summer”)
B) describe the layout of the town and train station. C) Lines 41–44 (“The dogs . . . about”)
C) convey the narrator’s impressions of Ms Ice D) Lines 57–58 (“I say . . . amazing”)
Sandwich before seeing her eyes.
D) illustrate the narrator’s annoyance with her
mother. 7
Which statement best characterizes the relationship
between the narrator and Ms Ice Sandwich?
3
A) They both share an unspoken understanding
As used in line 24, “awesome” most nearly means based on their boredom with small-town life.
A) artificial. B) The narrator doesn’t like how Ms Ice Sandwich
B) overwhelming. ignores her.
“Wonderful”
C) large. “Fantastic” ~ C) The narrator thinks Ms Ice Sandwich is the
4 D) enjoyable. most interesting person she knows. Only talks
about her eyes
4 D) The narrator enjoys looking at Ms Ice
Sandwich’s face.
4 lines 18–28, 46–47, 57–58
The author mentions the storybook in line 33 in
order to Dog in book had eyes like Ms. Ice 8
4 A) use something from her memory to help The narrator indicates that her mother is most likely
describe Ms Ice Sandwich’s eyes. looking at her phone because
B) describe the way dogs understand her mother’s A) her mother is looking up answers to the
expression. narrator’s questions.
C) illustrate how her encounter with Ms Ice B) walking too fast irritates her mother.
Sandwich felt like a fairytale. C) her mother is using the phone for her job. L70-71
D) express her regret at having forgotten the book’s D) her mother is playing a video game.
plot. She has forgotten it, but there’s
no regret CONTINUE
9 10
READING
Based on the passage, the narrator would most Which choice provides the best evidence for the
likely agree with which of the following statements answer to the previous question?
about her mother? Lead word—last paragraph A) Lines 28–31 (“And then . . . them”)
4 A) She did not think video games are a good B) Lines 47–52 (“Mum pretended . . . rude”)
influence. L67
C) Lines 52–57 (“Mum’s . . . demo”)
WRITING AND
B) She was always working too much.
LANGUAGE
D) Lines 64–70 (“Well . . . something”)
C) She disliked Ms Ice Sandwich.
BOGO!
D) She was annoyed less often when the narrator
was younger.
MATH
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
READING
PRACTICE PASSAGE 2: HISTORY WITH GRAPH
Questions 11–21 are based on the following It was we, the people; not we, the white male
passage. Q15 citizens; nor we, the male citizens; but we, the whole 14C
people, who formed the Union. And we formed
WRITING AND
This passage was adapted from a speech given by Susan

LANGUAGE
it, not to give the blessings of liberty, but to secure

B. Anthony in 1872 after she was arrested for voting in the
45 them; not to the half of ourselves and the half of our
Presidential Election.
posterity, but to the whole people—women as well
Friends and fellow citizens; I stand before you as men. And it is a downright mockery to talk to
tonight under indictment for the alleged crime of women of their enjoyment of the blessings of liberty
having voted at the last presidential election, without while they are denied the use of the only means
Line having a lawful right to vote. It shall be my work this 50 of securing them provided by this democratic-
5 evening to prove to you that in thus doing, I not only republican government—the ballot.
MATH
committed no crime, but, instead, simply exercised Charles Sumner, in his brave protests against the
14A my citizen’s rights, guaranteed to me and all United Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments,* insisted
States citizens by the Constitution, beyond the power that as soon as by the Thirteenth Amendment the
of any State to deny. 55 slaves became free men, the original powers of the
10 Our democratic-republican government is based United States Constitution guaranteed to them equal
on the idea of the natural right of every individual rights—the right to vote and to be voted for. When,
member thereof to a voice and a vote in making in 1871, I asked that senator to declare the power of
and executing the laws. We assert the province the United States Constitution to protect women in
of government to be to secure the people in the 60 their right to vote—as he had done for black men—
Q12
15 enjoyment of their inalienable right. We throw to he handed me a copy of all his speeches during that
the winds the old dogma that government can give reconstruction period, and said:
rights. No one denies that before governments were Put “sex” where I have “race” or “color,” and you
organized each individual possessed the right to have here the best and strongest argument I can
protect his own life, liberty and property. When 100 65 make for woman. There is not a doubt but women
20 to 1,000,000 people enter into a free government, have the constitutional right to vote, and I will never
they do not barter away their natural rights; they vote for a Sixteenth Amendment to guarantee it to Q17
simply pledge themselves to protect each other in them. I voted for both the Fourteenth and Fifteenth
the enjoyment of them through prescribed judicial under protest; would have insisted that the power
and legislative tribunals. They agree to abandon the 70 of the original Constitution to protect all citizens in
25 methods of brute force in the adjustment of their the equal enjoyment of their rights should have been
differences and adopt those of civilization. The vindicated through the courts.
Declaration of Independence, the United States But, friends, when in accordance with Senator
Constitution, the constitutions of the several states Sumner’s counsel I went to the ballot-box last
and the organic laws of the territories, all alike 75 November, and exercised my citizen’s right to vote,
14B
30 propose to protect the people in the exercise of their the courts did not wait for me to appeal to them—
God-given rights. Not one of them pretends to they appealed to me, and indicted me on the charge
bestow rights. of having voted illegally.
The preamble of the Constitution says: Though the words “persons,” “people,”
We, the people of the United States, in order to 80 “inhabitants,” “electors,” “citizens,” are all used
35 form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure indiscriminately in the national and state
domestic tranquility, provide for the common constitutions, there was always a conflict of
Q15 defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the opinion, prior to the war, as to whether they were
blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do synonymous terms, but whatever room there was
ordain and establish this Constitution for the United 85 for doubt, under the old regime, the adoption of the
40 States of America.
CONTINUE
Q18
Fourteenth Amendment settled that question forever 12
READING
in its first sentence:
As used in line 15, “enjoyment” most nearly means
All persons born or naturalized in the United
States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are 4 A) use. “Possession”
14D “Exercise”
90 citizens of the United States, and of the state wherein B) delight.
they reside. C) satisfaction.
The only question left to be settled now is: Are Could Be True Traps
D) justice.
WRITING AND
Q20 women persons? And I hardly believe any of our
LANGUAGE
opponents will have the hardihood to say they are
95 not. Being persons, then, women are citizens; and
no state has a right to make any law, or to enforce 13
any old law, that shall abridge their privileges or Based on the passage, which of the following best
immunities. describes the relationship between laws and natural
*The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments granted citizenship to persons rights?
born in the United States and prohibited denying anyone the right to vote A) Allowing elected officials to govern a country
MATH
based on race, respectively.
requires the citizens of that country to give up
Women’s Suffrage Before Ratification on the 19th Amendment, 1920 some of their natural rights.
WA
B) A government makes laws in order to create
NH
1910 MT
ND VT ME
natural rights for its citizens.
OR 1914
MN MA C) Judicial and legislative tribunals decide on and
1912 ID SD
1896 WY WI MI NY
1918 RI
1890 1918 confer the natural rights of citizens.
NV IA PA CT
NE
1914 UT
CO IL IN OH NJ D) It is through laws that a government protects
1896 KS DE
CA 1893 MO WV VA citizens’ preexistent natural rights.
1911 1912 KY MD
NC
AZ OK TN
1912 NM 1918 AZ SC
MS AL GA
TX LA 14
FL
Key
Equal suffrage for women,
with date voted A) Lines 4–9 (“It shall . . . deny”)
Partial women’s suffrage by 1919
B) Lines 27–32 (“The Declaration . . . rights”)
No women’s suffrage by 1919
C) Lines 47–51 (“And it . . . ballot”)
Source: Sandra Opdycke, The Routledge Historical Atlas of Women in America,
Routledge, 2000 (adapted) D) Lines 88–91 (“All persons . . . reside”)
This graphic, created by Sandra Opdycke in 2000 for
The Rutledge Historical Atlas of Women in America, depicts
women’s suffrage in the United States before the passage 15
of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, which guaranteed
The author mentions the preamble of the
women’s right to vote.
Constitution (lines 34–40) primarily in order to
11
~ A) provide support for her argument for gender
equality. “It was we the people, not we
What is the primary purpose of this passage? the white male citizens” L41
B) illustrate the degree to which the Constitution
A) To argue for a new amendment granting women does not grant women certain liberties.
the right to vote
C) prove that the Constitution should be revised to
B) To provide a legal defense for the author’s include women.
upcoming trial
D) explain the bill for which she was voting when
4 C) To demonstrate that women already have the arrested.
right to vote L4-9
D) To encourage voters to elect supporters of CONTINUE
women’s suffrage
SAT MANUAL
16 20
READING
Which choice provides the best evidence for the The principal rhetorical effect of the question in
answer to the previous question? lines 92–93 is to
A) Lines 17–19 (“No one . . . property”) 4 A) highlight the obviousness of an answer in the
B) Lines 24–26 (“They . . . civilization”) affirmative.
C) Lines 41–43 (“It was . . . Union”) BOGO! B) begin a genuine dialogue on the legal definition
WRITING AND
of “person.”
LANGUAGE
D) Lines 52–57 (“Charles . . . for”)

C) demonstrate the absolute necessity of revising
voting rights laws. Right Answer, Wrong
Question
17 D) suggest a topic for a future political debate.
Based on the information in the passage, Sumner

protested the Fifteenth Amendment because
21
A) he did not believe that former slaves deserved
MATH
the right to vote. Which claim about women’s suffrage is supported

by the graphic?
4 B) he thought it was redundant with the
Constitution. L65-72 A) After the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment,
American women in all states had no barriers to
C) he was primarily focused on the Thirteenth and voting.
Fourteenth Amendments.
B) Anthony could have avoided jail had she
D) he had been counseled by Anthony to do so. traveled to Colorado (CO) to vote in 1872.
C) Until 1920, the state governments of Alabama
(AL) and Georgia (GA) didn’t believe women
18
were people.
As used in line 86, “settled” most nearly means D) Some states allowed women to vote even before
A) rested. the 19th Amendment guaranteed this right.
B) established. “Answered”
C) silenced.
4 D) decided.
19
The primary purpose of lines 88–91 as they relate to
the rest of the passage is to
A) provide evidence for an earlier claim.
B) offer a position that the author then refutes.
C) illustrate the difficulties of interpreting
constitutional law.
D) justify the author’s personal interpretation of
the law.
The “earlier claim” is the claim (made in lines 41–47

as well as other places in the text) that the “whole
people” formed the Union and should enjoy the
rights secured by the Constitution.
CONTINUE
READING
Questions 22–31 are based on the following you only care if the workers are going on strike.
passage. 40 That’s what you get from reading the newspaper. Q24
Your conscious mind is that newspaper. Your
WRITING AND
This passage is an excerpt from David Eagleman, Incognito:
LANGUAGE
brain buzzes with activity around the clock, and, just
The Secret Lives of the Brain. ©2011 by David Eagleman.
like the nation, almost everything transpires locally:
Used by permission of Pantheon Books, an imprint of the
small groups are constantly making decisions and
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin
45 sending out messages to other groups. Out of these
Random House LLC. All rights reserved.
local interactions emerge larger coalitions. By the
The brain is a complex system, but that doesn’t time you read a mental headline, the important
mean it’s incomprehensible. Our neural circuits were action has already transpired, the deals are done.
Q27You have surprisingly little access to what happened
MATH
carved by natural selection to solve problems that
Line our ancestors faced during our species’ evolutionary 50 behind the scenes. Entire political movements
Q235 history. Your brain has been molded by evolutionary gain ground-up support and become unstoppable
pressures just as your spleen and eyes have been. before you ever catch wind of them as a feeling or an
And so has your consciousness. Consciousness intuition or a thought that strikes you. You’re the last
developed because it was advantageous, but one to hear the information.
advantageous only in limited amounts. 55 However, you’re an odd kind of newspaper
10 Consider the activity that characterizes a nation reader, reading the headline and taking credit for the
at any moment. Factories churn, telecommunication idea as though you thought of it first. You gleefully
lines buzz with activity, businesses ship products. say, “I just thought of something!”, when in fact
People eat constantly. Sewer lines direct waste. All your brain performed an enormous amount of work
across the great stretches of land, police chase 60 before your moment of genius struck. When an idea Q28
15 criminals. Handshakes secure deals. Lovers is served up from behind the scenes, your neural
rendezvous. Secretaries field calls, teachers profess, circuitry has been working on it for hours or days or
Q24 athletes compete, doctors operate, bus drivers years, consolidating information and trying out new
navigate. You may wish to know what’s happening combinations. But you take credit without further
at any moment in your great nation, but you can’t 65 wonderment at the vast, hidden machinery behind
20 possibly take in all the information at once. Nor the scenes.
Q25 would it be useful, even if you could. You want a And who can blame you for thinking you deserve
summary. So you pick up a newspaper—not a dense the credit? The brain works its machinations in
secret, conjuring ideas like tremendous magic. It Q29
paper like the New York Times but lighter fare such
as USA Today. You won’t be surprised that none 70 does not allow its colossal operating system to be
25 of the details of the activity are listed in the paper; probed by conscious cognition. The brain runs its
after all, you want to know the bottom line. You show incognito.
want to know that Congress just signed a new tax
law that affects your family, but the detailed origin
of the idea—involving lawyers and corporations and
30 filibusters— isn’t especially important to that new
bottom line. And you certainly wouldn’t want to
know all the details of the food supply of the nation—
how the cows are eating and how many are being
eaten—you only want to be alerted if there’s a spike
35 of mad cow disease. You don’t care how the garbage
is produced and packed away; you only care if it’s
going to end up in your backyard. You don’t care
about the wiring and infrastructure of the factories;
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
22 26
READING
Based on the passage, the author’s intended Which choice provides the best evidence for the
audience is most likely answer to the previous question?
A) medical students to whom he teaches clinical 4 A) Lines 20–21 (“Nor would . . . could”)
psychology. Doesn’t address
B) Line 40 (“That’s . . . newspaper”)
Q25
B) fellow scientists who work in evolutionary C) Line 41 (“Your . . . newspaper”) Doesn’t address
WRITING AND
psychology. Q25
LANGUAGE
D) Lines 60–64 (“When an . . . combinations”)

4 C) enthusiasts who are interested in how the mind Doesn’t match any answers for Q25
functions.
D) newspaper readers seeking to understand their 27
own biases.
As used in line 49, “surprisingly” most nearly means
4 A) unexpectedly.
“Less than
23 B) frighteningly.
MATH
expected”
As used in line 5, “molded” most nearly means C) surreptitiously.
A) curved. D) abnormally.
B) decayed.
“Shaped”
4 C) formed. “Made” 28
D) pressed.
The author mentions “odd kind . . . reader”
(lines 55–56) primarily in order to
24 cities/newspaper = brain/consciousness A) criticize the audience’s limited comprehension
skills. Right Words,
The primary purpose of the second paragraph Wrong Meaning
(lines 10–40) is to B) support the thesis that the brain is a newspaper.
A) prove that a neurological framework is alert to 4 C) introduce the final aspect of the metaphor.
all dangers. D) contradict a prior assumption. Lines 58–
60 connect
B) summarize every detail covered in a newspaper. to an idea
C) demonstrate how one’s neural circuitry about the
29 brain
constantly processes ideas.
4 D) provide a metaphor that develops one of the Based on the passage, the “credit” mentioned in
author’s main points. Line 41 line 64 would most likely be claimed by
A) the brain, for performing tremendous
machinations.
25 B) the machinery, for its work behind the scenes.
Teacher note: Based on the passage, the author would most likely Lines 69–71
4 C) the consciousness, for coming up with an idea.
New question agree with which of the following statements about
D) the news industry, for filtering massive amounts
for 7.0 people’s use of information? of information.
Q26 A) It is more important to know how the brain
A works than to know how the nation is governed.
B B) People tend to seek information about processes
C rather than about results.
D C) Awareness of a great level of detail is not always
helpful.
D) Newspapers provide summaries on a wide
variety of topics.
CONTINUE
30 31
READING
The passage suggests that the brain Which choice provides the best evidence for the
A) functions most effectively when it’s divided into answer to the previous question?
separate parts. A) Lines 24–26 (“You won’t . . . line”)
4 B) operates on a different level than the B) Lines 45–46 (“Out of . . . coalitions”)
consciousness. C) Lines 53–54 (“You’re . . . information”)
WRITING AND
C) prevents the conscious mind from reaching its
LANGUAGE
D) Lines 69–71 (“It does . . . cognition”)
full potential.
D) masks discoveries that are upsetting or (D) provides the most direct support.
unsettling. The other answer choices are just
pieces of the metaphor.
MATH
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
READING
PRACTICE PASSAGE 4: DUAL HISTORY
Questions 32-41 are based on the following that any nation that is in the wrong and waits nine
passages. 40 months before it goes to war never will go to war.
WRITING AND
Passage 1 is adapted from a speech delivered in 1919 by

LANGUAGE
President Woodrow Wilson. Passage 2 is adapted from a

Passage 2
speech delivered in 1919 by Senator Henry Cabot Lodge.
I am as anxious as any human being can be to
have the United States render every possible service
Passage 1 to the civilization and the peace of mankind, but I
I have heard some men say with an amazing am certain we can do it best by not subjecting our
ignorance that the covenant of the League of 45 sovereignty to other nations. The independence
Nations was an arrangement for war. Very well, of the United States is not only more precious to
Line then, the other arrangement—what would it be? An ourselves but to the world than any single possession.
MATH
5 arrangement for peace? I cannot bring my credulity We have made mistakes in the past. We shall make
up to that point. I wonder if some of the gentlemen mistakes in the future and fall short of our own
who are commenting upon this treaty ever read 50 best hopes. But nonetheless is there any country
it! If anybody will tell me which of them has not, I today on the face of the earth which can compare
will send him a copy. It is written in two languages. with this in ordered liberty, in peace, and in the Q35
10 On this side is the English and on that side is the largest freedom? But it is well to remember that we
French, and since it is evident that some men do not are dealing with nations every one of which has
understand English, I hope that they understand 55 a direct individual interest to serve, and there is 37A
Q32 French. There are excellent French dictionaries by grave danger in an unshared idealism. Ask yourself
which they can dig out the meaning if they cannot whether the situation of the United States is not
15 understand English. It is the plainest English that the best to be found. I will go as far as anyone in
you should desire, particularly the covenant of the world service, but the first step to world service is
League of Nations. There is not a phrase of doubtful 60 the maintenance of the United States. You may call
meaning in the whole document. me selfish if you will, conservative or reactionary,
And what is the meaning? It is that the covenant but an American I was born, an American I have
34A
20 of the League of Nations is a covenant of arbitration remained all my life. I can never be anything else
and discussion. I dare say that everybody you have but an American, and I must think of the United
heard talk about this discusses Article X. Well, there 37B
65 States first, I am thinking of what is best for the
are 25 other articles in it, and all of them are about world, for if the United States fails the best hopes
something else. They discuss how soon and how of mankind fail with it. I have never had but one
25 quick we can get out of it. The essential matter, my allegiance—I cannot divide it now. Internationalism 37C
fellow-citizens, is this: all the fighting nations of the is to me repulsive. National I must remain, and in
world are in it, and what do they promise? This is 70 that way I, like all other Americans, can render the
the center of the document. They promise that they amplest service to the world. The United States is the
never will go to war without first either submitting world’s best hope, but if you fetter her in the interests Q40
30 the question at issue to arbitration and absolutely and quarrels of other nations, you will destroy her
Q40 abiding by the decision of the arbitrators, or, if they power for good and endanger her very existence.
are not willing to submit it to arbitration, they will 75 Leave her to march freely through the centuries to Q38
submit it to discussion by the Council of the League, come. Strong, generous and confident, she has nobly 37D
that they will give the Council of the League six served mankind. Beware how you trifle with your
35 months in which to consider it, and that if they do marvelous inheritance, for if we stumble and fall,
not like the opinion of the Council they will wait freedom and civilization everywhere will go down in
three months after the opinion is rendered before 80 ruin.
going to war. And I tell you, my fellow-citizens,
CONTINUE
32 36
READING
In the first paragraph of Passage 1, Wilson Based on Passage 2, Lodge would be most likely
primarily discusses the languages in which the to agree with which claim about the United States
treaty is written in order to regarding its foreign relations?
4 A) imply that the meaning of the document should 4 A) It will serve others best if it prioritizes its own
be clear. welfare before the welfare of other nations.
WRITING AND
B) suggest that members of the League of Nations B) It should attempt to improve its foreign
LANGUAGE
do not understand the document. relations by providing the aid that struggling
C) indicate that England and France are the nations have demanded.
nations that wrote the document. C) It has suffered unfairly due to past political and
D) introduce the argument that the document economic conflicts between other nations.
promotes only peace. D) It can only succeed as a nation if it remains
completely isolated from other countries.
MATH
33
37
What does Passage 1 suggest about the League of
Nation’s provisions for conflict, as framed in its Which choice provides the best evidence for the
covenant? answer to the previous question?
A) It only includes one article that relates to the A) Lines 53–56 (“But it . . . idealism”)
topic of conflict. B) Lines 63–67 (“I can . . . it”)
4 B) It requires disagreements to be mediated C) Lines 67–69 (“I have . . . repulsive”)
through talks before military conflict is
considered. D) Lines 75–77 (“Leave . . . mankind”)
C) It promotes going to war without trying to

resolve conflict any other way.
38
D) It works best if every nation agrees to it.
As used in line 75, “march” most nearly means
A) conquer.
34 B) assemble.
“move”
Which choice provides the best evidence for the 4 C) proceed.
answer to the previous question? D) parade.
~ A) Lines 19–21 (“It is . . . discussion”)
B) Lines 21–22 (“I dare . . . X”)
C) Lines 24–25 (“They . . . it”)
D) Lines 38–40 (“And I . . . war”)
35
As used in line 52, “ordered” most nearly means
A) dictated.
4 B) regulated. “structured”
C) purchased.
D) categorized. (A), (C), (D) all
Could Be True traps
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
39 40
READING
Which choice identifies a central tension between Both passages discuss the issue of United States
the two passages? foreign policy in relationship to
A) Wilson expresses uncertainty about the ~ A) the avoidance of war.
necessity of maintaining peace, but Lodge B) global trade deals.
insists that doing so is both a national and
international priority. ~ C) patriotic sentiment.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
4 B) Wilson claims that an international alliance 4 D) potential obligations between countries.

would limit military conflicts, but Lodge fears L28-35, L71-75
that international agreements could endanger
the U.S. and other nations. 41
C) Wilson faults people for misunderstanding U.S. In the context of each passage as a whole,
foreign policy, but Lodge praises nationalists for the questions in lines 25–27 (“The essential . . .
their patriotism. promise?”) of Passage 1 and lines 50–53
MATH
D) Wilson favors the economic benefits of (“But nevertheless . . . freedom?”) of Passage 2

globalism, but Lodge prefers the cultural primarily function to help each speaker
stability that isolationism affords. A) stress the importance of cooperation.
B) refute a contrary idea.
4 C) emphasize the main point of their argument.
D) propose a route to peace.
CONTINUE
READING
Questions 42–52 are based on the following control, and the ventral striatum, which is involved
passage. in the reward system. The jokes “sent the brain into
overdrive.”
WRITING AND
This passage is adapted from Virginia Hughes, “What Makes
LANGUAGE
But the most interesting data concerns a little-
a Pun Funny.” Originally published in 2011.
45 known brain region called the inferior frontal gyrus 46C
My name is Ginny and I’m an adult pun-lover. (IFG), a ridge on the bottom half of the frontal
When I hear a good one—Photons have mass? I lobe. The left IFG lights up more during funny puns
46D
didn’t even know they were Catholic!—I don’t roll my than regular jokes, and shows more activity during
Line eyes or smirk. I double over laughing, like a 7-year- funny puns than unfunny puns, the study found. So
5 old. What is it exactly that makes a pun funny (at 50 this tiny little area, it seems, is the part of our brain
Q43 least to those of us who humbly accept the power of that distinguishes between funny and unfunny, at
MATH
the pun)? least in these participants and for these kinds of
That’s the underlying question of a brain imaging jokes.
study I came across last week. Its pretty pictures Of course, pinpointing the regions of the brain
10 don’t answer the question, really, but they’re 55 that process humor doesn’t tell us why we experience
interesting all the same. And provocative: the jokes as funny, as the researchers readily admit. But Q47
data could have way-down-the-road relevance for it could be useful for something far more important,
communicating with people in vegetative states. in my opinion.
The researchers, led by Adrian Owen at the The reason I found the study, which was
15 University of Western Ontario, focused on three 60 published back in June, is because I’ve been thinking
types of jokes: a lot about what brain imaging can and cannot
Regular joke: Why did Cleopatra bathe in milk? tell us. The lead investigator, Adrian Owen, made
Because she couldn’t find a cow tall enough for a headlines several years ago for demonstrating an
Q44 incredible application of fMRI: using brain activity
shower.
20 Funny pun: Why were the teacher’s eyes crossed? 65 to communicate with people whose active minds are
Because she couldn’t control her pupils. trapped inside of inactive bodies.
Unfunny pun: What was the problem with the In 2006, Owen reported in Science that when
other coat? It was difficult to put on with the paint- a woman in a vegetative state was put in a brain
roller. scanner and asked to think about playing tennis Q48
25 Reading each joke produces a distinct cognitive 70 or walking around her house, these thoughts lit
experience, at least for me. So I’d guess that my brain up predictable areas of her brain. Then last year, in
is doing a different kind of processing for each. The the New England Journal of Medicine, Owen showed
study investigated this using a functional magnetic that a seemingly unconscious man could answer yes
46A resonance imaging (fMRI) machine, which measures or no questions by mentally acting out the tennis
30 blood flow (and therefore, indirectly, neuron 75 scene for ‘yes’ or the house-walking for ‘no’.
activity) in the brain. A dozen adult volunteers In news stories about this research, the question
rolled on their backs into the scanner and listened that came up over and over again was whether
to recordings of jokes and sentences read out loud as a doctor could use this method to ask patients
the machine recorded their brain activity. whether they wanted to be taken off life support. An
35 Humor is complicated, apparently. Many, many 80 ethical minefield, right?
Q45 areas of the brain light up more during jokes (regular In order for that to be permissible, you’d have to
or puns) than non-jokes, the study found. These show (among many, many other things, I’d hope)
include the amygdala, which processes emotions, that the person can not only answer relatively simple, 50C
the hypothalamus, which is responsible for a lot of objective questions, but can grapple with much more
40 automatic processes, like temperature and hormone 85 complex thinking, such as the consequences of their
decision and their feelings about it. That’s where the
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
jokes come in: humor is not simple. If researchers 45

READING
could figure out a way to tap into various humor The passage indicates that a funny joke
Q51 circuits with jokes, could they gauge the emotional
90 capacity of an unconscious patient?
A) is pinpointed to regions in the brain that
“That’s actually the sole reason for doing this Q52 process humor.
study,” Owen told a reporter in July. “We need a way B) is processed by the left inferior frontal gyrus.
to try to access emotions in comatose and vegetative C) is directly related to blood flow to the
WRITING AND
states.” hypothalamus.
LANGUAGE
D) could produce more brain activity than does a

fact. Lines 35–37
42 Do last!
Which choice best summarizes the passage? 46
A) A researcher describes her affinity for puns and Which choice supports the idea that the brain
conducts experiments as to why they are funny.
MATH
First half only processes puns differently from other jokes?

4 B) An author shares research findings of a study A) Lines 26–27 (“So I’d . . . each”)
and their potential implications.
B) Lines 35–37 (“Many . . . found”)
C) A biologist gives a detailed description of
C) Lines 44–47 (“But the . . . lobe”)
brain imagery on an fMRI scan to record brain
activity in the amygdala. D) Lines 47–49 (“The left . . . found”)
D) An individual evaluates the emotional capacity
of unconscious patients by using fMRI scans.
Too narrow 47
The main purpose of the seventh paragraph
43 (lines 54–58) is to
As used in line 6, “accept” most nearly means 4 A) introduce a potential application of discoveries
“believe in” about brain activity during jokes.
A) receive. Could be True trap
B) hold. B) discount the findings of the study because it is
unclear why some jokes are considered funny.
C) endure. Could be True trap
C) challenge the researchers to design a more
D) acknowledge. widely-applicable study.
D) note a concession to the researchers’ findings
that are troublesome to further study.
44
In lines 17–24, the comparison of types of jokes
mainly serves to
A) convey the differences in cognitive processes
found in the study.
B) distinguish between jokes and puns.
C) suggest the study done at the University of
Western Ontario was subjective.
4 D) make a distinction among different focuses of
research. “Research focused on three
types of jokes...”
CONTINUE
48 fMRI showed her brain still working 51
READING
The author mentions the woman in a vegetative As used in line 90, “capacity” most nearly means
state in lines 67–71 primarily in order to A) amplitude.
A) illustrate the cognitive benefits of sharing jokes “Capabilities”
B) magnitude. “Ability”
with vegetative individuals.
4 C) faculty.
4 B) show a different use for a technology applied in
D) extent.
WRITING AND
an earlier study.
LANGUAGE
C) explain an occurring phenomenon that
discredits the previous study.
52
D) present a situation in which non-humor is more
predictable than humor. The purpose of the last paragraph is to
A) inspire hope that patients in vegetative or
unconscious states can heal.
49 4 B) explain why researchers chose to use jokes for
MATH
Based on information in the passage, it can brain imaging research.
reasonably be inferred that critics of Owen’s studies C) illustrate the limitations of simple brain
4 A) are concerned with the moral issues functions in patients in vegetative states.
surrounding communication with individuals D) show the ethical dangers of telling jokes to
who are in vegetative states. unresponsive patients.
B) believe that communicating with individuals in
vegetative states is inherently unethical.
C) argue that scientifically measuring responses to
humor is inappropriate.
D) refuse to see the connection between
predictable responses to non-humor and
unpredictable responses to humor.
50
A) Lines 54–56 (“Of course . . . admit”)
B) Lines 59–62 (“The reason . . . us”)
C) Lines 81–86 (“In order . . . it”)
D) Lines 91–94 (“That’s . . . states”)

CHALLENGING
QUESTION
TYPES
I have always imagined that Paradise will be a

kind of library.
— Jorge Luis Borges
87
SAT MANUAL
READING
GOALS REVIEW
By the end of this chapter you will be able to
• Identify questions from College Board’s three categories

• Understand specific approaches for common challenging questions
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
QUESTION TYPES
All the Reading questions on the SAT fit into one of three categories. Each cat-
egory requires different tasks, ranging from retrieving details explicitly stated in
the text to analyzing an author’s point of view to synthesizing information from
the text with information in a chart or graph. Recognizing the question types and
MATH
knowing how to approach each one will help you move through the test more
accurately and more efficiently.
QUESTION CATEGORIES
1. Information and Ideas
2. Rhetoric
3. Synthesis
Information and Ideas

The Information and Ideas questions focus on the informational content of the
text. They can be broken down into the following question types:
View your practice
test score reports by
• Determining explicit meanings
“Category” to see how • Determining implicit meanings
you did with each type • Determining central ideas and themes
of question. • Understanding relationships in passages
• Summarizing
• Citing textual evidence
• Using analogical reasoning
• Vocabulary in context

CHALLENGING QUESTION TYPES
READING
Rhetoric
The Rhetoric questions focus on analyzing the rhetorical content of the text.
Rather than asking what did the author say?, these questions will focus on
Why the author said it
__________________________. This content may include questions of the follow-
ing types:
WRITING AND
• Analyzing word choice
LANGUAGE
• Analyzing purpose
• Analyzing part-whole relationships
• Analyzing overall text structure
• Analyzing point of view
• Analyzing arguments
• Analyzing claims and counterclaims
• Analyzing evidence
MATH
• Assessing reasoning
Synthesis
between
Synthesis questions assess your ability to make connections ___________________
multiple sources
________________.
The types of Synthesis questions you’ll see are as follows:
• Analyzing multiple texts

• Analyzing quantitative information
The 5-Step Basic Approach works for all types of SAT Reading questions. In this
chapter, we’ll focus on techniques for some of the more challenging question types
from all three question categories.

SAT MANUAL
This passage is adapted from Robert M. Yerkes, Ph.D., The Since 1903 I have had under observation
READING
Dancing Mouse: A Study in Animal Behavior. ©1907 by constantly from two to one hundred dancing mice.
Macmillan. 50 The original pair was presented to the Harvard
Psychological Laboratory by Doctor A.G. Cleghorn
The variety of mouse which is known as the
of Cambridge. I have obtained specimens, all
Japanese dancing or waltzing mouse has been
strikingly alike in markings, size, and general
of special interest to biologists and to lovers of
behavior, from animal dealers in Washington,
Line pets because of its curious movements. Haacke,
WRITING AND
55 Philadelphia, and Boston. Almost all of the dancers

LANGUAGE
5 in Brehm’s “Life of Animals,” writes as follows

which I have had, and they now number about
concerning certain mice which were brought to
four hundred, were white with patches, streaks, or
Europe from China and Japan: “From time to time
spots of black. The black markings occurred most
a Hamburg dealer in animals sends me two breeds
frequently on the neck, ears, face, thighs, hind legs,
of common mice, which he calls Chinese climbing
Q13/ 10 60 about the root of the tail, and occasionally on the
mice and Japanese dancing mice. It is true that the
14 tail itself. In only one instance were the ears white,
first are distinguished only by their different colors,
and that in the case of one of the offspring of a male
for their climbing accomplishments are not greater
MATH
which was distinguished from most of his fellows

than those of other mice. The color, however, is
by the possession of one white ear. I have had a few
subject to many variations. Besides individuals of
65 individuals whose markings were white and gray
15 uniform gray, light yellow, and white color, I have
instead of white and black.
had specimens mottled with gray and white, and
All of my dancers had black eyes and were
blue and white. Tricolored mice seem to be very
smaller as well as weaker than the albino mouse
rare. It is a known fact that we also have white,
and the gray house mouse. The weakness indicated
black, and yellow mice and occasionally pied ones,
70 by their inability to hold up their own weight or
20 and the Chinese have profited by these variations
to cling to an object curiously enough does not
of the common mouse also, to satisfy their fancy
manifest itself in their dancing; in this they are
in breeding animals. The Japanese, however, who
indefatigable. Frequently they run in circles or whirl
are no less enthusiastic on this point, know how
about with astonishing rapidity for several minutes
to transform the common mouse into a really
75 at a time. Zoth, who measured the strength of the
25 admirable animal. The Japanese dancing mice,
dancer in comparison with that of the common
which perfectly justify their appellation, also occur
mouse, found that it can hold up only about 2.8
in all the described colors. But what distinguishes
times its own weight, whereas the common white
them most is their innate habit of running around,
mouse can hold up 4.4 times its weight. No other
describing greater or smaller circles or more
80 accurate measurements of the strength, endurance,
30 frequently whirling around on the same spot with
or hardiness of the dancer are available. They are
incredible rapidity. Sometimes two or, more rarely,
usually supposed to be weak and delicate, but my
three mice join in such a dance, which usually
own observations cause me to regard them as
begins at dusk and is at intervals resumed during
exceptionally strong in certain respects and weak in
the night, but it is usually executed by a single
85 others.
35 individual.”
As a rule the dancing mouse is considerably
smaller than the common mouse, and observers
agree that there are also certain characteristic
Q15 peculiarities in the shape of the head. One of the
40 earliest accounts of the animal which I have found,
that of Landois, states, however, that the peculiarities
of external form are not remarkable. Landois further
remarks, with reason, that the name dancing mouse
is ill chosen, since the human dance movement is Q16
45 rather a rhythmic hopping motion than regular
movement in a circle. As he suggests, they might
more appropriately be called “circus course mice”.

READING
INFORMATION AND IDEAS
These questions usually ask what the author or passage says. We’ve covered some
of these in previous Reading chapters, so let’s look at one challenging Information
and Ideas question type.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
CITING TEXTUAL EVIDENCE QUESTIONS
Citing Textual Evidence (a.k.a. “Best Evidence”) questions are often paired with
other questions. There are a few different ways you can work through them.
• Can you answer the first question on its own, and then identify the *These strategies
lines you used? can be used on
MATH
• Can you eliminate any of the lines in the best evidence answers specific or general
because they simply do not address the question asked in the first
paired sets!
question?
• Can you find any connections between the lines in the best evidence
question and the answers in the first question?
Determining Implicit Meanings

13. The passage most strongly suggests that Chinese climbing mice are most Question 13 is the first
remarkable for which of the following characteristics? specific question in this
question set. Where
A) Their agility in the passage are you
B) Their lack of strength likely to find it?
C) Their rhythmic movements
D) Their diverse colors Near the beginning of
the passage. Look for
the lead words “Chinese
climbing mice”. Q13/14 do
Citing Textual Evidence NOT require Parallel POE.
14. Which of the following line references provides the best support for the
A) Lines 7–10 (“From . . . mice”)
BOGO! B) Lines 10–13 (“It is . . . mice”) colors
C) Lines 27–31 (“But what . . . rapidity”)
D) Lines 75–79 (“Zoth . . . weight”)

SAT MANUAL
READING
Determining Implicit Meanings

18. The passage suggests that which of the following common assumptions
about Japanese dancing mice may be incorrect?
A) The “dance” which the mice perform involves regular motion in a circle.
B) Dancing mice are generally weak and feeble.
WRITING AND
C) Dancing mice are similar in markings, size, and general behavior.

LANGUAGE
D) Dancing mice occasionally perform in small groups, but they more often
dance alone. Students may connect (18A) with (19B) or (18D)
with (19A). Neither of these answers addresses Q18
because both are correct statements about the
mice.
Citing Textual Evidence
MATH
question?
A) Lines 31–35 (“Sometimes . . . individual”)
B) Lines 42–46 (“Landois . . . circle”)
C) Lines 52–55 (“I have . . . Boston”)
D) Lines 81–85 (“They . . . others”)
Be sure to pay attention to the question! Although the best evidence questions
usually come in pairs, occasionally there will be a stand-alone question with
best evidence answers. Simply eliminate any of the lines that do not answer the
question.
(No need to predict)
17. Which choice provides the best evidence for the claim that a mouse’s physical
strength is not necessarily related directly to its endurance?
A) Lines 67–69 (“All of . . . mouse”)
4 B) Lines 69–73 (“The weakness . . . indefatigable”)
C) Lines 73–75 (“Frequently . . . time”)
D) Lines 79–81 (“No other . . . available”)

READING
RHETORIC
These questions ask why an author makes certain choices. Be careful of trap
answers that only address the what response!
Analyzing Purpose
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
15. In lines 39–42, the author initially mentions Landois primarily in order to Landois disagrees
4 A) present an authority who disagreed with the prevailing view. with the view about
B) argue that Japanese dancing mice have no remarkable characteristics.
peculiarities in
head shape that
C) demonstrate the differences between two different types of rodents.
“observers agree”
D) illustrate the process by which one creature received its name. about. The
opposite-direction
MATH
transition word
See the phrase “in order to”? Remember to “however” pro-
answer the why question instead of the vides a good clue
what question! about the author’s
purpose.
Analyzing Point of View

16. According to the information in the passage, the author’s attitude toward
Landois’s claim in lines 43–44 can best be described as one of
A) skepticism.
The phrases “with reason” and “As
B) approval. he suggests” indicate that the
C) bewilderment. author agrees.
D) indifference.

SAT MANUAL
READING
Analyzing Overall Text Structure

Paragraph 1 12. Which choice best describes the overall structure of the passage?
describes Chinese A) A list of several ways in which mice differ from other rodents
climbing mice and
Japanese dancing 4 B) An introduction to two interesting mouse species, detailed descriptions of
one species, and a comparison between species
mice. Paragraphs 2
WRITING AND
and 3 describe the C) A presentation of field research on mouse behavior, an expert’s comments
LANGUAGE
dancing mice in more on that behavior, and suggestions for further research
detail. Paragraph D) A comparison of two types of mice, a theory explaining the reasons for
4 compares danc- their behavior, and observations supporting the theory
ing mice with albino,
gray house, and
common white mice.
Analyzing Purpose
MATH
11. The main purpose of the passage is to

A) discuss the differences between two species of rodents.
B) demonstrate that breeding creates more beneficial characteristics than
does evolution alone.
C) inform the reader about a species that is notable for its behavior.
D) provide support for the claim that hybrid breeds may have both positive
and negative characteristics.

Synthesis questions occur less frequently than the other two question types. The two passages with
graphics have 2-3 synthesis questions each, and the dual passage set has about 3–4.
READING
SYNTHESIS
Synthesis questions ask you to combine information from different sources. In
some passages, these questions ask about the passage and a graphic. In others,
these questions will be about dual passages.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Analyzing Quantitative Information
Let’s start with some questions about the graphic for the Dancing Mice passage.
Number of Twirls Per Five-Minute Interval

Twirls to the right Twirls to the left
140 Eliminate (A)
MATH
120
*Students need 100
to put their (B)
80 (C)
pencils on the
data points rel- 60
evant to POE. 40
20
0
.
.
.
.
.m
p.m
p.m
p.m
m
p.m
a.
0a
00
00
00
00
00
:0
3:
5:
7:
1:
9:
11
Adapted from data collected by Robert M. Yerkes, Ph.D. Yerkes collected data for ten
mice at various intervals on a given day. He counted the number of twirls to the left and
twirls to the right that the mice made during five minute intervals, and then averaged
the number of twirls in each direction. The results are graphed above.
20. Which claim about the dancing mice studied by Yerkes is supported by the
graph?
A) During each interval, the dancing mice twirled more often to the right
than to the left.
4 B) At 3 p.m., the mice twirled an equal amount to the right and the left on
average. yes
C) At 9 a.m., the mice twirled more often to the left on average than to the
right.
D) As the day progressed, the average number of twirls to the right that the
mice made always increased.
9 am to 11 am and 1 pm to 3 pm

SAT MANUAL
21. Which claim could best be supported by evidence from the passage and the
READING
figure?
4 A) Dancing mice are generally more active at dusk and early evening. L32–34, Graph
B) Dancing mice dance together in the morning and alone in the afternoon.
C) Dancing mice dance less in the morning because they are fatigued. maybe, but not
D) Dancing mice have a predictable pattern to their twirls. supported by
WRITING AND
text
LANGUAGE
DUAL PASSAGES
One of the History/Social Studies or Science Reading passages will be dual pas-
MATH
sages, with two shorter passages about one topic. When you come to the Dual
Passages, focus on each passage individually before you worry about the passages
together.
1. Do all the questions that deal with Passage 1, then jot

down the main idea of Passage 1.
2. Do all the questions that deal with Passage 2, then jot
down the main idea of Passage 2.
3. Jot down the relationship between the passages, then
do the questions that ask about both passages.
Give the class a few minutes to work the questions about

Passage 1 in the following drill, then check in with students
about the main idea they jotted down. Do the same for
Passage 2 and the relationship between the passages. If
there is time, you may want to work the Multiple Text
questions together.

READING
CHALLENGING QUESTION TYPES DRILL
(13 minutes)
Questions 22–32 are based on the following writers decide to say,” notes Owen Gingerich,
passages. 40 emeritus professor of astronomy and science history
at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Passage 1 is from David Biello, “Astronomers Relegate Pluto
Regardless, the bar is now considerably higher for
to Dwarf Status.” ©2006 by Scientific American. Passage 2
would-be planet finders such as Brown. “It’s going to
is from Sara Chodosh, “Pluto might be a planet again. Let’s
be very tough,” he says, speculating that there might
talk about why this matters.” ©2018 by Popular Science.
45 be a large enough object in the reaches of space
Used with permission. All rights reserved.
beyond the Kuiper belt. “I find this a fun challenge
Passage 1 that I’d like to rise to.”
After a week of contentious public and private
MATH
debate, a small cluster of astronomers has voted to Passage 2
demote Pluto from its planetary status. Rejecting Prepare yourself—the Pluto debate has returned,
Line an expansive definition proposed by a special and people are not going to be able to shut up about Q25
5 committee, the astronomers of the International 50 it. Pluto might be about to regain its planethood.
Astronomical Union (IAU) defined a planet as: It might feel like scientists are jerking you around. 32A
a celestial body that orbits around the sun; has A decade ago they all decided that Pluto wasn’t a
sufficient mass to become round; and has “cleared planet—it was actually a dwarf planet—and now
the neighborhood around its orbit.” On the strength all of a sudden they want to change it back? Maybe
10 of puny Pluto’s inability to dominate nearby Neptune, 55 you even think that this just goes to show how 32B
whose orbit it crosses, as well as to clear out the meaningless it all was to begin with. Planet, dwarf
Kuiper belt of many Pluto-size objects, it fails to planet—it’s all a made-up system determined by 27A
qualify as a planet under the new definition. some esoteric group anyway.
The IAU has designated Pluto as the first of a But categories do matter, and so do the 32C
15 new category of objects still searching for a name, 60 definitions we use to arrive at those categories. The
with pluton rejected and plutonian—defined by fact that people (even experts like the scientists at
the dictionary as relating to Pluto or an inhabitant NASA) go back and forth on what definitions we 27B
of the netherworld—struggling for acceptance. should use doesn’t make them less meaningful. It
The icy globe has been given, for now at least, the just means that we’re still learning. That’s what
Q2220 designation “dwarf planet,” which is basically any 65 science is all about: we have to be able to adjust our 27C
round object that is not a planetary satellite, and definitions to fit our understanding. And this whole
has failed to clean up its orbital path. But not all Pluto business is a perfect example.
astronomers are happy with that term; “there’s a When the International Astronomical Union
word to describe precisely these things: planetoid,” (IAU) defined “planet” back in 2006, they landed on
25 Brown notes. “I’m surprised they felt the need to 70 this: a celestial body orbiting our Sun with enough 27D
make up a word no one is using rather than employ mass to make it round in shape and to clear its own
a word everyone is using.” orbit of other objects. That means that any newly
And some have noted that other planets fail to Q23 discovered “planet” outside of our solar system isn’t
clear their neighborhoods as well: Jupiter moves technically speaking a planet, but an exoplanet. The
30 in lockstep with thousands of Trojan asteroids and 75 New Horizons scientists take issue with that. They
Earth hasn’t exactly eliminated the possibility of also think that requiring a planet to clear its orbit is
Q24
being struck by one of many NEOs (near-Earth unreasonable, because it requires planets with wide Q28
objects) lurking about its orbital track, notes Alan orbits to be very large. If Earth were in Pluto’s orbit,
Stern, a planetary scientist at the Southwest Research it wouldn’t be able to clear all the objects out of its
35 Institute and principal investigator of NASA’s 80 orbital path either. Plus, even the orbits that are
recently launched New Horizons mission to Pluto. “clear” are often cluttered with transient small objects,
The ultimate decision may not lie with the IAU so you could argue that no “planets” actually meet
anyway. “What will make it stick is what textbook this measure of success.
SAT MANUAL
All of this is part of their larger argument: a 25

READING
planet isn’t a planet because it’s in a particular orbit

85
In the first paragraph of Passage 2 (lines 48–50), the
or because it has a particular size. A planet is a author establishes a tone that is primarily
32D
planet because of its physical properties. We study
Q28
planets because they have ice volcanoes and flowing A) critical. Casual
lakes of methane and roiling magnetic fields—not 4 B) informal.
90 because they sweep cosmic debris out of their way C) educational.
WRITING AND
as they circle the sun. The categories we use to make

LANGUAGE
D) troubled.
sense of our world are only useful if they describe
things in a meaningful way.
26
22 The author of Passage 2 indicates which of the
The author of Passage 1 indicates that the decision following about shifting scientific definitions?
to designate Pluto as a “dwarf planet” lead words A) They can be applied to anything in the natural
MATH
A) contradicts the dictionary definition of world.

“plutonian.” Right Words, Wrong Meaning B) They cause controversy when they are discussed.
B) requires designating Jupiter and Earth as dwarf C) They allow science to change as needed.
planets.
D) They cannot be relied upon.
C) was based primarily on Pluto’s shape. Mostly Right/
Slightly Wrong
D) was not well-received by the entire scientific
community. 27
23
A) Lines 56–58 (“Planet . . . anyway”)
As used in line 28, “noted” most nearly means
B) Lines 60–63 (“The fact . . . meaningful”)
A) remarked.
C) Lines 64–66 (“That’s . . . understanding”)
B) recorded. Could Be True
D) Lines 68–72 (“When . . . objects”)
C) signed.
D) demonstrated.
28
It can most reasonably be inferred from Passage 2
24 that one issue the New Horizons scientists take with
The author of Passage 1 refers to Jupiter (line 29) the new definition of “planet” is that
and Earth (line 31) in order to ~ A) it is too narrowly-focused.
A) describe a new hypothesis. B) it no longer defines Earth as a “planet.”
B) illustrate a counterargument. C) it excludes any celestial object with a wide orbit.
C) dismiss an explanation. D) it should only be focused on orbits and sizes.
D) recommend a research topic.
Match abstract language back to L84–87 They want it
specifics in the passage: Jupiter and to focus on physical
properties as well as
Earth fail to clear orbits, providing a
size and orbit.
counterargument to the criteria for
distinguishing “planet” from “dwarf
planet”.

29 Definition change and its impact 31
READING
The main purpose of each passage is to Which choice best describes how Chodosh most
A) determine the clearest definition for a certain likely responded to the debate mentioned in line 2,
celestial body. Passage 1?
B) establish a clear argument against changing A) With approval, because the previous
Pluto’s status. definition of “planet” lacked focus on physical
characteristics. The new definition lacks this focus
WRITING AND
C) criticize a decision made by the International
LANGUAGE
Astronomical Union. B) With interest, because changing definitions
are important reflections of scientific
4 D) explore a change in classification and its understanding.
ramifications.
C) With disappointment, because unexpected
changes make scientific definitions less reliable.
30 D) With disapproval, because the disagreement
undermined public confidence in the scientific
MATH
Which choice best describes the relationship community.
between the two passages?
A) Passage 2 presents a counterargument to a
proposal put forth in Passage 1. 32
4 B) Passage 2 considers the larger context of a Which choice provides the best evidence for the
decision discussed in Passage 1.
C) Passage 2 provides a conversational look at a A) Line 51 (“It might . . . around”) (A) and (B) are not
more scientific assessment offered in Passage 1.
B) Lines 54–56 (“Maybe . . . with”) Chodosh’s view
D) Passage 2 uses expert testimony to refute the
conclusion made in Passage 1. C) Lines 59–60 (“But categories . . . categories”)
D) Lines 86–87 (“A planet . . . properties”)
P1: Specifics about Pluto
P2: Discussion about Pluto and why

changing definitions are healthy Questions 29–32 are
Analyzing Multiple Texts
questions.

SAT MANUAL
Summary
• Information & Ideas Questions often ask
about the informational
__________________
content in the passage.
• Rhetoric questions ask about the

“why”
___________________ rather than the
“what”
____________________.
• Synthesis questions ask you to consider infor-

mation from multiple sources
____________________________.
• When faced with Dual Passages, approach the

passage as you normally would (read the blurb,
select and understand a question, etc.) but go
through the passages and questions in a more
specific order:
All questions for P1

________________________________________
All questions for P2

________________________________________
Questions for both

________________________________________


CHALLENGING
QUESTION
TYPES
PRACTICE
101
SAT MANUAL
The following passage does not include a typical set of questions. Instead, it is followed by several sets of paired ques-
READING
tions. Use this passage to practice the techniques for “best evidence” questions.
CITING TEXTUAL EVIDENCE

• Can you answer the first question on its own, and then identify the lines you used?
WRITING AND
• Can you eliminate any of the lines in the best evidence answers because they simply do not address the
LANGUAGE
question asked in the first question?

• Can you find any connections between the lines in the best evidence question and the answers in the
first question?
PRACTICE PASSAGE 1: CITING TEXTUAL EVIDENCE

MATH
Questions 21–31 are based on the following replicators claim) or the replications are (as many of
passage. the original researchers on priming contend). Either Q25
way, something is awry.
This passage is excerpted from “Trouble at the Lab.” ©2013 by
It is tempting to see the priming fracas as an
The Economist Newspaper Limited.
35 isolated case in an area of science—psychology—
“I see a train wreck looming,” warned Daniel easily marginalized as soft and wayward. But
Kahneman, an eminent psychologist, in an open irreproducibility is much more widespread. A
letter last year. The premonition concerned research few years ago scientists at Amgen, an American
Line on a phenomenon known as “priming”. Priming drug company, tried to replicate 53 studies that
5 studies suggest that decisions can be influenced by 40 they considered landmarks in the basic science of
apparently irrelevant actions or events that took cancer, often co-operating closely with the original
place just before the cusp of choice. They have been researchers to ensure that their experimental
a boom area in psychology over the past decade, and technique matched the one used first time round.
some of their insights have already made it out of According to a piece they wrote last year in Nature,
Q23 10 the lab and into the toolkits of policy wonks keen on 45 a leading scientific journal, they were able to
“nudging” the populace. reproduce the original results in just six.
Dr. Kahneman and a growing number of his Academic scientists readily acknowledge that
colleagues fear that a lot of this priming research they often get things wrong. But they also hold
is poorly founded. Over the past few years various fast to the idea that these errors get corrected
15 researchers have made systematic attempts to 50 over time as other scientists try to take the work
replicate some of the more widely cited priming further. Evidence that many more dodgy results
experiments. Many of these replications have failed. are published than are subsequently corrected or
In April, for instance, a paper in PLoS ONE, a withdrawn calls that much-vaunted capacity for
journal, reported that nine separate experiments had self-correction into question. There are errors in
20 not managed to reproduce the results of a famous 55 a lot more of the scientific papers being published,
study from 1998 purporting to show that thinking written about and acted on than anyone would
about a professor before taking an intelligence test normally suppose, or like to think.
leads to a higher score than imagining a football Various factors contribute to the problem.
hooligan. Statistical mistakes are widespread. The peer
25 The idea that the same experiments always 60 reviewers who evaluate papers before journals
get the same results, no matter who performs commit to publishing them are much worse at
them, is one of the cornerstones of science’s spotting mistakes than they or others appreciate.
Q25
claim to objective truth. If a systematic campaign Professional pressure, competition and ambition
of replication does not lead to the same results, push scientists to publish more quickly than would
30 then either the original research is flawed (as the
CONTINUE
CHALLENGING QUESTION TYPES PRACTICE
65 be wise. A career structure which lays great stress 22
READING
on publishing copious papers exacerbates all these
problems. “There is no cost to getting things wrong,”
says Brian Nosek, a psychologist at the University of
Virginia who has taken an interest in his discipline’s A) Lines 7–11 (“They . . . populace”)
70 persistent errors. “The cost is not getting them B) Lines 25–28 (“The idea . . . truth”)
published.” C) Lines 47–48 (“Academic . . . wrong”)
WRITING AND
In testimony before Congress on March 5th
LANGUAGE
Bruce Alberts, then the editor of Science, outlined D) Lines 63–65 (“Professional . . . wise”)
what needs to be done to bolster the credibility of
75 the scientific enterprise. Journals must do more
to enforce standards. Checklists such as the one 23
introduced by Nature should be adopted widely, In discussing the phenomenon known as “priming,”
to help guard against the most common research the author of the passage suggests that L4
errors. Budding scientists must be taught technical
A) it is a theory proven by systematic evidence.
MATH
80 skills, including statistics, and must be imbued with L17
scepticism towards their own results and those B) it affects how people perform on intelligence
of others. Researchers ought to be judged on the tests.
basis of the quality, not the quantity, of their work. 4 C) it is not soundly based on repeatable
Funding agencies should encourage replications and experiments. L17
85 lower the barriers to reporting serious efforts which
D) it is only influenced by irrelevant actions.
failed to reproduce a published result. Information
about such failures ought to be attached to the
original publications.
And scientists themselves, Dr. Alberts insisted, 24
90 “need to develop a value system where simply Which choice provides the best evidence for the
moving on from one’s mistakes without publicly answer to the previous question?
acknowledging them severely damages, rather than A) Lines 4–7 (“Priming . . . choice”)
protects, a scientific reputation.” This will not be
easy. But if science is to stay on its tracks, and be B) Lines 7–11 (“They . . . populace”)
95 worthy of the trust so widely invested in it, it may be C) Lines 12–14 (“Dr. Kahneman . . . founded”)
necessary. D) Line 17 (“Many . . . failed”)
BOGO!
21
25
One of the primary claims the author of this
passage makes is that The author’s reference to the “cornerstones of
science’s claim to objective truth” in lines 27–28
A) problems with irreproducibility can weaken a
primarily serves to “Same experiments gets
defining quality of science. same results”
A) debunk a flawed claim.
B) psychology provides efficient techniques for
swaying voters during a campaign. B) acknowledge a potential consequence.
C) scientists should not be concerned about their 4 C) underscore a tenet of scientific thought.
careers and should only be concerned about D) correct an earlier assumption.
their results.
D) budding scientists should be responsible for
setting parameters to effectively replicate prior
research.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
26 29
READING
Which choice provides the best evidence for the Which of the following best supports the claim that
answer to the previous question? scientists feel more pressure to publish quantity
A) Lines 18–24 (“In April . . . hooligan”) than they do to publish quality?
25C
B) Lines 28–32 (“If a . . . contend”) A) Lines 37–43 (“A few . . . round”)
C) Lines 34–36 (“It is . . . wayward”) B) Line 59 (“Statistical . . . widespread”)

WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
D) Lines 51–54 (“Evidence . . . question”) C) Lines 67–71 (“There . . . published”)

D) Lines 76–79 (“Checklists . . . errors”)
27
According to the passage, academic scientists 30
believe any errors in their research usually get The author of this passage most likely believes one
corrected way to publish more accurate research findings is to
MATH
A) gradually, as other scientists build on their work. A) encourage new scientists to consider their own
B) immediately, in the peer review phase of research with a more critical eye.
publication. B) require congressional review of scientific
Yes No research.
C) over time, as the general public reads and
rereads their reports. C) cut funding to publications that fail to
D) before the research is ever reviewed or reproduce results.
published. D) instigate a process of peer review before a paper
is published.
28
31
answer to the previous question? Which choice provides the best evidence for the
A) Lines 44–46 (“According . . . six”) answer to the previous question?
B) Lines 48–51 (“But they . . . further”) A) Lines 14–17 (“Over . . . experiments”)
C) Lines 54–57 (“There . . . think”) B) Lines 36–37 (“But irreproducibility . . .

widespread”)
D) Lines 59–62 (“The peer . . . appreciate”)
C) Lines 72–75 (“In testimony . . . enterprise”)
D) Lines 79–82 (“Budding . . . others”)
CONTINUE
READING
Questions 1–10 are based on the following I don’t know why I could talk to her; maybe for
passage. the same reason she could talk to me. The first thing
40 I knew I was telling her about Mickey Mouse, Soda’s
WRITING AND
This passage is excerpted from S.E. Hinton, The Outsiders.
LANGUAGE
horse. I had never told anyone about Soda’s horse. It
©1967 by S.E. Hinton, © renewed 1995 by S.E. Hinton.
was personal.
Used by permission of Viking Children’s Books, an imprint
Soda had this buckskin horse, only it wasn’t his.
of Penguin Young Readers Group, a division of Penguin
It belonged to a guy who kept it at the stables where
Random House LLC. All rights reserved. The narrator,
45 Soda used to work. Mickey Mouse was Soda’s horse,
Ponyboy, is a member of the Greasers, a social group
though. The first day Soda saw him he said, “There’s
whose rival is the Socs. Sodapop (sometimes called Soda)
my horse,” and I never doubted it. I was about ten
is Ponyboy’s brother.
then. Sodapop is horsecrazy. I mean it. He’s always
MATH
After the movie was over … we walked to Two- hanging around stables and rodeos, hopping on
Bit’s house to pick up the car. It seemed funny to me 50 a horse every time he gets a chance. When I was
that Socs—if these girls were any example—were ten I thought that Mickey Mouse and Soda looked Q7
Line just like us. They liked the Beatles and thought Elvis alike and were alike. Mickey Mouse was a dark-gold
5 Presley was out, and we thought the Beatles were buckskin, sassy and ornery, not much more than a
Q2 rank and that Elvis was tuff, but that seemed the only colt. He’d come when Soda called him. He wouldn’t
difference to me. Of course greasy girls would have 55 come for anyone else. That horse loved Soda. He’d
acted a lot tougher, but there was a basic sameness. I stand there and chew on Soda’s sleeve or collar. Gosh,
thought maybe it was money that separated us. but Sodapop was crazy about that horse. He went
10 “No,” Cherry said slowly when I said this. “It’s down to see him every day. Mickey Mouse was a
not just money. Part of it is, but not all. You greasers mean horse: He kicked other horses and was always
have a different set of values. You’re more emotional. 60 getting into trouble. “I’ve got me a ornery pony,”
Q8
We’re sophisticated—cool to the point of not feeling Soda’d tell him, rubbing his neck. “How come you’re
anything. Nothing is real with us.” so mean, Mickey Mouse?” Mickey Mouse would just
15 That was the truth. Socs were always behind a chew on his sleeve and sometimes nip him. But not
wall of aloofness, careful not to let their real selves hard. He may have belonged to another guy, but he
show through. I had seen a social-club rumble once. 65 was Soda’s horse.
The Socs even fought coldly and practically and “Does Soda still have him?” Cherry asked.
impersonally. “He got sold,” I said. “They came and got him one
20 “That’s why we’re separated,” I said. “It’s not day and took him off. He was a real valuable horse.
money, it’s feeling—you don’t feel anything and we Pure quarter.”
feel too violently.” 70 She didn’t say anything else and I was glad. I
“And”—she was trying to hide a smile—“that’s couldn’t tell her that Soda had bawled all night long
probably why we take turns getting our names in the after they came and got Mickey Mouse. I had cried,
25 paper.” too, if you want to know the truth, because Soda
Two-Bit and Marcia weren’t even listening to us. never really wanted anything except a horse, and
They were engaged in some wild conversation that 75 he’d lost his. Soda had been twelve then, going-on-
made no sense to anyone but themselves. thirteen. He never let on to Mom and Dad how he
Q10
I have quite a rep for being quiet, almost as felt, though, because we never had enough money
30 quiet as Johnny. Two-Bit always said he wondered and usually we had a hard time making ends meet.
why Johnny and I were such good buddies. “You When you’re thirteen in our neighborhood you
must make such interestin’ conversation,” he’d say, 80 know the score. I kept saving my money for a year,
Q5 cocking one eyebrow, “you keepin’ your mouth shut thinking that someday I could buy Mickey Mouse
and Johnny not sayin’ anything.” But Johnny and back for Soda. You’re not so smart at ten.
35 I understood each other without saying anything.
Nobody but Soda could really get me talking. Till I CONTINUE
met Cherry Valance.
SAT MANUAL
1 5
READING
Over the course of the passage, the primary focus Two-Bit’s reference to “interestin’ conversation”
shifts from (line 32) is most likely meant to be
4 A) a character’s conversation with a girl to his A) complimentary.
reflection about his brother. 4 B) ironic. Funny, wry, sarcastic
B) a description of a conversation to a description C) insulting. Both boys are quiet
WRITING AND
of a family. Only talks about Soda

LANGUAGE
D) confusing.
C) an encounter on a street to an encounter on a
farm.
D) the perspective of one brother to the perspective 6
of another.
2 A) Line 26 (“Two-Bit . . . us”)
MATH
As used in line 6, “rank” most nearly means B) Lines 27–28 (“They . . . themselves”)
4 A) unlikeable. C) Lines 30–31 (“Two-Bit . . . buddies”)
They didn’t like the
B) pungent. Beatles. D) Lines 33–34 (“you keepin’ . . . anything”)
C) luxuriant. “Bad”
D) ordered. 7
The relationship between Mickey Mouse and
Sodapop could best be described as
3
A) confrontational. Loving
Based on the passage, Cherry and Ponyboy would
most likely agree with which claim about Socs and B) affectionate.
Greasers? C) perplexing.
A) The greatest difference between the two groups D) convenient.
is their financial status.
B) Both groups thrive on publicity.
C) Each group operates by a different set of 8
principles. What does the narrator most likely mean by his
D) Both groups enjoy the same types of music. statement in lines 64–65 (“He may . . . horse”)?
A) Sodapop loved Mickey Mouse so much he was
willing to steal him. No evidence
4 B) Sodapop was working hard at the barn to earn
Which choice provides the best evidence for the enough money to buy Mickey Mouse.
answer to the previous question? C) Sodapop and Mickey Mouse loved each other as
A) Lines 4–7 (“They . . . me”) if Sodapop owned Mickey Mouse.
B) Lines 11–14 (“You Greasers . . . us”) D) Sodapop was the only one who could ride
Mickey Mouse safely.
C) Lines 38–39 (“I don’t . . . me”)
D) Lines 70–72 (“I couldn’t . . . Mouse”)
CONTINUE
9 10
READING
In the final paragraph, the narrator draws a As used in line 80, “score” most nearly means
distinction between A) amount.
A) upper class and lower class. B) accomplishment. “Deal”
B) honesty and deception. “Situation”
4 C) reality.
C) thriftiness and wastefulness. D) expense.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
D) experience and innocence.
“Thirteen, you know the score, not so
smart at ten.”
MATH
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
READING
PRACTICE PASSAGE 3: DUAL HISTORY
Questions 32–41 are based on the following 35 goals. The case can be made that it was not the
passages. American Revolution that secured independence
from Britain; it was not the Civil War that freed the
WRITING AND
Passage 1 is adapted from Mark Kurlansky, Nonviolence: 25

LANGUAGE
slaves; and World War II did not save the Jews. But
Lessons from the History of a Dangerous Idea. ©2006 by Mark
this possibility has rarely been considered, because
Kurlansky. Passage 2 is adapted from Mahatma Gandhi,
40 the Caesars and Napoleons of history have always
Freedom’s Battle. Originally published in 1921.
used their power to muffle the voices of those who
Passage 1 would challenge the necessity of war—and it is these
The first clue, lesson number one from human Caesars, as Napoleon observed, who get to write
history on the subject of nonviolence, is that there history. And so the ones who have killed become the
is no word for it. The concept has been praised by 45 ones who are revered.
MATH
Line every major religion. Throughout history there have

5 been practitioners of nonviolence. Yet, while every Passage 2
major language has a word for violence, there is no If people do not respond to the movement of
word to express the idea of nonviolence except that it non-co-operation, it would be a pity, but that can
Q32 is not another idea, it is not violence. In Sanskrit, the be no reason for a reformer not to try. It would be
word for violence is himsa, harm, and the negation to me a demonstration that the present position of
10 of himsa, just as nonviolence is the negation of 50 hopefulness is not dependent on any inward strength
violence, is ahimsa—not doing harm. But if ahimsa or knowledge, but it is hope born of ignorance and
is “not doing harm,” what is it doing? superstition.
The only possible explanation for the absence of If non-co-operation is taken up in earnest, it
a proactive word to express nonviolence is that not must bring about a cessation of all other activities
15 only the political establishments but the cultural 55 including the Reforms, but I decline to draw
and intellectual establishments of all societies have therefore the corollary that it will set back the
viewed nonviolence as a marginal point of view, a clock of progress. On the contrary, I consider
fanciful rejection of one of society’s key components, non-co-operation to be such a powerful and pure
a repudiation of something important but not a instrument, that if it is enforced in an earnest spirit, Q39
Q3320 serious force in itself. It is not an authentic concept 60 it will be like seeking first the Kingdom of God
but simply the abnegation of something else. It and everything else following as a matter of course.
has been marginalized because it is one of the rare People will have then realised their true power.
truly revolutionary ideas, an idea that seeks to They would have learnt the value of discipline, self-
Q34 completely change the nature of society, a threat to control, joint action, non-violence, organisation and
25 the established order. And it has always been treated 65 everything else that goes to make a nation great and
as something profoundly dangerous. good, and not merely great.
Advocates of nonviolence—dangerous people— I find their cause to be just and pure. Although Q36
have been there throughout history, questioning the therefore their viewpoint is different from mine I do
greatness of Caesar and Napoleon and the Founding not hesitate to associate with them and invite them
30 Fathers and Roosevelt and Churchill. For every 70 to give my method a trial, for, I believe that the use
Crusade and Revolution and Civil War there have of a pure weapon even from a mistaken motive does
always been those who argued, with great clarity, not fail to produce some good, even as the telling of
that violence not only was immoral but that it was truth if only because for the time being it is the best
even a less effective means of achieving laudable policy, is at least so much to the good.
CONTINUE
32 36
READING
In Passage 1, Kurlansky most likely mentions the As used in line 67, “just” most nearly means
word “ahimsa” (line 11) in order to “nonviolence” in A) simple.
another language “True”
A) offer another definition for a confusing word. B) singular. “Good”
4 B) illustrate a point made earlier in the paragraph. C) approximate.
C) make a distinction between two different 4 D) honorable.
WRITING AND
languages.
LANGUAGE
D) provide evidence to weaken another’s argument.
37
In Passage 2, Gandhi most strongly suggests that a
33
strength of non-co-operation is that it
As used in line 20, “force” most nearly means A) allows those who use it to demonstrate their
A) influence. inward strength and knowledge.
MATH
“power”
B) draft. 4 B) can be effective even when used by those with a
C) strain. variety of motivations.
D) division. C) is the only way people can learn the value of

discipline and self-control. MR/SW
D) provides a nation with great power over other
34 nations.
Kurlansky implies that nonviolence has been

considered “profoundly dangerous” (line 26)
38
because “completely change nature of society”
A) it is a much larger movement than it initially Which choice provides the best evidence for the
appears to be. answer to the previous question?
4 B) it can have a large impact on the structure of A) Lines 48–51 (“It would . . . knowledge”) not a
society. B) Lines 51–52 (“it is . . . superstition”) strength
C) the word that describes it simply conveys the C) Lines 63–66 (“They . . . great”) doesn’t
absence of another word. support Q37
4 D) Lines 67–72 (“Although . . . good”)
D) many influential world leaders would not have
been successful without nonviolence.
39
Kurlansky in Passage 1 would most likely
35
characterize the position taken by Gandhi in
Which choice provides the best evidence for the lines 57–61 (“On the . . . course”) as
answer to the previous question? A) too idealistic to be an actionable plan for change.
A) Lines 5–8 (“Yet, while . . . violence”) B) dangerous because of the power it gives to those
B) Lines 13–17 (“The only . . . view”) who lead.
C) Lines 21–25 (“It has . . . order”) BOGO! 4 C) a strong and reasonable assessment of a social
D) Lines 27–30 (“Advocates . . . Churchill”) movement. Kurlansky also believes nonviolence is
powerful.
D) too heavily influenced by religion to be effective.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
40 41
READING
Which choice best describes the authors’ views of Based on Passage 1, Kurlansky would most likely
powerful social change? respond to Gandhi’s claim that non-co-operation
4 A) Kurlansky believes that the idea of nonviolence will not “set back the clock of progress”
(lines 56–57) with “yes”
L21–26 is so powerful that it can be frightening, while
& L46–48 Gandhi believes that non-co-operation is a A) confusion.
worthy idea that should be tried.
WRITING AND
B) disapproval.
LANGUAGE
B) Kurlansky believes that nonviolence is

4 C) agreement.
ineffective as a means for social change, while
Gandhi believes non-co-operation is the most D) delight. not that much “yes”
effective means.
C) Kurlansky believes that leaders fear nonviolence
so much that they have not allowed it to be
named, while Gandhi believes non-co-operation
MATH
should be referred to as the Kingdom of God.

D) Kurlansky believes Caesar and Napoleon were
successful due to nonviolence, while Gandhi
believes success comes from the use of pure
weapons. nope
CONTINUE
Teacher note: all new

passage and questions
READING
PRACTICE PASSAGE 4: SCIENCE WITH GRAPH for 7.0
Questions 42–52 are based on the following 40 material in the middle of the ocean and making the
passage and supplementary material. flight from New York to London a few inches longer
each year.
WRITING AND
This passage is adapted from Philip Heron, “Plate tectonics:
LANGUAGE
Oceans close when their tectonic plate sinks
new findings fill out the 50-year-old theory that explains
beneath another, a process geologists call subduction.
Earth’s landmasses.” ©2016 by Philip Heron.
45 Off the Pacific Northwest coast of the United States,
Fifty years ago, there was a seismic shift away the ocean is slipping under the continent and into
from the longstanding belief that Earth’s continents the mantle below the lithosphere, creating in slow
were permanently stationary. In 1966, J. Tuzo motion Mount St Helens and the Cascade mountain
Line Wilson published “Did the Atlantic Close and then range.
5 Re-Open?” in the journal Nature. The Canadian In addition to undergoing spreading
MATH
50
author introduced to the mainstream the idea that (construction) and subduction (destruction), plates
continents and oceans are in continuous motion can simply rub up against each other—usually
over our planet’s surface. Known as plate tectonics, generating large earthquakes. These interactions,
the theory describes the large-scale motion of also discovered by Tuzo Wilson back in the 1960s,
10 the outer layer of the Earth. It explains tectonic 55 are termed “conservative.” All three processes
Q43 activity (things like earthquakes and the building occur at the edges of plate boundaries. But the
of mountain ranges) at the edges of continental conventional theory of plate tectonics stumbles
landmasses (for instance, the San Andreas Fault in when it tries to explain some things. For example,
California and the Andes in South America). At what produces mountain ranges and earthquakes
15 50 years old, with a surge of interest in where the 60 that occur within continental interiors, far from
surface of our planet has been and where it’s going, plate boundaries?
scientists are reassessing what plate tectonics does The answer may lie in a map of ancient
a good job of explaining—and puzzling over where continental collisions my colleagues and I assembled.
new findings might fit in. Over the past 20 years, improved computer
20 Earth’s crust and top part of the mantle (the next 65 power and mathematical techniques have allowed
layer in toward the core of our planet) run about Q44 researchers to more clearly look below the Earth’s
Q52 150 km deep. Together, they’re called the lithosphere crust and explore the deeper parts of our plates.
and make up the “plates” in plate tectonics. We now Globally, we find many instances of scarring left over
know there are 15 major plates that cover the planet’s from the ancient collisions of continents that formed
25 surface, moving at around the speed at which our 70 our present-day continental interiors.
fingernails grow. A map of ancient continental collisions may
Based on radiometric dating of rocks, we know represent regions of hidden tectonic activity. These Q49
that no ocean is more than 200 million years old, old impressions below the Earth’s crust may still
though our continents are much older. The oceans’ govern surface processes—despite being so far
30 opening and closing process—called the Wilson 75 beneath the surface. If these deep scarred structures
cycle—explains how the Earth’s surface evolves. (more than 30 km down) were reactivated, they
A continent breaks up due to changes in the way would cause devastating new tectonic activity. It
molten rock in the Earth’s interior is flowing. That looks like previous plate boundaries (of which
in turn acts on the lithosphere, changing the there are many) may never really disappear. These
35 direction plates move. This is how, for instance, 80 inherited structures contribute to geological
South America broke away from Africa. The next evolution, and may be why we see geological activity
step is continental drift, sea-floor spreading, ocean within current continental interiors.
formation—and hello, Atlantic Ocean. In fact,
the Atlantic is still opening, generating new plate
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
1906 42
READING
core The main purpose of the passage is to

A) present a brief explanation of plate tectonics
along with new findings.
B) evaluate the method and motivation of a recent
study of tectonic activity. The new study is only in the
last 2 paragraphs
WRITING AND
C) describe an outdated hypothesis and a new

LANGUAGE
mantle
theory based on the Wilson cycle.
1975 D) dismiss a widely accepted theory of plate
tectonics along with its implications.
inner
core 43
outer core
outer core
MATH
The author most likely mentions earthquakes and

mountain ranges in lines 11–12 in order to examples of
A) provide evidence. tectonic
activity
B) suggest an explanation.
1985
C) explain a term.
D) dismiss a theory.
400 44
400 kilometers
670
As used in line 21, “run” most nearly means
670 kilometers D0 layer
core-mantle A) dash. “go down to”
boundary B) extend.
C) retreat.
2005
slabs D) flow.
plumes
45
The passage indicates that Wilson’s theories of plate
piles tectonics fail to explain
A) the location of mountain ranges at the edges of
continents. Mostly Right/Slightly Wrong
Arizona State seismology expert Ed Garnero’s summary of how B) why the public initially believed that continents
far we have come in over 100 years of studying the interior of the
were stationary.
Earth.
C) what produces areas of mid-ocean volcanic
activity.
D) the cause of certain mid-continent earthquakes.
Q46
A)
B)
C)
D)
CONTINUE
46 50
READING
Which choice provides the best evidence for the Based on the figure, which development in
answer to the previous question? understanding most likely took place between 1975
A) Lines 1–5 (“Fifty . . . Nature”) and 1985?
B) Lines 10–14 (“It explains . . . America”) A) Details about the layers outside the Earth’s core
were refined. Depth measurements, D” layer, etc.
C) Lines 53–55 (“These . . . conservative”)
WRITING AND
B) Plumes were identified between Earth’s surface
LANGUAGE
D) Lines 56–61 (“But the . . . boundaries”) and outer core. No plumes until 2005
Only (D) describes something the
C) New elements were discovered in the Earth’s
theory fails to explain.
mantle.
47
D) The estimate of the size of Earth’s inner core
Based on information in the passage, which of the increased. The size of the inner core doesn’t
following can reasonably be inferred about plate change
boundaries?
MATH
A) Plate boundaries that rub against one another 51
may create mountain ranges. (48C) says “earthquakes”
Which concept is supported by the passage and by
B) Older plate boundaries may exist under the the information in the figure?
surfaces of current continents. Not in figure;
A) The break-up of a continent may cause the flow reverses
C) Most oceanic plates reach approximately the of molten rock in the Earth’s interior to shift. cause and
same depth when they undergo subduction.
B) Recent advances have expanded understanding effect
D) Plate boundaries tend to form near locations of the deeper layers beneath the Earth’s crust.
with heavy volcanic activity.
C) Scientists have dismissed the theory that the
Earth contains an inner core.
48 D) Prior to 1975, the idea that continents move
over Earth’s surface was not widely accepted.
Which choice provides the best evidence for the Continents not depicted in figure, and the
answer to the previous question? new theory was in 1966.
A) Lines 23–26 (“We now . . . grow”) 52
B) Lines 43–44 (“Oceans . . . subduction”) Based on information in the passage and the
C) Lines 50–53 (“In addition . . . earthquakes”) figure, it can most reasonably be inferred that the
D) Lines 68–70 (“Globally . . . interiors”) lithosphere is the layer located L20–22
A) just below the mantle.
B) farthest from the inner core.
49
C) between the inner core and outer core.
As used in line 72, “represent” most nearly means D) just above the Earth’s crust.
A) characterize.
B) discover.
“show”
C) depict.
D) cause.
Answers can be found on pages 691–692.

WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
115
INTRODUCTION
Grammar is like your overarching compulsion.

It’s math with words.
—Thomm Quackenbush
117
SAT MANUAL
READING
GOALS REVIEW
At the conclusion of this chapter you will be able to accomplish the following:
• Know the three steps of the SAT Writing and Language Basic Approach
• Identify what questions without questions are testing by looking at
the answer choices
WRITING AND
• Use POOD on the Writing and Language Test

LANGUAGE
FUN FACTS ABOUT THE WRITING AND LANGUAGE

TEST
The Writing and Language Test gives you 35
_____ minutes to answer 44
_____
MATH
questions.
• 4 passages with _____

There are _____ 11 questions each.
• punctuation
The questions cover a limited range of topics on ________________,
grammar
________________, style
and ________________.
• order of difficulty
There is no ____________________________ in the placement of the
passages or of the questions.
• chart or graph
One or more of the passages will feature a ________________.
WRITING AND LANGUAGE: A PROOFREADER AND

AN EDITOR
Most of the questions you see on the Writing and Language Test will fall into
one of two categories: Standard English Conventions and Expression of Ideas.
Essentially, you have two responsibilities: you need to be a proofreader and an
editor. questions without
questions
A proofreader looks for errors. On the SAT, a proofreader

should look for mistakes in grammar, punctuation, and English
usage.
An editor reviews and improves the writing. On the SAT, an
editor should look for ways to improve the continuity and preci-
sion of the writing.
questions with questions

INTRODUCTION
READING
THE ANSWERS HOLD THE ANSWER
The majority of questions that you see on the SAT will be proofreader questions.
These are questions that give you a list of answer choices but no actual question.
Writing a book is only the first step 1. A) NO CHANGE

in the process of publication. Once a B) complete, it Changes in the answer
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
choices tell you what the
manuscript is 1 complete; it must be C) complete, question is.
submitted to a publisher. D) complete—it
It’s not necessary

to actually answer
punctuation and “it”
What’s changing in the answer choices? ____________________________________ this question—the
MATH
main point is just to
punctuation and complete sentences
What is this question testing? ___________________________
__________________ get students look-
ing at the answers.
This is a good place to also introduce POE and

the importance of looking for all of the changes in
the answers. If students only spot punctuation
changing, they can easily pick (C) without realizing
it creates a new error.
Ask yourself “What’s changing in the answer choices?”

every time you’re faced with a list of answer choices
but no question.

SAT MANUAL
READING
Let’s try a few more. There’s no passage for these, just the answer choices. What is
each one testing?
i. A) NO CHANGE
B) to run, to jump, and standing still
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
C) running, having jumped, and standing there still

D) running, jumping, and standing still
verb form
What’s changing in the answer choices? ____________________________________
verbs (consistency)
What is this question testing? _____________________________________________
Don’t worry too much
MATH
about getting the

perfect answer to any ii. A) NO CHANGE
of these—the point is B) books on a variety of subjects including
just to get students
C) books, on a variety, of subjects, including
looking for changes in
the answers. D) books, on a variety of subjects, including
commas
# & placement of commas

iii. A) NO CHANGE
B) could of
C) could have
D) would of
words
frequently confused words

iv. A) NO CHANGE
B) valuable and having lots of worth
C) valuable for being worth so much
D) valuable
What’s changing in the answer choices? number

____________________________________
of words
concision

INTRODUCTION
Teacher note: Question slightly revised for 7.0
If students ask about the singular “they,” note that a team is not a person. The SAT does not test personal
pronouns unless the person’s pronouns have already been used previously in the non-underlined portion.
READING
YOUR EARS CAN’T HEAR IT ALL
You don’t need to be a grammarian to hear that some things are incorrect, but
trusting your ear exclusively won’t get you all the points that you want.
singular
2. A) NO CHANGE Is there a difference
The publishing team will have in the way (C) and (D)
2 their own standards for how to lay out B) they’re sound?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
a book, but there are still many decisions to C) its
be made. D) it’s
it is
their/they’re & its/it’s Don’t dwell on the

MATH
grammar—you’ll
apostrophes/pronouns
What is this question testing? _____________________________________________ cover it more later.
Written and spoken English are similar, but they’re not

the same! The SAT tests your knowledge of written
English.
CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING What clues does the

non-underlined portion
It has often been said that you can’t 3. A) NO CHANGE
give you about what
judge a book by its cover, but cover design B) will result verb tense to use?
matters. The history of publishing is full of C) resulted
past!
examples of how a change in cover design D) is resulting
3 results in dramatically increased sales.
verb tense
verb tense

SAT MANUAL
Teacher note:
New question for 7.0
READING
POE SAVES THE DAY

Many Writing and Language questions have more than one thing changing in the
answer choices. Deal with the changes one at a time. Order of words creates
imprecise meaning
It doesn’t matter which Authors have asked if a beautiful 4. A) NO CHANGE
change you start illustration on the cover, as opposed to a B) could effectively and
WRITING AND
with; eliminate all the

LANGUAGE
efficiently draw readers.

answers that make the generic image, 4 effectively and efficiently
C) could effectively and
same error! could draw readers. efficiently draw readers? Not a
D) effectively and efficiently question
could draw readers?
MATH
order of words, punctuation

several things!
THE MORE THINGS CHANGE…

Don’t get so focused on The text on a cover is also 5. A) NO CHANGE concise!
the list of answers that
5 important: if consumers can’t read B) important, it being the case
you forget to consider
how the sentence is the title, they aren’t likely to buy the book. that when
written! C) important, although if
no contrast
D) important; it is factual that
if
punctuation, a bunch of words

punctuation, wording
NO CHANGE is correct about 25% of the time it

appears. Don’t force yourself to find errors where
there aren’t any!

INTRODUCTION
WRITING AND LANGUAGE BASIC APPROACH
READING
Every time you tackle a Writing and Language question that doesn’t have a ques-
tion, follow the same approach:
this should already be on
1. Read to the end of a sentence with an underlined portion. the board by the time you
WRITING AND
2. Look at the answer choices to determine what’s being tested.
LANGUAGE
get here.
3. Use POE.
PACING
MATH
Keep Moving
Answer all 44 questions, but don’t get stuck! If a question seems too time-
consuming, guess and move on.
Make the Obvious POOD Choice

On the Writing and Language Test, more words usually means more work. The
long questions are easy to spot: they have a lot of words and therefore take up
more space on the page. If you feel pressed for time, skip these questions and move
on to the ones you can do more quickly.
Scoring and Pacing

Your Writing and Language score makes up half of your Evidence-Based Reading
and Writing score:
EBRW (verbal) Score =

10 × (Reading Test Score + Writing and Language Test Score)
Teacher note:
New for 7.0. Instead of using a chart, students can simply
take their verbal target score, cross off the last zero, and
their Reading and W&L scores need to add to that number.
This is also covered in the Reading intro.

SAT MANUAL
READING
For a Writing and You need about this

Language Test Score of: many Correct Answers:
10 3
12 5
14 8
16 10
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
18 13
20 16
22 19
24 22
26 25
28 28
MATH
30 31
32 34
34 37
36 40
38 42
40 44
Food for Thought:
Writing and Language Score from first test: _________
Number of additional questions needed for a 2-point improvement: _________
If you improve your Writing and Language score by two points and keep the same
Reading score, your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score will go up by 20
Teacher note: points.
New info to the
right for 7.0 that is It’s worth noting that your verbal score is composed of your Reading and your
worth explaining to Writing and Language scores—equally. However, there are 52 questions on the
students when you Reading section and only 44 on Writing and Language. This means that many
discuss how to deter- students may find Writing and Language easier to improve, since each question is
mine Reading vs. W&L worth more: you don’t need as many more correct answers to achieve a significant
target scores improvement. Consider this when determining your target Test Scores!
Whatever your scoring goals, finish the Writing and Language

Test. You may not work every question, but you should answer
all of them.
The idea here is that just a few additional questions can

make a solid difference in your score, especially when
also combined with Reading improvements.

INTRODUCTION
Summary
• The two tasks you have in Writing and
Language are:
Proofreader
________________________________________
Editor
________________________________________
• The Basic Approach for questions without

questions is:
1) Read to end of sentence w/underlined portion

________________________________________
2) Look at answers to see what’s changing

________________________________________
3) Use POE
________________________________________
• When more than one thing is changing in the

answer choices,
deal with one at a time

________________________________________
25%
• NO CHANGE is correct about ______
percent of the time.


WORDS
PART I
The difference between the almost-right word and the

right word is really a large matter—’tis the difference
between the lightning-bug and the lightning.
—Mark Twain
127
SAT MANUAL
READING
GOALS REVIEW
At the conclusion of this chapter, you will be able to accomplish the following:
• Apply the Basic Approach to questions dealing with words

• Choose transitions, verbs, and pronouns that are consistent with their
sentences
WRITING AND
• Choose pronouns and other words that make the meaning of a

LANGUAGE
sentence precise
• Recognize and select the most concise answer
CONSISTENCY, PRECISION, AND CONCISION

MATH
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of grammar rules for English, but most SAT
questions focus on just a handful of rules. Regardless of the rules, keep the follow-
ing in mind:
• consistent
The correct choice is _______________ with the rest of the sentence
and passage.
• The correct choice features words and phrases that are as
precise
_______________ as possible.
• The correct choice, free of any errors, will be the most
concise
_______________.
In this chapter, we’ll focus on how these three rules apply to three particular types
of words: transitions, verbs, and pronouns. Along with these rules, remember to
apply the Basic Approach for Writing and Language:
1. Read to end of sentence w/underlined portion

___________________________________________________________
Look at answers to see what’s being tested

2. ___________________________________________________________
Use POE
3. ___________________________________________________________

WORDS PART I
these two mean the

same thing, so both
READING
TRANSITIONS wrong
Many students of English find the 1. A) NO CHANGE
language frustrating because there are B) By contrast, Do any of these words
so many rules. 1 However, most of C) In other words, have the same meaning?
D) Moreover,
WRITING AND
the rules have exceptions, which makes
LANGUAGE
them even harder to learn. 2nd sentence is not a
restatement
transitions
Put your finger over the underlined portion. Read this sentence and the one before.
MATH
agree
Do the ideas agree or disagree? ___________________________________________
Which answer choices can be eliminated because they go in the wrong direction?
(A) and (B)

______________________________________________________________________
Ideas that agree require a same-direction transition, and ideas that contrast require
an opposite-direction transition.
Same-Direction Transitions *Starred transition

words are the ones
Accordingly In other words that appear most
frequently on
Also Moreover* the SAT!
Finally Similarly*
For example* Subsequently
Furthermore* Then
In addition* Therefore*
Indeed Thus*
Teacher note:
These bubbles have been
updated with current data
for 7.0.

SAT MANUAL
READING
Opposite-Direction Transitions
Alternatively Nevertheless*
By contrast Nonetheless
Conversely Regardless
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Despite this* Though

However* Yet
Teacher note:
Answer choices slightly revised for 7.0
MATH
On top of the endless grammar 2. A) NO CHANGE

rules in English, spelling can be very B) Therefore, not a conclusion
difficult to figure out. 2 For example, C) In addition,
not an
why do we say that we caught a cold but D) Furthermore,
additional
that we bought cold medicine? point

transitions
Do the ideas being connected agree or disagree with each other? _______________
agree
Are there any wrong direction transitions you can eliminate? __________________
No
How do the ideas being connected agree with each other? Is one idea an example
of the other? Is there a cause-effect relationship?
_______________________________________________________________________
example

WORDS PART I
Teacher note:
Answer choices slightly revised for 7.0
Once you’ve eliminated
READING
3 Obviously, the number of 3. A) NO CHANGE
transitions that go the
different letter combinations that can B) Indeed, wrong direction, use
make the same sound can make one’s C) Similarly, POE: some transitions
will work better in a
head spin. D) At this time,
certain context than
others.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
transitions
A, C, D
Which transitions don’t work in this context? _______________________________
MATH
This should be on
the board by the
When you see transitions changing in the answers:
time you get here.
1. Read carefully: cover the underlined portion with your
finger and look back at the previous sentence.
2. Check direction: look at whether the ideas being
connected agree or disagree. Eliminate answers that
indicate the wrong direction.
3. Use POE: choose the transition word that’s most
consistent with the ideas being connected.
Teacher note:
Revised approach for transitions. Students should
cover up the underlined portion to avoid being tricked.
For example, if students read “however,” their brains will
think the ideas disagree when they may not. Instead,
read without the underlined portion to determine the
relationship. Then uncover the underlined portion and use
POE. We also want to remind them that they will need to
look back at the previous sentence in most cases, since
this will be part of an entire passage.

SAT MANUAL
READING
VERBS
The reason English spelling is 4. A) NO CHANGE
so complicated has to do with the B) is divided both singular
history of the language. Historians of C) divide
English 4 divides the development D) are divided
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
of the language into three periods: Old “of English” is a prepositional

English (450–1100), Middle English phrase, not the subject—cross
(1100–1500), and modern English it out to avoid confusion
(1500–present).
MATH
verbs
Historians
What is the subject of the verb? ___________________________________________
The key with verbs is consistency. Verbs must be consistent with their subjects:
singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs.
Today, Old and Middle English 5. A) NO CHANGE past

Teacher note: 5 had been essentially dead B) will have been future
Revised question languages, and most people read the C) are
for 7.0 great texts of those eras, such as Beowulf D) is singular (subject
or The Canterbury Tales, in modern is Old and Middle
English)
English translations.
verbs
present
What tense is the sentence in? ________
_____________________________________
Get this up on the When you see verbs changing in the answers:
board as you’re teach- 1. Find the subject: choose the verb that is consistent with
ing #’s 4 & 5. its subject.
2. Check the tense: choose the answer that is consistent in
tense with the other verbs in the sentence, unless a time
indicator word tells you to change tense.

WORDS PART I
READING
PRONOUNS
Although most people don’t realize 6. A) NO CHANGE
it, by speaking English, 6 he or she is B) it is
giving voice to 1,500 years of history. C) you are
D) they are
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
pronouns
Which word does the pronoun refer back to? most people
________________________________
MATH
Like a verb with its subject, a pronoun must be consistent with the noun it refers
back to and with other pronouns in the sentence.
singular
When Julius Caesar’s army landed 7. A) NO CHANGE not possessive There’s more
B) their plural information about
on British shores in 55 BCE, neither pronouns and
7 there language nor that of the local C) it’s it is apostrophes in the
D) its Punctuation chapter.
inhabitants bore any relation to what
would eventually become English.
Teacher note:
Revised question for 7.0
pronouns
Which word does the pronoun refer back to? Is it singular or plural?
Caesar’s army—singular
_______________________________________________________________________
its
Which spelling of the pronoun is correct here? __________________________

SAT MANUAL
READING
Precision is Better Than Like, Whatever

Caesar’s armies spoke Latin, 8. A) NO CHANGE
and the British natives spoke Celtic; B) some of them
Old English did not arrive in Britain C) those
until Germanic tribes invaded in the D) Germanic languages
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
5th century and 8 they became

dominant.
pronouns
MATH
??? It’s unclear,_______________________

What does the pronoun refer back to? _______________ so you can’t use one
Pronouns can make writing more concise, but using a noun instead of a pronoun
usually makes a sentence more precise.
When you see pronouns changing in the answers:

1. Find the original: choose the pronoun that is most
consistent with the noun or other pronoun it refers to.
2. Make it precise : if it’s unclear what a pronoun refers to,
use a noun instead.
Get this up on the board as you’re teaching

#’s 6–8.

WORDS PART I
READING
WHAT’S A SYNONYM FOR PRECISE?
According to one study, 9. A) NO CHANGE If you run into a word
B) power. you don’t know the
approximately 26% of modern English
meaning of, rely heavily
words come from this Germanic C) shock. on POE with the other
9 impact. D) influence. answer choices.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Most of the vocab
words aren’t that
vocabulary
What’s changing in the answer choices? ____________________________________ hard, but students
influence should not let
Which word gives the most precise meaning in this context? ___________________
themselves get
MATH
stuck if they don’t
know a word.
When you see vocabulary changing in the answers:

• Use context: read the non-underlined portion to get a
sense of the necessary meaning.
• C
hoose the most precise word: watch out for
nuances of meaning between words that might appear
to be synonyms.
Put this on the board.

SAT MANUAL
READING
SHORT AND SWEET

Old English is essentially a foreign 10. A) NO CHANGE concise!
language, but Middle English bears B) very much closer
a 10 closer resemblance to modern C) completely closer and
nearer
English.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
D) much more close
the number of words

No
Do the extra words make the sentence more precise? __________________________
MATH
The writers of the SAT don’t like to use additional words if those words aren’t
needed to clarify the meaning of the sentence.
Modern English may be 26 percent 11. A) NO CHANGE

Germanic, but a much larger portion of B) influence of the
it comes from the 11 highly influential C) impact on the language of
the
Normans, who invaded England in the
D) DELETE the underlined
11th century.
portion.
“much larger portion of it comes from” implies that they are influential already

# of words, with option to delete
No
Do the extra words make the sentence more precise? _________________________
When “DELETE” appears in the answer choices, try it first!

It’s not always right, but if the sentence is otherwise consistent
and precise, choose it.

WORDS PART I
The following passage does not include a typical set of questions. Instead of having a mix of editor and proofreader
READING
questions, it only focuses on the topics covered in this chapter. Use this passage to practice the techniques for these
proofreader questions.
WORDS PART I DRILL This is not a representative passage—it only
WRITING AND
Time: 8 minutes tests the concepts from this chapter.
LANGUAGE
Questions 1–11 are based on the following passage.
The Story of English past tense! 1 verb tense/agreement

singular
The Norman Conquest took place in 1066 and A) NO CHANGE
MATH
1 is led by William the Conqueror of Normandy, B) is leading
which was part of what is now France. With the Norman C) was led
Conquest came a new language: French. At first, D) were led
Norman French was only used by the royal court and
the king’s Norman supporters, but by 1362 2 they had 2 pronoun consistency
been established as the language of the law, as it was the A) NO CHANGE
language used to conduct parliamentary debates. This B) it = Norman French
was not the only major change in language around this C) he or she
time: only fifteen years earlier, English had 3 replaced D) those
Latin in schools as the primary language of instruction.
By the end of the 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer had
singular 3
begun to write his famous collection of stories, The
A) NO CHANGE most precise
Canterbury Tales, which 4 are still recognized as
B) fixed
the gold standard of Middle English literature. The
C) repaired
Canterbury Tales might be difficult for modern readers
D) changed
to understand, 5 and Middle English is not the
illegible dialect that Old English is.
4 subject-verb agreement
A) NO CHANGE
B) are still noticed
C) is still recognized
D) was still recognized need present tense
5 transitions—need opposite direction

A) NO CHANGE
B) but
C) so
D) for
SAT MANUAL
past
Although English was spoken all over the British 6 verb tense
READING
Isles, Middle English never 6 will become a fully A) NO CHANGE

standardized written language. Such standardization B) becomes
came after a technological innovation, the printing press, C) became
made it possible for readers far and wide to read the D) had been becoming not concise
same texts. The fact that readers from all over England
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
could have access to a text meant that writers had to

7 pronoun consistency
standardize 7 there language. Since London was
A) NO CHANGE
the center of population and intellectual life, its dialect
B) its
became the closest thing that English had to an “official”
C) one’s
language.
D) their
MATH

WORDS PART I
Attempts to standardize English spelling and 8
READING
grammar 8 hardened during the 17th and 18th A) NO CHANGE
centuries, culminating in three major dictionaries in the B) intended
18th and 19th centuries, which were published in 1755, C) desensitized
1828, and 1884. However authoritative those books D) intensified precise!
may have been, English continued to evolve. American
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
English, 9 by contrast, has been influenced by its
9 transitions
contact with Spanish colonists and Native Americans.
A) NO CHANGE
British English has been influenced by its proximity to
B) for instance, no contrast
Europe and by its history as a major colonial empire.
C) nevertheless,
Establishing English footholds in South Africa and
D) moreover,
10 setting them up in India may have forced English
MATH
on the colonized peoples, but the English language was
also influenced by those peoples. 10
A) NO CHANGE
English is a living language, and its history is a
B) India concise!
living history, regardless of any attempts to halt
C) also establishing them in India
11 such constant transformation.
D) India, too
11
A) NO CHANGE precise!
B) it.
C) them. unclear what any of
D) that. these would refer to

SAT MANUAL
Summary
• The three most important things to look for
in a Writing and Language answer are that
consistent
it is ______________________ with rest of
the sentence and passage, it uses the most
precise
______________________ words, and it is as
______________________
concise as possible.
• Ideas that agree with each other require a

______________________
same-direction transition.
• Ideas that disagree with each other require an

______________________
opposite-direction transition.
• In general, a transition should be

consistent
______________________ with the ideas it is
connecting.
• consistent
A verb should be ______________________ with
its subject and with other verbs in the sentence.
• consistent
A pronoun should be ______________________
with the word it refers back to.
• If you can’t identify only one possible

thing a pronoun could refer to, it is not
______________________
precise and you should
not use one
______________________.
• When you see words that mean different things

in the answer choices, pick the one that gives
precise
the most ______________________ meaning in
context.
• When all grammatical errors are eliminated,

most concise
choose the ______________________ answer.
• I have accomplished ___________ of the 4 goals


WORDS
PART I
PRACTICE
141
SAT MANUAL
READING
TRANSITIONS
Public defenders help uphold an important legal 1

right for American citizens. 1 Nevertheless, they save A) NO CHANGE
the legal system and the American public a great deal of B) Besides, no contrast
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
time and money. C) Specifically,

D) Moreover,
There have been many advances in the tools that 2

MATH
nations can use to communicate with one another, A) NO CHANGE

2 but technology has not yet been able to make B) and
simultaneous translation into multiple languages an C) for all same-direction
automated task. D) so
When a child feels safe at home, he may 3

communicate with ease. But put him in a stressful A) NO CHANGE
B) Consequently, last sentence describes
situation like a classroom, and suddenly his ability to
a consequence of the situ-
articulate his thoughts is gone. 3 Subsequently, when C) By contrast,
ation described in the previ-
working with a patient, a speech pathologist must first D) Meanwhile, ous ones.
try to make him feel as comfortable as possible.
Those who believe that the U.S. embargo on Cuba is 4

an effective method of influencing the Cuban government A) NO CHANGE
to change its policies cite several rationales. Primarily, they B) Regardless, no contrast
believe that the embargo pressures the Cuban government C) In effect,
to improve its human rights record. 4 More specifically, D) Furthermore, last sentence makes an
they argue that since the Cuban government controls additional point
the economic power of the individual in Cuba, lifting
restrictions on trade would benefit only the Cuban
government, not the people of Cuba.
CONTINUE
WORDS PART I PRACTICE
After three years of marriage and one daughter, 5
READING
Henry VIII had Anne Boleyn beheaded for adultery A) NO CHANGE
after he had the marriage annulled. 5 Similarly, there B) Moreover,
is something odd about this sequence of events: if the C) However, need opposite-direction
marriage was annulled—and therefore was ruled to have D) In fact,
never actually existed—how could Anne have betrayed
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
it?
Negative reciprocity makes rational sense: of course 6

people would want to get as much as they can for as A) NO CHANGE
little as they can give. Then there is balanced reciprocity, B) For example, not an example
MATH
which appears irrational. 6 By definition, balanced C) Still, no contrast
reciprocity is balanced, which means both parties D) Therefore, not a conclusion
essentially give and receive equally.
While endorphins themselves are not well 7

understood, the effect they have is. Once their release A) NO CHANGE
is stimulated by exercise, they lock into special receptor B) As a rule,
cells called opioid receptors. 7 Regardless, endorphins C) Then, no contrast
are able to block the transmission of pain and D) However,
simultaneously produce feelings of euphoria.
In early human existence, time was strictly limited 8

by the natural pattern of day and night. Once the art A) NO CHANGE
of fire-making was established, humans were able to B) Foremost,
stay active during the night. The progression from fire C) Initially,
to more developed sources of artificial light was slow, D) Nevertheless, no contrast
with little change until the advent of gas illumination in
the early 1800s. 8 Furthermore, the biggest change
in night activity was in the workplace: artificial light
enabled mills and factories to employ their workforces
for longer hours. Following the increase of nighttime
indicates sequences of events
labor was an increase in nighttime entertainment.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
On the one hand, a drop in the fertility rate can be 9

READING
good for a country’s economy. Children are quite costly A) NO CHANGE

to raise in developed countries. Fewer children means B) On the other hand, need opposite-direction
that people can invest their time and productivity in C) In fact,
growing their personal wealth. 9 Therefore, many D) Likewise,
argue that more children are likely to serve as a benefit
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
to the economy rather than as a drain.
The chemicals that leach into the public water 10

system over time in locations where fracking occurs A) NO CHANGE need opposite-direction
MATH
have demonstrated harmful and long-term effects on the B) In conclusion,

local populations. 10 However, because of the strong C) For example,
support fracking has received based on its economic D) Besides,
value, it’s unlikely to end any time soon.
A couple of decades ago, there was a belief that by 11

now there would be solar panels everywhere: on the A) NO CHANGE
lawns of business parks, covering the roofs of private B) To these ends,
homes, and filling the empty space of deserts. 11 Thus, C) Indeed,
this wish has not yet materialized. D) Unfortunately, need opposite-direction
May of 2012 marked the 372nd consecutive month 12

in which the average temperature of the entire globe A) NO CHANGE
exceeded average temperatures of the twentieth century. B) Furthermore, need same-direction
12 Conversely, scientists have concluded that in order C) Nevertheless,
to keep global warming in check and prevent massive D) On the other hand,
changes to our environment, the temperature cannot
rise by another 2°C.
CONTINUE
Because some in society think it is immoral to 13
READING
defend criminals, they assume that public defenders A) NO CHANGE need opposite-direction
lack personal and professional morals as well. These B) therefore,
criticisms, 13 however, are misguided. C) indeed,
D) surprisingly,
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Most dieters never consult a dietitian—a 14
professional who advises people on diet choices for A) NO CHANGE need opposite-direction
healthy living. Dietitians differ from nutritionists B) regardless,
in that nutritionists are not all regulated through C) on the other hand,
registered licenses. Dietitians, 14 for instance, must D) similarly,
MATH
earn a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or
university and complete a professional internship before
sitting for licensing exams.
When speaking on matters of great international 15

importance, diplomats are particularly attentive to A) NO CHANGE no contrast
the nuances of their words, which makes the job of B) Furthermore,
translation difficult. 15 However, all languages have C) To these ends,
their own specific colloquialisms and idiomatic phrases, D) Therefore, not a conclusion
which can further complicate a translator’s task.
Having experience as a classroom teacher is an 16

important qualification for a school superintendent. A) NO CHANGE
16 Besides, it isn’t practical for a superintendent to B) Despite this,
implement the best plans for students and teachers C) After all, need same-direction
without knowing much about their experiences. D) Instead,
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Specifies a time, which makes

(D) most logical
The initial goal of the Cuban embargo was 17
READING
to influence the newly established communist A) NO CHANGE

government in Cuba towards greater democratization. B) Nevertheless, no contrast
17 In addition, there was great fear of the spread of C) Meanwhile,
communism and its threat to capitalist and democratic D) At that time,
nations.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
In early human existence, time was limited by the 18

natural pattern of day and night. Due to the lack of A) NO CHANGE need opposite-direction
artificial light, humans were diurnal. Once the art of fire- B) finally,
MATH
making was established, 18 however, humans were able C) subsequently,

to stay active during the night. D) likewise,
Over the past several decades, the roles of service 19

animals have been expanding. 19 These days, service A) NO CHANGE
animals were trained to help with the physical needs of B) Soon,
disabled individuals: they acted as guides for the blind, C) Next,
provided alerts for the deaf, and served as physical aides D) Historically, sentence is in past tense
for those with limited mobility. 20 Previously, the
tasks of service animals have expanded considerably.
20
21 Increasingly, service animals are no longer used
A) NO CHANGE
solely to assist with physical needs: they are now used same meaning, so they're
B) Formerly,
to help individuals with a wide variety of medical and both wrong
C) Despite this,
emotional needs.
D) Since then, paragraph has a sequence of time
21
A) NO CHANGE
B) In any case,
C) By contrast,
no contrast
D) However,
CONTINUE
Algae has many advantages over other plant-based 22
READING
biofuels. 22 However, it produces between ten and a A) NO CHANGE
hundred times more oil per acre than any other fuel crop. B) Although,
This is due to the fact that fifty percent of the weight of C) First, need same-direction
algae is the lipid oil that is used as biofuel. 23 In sum, D) Instead,
algae needs fewer natural resources than other plants
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
for its cultivation. It can be grown using wastewater
23
rather than clean water, and it can be grown in only
A) NO CHANGE
wastewater—it does not require land. The amount of
B) Additionally, sentence makes another point
land that would be required for facilities to produce
C) Accordingly,
enough algae to replace all fossil fuel use in the United
D) In other words,
States is less than one-seventh of that required for corn.
MATH
24 Consequently, many do not believe that algae as a
biofuel is as promising as it first seems. 24
A) NO CHANGE
B) Finally,
C) Nevertheless, need opposite-direction
D) As a rule,
VERBS
Present tense
Becoming a professional pianist takes years of 1
practice and 1 requires a great deal of sacrifice. A) NO CHANGE subject is "becoming," which
B) require is singular
C) will require future
D) has required past
The United Nations 2 have more than tripled in 2

Present tense "United Nations" is singular
size since it was established in 1945, and currently has A) NO CHANGE
193 member countries. B) will have future
C) has
D) was past
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Among many noteworthy ways in which 3

READING
Past tense
biomedical engineers have improved our general health, A) NO CHANGE present
a group of Portuguese engineers 3 are responsible for B) is present Subject is "a group,"
developing angiography, which uses X-rays to examine C) was which is singular
blood vessels and thus helps in the diagnosis and D) were plural
treatment of heart disease.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Due to the lack of interest officials in the Cuban 4

government 4 has shown towards negotiations with A) NO CHANGE singular
subject is "officials,"
America, to lift the embargo would be to sanction their B) have
which is plural
MATH
behavior. C) have been wrong meaning

D) might have no "might"
Disagreement between the Soviet Union and the 5

other three Allied powers over how Germany should be A) NO CHANGE subject is
governed 5 was one of the contributing factors of the B) were "Disagreement,"
plural which is singular
Cold War. C) have been
D) having been makes sentence incomplete
The sentiments reflected in the Preamble of the 6

Constitution—justice, liberty, and prosperity for all— A) NO CHANGE singular subject is
6 was highly honored by our country’s Founding "sentiments,"
B) were
Fathers.
which is plural
C) was to be singular
D) had been no need for past perfect
plural
While endorphins themselves are not well 7
understood, the effect they 7 have are widely A) NO CHANGE
recognized. B) has is
singular C) have is
D) has are
CONTINUE
Under current federal law, the use of service 8
READING
animals 8 are protected. A) NO CHANGE subject is
plural "use," singular
B) have been
C) has been past
D) is
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
The high rate of infection in the most recent Ebola 9
outbreaks 9 are due to both the long incubation A) NO CHANGE subject is "rate,"
singular
period and the types of symptoms that present. B) is
C) were
(A), (C), & (D) are all
MATH
D) have been
plural
The conclusion of the scientists 10 were that 10 subject is

dietary profile was directly related to children’s A) NO CHANGE plural "conclusion,"
singular
socioeconomic status. B) was
C) having been makes sentence incomplete
D) had been no need for past perfect tense
present
Permits are issued at the state level, and the 11
requirements for receiving one 11 varies from state to A) NO CHANGE
B) has varied
singular
state.
C) will vary future subject is
"requirements,"
D) vary
plural
need present perfect

Since 1959, human activity 12 have been emitting 12
at least 350 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the A) NO CHANGE
B) emit
plural
atmosphere.
C) has emitted
subject is
D) emits wrong tense "activity," singular
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
As the amount of fossil fuels 13 are finite, the 13

READING
eventual depletion of global supply will create job losses, A) NO CHANGE

tax and tariff deficits, and economic decline. B) was past plural
C) were
subject is "amount,"
D) is singular
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
present tense
While it is true that every profession experiences its 14
share of corrupt behavior, there is no data whatsoever to A) NO CHANGE past
support the idea that there 14 has been a concentration B) is
of unethical behavior in the field of public defense. C) have been past
D) will be future
MATH
present
As Jon steps out onto the stage, he 15 had 15
remembered not to stare up directly into the lights. A) NO CHANGE (A), (B), & (D) are all
B) remembered past
C) remembers
D) was remembering
As stated in the 1992 Cuban Democracy Act, the 16

United States 16 refuses to lift the embargo until the A) NO CHANGE subject is "the U.S.," singular
present
Cuban government demonstrates movement towards B) refused
“democratization and greater respect for human rights.” past
C) has refused
D) refuse plural
simple past
On the same day that Bell filed his application, 17
another inventor, Elisha Gray, 17 was filing a caveat for A) NO CHANGE (A), (C), & (D) are all
the same device. B) filed wrong tense
C) had filed
D) had been filing
CONTINUE
simple past
This violent act infuriated the nation, and within 18
READING
two weeks a judge 18 was ordering that the prisoners A) NO CHANGE
be released and cleared of all charges. B) had been ordered all wrong tense
C) has ordered
D) ordered
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Both the freedom of the West and emptiness of pre- 19
dawn streets 19 offer feelings of relief and autonomy A) NO CHANGE
past present
for those who wished to be released from the restrictions B) offers
of mainstream society. C) offering makes sentence incomplete
MATH
D) offered
future
The older generation will be supported by the 20
younger generation through systems of pensions and A) NO CHANGE present
health care. Members of a smaller generation 20 earns B) will earn
fewer wages and thus will pay fewer taxes than their C) will have been earning wrong tense
parents’ generation did. D) had earned past
Changes to the section of the Americans with 21

Disabilities Act regarding the use of service animals A) NO CHANGE present
21 are consisting of revisions to the definition of B) consisting present
past
a service animal and extended the rights of service C) consisted
animals and their owners in publically- and privately- D) consist present
owned places.
To clearly establish what the difference is between 22

creationism and evolution, biologist Kenneth Weiss A) NO CHANGE
present
22 introduces what he called the “scale of causal effects.” B) is introducing
past tense C) had introduced no need for past perfect
D) introduced
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
present
As the 21st century progresses, we 23 faces many 23 "we" is plural
READING
important environmental concerns. A) NO CHANGE singular

B) will have faced wrong tense
C) faced past
D) will face
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
all these things are the subject—need a

plural verb
(A good ear, a strong work ethic, and a natural 24
ability) 24 is not enough on its own. A) NO CHANGE
B) is not going to suffice. all singular
C) is not sufficient.
MATH
D) are not enough.
PRONOUNS
There are 70 million farms in India. For every farm 1
to have a two-animal till-and-plow draft team, and thus A) NO CHANGE plural
singular
provide India with 1 their agricultural needs, 140 B) her "India" is not gendered
million animals would be required. C) its
D) the not a pronoun
In most economies, the older generation is 2

singular
supported by the younger generation. The older A) NO CHANGE
generation earned this support when 2 they worked B) they worked to support its
to support their elders. C) it worked to support their
D) it worked to support its
singular
For a single household to install enough solar 3
panels to meet the majority of 3 their energy needs A) NO CHANGE
would cost $10,000 or more. B) energy
C) its energy needs not precise
D) the energy
CONTINUE
Despite being popular with the French public 4
READING
on the occasion of her marriage to Louis XVI, Marie A) NO CHANGE
Antoinette quickly lost favor due to her lavish lifestyle B) the French poor precise!
and expenditures. Her excessive spending on fashion, C) everyone
palace beautification, and gambling while 4 they D) she
starved was a likely motivator for anti-aristocratic
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
propaganda.
singular
When the board of Coca-Cola first decided to enter 5
the Chinese marketplace, 5 it was unaware that A) NO CHANGE
MATH
6 it would be read as “Ke-kou-ke-la,” which means B) they were
“female horse stuffed with wax.” C) they had been
D) he was
6
A) NO CHANGE
B) they
C) the name precise!
D) the print
The movement for women’s suffrage began in 7

earnest in the 1840s. Although no official war was fought A) NO CHANGE
for 7 it, an intense cultural battle took place. B) them,
C) her,
D) the women’s vote, precise!
When the telephone was first invented, consumers 8

marveled at the new technology but worried 8 they A) NO CHANGE
might cause electrocution. B) he or she not a person
singular
C) one
D) it
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
The House and Senate also had the power to form 9

READING
a national army and navy, which were tasked with A) NO CHANGE

not precise
protecting the nation. 9 Their very existence served as B) Its
a deterrent to attacks from other countries. C) The military organizations’ precise!
D) Congress’s
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
If we are able to 3D print organs, can 10 you 3D 10

print a human being? A) NO CHANGE
B) they
C) we consistent!
MATH
D) one
When I was young and would get angry at my 11

mother and grandmother, 11 she would tell me to go A) NO CHANGE
walk it off until I felt better. B) my mother precise!
C) someone
D) one
He brought a wild chimpanzee to be raised 12

alongside his son Donald, 12 who was ten months old. A) NO CHANGE
B) whom
"him was 10 months old" is wrong, so
no -m
C) which can't refer to a person
D) he makes a run-on sentence
One of the fascinating differences the study 13

demonstrated was that, despite the fact that apes have A) NO CHANGE
the same social and physical capabilities that humans B) species
have, 13 we did not evolve to the same extent. C) they
D) apes precise!
CONTINUE
plural
In India, cows provide an important fuel source for 14
READING
homes through 14 their dung. A) NO CHANGE
B) its
C) his or her all singular
D) one’s
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
plural
People who live in warm climates wear sandals 15
more often than 15 these who live in colder climates A) NO CHANGE
do. B) that singular
C) those
MATH
D) DELETE the underlined portion.
feminine
If you give a friend a gift worth ten dollars for her 16
birthday, 16 you are likely to give you a present worth A) NO CHANGE
roughly the same amount. B) they are plural
C) one is
D) she is
The first people to notice that a child is in need of 17

speech therapy usually report 17 one’s concerns to a A) NO CHANGE
doctor or school counselor. B) their singular
C) his or her
D) our not first person
Givers do not expect a return on the value of 18

18 our gifts. A) NO CHANGE not first person
B) his or her singular
C) their
D) those need possessive pronoun
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
singular
The world has changed drastically over the last 19
READING
several decades, and cultural norms have changed with A) NO CHANGE

19 it. B) them.
C) him or her.
plural
D) us.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
not a person
Globalization has had an enormous impact 20

singular
on many aspects of modern life, but no change has A) NO CHANGE plural
been more drastic than 20 these in international B) that
MATH
marketplaces. C) this
D) DELETE the underlined portion. need pronoun
The diet and weight-loss industry in the United 21

States alone is worth twenty billion dollars, with 108 A) NO CHANGE
plural
million Americans on some kind of diet. Most of B) these
21 them will attempt four or five different diets in one C) it singular
year. D) DELETE the underlined portion. need pronoun
Dr. John Snow recognized that a shared water 22

pump was the source of a cholera epidemic in two A) NO CHANGE
London neighborhoods, so he sanitized the water source B) their impact.
and removed the handle of the pump, thereby greatly C) the impact of the epidemic. precise!
reducing 22 its impact. D) that one’s impact.
CONTINUE
There is growing support in America to end the 23
READING
Cuban embargo. Those who are against the embargo A) NO CHANGE
singular
argue that, since the embargo has been in place for B) it serves plural
decades without accomplishing its goal, 23 they serve C) we serve
no positive purpose. D) that one serves
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
singular
The greater a country’s proclivity towards 24
individualism is, the faster 24 it’s pace of life is. A) NO CHANGE don't need "it is"
B) their plural
C) its
MATH
D) there not a pronoun
PRECISION
Public defenders are a vital part of our legal system, 1
but they are often treated with 1 contempt. A) NO CHANGE
B) corruption.
C) contemplation.
D) slander.
Epidemiologists study the spread of disease to help 2

2 know the risk factors for certain diseases and health A) NO CHANGE
conditions and to help establish preventive healthcare B) identify
policy. C) improve
D) summarize
It has become clear that non-aggressive physical 3

contact after an aggressive incident is 3 considerable A) NO CHANGE
to forming a positive bond between individuals. B) vital
C) meaningful
D) worthy
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Biomedical engineering is an emerging field. It 4

READING
merges two historically 4 distinguished disciplines: A) NO CHANGE

medicine and engineering. B) obvious
C) distinct
D) explicit
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
The ability to speak is generally taken for granted, 5

despite its 5 ubiquity. After all, there is no other A) NO CHANGE
species that can communicate through speech. B) independence.
C) uniqueness.
D) creativity.
MATH
One point of 6 convention among historians is 6

the number of wives Henry VIII had. A) NO CHANGE
B) resolution
C) contest
D) contention
In 1874, Meucci neglected to send in the ten-dollar 7

fee to renew his caveat, and so his claim 7 passed A) NO CHANGE
away. B) elapsed.
C) stalled.
D) expired.
It has been less than 100 years since all Americans 8

were 8 crowned the right to vote. A) NO CHANGE
B) granted
C) endowed
D) authorized
CONTINUE
The 9 conduct with which the Founding Fathers 9
READING
protected the wealth of the elite is demonstrated in A) NO CHANGE
Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution. B) behavior with
C) means by
D) etiquette with
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
It may be that people donate money because they 10
have 10 a deep interest in what they are donating to. A) NO CHANGE
B) a distant
C) an immersed
MATH
D) an intricate
Two animals 11 institute a till-and-plow draft 11

team. A) NO CHANGE
B) constitute
C) embody
D) represent
The ADA defines a service animal as “any dog that 12

is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for A) NO CHANGE
the benefit of an individual with a disability, including B) inclusive
a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other C) exclusive
mental disability.” This definition is significantly more D) certain
12 conclusive than the previous one, due to the
expanding number of uses service animals are being
trained for.
The Tragedy of the Commons is an economic 13

theory dating to the early 19th century and A) NO CHANGE
13 polarized in the 1960s. B) subsidized
C) popularized
D) habituated
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Historically, a child’s growth has been considered a 14

READING
14 conclusive indicator of the quality of a child’s A) NO CHANGE

environment. B) winning
C) final
D) mandatory
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
The scientists described the results as a harbinger 15

of what can come from neglecting the health of our A) NO CHANGE
own children and of the need to 15 administer change B) indicate
through political and social action. C) implement
D) perform
MATH
3D printing opens up a world of 16 probabilities 16

to us. A) NO CHANGE
B) forecasts
C) chances
D) possibilities
There is nothing like a good “I told you so”: 17

everyone loves the triumphant feeling that comes A) NO CHANGE
from being proved correct in the face of others’ doubt. B) drain
But that victorious feeling may 17 wane if what C) compress
you had correctly predicted was something with dire D) ripen
consequences for humanity.
Although many people think of a polar vortex as 18

a singular cold weather event that affects an area from A) NO CHANGE
time to time, it is not. There are two 18 persistent polar B) insistent
vortices, one at the North Pole and one at the South Pole. C) repeated
D) firm
CONTINUE
Solar energy has the 19 skill to do a great deal 19
READING
more than it does now if humanity can better harness A) NO CHANGE
the energy the sun provides. B) qualification
C) potential
D) aptitude
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Historically found primarily in Asian and Central 20
and South American dishes, cilantro is now a popular A) NO CHANGE
flavoring 20 sum around the world. B) addition
C) extension
MATH
D) attachment
Fracking is usually done by large oil and gas 21

companies that lease land and mineral rights from A) NO CHANGE
private owners in areas that are known or thought to B) payments
have large 21 entries of these resources. C) investments
D) deposits
To establish the 22 collision that economic 22

situation has on child growth, scientists collected data on A) NO CHANGE
the height, weight, and triceps skin-fold measurements B) impact
of children residing in eastern Kentucky. C) shock
D) contact
Once a person is infected with Ebola, it takes 23

anywhere from 2-21 days for symptoms to 23 present. A) NO CHANGE
B) gift.
C) divulge.
D) offer.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Although every case is different, children who are 24

READING
24 pinpointed with autism may have a tendency to A) NO CHANGE

wander away from safe areas. B) determined
C) diagnosed
D) recognized
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
CONCISION
Due to the recent increase in global trade 1 in 1
MATH
the last few decades, companies are consulting with A) NO CHANGE

cultural anthropologists on how the companies can best B) in the recently past few decades,
market their products to foreign populations. C) in recent years,
2 Advising dieticians are dieticians who provide 2

counsel on matters of nutrition on a large scale. A) NO CHANGE
B) Advising dieticians
C) It is advising dieticians who
D) Those who are advising dieticians
UN translators (other than Chinese-English 3

ones) are required to know at 3 least three or more A) NO CHANGE
languages: their native tongue plus two additional B) the very least three
official languages. C) minimum three or more
D) least three
Since this 4 triumphant and victorious success 4

of disease control, the importance of studying health and A) NO CHANGE
disease patterns has grown. B) triumph that was successful in disease
C) successful overcoming of
D) victory of disease
CONTINUE
Without 5 physical connection and bodily 5
READING
contact the relationship is never fully repaired. A) NO CHANGE
B) physical contact
C) physical, bodily connection
D) connection and contact
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Cameron’s career as a concert pianist began when 6
he was 6 no older than three years of age. A) NO CHANGE
B) not any younger than three years old.
C) three years old.
D) around that time of three years aged.
MATH
Medical imaging is part of the 7 diagnostic 7
aspect and detection of ailments in medicine. A) NO CHANGE
B) diagnostic area
C) detecting and diagnosing of ailments
D) detection of diagnostics
The process of speech is an 8 amazingly intricate 8

one. A) NO CHANGE
B) amazing, intricate, and complicated
C) amazing, in that it’s complicated,
D) amazingly intricate and complicated
Even the most well documented events and eras 9

leave a great deal open to 9 inference and conjecture. A) NO CHANGE
B) conjecture and guesswork.
C) inferring and supposition.
D) conjecture.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Although the fighting had ended, the war would 10

READING
not officially be over until all parties involved reached A) NO CHANGE

peace 10 settlements. B) settlements, ending the war completely.
C) settlements, concluding the conflict forever.
D) settlements, bringing a final end to the conflict.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
11 Generalized reciprocity and negative 11

reciprocity are generally considered to come with their A) NO CHANGE
own types of rationality. B) Generalized and negative reciprocity
C) Reciprocities that are both general and negative
D) Both generalized reciprocity and negative
MATH
reciprocity
After electricity came radio and television 12

broadcasting, which had an immense effect on how A) NO CHANGE
people used nighttime hours when 12 radio and B) radio and television shows began being
television broadcasting expanded to a 24-hour cycle. broadcast on
C) radio and television expanded to
D) broadcasting expanded to
When examined more closely, there appears to be 13

an end goal in the 13 selective nature of evolution. A) NO CHANGE
B) selective, discriminating
C) selective and discriminating
D) selectively discriminating
Elected officials are often 14 torn and cannot 14

decide between short-term fixes and more costly but A) NO CHANGE
ultimately more beneficial long-term plans. B) torn and indecisive
C) torn, unable to decide
D) torn
CONTINUE
Our dependence on fossil fuels for the 15 vast 15
READING
majority and the bulk of our transportation needs is a A) NO CHANGE
major environmental concern. B) majority
C) vast majority of the bulk
D) majority, and also the bulk,
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
One of the most exciting but also contentious 16
modern inventions is 16 that of 3D printing. A) NO CHANGE
B) 3D printing.
C) that we can 3D print.
MATH
D) the invention of 3D printing.
Everyone loves the triumphant feeling that comes 17

from being proved correct in the face of 17 the doubt A) NO CHANGE
and disbelieving skepticism of others. B) the disbelieving skepticism of others.
C) doubt and skepticism.
D) skepticism.
In order to communicate more easily with his 18

wife 18 while she was confined upstairs and he A) NO CHANGE
worked mostly downstairs, Meucci began work on an B) when they were on different floors,
electromagnetic sound device. C) from the lower floor where he was to the upper
floor where she was,
D) from the basement of the house where he
worked,
Representative democracy is based on a system of 19

19 at least two or more political parties that offer the A) NO CHANGE
electorate distinct ideological alternatives. B) at the very least two
C) two
D) no less than two
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Increased concern about domestic issues is 20

READING
demonstrated in both party affiliation 20 as well as A) NO CHANGE

voting trends. B) along with
C) and in
D) and
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
As the value of a population’s productivity increases, 21

the value 21 is increasing of that population’s time. A) NO CHANGE
B) increases time as well. concise, but not precise
C) of that population’s time increases.
MATH
D) for that population, of time, increases.
Based on the assumption that there might be a 22

genetic link to cilantro aversion, a study was conducted A) NO CHANGE
on 22 identical sets of twins and others who were B) identical sets of twins and fraternal sets of twins.
fraternal. C) identical fraternal twins. concise, but not
precise
D) identical and fraternal sets of twins.
The reason for the strong aversion to cilantro 23

has been a puzzle for some time and 23 is only now A) NO CHANGE
becoming more and more clear. B) has only very recently begun to become much
more clear.
C) has now been made clearer and more
understandable.
D) is only now becoming clearer.
The funding distribution measurement 24

demonstrated a sharp difference depending on which A) NO CHANGE
funding system— 24 either the progressive system or B) the progressive system versus the regressive
system—
the regressive system—was used.
C) either progressive or regressive systems—
D) progressive or regressive—

QUESTIONS
167
SAT MANUAL
READING
GOALS REVIEW
• Be familiar with the types of questions asked on the Writing and

Language Test
• Find answers that are consistent with other parts of the passage
WRITING AND
• Find answers that make the meaning of part of the passage more
LANGUAGE
precise
QUESTIONS
In the Words chapter, all the questions we looked at were proofreader questions:
MATH
the ones that have a list of answer choices with no actual questions. In this chapter,
we’ll look at the other type of questions: editor questions.
The most important thing about questions on

Writing and Language is to notice them, so be
sure you’re reading carefully!
Many editor questions ask for different things from what proofreader questions
do, but you still want to look for answers that are _______________________
consistent and
precise
_______________________.
Students may be able
to come up with these
words, based on the
bullets above, but tell
them if they don’t get
it, and make sure they
write these down!

QUESTIONS
READING
PURPOSE
The most common questions on the SAT Writing and Language Test will ask
you to choose an answer that best fulfills a particular purpose. Read the question
carefully and look for an answer that is consistent with the stated purpose.
Though most people are familiar 1. Which choice best establishes What should you read
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
the main idea of the before answering this
with the Nobel Prizes, 1 they
paragraph? question?
can’t always list all five categories in
A) NO CHANGE
which the prizes are awarded. Alfred
B) most people haven’t
was born in 1833 into a Swedish attended one of the awards the whole
manufacturing family. His father had ceremonies in Oslo. paragraph!
a background in construction but had C) they are less familiar with
MATH
Alfred Nobel, the man who
started manufacturing equipment for connects directly
established the prizes.
the Russian army when Alfred was to the next
D) many of the winners of sentence, as well
young. 2 Alfred had three brothers. the prizes never become
as the main topic
By the time he was seventeen, he could famous.
of the paragraph
speak five languages, and he excelled
in chemistry and engineering. After 2. Which choice most effectively
sets up the examples in the
travelling abroad and working in a next sentence?
Parisian chemistry lab for several years, A) NO CHANGE
he returned to St. Petersburg in 1852 to B) The family moved to
help with the family business. Russia when Alfred was a
small child.
C) Alfred was a strong
student. languages, chemistry & engineering
D) Alfred’s father did not
approve of his son’s interest
in poetry.
Sometimes purpose questions ask about main

ideas, and sometimes they ask about details.
Either way, use POE heavily!

SAT MANUAL
READING
WORDS IN DISGUISE
Some editor questions test the same thing that some proofreader questions test,
transitions and precision in particular.
3 Even though it was dangerous,

WRITING AND
3. Which choice provides the best

LANGUAGE
Alfred had been studying a new but transition from the previous
paragraph to this one?
highly volatile explosive, nitroglycerine.
A) NO CHANGE
He recognized the potential of the connects to previous ¶
B) During his time in Paris,
powerful explosive but wanted to
C) Although he was not the
make it safer for commercial uses. By original inventor, no contrast
1863, the family business in Russia had b/w ¶s
MATH
D) Because of the Crimean

shut down, and Alfred moved back to War,
Stockholm with his father and one of This is a precision question
his brothers, where he 4 focused on 4. Which choice most effectively
suggests that Alfred Nobel
making nitroglycerine safer. A tragic was driven by a particular
accident at his factory in 1864, in which objective?
several men were killed (including A) NO CHANGE
one of Alfred’s brothers), only 5 B) thought about
doubled down his desire to tame C) forgot about
nitroglycerine. D) had intentions of
this type of proofreader 5. Which choice best maintains

When you’re asked to
maintain style and/or question is in Words Part II the style and tone of the
tone, avoid slangy or passage?
very strong words. A) NO CHANGE
B) beefed up
C) reinforced
D) jacked up

QUESTIONS
READING
ADDING AND DELETING
When choosing a two-part answer, both parts need to make sense!
One of the ways in which Alfred 6. At this point, the writer The best reasons for
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
is considering adding the adding a sentence or
succeeded in making explosives safer
following sentence. not will refer to the ideas
was by inventing the detonator and the of consistency and
blasting cap. These devices provide a Nobel was a prolific inventor: precision.
by the time he died, he held
small initial explosion that then sets 355 different patents.
off a larger, secondary explosion.
Should the writer make this
6 He also experimented with mixing addition here?
MATH
nitroglycerine with different substances A) Yes, because it adds an
to improve its stability. important biographical
detail about Alfred Nobel.
B) Yes, because it clarifies
the role that Alfred Nobel
played in the development
of modern explosives.
C) No, because it does
this reason isn’t
not provide enough related to the ideas
explanation of which of of consistency &
the patents were most precision
important.
D) No, because it distracts
from the paragraph’s main
focus on how Alfred Nobel
worked to improve the
safety of explosives.
No
Is the new sentence consistent with the topic of the paragraph? _________________
Between (C) and (D) above, note that (C) does not contain
the word passage, paragraph, sentence, main idea, or anything
else related to writing skills. The key is not whether the
sentence is a good sentence (which (C) takes issue with) but
rather whether it belongs here. Therefore, the answer for this
type of question needs to relate to the surrounding text.

SAT MANUAL
Be sure students understand this is still the same ¶ as #6.

READING
7 He eventually was able to turn the 7. The writer is considering

explosive into a paste that could be deleting the underlined
sentence. Should the sentence
shaped into sticks, and thus dynamite
be kept or deleted?
was born. Dynamite was far more A) Kept, because the
stable than liquid nitroglycerine, it was invention of dynamite was
WRITING AND
what Alfred Nobel was

LANGUAGE
far more powerful than gunpowder,

most notorious for.
and it became widely used for large
B) Kept, because it provides a
construction projects such as building logical transition between
tunnels and canals. consistent ideas in the paragraph.
C) Deleted, because it is
only loosely related to
the paragraph’s focus
MATH
on blasting caps and

detonators.
Teacher note: D) Deleted, because it creates
Revised choice (D) for 7.0 confusion about how
dynamite is produced.
Yes
Is the sentence consistent with the topic of the paragraph? _____________________

QUESTIONS
READING
ORDER
When reordering sentences in a paragraph, look for transitions and pronouns that
can help you place a sentence in the appropriate context. A sentence should be
consistent with the sentences before and after it.
[1] In 1888, Alfred’s brother Ludvig 8. To make this paragraph most
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
died, and many newspapers mistakenly logical, sentence 4 should be
placed
ran obituaries of Alfred instead. [2] One
A) where it is now.
French newspaper referred to Alfred in
B) after sentence 1.
its erroneous obituary as “the merchant
business C) after sentence 2.
of death,” because he owned more than
D) after sentence 5.
90 armaments factories. [3] He was
MATH
horrified at the way the newspaper had
memorialized him. [4] Despite this must come after
business focus, Alfred was a committed some mention of
pacifist. [5] He decided that he needed
business
to do something to change the way
people would remember him. 8
COMBINING SENTENCES
Concision should not be a concern on most editor questions, but when combining Questions
sentences, concision is the first thing you should look for.
mostly not about
concision, but
Alfred rewrote his 9 will. His 9. Which choice most effectively these usually are.
combines the sentences at the There are a couple
new will left the majority of his fortune
underlined portion? examples of ones
to establish the Nobel Prize. with the entire
these both A) will; by rewriting it he left
unnecessarily B) will: in the new will he left two sentences
repeat things underlined in the
C) will, because he decided to
homework.
leave
D) will in order to leave
D
Which choice is most concise? ____________________________________________
Yes
Is it also correctly punctuated and precise? _________________________________
almost all answer choices on

these questions have correct
punctuation, but it’s still a good idea
to double-check.

SAT MANUAL
While (A) has some support in the graph, it’s
not consistent with the text. Remember, it’s a
test of writing skills. Consistency!
READING
CHARTS AND GRAPHS

As you do in the Math sections, read labels and keys for graphs carefully. Choose
answers that are consistent both with the data shown and with the focus of the
passage.
The Nobel Peace Prize is perhaps 10. Which choice provides an

WRITING AND
accurate interpretation of the

LANGUAGE
the most famous of the five prizes

chart?
that Alfred’s will established. Alfred’s
A) NO CHANGE
intention was for the prize to be
B) It was not until the end
international: his will stated, “it is of the twentieth century
my express wish that in awarding the that the prize became truly
international.
prizes no consideration be given to the
MATH
C) In the first quarter of

nationality of the candidates, but that
the twentieth century,
the most worthy shall receive the prize, International Organizations only
whether he be Scandinavian or not.” It received far more Peace 11%
Prizes than people from any
took some time, however, for the Peace
particular geographic region.
Prize to address struggles for peace in
D) There were no Latin
all corners of the world. 10 The prize American winners of the
had winners from all over the world Peace Prize until the last
quarter of the twentieth
throughout the twentieth century. Not in 1st 2
quarters century. There were some in
2nd quarter
Geographical Distribution of Peace Prize Laureates, 1901–2000
% %
100 100
5% 4%
15% 11%
9%
4%
80 32% 80
29%
26%
60 60
11%
74%
6%
40 45% 35% 40
6%
17%
20 20
22% 20%
18%
11%
0 0
1901–1925 1926–1950 1951–1975 1976–2000
Africa Latin America Eastern Europe International

Organizations
Asia North America Western Europe
QUESTIONS
The expanding scope of the Peace Prize is 11. The writer is considering
READING
due in part to globalization and in part to adding the following sentence
based on information from the
the changing nature of war through the chart.
twentieth century. 11
The percentage of International
Organizations that have been
awarded the Nobel Peace
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Prize stayed mostly stable over
the course of the twentieth
century.
Should the writer make this

addition here?
A) Yes, because it supports
the idea that the
MATH
changing nature of war is
responsible for increased
diversity of prize winners.
B) Yes, because it shows that
there was some diversity
in prize winners early in
the twentieth century, even
when most winners were
from Western Europe.
C) No, because it contradicts
the argument that Alfred
Nobel wanted the prize to
be international.
D) No, because it includes
details that are not related
to the paragraph’s focus
on how the prize winners
changed over the course of
the twentieth century.
Is the sentence consistent with the graph? Yes

__________________________________
No
Is the sentence consistent with the passage? _________________________
________

SAT MANUAL
READING
editor questions.
This drill gets more time because Questions take longer. Again,
not a representative passage—it’s all questions.
QUESTIONS DRILL
Time: 10 minutes
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
read ¶ before answering

Questions 1–11 are based on the following passage. 1
Which choice most effectively introduces the essay
The Socratic Problem to the Socratic Method by contrasting Socrates’s intellectual legacy with the
1 Teacher of Crito and Alcibiades, Socrates other topics discussed in this paragraph?
left few clues behind for modern historians. A) NO CHANGE not a contrast
MATH
The “Socratic problem,” as it is known, has B) An Athenian born amid historical

transformation, not a contrast
2 interested historians and philosophers for many
C) Despite his central role in modern thought,
centuries. Socrates himself wrote nothing that survives,
D) Although his name is often mispronounced,
and his biographical details are 3 sparse. All that we
C) matches “intellectual legacy” in
question
2
Which choice best conveys the idea that Socrates
remains a mystery?
A) NO CHANGE
B) battled
C) annoyed
D) perplexed precise!
3
The writer is considering revising the underlined
portion to the following:
sparse, even though the deeds of
his prominent contemporaries were
recorded.
Should the writer make this revision here?
This reason doesn’t A) Yes, because it implies that details about
have anything to do Socrates are hard to come by because he was not
with consistency or well known when he was alive.
precision. B) Yes, because it supports the point made earlier
that Socrates is a particularly difficult subject of
research.
C) No, because it unnecessarily repeats
this paragraph is more
information given earlier in the paragraph.
about Socrates as a per-
son than “contributions to D) No, because it interrupts discussion of Socrates’s
contributions to philosophy with an irrelevant
philosophy”
detail.
QUESTIONS
4
know about Socrates comes from three 4 sources.
READING
Which choice most effectively combines the
These three sources are the philosophical writings of
sentences at the underlined portion?
Plato and Xenophon and the plays of Aristophanes.
A) sources: concise!
[1] It is generally agreed that Socrates was born
B) sources: these include
in Athens in 470 or 469 BCE, 5 approximately 400
C) sources, including
WRITING AND
years before the birth of the Roman emperor Augustus
LANGUAGE
D) sources; the sources are
Caesar. [2] His father was a sculptor, and his mother was 63 BCE
a midwife. [3] Socrates eventually married Xanthippe,
with whom he had three sons. [4] Socrates’s father cut 5
stone for the Parthenon, and Socrates, having learned his Which choice offers an accurate interpretation of
the chart?
father’s trade, initially earned his living as a stonecutter. Socrates was be-
A) NO CHANGE
MATH
[5] After his retirement from stonecutting, Socrates fore Aristotle
B) after Aristotle’s great philosophical discoveries.
began his life’s great work: discussing philosophy.
C) amid the era of Greek domination. after Socrates
[6] Regardless of whether he was paid, this teaching,
D) around the time the Jewish Book of Enoch was
and its supposed “corruption of the young,” ultimately written. 200 BCE
contributed to the philosopher’s death sentence by an
Athenian court. [7] The plays of Aristophanes suggest
6
that Socrates was paid for his philosophical teaching
To make the paragraph most logical, sentence 7
of the young, though Plato’s account of Socrates’s final
should be placed
words disagrees with such an idea. 6
A) where it is now.
needs to come after mention of being paid in 7. B) before sentence 3.
C) before sentence 5.
D) before sentence 6.
500 BCE 400 BCE 300 BCE 200 BCE 100 BCE
Alexander Scipio (Elder)

the Great Julius Caesar
356–323 236–184 100–44
Plato
427–327 Augustus
Caesar
Socrates Aristotle
470–399 384–322 63bce–ce
Zeno Cicero
335–263 106–43
The Nation of Israel
Persian Domination Greek Domination Maccabean Rule Rome
Ezra
458–390 Book of Enoch Philo
Book of Daniel bce–ce
I Maccabees

SAT MANUAL
Socrates makes a few appearances in the military 7

READING
and political history of his era. 7 He was a soldier At this point, the writer is considering adding the
in the Athenian army during three campaigns, and he following sentence.
not
eventually played a role in government, most notably in Thucydides’s classic work, History of consistent
the Peloponnesian War, is an excellent
the defense of Athenian generals who abandoned their source on this era’s military history.
w/focus of
¶
dead in the water in order to continue to pursue the
WRITING AND
Should the writer make the addition here?

LANGUAGE
Spartan navy. Political life at this time was in transition. A) Yes, because it provides an additional source for
8 Governments frequently go through such historical background on the topic.
transitions, though they are not always so intolerant of B) Yes, because it names one of Socrates’s greatest
dissent. Socrates clashed with Athenian authorities over works.
how the defeated province should govern itself. C) No, because it strays from the paragraph’s focus
on the life of Socrates.
MATH
D) No, because it cites a text that is too old to be

considered historically reliable.
8
Which choice most effectively supports the idea in
the previous sentence?
A) NO CHANGE
B) That doesn’t excuse the fact that the Athenians
executed such a great man.
C) The powerful Athenians had recently been
connects to defeated by the Spartans in the Peloponnesian
“defeated War. gives more detail about this specific
province” in last situation
D) Athens is known fondly as the “school of
sentence Greece,” because it produced so many great
minds.

QUESTIONS
9 For most of his life, Socrates was an average, 9
READING
if at times controversial, citizen. His most important Which choice provides the best transition from the
contributions came late in life as a philosopher. His great previous paragraph to this one?
contribution to the future of philosophy and instruction A) NO CHANGE
was the Socratic method. 10 The method is used today B) His political views rarely won the day, and they
sometimes got him in trouble. only relevant to pre-
by teachers worldwide, in classes that range from English vious ¶, not this one
WRITING AND
C) Socrates has a wonderful cameo in the movie
LANGUAGE
to molecular biology. Those discussing the topic would Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
question it tirelessly, discarding hypotheses that could D) No one is really sure whether The Republic is
not stand up to reasonable questioning. It was from filled with Plato’s ideas or Socrates’s ideas.
this method that Plato and Xenophon built their own
philosophies. Beyond Plato and Xenophon, the Socratic
10
method has provided the foundation for much of
MATH
The writer wants to add a supporting detail to
Western academics, 11 particularly in law school. explain how the Socratic method works. Which
choice best accomplishes this goal?
A) NO CHANGE
B) In Raphael’s famous painting The School of
Athens, Socrates is shown engaging in Socratic
dialogue with a group of students.
C) The method broke any problems down into a
series of questions, or testable hypotheses.
D) The word Plato used to describe Socrates’s
method was maieuticos, which means “skilled in
midwifery.”
11
Which choice most effectively concludes the
sentence and the paragraph?
A) NO CHANGE
B) though it requires a level of mutual respect,
both between teacher and students and among
the students, to be most effective.
C) and it is also the basis of effective
psychotherapy—that’s why therapists are always
asking, “How did that make you feel?”
D) from the basics of the scientific method to the
thesis, antithesis, synthesis model of essay-
writing.
describes “much of Western
academics.”

SAT MANUAL
Summary
• The most important thing about questions on
the Writing and Language Test is
to notice them
_________________________________________.
• On a purpose question, choose the answer that

consistent
is most ______________________ with the ques-
tion. You r do 7r do not need to worry about
grammar.
• When adding information to a passage, the

consistent
information should be ______________________
with the passage and should make the passage
precise
as ______________________ as possible.
• When combining sentences, make the new sen-

concise
tence as ______________________ as possible.
• When you see charts and graphs

on Writing and Language, be sure to
read carefully
______________________. Choose answers that
are ______________________
consistent with the data and
with the passage.


QUESTIONS
PRACTICE
181
SAT MANUAL
READING
PURPOSE
Most dieters never consult a dietitian, despite 1
the fact that dietitians are crucial members of the Which choice adds the most relevant supporting
information to the paragraph?
nutrition and weight loss industry. A dietitian is a
A) NO CHANGE
professional who advises people on the role nutrition
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
B) often major in science.

plays in attaining medical goals and maintaining a
C) are good at working with people.
healthy lifestyle. Dietitians differ from nutritionists in
D) must pass a registration exam in order to
that dietitians are regulated through registered licenses.
practice. precise!
Unlike nutritionists, dietitians must have a bachelor’s
degree from an accredited college or university and
1 take other clearly specified steps.
MATH
Second of all, public defenders ensure that those 2

accused of crimes can exercise 2 their guaranteed Which choice most effectively emphasizes the
right to counsel. importance of the guaranteed right to counsel?
A) NO CHANGE
importance
B) a right so fundamental that it was included in
the Bill of Rights.
C) a right that most people hope never to have to
think about.
D) their right in order to avoid amassing a great
deal of debt.
When I began, I certainly did not realize all that 3

it would take to become a concert pianist. Being a Which choice best supports the main point of the
professional musician isn’t just a job—it’s a calling that paragraph? hard work
dictates how you live. A good ear, a strong work ethic, A) NO CHANGE
and a natural ability are necessary but not sufficient to B) mean most people will recognize your name.
achieve your goals. Years and years of daily practice are C) always make a person as happy as she’d
anticipated she’d be.
required, which in turn means that many other activities
D) necessarily make things easier, as practice
must be sacrificed. Even then, because demand for schedules and travel dominate your life.
professional pianists is limited, only a lucky few are able
to support themselves completely through such work.
Reaching the pinnacle of the field doesn’t 3 guarantee
great financial rewards either.
CONTINUE
QUESTIONS PRACTICE
Other talents are needed as well. Had I known as an 4
READING
undergraduate what I know now, I would have signed up Which choice results in a sentence that best
for a few marketing classes rather than focusing solely supports the point developed in this paragraph?
A) NO CHANGE
skills beyond musicianship
on music. Breaking into the music world, as a soloist or
an ensemble musician, is very difficult. As in many jobs, B) talents that are not usually developed by years of
solitary practice.
you have to be able to market yourself and maintain a
WRITING AND
C) unless you are so gifted that nothing else
LANGUAGE
network of connections, 4 skills that come naturally matters.
to outgoing types. With so many talented musicians D) and some people are better than others at that.
around, how you present yourself might determine
whether you earn a coveted audition spot.
MATH
5 A superintendent works in a school district. A 5
district’s school board, composed of elected members Which choice best establishes the argument that
of the community, hires a superintendent to oversee follows? “oversee all aspects of a school district”
A) NO CHANGE
all aspects of the school district. The superintendent is
B) It can be very difficult to run
in charge of 6 all decisions relating to curriculum,
C) A superintendent functions like the Chief
staffing, distribution and expenditure of funds, school
Executive Officer of precise!
safety, current and future facility needs, and more.
D) If there is a superintendent, then there must be
6
Which choice provides the most comprehensive
description of a superintendent’s responsibilities?
A) NO CHANGE most detailed/precise
B) school principals and their staffs as well as
teachers.
C) ensuring the district’s students meet established
benchmarks.
D) keeping the many different people within the
system happy.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Biomedical engineers don’t just design and 7

READING
construct items to help the functioning of our bodies: Which choice adds the most relevant supporting
they also design and produce actual body parts. This information to the sentence?
aspect of biomedical engineering is called tissue A) NO CHANGE
not specific
engineering and involves the creation of human tissue. B) if they produce more noteworthy advances.
The engineers work with stem cells and manually guide C) by growing non-human tissues as well.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
the growth of human tissue and organs. This work has D) by prompting an influx of funding opportunities
in the field.
already successfully grown full jawbones, tracheas, and
urinary bladders. Further advances promise to save
money, time, and lives 7 by drastically reducing the
need for organ donations. save lives!
MATH
It can take anywhere from months to years to 8

build the skills and confidence necessary to overcome a Which choice adds the most relevant supporting
communication or swallowing disorder, 8 and some information to the paragraph?
patients achieve better results than others. Knowing just A) NO CHANGE
how much time and effort patients have devoted to the B) as there are many disorders that might be all not
treated with therapy. precise
process makes being a part of their eventual success all
C) and sometimes this is frustrating.
the more rewarding.
D) and some patients will work with therapists
throughout their entire academic careers.
“can take...months to years”
From an ethical perspective, critics argue that it 9

is hypocritical of the United States to limit trade with Which choice most effectively concludes the
Cuba based on ideological differences and human rights sentence?
concerns 9 when some would argue that our country A) NO CHANGE
could have a better human rights record. B) even though we trade with Russia.
C) but to trade freely with other nations with bad
human rights records.
D) when Cuba has shown signs of improvement.
follows up on human rights from

beginning of sentence
CONTINUE
QUESTIONS PRACTICE
It took a war to secure the right to vote in America. 10
READING
The war that came to be known as the American Which choice most effectively supports the
Revolution was fought to escape an oppressive monarchy preceding statement? “only some individuals”
and establish a free democracy in which individuals A) NO CHANGE precise!
were given a say in matters of government. Yet, after B) many people consider this fact ironic.
so much struggle and sacrifice, only some individuals C) it’s possible some people should have fought
WRITING AND
harder.
LANGUAGE
initially gained the hard-won right: 10 in the
D) equality was definitely not fully achieved.
immediate postwar years, only white, landowning men
were entitled to vote in the newly-created nation. It took
another 100 years—and a great deal more violence—to
secure the vote for African-American males. The 15th
amendment was ratified in 1870 as the nation still reeled
MATH
in the aftermath of the Civil War.
Emotional states are closely tied to the physiology 11

of the body. When we are nervous, our hearts beat Which choice is most consistent with the previous
examples in the sentence?
faster, our glands produce sweat, and 11 our minds
A) NO CHANGE
trigger other reactions. These sensations are usually
B) just by looking at us, people can see how we feel.
only temporary, the results of a release of the hormone
C) our voices tremble.
cortisol in response to a triggering stimulus. Similarly,
D) we exhibit other telltale signs.
the release of other hormones—endorphins—into
our systems promotes a sense of well-being. Because
it is taxing for the body to maintain elevated levels 12
of hormones for long periods, 12 both anxiety and Which choice most effectively concludes the
happiness tend to be short-lived emotional states. sentence and paragraph? “taxing...to maintain...
A) NO CHANGE for long periods”
logical conclusion to B) people sometimes have trouble controlling their
sentence emotions.
C) some people turn to opiates to help them.
D) people have a hard time predicting how they
will feel in a given situation.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
As a school superintendent, Dr. Goren works 13

READING
with teachers, coaches, students, parents, and other Which choice best supports the main point of the
administrators to accomplish the district’s goals. He is paragraph? works with many different people
responsible for finding a way to address the needs of A) NO CHANGE
each group as fully as possible without overextending B) the bells that signal the passage of time in
the system’s resources. To be an effective leader, he C) the possibility of violence stalking the halls of
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
sometimes must make difficult decisions—and then D) interactions with the many people who have a
stake in
explain them well enough that everyone accepts and
moves forward with what must be done. The word
“administrator” might summon the image of someone
hidden away in an office dealing with paperwork, but in
reality, Dr. Goren’s days are shaped by 13 a schedule
MATH
the calendar committee establishes for all of the district’s

schools.
Early human existence was shaped by the natural 14

pattern of day and night. Lacking a means to artificially Which choice most effectively provides examples
illuminate the darkness, humans were diurnal, getting of the “do almost anything at any hour” trend
described at the end of the sentence?
up with the sun and going to sleep when it set. Once
A) NO CHANGE
the art of fire-making was established, humans were
B) the large number of people who suffer from
able to be more active during the night. Gaining control insomnia,
of fire did eventually lead us to 14 the bright glare of C) the huge electricity bills that some of us must
neon signs, but the innovations that so easily enable us pay,
now to do almost anything at any hour were relatively D) night shifts, midnight sale extravaganzas, 24-
hour pharmacies, and all-night diners,
slow to develop. 15 Ironically, we now have so much
artificial light that scientists warn of the dangers of “light
pollution.” 15
Which choice most effectively supports the claim
made in the preceding sentence? “slow to develop”
A) NO CHANGE
B) It was only with the advent of coal-gas
illumination in the early 1800s that the pace of
technological change really accelerated.
C) It’s hard to even imagine what the next big
innovation could be.
D) Invention can take a very long time due to the
limitations of nature and restricted working
not specific hours.
CONTINUE
QUESTIONS PRACTICE
One nutrition study was conducted in eastern 16
READING
Kentucky in 1994. At the time the data were collected, Which choice adds the most relevant supporting
the community was experiencing significant economic information to the paragraph? significant economic
A) NO CHANGE depression
depression, 16 with over 25% of households living on
an income at or below the poverty line. To measure the B) at a time when the national poverty threshold
for a family of four was $16,450.
impact of this economic situation on children’s growth
WRITING AND
C) though much of the nation was more negatively
LANGUAGE
and nutrition, the researchers collected data on the impacted in 2008 when the housing bubble
height, weight, arm circumference, and triceps skinfold burst.
measurements of students attending the community D) although not every family suffered equally.
elementary school. This information was then analyzed
to see what percentages of boys and girls living in the
community exhibited physical signs of either stunted
MATH
growth or obesity.
Fracking has become a key method of gas 17

extraction in the United States, enabling the extraction Which choice most effectively sets up the
of some reserves that would otherwise have remained information that follows? amount of water
A) NO CHANGE
inaccessible. Along with horizontal drilling, fracking
B) Water is an increasingly scarce resource in
has been primarily responsible for increases in the
much of the world, and
U.S. production of natural gas since 2005—and those
C) Vast quantities of water are needed: precise!
increases have meant that the United States now
D) Water is a resource humans too often take for
produces nearly all of the natural gas it uses. As a result, granted;
the United States is much less dependent on other
countries to fill its energy needs.
Despite this obvious benefit, there are compelling
arguments against fracking. One major concern is
fracking’s environmental impact. 17 Water is part of
the process: the average water consumption has surged
from 5 million to almost 25 million gallons per well.
Once the water has been injected into a well, only about
half of the now-contaminated resource is recovered. The
rest is lost and can filter into local water sources. This
potential for contamination drives further concerns
about public health. The chemicals that leach into the
public water system in the aftermath of fracking have
demonstrated harmful and long-term effects on the local
populations.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
The presence of aldehydes in cilantro also accounts 18

READING
for the differing tastes reported by those who dislike Which choice most effectively sets up the
it. 18 As in many issues of taste, there are at least information that follows?
two sides to this debate. Both camps can point to the A) NO CHANGE
presence of aldehydes to account for the similarity B) The most common complaint is that it tastes
like soap, though some people insist instead that
they perceive: soap contains fat molecules that form
WRITING AND
it tastes like bugs.

LANGUAGE
aldehydes, while many bugs carry aldehyde chemicals on C) Some people are reminded of soap, some of
their skin. In fact, aldehyde is the chemical responsible bugs, and still others can’t quite name what it
for the dreaded stink that gives the stink bug its name, reminds them of.
a fact that suggests that perhaps the only reason more D) People who like the taste of cilantro tend not to
think of either soap or bugs.
people think of soap instead of bugs is that more people
have eaten soap than have eaten bugs.
MATH
19 A polar vortex can have a significant effect on 19

other areas of the globe when it breaks into two or more Which choice best establishes the main idea of the
vortices. A break occurs when a shift in the jet stream paragraph? vortex break
A) NO CHANGE
causes a piece of the vortex to be broken off from the
B) Most people are more familiar with jet streams
main cyclone and diverted along the path of the polar jet
and less knowledgeable about polar vortices.
stream. Such a break in a polar vortex can have serious
no break
C) Polar vortices are a fascinating weather
effects on the regions it travels over. In 1985, the United phenomenon, about which we need to learn
States suffered one of its worst weather events due to more.
a break in the arctic polar vortex. A wave of extreme D) Sometimes faraway weather events can affect us
too.
cold swept through the United States, primarily in the
East Coast and Midwest regions. In all, 129 deaths were
attributed to the storm, over $2.3 billion in agricultural 20
losses were reported, and 20 many people were Which choice is most consistent with the previous
reluctant to go outside. examples in the sentence? other examples
A) NO CHANGE include numbers
B) it was very, very cold.
C) hundreds of homes were lost to wind damage.
D) some schools had to employ “inclement
weather” days.
CONTINUE
QUESTIONS PRACTICE
A recent example of the tragedy of the commons is 21
READING
the appropriation and use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are Which of the following choices best clarifies the
a limited resource found in relatively few regions of the information presented in the first part of the
sentence? significant & widespread problems
globe. These resources have been seized by a limited few,
A) NO CHANGE
resulting in a great disparity of wealth and power among
B) erupt, including global job losses, tax and tariff
individuals with equal regional claim to the resource. A
WRITING AND
deficits, and economic market collapse. precise!
LANGUAGE
compounding factor in an already troubling story is the C) erupt, though it’s impossible to predict just how
inevitability of even further suffering related to fossil widespread they’ll be.
fuel use. As the amount of fossil fuels is finite, their D) erupt in ways that we might not be able to
stores will eventually be depleted. Without a stronger imagine yet.
plan to compensate for that eventuality, significant and

widespread problems could 21 erupt, which will surely
MATH
be detrimental to the global population.
22 It can be hard to find a job in epidemiology 22

with only a bachelor’s degree. Currently, very few Which choice most effectively sets up the
universities and colleges worldwide offer undergraduate information that follows?
classes in epidemiology, let alone a bachelor’s degree. A) NO CHANGE
Although a master’s in epidemiology is becoming more B) The paths to becoming a professional

epidemiologist can be as varied as the
common, there are still very few doctoral programs that populations and diseases studied.
offer a degree in the field. Most epidemiologists come C) At the moment, the education system is in
to the profession via a background in clinical medicine, shambles.
public health, or both. A fair number, though, come D) Not very many people enter college planning to
from neither background and have instead been drawn study epidemiology.
to the field through another focus altogether.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
While a drop in the fertility rate may positively 23

READING
affect a population’s spending in the short term, research Which choice most effectively sets up the
has shown such drops to be detrimental in the long term. information that follows?
In most economies, the younger generations support A) NO CHANGE
older generations 23 —for example, through systems B) in ways that some people will never have
considered.
of pensions and health care. Members of a smaller
WRITING AND
C) —despite the current trends of young adults

LANGUAGE
generation will earn fewer wages and pay fewer taxes moving back in with their parents.
than their parents’ generation did. As a result, a smaller D) as best they can.
population will not pay enough into a pension system not
to offset the payouts that retired members of the older
specific
generation are receiving. Likewise, without at least an
equal number of healthy young people paying into an
MATH
insurance program, the cost of older people’s health care

will be too expensive for the labor market to support.
Ebola’s long incubation period and the types of 24

symptoms the virus causes have contributed to the high Which choice most effectively completes the
number of people affected in the most recent outbreaks. explanation of factors affecting recent Ebola
outbreaks?
Because Ebola symptoms can take so long to emerge,
A) NO CHANGE
many infected people do not know they are sick and
B) Clearly, much more education is needed to
therefore pose a risk to others around them. When lessen Ebola’s threat.
people do begin to feel ill, the symptoms they experience C) An obvious challenge, then, is to encourage
can mimic those of the common cold, leading them more medical professionals to work in countries
to delay seeking medical treatment. And because that lack the necessary facilities.
Ebola outbreaks have always originated in countries D) Thus, as is the case with many diseases, the
nature of Ebola outbreaks is shaped both by
whose medical infrastructure remains underdeveloped, the virus’s characteristics and by the particulars
adequate medical treatment has not necessarily been of the communities in which these outbreaks
emerge. precise!
available when patients finally seek help. 24 The
situation is a powerful example of the adage “an ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
CONTINUE
QUESTIONS PRACTICE
READING
WORDS IN DISGUISE
It took a war to secure the right to vote in America. 1
The American Revolution was fought to escape 1 an Which choice most effectively conveys an attitude
optimistic monarchy and establish a free democracy of dislike toward the monarchy?
in which individuals were given a say in matters of A) NO CHANGE
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
government. Yet, after so much struggle and sacrifice, B) a benevolent
only some individuals gained the hard-won right: in the C) an oppressive
immediate postwar years, only white, landowning men D) a disinterested
were entitled to vote in the newly-created nation. It took

another 100 years—and a great deal more violence—to 2
secure the vote for African-American males. The
MATH
Which choice best connects the sentence with the
fifteenth amendment was ratified in 1870 as the nation previous paragraph?
still reeled in the aftermath of the Civil War. A) NO CHANGE
contrast w/previous ¶
2 Despite the fact that the women’s suffrage B) Prior to both the Civil War and the fifteenth
amendment,
movement had been firmly established by the 1840s,
C) Because the women’s suffrage movement was
both black and white women had to wait much longer
established before the Civil War,
to gain the vote. Although no official war was fought, an
D) Reconstruction created lots of tension, so
intense cultural battle took place. The issue came to a
head in 1917 when members of the National Women’s
Party, led by Alice Paul, picketed outside the White
House to urge President Wilson and Congress to pass
a constitutional amendment that would guarantee
women’s voting rights. This inaugural White House
protest was conducted in an orderly and peaceful
fashion.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
The year is 1789, and the revolutionary spirit has 3

READING
taken hold of France’s starving poor. Devastating food Which choice provides the best transition from the
shortages have prompted riots. When asked what the previous paragraph to this one?
starving people should do when they have no bread to A) NO CHANGE relates to both ¶s
eat, the spoiled and frivolous Queen of France replies, B) What could have led her to be so uncaring?
“Let them eat cake.” With those words she ensures her C) Of course, people who can’t afford bread would
WRITING AND
be even less likely to be able to afford cake.

LANGUAGE
place in history as an extreme example of the callous

D) Even worse, cake contains a lot of sugar and fat,
contempt those at the top of the social hierarchy can making it an unhealthy option for poor people
show to those at the bottom. even if they could have afforded it.
3 This story is memorable but almost certainly
not true. The phrase commonly attributed to the
queen was already in popular circulation by the time
MATH
she was born in 1755. In 1765, Jean-Jacques Rousseau,

a philosopher and political advisor, wrote in his
Confessions that he had heard the phrase uttered “by
a great princess.” Though he could not have been
referring to Marie Antoinette, the myth was likely
inspired by his story. One reason the misattribution is
so pervasive may be that the phrase “let them eat cake”
succinctly epitomized the deep divide between poorer
French people and the aristocracy. Claiming that Marie
Antoinette blithely suggested that the starving peasants
should eat cake served to underscore the lack of empathy
the French elites demonstrated toward the working class
in the years before the Revolution.
The persistence of the quotation’s misattribution 4

to Marie Antoinette in particular is understandable. Which choice provides the most effective transition
4 Being quite popular with the French public on the between ideas in the paragraph?
occasion of her marriage to Louis XVI, she quickly lost A) NO CHANGE
favor due to the extravagance of her life at court. Her B) Despite being need opposite-direction
lavish spending on fashion, palace beautification, and C) Fortunate to be quite
gambling came to be seen as particularly excessive D) Since she was
while so many suffered. And because she died on the
guillotine, she had no opportunity to alter her reputation
after the Revolution.
CONTINUE
QUESTIONS PRACTICE
Service animals are useful in addressing more than 5
READING
just physical health issues; they can also be helpful when Which choice most effectively completes the
working with individuals diagnosed with intellectual sentence?
disorders. An autistic child, for instance, may have a A) NO CHANGE
tendency to wander into danger. Such behavior requires B) boring.
constant vigilance on the part of a caregiver, which can C) draining. precise!
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
be 5 exhilarating. When a service animal is properly D) heartening.
trained and leashed to the belt of a child, that animal can

act as an ever-present anchor that keeps the child out of
harm’s way. Further, preliminary research suggests that
some autistic children find the constant presence of a
service animal calming and focusing.
MATH
6 Translators play a vital role in diplomacy. Clear 6
communication is essential for diplomatic meetings to Which choice is the best introduction to the
proceed smoothly. The more languages that are involved paragraph?
in a meeting, the more challenging it is to ensure A) NO CHANGE
that clear communication occurs. The task becomes B) Few people truly understand the complexities of
international diplomacy.
even more pressure-filled when the success of a peace
C) To do a good job, a translator needs to aspire to
agreement or international settlement is at stake. For a be a diplomat.
UN translator, though, such considerations are all in a D) Effective translators spend a great deal of time
day’s work. perfecting their skills.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Fracking has become a key method of gas 7

READING
extraction in the United States, enabling the extraction Which choice provides the most effective transition
of some reserves that would otherwise have remained from the previous paragraph?
inaccessible. Combined with horizontal drilling, A) NO CHANGE
connects directly to 1st ¶
fracking has been primarily responsible for increases B) Despite this obvious benefit,
in the U.S. production of natural gas since 2005—and C) On the other hand,
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
those increases have meant that the United States now D) Because life is often very complicated,
produces nearly all of the natural gas it uses. As a result,

the United States is much less dependent on other 8
countries to fill its energy needs. Which choice best maintains the style and tone of
7 At the same time, there are compelling the passage?
arguments against fracking. One major concern is A) NO CHANGE
MATH
fracking’s environmental impact. Vast quantities of water B) crummy

are needed: the average water consumption has surged C) messed up
from 5 million to almost 25 million gallons per well. D) harmful not slangy
Once the water has been injected into a well, only about
half of the now-contaminated resource is recovered. The
rest is lost and can filter into local water sources. This
potential for contamination drives further concerns
about public health. The chemicals that leach into the
public water system in the aftermath of fracking have
demonstrated 8 junky and long-term effects on the
local populations.
CONTINUE
QUESTIONS PRACTICE
3D printing is also being applied to answer 9
READING
medical needs. The process has already produced usable Which choice provides the best transition from the
medical devices and patient-specific implants. Recently, previous paragraph to this one?
engineers built the first 3D bioprinting production A) NO CHANGE
system, which might someday have the capacity to print B) The waiting lists for people in need of organ
donations can be extremely long, and many
organs and body parts from layers of living tissue. While people die before receiving a transplant. only 1st ¶
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
this technology currently requires further research and C) Some people in the manufacturing sector are
development before it is ready for use, the thought of extremely wary of the changes 3D printing may
someday being able to produce necessary organs for the cause. only 2nd ¶
many people awaiting organ transplants is exhilarating. D) As with any technology, it’s important to gauge
how unequal access to 3D printing may put
9 Despite the promise of this new already disadvantaged communities even
technology, we cannot allow ourselves to get swept further behind.
MATH
up in the current of innovation without weighing
the consequences. Although the positive aspects
of 3D printing are enormous, there are other, less-
immediate effects to consider. If we are someday able to
manufacture all our goods at home, for example, what
will happen to the manufacturing industry? How will the
people who used to create our clothes and produce our
car parts support themselves and their families?
We live in a golden age of human travel. We can 10

travel vast distances and experience other cultures as Which choice best maintains the style and tone of
readily as our ancestors might have visited a nearby the paragraph?
town. What we might once have known about only A) NO CHANGE

B) also expand our exposure to
through reading, we can now experience firsthand.
C) encounter some nasty little things called
Unfortunately, as we expand our direct exposure to
D) catch all sorts of exotic-sounding
faraway places and people, we 10 catch diseases. As a
result, the work of epidemiologists is increasingly vital.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
There is growing support in America and elsewhere 11

READING
to end the Cuban embargo. Those who favor ending Which choice provides the most effective transition
the embargo question whether, after decades without between ideas in the paragraph?
achieving its intended purpose, the embargo is likely A) NO CHANGE
1st part of ¶ is about the political system
to ever prove effective in that regard. This argument is B) Because the embargo has proved remarkably
ineffectual at promoting democracy in Cuba,
strengthened by the fact that the spread of communism
WRITING AND
C) Because they want to be able to buy better

LANGUAGE
is itself no longer the perceived or actual threat it once cigars,

was to the United States. 11 Since the embargo also D) Since the embargo has greatly curtailed travel
negatively affects children, who have no role in the between the two countries,
government, critics argue that its limiting effect on
economic development cannot be justified.
MATH
The system of division and term lengths among 12

these governing bodies allows the government to change Which choice provides the most effective transition
in response to the will of the people but also ensures that between ideas in the paragraph?
such change cannot happen so abruptly as to destabilize A) NO CHANGE

B) Given these circumstances, many politicians are
the entire system. As elected officials, Congress and the
influenced by campaign donations, and
president are accountable to the general population.
C) Since the United States generally has relatively
12 Yet since they are elected by different constituencies low voter turnout rates,
and at differing intervals, it is impossible for a D) Because the president is elected by the archaic
single popular vote to replace the entire federal Electoral College system rather than by the
popular vote,
government. Thus the Constitution charted a middle
path between the tyrannical monarchy the Founders
rejected and the Athenian-style democracy whose
volatility they feared.
CONTINUE
QUESTIONS PRACTICE
READING
ADDING AND DELETING
In December of 1871, Meucci and several Italian 1
associates established the Telettrefono Company and At this point, the writer is considering adding the
filed a caveat, a preliminary type of patent, with the following sentence.
A caveat acted as an official notice
United States Patent Office for his “sound telegraph.”
WRITING AND
that a patent would be filed in the
LANGUAGE
1 Caveats were only valid for one year, but they could future and required a description and
be renewed for an annual fee of ten dollars. drawings of the item patented.
Should the writer make this addition here?
A) Yes, because it more fully explains an important
term within the paragraph.
B) Yes, because it helps to explain why the fee to
MATH
file a caveat was so high.
C) No, because commonly understood terms do
not need to be further explained.
D) No, because it does not match the information
that is provided later in the paragraph.
Clear communication is essential for diplomatic

2
meetings to proceed smoothly. The more languages
At this point, the writer is considering adding the
that are involved in a meeting, the more challenging it following sentence.
is to ensure that clear communication occurs. The task Every day, UN translators do their
becomes even more pressure-filled when the success of work under conditions that make clear
communication essential.
a peace agreement or international settlement is at stake.
For a UN translator, though, such considerations are all Should the writer make this addition here?
A) Yes, because it emphasizes just how difficult the
in a day’s work. 2
job of UN translator can be.
B) Yes, because it makes clear that UN translators
work every day.
C) No, because it repeats information given
elsewhere in the paragraph.
D) No, because it is an inaccurate portrayal of the
job of UN translator based on the description in
the paragraph.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Henry married Anne after his divorce. After three 3

READING
years of marriage and one daughter, Henry had Anne At this point, the writer is considering adding the
beheaded for adultery, right after he had the marriage following sentence.
annulled. 3 Herein lies a paradox: if the marriage Their daughter would one day become
Queen Elizabeth I, one of England’s
was annulled—and therefore was ruled to have never most beloved monarchs and the last of
actually existed—how could Anne have betrayed it? the Tudor dynasty.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE

A) Yes, because it helps to explain why people
might find the annulment so surprising.
B) Yes, because to omit that fact would be to ignore
a large part of England’s history directly related
to the topic being discussed.
C) No, because such information is likely to bias
MATH
the reader unfairly against one of the arguments

being presented.
D) No, because the daughter’s identity has no
bearing on the paradox discussed in the
paragraph.
On average, the funding level across states was 4

relatively impressive: $10,774 per pupil per year. Because The writer is considering deleting the underlined
this number is an average, however, it doesn’t tell the sentence. Should the sentence be kept or deleted?
whole story. The difference between the highest amount A) Kept, because it illustrates the differences found
among states’ funding for education.
and lowest amount spent per student by states was
B) Kept, because it is important to judge certain
extreme. 4 For example, a student attending public
states and celebrate others.
school in Tennessee was likely to receive 40% less
C) Deleted, because it is unfair of the author to
funding than a student in Wyoming. compare states to one another.
D) Deleted, because it is unrelated to the
measurement standard mentioned in this
paragraph.
CONTINUE
QUESTIONS PRACTICE
The ADA defines a service animal as “any dog 5
READING
that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks The writer is considering revising the underlined
for the benefit of an individual with a 5 disability.” portion to the following.
This definition is significantly more inclusive than the disability, including a physical,
sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or
previous one, due to the expanding number of uses other mental disability.”
service animals are being trained for.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
A) Yes, because it emphasizes the diverse ways a
service animal can help someone.
B) Yes, because it establishes a contrast with the
idea of inclusion in the following sentence.
C) No, because it takes the focus of the paragraph
away from the general sense of what a disability
MATH
is.
D) No, because the list dilutes the impact of the
word “disability.”
Often, we find it extraordinary that some species 6

are born with certain innate instincts. 6 These turtles The writer is considering adding the following
bury their eggs deep in the sand on beaches and then sentence.
desert them. When the eggs hatch, no adults are present Take sea turtles, for example.
to guide the hatchlings to safety. Guided by instinct Should the writer make this addition here?
alone, a hatchling breaks itself out of its egg, works with A) Yes, because it encourages an active role for the
reader.
nestmates to dig a way out of the nest, and immediately
B) Yes, because it introduces the example the writer
makes its way to the ocean.
uses to support the idea in the first sentence.
C) No, because it is clear from the following
sentence that the writer is discussing sea turtles.
D) No, because the reader may not agree that sea
turtles are extraordinary.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Solar power is nothing new. It enables us to grow 7

READING
the food we eat, while providing heat that warms our At this point, the writer is considering adding the
atmosphere and light that allows us to see. It even following sentence.
provides us with an important nutrient, vitamin D, Of course, as anyone who has ever
gotten a sunburn knows, the sun can
when we bask in its rays. In these ways, solar power has also cause harm.
long benefited humanity. 7 What is new, though, is
WRITING AND

LANGUAGE
technology that allows us to harness the sun’s energy to A) Yes, because it provides a more balanced view of
an even greater extent. the role of solar energy.
B) Yes, because it provides an additional point
of consideration that should be accounted for
when researching solar energy.
C) No, because it shifts the reader’s focus to a
point that is unrelated to the main topic of the
MATH
paragraph.
D) No, because sunburn can easily be prevented
using sunscreen.
The polar vortices are fueled by the polar jet 8

streams. Jet streams are narrow, high-speed air currents The writer is considering deleting the underlined
that exist in the tropopause, a transitional space between sentence. Should the sentence be kept or deleted?
the troposphere and the stratosphere. 8 Pilots must A) Kept, because it helps the reader understand
how everyday life can be affected by jet streams.
account for jet streams when flying, as planes often
B) Kept, because it clarifies the reason pilots tend
travel through the tropopause. Jet streams are caused to avoid flying into a polar vortex jet stream.
by an interaction between the rotation of Earth along C) Deleted, because air traffic controllers are more
its axis and atmospheric heating. Earth has multiple jet likely to address this issue than pilots are.
streams, the strongest of which are the polar jet streams. D) Deleted, because airplanes are not relevant to
the paragraph’s focus on the role of jet streams
in polar vortices.
CONTINUE
QUESTIONS PRACTICE
Cultural anthropology is the study of human 9
READING
behavior. Cultural anthropologists are trained to observe At this point, the writer is considering adding the
and record facets of human cultures through fieldwork following sentence.
and participant observation. This training enables This commercial aspect of
anthropology may surprise people who
anthropologists to understand consumer behavior when think of anthropologists primarily
that behavior is applied to the marketplace, making as people who study mummies and
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
pottery shards.
these anthropologists vital assets for marketers. 9
A) Yes, because it acknowledges that most
people aren’t familiar with the idea of cultural
anthropology. reason doesn’t have to do w/
consistency or precision
B) Yes, because it provides additional details about
the role of cultural anthropologists in the global
MATH
marketplace.
C) No, because it is not directly related to the
paragraph’s focus on the work of cultural
anthropologists.
D) No, because it contradicts the information
given earlier in the paragraph about the role of
cultural anthropologists.
As health issues related to diet increase, many 10

government entities have been expanding their efforts At this point, the writer is considering adding the
to address problems related to nutrition, especially in following sentence.
children. Child obesity rates in America have doubled One way to fix this problem would
be to reform school lunch programs
in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the to provide free, healthy meals for all
last 30 years, causing a domino effect of adult health children.
problems that are now beginning to affect the welfare Should the writer make this addition here?
of the country. 10 As our healthcare system is already A) Yes, because school lunches are an important
both overpriced and unstable, many policy makers are source of nutrition for many children.
retaining the services of dietitians to advise on the best B) Yes, because it explains one possible remedy for
the problem of increasing child obesity.
ways to reverse the poor food choices of society.
C) No, because lack of physical activity is a bigger
problem in relation to child obesity than poor
nutrition is.
D) No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s
focus on the role of dietitians in public policy
related to nutrition.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Communication in a stressful situation is hard 11

READING
enough on 11 anyone. Consequently, a speech The writer is considering revising the underlined
therapist must begin by winning her patients’ trust. portion to the following.
Once that trust is built, the therapist and patient can anyone, and can be especially difficult
for a person who has difficulty
start their real work together. Depending on the specific communicating in ordinary situations.
need, that work will vary substantially. If the disorder a
WRITING AND

LANGUAGE
patient suffers from is mentally influenced, the therapist A) Yes, because the ability to communicate under
and patient will slowly proceed through written and stress is an important life skill.
spoken exercises together in a quiet room where no one B) Yes, because it provides details that clearly
else is present. That way, the patient can feel completely connect the first sentence to the rest of the
paragraph.
free to practice techniques out loud without the risk of
C) No, because it contradicts the idea presented in
judgment. the first part of the sentence.
MATH
D) No, because the sentence already makes clear

that communication can be stressful.
The Silent Sentinels, led by Alice Paul, spent

12
months engaged in nonviolent protest in front of the
White House. In June 1917, the police arrested over following sentence.
200 women for blocking traffic. 12 Paul and many of The protests that blocked the street
her followers underwent a hunger strike during their began in early 1917.
incarceration to protest the deplorable conditions of the Should the writer make this addition here?
prison, which resulted in many women being force-fed A) Yes, because it provides further details about
the protests of the Silent Sentinels.
and Paul being moved to a psychiatric hospital.
B) Yes, because Alice Paul is an important figure
in both the history of nonviolent protest and
women’s suffrage.
C) No, because it repeats information given earlier
in the paragraph.
D) No, because it does not give a specific date on
which the protests began.
CONTINUE
QUESTIONS PRACTICE
READING
ORDER
[1] There is a great deal of specialization within 1
the field of dietetics. [2] For example, clinical dietitians To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 3
and consultant dietitians assess and provide nutrition should be placed
therapy in very different contexts. [3] There, dietitians A) where it is now.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
may be involved with the treatment of specific food B) before sentence 1.
allergies or the treatment or prevention of food-related C) after sentence 4.
diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis. D) after sentence 5.
[4] Clinical dietitians are often employed directly by
hospitals or care facilities. [5] Although technically not
medical doctors, clinical dietitians work directly with
MATH
doctors and nurses to serve patients who have specific
dietary needs. 1
[1] Black-and-white colobus monkeys are optimal 2

research subjects. [2] They form small groups that To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 3
consist of one dominant adult male monkey and six to should be placed
needs to come after other characteristics A) where it is now.
eight female or juvenile monkeys. [3] What’s more, they
are known for their extremely low rates of intragroup B) after sentence 1.
aggression. [4] When male juveniles reach maturity, they C) after sentence 4.
split from their childhood group in order to form groups D) after sentence 5.
of their own. [5] These monkeys are known for being
highly intelligent, skilled at climbing, and rather lazy.
[6] A primatologist might study these monkey groups
in order to learn why aggression within each group is
so low. [7] The methods these monkeys use to avoid
aggression may have human applications. 2
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
needs to come after a description of a

disparity of a few years
[1] But this disparity of a few years is nothing 3
READING
compared to the disparity of decades in dating the end of To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 1
World War II. [2] Generally, World War II is thought to should be placed
have spanned from September 1, 1939, to September 2, A) where it is now.
1945. [3] These dates, however, are somewhat arbitrary. B) after sentence 4.
[4] A strong case can be made that the German invasion C) after sentence 5.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
of Poland marked the beginning of the war, but several D) after sentence 6.
earlier conflicts deserve consideration. [5] For example,

new topic unrelated to this ¶
the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1935, the German
involvement in the Spanish Civil War of 1936, and the
Japanese invasion of the Soviet Union in 1938 were all
international events that contributed to the development
MATH
of the greater war. [6] Thus some have argued that

WWII actually began as many as four years before the
generally accepted start date. 3
[1] It took a war to secure the right to vote in 4

must come after some kind of struggle
America. [2] Yet, after so much struggle and sacrifice, To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 2
only some individuals gained the hard-won right: in the should be placed
immediate postwar years, only white, landowning men A) where it is now.
were entitled to vote in the newly-created nation. [3] The B) before sentence 1.
American Revolution was fought to escape an oppressive C) after sentence 3.
monarchy and establish a free democracy in which D) after sentence 4.
individuals were given a say in matters of government.

[4] It took another 100 years—and a great deal more
violence—to secure the vote for African-American
males. [5] The Fifteenth Amendment was ratified in
1870 as the nation still reeled in the aftermath of the
Civil War. 4
CONTINUE
QUESTIONS PRACTICE
[1] However, the Constitution most effectively 5
READING
centralized power through the specific structure To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 5
it established for the federal government. [2] The should be placed
Founders allotted distinct powers to the branches of A) where it is now.
the government to create checks and balances, but B) after sentence 1.
they concentrated those powers in the hands of elected C) after sentence 2.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
officials, at a remove from the general population. [3] D) after sentence 3.
Four federal decision-making bodies were established:

the House of Representatives, the Senate, the presidency,
and the Supreme Court. [4] This fact, in combination
with the two-year term designated for House members—
as opposed to six years for senators, four years for the
MATH
president, and a life term for Supreme Court justices—
seems to reflect some reservations about the will of the
average voter. [5] Initially, the officials of only one of
those institutions, the House, were elected by popular
vote. 5 must come after mention of
institutions
[1] This story is memorable but almost certainly 6

not true. [2] The phrase commonly attributed to To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 6
the queen was already in popular circulation by the should be placed
time she was born in 1755. [3] In 1765, Jean-Jacques A) where it is now.
Rousseau, a philosopher and political advisor, wrote in B) after sentence 2.
his Confessions that he had heard the phrase uttered “by C) after sentence 3.
a great princess.” [4] One reason the misattribution is D) after sentence 4.
so pervasive may be that the phrase “let them eat cake”

succinctly epitomized the deep divide between poorer
French people and the aristocracy. [5] Claiming that
Marie Antoinette blithely suggested that the starving
peasants should eat cake if they had no bread served to
underscore the lack of empathy the elites demonstrated
toward the working class in the years before the
Revolution. [6] Though he could not have been referring
to Marie Antoinette, the myth was likely inspired by his
story. 6
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
[1] There are three main types of reciprocity. 7

READING
[2] The first is generalized reciprocity, which is basically To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 6
a form of philanthropy. [3] The giver does not expect should be placed
a return on the value of her gift. [4] Then there is A) where it is now.
balanced reciprocity, which is the equal and relatively B) after sentence 2.
timely exchange of goods or services. [5] The last type C) after sentence 3.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
is negative reciprocity, which is the attempt to get D) after sentence 4.
something whose value exceeds the value of what is

given for it. [6] The giver expects a return whose value
is roughly equivalent to that of his or her gift, such as in
the exchange of holiday presents. 7
MATH
[1] 3D printing opens up a world of possibilities 8

to us. [2] One of the first uses envisioned for it was To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 6
manufacturing, since the technology allows for the should be placed
mass production of identical objects. [3] 3D printers A) where it is now.
have been used to create everything from clothing to B) after sentence 2.
automobile parts to children’s toys. [4] Think of the C) after sentence 3.
money that could be saved if every household had D) after sentence 4.
access to such technology. [5] What if current efforts

are successful in developing printers large enough to
construct entire buildings? [6] With the push of a button,
you can produce such items for only the cost of raw
materials. 8
CONTINUE
QUESTIONS PRACTICE
[1] It is possible that the tragedy of the commons 9
READING
has become exaggerated to the point of uselessness To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 2
in recent years. [2] It is now used more frequently as should be
justification for the acts it warns against rather than A) placed where it is now.
to prevent them. [3] Even when the theory was first B) placed after sentence 3.
postulated, it may have exaggerated the nature of C) placed after sentence 4.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
exploitation. [4] Were it true that all individuals are D) DELETED from the paragraph.
driven to harm society solely by self-interest, there

would be far fewer individuals and societies than there
are at present. [5] The fact that populations somehow
managed to survive to the modern day suggests
that communities are able to successfully share
MATH
resources. 9
not relevant to the
paragraph
[1] It is projected that we will hit that global 10

temperature rise in 2052. [2] In order to prevent this To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 3
from happening, we must limit carbon dioxide emission should be placed
to 46 billion tons by 2030. [3] Scientists have concluded A) where it is now.
that in order to keep global warming in check and B) before sentence 1.
prevent massive changes to our environment, the C) after sentence 1.
temperature cannot rise by another 2°C. [4] At our D) after sentence 4.
current rate, we will exceed that amount by at least 15
billion tons. 10
connects to
sentence 2
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
[1] The reason for some people’s strong aversion to 11

READING
cilantro has been a puzzle for some time, which is only To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 3
now becoming clearer. [2] Based on the assumption should be
that there might be a genetic link to cilantro aversion, a A) placed where it is now.
study was conducted on sets of identical and fraternal B) placed after sentence 1.
twins. [3] Each of the sets was surveyed on both siblings’ C) placed after sentence 4.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
preferences regarding cilantro. [4] The study found D) DELETED from the paragraph.
that 80% of the identical twins were in agreement on

their like or dislike for cilantro, while only 50% of the
fraternal twins agreed. [5] For many scientists, this was
clear evidence that the predisposition against the herb
was genetic. 11
MATH
[1] There are two major concerns about fracking 12

for a growing number of Americans. [2] One of these To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 4
is the effect fracking has on the environment. [3] This should be placed
process uses an enormous quantity of water: up to A) where it is now.
3.5 million gallons are needed for just one well, and B) after sentence 2.
there are hundreds of thousands of wells in the United C) after sentence 5.
States. [4] In order to “frack,” fluid must be injected D) after sentence 6.
into underwater wells. [5] Only half of the water

contaminated by fracking use is recovered; the rest
is lost and can filter into local water sources. [6] This
contamination leads to the second major concern: public
health. [7] The chemicals that leach into the public water
system over time in locations where fracking occurs
have demonstrated harmful and long-term effects on the
local populations. 12
CONTINUE
QUESTIONS PRACTICE
READING
COMBINING SENTENCES
Public defenders are sometimes asked how they 1
can justify working hard on behalf of clients they may Which choice most effectively combines the
privately suspect are 1 guilty. Sometimes the clients sentences at the underlined portion?
are accused of committing heinous crimes. A) guilty; sometimes the clients are accused
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
B) guilty, and sometimes the clients are accused
C) guilty concise!
D) guilty, because sometimes the clients are
accused
MATH
You never know when a fire drill may occur during 2
a lab class full of flaming Bunsen 2 burners. In that Which choice most effectively combines the
situation you have to be ready to roll with the punches. sentences at the underlined portion?
A) burners, and in that situation you have to
B) burners, after which you need to
C) burners, so you must concise!
D) burners, in that case you have to
Biomedical engineers don’t just design and 3

construct items to help the functioning of our Which choice most effectively combines the
3 bodies. On top of that they also design and produce sentences at the underlined portion?
actual body parts. A) bodies: they concise!

B) bodies, because they
C) bodies; they sometimes
D) bodies—as an additional thing they
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
In 2012, a team of researchers published a study 4

READING
entitled Is School Funding Fair? A National Report Which choice most effectively combines the
4 Card. In the report, reviews were made of the sentences at the underlined portion?
performances of all fifty states. A) Card, being a review of
B) Card; in the report were reviews of
C) Card, and in it, reviews were published
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
D) Card, which reviewed concise!
We all know what gift giving 5 is. Gift giving 5

is the presentation of a gift to someone else with the Which choice most effectively combines the
expectation, but not the requirement, of a return in kind. sentences at the underlined portion?
MATH
A) is, being
B) is: concise!
C) is—it is
D) is; namely, it is
People who run often refer to the feeling of 6

euphoria called the 6 “runner’s high.” A runner’s high Which choice most effectively combines the
is a positive feeling that results from the endorphins
A) “runner’s high,” which is concise!
produced by running.
B) “runner’s high.” This is still 2 sentences
C) “runner’s high,” because runner’s high is
D) “runner’s high,” which results in
Then you have 7 humans. Humans can’t even 7

hold up their own heads for months after being born. Which choice most effectively combines the
A) humans, who concise!
B) humans, which creatures
C) humans, and they
D) humans, who develop very slowly and
CONTINUE
QUESTIONS PRACTICE
When the entire sentences are underlined, look for
misplaced modifiers as well as concision.
8 Ebola must be spread through bodily fluids, 8
READING
so general awareness of preventative measures helps Which choice most effectively combines the
contain the disease’s spread. Because of the way in which underlined sentences?
A) The average individual is very unlikely to
Ebola is spread, it is unlikely that an average individual
become infected with Ebola through bodily not
would become infected. fluids, since the disease must be spread in that
concise
way, and general awareness of preventative
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
measures helps contain the disease’s spread.
B) A general awareness of the ways to prevent the
spread of Ebola, which happens through bodily
fluids, makes it unlikely that the average person
would become infected.
C) Because a greater awareness of preventative
measures helps to stop an average individual
MATH
from spreading Ebola through bodily fluids,
most people are unlikely to become infected.
D) A general awareness of the role of bodily fluids
in the spread of Ebola means that an average
person who takes preventative measures is
unlikely to spread or be infected by the disease.
9 One of the areas of focus in the field of child 9

welfare is of growing concern. That area explores the Which choice most effectively combines the
relationship between poverty and nutrition. underlined sentences?
A) The relationship between poverty and nutrition
is an area of concern that is growing within the
field of child welfare.
shouldn’t have commas
B) A growing concern,(in the field of child welfare,)
is that of the relationship between poverty and
nutrition.
C) The field of child welfare is growing by being
concerned about the relationship between
poverty and nutrition. concern is growing, not
child welfare
D) A growing area of concern in the field of child
welfare is the relationship between poverty and
nutrition.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
The best way to address global warming has been 10

READING
highly debated among scientists and politicians for quite Which choice most effectively combines the
some 10 time. This debate does not have an end in sentences at the underlined portion?
sight. A) time, with this debate not having an
B) time, and this debate does not have an
C) time, with no concise!
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
D) time, and there is no
The company could have consulted with a cultural 11

anthropologist familiar with the languages and dialects Which choice most effectively combines the
that exist in 11 China. The differences in languages and sentences at the underlined portion?
MATH
A) China, because the differences

dialects across China are numerous.
B) China, which concise!
C) China; the many different languages and
dialects there
D) China: in that country the languages and dialects
12 No treaty was ever signed by the four Allied 12

Powers and the two German powers. The Allied Powers Which choice most effectively combines the
underlined sentences? doesn’t make sense as a
were the United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, description of “treaty”
A) No treaty, (of the four Allied Powers,) being the
and France, and the two German powers were the
United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain,
German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic and France, was ever signed by the two German
of Germany. powers, which consisted of the German
Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic
of Germany.
B) The treaty, which was never signed,(was
if it wasn’t signed, between)the four Allied Powers, the United
it didn’t exist! States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, and
France, and also the two German powers, the
German Democratic Republic and the Federal
Republic of Germany.
C) The two German powers, which were the German
treaty was b/w Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic
Allied powers & of Germany, never signed the treaty between the
German powers four Allied Powers, namely, the United States, the
Soviet Union, Great Britain, and France.
D) No treaty was ever signed by the four Allied
Powers, the United States, the Soviet Union,
Great Britain, and France, and the two German
powers, the German Democratic Republic and
the Federal Republic of Germany.
CONTINUE
QUESTIONS PRACTICE
Teacher note:
Data and question revised for 7.0
READING
CHARTS AND GRAPHS
Median weekly earnings
Unemployment rate (%) 1
Which choice most accurately and effectively
Median Weekly Earnings and
represents the information in the graph?
Unemployment by Education Level in 2020
WRITING AND
$2,250 16 A) NO CHANGE
LANGUAGE
$1,800 12 B) However, those who do not complete high
$1,350 school are far more likely to be employed than
8
$900 those who earn a master’s degree.
4 C) As might be expected, earning a doctorate
$450
0 secures the greatest financial benefit.
0
eD e
na ree
lD e
e
D) There is no difference in income and

eC a
e
l
c i a lleg
elo egre
re
re
ol hoo
re
m
eg
eg
MATH
eg
eg
So plo
unemployment levels between those who

c
lD
M ’s D
Sc gh S
i
D
r’s
ra
t
r
m
stopped their education after high school and

te
ig Hi
to
sio
ho
as
so
oc
ch
es
e
those who earned an associate degree.

As
m
D
Ba
of
So
Pr
H
People who have earned high school diplomas are

twice as likely to be employed as those who have not.
1 High school graduates will also earn over $100
more per week than will those who don’t graduate.
Teacher note:
Question revised for 7.0
As the figure suggests, 2 those who earn more 2

advanced degrees are more likely to have student loan Which choice makes the writer’s description of the
figure most accurate?
debt.
A) NO CHANGE
B) those people who do not graduate from high
school generally earn the most money.
C) people with professional degrees have a lower
unemployment rate than people with any other
degree.
D) the higher a person’s degree, the better his or
her chances of having a job.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Teacher note:
Data and questions revised for 7.0
Primary energy consumption in 2019
READING
Figure 1 Figure 2
4.3% 3.5%
5% 1.2%
6.4%
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
4.3%
33.1% 30%
27%
54.7% 6.3%
MATH
24.2%
Global India
Oil Gas Coal Nuclear Hydro Renewables
As India is highly dependent on coal, even a modest 3

decrease in its coal use would 3 increase the amount Which choice offers an accurate interpretation of
of money used to develop renewable energy alternatives. the data in figure 2?
A) NO CHANGE
not shown B) make India have almost no reliance on coal.
C) result in coal providing less than half of the
energy India consumes. at 54.7% now
D) increase the amount of nuclear energy
consumed to almost one-quarter.
Compared to global energy usage, India gets 4 a 4

greater percentage of its energy from gas. Which choice best reflects the information provided
in Figures 1 and 2?
A) NO CHANGE
B) a greater percentage of its energy from
renewables.
C) a smaller percentage of its energy from coal.
D) a smaller percentage of its energy from
hydropower.
CONTINUE
QUESTIONS PRACTICE
Per Capita Income

5
READING
Birth Rate Which choice offers an accurate interpretation of
U.S. Birth Rate in Relation the data in the graph?
to Per Capita Income
4.3 $42,500 A) NO CHANGE
3.4 $41,250 B) Although an indirect relationship between the
$40,000 birth rate and income has not been established,
2.6
$38,750
WRITING AND
C) Household income consistently increases as
LANGUAGE
1.7 $37,500
the birth rate decreases, although this does not
0.0 $36,250 prove one trend influences the other;
0 $35,000
D) Although there is some evidence that
92
94
96
98
00
02
04
06
08
10
income and birth rates increase and decrease
19
19
19
19
20
20
20
20
20
20
proportionately, the evidence does not prove
that one directly affects the other;
Having fewer children means that people can invest
MATH
their time and productivity in growing their personal
economies. 5 No information is available about this
possible correlation; the trend could be the result of
one or more other factors that affect both income and
birthrate.
Global Reproductive Rates (R) 6

of Infectious Diseases The writer wants to include information from the
Disease Transmission R figure that is most consistent with the situation
Diphtheria Saliva 6–7 described in the first part of the sentence. Which
Ebola Bodily fluids 1–2 choice most effectively accomplishes that goal?
Hepatitis C Bodily fluids 1–2 A) NO CHANGE
HIV/AIDS Bodily fluids 2–5 B) Americans would be less likely to catch Ebola
than to catch any other disease shown in the
Influenza Airborne droplet 2–3
figure.
Measles Airborne 12–18
C) Americans would be less at risk of catching
Mumps Airborne droplet 4–7 Ebola than of catching any of the airborne
Polio Fecal-oral 5–7 diseases shown in the figure. all have greater
Rubella Airborne droplet 5–7 rates than Ebola
D) more Americans would die of Measles than of
Smallpox Airborne droplet 5–7 any other disease, including Ebola.
SARS Airborne droplet 2–5
not shown
Scientists define a disease’s reproductive rate as the
average number of people who are infected by a single
person. Because of the relatively advanced medical
system in the United States, the reproductive rate for
Ebola is lower than Ebola’s average reproductive rate
worldwide. Even if Ebola were to spread in the United
States at its global rate, 6 most Americans would only
be infected if a family member became infected first. not shown in figure CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Oil Yield (per acre per year) 7

READING
Which choice most accurately and effectively uses

Algae 15,600
Biofuel Feedstock Sources
information from the figure to support the claim

Corn 1,400 the writer has begun to make in this paragraph?
Palm Oil 653 A) NO CHANGE
Rapeseed 127 B) so great a yield per acre that many farmers are
WRITING AND
considering switching to algae production.

LANGUAGE
Sunflower 105
C) from ten to over one hundred times more oil
Soy 51
per acre than other biofuel crops produce.
0 4,000 8,000 12,000 16,000 20,000
D) a statistically meaningless amount more oil than
Gallons
other crops produce.
Algae possesses many more benefits than other
plant-based biofuels. First of all, it produces 7 a truly
MATH
startling amount of oil.
Hydraulic Fracturing Industry 8

Donations to Candidates for U.S. Senate The author is considering adding a sentence here.
2014 Which of the following sentences contains accurate
$3,800,000
data based on the graph and would support the
$900,000 assertion made in the previous sentence?
2012 A) For example, in 2014 the fracking industry
$3,100,000
donated approximately four times as much
$1,100,000 money to candidates running in states with
fracking as it did to candidates in states where
2010 $2,250,000 fracking does not occur.
$1,200,000 not shown
B) The fracking industry is responsible for securing
several U.S. Senate seats in fracking-friendly
2008 $1,175,000 states due to its generous donations.
$560,000 C) The fracking industry is so forward-thinking
2006 that it has increased donations in states both
$880,000
with and without fracking in the last ten years
$490,000 in order to secure future governmental favor.
not shown
2004 $550,000 States with Fracking D) Since 2010, more and more states have
States without Fracking instituted fracking due to the money available
$400,000 through donations from the fracking industry.
Despite the increasing concerns that fracking raises,

the government has been slow to regulate the industry,
perhaps because of the economic support the industry
provides to political candidates. 8
CONTINUE
QUESTIONS PRACTICE
Cilantro Aversion by Geographic Population 9
READING
Which of the following choices is best supported by
Middle East
the data provided in the graph?
Latin America
South Asia A) NO CHANGE
Africa B) a combined half of the entire global population.
Europe
C) most people in areas where cilantro is not
WRITING AND
East Asia
LANGUAGE
native.
0 6 11 17 22 28
D) a majority of East Asians.
Percent of Population with
Self-Reported Cilantro Aversion
It is no wonder that cilantro is not a key ingredient

in some cuisines, since it is disliked by 9 up to one-
MATH
fifth of certain populations.
Annual CO2 Emissions and Average 10

Global Temperatures, 1880–2020 Which choice offers an accurate interpretation of
500 14.9
Tons in Billions
the data in the graph?

Degrees Celsius
14.6
375 14.4 A) NO CHANGE
14.2 B) human activity resulted in a total of 450 billion
250
14.0
13.7 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
125 title of graph includes “Annual”
13.5 C) this figure climbed to 450 billion tons a year.
0 13.3
D) global temperatures exceeded carbon emissions.
80
00
20
40
60
80
00
20
not on the same scale

18
19
19
19
19
19
20
20
CO2
Global Temperature
Since 1959 humans have emitted at least 350 billion

tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually. In
2020, 10 government regulations resulted in a sharp
decline in average global temperatures.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Number of Fracking Wells by State 11

READING
The writer wants to include information from

the graph that is consistent with the description
of the quantity of water needed for fracking
in the passage. Which choice most effectively
accomplishes this goal?
A) NO CHANGE
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Fracking Wells
0 to 1 B) many of the states in the Northeast don’t have
1 to 100
100 to 1,000 any wells at all.
1,000 to 5,000
5,000 to 100,000 C) Texas has more wells than any other state.
D) some individual states contain up to 100,000
wells. emphasizes large amounts of water
MATH
The fracking process uses an enormous quantity of

water: up to 3.5 million gallons are needed for just one
well, and 11 most of them are located in the lower 48
states.
CONTINUE
QUESTIONS PRACTICE
As people worldwide are getting increasingly 12
READING
concerned about the environmental costs of traditional At this point, the writer wants to add specific
energy sources, 12 solar energy is becoming information that supports the main topic of the
paragraph.
increasingly expensive as compared to nuclear energy.
Cost per kwh by Energy Source,
WRITING AND
Historic and Projected
LANGUAGE
Energy
2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025
Source
Solar
30¢ 25¢ 20¢ 15¢ 10¢ 5¢
Cell PV
Nuclear 5¢ 8¢ 12¢ 17¢ 23¢ 30¢
Offshore
6¢ 5¢ 3¢ 3¢ 2¢ 2¢
MATH
Wind
Which choice most effectively completes the

sentence with relevant and accurate information
based on the graph above?
A) NO CHANGE
B) the costs of renewable energy sources, such as
solar and wind power, are dropping.
C) the cost of building nuclear power plants
continues to rise.
not shown
D) solar and wind energy will become so
inexpensive that they will eventually replace
nuclear power altogether. not shown

PUNCTUATION
www.CartoonStock.com
221
SAT MANUAL
READING
GOALS REVIEW
• Apply the Basic Approach to questions dealing with punctuation

• Know where to use STOP, HALF-STOP, and GO punctuation
• Know the four situations in which to use a comma
WRITING AND
• Know the two situations in which to use an apostrophe

LANGUAGE
CONNECTING IDEAS, COMMAS, AND

APOSTROPHES
The list of punctuation rules that the SAT tests is relatively short. In this chap-
MATH
ter, we’ll look at punctuation in three main categories. The rules are dependable:
memorize them and apply them, and you won’t miss punctuation questions.
THE BASIC APPROACH

Punctuation questions usually don’t have actual question stems, just choices in the
answers, so remember your Basic Approach:
Read to the end of a sentence with an underlined portion.

1. ____________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________
Look at answers to see what’s changing.
Use POE
3. ____________________________________________________________
Get students to give
you the steps.

PUNCTUATION
READING
CONNECTING IDEAS
Different types of punctuation are used to connect complete and incomplete ideas
to each other.
WRITING AND
• A complete idea can stand on its own, even if it’s part
LANGUAGE
of a longer sentence.
• An incomplete idea cannot stand on its own and must
be appropriately linked to other information to form a
complete sentence.
MATH
Teacher note:

New sentences for 7.0 Complete Incomplete
i. The SAT is a bad test 7

r r
missing object
ii. Students are studying for 7
r r
missing subject
iii. Has too many questions r 7
r
iv. Because some colleges require it 7
r r
v. It is not good what happens if you take r r
7
away the word “because”?
Still a complete sentence even though it
doesn’t tell us what “it” is
STOP
STOP punctuation is used to connect two complete ideas.
FANBOYS stands for

• Period For, And, Nor, But, Or,
• Semicolon Yet, So
• Comma + FANBOYS
• Question mark
• Exclamation point

SAT MANUAL
The rules of punctuation can seem 1. A) NO CHANGE

READING
C C B) confusing, different
1 confusing, different sources give
sources,
different guidelines for the same situations.
C) confusing. Different
sources
D) confusing different
WRITING AND
sources
LANGUAGE
punctuation
Yes! so
Does STOP punctuation appear in any answer choices?________________________
MATH
Don’t dwell on the Vertical Line Test

specifics of the When you see STOP punctuation in any answer choices, use the Vertical Line
grammar here—it’s Test.
more important for
students to • Draw a vertical line at the place where the punctuation changes in the
recognize complete/ sentence or in the answer choices.
incomplete ideas • Identify each part of the sentence as a complete idea or an
than to know incomplete idea.
exactly what makes
them so.
What comes before the vertical line, a complete or an incomplete idea?
complete
______________________________________________________________________
What comes after the vertical line, a complete or an incomplete idea?
complete
______________________________________________________________________
Yes
Can you use STOP punctuation here? _____________________________________

PUNCTUATION
READING
HALF-STOP
HALF-STOP punctuation is used after a complete idea, and before either a
complete or an incomplete idea.
• Colon
WRITING AND
• Colon
LANGUAGE
•
• Long
Long dash
dash
Looking at the history of punctuation 2. A) NO CHANGE HALF-STOP punctuation

C C in the answer choices is
can be 2 helpful, the number, of B) helpful the number
MATH
another indication to use
punctuation marks commonly used today is C) helpful, the number the Vertical Line Test!
much smaller than in the past. D) helpful: the number
punctuation
Does STOP or HALF-STOP punctuation appear in any answer choices?
Yes
_______________________________________________________________________
Yes
Does the Vertical Line Test apply? ________________________________________

SAT MANUAL
READING
GO
GO punctuation is used any place STOP punctuation is not used:
complete + incomplete, incomplete + complete, or incomplete + incomplete.
WRITING AND
• Comma
LANGUAGE
• No punctuation
On the SAT, a period and Before the invention of the printing 3. A) NO CHANGE
MATH
a semicolon are used I C B) 1400s—books

exactly the same way. press in the 3 1400s, books were read only
If the only difference by the educated and the wealthy. C) 1400s; books
between two answer D) 1400s. Books
choices is a period
versus a semicolon, both
answers are wrong.
punctuation
Yes
______________________________________________________________________

Yes
When you have two Only very wealthy people owned books 4. A) NO CHANGE
incomplete ideas, you I I
because the 4 cost, of the books was so B) cost; of Don’t have to
B) cost;
don’t put any punctuation choose b/w
between them. great. C) cost
C) cost of
period &
D) cost:
D) cost: of
semicolon but do
have to choose
between comma
& no punctuation
What’s changing in the answer choices? punctuation
____________________________________
Yes
______________________________________________________________________
Yes

PUNCTUATION
These volumes had to be transcribed 5. A) NO CHANGE
READING
Whenever you see one
C C
by 5 hand and they were often also B) hand, and of the FANBOYS words
C) hand, underlined, draw vertical
illustrated by hand.
lines before and after it.
D) hand, and, extra comma
Teacher note:
Strategy above
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
revised for 7.0
commas/and
What’s changing in the answer choices? ____________________________________ to be consistent
with ACT
Yes
______________________________________________________________________
MATH
Yes
Teacher note:
For 7.0, new drill below to be done together to review the rules.
OK DRILL
Decide whether the punctuation—or lack thereof—for each question is okay, and
mark the appropriate choice to the right of each question.
OK NOT Type of Punctuation
1. Complete Idea, Complete Idea. �� 7

�� GO
2. Incomplete Idea. Complete Idea. ��

7 STOP
3. Complete Idea (nothing) Incomplete Idea. 7

�� GO
4. Complete Idea, FANBOYS Complete Idea. 7
�� STOP
5. Complete Idea; Incomplete Idea. �� 7

�� STOP
6. Incomplete Idea, Complete Idea. 7

�� GO
7. Complete Idea; Complete Idea. 7

�� STOP
8. Complete Idea? Incomplete Idea. �� 7

�� STOP
9. Incomplete Idea (nothing) Incomplete Idea. ��

7 �� GO
10. Complete Idea, Incomplete Idea. ��

7 �� GO
11. Complete Idea! Complete Idea. ��

7 �� STOP
12. Incomplete Idea: Complete Idea. �� 7

�� 1/2 STOP

SAT MANUAL
READING
OK NOT Type of Punctuation

1/2 STOP 13. Complete Idea—Complete Idea. 7
��
I GO
GO |
14. Complete Idea BECAUSE Amy wanted an ice cream 7
��
cone. STOP
I
|
WRITING AND
STOP 15. ALTHOUGH Liz loved pink; Complete Idea. �� 7

�� GO
LANGUAGE
C I STOP
GO | |
16. Anne went shopping AND bought some boots. ��
7 ��
I
STOP
GO |
17. WHEN John wants a treat, Complete Idea. 7
��
GO
FANBOYS
STOP
MATH
w/o comma
COMMAS STOP
There are four reasons to use a comma on the SAT. STOP (comma + FANBOYS)
and GO punctuation are two of them. GO
GO
When there’s a list in a STOP

sentence, the “, and”
In a List of Three or More
doesn’t count as STOP Most books prior to the 1400s were 6. A) NO CHANGE
1/2 STOP
punctuation. B) capitalization, need “and”
written in scriptura continua, which had
no spaces, no 6 capitalization; and, no C) capitalization, and
punctuation marks. D) capitalization, and,

extra comma
punctuation
Is there a list in the sentence? Yes. If you recognize there’s a list in the sen-
_____________________________________________
tence, there’s no need to do the VLT for the
semicolon in A.

PUNCTUATION
READING
Before and After Unnecessary Information
This is not to say that there was no 7. A) NO CHANGE
Parentheses or dashes
punctuation before this time, however. B) marks (called dicolons can also be used to
As early as the fifth century BCE, the Greeks C) marks, called dicolons, separate unnecessary
information from the rest
sometimes used punctuation 7 marks, D) marks called dicolons
WRITING AND
of the sentence.
LANGUAGE
called dicolons and tricolons, to help with
extra comma
the oral transmission of their texts.
What’s changing in the answer choices? punctuation

____________________________________
(mostly commas)
MATH
Which comma rule applies here? __________________________________________
Unnecessary info
sentence doesn’t
make sense if you
take the phrase
b/w commas out
The 8 number of vertically-arranged 8. A) NO CHANGE
dots told speakers the appropriate length of B) number, of vertically-
arranged dots,
pauses.
C) number, of vertically-
arranged dots
no reason for just D) number of vertically-
one comma arranged dots,
commas
none—so pick an answer with no commas

Which comma rule applies here? __________________________________________
Do You Really Need That? necessary, so no commas
i. Although rules exist for using commas, anyone __ who has mastered
grammar __ can use a comma in an unexpected way for extra effect.
ii. , ,
The Oxford comma __ also known as the serial comma __ is one of
the most highly contested concepts in English punctuation.
iii. The Englishman __ Frederick Howard Collins __ was the first to

include the Oxford comma in a style manual.watch out for names—
they are not always
unnecessary. In this case,
the sentence doesn’t make
sense if you remove the
name.
SAT MANUAL
phrases starting with “which” are usually

unnecessary
READING
iv. ,
The primary argument against the Oxford comma __ which is that
,
it’s simply not always necessary __ dates back to the days when type-
setting was done by hand and any extra characters made more work
for typesetters. phrases starting with “that” are always nec-
essary (i.e., no commas)
v. The style manuals __ that advocate for the use of the Oxford comma
WRITING AND
__ include the MLA Handbook and The Chicago Manual of Style.

LANGUAGE
Don’t Comma Round Here No More

Some other languages, such as early 9. A) NO CHANGE
Chinese and Mayan, worked in pictograms or B) syllables, rather than
MATH
individual letters and

9 syllables rather than individual letters,
thus, had no need, for
and thus, had no need for punctuation, at all. punctuation,
C) syllables rather than,
individual letters and,
thus, had no need for
punctuation,
D) syllables rather than
individual letters and
thus had no need for
punctuation
commas
No
Do any of the comma rules apply? _________________________________________
There are four reasons to use commas on the SAT:

1. STOP punctuation with one of the FANBOYS
2. GO punctuation
3. In a list of three or more
4. Before and after unnecessary information
If you can’t cite one of these reasons, don’t use a comma!

PUNCTUATION
READING
APOSTROPHES
Apostrophes are used for possession and contraction. As with commas, if you can’t
cite a reason to use an apostrophe, don’t use one.
With the introduction of the printing 10. A) NO CHANGE

press, authors and printers began to B) language’s rules’
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
standardize the 10 language’s rules C) languages’ rule’s
regarding punctuation. D) languages rules
need apostrophe

apostrophes
MATH
Does anything belong to language? Yes No
______ What about rules? _________________
Put this on the board!
Nouns (not including pronouns) with

apostrophes are possessive.
Rewrite the following phrases using apostrophes.
i. essay’s
The theme of the essay Ô the ________________________________ theme
ii. authors’
The findings of the authors Ô the __________________________ findings
people’s
iii. The favorite writer of the people Ô the _________________favorite writer
plurals that don’t end in s get ’s
Teacher note:
For 7.0, we got rid of the “octopus’s” example.
This is a disputed area of punctuation, so it
would not be tested on the SAT, and there-
fore you don’t need to go over it unless a
student asks.

SAT MANUAL
Let students choose where to start—need

“it’s” and “their”
If you’re unsure whether These indicators eventually became the 11. A) NO CHANGE
READING
a pronoun needs an
punctuation marks that we use today, and B) its because of these
apostrophe, expand it
marks that writers can
out! If the verb makes 11 it’s because of these marks that writers
sense, use an
share there
can share their words with such a vast group
apostrophe. C) it’s because of these
of readers. marks that writers can
share they’re
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
D) its because of these

marks that writers can
share they’re
apostrophes
MATH
Yes—it is
Is either of the pronouns a contraction? ____________________________________
Put this on the board!
Pronouns with apostrophes are contractions. Possessive

pronouns never have apostrophes.
How Does That Sound?

Your ear won’t help you with apostrophes! Beware of the following commonly
confused words.
Possessive Pronouns Pronoun Contractions

• Their • They’re (They are)
• Its • It’s (It is/It has)
• Your • You’re (You are)
• Whose • Who’s (Who is/Who has)
We haven’t seen these two on the SAT (yet?) but it’s/

its and they’re/their show up a lot

PUNCTUATION
READING
punctuation questions.
PUNCTUATION DRILL
WRITING AND
Time: 8 minutes
LANGUAGE
Questions 1–11 are based on the following passage.
A Period History, Comma Get Some Knowledge 1

Punctuation had gained traction throughout the A) NO CHANGE
MATH
C C B) Ages, but
Middle 1 Ages, it was mainly elocutionary (for oral
speech) rather than syntactical (for written speech). C) Ages but
unnecessary D) Ages. But period & FANBOYS is overkill
Ben Jonson’s English 2 Grammar,(written in 1617
info
but published in 1640,) was among the first works to
propose standard syntactical punctuation. The idea 2
C I
caught on 3 quickly, because, readers appreciated A) NO CHANGE
the new clarification that came with it. By the 1800s, B) Grammar written in 1617 but published in 1640
enthusiasm for punctuation had grown, and some style C) Grammar, written in 1617, but published in
4 manual’s guideline’s for commas included usages 1640,
that we would find distracting today. D) Grammar written in 1617 but published in 1640,
too few commas
3
A) NO CHANGE
B) quickly; because
C) quickly. Because,
D) quickly because
4
A) NO CHANGE
need apostrophe
B) manuals guidelines
C) manuals’ guidelines’
D) manuals’ guidelines

SAT MANUAL
Punctuation as we use it today was part of a 5

READING
movement that began in Britain in 1906, when the A) NO CHANGE not “they are”
Fowler brothers, Henry Watson and Francis George, B) its “brothers” is plural
published 5 they’re guide to The King’s English, which C) their

advised light punctuation. By that point, commas, semi- D) there not a pronoun
colons, 6 apostrophes, and colons had become so
WRITING AND
unnecessary
LANGUAGE
arcane that many of the newcomers to literacy,(such as

info 6
those in the growing middle 7 class,) were intimidated
A) NO CHANGE list
and confused. It is because of the Fowlers that we now
B) apostrophes: and
use punctuation only when we have a good reason to do
C) apostrophes, need “and”
so, in a 8 limited and specific number, of instances.
D) apostrophes; and
We can thank the Fowler brothers for the fact that
MATH
the period is much better known 9 today, than the

C I 7
semicolon is, and for the near death of the subjunctive
mood. A) NO CHANGE
B) class were intimidated need comma
C) class—were intimidated
D) class, were intimidated,
extra comma
8
A) NO CHANGE no comma rules apply
B) limited, and specific number:
C) limited and specific number
D) limited—and specific number
9
A) NO CHANGE
B) today than the semicolon is
C) today than the semicolon is,
D) today than the semicolon is;

PUNCTUATION
American English has followed much the same 10
READING
C I
course as British 10 English. Though the strictest A) NO CHANGE
C C removing “though” makes
grammar treatises tend to come from American sources. B) English,
C I 2nd half complete
Such grammatical precision is nowhere more on display C) English. Whereas
singular
than in standardized tests for college admissions: each D) English, though
of these tests measures 11 it’s test takers’ abilities to
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
follow such rules.
11
A) NO CHANGE not “it is”
B) they’re
C) their
D) its
MATH

SAT MANUAL
Summary
• You should use the Vertical Line Test when
STOP or HALF-STOP punctuation
you see ______________________________
in the answer choices.
• What kind of punctuation can only come

between two complete ideas?
Period
_____________________________________
Semicolon
_____________________________________
Comma & FANBOYS

_____________________________________
Question mark
_____________________________________
Exclamation point
_____________________________________
• What kind of punctuation can never come

between two complete ideas? GO:
comma (w/o FANBOYS)

_____________________________________
no punctuation
_____________________________________
• HALF-STOP punctuation must come

after
__________ a complete idea.
• What are the four reasons to use a comma

on the SAT?
1. w/FANBOYS—STOP
_____________________________________
2. GO
_____________________________________

_____________________________________
4. Before & after unnecessary info

_____________________________________
• What are the two reasons to use an

apostrophe on the SAT?
1. w/a noun = possession

_____________________________________
2. w/a pronoun = contraction

_____________________________________
• What should you do if you can’t cite a

reason to use a comma or an apostrophe?
Don’t use one

_____________________________________
• I have accomplished _________ of the 4

goals stated at the beginning of this chapter.

PUNCTUATION
PRACTICE
237
SAT MANUAL
READING
STOP, HALF-STOP, AND GO
Included in these codes was the Sixth 1

C I A) NO CHANGE
1 Amendment: the right to free counsel for indigent
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
defendants. B) Amendment need punctuation

C) Amendment;
D) Amendment, and
MATH
A prominent U.S. phone company attempted 2

to market its services in Saudi Arabia through an A) NO CHANGE
advertisement that featured an executive speaking on B) viewer, because
the phone with his feet propped up on the desk in front C) viewer because
C
of him, exposing the soles of his shoes to the 2 viewer, D) viewer; because
C
because, the soles of shoes are viewed as unclean in Arab
culture, the ad caused the same sort of offense that an ad
in the United States of someone flipping the bird to the
viewer might cause.
Accurately representing the intended meaning of 3

a word can be very difficult when dealing with what A) NO CHANGE
C I
translators call 3 “UN-speak”; language that can be B) “UN-speak” language need punctuation
ambiguous and technocratic. C) “UN-speak.” Language
D) “UN-speak”—language
Her specialty within primatology is 4

C C
4 psychology; she is primarily concerned with A) NO CHANGE
studying the behavior of specific monkey groups to B) psychology, she
better understand their psychological processes and C) psychology she
decision-making. D) psychology;
CONTINUE
PUNCTUATION PRACTICE
I I 5
The fairness measurements 5 included; funding
READING
A) NO CHANGE
level, funding distribution, effort, and coverage.
B) included:
C) included
D) including makes sentence incomplete
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
It is no coincidence that those elected to the 6
C I
House serve the shortest 6 term; a two-year term, as A) NO CHANGE
opposed to six years for senators, four years for the B) term: a
president, and a life term for Supreme Court justices. C) term, a equivalent
D) term. A
MATH
The theory pertains to any use of shared 7
C I A) NO CHANGE
7 resources; the office refrigerator, the highway,
equivalent
or the internet. B) resources. The
C) resources: the
D) resources the
I I
Symptoms 8 include: fever, headache, muscle 8
pain, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, and hemorrhage. A) NO CHANGE
B) include,
C) include;
D) include
Only half of the water contaminated by fracking 9

C C
is 9 recovered; the rest is lost and can filter into local A) NO CHANGE
water sources. B) recovered—the rest,
C) recovered the rest
D) recovered, the rest
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Recently, engineers built the first 3D bioprinting 10

READING
C C
production 10 system, it is hoped that someday it will A) NO CHANGE
have the capacity to print organs and body parts from B) system; it is hoped
I
layers of living tissue. C) system, it is hoped:
D) system, it is, hoped
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
C C
There are no tests that can be 11 run; there are no 11
control and test planets waiting for experimentation in a A) NO CHANGE
C I
laboratory closet. B) run;
MATH
C) run; and there are semicolon & FANBOYS is

C C overkill
D) run, there are
Primatologists want to learn why 12 aggression in 12

monkey groups is so low? A) NO CHANGE not asking a question
B) aggression in monkey groups, is so low?
C) aggression in monkey groups is so low.
D) aggression, in monkey groups, is so low.
no comma rules apply
Was Henry simply trying to find a way to free 13

himself for marriage to the woman who would become A) NO CHANGE
C I
his second 13 wife, Anne Boleyn? B) wife;
equivalent
C) wife.
D) wife
wife
need another dash

Their second point—perhaps the most convincing 14
14 one,) is that it is hypocritical of the United States A) NO CHANGE
to limit trade with Cuba based on democratization and B) one, is that:
human rights failings but to trade freely with other C) one—is that
countries that have worse human rights records. D) one—is that,
CONTINUE
To compensate for the loss of cow dung as fuel, 15
READING
unnecessary info
(which would be a problem if cows were raised for A) NO CHANGE
I C
15 slaughter,) India would require 43 million additional B) slaughter—
tons of coal per year. C) slaughter need 2nd comma
D) slaughter;
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Of course, many scientists say that the changes 16
in weather patterns we are observing now are that A) NO CHANGE
C I
16 proof—that climate change is happening. B) proof; that
I C
C) proof that—
C I
MATH
D) proof, and that
Everything known about global warming is 17

17 based on recorded, observational, data and A) NO CHANGE too many commas
I I
projections. B) based on: recorded observational
I I
C) based on; recorded, observational
D) based on recorded observational
I C
Only about three decades 18 old; this technology 18
has exploded in the last third of its life. A) NO CHANGE
I C
B) old; however this
C) old, this equivalent
D) old. This
These periods of extreme cold were the result of a 19

C C
break in the 19 Northern Polar Vortex, the polar vortex A) NO CHANGE
is often inaccurately blamed for cold spells caused by C C
B) Northern, Polar Vortex
other factors. C) Northern Polar Vortex: but colon & FANBOYS is
C C
D) Northern Polar Vortex, but overkill
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Many bugs also carry aldehyde chemicals on their 20

READING
C C
20 skin. It is this chemical that is responsible for the A) NO CHANGE
C C
well-known and universally loathed aroma of the stink B) skin, it is this
I I
bug. C) skin, it is this:
I I
D) skin. It is this—
WRITING AND
need opening parenthesis

LANGUAGE
Hydraulic 21 fracturing, commonly known as 21

“fracking”) is accomplished by pumping fracturing fluid A) NO CHANGE
into a drilled well in order to increase pressure at a B) fracturing—commonly
specific depth within the well. C) fracturing: commonly
MATH
D) fracturing (commonly
Evolutionary theory is the belief in changing traits 22

I I
22 in, organisms over time due to natural selection. A) NO CHANGE
B) in; organisms
C) in organisms equivalent
D) in. Organisms
I I
At the time of that 23 study. This area of the 23
country was experiencing a considerable economic A) NO CHANGE
decline. B) study, this
C) study—this equivalent
D) study; this
Solar water heaters are water-filled glass panels that 24

I
absorb the heat of the sun; such heaters 24 provide, A) NO CHANGE
I
hot water without the use of gas or electricity. B) provide;
C) provide:
D) provide
CONTINUE
READING
COMMAS
For each answer you choose that contains a comma, indicate which comma rule applies. If no rule applies, choose
the answer with no commas.
COMMA RULES
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
1. STOP punctuation with one of the FANBOYS words
2. GO punctuation
4. Before and after unnecessary information
MATH
Many advising dietitians work for food service 1
providers for institutions, such 1 as prisons, schools, A) NO CHANGE
I I
hospitals, and nursing facilities. B) as: prisons, schools, hospitals and nursing
C) as, prisons, schools, hospitals and nursing
D) as prisons, schools, hospitals and nursing,
need comma
3
Rule: _________ before “and”
Service animals have been observed to be very 2

unnecssary
2 helpful(for example,)when working with individuals A) NO CHANGE
diagnosed with intellectual disorders such as autism. B) helpful, for example, when working with
individuals diagnosed with intellectual
disorders, such as, necessary phrase
C) helpful, for example, when working with
disorders such as
D) helpful, for example when working with
disorders, such as,
4
Rule: _________ Need comma after “for
example”
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
C I
The agreement was 3 provisional, and could only 3
READING
be finalized, once the German government had been A) NO CHANGE

established and then agreed to the terms. B) provisional and could only be finalized,
C) provisional, and could only be finalized
D) provisional and could only be finalized
WRITING AND
none
Rule: _________
LANGUAGE
unnecessary
This 4 was,(of course,)the American Revolution, 4
fought to escape an oppressive monarchy and establish a A) NO CHANGE
free democracy in which voices were given equal value. B) was of course
C) was, of course
MATH
D) was of course,
4
Rule: _________
I I
Fracking has 5 immense, but economic benefits. 5
A) NO CHANGE
B) immense,
C) immense
I I
D) immense, and
none
Rule: _________
Other powers included controlling the bankruptcy 6

process, coining and regulating 6 money, and, A) NO CHANGE
punishing counterfeiting and piracy. B) money, and punishing counterfeiting
list: 1) controlling bankruptcy C) money and punishing, counterfeiting,
2) coining & regulating money D) money, and punishing, counterfeiting
3) punishing counterfeiting and piracy
3
Rule: _________
CONTINUE
The 7 boys, evaluated in the study, showed signs 7
READING
of obesity in terms of body mass index and triceps skin- A) NO CHANGE these are
fold measurements. B) boys—evaluated in the study— equivalent so they’re
C) boys evaluated in the study
both wrong
D) boys evaluated, in the study, necessary
WRITING AND
none
Rule: _________
LANGUAGE
There are great differences of opinion between 8
proponents of the theory of evolution and proponents A) NO CHANGE
C C
of the theory of 8 creationism, the two theories have B) creationism, but
more common ground than is commonly recognized. C) creationism, but,
MATH
D) creationism
1
Rule: _________
necessary
In 9 1890,(the Bureau of the Census,)declared 9
the end of the land frontier in America. A) NO CHANGE
B) 1890, the Bureau, of the Census declared, too many
commas!
C) 1890 the Bureau of the Census, declared
D) 1890, the Bureau of the Census declared
“In 1890” is
4
Rule: _________ unnecessary
States with progressive funding scored higher 10

necessary
10 overall,(in this category,)than did regressive or flat- A) NO CHANGE
rate states. B) overall, in this category
C) overall in this category,
D) overall in this category
none
Rule: _________
C C
She began to feel 11 better, she was able to return 11
to school the following day. A) NO CHANGE
B) better, and
C) better, but no contrast
D) better and
1
Rule: _________
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
An epidemiologist studies the 12 patterns, causes, 12

READING
and effects, of health and disease conditions in specific A) NO CHANGE too many
populations. B) patterns, causes, and effects, of health, commas!
C) patterns and causes and effects of health too many
D) patterns, causes, and effects of health ands
WRITING AND
3
Rule: _________
LANGUAGE
That is nothing compared to what it would take to 13

unnecessary
run an entire commercial 13 building,(let alone a city A) NO CHANGE
or state,)on solar energy. B) building, let alone a city, or state
C) building let alone a city, or state
MATH
D) building, let alone a city, or state, too many

commas
4
Rule: _________
Even the term “selection” 14 implies, informed, if 14

not intelligent, choice. A) NO CHANGE too many commas
B) implies informed, if not intelligent
necessary
C) implies informed,(if not,)intelligent
D) implies informed,(if not intelligent,)
unnecessary
4
Rule: _________
Based on these findings, the 15 scientists, 15

necessary
( conducting the study,)determined that the children A) NO CHANGE
demonstrated signs of both under-nutrition and over- B) scientists conducting the study
nutrition concurrently. C) scientists, conducting the study
D) scientists conducting the study,
none
Rule: _________
unnecessary
Mental 16 well-being—one
( of the most important 16
) often overlooked by patients
aspects of our health—is A) NO CHANGE
and doctors alike. B) well-being one of the most important aspects of
our health
C) well-being—one of the most important
aspects—of our health,
D) well-being, one of the most important aspects of
our health missing comma
4
Rule: _________ (A) doesn’t CONTINUE
246 | © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC have commas, but the rule for
putting in the dashes is still #4.
READING
APOSTROPHES
singular
y Instantaneous interpretation is a demanding task. 1
1 Its even more pressure-filled when the success of a A) NO CHANGE
peace agreement or international settlements is at stake. B) Its’ not a word
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
C) They’re plural
D) It’s “it is” works
plural
Pharmaceuticals can be designed in a variety of 2
MATH
ways: 2 their able to pinpoint specific areas of the A) NO CHANGE
body and can time-release differing levels of dosages in a B) it’s singular
single pill. C) there not a pronoun
D) they’re “they are” works
singular
Due to the strong support fracking has received 3
based on its economic benefits, 3 its unlikely to end A) NO CHANGE
any time soon. B) they’re plural
C) it’s “it is” works
D) their plural
plural
Polar vortices are repetitive large-scale cyclones 4
that circle 4 its respective geographical poles. A) NO CHANGE singular
B) their
C) they’re “they are” doesn’t work
D) it’s singular
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
5 There are no tests that can be run; there are no 5

READING
control and test planets waiting for experimentation in a A) NO CHANGE

laboratory closet. B) Their no possession
C) They’re “They are” doesn’t work
D) They nothing for this to refer to
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
3D printers have been used to create everything 6

from clothing to automobile parts to 6 childrens toys. A) NO CHANGE need apostrophe
B) childrens’ toy’s.
C) childrens’ toys. wrong aprostrophe placement
MATH
D) children’s toys.
Each set of twins was surveyed to elicit both 7

7 siblings attitude’s towards cilantro. A) NO CHANGE
B) siblings attitudes need apostrophe
C) siblings’ attitudes
D) sibling’s attitude’s
There was stronger evidence of over-nutrition based 8

on the 8 participant’s diet’s. A) NO CHANGE
B) participants’ diets.
C) participant’s diets’.
D) participants diets. need apostrophe
Scientists define a 9 disease’s reproductive rate 9

as the average number of people who are infected by a A) NO CHANGE
single person. B) diseases’ singular
C) diseases
need apostrophe
D) disease
CONTINUE
Without equal numbers of healthy young people 10
READING
paying into an insurance program, the 10 costs of older A) NO CHANGE need apostrophe
peoples health care cannot be met. B) costs’ of older peoples
C) costs of older people’s
D) costs of older peoples’ wrong apostrophe placement
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
singular
The size of a 11 countries population is affected 11
by the quality of prenatal and neonatal medical care A) NO CHANGE
plural
available. B) countries’ need apostrophe
C) countrys
MATH
D) country’s
In 2003, one of Meucci’s drawings of a prototype 12

telettrofono was published by the Italian Postal and A) NO CHANGE
singular
Telegraph Service on a stamp commemorating his B) it’s “it is” works
achievement; 12 its still in use today. C) their
plural
D) they’re
plural
Epidemiologists who work through observation 13
must be descriptive in 13 they’re approach to disease A) NO CHANGE “they are” doesn’t work
and health. B) their
C) there need possessive pronoun
D) its singular
The only way global warming can be scientifically 14

proven is for it to happen. Scientists say that the changes A) NO CHANGE not a word
we are observing constitute that proof—that 14 its’ B) its
happening right now. C) it’s “it is” works
D) there
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
A polar vortex affects other areas of the globe 15

READING
when there is a break in the polar jet stream: in 1985, A) NO CHANGE

the United States suffered one of 15 its worst weather B) it’s “it is” doesn’t work
singular
events due to a break in the arctic polar vortex C) their plural
D) its’ not a word
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Some people give money to 16 charities because 16

their invested in a particular cause. A) NO CHANGE
B) charity’s because they’re
C) charity’s because their
D) charities because they’re “they are” works
MATH
nothing belongs to charities so no

apostrophes necessary
Public defenders save the legal system and the 17

American public a great deal of time and money: A) NO CHANGE need possessive
17 there representation of the less fortunate helps B) their
prevent appeals due to inadequate counsel. C) they’re “they are” doesn’t work
D) that is
singular
From 1939 to 1999, the Democratic Party 18
experienced a six-point decrease in 18 its membership; A) NO CHANGE
during the same period, Republican Party members B) it’s “it is” doesn’t work
decreased by just three points. C) their plural
D) there need possessive
19
The National 19 Womens Party members, led
A) NO CHANGE need apostrophe
by Alice Paul, were arrested while picketing outside the
B) Women’s Party members,
White House for the right to vote.
C) Womens’ Party member’s, nothing belongs
D) Womens Party members’, to members
CONTINUE
nothing belongs to endorphins

A 20 runners’ high, caused by endorphin’s the 20
READING
body produces in response to exercise, produces a A) NO CHANGE
temporary state of euphoria. B) runners high, caused by endorphins’
C) runners high, caused by endorphins need apostrophe
D) runner’s high, caused by endorphins
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
It should come as no surprise that countries 21
differ from one another; it could even be said that A) NO CHANGE
21 difference’s are why countries exist. B) difference’s are why countries’
C) differences are why countries no apostrophe rules
MATH
D) differences are why country’s apply
22 Dog’s can sense spikes and dips in the blood 22

sugar of a person with diabetes and the onset of a seizure A) NO CHANGE
in a person with epilepsy. B) Dogs can sense spikes no rules apply
C) Dog’s can sense spike’s
D) Dogs’ can sense spikes
23 Turtles’ eggs’ are buried deep in the sand on 23

beaches and then deserted. A) NO CHANGE
nothing belongs to eggs
B) Turtles egg’s
C) Turtles’ eggs
D) Turtles eggs need apostrophe
Based on these 24 findings, the scientists

24
conducting the study determined that the children
A) NO CHANGE no rules apply
demonstrated signs of both under-nutrition and over-
B) finding’s, the scientists
nutrition concurrently.
C) finding’s, the scientists’
D) findings, the scientist’s

WORDS
PART II
A synonym is a word you use when you can’t spell the

other one.
—Baltasar Gracián
253
SAT MANUAL
READING
GOALS REVIEW
• Know what to look for when the number of words changes in the
answer choices and the most concise one doesn’t work
• Know how to make lists and comparisons consistent
WRITING AND
• Know how to choose the most precise words when dealing with
LANGUAGE
idioms and frequently confused words
COMPLETE SENTENCES
get students to transitions
In Words Part I, you saw how __________________, verbs
__________________, and
MATH
give you these pronouns

__________________ consistent
must be __________________ with the sentences in which
answers precise
they appear and must provide the most __________________ meaning.
Sometimes, changing those words in a sentence can produce an incomplete idea or

a run-on sentence. only one that has two complete ideas to
go with the non-underlined semicolon
Game theory is the study of 1. A) NO CHANGE
C C B) examining
modern decision-making; 1 it
examines how people’s decisions are C) it having examined
influenced by factors such as conflict, D) to examine
cooperation, loss, and gain. All make second
part of sentence
incomplete
words (verb form)

How does adding the -ing ending to the verb change the second part of the sen-
tence?
makes it incomplete
_______________________________________________________________________
How does removing the word it change the second part of the sentence?
makes it incomplete
_______________________________________________________________________

WORDS PART II
both have 2 com-

The origin of modern game theory 2. A) NO CHANGE plete ideas, which
READING
can be traced back to the Hungarian- B) he was writing doesn’t work with
nonunderlined
American mathematician John von C) who wrote
C C comma
Neumann, 2 he wrote the book D) whose writing of
makes whole sentence incomplete
Theory of Games and Economic Behavior
WRITING AND
in 1944.
LANGUAGE
words (wrote/writing; he/who/whose)
How does changing the pronoun change the second part of the sentence?
MATH
removing “he” makes it incomplete
_______________________________________________________________________
The book described human 3. A) NO CHANGE There’s more

C C
B) countermoves, information on sub-
behavior as a pattern of moves and C I
C I C) countermoves; because ordinating
3 countermoves. Because the goal of C C conjunctions in
such behavior is the greatest individual D) countermoves:
Grammar 101
benefit.
punctuation; because
yes
Does the Vertical Line Test apply? ______________
___________________________
What does adding the word because do to the second part of the sentence?
makes it incomplete
_______________________________________________________________________

SAT MANUAL
READING
IDIOMS, HOMOPHONES, AND SLANG

Some Writing and Language questions test you on phrases that follow individual
rules: these are called idioms. You can usually spot them because prepositions are
changing in the answers. Use POE! “look for” and “mastery of” are
appropriate idioms—start with either
one.
Pre-Victorian British novels are 4. A) NO CHANGE
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
not the first place most people would B) for mastery of

look 4 to mastery of game theory. C) to mastery in
D) for mastery with
preposition
MATH
With idioms, use POE to get rid of the answers you know for sure are wrong. If
you still have more than one answer left, make your best guess.
i.e., don’t get stuck
Jane Austen, who was born 125 5. A) NO CHANGE

years 5 earlier then von Neumann B) sooner then
was, is considered by many a master of C) more early than
game theory. D) earlier than
early/earlier/sooner; then/than
then = time; than = comparison

What’s the difference between then and than? _______________________________
Teacher note:
Both “affect” and “effect”
The only frequently confused words that are regularly tested on the SAT, and
can be used as either therefore worth memorizing, are then/than and affect/effect.
verbs or nouns, but the
most common uses are affect = verb, effect = noun
What’s the difference between affect and effect? ______________________________
as you see on the right.
This is how the words If you see any other homophones tested (such as principle and principal or cite and
are tested on the SAT, site), as with idioms, just do your best with POE and move on!
so that’s what students
should know. again, don’t get stuck

WORDS PART II
Just as economists use game theory 6. A) NO CHANGE
READING
to describe modern consumer behavior, B) work
game theory can also be applied to the C) finesse slangy
ways in which Austen’s characters D) toy with
6 engage in the social rituals of
WRITING AND
courtship and marriage.
LANGUAGE
vocabulary
(B), (C), & (D)

Which choices are slangy? _____________________________________
___________
MATH
You saw questions that asked about style and tone in the Questions chapter; these
problems can also appear without a question.
Teacher note:
PARALLELISM
When there’s a list or a comparison in a Writing and Language passage, the things
being listed or compared all need to match.
In Pride and Prejudice, Mrs. Bennet’s 7. A) NO CHANGE

schemes, such as predicting that it will B) sending her daughter on parallelism in a list
rain, 7 a horseback arrangement, horseback,
and forcing Jane to stay overnight, are C) when she sends her
daughter on horseback,
designed to help her daughters find
D) to send her daughter on
husbands.
horseback,
wording
predicting, sending, forcing

What is the list in the sentence? ___________________________________________

SAT MANUAL
The strategies Mrs. Bennet uses to 8. A) NO CHANGE

READING
Parallelism in a
find husbands for her five daughters are B) the game of chess.
comparison “those” =
similar to 8 chess. C) those used in chess.
strategies
D) how she plays chess.
WRITING AND
how chess is described

LANGUAGE
strategies Mrs. Bennet uses &

What two things are being compared? _____________________________________
strategies for chess
MATH
plural Modern game theory usually treats 9. A) NO CHANGE singular
Noun agreement players as 9 an equally informed B) an equally informative

opponent. opponent.
C) equally informed
opponents.
D) an equally informed
opponents.
opponent vs. opponents

What else in the sentence does the underlined portion need to be consistent with?
“players”
_______________________________________________________________________

WORDS PART II
Teacher note:
READING
MODIFIERS
When the order of words in the answers changes, look for a misplaced modifier—
either a single word or a descriptive phrase. A modifier should be placed as close as
possible to the thing it describes.
Often unaware of the ways in 10. A) NO CHANGE
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
which they are being manipulated, B) Jane Austen’s characters
10 the characters’ situations in Jane are truer to life than the
hypothetical ones typically
Austen’s books are more real than those discussed in game theory.
discussed in game theory. C) game theory typically
discusses more
hypothetical players and
MATH
situations than the ones
Jane Austen does, which
are truer to life.
D) Jane Austen’s books deal
with truer to life characters
and situations than the
hypothetical ones that
game theory typically deals
with.
order of words
What does the modifying phrase in the non-underlined portion of the sentence
describe?
Austen’s characters
_______________________________________________________________________

SAT MANUAL
The following drill does not include a typical set of passage questions. Instead, it is made up of individual questions
READING
taken from several passages. Use this set to practice the topics covered in the previous lesson.
Teacher note:
WORDS PART II DRILL New drill for 7.0
Time: 8 minutes
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
These changes have not been universally celebrated: 1 then vs. than
there is some argument within the field over whether A) NO CHANGE
the discipline is more vital 1 then it was twenty years B) then it was twenty years ago.
prior. C) rather than twenty years prior. need “it”
D) than it was twenty years ago.
MATH
Washington Irving published a highly fictionalized 2

biography of Columbus, The History of the Life and A) NO CHANGE
misplaced modifer—must
describe Irving
Voyages of Christopher Columbus, in 1828. 2 The most B) As the most popular rendition of the Columbus
widely read version of the story, Irving became one of tale,
the most notorious mythmakers in history. C) As the discoverer of the New World,
D) As the author of the most widely read version of
Columbus’s story,
Many think it would be a 3 most charitable and 3 idiom

least selfish approach for companies to donate money A) NO CHANGE
directly to populations in need rather than to donate B) more charitable and less
products that generate profits for those companies C) more charitable and lesser
elsewhere in the world. D) most charitable and less

WORDS PART II PRACTICE
In this work Sinclair focused on the unlawful 4 idiom
READING
limitations imposed on the free press and harshly A) NO CHANGE
criticized the sensation-based, rather than truth-based, B) taken by
approach to journalism 4 taken from many American C) taken to
newspapers. D) given up
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
C
There are over 3,000 species of mosquitoes, 5 complete sentences
C
approximately 5 200 bite humans. A) NO CHANGE
C
B) 200 of them
I
MATH
C) 200 of which
C
D) 200 are ones that
These pesticides consist of RNA strands that are 6 frequently confused words
6 sequenced to effect a particular mosquito species. A) NO CHANGE
B) sequins to effect
C) sequins to affect
D) sequenced to affect
There is a fierce divide 7 between biologists over 7 idiom

what kind of effect mosquito extinction might have. A) NO CHANGE
B) in between = two things
C) among
among = 3 or more things
D) through
More people are injured or hurt in highway 8 comparison

accidents than 8 others in the United States. A) NO CHANGE
B) in others
C) by other types
D) in other types of accidents consistent w/
“highway accidents”

SAT MANUAL
describes
Height
(Earning a master’s degree in educational 9 word order changing = misplaced modifier
READING
psychology from New York University,) 9 the New A) NO CHANGE

York City Welfare Department hired Height as a case B) Height was hired by the New York City Welfare
worker. Department as a case worker.
C) case worker was the position Height was given
at the New York City Welfare Department.
WRITING AND
D) her career began as case worker at the New York

LANGUAGE
City Welfare Department.
10 Methane can be made from inorganic 10 complete sentences

C
chemical processes, C it is made by living
generally A) NO CHANGE
C
microbes. B) Nevertheless, methane
I
MATH
C) Because methane wrong direction

I
D) Although methane
It is also entirely possible that, due to differences 11 comparison

between the atmosphere of Earth and 11 Mars, A) NO CHANGE
methane is or was produced on Mars by a process B) that of Mars, “that” = atmosphere
completely unknown to us. C) the planet Mars,
D) the surface of Mars,

WORDS PART II
Summary
• Adding or removing which types of words can
make a sentence incomplete or a run-on?
transitions
________________________________________
verbs
________________________________________
pronouns
________________________________________
• When prepositions or homophones change in

use POE
the answer choices, __________________ and
move on
__________________.
• If a sentence contains a list or a compari-

son, the things listed or compared must be
consistent
__________________ with each other.
• When the order of words changes in the

misplaced modifiers
answers, look for _________________________.
• I have accomplished ___________ of the 3


WORDS
PART II
PRACTICE
265
SAT MANUAL
READING
COMPLETE SENTENCES
As consultants, anthropologists provide marketers 1
C C
with valuable 1 feedback, this includes insights into A) NO CHANGE
C I
consumer behavior and strategies to affect that behavior B) feedback. Including
C C
to increase profit. C) feedback, it includes
WRITING AND
C I
LANGUAGE
D) feedback that includes
C I
It pays to know your 2 customers, and also to 2
know what your customers know. A) NO CHANGE
MATH
C I
B) customers, but also to know
C I
C) customers and also
C C
D) customers, you know
C I
The vast majority of patients are children, 3 who 3
see a speech therapist at school at least once a week. A) NO CHANGE
B) they see both make 2nd part
C) they are seen by complete
The thought was that if Cuba,( 4 it was a 4

valuable asset to the Soviet Union during the Cold A) NO CHANGE
War,)suffered enough financially from the embargo, the B) it might be
Cuban government would eventually seek a stronger C) that country was
relationship with the West. D) which was phrase b/w commas should be a
description, not a complete idea.
Although we may not know who first uttered 5 (A), (B), & (D) all make
the famous line, 5 understandable that it was A) NO CHANGE sentence incomplete
misattributed to Marie Antoinette. B) is understandable that
C) it is understandable that
D) that
CONTINUE
C
The Pomeranian has a reputation as a very yippy 6
C
READING
dog 6 and they are known to require diligent training. A) NO CHANGE
I
B) that requires
C
C) and it requires
D) they require
inconsistent with “The
WRITING AND
Pomerianian,” which is singular
LANGUAGE
The important point for evolutionists 7 despite 7
I
wings leading to an evolutionary benefit for bats, but A) NO CHANGE
incomplete
I
that wings were not a predetermined necessity. B) that wings led to an evolutionary benefit for bats
C) is not that wings in bats led to an evolutionary
advantage
D) not being wings leading to an evolutionary
MATH
I
benefit for bats, I
can’t have comma
because of non-underlined
FANBOYS
The gene encodes a receptor that is specifically 8

C I
sensitive to 8 aldehydes, which are chemicals in A) NO CHANGE
cilantro that affect how the herb tastes. B) aldehydes; I
C I
C) aldehydes; these
C C
D) aldehydes and these are
It makes more financial sense for parents to invest 9

C C
first in their own retirement 9 plans, college students A) NO CHANGE
C I
are eligible for low-interest loans. B) plans, as
C I
C) plans. As
C C
D) plans, however,
C C
The fans suffer just as much as the players 10 a 10
team is unfairly penalized by a referee. A) NO CHANGE
B) although a team is is no contrast
C) when a team being makes sentence incomplete
D) when a team is
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
When you think of a private investigator, you 11

READING
might picture someone sitting in a car trying to be as A) NO CHANGE

C C
inconspicuous as possible 11 he waits for a chance to B) while waiting for
snap incriminating photos. C) as awaiting
D) in which awaiting
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
There has been increased interest in diet and 12

nutritional food choices over the last few decades. A) NO CHANGE
12 Specific interest being how diet and food choice B) Specific interest is all make sentence
interact with weight-related diseases. C) Specific interest being incomplete
MATH
D) Of specific interest is how
13 A few days since she has seen this particular 13

(A), (C), & (D) all make
group, made up of one male and six females. A) NO CHANGE sentence incomplete.
B) It has been a few
C) Several
D) Having been a few
Biomedical engineers build physical items for 14

C I
the health and rehabilitation industry, 14 such as A) NO CHANGE
biocompatible prosthetics, which are prosthetics built to B) examples of these are biocompatible prosthetics,
work with the biology of the human body. C) for example, consider the biocompatible
prosthetic,
D) biocompatible prosthetics being an example,
both make 2nd part of

sentence coomplete
C
The nonviolent protest ran smoothly for months, 15 makes whole sentence incomplete
C
15 the police arrested over 200 women for blocking a A) NO CHANGE
public sidewalk in July 1917. B) the police that arrested over 200 women
C) until the police arrested over 200 women
C
D) over 200 women were arrested by the police
CONTINUE
This study demonstrates the extent to which 16
READING
people make decisions about philanthropic giving A) NO CHANGE
based on how a charity or cause makes them feel. Such B) when it is as important
no comparison
findings reinforce 16 its importance to confirm that an C) it is as important
organization is legitimate and fiscally responsible before D) how important it is
making a donation.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
In all 17 likelihood, the brown marmorated stink 17
bug will continue its devastating invasion of the United A) NO CHANGE
States. B) likelihood that the
MATH
C) likelihood, while the
D) likelihood, which
In the 1980s, the United States experienced one 18

of its worst weather events involving the polar vortex, A) NO CHANGE
the 1985 Winter Cold Wave. 18 The event was given B) The event having been given an
C C all make first
an unremarkable name, but the weather conditions it C) Having an half of sentence
brought were definitely memorable. D) An incomplete
Ironically, as a breed becomes more popular, vets 19

see not only more of those dogs but also more of certain A) NO CHANGE
C I C I
health problems within the 19 breed; as unscrupulous B) breed, as unscrupulous breeders rush
breeders rush to produce more puppies to meet demand. C) breed, unscrupulous breeders rushing
D) breed being that unscrupulous breeders are
rushing
20 It is not a time-intensive practice with 20

C
C composting—especially
negligible effects, when A) NO CHANGE
undertaken at the community level—has benefits that B) That’s not all make beginning of
include extending the life of existing landfills, decreasing C) Not that it is sentence complete
the costs of waste disposal, and reducing the toxicity of D) Far from being
landfill runoff.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Despite the steep price of game tickets and stadium 21

READING
food, in the case of a globally-recognized sports team A) NO CHANGE

such as Manchester United, game-day 21 earnings B) earning
accounting for perhaps only a quarter of the team’s C) earnings account
revenue. D) accountings
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
If a patient’s state of mind can play a significant 22

role in how treatments are tolerated, these adherents A) NO CHANGE
I I I I
22 argue. Then the design of hospital spaces becomes B) argue, then the
MATH
I C
not just a matter of practicality but a potential tool for C) argue. The
I C equivalent
optimizing patient health. D) argue; the
Students can also identify 23 there being skills 23

they have mastered and which they need to spend A) NO CHANGE
additional time working on. B) that singular, doesn’t match “skills”
C) which
D) those are the not concise
Incorporating art installations, maximizing access 24

to natural light, and relocating radiation suites from A) NO CHANGE
the basements they usually occupy are all examples of B) of those
C I
proposed design changes, some 24 of which are too C) changes all make 2nd part of sen-
costly to be undertaken in standard renovations. D) of them tence complete
CONTINUE
READING
IDIOMS, HOMOPHONES, AND SLANG
At the time of the Cold War, there was great fear 1
1 for the spread of communism and its threat to
A) NO CHANGE
capitalist and democratic nations.
B) from
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
C) of
D) DELETE the underlined portion
As diet-related health issues increase, many 2

government entities have been expanding their efforts A) NO CHANGE
MATH
to address the problem of malnutrition, especially with B) for
respect 2 of children. C) to
D) with
Translators must not only understand the literal 3

sense of the words they are translating 3 but must be A) NO CHANGE
able to convey the nuances of the speaker’s word choices B) and must also
as closely as possible. C) but
D) but also not only...but also
Although master’s degrees in epidemiology are 4

becoming more common, there are very few programs A) NO CHANGE
4 where one can earn a PhD in epidemiology. B) that
C) from
D) in which
Biomedical engineers combine the problem- 5

solving skills and design approaches used in engineering A) NO CHANGE
with medical knowledge in order 5 for advancing B) to advance
healthcare. C) of advancing
D) for the advancement of
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Sometimes either the physical structure 6 nor 6

READING
the neurological process doesn’t work quite right. A) NO CHANGE

B) and the mental process
C) or the mental process either...or
D) or the mental processes
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
It is the longest-lasting trade embargo 7 between 7

two sovereign nations in modern history. A) NO CHANGE
B) for
C) with
MATH
D) among
A progressive funding system 8 is when poorer 8

areas receive more money than wealthier areas do. A) NO CHANGE
B) is one in which
C) is where
D) that
Having fewer children means that people can 9

invest their time and productivity 9 for growing their A) NO CHANGE
personal economies. B) in
C) to
D) of
By sensing physiological changes and alerting an 10

individual 10 of what is about to happen, service dogs A) NO CHANGE
are able to keep people from going into diabetic shock or B) for
being physically harmed by a seizure. C) to
D) at
CONTINUE
Additionally, algae needs 11 less natural resources 11
READING
for its cultivation. A) NO CHANGE
B) smaller
C) lower
D) fewer
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Solar energy is the 12 most cleanest energy 12
available and has the possibility of becoming the most A) NO CHANGE
convenient. B) better
C) cleanest
MATH
D) more clean
A computer-controlled printer lays down sequential 13

layers of material in order 13 to create an object of any A) NO CHANGE
size or shape. B) of creating
C) for creating
D) from creating
She spent the past six months observing 14 five 14

discreet groups of black-and-white colobus monkeys. A) NO CHANGE
B) five discrete groups
cautious
C) different different
D) distinct groups of five monkeys
After first being 15 promoted to principle, then 15

assistant superintendent, he was selected for the position A) NO CHANGE
of superintendent of the school district. B) appointed principal,
C) promoted as principal,
D) selected for principle,
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Whether the origin of the disorder is physical, 16

READING
neurological or undetermined, a therapist and client will A) NO CHANGE

16 precede through a series of exercises designed to B) proceed
improve function. come before C) lead
D) continue
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
17 One of these is the affect fracking has on the 17

environment. A) NO CHANGE
B) One of these two is the affect
C) One of these is the effect
MATH
D) These are the effect singular
For many scientists, this suggested a genetic basis 18

for responses to cilantro, a supposition that has since A) NO CHANGE
been 18 pointed to by further research. B) established
C) looked at
D) spotted
These arguments are not as different as they may 19

seem at first glance. These seemingly incompatible A) NO CHANGE
ideologies in fact 19 fundamentally overlap. B) jibe.
C) are cool with each other.
D) dig each other.
Many companies 20 crash and burn in new 20

markets due to a poor understanding of how product A) NO CHANGE
names or slogans translate from one language to another. B) bite it
C) falter
D) get schooled
CONTINUE
Because we cannot know the secrets of Henry VIII’s 21
READING
heart, this 21 beef about the relationship between his A) NO CHANGE
religious convictions and his need for an expedient way B) dustup over
to remove obstacles from his pursuit of a male heir can C) face-off over
never be fully resolved. D) difference of opinion on
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
It is estimated that swing voters make up 22 more 22
then twenty percent of the active voting population. A) NO CHANGE
MATH
B) greater then
C) best than
D) more than
A speech therapist who works with children 23

typically 23 sees patients at the schools they attend. A) NO CHANGE
B) see patience
C) has patients
D) has patience
Today, service animals’ functions go far beyond 24

those of seeing-eye dogs that help people who have lost A) NO CHANGE
their 24 site navigate through their communities. B) cite
C) sight
D) sites
PARALLELISM
Public defenders do all of this while earning a 1
median yearly salary of only $51,000 as compared to A) NO CHANGE
1 the $114,000 lawyers. B) the lawyers who make $114,000 a year.
C) a median yearly salary of $114,000 for the
profession as a whole.
D) the profession as a whole, which makes
$114,000.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
You are now as likely to see an anthropologist 2

READING
sitting in a conference room of a Fortune 500 company A) NO CHANGE

2 rather than the jungles of the Amazon. B) rather than in
Need “in”
C) as in as likely...as
D) as
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Formed in 1987, Nirvana featured singer and 3

guitarist Kurt Cobain, 3 bassist Krist Novoselic, and A) NO CHANGE
Dave Grohl on drums. B) bassist Krist Novoselic, and drummer Dave
Grohl.
C) Krist Novoselic on bass, and Dave Grohl on
MATH
drums.
D) Krist Novoselic on bass, and drummer Dave
Grohl.
Many of the skills that are needed as a teacher are 4

the same 4 as being a superintendent. A) NO CHANGE
not concise
B) skills that have importance as
C) as those needed to be
D) as
The prefixes meth-, 5 eth-, and prop- refer 5

to molecules with one, two, or three carbon atoms, A) NO CHANGE
respectively. B) eth, and the prefix
C) the prefix eth-, and the prefix
D) the prefix eth-, and
The concept of night as frontier closely mirrors 6

6 land as frontier. A) NO CHANGE
B) that of land as frontier.
C) the land as frontier.
D) land.
CONTINUE
Every other factor had a greater influence than 7
READING
did the difference between individualism and 7 the A) NO CHANGE
collective. B) the collectivists.
C) that of the collective.
D) collectivism.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
no description
8 Toronto (the capital of Ontario), Montreal, 8
and Vancouver (on the west coast) are the three largest A) NO CHANGE
cities in Canada by population. B) Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver
C) Toronto, Montreal, and the city of Vancouver
MATH
D) Toronto, Montreal (a city where French is the
official language), and Vancouver
Gua’s physiology was significantly different 9

9 than Donald. A) NO CHANGE
B) from Donald.
C) than that of Donald’s.
D) from Donald’s physiology.
Radio stations can be identified by their call signs. 10

In North America, call signs in the United States begin A) NO CHANGE
with either a W (east of the Mississippi River) or a K B) begin with a C and call signs in Mexico start
(west of the Mississippi River), while those in Canada C) begin with a C and Mexican radio stations begin
10 start with a C and the ones in Mexico start with an D) begin with a C and those in Mexico begin
X.
The females’ measurements were more variable 11

than 11 the males, with height measurements below A) NO CHANGE
the mean but body mass index and triceps skinfold B) the males were,
measurements well above average. C) that belonging to the males,
D) those of the males,
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
The amount of land required to produce enough 12

READING
algae-based biofuel to replace fossil fuels in the United A) NO CHANGE

States would be less than 12 one-seventh of that B) one-seventh of required corn land.
required for corn. C) corn, which is seven times greater.
D) one-seventh of corn.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Public defenders must meet the same requirements 13

as any other lawyer: they must attend and graduate from A) NO CHANGE
college and law school, pass the bar exam, and 13 they B) they must follow
must abide by a code of ethics. C) abide with
MATH
D) abide by
By using principles of engineering, biomedical 14

engineers can construct tools that function with our A) NO CHANGE
14 body and in our bodies. plural B) body,
C) bodies
D) bodies,
Scientists now recognize that many traits that used 15

to be considered uniquely human appear in other animal A) NO CHANGE
species, but there are some traits, such as our advanced B) ability to understand others’ thoughts, and
language skills, 15 our ability to understand others’ instinct for
thoughts, and instinct for cooperation, that are still C) ability to understand others’ thoughts, and our
instinct for
understood to be exclusive to humans.
need “our” either only once or at D) our being able to understand others’ thoughts,
and the instinctiveness of
beginning of each item in the list
Meucci has been honored posthumously by 16

both 16 Italy and the American government for his A) NO CHANGE not consistent
efforts. not consistent B) the Italians and the American government
C) Italian government and the American
government not concise
D) the Italian and American governments
CONTINUE
plural
Those who have earned their high 17 school 17
READING
diploma are twice as likely to be employed as those who A) NO CHANGE
have not. B) schools diploma
C) school diplomas also plural
D) school’s diploma
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
plural
In Hindu belief, cows are considered 18 a sacred 18

animal, symbols of health and abundance, and it is taboo A) NO CHANGE
to eat them. B) the sacred animal,
C) their sacred animals,
MATH
D) sacred animals,
Dogs have significantly more acute senses 19 than 19

those of humans. A) NO CHANGE
B) than humans do. dogs have...is compared to humans
have
C) than the acuteness of human senses.
D) as compared to the senses of humans.
Humans and apes are very good at learning 20

through imitation, or learning to do something by A) NO CHANGE
seeing it done. The better the demonstrator of the act is, B) the much
20 the more better an ape or human will be at learning C) the increasingly
it. D) the
Solar power is what has grown the food we 21

eat, provided our bodies with vitamin D, and 21 is A) NO CHANGE
providing working light and heat for centuries. B) has been providing
grown...,provided..., and C) will be providing
provided D) provided
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Had he understood how many different skills he’d 22

READING
need, he would have signed up for some marketing and A) NO CHANGE

business classes rather than 22 only music classes. B) that of music singular, doesn’t match
“classes”
C) those of only music
D) only those
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
There are two persistent polar vortices; one is 23

located at the North Pole and the other 23 is the South A) NO CHANGE
Pole. B) are
C) at
D) from
MATH
Essential skills for success in life include decision 24

making, 24 assertiveness, and mindfulness. A) NO CHANGE
B) being assertive, and minding one’s self.
C) assertiveness, and being mindful of one’s self.
D) asserting one’s self, and being mindful of one’s
self.
MODIFIERS
Clinical dietitians are often employed directly by 1
hospitals or care facilities. Although technically not A) NO CHANGE
medical doctors, 1 nurses and doctors work with B) working with nurses and doctors helps
clinical dietitians to serve patients who have specific C) clinical dietitians work directly with nurses and
doctors technically not doctors
dietary needs.
D) everyone in healthcare works together
CONTINUE
The prime example of what an epidemiologist does 2
READING
is the story of the “father of epidemiology,” Dr. John A) NO CHANGE
describes Snow
Snow.(As a practicing physician in London in the 19th B) two neighborhoods in SoHo had an outbreak of
century,) 2 Snow was deeply troubled by an outbreak cholera that deeply troubled Snow.
of cholera that occurred in two SoHo neighborhoods. C) an outbreak of cholera that occurred in two
SoHo neighborhoods deeply troubled Snow.
WRITING AND
D) Snow, deeply troubled, observed an outbreak of
LANGUAGE
cholera occurring in two SoHo neighborhoods.
describes a person
(As a field primatologist,) 3 research is conducted 3
in the monkeys’ natural habitat. A) NO CHANGE
MATH
B) research is best conducted in the monkeys;
C) monkeys are best researched in their
D) she conducts her research in the monkeys’
A foot high and ten inches wide, 4 he could 4

easily play the eighteen keys of the toy piano. A) NO CHANGE
B) the toy piano had eighteen keys that were easy
for him to play. this chould reasonable be a
foot high & 100 wide
C) the eighteen keys on the toy piano were easy for
him to play.
D) he would use both hands to easily press down
on all eighteen keys of the toy piano.
describes a person
(While sad to leave the classroom,) 5 the bigger 5
picture of helping students as an administrator is also A) NO CHANGE
important to her. B) she realizes she can affect the lives of more
children as an administrator.
C) the school district needs her as an administrator
more.
D) the students understand she is also good as an
administrator. students are not leaving
the classroom
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
describes people
(Not having lived in the sixteenth century,) 6 did live in 16th C.
READING
potentially
6 conversations and interactions may have taken A) NO CHANGE
place that we can never understand all the details of. B) historical figures may have said and done a lot
of things we will never full understand.
C) we can never completely reconstruct all
the details of historical conversations and
WRITING AND
interactions.
LANGUAGE
D) a full understanding of historical conversations

and interactions will remain elusive to us.
describes Meucci
(Being Italian,) 7 the invention called itself 7
MATH
telettrofono. A) NO CHANGE
B) Meucci referred to his invention as the
telettrofono.
C) telettrofono was the name given to the invention.
D) it was named for the Italian word telephone:
telettrofono.
best describes “the experiment”

(Both immoral and illegal,) 8 Dr. Kellogg had to 8
change the set-up of the experiment. A) NO CHANGE
B) the child may have been harmed in the original
version of the experiment.
C) the experiment had to be altered.
D) the monkeys could not be subjected to the
original experiment.
describes people
(In their published conclusion,)the 9 results can 9
be seen as a warning of the consequences of neglecting A) NO CHANGE
the health of the nation’s children and the need to seek B) data served
change through political and social action. C) scientists described the results
D) children studied were viewed
didn’t publish the study
CONTINUE
Teacher note:
The modifier is in parentheses
A group of activists in Cleveland, however, 10
READING
10 pushed for an investment in hydropower in the city A) NO CHANGE
(an energy source that comes from fast-running water) B) urged the city toward a hydropower investment
as an alternative to coal. C) argued that hydropower would be best for the
city
D) wanted to convince the city to invest in
WRITING AND
hydropower
LANGUAGE
this is the “energy source” from the
parentheses
describes poet
(Having dreamed of a magical land,) 11 the poet 11
woke and eagerly began writing a new poem. A) NO CHANGE
B) beginning eagerly, the poet’s new poem
MATH
awakened.
C) the poet’s new poem began after she woke.
D) waking, her new poem was begun by the poet.
12 The warrior’s shield fell with a loud thud, 12

waking the sleeping dragon. A) NO CHANGE
B) With a loud dropping thud was the warrior’s
“thud” woke the dragon
shield, “dropping” doesn’t describe “thud”
C) Falling with a loud thud, the warrior’s shield,
D) A loud thud, the warrior dropped her shield,
makes it sound like the
warrior is a thud

GRAMMAR 101
Grammar is a piano I play by ear. All I know about

grammar is its power.
—Joan Didion
285
SAT MANUAL
READING
TRANSITIONS
Transitions are words that connect ideas to each other. The Words Part I chapter
includes lists of transitions that indicate whether ideas agree or disagree with each
other, which is often as much as you need to know on the SAT. But sometimes
the type of transition matters, so let’s take a closer look at three different types of
transitions you’ll see on the SAT.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Arrows indicate Transitions #1: Coordinating Conjunctions

direction! Words with Coordinating conjunctions are also known as FANBOYS. There are seven of them,
↑ are same-direction and FANBOYS is an acronym that can help you remember them. Each one has
transitions, and words
either two or three letters:
with  are opposite-
direction transitions.
MATH
For ↑ Or
And ↑ Yet 
Nor So ↑
But 
Coordinating conjunctions indicate that ideas have equal standing: that’s why
they work as STOP punctuation when combined with a comma.
Why you should care

When you have the choice to add or remove FANBOYS from a sentence, particu-
larly if there are commas also involved, be sure to use the Vertical Line Test and
check whether you’re correctly connecting complete and incomplete ideas.
Which one is correct? C

1.
C
I did all my homework, I got a good score on the SAT. needs STOP
2. I did all my homework, so I got a good score on the SAT.
3. I did all my homework, but I got a good score on the SAT.
no contrast

GRAMMAR 101
READING
Transitions #2: Subordinating Conjunctions
There are dozens of subordinating conjunctions, but as long as you understand
how they work, you don’t have to memorize them all. Subordinating conjunc-
tions connect an incomplete (or subordinate) idea to a complete idea in the same
sentence.
C I
WRITING AND
1. I got a good Writing and Language score because I studied the
LANGUAGE
grammar rules that get tested on the SAT. I C
2. Even though I wasn’t sure about some of the answers, I used POE and
got most of the questions right.
The subordinating conjunction because in sentence 1 above makes the second

idea in the sentence (because I studied…) dependent on the first idea (I got a good
score…). In other words, the second part of the sentence is an incomplete idea.
MATH
Same goes for the first part of sentence 2: the subordinating conjunction even
though makes it an incomplete idea.
Here are some of the most common subordinating conjunctions that appear on
the SAT:
Although  Though 
One way you can
As Until  identify subordinating
conjunctions is that they
Because ↑ When generally don’t have com-
mas after them.
Even though  While
Since ↑

SAT MANUAL
READING
Why you should care

What happens to the second part of sentence 1 above if you remove the word
because? It becomes a complete idea! When you have the choice to add or remove
a subordinating conjunction, just like with FANBOYS, use the Vertical Line Test
and check that you’re using the correct punctuation for connecting ideas.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
contrast, not
Which one is correct? I C cause/effect
1. Although I had always thought commas were confusing, learning the
four comma rules made things much clearer. C
C
2. I had always thought commas were confusing, learning the four
comma rules made things much clearer. I C
3. Since I had always thought commas were confusing, learning the four
comma rules made things much clearer.
MATH
Transitions #3: Conjunctive Adverbs

ConWHAT? The name doesn’t matter—think of this last category as transition
words that have commas after them. They have commas after them because you
can remove them from a sentence without changing its main meaning. These
are the most common type of transitions you’ll see on the SAT, and the most
important thing to know about them is what they mean.
What comes next?

What comes after each transition word—an example, a conclusion, an additional
point, or a contradiction?
contradiction
1. However, _________________________________________
example
2. For example, ______________________________________
conclusion
3. Therefore, _________________________________________
additional point
4. Moreover, _________________________________________
additional point
5. Furthermore, ______________________________________
additional point
6. In addition, _______________________________________
additional point or example

7. Likewise, _________________________________________
contradiction
8. Nevertheless, ______________________________________
conclusion
9. Consequently, _____________________________________
contradiction
10. Nonetheless, ______________________________________

GRAMMAR 101
READING
??? (this one could go several ways)
11. In fact, ___________________________________________
conclusion
12. Thus, ____________________________________________
example or additional point

13. Similarly, _________________________________________
WRITING AND
contradiction
14. Despite this, ______________________________________
LANGUAGE
conclusion
15. Accordingly, ______________________________________
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
MATH
A verb is a word that expresses an action (e.g., walk), a feeling (e.g., want), or a
state of being (e.g., is). The subject of a verb is the person or thing that is doing the
action or feeling the feeling. Subjects are usually nouns or pronouns.
The basic rule of Subject-Verb Agreement is relatively simple:

• Singular subjects require singular verbs.
• Plural subjects require plural verbs.
1. The student sharpens her pencil.

2. The teachers announce the rules.
The subject of the first sentence, the student is singular, so sentence 1 requires the
singular verb sharpens. The subject of the second sentence, the teachers, is plural, so
sentence 2 requires the plural verb announce. Don’t be confused by the -s ending
on verbs: that ending only indicates a plural with nouns.
Singular verbs are ones you would use with it, and
plural verbs are ones you would use
with they.
Of course, the SAT has some tricks for making subject-verb agreement more
difficult.

SAT MANUAL
READING
Prepositions
1. Only one of the sophomores is / are taking the SAT.
one
What’s the subject? ______________________________
singular
Singular or plural? ___________________
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
2. The students in the senior class has / have already taken the SAT.
students
What’s the subject? ______________________________
plural
MATH
The phrases of the sophomores and in the senior class are prepositional phrases. The
SAT often includes prepositional phrases between the subject and main verb in a
sentence to try to confuse you.
A preposition is a word that describes direction or location.
Common Prepositions:
of with
in on
to at
into by
for from
If you’re trying to identify the subject in a sentence and you see a preposition, look
before the preposition for the subject. In fact, you can use your pencil to cross out
prepositional phrases altogether to keep them from distracting you:
1. Only one of the sophomores is taking the SAT.
2. The students in the senior class have already taken the SAT.

GRAMMAR 101
READING
SUBJECT/VERB DRILL
Circle the subject and underline the verb. Some sentences have more than one of
each.
1. My name is Inigo Montoya.
WRITING AND
2. The dude abides.
LANGUAGE
3. If you build it, he will come.
4. Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.
5. The stuff that dreams are made of is a bedazzled bird.
MATH
6. Liver with fava beans pairs well with Chianti.
7. Children of the night make beautiful music.
8. They are storming the castle.
9. Building up an immunity to iocane powder could save your life.
10. The people on the jury are faced with a grave responsibility.
11. The jury must decide the defendant’s fate.

SAT MANUAL
READING
PRONOUNS
A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun. Some pronouns can make subject-
verb agreement tricky.
Personal Demonstrative Indefinite

WRITING AND
• I • this • -body (anybody,

LANGUAGE
everybody, somebody,
• you • that nobody)
• he • -one (anyone, everyone,
• she someone, no one)
• it • -thing (anything,
everything, something,
MATH
• me nothing)
Singular
• him • -where (anywhere, OR
Singular
everywhere, somewhere, plural:

• her nowhere)
• all
• each
• most
• much
• some
• either
• more
• neither
• any
• one
• none
• less
• enough
The SAT is written with a • little
focus on prescriptive gram- • we • these • both
mar rules and therefore uses
they/them as plural pronouns • you • those • several
Plural
only. The Princeton Review

recognizes that they/them • they • few
pronouns may also be used • us • fewer
as singular pronouns outside
of standardized tests. • them • many
Choose the correct verb for each sentence:

singular
1. Each of the juniors takes / take the SAT at least once.
plural
2. All of the juniors takes / take the SAT at least once.
singular
3. Everybody thinks / think it’s crazy to take the SAT ten times.

GRAMMAR 101
READING
Pronoun Agreement
Any time you have to choose a pronoun on the SAT, you must be able to point to
exactly what noun or other pronoun it refers to, and the pronoun you choose must
match that word not only with respect to singular/plural but also gender.
Subject Object Possessive
WRITING AND
Pronoun Pronoun Pronoun
LANGUAGE
replaces the noun
What It replaces the noun replaces the noun that is
receiving the
Does doing the action showing ownership
action
I me my / mine
you you your / yours
he him his
MATH
she her her / hers
it it its
we us our / ours
they them their / theirs
One thing that’s different on the SAT from everyday life is that the pronouns
they, them, and their can only be plural. You won’t have to choose a pronoun for
a person whose gender isn’t specified, but remember that they can never refer to a
singular noun on the SAT.
plural
1. The writers of the SAT sometimes use confusing sentence structures
because it wants / they want to confuse the test takers.
writers
What word does the pronoun replace? _____________________________
plural
singular
2. College Board has a lot of power over your college applications
because it has / they have a monopoly on AP Exams.
College Board
What word does the pronoun replace? _____________________________

singular

SAT MANUAL
READING
Relative Pronouns
A relative pronoun introduces an incomplete idea that gives additional
information about a noun elsewhere in the sentence.
The incomplete idea introduced by a relative pronoun usually answers a question

about a word or phrase elsewhere in the sentence, such as which one:
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
• I got my highest score on the SAT that I took last month.
Or where:
• I brought ten sharp pencils with me to the test because the sharpeners
at our school, which are mounted on the wall in each classroom, are
often broken.
MATH
Or gives additional information about something:
• The proctor, who is also my AP History teacher, gave a five-minute

warning before the end of each section.
The bolded words in the examples above are all relative pronouns.
Relative Pronouns you’re most likely to see on the SAT include:

Who Which
Whom That
Why you should care

When you change a pronoun from a subject pronoun (I, he, she, they) to a relative
pronoun, it can make an idea incomplete, which means you need to check the
punctuation. Relative pronouns are also often used to introduce unnecessary ideas
that should be set off by commas, so their presence can be an indication that you
need commas in a sentence.
That is especially tricky: Which one is correct? C I

it can be a demonstrative 1. Roxanne got a perfect score on the PSAT, which qualified her for a
pronoun (which means it National Merit Scholarship.
can act as the subject of a
C C
sentence) or a 2. Roxanne got a perfect score on the PSAT, that qualified her for a
relative pronoun.
National Merit Scholarship.
C C
3. Roxanne got a perfect score on the PSAT, it qualified her for a
National Merit Scholarship.

GRAMMAR 101
READING
Who versus Whom
The word whom doesn’t show up very often on the SAT, but if it does, the easiest
way to choose between who and whom is to substitute he/him or they/them in the
sentence. The -m words all go together.
WRITING AND
If you would use he or they in the sentence, use who.
LANGUAGE
If you would use him or them in the sentence, use whom.
1. I had a hard time concentrating during the SAT because the student
who / whom was sitting behind me had a bad cough.
MATH
2. Who / whom are you going to study with?
VERB TENSE
Verb tense is used to indicate when an action occurs. There are three basic tenses:
Past: I studied for the SAT.
Present: I study for the SAT.
Future: I will study for the SAT.
There are more nuances of each tense, however. The ones you’ll most commonly
run into on the SAT are past perfect and present perfect. These tenses are cre-
ated by using the helping verb to have along with the past participle of the verb.
Past perfect tense indicates an action that started in the past, but was interrupted
or ended. To make a past perfect verb, use the past tense of to have (“had”) plus
the past participle of your verb:
He had studied AP Physics for 20 hours a week before he realized that his
other grades were suffering.
Present perfect tense indicates an action that started in the past and continues
into the present. To make a present perfect verb, use the present tense of to have
(“has or have”) plus the past participle of your verb:
They have studied for the SAT every day for the last six weeks.
Future perfect is not included
because it’s almost never tested.

SAT MANUAL
Teacher note:
Sentence 1 revised for 7.0
READING
Choose the correct tense for each sentence:
1. Right now, I am / was / will be well-prepared to take the SAT.

2. She takes / took / will take three AP classes next year.
3. They have read / had read at least 50 pages every day this month.
4. Before you took the SAT, you have taken / had taken a practice test
WRITING AND
every Saturday.
LANGUAGE
5. He sends / sent / will send his SAT scores to 12 schools last time he
took the test.
MATH

FULL-LENGTH
PRACTICE
PASSAGES
297
SAT MANUAL
Teacher note:
We didn’t need 20 passages, so we kept the 8 best ones for 7.0. Note that
the passages for the most part have not changed, but many are numbered
Passage 1 differently from what they were in 6.0.
READING
Questions 1–11 are based on the following passage 1 comparison

and supplementary material.
A) NO CHANGE
B) their food.
What Actually is an Actuary?
C) that for food. that = amount
WRITING AND
Everyone knows what insurance is: almost every

LANGUAGE
D) all food.
part of modern life is insured somehow. People have
insurance for their houses and cars, insurance for their
health, even insurance for their lives. The total amount 2
people pay for insurance can be greater than 1 food. A) NO CHANGE
What is less clear is exactly how insurance works. B) events, such as car accidents, unnecessary
info
MATH
Insurance programs are based on a very simple C) events, such as, car accidents
idea. Due to the unpredictability of life, undesirable D) events such as car accidents,
2 events, such as car accidents are bound to happen.
A car accident can cause substantial loss, including car
3
damage, 3 personal injury or death. To help lessen
A) NO CHANGE need comma
the effect of such loss, people purchase insurance. They after injury
B) personal injury and
pay premiums to insurance companies, in exchange
C) personal, injury, or
for which 4 they provide financial compensation if
D) personal injury, or list
an accident occurs. The part that gets complicated is
determining 5 what the probability is an undesirable
event will or could occur and how much of a premium 4 ambiguous pronoun
should be paid. A) NO CHANGE
B) it provides
C) those provide
D) the companies provide
5
A) NO CHANGE
B) the probability of an undesirable event concise!
C) when and how an event may or could occur
D) how likely it is an undesirable event will or
could occur

FULL-LENGTH PRACTICE PASSAGES
6 Actuaries help to prevent car accidents 6
READING
and other unforeseen events. Actuaries assess risk Which choice provides the best transition from the
previous paragraph to this one?
by examining the statistical data available on past about actuaries
C I A) NO CHANGE
undesirable 7 events—or the lack of such events not accidents
B) The more likely a car accident is, the more
as the case may be. In order to do this accurately,
insurance you should purchase.
actuaries must create mathematical models based on
WRITING AND
C) Because accidents are unavoidable, it is likely
LANGUAGE
the information available to them. These mathematical that your car will sustain damage and that you
models are then used to determine how much a may even be seriously injured someday.
particular customer’s insurance premiums will cost. 8 D) Actuaries compute the premium rates for
insurance companies.
MATH
A) NO CHANGE
B) events; or equivalent, both wrong
C) events. Or
Teacher note:
D) events or, Choice (D) was revised for 7.0 to
make it less acceptable
8
following sentence.
Many people think their insurance not
premiums are too high, but they consistent
don’t realize that different insurance
companies might charge different rates, w/passage
so shopping around is a good idea.
A) Yes, because it clarifies how premiums are
determined.
B) Yes, because without it there would be no clear
transition between the previous sentence and
the following paragraph.
C) No, because it is not directly related to the
discussion of how insurance premiums are
determined.
D) No, because it repeats information given in the
following paragraph.

SAT MANUAL
In order to determine the premium an individual 9 transitions

READING
should be charged, actuaries gather information on A) NO CHANGE no contrast

that person. The first thing they look at is past events: a B) In fact,
customer’s driving record, for example. The number of C) Moreover,
accidents she has been in or tickets she has received and D) For instance, this sentence gives more
their severity will be taken into account in the formula detail about the situation
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
used. If she has a poor driving record, she is more likely described in the previous one
10
to require an insurance payout and will pay higher
Which choice offers an accurate interpretation of
premiums. 9 However, a customer who was in a the data in the graph?
single fender bender will have lower premiums than one A) NO CHANGE
who has received multiple speeding tickets. B) In general, these risk traits are stable and do not
But what if someone has a clean driving record? change over a person’s lifetime. graph shows
change
MATH
If an indication of risk is not clear from an individual C) Most insurance companies view elderly women
as greater payout risks than elderly men. opposite
history, actuaries turn to statistical data. They look
D) Insurance companies tend to discriminate
at specific factors, such as age, gender, geographical
against teenagers by overcharging them.
location, and make and model of vehicle, and the not shown on graph
correlation of those factors to safe driving behavior in
the general public. Each trait has a different associated 11 idiom
level of risk that affects premium payments. 10 For A) NO CHANGE
instance, young men are viewed as greater payout risks B) for determining
than young or middle-aged women. Actuaries enter this C) to help in determining
information into the mathematical model, constructed D) to determine
based on all these varying factors, 11 for to determine
the premium any given individual should pay.
Average Car Insurance Rates by Age and Gender

3,750
Men
3,000 Women
Dollars per year
2,250
1,500
750
0
20
25
40
30
35
45
50
70
60
55
65
16–
21–
36–
26–
31–
41–
46–
66–
56–
51–
61–
Age

Passage 2
READING
Questions 12–22 are based on the following passage. 12 transitions
A) NO CHANGE
The Science of Self-Talk
B) though need opposite-direction
Mental well-being is one of the most important
C) because
WRITING AND
aspects of our health, 12 and it is often overlooked by
LANGUAGE
D) however,
patients and doctors alike. In fact, our mental states are
intimately connected to our physical states. The mind
13 standardizes the body and keeps it functioning 13 precision
properly. It stands to reason that if we are not as mentally A) NO CHANGE
well as 14 you could be, we will not be as physically B) conducts
MATH
well either. C) regulates
It turns out that this connection affects more than D) supervises
just health. The way people think about themselves while
performing different tasks has an impact on 15 they’re 14 pronoun consistency
physical abilities. This is known as “self-talk.” Self-talk is A) NO CHANGE
the active, instructive commentary that plays silently B) you could be, you
16 through people’s heads without making noise when C) we could be, you
no need to repeat D) we could be, we
15 apostrophes
A) NO CHANGE
B) their
C) there
same, both wrong
D) they are
16
A) NO CHANGE
B) without noise on the inside of people’s heads
C) through people’s heads internally and noiselessly
D) through people’s heads concise!

SAT MANUAL
they engage in difficult or unfamiliar tasks. When 17

READING
learning to drive, a person might mentally recite “turn At this point, the writer is considering adding the
on blinker, check mirrors, check blind spot, and slowly following sentence.
move into the lane.” 17 not This mental narrative is easier to follow
consistent if there is no other noise, which is why
There is a cycle that connects thought and action,
w/passage many states have restrictions on the
and self-talk is an essential component of that cycle. The number of passengers teenage drivers
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
can have in the car.

first stage is forethought: setting a goal and planning
how to attain it. 18 Then there is performance. This Should the writer make this addition here?
second step of performance is comprised of enacting A) Yes, because it clarifies the importance of self-
talk when learning a new task.
the plan. The last stage is self-reflection, a careful review
B) Yes, because it helps explain why many states
of how the plan was performed and how it could be place restrictions on young drivers.
adjusted in the future. Self-talk, in particular the way C) No, because it is not directly related to the
MATH
people phrase their self-talk, is vital to the success of all paragraph’s focus on the mind-body connection.
three parts of this cycle. D) No, because it is already clear that restrictions
on teenage drivers are important.
18
underlined sentences?
A) Then there is performance, in which the
planning is executed.
B) Then there is performance; this step includes
executing the plan.
C) Then there is performance, the second step of
the execution of the plan.
concise! D) Then there is performance, executing the plan.

The best predictor of success in performing a 19
READING
task is the noun or pronoun a person uses in self-talk. A) NO CHANGE
I I
The use of the word “I” in self-talk is detrimental B) study—conducted at
compared to “you,” “one,” or the person’s own name. C) study conducted at
I I
In one 19 study conducted at: the University of D) study, conducted at,
Michigan, half of the participants were asked to solve
too many commas
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
a puzzle while mentally referring to themselves as
20
“I,” while the other half were asked to use “you.” The
“you” participants were more successful, 20 though paragraph?
researchers aren’t quite sure why. A) NO CHANGE
The second-best indicator of success is 21 the B) with eighty-eight percent completing the task
tone of one’s self-talk. The more positively people frame as compared to only sixteen percent of the “I”
MATH
participants. gives details of study results
their inner narrative, the more successful they tend to be.
C) and they also seemed to enjoy the puzzle more
In a weight loss study conducted in Greece, participants
than the “I” participants did.
who were instructed to frame their thinking as “I am
D) although several participants from both groups
at this weight; I would prefer not to be; I can take steps failed the task completely.
to change” lost more weight than did participants
instructed to frame their thinking as “I am at this weight;
21
I am unhappy.” 22 Fortunately, the more positive,
Which choice most effectively sets up the main idea
precise, and consistent self-talk is, the more effective it
of the following two sentences? positive tone
will be.
A) NO CHANGE
B) whether a person has just a few pounds to lose,
or more than 50.
C) how aware a person is of the importance of self-
talk.
D) how physically active one is.
22 transitions
A) NO CHANGE no indication of “fortune”
B) Nevertheless,
C) Generally, no contrast
D) Surprisingly,

SAT MANUAL
Passage 3
READING

A) NO CHANGE
The Rise of Urban Art
B) medium that
Art is never static. It is a constantly evolving
C I C) medium. One that
WRITING AND
23 medium. That reflects the changing society in

LANGUAGE
D) medium; that
which it exists. One recent change in the art world is
the emergence of urban art and the market that has
developed around it. 24 precision
Urban art has its roots in what is sometimes known A) NO CHANGE
as street art or graffiti. This is art that has been created B) a mistake
MATH
on physical pieces of public or private property and C) a nuisance

is freely viewed by the public at large. Historically, it D) an offense
has been viewed at best as 24 a bore and at worst
as destruction of public property. But urban art has 25
increased both in popularity and notoriety in the early Which choice provides the best supporting example
years of the 21st century. for the idea in the first part of the sentence?
One reason urban art is becoming more popular A) NO CHANGE
gives examples of “physically
in front”
is its ability to capture the popular imagination. Many B) urban artists tend to hide their work out in the
people are drawn to urban art because it is accessible to open so it is tricky to find.
them, both literally and figuratively. Literally, because C) although in the business of day-to-day life it is
easy to walk by urban art without noticing it.
it is physically in front of them during their daily lives—
D) where it adds beauty to otherwise boring parts
25 on the commute to and from work, on a walk with of cities.
the dog, or on a night out on the town. Figuratively,
because urban art typically serves as social commentary.
26
Its subject matter is most often about the space in which
it 26 exists. That space is society, which is both the
subject and the consumer of urban art.
A) exists, which is
B) exists— concise!
C) exists; that space is
D) exists—that space being

[1] Up until the last half decade, most urban art 27 pronoun consistency
READING
was transitory. [2] Because it was created on exposed A) NO CHANGE
surfaces, 27 it tended to disappear. [3] As more works B) they
of urban art are 28 described to famous artists, cities C) that
are not only commissioning but also preserving the art, D) those
either for the sake of the art itself or for the possible
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
monetary value it holds. [4] But the growing interest in
28 precision
the genre has changed the art form into a permanent
A) NO CHANGE
one. [5] 29 More and more increasingly, cities are
B) described as
jumping on the urban art bandwagon and actually
C) ascribed to
commissioning pieces of urban art to be created in
D) defined as
public areas. 30
MATH
29
A) NO CHANGE not concise
B) Increasingly greater numbers of
C) More increasingly, redundant
D) More and more
30
To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 3
should be placed
A) where it is now. no, 4 logically follows from 2
C) after sentence 4.
D) after sentence 5. 5 introduces the idea of
commissioning, 3 adds to it

SAT MANUAL
The presence of urban art in the auction house has 31 consistency

READING
exploded in recent years. This has led to a fascinating A) NO CHANGE

debate over the ownership of urban art: does it belong B) should it belong to its environment?
to the artist who created it, the owner of the property on C) its existence in a particular place?
which it was created, or 31 maybe to the environment D) the environment in which it exists?
in which it exists? Does the artist have any right to a belong to: the artist, the owner, or the
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
work on public property? Many in the art world are

environment
32
against the monetization of urban art, including some
A) NO CHANGE no apostrophe
of the most prominent 32 creator’s of such art. The necessary
B) creators’ of that type of
famous street artist Banksy, for example, views the
C) creators of such concise!
selling of street art as an undemocratic process that
D) creators of those types of
epitomizes social greed. 33
MATH
33
The writer wants to conclude the passage with
a sentence that emphasizes the unclear future
of urban art. Which choice most effectively
accomplishes this goal?
A) As the art world continues to evolve, it will be
interesting to see how this debate evolves with it.
unclear
B) Hopefully in the future artists will choose to
create art on surfaces that are easier to remove
for selling.
C) If people don’t want artists to create works on
their property, they should put up polite signs.
D) It is likely that artists will focus on more
experiential art forms such as performance art
in the future.

Passage 4
READING
A) NO CHANGE no example
A Plethora of Senses
B) In fact,
Ask any grade school child how many senses
C) Therefore, no conclusion
WRITING AND
humans have, and the answer will be five. This belief is
LANGUAGE
D) Unfortunately, no contrast
so widespread that we refer to people with heightened
or odd abilities as having a sixth sense. 34 For instance,
there are many more than five or six human senses; there 35
could be as many as twenty-one. A) NO CHANGE
The five senses were first established by Aristotle in B) he
C I
MATH
his work De Anima, 35 which he attempted to describe C) in which he
all forms of perception: seeing, hearing, touching, D) in that book he
tasting, and smelling. His grasp of how each of these can’t have C C w/a comma
senses was experienced was understandably limited by 36 verb tense—past
a lack of knowledge of human biology, but the fact that A) NO CHANGE
these five senses 36 are considered the sum of human B) will be considered as
physical experience for centuries speaks to the brilliance C) being considered
of Aristotle’s scientific observation. With our modern- D) were considered
day understanding of physiology, however, we now
know 37 that humans, experience sensation in many
37
ways. In addition to Aristotle’s five senses, it is generally
A) NO CHANGE
agreed that humans have four additional senses: no comma rules apply
B) that humans experience sensation
nociception, thermoception, equilibrioception, and
C) that, humans experience sensation
proprioception.
D) that humans, experience sensation,

SAT MANUAL
singular
Nociception is the sense of pain felt in skin, joints, 38
READING
and body organs. 38 It is named after a nociceptor, A) NO CHANGE

the nerve cell receptors that send signals to the spinal B) They are named after nociceptors,
plural
cord and brain when the body experiences potentially C) It is named after nociceptors,
damaging stimuli. The brain then decides whether the D) It is named after the nociceptor,
body is in danger, and if so, sends pain signals to attract
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
attention to the danger. Thermoreception, (which refers

unnecessary info 39
to the 39 sense, of heat on skin,)acts in a manner
A) NO CHANGE
similar to nociception. Thermorceceptors are sensory
B) sense of heat on skin,
receptors that react to changes in temperature. Unlike
C) sense, of heat on skin
nociceptors, thermoreceptors do not require physical
D) sense of heat on skin
contact with a heat source in order to be stimulated,
MATH
which is why thermoception and nociception are

considered distinct senses. 40
40 Equilibrioception is the sense of balance. Which choice most effectively combines the
underlined sentences?
Equilibrioception is controlled by fluid-containing
A) Equilibrioception is the sense of balance, being
cavities of the inner ear. Without the ability to sense
controlled by those cavities of the inner ear that
balance, the human body would be unable to perform contain fluid. not precise
basic actions such as running, walking, or even standing. B) Equilibrioception is the sense of balance; this
The sense of body awareness, or proprioception, is sense is controlled by fluid-containing cavities
of the inner ear.
closely connected to equilibrioception.
C) Equilibrioception is the sense of balance, which
is controlled by fluid-containing cavities of the
inner ear.
D) Equilibrioception is the sense of balance; it is
controlled by fluid contained in some cavities of
the inner ear. controlled by the cavities,
not the fluid

41 Body awareness means that humans know where 41
READING
each body part is in relation to another without the The writer is considering deleting the underlined
benefit of any other sense, such as seeing. For example, sentence. Should the sentence be kept or deleted?
A) Kept, because it gives additional information
when walking, 42 the subconscious knows where each
that clarifies what proprioception does.
human foot, leg, and arm is in relation to the others.
B) Kept, because without it there are only three
This enables a person to walk fluidly without conscious
WRITING AND
new senses mentioned, not four.
LANGUAGE
effort. C) Deleted, because the example that comes after it
Many other senses have been proposed that are clearly demonstrates how proprioception works.
not yet as widely acknowledged. Some scientists wonder D) Deleted, because it blurs the paragraph’s focus
on the sense of equilibrioception.
whether chronoception, the sense of the passing of
time, should be considered 43 to be a sense. Others
argue that the senses of hunger and thirst and the 42 word order changes = misplaced modifier
MATH
opposing sense of satiation are also distinct senses. As A) NO CHANGE
our understanding of the human body grows deeper, the B) each human foot, leg, and arm knows where it
number of senses may continue to be 44 devalued. is
C) the subconscious knows where feet, legs, and
can’t describe “the arms are
subconscious” or
D) humans know where each foot, leg, and arm is
“arm”
43
A) NO CHANGE
B) a sense. concise!
C) as being a sense?
D) a sense?
no ?
needed
44 precise
A) NO CHANGE
B) revitalized.
C) expanded.
D) embellished.

SAT MANUAL
Passage 5
READING

A) NO CHANGE makes sentence incomplete
The Ethics of Photojournalism
B) Due to the
In the midst of the digital age, the field of
C) Because the need “of” after because
WRITING AND
photojournalism, a form of reporting in which a

LANGUAGE
D) In that photojournalists have the

story about a particular time or place is told through
photographic images, has expanded. 1 The ability to
distribute photos more easily than ever before through 2
the 24-hour news cycle and the internet, the demand for A) NO CHANGE
such images has increased. Photojournalism plays an B) in that it allows
C) allowing concise!
MATH
important role in news media, 2 as it allows for and

makes possible objective reflections of real events to be D) allowing as it does
conveyed to the public. It provides visual evidence to
enhance the written telling of a story. Photojournalism 3
helps make the realities of war, famine, and disease more At this point, the writer is considering adding the
immediate to people who don’t directly experience following sentence.
them. 3 We often think of disease and famine
as things that only happen in distant not
countries, but they are prevalent in consistent
many American cities, though often w/passage
well hidden from the view of many
citizens.
A) Yes, because it helps educate the reader about
problems of urban poverty.
B) Yes, because it reinforces the impact
photojournalism can have when combined with
print journalism.
C) No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s
emphasis on war as a social problem.
D) No, because it is not directly related
to the paragraph’s focus on the role of
photojournalism.

The same technological advances that 4 have 4 tense
READING
been increasing the demand for photojournalism have A) NO CHANGE
also simplified the process of capturing the pictures the B) increases
public wants. Smaller and more precise cameras make C) have increased consistent w/“have simplified”
working in areas of conflict easier, 5 but the ability to D) would have increased
send, print, or publish images in a much shorter time
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
has enabled photojournalists to increase the time they 5
spend taking photographs. A) NO CHANGE
However, the changes that have enhanced the field no contrast
B) however,
of photojournalism are also hurting it. Due to advances C) for example,
in technology, it is not only easy to take and send D) and
MATH
pictures but also to manipulate them. A photojournalist
C C
is a journalist 6 their job is to relate events objectively,
as they actually occurred. Journalists of all types have
6 pronouns
always struggled with this kind of objectivity. The A) NO CHANGE
C
unethical manipulation of news photographs used B) they should
I
C) whose job is to
to be limited to the practice of staging photographs. C
D) the job comes with the responsibility to
Now, 7 therefore, photographers have the ability to
change actual photographs in ways that can be difficult,
or even impossible, to detect. An image can be easily 7
manipulated to either add or omit details, 8 which A) NO CHANGE
changes the way a photograph looks. B) however, need opposite-direction
C) moreover,
D) for example,
8
Which choice most effectively supports the central
point of the paragraph?
A) NO CHANGE ethics
B) which destroys the journalistic integrity of the
photograph.
C) depending on what the journalist wants to show.
D) a technique that is also used by artists working
with digital images.

SAT MANUAL
[1] Having time to consider the implications of 9 transitions

READING
publishing such photos helps a photojournalist make A) NO CHANGE

well-reasoned decisions about whether a particular B) In sum,
photograph contributes to a story or simply serves to C) On the other hand, no contrast
shock. [2] A conscientious photojournalist considers not D) Therefore,
only the integrity of her photographs but also the impact no conclusion
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
they will have. [3] 9 Many times, the images that a

10
photojournalist captures include sensitive or difficult
A) NO CHANGE
material. [4] However, the quick turnaround expected
unnecessary B) public, and thus, provided by news outlets
by the 10 public,(and thus provided by news outlets,)
C) public and thus, provided by news outlets,
diminishes a photojournalist’s ability to determine
D) public, and thus provided by news outlets
the appropriateness of her photographs. [5] Media
MATH
consumers can support ethical photojournalism by

considering the same questions about whether images 11
are meant to educate or to shock and by supporting To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 1
should be placed
those publications and journalists whose work they
A) where it is now.
admire. 11
B) after sentence 2. “such photos” in
C) after sentence 3. sentence 1 refers to
D) after sentence 4. images described in
sentence 3

Passage 6
READING
Questions 12–22 are based on the following passage. 12 precise
A) NO CHANGE
The Legacy of Watergate
B) major
The Watergate scandal, which encompassed a
C) necessary
WRITING AND
break-in at the Democratic National Committee’s offices
LANGUAGE
D) simple
and the fallout from President Nixon’s involvement in
the ensuing cover-up, was a 12 basic turning point
for America. Watergate brought the federal government 13 pronouns/apostrophes
plural
under greater scrutiny and also left many Americans A) NO CHANGE
with a disenchanted view of the moral character of B) it’s
MATH
13 its government and politicians. But these are not C) their
the only ways in which the legacy of Watergate has D) they’re “they are” doesn’t work
affected America.
The most important effect Watergate had on the 14 transitions
federal government was bolstering the authority of the A) NO CHANGE
Supreme Court. 14 Following Watergate, the Supreme equivalent, both wrong
B) After
Court had always had the power to hold the other C) Notwithstanding
branches of government accountable, but Watergate D) Before chronology
tested the high court’s authority in a new way. Nixon’s
defense was that he acted within the presidential right of
15
“executive power.” Despite the fact that his actions were
A) NO CHANGE
15 illegal, he argued, that his position superseded the I C
B) illegal; he argued
law. The Supreme Court disagreed, holding that not even
C) illegal, he argued
the president was above the law. This check on executive
D) illegal he argued,
power has helped shape how modern presidents conduct
themselves.
Another crucial legacy of Watergate was the 16 verb tense—need simple past
creation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance A) NO CHANGE
Act (FISA) of 1978. During the Watergate hearings, B) had been claiming
information surfaced regarding the FBI’s unauthorized C) had claimed
surveillance of private citizens. The FBI 16 claims D) claimed
innocence on the grounds that no entity other than
the President had the power to authorize (or forbid)
surveillance. FISA created courts to oversee surveillance
for national security purposes.

SAT MANUAL
[1] The fallout from the Watergate scandal is also 17

READING
partly responsible for the lawyer joke trope. [2] The legal Which choice adds the most relevant supporting
profession’s reputation suffered when it came to light information to the paragraph?
that many of the people involved in the scandal A) NO CHANGE
17 were Republicans. [3] Many claimed attorney-client B) were lawyers.
privilege as a defense, even though they had knowingly C) had, in fact, broken the law.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
participated in criminal activity. This led to a large-scale D) may not have realized the extent of the
conspiracy.
transformation of the legal profession. [4] By the late
1970s, every law school in the country 18 offered a
course of professional responsibility. [5] The American 18 idiom
Bar Association also revised its code of ethics and added A) NO CHANGE
questions on ethics and professional responsibility to the B) gave a course to
MATH
bar exam. 19 C) offered a course on

D) proposed a course for
19
To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 4
should be placed
A) where it is now. gives details of “large-scale
transformation” mentioned in 3
C) after sentence 2.
D) after sentence 5.

20 The congressional Watergate hearings were 20
READING
broadcast by the major television networks, including At this point, the writer is considering adding the
C C following sentence.
the Public Broadcasting System 21 (PBS), public
The legacy of Watergate has influenced
television had never before broadcast programs related popular culture as well.
to public affairs. When 85% of the American public
I Should the writer make this addition here?
tuned in to watch the hearings, it became 22 clear
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
C A) Yes, because it gives important details about
that: this was a viable programming model. The PBS the influence of Watergate on television
NewsHour and C-SPAN have President Nixon and his programming. describes ¶, but not this
sentence
Watergate scandal to thank for their existence. B) Yes, because it introduces the main idea of this
paragraph.
C) No, because it blurs the focus of the paragraph
by introducing unrelated information.
MATH
D) No, because it contradicts the information that
follows.
21
A) NO CHANGE
C I
B) (PBS), which had
C I
C) (PBS); although public television had
C I
D) (PBS); having
22
A) NO CHANGE
B) clear, that
C) clear, that,
D) clear that no comma rules apply

SAT MANUAL
Passage 7
READING
Questions 23–33 are based on the following passage 23 list

and supplementary material.
A) NO CHANGE
B) chickens, and pigs
The Pros and Cons of Urban Farming
C) chickens and pigs, this is a single
Many people daydream about an idealized life on a
WRITING AND
item in the list

LANGUAGE
D) chickens and, pigs,

farm: waking every day to milk the cows, feed the
23 chickens, and pigs, and tend the garden. 24 Many
city dwellers are beginning to make this dream a reality 24
through the practice of urban homesteading. Urban Which choice most effectively combines the
homesteading is the practice of growing food and raising underlined sentences?
animals on one’s property for personal consumption. A) Many city dwellers are beginning to make this
MATH
dream a reality through the practice of urban

homesteading: this is the practice of growing
food and raising animals on one’s property for
personal consumption. not precise
B) Many city dwellers are beginning to make
this dream a reality through the practice
of urban homesteading; by way of doing
this, city dwellers practice growing food and
raising animals on their property for personal
consumption.
C) Many city dwellers are beginning to make this
dream a reality through the practice of urban
homesteading; urban homesteading is the
practice of growing food and raising animals on
one’s property for personal consumption.
D) Many city dwellers are beginning to make
this dream a reality through the practice
of urban homesteading, growing food and
raising animals on one’s property for personal
consumption.

25 precise
Urban homesteading has many 25 extras. For
READING
A) NO CHANGE
one thing, it’s local. As 26 humanities carbon footprint
B) benefits.
expands in part due to shipping food long distances,
C) benevolences.
people are putting more effort into eating locally-
D) goods.
sourced foods. What could be more local than one’s
WRITING AND
own backyard? Urban farmers know exactly where
LANGUAGE
their food is coming from and reduce their personal 26
carbon footprints. Perhaps just as importantly, urban A) NO CHANGE
need apostrophe
homesteaders know just what is going into their food. B) humanity
For people who are concerned about the increasing C) humanities’ not plural
use of pesticides and insecticides in food production, D) humanity’s
MATH
avoiding the 27 use, of those products, in their own
gardens easily ends that worry.
27 no comma rules apply
Both of these benefits still hold true for urban
A) NO CHANGE
farmers who raise meat as well as vegetables. As the
B) use of those products in their own gardens
figure shows, 28 meat products have as great a carbon
C) use of those products in their own gardens,
footprint as all other food products combined.
D) use, of those products, in their own gardens,
29 Consequently, commercially raised animals are
given hormones and medications that, like pesticides
and insecticides, some would prefer to avoid. By raising 28
animals, urban farmers can control exactly what they are Which choice makes the writer’s description of the
figure most accurate?
putting in so they know what they are getting out.
A) NO CHANGE meat » 18; all others » 20
Carbon Emissions by Food Type B) meat accounts for roughly two-thirds of the
total food production carbon footprint.
Beef/Lamb
C) white meat from chicken, pork, and fish is
Chicken/ particularly bad for the environment in terms of
Pork/Fish
carbon emissions. beef/lamb is worse
Dairy
D) beef and lamb create a carbon footprint four
Cereals/
Breads times greater than that of vegetables and fruit
combined.
Vegetables
Fruits
Oils/ 29 transitions
Spreads
A) NO CHANGE not a conclusion
Snacks/
Sugar B) Next,
Drinks C) Moreover,
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 D) Subsequently,
Grams of carbon dioxide per equivalent, both wrong

kilocalorie of food eaten

SAT MANUAL
30 For consumers concerned about chemicals in 30

READING
their food, a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) Which choice most effectively anticipates and
share is a good alternative to starting a garden. An addresses a relevant counterargument to the
argument in favor of urban homesteading
urban setting is likely to have pollutants present in the described in the passage?
air and/or the soil from either the past (such as lead A) NO CHANGE not a counterargument
contamination from lead-based paint) or the present
WRITING AND
B) Just deciding to start an organic garden won’t

LANGUAGE
31 (like smokestacks). While a farmer may purchase make it happen though—would-be urban
homesteaders need to be mindful that their
the best organic fertilizer on the market, it won’t make
yards may already be contaminated with
his tomatoes organic if the soil is contaminated or chemicals that could make the food they grow
contains chemical fertilizer residue from 32 previous less safe than conventionally-farmed options.
years in the past. C) A potential urban homesteader should keep in
mind that using his yard as a farm will be much
MATH
more labor intensive than just growing grass.

D) Although many people imagine that farms
are idyllic and beautiful places, the reality is
somewhat different, and urban homesteaders
should realize that their neighbors may object
to the way their yards look.
31
Which choice provides information that is most
consistent in style and content with the information
about possible past contaminants?
A) NO CHANGE
B) (such as polluting factories)
C) (for example, factory exhaust that contains
chemicals)
D) (such as noxious exhaust from a nearby factory)
32
A) NO CHANGE
B) time past in previous years.
C) previous years. concise!
D) the actions of previous homeowners in years
past.

These kinds of concerns shouldn’t necessarily 33 frequently confused words/idiom
READING
prevent anyone from trying urban homesteading, A) NO CHANGE
though. The more people who are paying attention to B) presents of
the possible 33 presence of contaminants in their C) present’s for
neighborhoods, the more likely the contamination is D) presence to
to be remedied. A group of urban homesteaders who
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
provide their families and neighbors with fresh produce
and eggs could have the power to mobilize a city to
regulate factory emissions or provide environmental
remediation. Although urban homesteading is not
without potential challenges, its benefits most likely
outweigh its drawbacks for those who are seriously
MATH
invested in it.

SAT MANUAL
Passage 8
READING

A) NO CHANGE
Do You See What I See?
B) reflection because it no cause/effect
Echolocation is a familiar concept to most people.
C) reflection and
WRITING AND
Echolocation is the process of locating objects by sound

LANGUAGE
C I D) reflection even though it no contrast

34 reflection, and is primarily associated with animals
such as bats and dolphins. An echolocating animal
emits sounds that bounce off the objects around it, 35
so it can create a mental map of its environment. Which choice most effectively sets up the example
in the following sentence? blind person
35 Because bats are nocturnal, they have poor eyesight
A) NO CHANGE
MATH
and rely primarily on echolocation for navigation. A

B) This type of mental map is fundamentally
blind person can produce sound by tapping a cane, different from the way we see the world, but is
snapping fingers, or clicking with the tongue against the still an effective tool for navigating through a
roof of the mouth and then use the echoes that reflect given environment.
off nearby objects to mentally 36 visualize and make a C) Sonar and radar, which are two tools commonly
used by ships for navigation, are also forms of
map of the environment. echolocation.
D) What many people are less familiar with is the
fact that humans, most commonly those with
visual impairments, can also use echolocation.
36
A) NO CHANGE
B) visualize concise!
C) make images of and map out
D) map and picture

37 tone
Sighted people are often 37 surprised to learn that
READING
A) NO CHANGE
echolocation, which is also called acoustic wayfinding, is
B) shocked and awed
a feasible way to navigate the world. An examination of
C) gobsmacked
the mechanics of the human brain, 38 for real, shows
D) flabbergasted
how well-suited humans are to using echolocation.
WRITING AND
The processes behind vision and hearing are quite
LANGUAGE
similar: they both function through reflected waves 38 transitions
of energy. 39 Consequently, when sound waves are A) NO CHANGE
used for spatial purposes, the vision area of the brain B) indeed,
processes them in the same way it processes light waves. C) however, need opposite-direction
D) similarly,
MATH
39
following sentence.
Vision processes light waves and consistent
hearing processes sound waves, but w/passage
either type of wave can be processed in
the area of the brain that is generally
associated with vision.
A) Yes, because it adds details that help to explain
the connection between the processes of sight
and hearing.
B) Yes, because it helps to clarify the paragraph’s
focus on how humans and bats are similar.
C) No, because it is only loosely related to the
paragraph’s focus on new developments in
acoustic wayfinding.
D) No, because it does not address whether light
waves can be processed in the area of the brain
usually associated with hearing.

SAT MANUAL
This connection between echolocation and sight 40 precise

READING
was 40 accepted by a 2014 study that recorded the A) NO CHANGE

clicks that blind people made while using echolocation B) conformed
and the resulting echoes. The sounds were then played C) confirmed
back while the subjects were in an MRI machine. The D) guaranteed
resulting images of blind subjects’ brains showed
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
41 activity, in the part of the brain typically associated

41
with sight, while no corresponding activity was recorded
A) NO CHANGE
in the brains of subjects 42 who had normal sight.
B) activity in the part,
One reason people find the similarity between
C) activity in the part no comma rules apply
vision and echolocation surprising is that they don’t
D) activity: in the part
fully understand how their own sight works. The no need to separate ideas
MATH
notion that we actually see the objects in front of us is in this sentence

singular
inaccurate. What we really see 43 are the reflection 42
of light waves off those objects. Our sight is nothing A) NO CHANGE
more than a mental picture, not necessarily a reflection B) whom
of the physical world. A good example of this principle C) that
can’t refer to people
is the stick-in-water phenomenon. A stick that appears D) which
straight when held up in front of us will appear to be
broken or bent when it is dipped into a glass of water. 43 verbs
This is because water distorts the light reflections our A) NO CHANGE
brains receive. 44 The stick has not changed, but our B) is
perception of it has. C) was
wrong tense
D) were
44
paragraph?
A) NO CHANGE
B) Of course, perception and reality are always
different to some degree.
C) This is why it is important to pay attention to
as many details as possible, whether blind or
sighted.
D) The more scientists learn, the more they will be
able to enhance the skill of human echolocation
for the blind.

MATH
Teacher note: questions

generally get harder within
each part of each section,
Yes Calculator
but the level of difficulty
jumps around some. More Multiple-Choice 1
2
important than College 3
Board’s idea of difficulty is 4
the student’s POOD. 5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
No Calculator 14
15
Multiple-Choice 1 16
2 17
3 18
4 19
5 20
6 21
22
7
23
8 24
9 25
10 26
11 27
12 28
29
13
30
14 31
Grid-In
15 32
Grid-In 16 33
17 34
18 35
36
19
37
20 38
20 Questions / 38 Questions /
25 Minutes 55 Minutes
323
GLOBAL
TECHNIQUES
325
SAT MANUAL
READING
GOALS REVIEW
• Name how many questions to do in the Math sections to reach your

goal score
• Use Pacing, POOD, and LOTD to achieve your goal score
WRITING AND
• Methodically work through word problems using the Word Problems

LANGUAGE
Basic Approach
• Use your calculator wisely and approach questions without it
Preview: Do you prepare to write a paper the same way you prepare to
give a presentation? Do you write a science class paper the same way you
write a paper in English class? Similarly, on the SAT, we’re going to ap-
MATH
proach math in a somewhat different way than you would in your school’s
math class.

GLOBAL TECHNIQUES
READING
SCORING
Small changes to the number and type of questions you attempt can have a huge
impact on your score. The best place to start is with a score improvement goal.
Since the scale changes from test to test, the table below gives an approximation of
the number of raw points you need to earn for each scaled score.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Answer this many questions
Section 3: Section 4:
No Calculator Yes Calculator There is some
To get: You need 15 30 8 Total # room for error built
(scaled to earn: questions 5 questions questions questions of questions
score) (raw points) MC Grid-Ins MC Grid-Ins to attempt into this pacing
MATH
350 12 5 1 9 1 16
chart. For example,
you need 26 raw
400 16 7 2 11 2 22
points for a 500
450 20 9 2 13 3 27
but attempt 33
500 26 10 2 18 3 33 questions.
550 32 11 2 21 5 39
600 39 12 3 24 6 45
650 44 13 4 26 7 50
700 50 14 5 29 8 56
750 54 15 5 30 8 58
800 58 15 5 30 8 58
POOD
So how do you know which questions to do and which ones to skip? Make sure to
follow your POOD and focus on these two ideas.
Do questions that can be answered quickly and accurately.

Do questions that can be made easier using TPR strategies.
GUESSING AND PACING

Remember to guess on any questions that you don’t have time to legitimately
complete. Just make sure to always guess the same letter, your Letter of the Day
(LOTD).

SAT MANUAL
READING
MULTIPLE-CHOICE VS. GRID-IN

If you had two questions left, one multiple-choice and one grid-in, that seem of
equal difficulty to you, which one should you do? What is the smart choice to
meet your pacing goal?
You might get MC correct by guessing but not likely on

GI, so work GI and use LOTD on MC.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
RTFQ
There will often be a lot of extraneous words in the set-up to Math questions. Read
the final question carefully before doing any calculations.
What would you expect to be asked if you saw these questions in math class?
MATH
What is a?
If 5a – 4 = 2a + 11, _____________________?
3
If a = 35 and What is b?
a = b , _____________________?
7

Note to teachers—do not solve these in class. Point GLOBAL TECHNIQUES
out trap answers and give correct one to show how they
are asking for something other than what you’d expect.
Solutions are just here for your benefit.
READING
Now look at these SAT questions.
16. If 5a – 4 = 2a + 11, what is the value of a – 5 ?

A) −2 5a – 4 = 2a + 11
B) 0 –2a + 4 = –2a + 4
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
C) 3 3a = 15
D) 5 Trap-value of a
a = 5
–5 –5
a–5 = 0
3 b +1
5. If a = 35 and a = b , what is the value of ?
7 4
A) 15 Trap-value of b
MATH
B) 9 3
(35) = b
C) 5 7
D) 4 15 = b
15 + 1 16
= = 4
Always make sure to 4 4
R_____________
ead ________
T_____________________
he
F_____________________
inal
Q____________________
uestion
And underline it!

SAT MANUAL
READING
POE
On the SAT, there are more wrong answers than right ones. When you find a
wrong answer, cross it off!
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
WORD PROBLEMS
For the many word problems on the SAT, make sure to use a consistent approach.
Start with RTFQ to avoid getting lost in the text.
8. At a fruit stand, Anatavia bought apples, oranges, pears, and

strawberries for her restaurant. Of the pieces of fruit she purchased,
MATH
1 1
were apples and were oranges. If a quarter of her remaining
Teacher note: 5 3
New question for 7.0 pieces of fruit were pears, and she purchased 360 pieces of fruit from
the fruit stand, how many strawberries did she purchase?
Unlike with the A) 225 1 1
previous examples, 360 = 72 apples; 360 = 120 oranges
B) 168 5 3
DO work through 360 – 72 – 120 = 168 remaining fruit
C) 126
solving this question
to show students D) 90 1
168 = 42 pears
the WP Approach. 4
168 – 42 = 126 strawberries
WORD PROBLEM BASIC APPROACH

1. Read the Final Question—Read and underline the actual
question that is being asked.
2. Let the Answers Help—Look for clues on how to approach
the question and opportunities to use POE.
3. Work in Bite-Sized Pieces—Start with the most straight-
forward piece of information.

GLOBAL TECHNIQUES
READING
BALLPARKING AND ESTIMATING
Use Ballparking or Estimating to eliminate answers, which is even more important
when calculator use is not allowed.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Try to eliminate answer choices that can’t possibly be correct
before calculating anything.
13. Aaron wants to make as many gluten-free, low-carb cupcakes as he

3
MATH
can for a bake sale. His recipe for 12 such cupcakes requires of a cup
8
of cocoa. Assuming Aaron has enough of the remaining ingredients,
which of the following is closest to the number of cupcakes that he
could make if he has 2 cups of cocoa?
A) 10 Too small 3 1
B) 30
» cup
8 2
C) 60 so 1 cup » 25 cupcakes
D) 100 and 2 cups » 50 cupcakes
Rounding the numbers in the question to estimate your answer can also help
save time. Don’t multiply out awkward numbers on paper if you can estimate the
answer.
x2 + y2 = 125
y = –2x
11. If (x, y) is a solution to the system of equations above, what is the

positive value of x ? x2 + (–2x)2 = 125
A) –5 not positive x2 + 4x2 = 125
B) 5 5x2 = 125
C) 10 x2 = 25
x = ±5
D) 25 too big in first equation

SAT MANUAL
READING
BITE-SIZED PIECES
Deal with one small piece of information at a time, eliminating answers as you go.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
When there is something to figure out, STOP!

Figure it out and try to use POE before you move on.
1. 2(4n3) –3(–7n3)
8n3 +21n3 = 29n3; eliminate (A) and (B).
1. 1.
MATH
What’s 8n 3 + 21n 3? 6. 2(4n3 – 2n2 + n + 8) – 3(−7n3 + 2n2 − 5n + 9) =

How does knowing the 2. 2.
A) –13n3 + 10n2 – 17n + 11
answer help with POE?
B) –13n3 – 10n2 + 17n – 11 2. 2(–2n2) – 3(+2n2) =
–4n2 – 6n2 =
C) 29n3 + 10n2 – 17n + 11
–10n2; eliminate (C)
D) 29n3 – 10n2 + 17n – 11
What should you do after

Which of the following ordered pairs (x, y) satisfies the inequality
7.
testing one of the points?
2x + 7y > −1 ?
Test I.
I. (1, −2)
2(1) + 7(–2) > –1
II. (−3, 1) 2 + (–14) > –1
III. (4, −1) –12 > –1
False; Eliminate (A) and (C).
A) I only
Only II. is different in answers.
B) III only
C) I and II only 2(–3) + 7(1) > –1
D) II and III only –6 + 7 > –1
1>–1
True; Eliminate (B).

GLOBAL TECHNIQUES
10. Natalia is joining an online music service that charges a monthly membership When does the $15 fee
READING
fee of $5.95. A tax of 9% is applied to the monthly membership fee, and an come into play? How
additional one-time initiation fee of $15 is charged at the beginning of the does that help with POE?
membership. Which of the following represents Natalia’s total charge, in
dollars, for a membership lasting m months?
A) 1.09(5.95m + 15) 1. RTFQ; underline
2. Answers are expressions
WRITING AND
B) 1.09(5.95m) + 15
LANGUAGE
C) 1.09m(5.95 + 15) 3. BSP and POE
D) 0.09m(5.95) + 15 One time fee $15 not taxed; eliminate
(A) and (C).
Tax of 9% is 1.09 not 0.09; eliminate
(D).
MATH
POE POINT—When attacking the problem in Bite-Sized Pieces,
don’t forget to pause after each piece to see which answers can
be eliminated.

SAT MANUAL
READING
CALCULATOR USE
On Section 4, you’re allowed to use your calculator, but that doesn’t mean that it
will be useful on every question in that section. When you do want to use your
calculator, remember the following:
1. Read the question.

WRITING AND
2. Set up the problem.

LANGUAGE
Only pick up your calculator after you’ve made sure to RTFQ and
set the problem up on paper.
MATH
When using a calculator, 33. If f(x) = 14x + 5[6 – (2x + 3)]2, what is the value of f(–2) ?
follow the rules of
PEMDAS!
f(–2) = 14(–2) + 5[6 – (2(–2) + 3)]2
2 1 7 = 14(–2) + 5[6 – (–4 + 3)]2
P arentheses
E xponents
= 14(–2) + 5[6 – (–1)]2
M ultiply
= 14(–2) + 5[7]2
= 14(–2) + 5(49)
D ivide
= –28 + 245
A dd
= 217
S ubtract
Even the questions that allow calculator usage are often written so that using it
may actually end up being less effective or efficient.

GLOBAL TECHNIQUES
Summary
score more
• By slowing down, I can ___________________.
• Which questions should you focus on in the

Math sections?
Can do quickly and accurately
_____________________________________
Made easy with TPR strategies
_____________________________________
• When should you guess on a Math question?
Don’t know or no time
_____________________________________
• What does RTFQ stand for?
Read the Final Question
_____________________________________
• What does that mean?
Underline the question before working
_____________________________________
• What are two reasons to use POE?
Can provide shortcut
_____________________________________
Increases odds of getting question correct
_____________________________________
• What is the Basic Approach for Word Problems?
RTFQ
_____________________________________
Let the answers help
_____________________________________
Work in Bite-Sized Pieces
_____________________________________
• What is Ballparking?
Eliminate answers that are too big or too small
_____________________________________
• What does it mean to solve a question in
Bite-Sized Pieces?
Work one step at a time
_____________________________________
• When do you use Bite-Sized Pieces?
_____________________________________
Whenever there are multiple steps
• What is important to keep in mind about
calculator use?
Know the question
_____________________________________
Set up the problem first
_____________________________________
• I have accomplished ______ of the 4 goals
stated at the beginning of this chapter. © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC | 335
PLUGGING IN
Algebraic symbols are used when you do not

know what you are talking about.
–Philippe Schnoebelen
337
SAT MANUAL
READING
Preview: Candy
Store
“I give you $5 and
send you to the
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
candy store to
buy 4 pieces for
50 cents each
and bring back the
change. How much
change do you bring
back?”
“Ok, I send you back
MATH
with d dollars to
buy p pieces at C
cents each and
bring back the
change. How much
do you bring back?”
“Which question is
easier?”
GOALS REVIEW
• Identify when Plugging In is possible

• Use Plugging In to solve problems
• Understand why Plugging In is such a powerful technique

PLUGGING IN
READING
PLUGGING IN
College Board makes a big deal about the differences between Heart of Algebra
questions and Passport to Advanced Math questions, but those differences don’t
matter too much to us. If a question has variables in the answers, turn the algebra
problem into an arithmetic problem by plugging in numbers.
WRITING AND
x=2
LANGUAGE
9. Which of the following is equivalent to the expression x2 – 4x + 11 ?
(2)2 – 4(2) + 11
A) (x + 2)2 – 7 (2 + 2)2 – 7 = 16 – 7 = 9
4 – 8 + 11
B) (x + 2)2 + 7 (2 + 2)2 + 7 = 16 + 7 = 23
7 is target value
C) (x – 2)2 + 7 (2 – 2)2 + 7 = 0 + 7 = 7
D) (x – 2)2 – 7 (2 – 2)2 – 7 = 0 – 7 = –7
MATH
PLUGGING IN BASIC APPROACH
1. Identify the variable(s).
2. Plug in a number for the variable(s).
3. Work the steps of the problem.
4. Circle the Target Value.
5. Plug into all four answers, eliminating any that do not
match the Target Value.
6k 2 + 11k
3k + 1
11. The expression above can be rewritten as which of the following? k=2
3 3 3 4
A) 2k 3 2(2) + 3 − =7− =6 6(2)2 + 11(2)
3k 1 3(2) + 1 7 7 =
3(2) + 1
B) 2k
3 3 3 4
3k 1
2(2) − =4− =3
3(2) + 1 7 7
6( 4) + 22
C) 2k + 11 =
no fraction 6+1
D) 2k
24 + 22
=
7
46 4
or 6
7 7

SAT MANUAL
READING
WHAT TO PLUG IN
Why would it be a bad idea to plug in x = 37 on question 9? What happens if you
plug in a number that results in a denominator of 0 on question 11? Choose num-
bers that make the arithmetic as straightforward as possible.
w 4 w=4
8. Which of the following must be true if ?
WRITING AND
What’s a good number to

LANGUAGE
w 3v 13
plug in for w? 4 4
w 12 4 =
A) = 4 + 3v 13
v 17 3
v 4 3 4 + 3v = 13
B) =
w 3 4 3v = 9
v 3 3 v=3
C) =
MATH
w 4
4
w 4
D) 4
vw = −4
3−4
PLUGGING IN TIPS
• If the question is about a relationship between
numbers, plug in! The question may contain variables,
fractions, equivalent expressions, or the phrase “in terms
of.”
• Try numbers that make the math as straightforward
as possible, especially when calculator use is not allowed.
Numbers like 2, 3, 5, and 10 work great, and 100 is good for
percent questions.
• As long as your numbers fit the requirements of the
problem, your numbers will be good, viable numbers to
use. Even a weird target number will probably only match
one answer choice.
• Check all four answer choices if they have variables. If
two of them work, plug in again!

PLUGGING IN
READING
r What if a student
23. If r s t , where r is a positive integer and s is a negative integer, plugs in r = 2 and
s
then which of the following must be true? r=4 s = –2? Then t = –5,
A) t = 0 s = –2 and (B) and (C) both
4 work. If this happens,
B) t = −5 – 4 + (–2) = t
−2 they need to pick
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
C) The value of t is negative.
new numbers and PI
D) The value of t is positive. to (B) and (C) again.
–2 – 4 – 2 = t
Also, it’s less likely
t = –8 to happen if you pick
Sometimes you’ll plug in values from a chart or graph, rather than your own numbers without the
numbers. same absolute value!
MATH
Metric versus U.S. measurements
2 Liters (2,000 milliliters) 67.63 ounces so m = 2,000 and

591.47 milliliters 20 ounces o = 67.63
3,785.41 milliliters 1 gallon (128 ounces)
473.81 milliliters 1 pint (16 ounces) (Any row would work, but this
has one nice number)
22.
The table above shows the conversion between metric and U.S.
measurements of common beverage sizes. If m milliliters is equal to o
ounces, which best represents the relationship between m and o ?
A) m = 29.57o 2,000 = 29.57(67.63) » 2,000
B) o = 29.57m 67.63 = 29.57(2,000) too big
C) m = 0.034o 2,000 = 0.034(67.63) too small
D) mo = 0.034 (2,000)(67.63) too big

SAT MANUAL
READING
Plugging In can be a great tool for word problems too.
Are there variables? 28. If the average (arithmetic mean) of 8 and q is a, the average of 12 and
Plug in!
1 1
q is b, and the average of 16 and q is c, what is the average of a, b,
2 3
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
and c, in terms of q ?
q=6
11 11
A) (6) + 36 = too big A) q + 36
6 6 8 + 6 14
= =7=a
2 2
11 11
B) (6) + 18 = too big B) q + 18
12 12 12 + 21 (6) 12 + 3 15
= = = 7.5 = b
11
MATH
11 2 2 2
C) (6) + 9 = too big C) q+9
24 24
16 + 31 (6) 16 + 2 18
11 11 5 11 = = =9 = c
D) (6) + 6 = + 6 = 7 D) q+6 2 2 2
36 6 6 36
a + b + c 7 + 7.5 + 9 23.5 47 5
= = = or 7 or 7.833
3 3 3 6 6
HIDDEN PLUG-INS
Plugging In is not just for questions with variables in the answer choices—be on
the lookout for questions that ask about changes to values but don’t provide the
actual values. Instead of trying to imagine how the numbers behave, plug in num-
bers and see what happens.
31. A person’s height H, in centimeters, can be estimated based on the

length of the femur bone f, in centimeters, using the formula
H = 2.71f + 45.86. According to the model, for every increase of
5 centimeters in the length of the femur, by how many centimeters
will the person’s estimated height increase? (Round your answer to the
nearest tenth.)
If f = 0, H = 2.71(0) + 45.86 = 45.86

1 3 . 6
if f = 5, H = 2.71(5) + 45.86 = 59.41
So increase is 59.41 – 45.86 = 13.55
round to 13.6

PLUGGING IN
7. The equation A = 20c + 15 gives the amount, A, in dollars, needed to
READING
purchase c cartons of bottled water at a wholesale membership store.
Kate and Ellie each purchase cartons of bottled water at this store. Kate Teacher note:
buys 3 more cartons of water than Ellie does. How much more does
Kate pay for water at the store than Ellie does? New question for 7.0
A) $75 Don’t know how much water they each
bought but do know relationship. Plug in
WRITING AND
B) $60
LANGUAGE
c = 5 for Kate, so for Ellie, c = 5 – 3 = 2.
C) $20
D) $15 Kate: A = 20(5) + 15 = 100 + 15 = $115
Ellie: A = 20(2) + 15 = 40 + 15 = $55
Difference = $115 - $55 = $60
PLUG AND PLAY
MATH
On occasion, a question will contain a variable or an unknown quantity, but it is
not clear exactly what to plug in. When that happens, play around with the num-
bers until you find one that works.
y
x 2 = 81
17. If the equation above is true for positive integers x and y, what is one
possible value of y ?
4 Think of numbers that can be raised to a

power to get 81.
One option is 92 = 81.
Teacher note:
y
In this case, x = 9 and = 2. Question revised for 7.0
2
Solving for y, multiply both sides by 2 to
get y = 4 as one possible answer.
Other answers are 2 and 8.

SAT MANUAL
Note to teachers—walk around and check that students

are only using calculators when allowed.
Teacher note:
READING
PLUGGING IN DRILL
Time: 8 minutes Questions 9 and 27 new for 7.0, question 26 moved from
elsewhere in 6.0
Unless you are aiming for a top score, don’t try all the questions! Use your POOD to choose the best ones for you.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
9 20
Which of the following is equivalent to the v m2 6m 9
expression y4 – 18y2 + 81 ? 0
m 3 m 33
A) (y + 3)4
MATH
B) (y – 9)4 If the equation above is true, and the variable m ≠ 3,

2
C) (y + 9)(y – 3)(y + 3) then what is the value of constant v ?
D) (y – 3)2(y + 3)2 m=4
1
(make denominator = 1)
y=1
(1)4 - 18(1)2 + 81 = 1 – 18 + 81 = 64 v 4 2 − 6( 4 ) + 9
= =0
A) (1 + 3)4 = 44 = 256
( 4 − 3) ( 4 − 3)
3
v 16 − 24 + 9
B) (1 – 9)4 = (–8)4 = too big! = =0
1 (1)3
C) (12 + 9)(1 – 3)(1 + 3) = (10)(–2)(4) = –80 v–1=0
v=1
2 2 2 2
D) (1 – 3) (1 + 3) = ((–2) )(4 ) = 4(16) = 64

PLUGGING IN
10 27
READING
S y2 6
P Which of the following is equivalent to for
SF y 6
all values y 6 ?
y=4
A tennis league uses the formula above to A) y – 6
determine a player’s first serve practice score, P, Use calculator to approximate values
WRITING AND
B) y – 3
LANGUAGE
based on the number of successful first serves,
S, and the faults on first serves, F. Which of the C) y + 6 42 − 6 16 − 6 10
following expresses the number of successful serves, ≈ ≈ ≈ 1.55
D) y + 3 4 + 6 4 + 2.45 6.45
in terms of F and P ? S=2
FP 3( 52 ) 6 F=3 A) 4 – 2.45 = 1.55
A) S = 5
= 2
1 P 1 − 52 3
5
P= 2 = 2 B) 4 – 3 = 1
FP 3( 2 ) 2+3 5
C) 4 + 2.45 = 6.45
MATH
6
B) S
P 1 2 = = −2
5 5
5 −1 − 3
5 D) 4 + 3 = 7
29
F 3 3
C) S
P 1 = = −5 11x + 5 = 9x + p
5 −1 − 35
2
11y + 5 = 9y + q
F
D) S 3 3
1 P = 3= 5 In the equations above, p and q are constants. If
1− 5
2
5
p = q + 4, which of the following is true?
A) x = y – 2 q=2
26 B) x = y + 2 p=2+4=6
Marble Ramp Rolling Times C) x = y + 4 11x + 5 = 9x + 6
D) x = y + 8 –9x – 5 –9x – 5
100 2x = 1
90 1 3 7 1
Length (in centimeters)
=
A) −= −2 − x=
80 2 2 2
70 1 3 1
2
=
B) 2 = 2
60 2 2
50 1 3 5 11y + 5 = 9y + 2
40 =
C) = 4
2 2 2 –9y – 5 –9y – 5
30 2y = –3
20 D) 1 =
=
3
8
13
10 2 2 2 y= −3
0 2
0 5 10 15
Time (in seconds)
A student is rolling a marble down ramps of

varying lengths. The scatterplot above shows the
time, in seconds, it takes the marble to roll down
each ramp. If l is the length of the ramp and t is
the time in seconds, which of the following could
be the equation of the curve of best fit to the data
represented, as shown on the graph?
A) l = 0.2t At t = 4, l = 10, or a little less
B) l = 0.5t 2 A) 10 = 0.2(4); 10 = 0.8 no
C) l = 2t2 B) 10 = 0.5(4)2; 10 = 0.5(16) not quite but close
C) 10 = 2(4)2; 10 = 2(16) no | 345
D) l = 2.5t3 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
D) 10 = 2.5(4)3; too big
SAT MANUAL
Summary
• What are the advantages of Plugging In?
often faster
______________________________________
______________________________________
helps avoid algebra errors
• What are some clues that you can Plug In?
variables in the question

______________________________________
variables in the answers

______________________________________
problem about relationship between numbers

______________________________________

geometry questions that involve variables or
______________________________________
unknown numbers
• What are the steps for Plugging In?
(1) ID the variables

______________________________________
(2) Plug in # for the variables

______________________________________
(3) Work the steps of the problem

______________________________________
(4) Circle the target #

______________________________________
(5) Plug into all four answers, eliminating any

______________________________________
that do not match target
• What are some good numbers to use
when Plugging In to make the math more
convenient?
2, 3, 5, 10, 100
______________________________________


PLUGGING IN
PRACTICE
347
SAT MANUAL
THE PRINCETON REVIEW GUIDE TO GRIDDING

READING
The Grid-In Questions

Some of the questions on the SAT will not be multiple-choice. We call these “grid-
ins” because you have to come up with your own answer and enter it into a special
grid. Otherwise, these questions are just like the normal four-choice problem solv-
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
ing questions—with the answer choices missing, of course.
College Board’s directions for gridding in your answers take up two-thirds of a

page, and reading them during the test can eat up some serious time. We’ll show
you how to grid in your answers so that you’ll never have to look at College Board’s
directions. You can simply fill in your response because you’ll know what to do.
MATH
Rules for Gridding

1. Write your answer in the top of the grid. Because the answer sheet is
scored by a machine, you must fill in the bubbles in order to receive credit for
answering the question. However, entering your answer into the spaces at the top
of the grid box will keep you from making careless mistakes when you fill in the
bubbles.
2. You can use either fractions or decimals. By letting you use fractions or
1
decimals, these questions offer a bit of flexibility. If the correct answer is , you
2
can enter it as
1 / 2 or . 5
For this question, entering 0.5 into the grid would also be acceptable. However, in
Rule 4 on the next page, you will see the reason we recommend leaving off a lead-
ing zero when entering your answer.
3. Don’t grid in mixed numbers. The computer can’t recognize mixed num-
3
bers. If your answer is 5 , you can either grid in 5.75 or you can convert the
4
mixed number to an improper fraction. In this case, your answer would be marked
23
correct if you gridded in . If the improper fraction doesn’t fit in the grid, you’ll
4
have to use a decimal or reduce the fraction to its simplest form.

PLUGGING IN PRACTICE
4. Start at the far left and use all four spaces if necessary. Not all your
READING
answers will take up all four spaces but it’s a good idea to always start at the far
left of the grid. Why? Well, suppose that your answer is some long decimal such
as .142856, which doesn’t fit into the grid. College Board wants the most accu-
rate answer possible (unless the question specifies something else, like rounding
to the nearest tenth). If you just grid in .1 or .14, you’ll be marked wrong. Those
answers aren’t as accurate as possible. If you start at the far left, you can grid in
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
more of the digits from your answer.
Here’s what College Board would credit as a correct response:
. 1 4 2 or . 1 4 3
MATH
5. Lop, don’t round. As you just saw, the answer .142856… can be entered in
two different ways. College Board (usually) doesn’t care whether you round up the
last digit of a decimal. Unless the question specifies otherwise, save yourself a little
time and don’t worry about rounding; just enter the digits that fit and ignore the
rest. Be aware, though, that strange decimals are uncommon on the SAT.
4
6. Don’t bother reducing fractions that already fit. If you get as your
28
answer, you might be tempted to reduce it. Don’t waste your time! It already fits in
the grid and College Board will give you credit for any answer that’s equivalent to
4 2 1
. Why bother figuring out that you could also grid in or ? Reducing
28 14 7
10
is just one more place to make a mistake. However, if your answer is , that
70
won’t fit in the grid. Now, you’ve either got to reduce or convert your fraction to a
decimal.

SAT MANUAL
7. There’s no bubble for this!?! The grid box can’t handle negative numbers,
READING
variables, or square root signs. If any of these appear in your answer, go back and
check your work.
If you get an answer that has π in it, you should also check your work. Don’t
simply multiply your answer by 3.14. College Board would consider it unfair to
expect students without calculators to know the value of π and to multiply that
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
value as part of their answer.
Quick, what’s 7 ? (Not fair to use your calculator.) If you didn’t know, then
you’re like most people. If you get a weird square root as an answer, you should
also check your work. Something’s wrong.
8. Just drop the percent sign. If you get 75% as your answer, just drop off
MATH
the percent sign and grid in 75. Don’t convert it to a decimal. Don’t convert it to a
fraction. If you grid in .75, the machine will think that you mean .75 percent and
mark you wrong.
Here’s what your answer should look like:
7 5
If any of this information is unclear, be sure to ask your instructor about it at the
next class.

READING
PLUGGING IN
BASIC APPROACH
WRITING AND
1. Identify the variable(s).
LANGUAGE
2. Plug in a number for the variable(s).
Pick a number that fits the requirements and will make the
math straightforward.
3. Work the steps of the problem.
4. Circle the Target Value.
MATH
5. Plug into all four answers, eliminating any that do not match the
Target Value.
3 5
The distance d that a car can travel in a certain Hector’s father gives Hector a piggybank that
amount of time t can be found by multiplying the contains $10. If Hector adds $3 every two weeks to
rate of speed r by the travel time. If a car has already the piggy bank, how much money M, in dollars,
traveled 4 miles, the formula for the total distance will the piggy bank contain at the end of w weeks,
traveled is d = rt + 4. Which of the following gives where w is a positive even integer? Plug in w = 2
the value of r, in terms of d and t ? Plug in r = 2, 10 + 3 = 13 so,
t = 3, d = (2)(3) 3 M = 13
A) M = w + 10
A) r
t 3 3 + 4 = 10 2 3
13 = ( 2 ) + 10; 13 = 13
d4
2= ,2= 2
10 − 4 6
B) M = 3w + 10 13 = 3(2) + 10; 13 = 6 + 10;
t 3 3 13 = 16
B) r 2= ,2=
d4 10 + 4 14 C) M = 6w + 10 13 = 6(2) + 10; 13 = 12 + 10;
13 = 22
d4 10 − 4 6
C) r = 2 = ,2 ,2=2
t 3 3 D) M = 6w + 20 13 = 6(2) + 20; 13 = 12 + 20;
13 = 32
d4 10 + 4 14
D) r = 2 = ,2
t 3 3
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
2 3 1
If x = 2 + 2 + =
2 2 2(2)
3 1
6 1+ + =1+1=2 9
4 4
READING
Which of the following is equivalent to The sum, s, of 4 consecutive odd integers can be
2 3 1 represented by the equation s = 4n – 12. What does
+ 2 + ? n represent?
x x 2x
A) The least of the 4 integers 1
6 6 6 6
A) = = B) The average of the 4 integers 4
x 2 + 3x 2 + 3(2) 4 + 6 10
2
WRITING AND
C) The mode of the 4 integers there is no mode

LANGUAGE
2x + 3 2(2) + 3 7 D) The greatest of the 4 integers 7

B) =
x 2
22 4 Plug in 1, 3, 5, 7 as the 4 consecutive odd integers
s = 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 = 16
5x + 6 5(2) + 6 10 + 6 16 16 = 4n – 12
C) = = =2
2x 2 2(22 ) 2(4 ) 8 28 = 4n
7=n m = 10; x = 20
4 x 2 + 6 4(22 ) + 6 4(4 ) + 6 16 + 6
MATH
D)
6 6
= = 10 John uses 2 gallons; 2 x 2.75 = 5.5
6x 6(2 ) 6(26 ) 6(64 )
John’s car can travel m miles on one gallon of
22 gasoline. After filling his gas tank, John drove x
=
384 miles. If gasoline costs $2.75 per gallon, which of
Teacher note: the following represents how much it will cost John,
Question 8 moved here from elsewhere in 6.0 in dollars, to refill his gas tank?
8
2f 8 2.75x 2.75
If 4 £ £
4
, which of the following
A) ( 20 ) = 5.5
3 3 m 10
accurately expresses all possible values of f ? 2.75m 2.75
B) ( 10) = 1.375
x 20
A) –24 ≤ f ≤ 8
B) –12 ≤ f ≤ 4 C) 2.75x – m 2.75(20) – 10 = 45
C) –6 ≤ f ≤ 2
D) 2 ≤ f ≤ 10 D) 2.75mx 2.75(10)(20) = 550
Plug values in that are in some of
the answers but not in others
2(0) + 8 4
Try f = 0 −4 £ £
−3 3
8 4 2 4
−4 £ £ , − 4 £ −2 £
−3 3 3 3
true, so eliminate (D)
Try f = 3
2(3) + 8 4
−4 £ £
−3 3
14 4 2 4 false, so eliminate
−4 £ £ , −4 £ −4 £
−3 3 3 3 (A) and (B)
CONTINUE
Teacher note:
11 19
READING
If a watch store paid $50 per watch for a shipment A new radioactive element is found on Mars. Every
of watches, and sold all but 5 watches from the 10 years, the concentration of the element is one-
shipment for $100 per watch, then, in terms of
the number of watches in the shipment, y, what quarter of what it was at the start of the 10-year
t
function describes the watch store’s profit, P, from period. If the decay rate is given by C C0 x 10 ,
the sales?
WRITING AND
where C0 is the initial concentration of the element,
LANGUAGE
20 20
A) P(y) = 50(y – 5) – 100y = 50(20 – 5) – 100(20) = 750
20 20 – 2000 = –1250 C is the final concentration of the element, and t is
B) P(y) = 5(50 – y) – 100y = 5(50 – 20) – 100(20) = 150
20 20 – 2000 = –1850 the time in years, what is the value of x ?
C) P(y) = 100(y – 5) – 50y = 100(20 – 5) – 50(20) = 1500
20 20 – 1000 = 500
D) P(y) = 5(100 – y) – 50y = 5(100 – 20) – 50(20) = 400 Plug in t = 10, C0 = 12
– 1000 = –600
1 / 4 Every 10 years the
Plug in y = 20, store paid 50 x 20 = 1000
store sold 20 – 5 = 15 watches 1
concentration is of
MATH
15 x 100 = 1500 4
Profit = Revenue – Cost = 1500 – 1000 = 500 what it was at the start.
1
Therefore, C = (12) = 3
13 4
Plug the values into the
If the expression x3 – x2 – 32x + 60 can be written in
the equivalent form K(x – 2), which of the following equation to get
10
is equivalent to K ?
3 = 12(x)10
A) x2 – x + 28 = 32 – 3 + 28 = 9 – 3 + 28 = 34
3 = 12x
B) x2 + x – 30 = 32 + 3 – 30 = 9 + 3 – 30 = –18 3 1
x= =
C) x2 – x + 32 = 32 – 3 + 32 = 9 – 3 + 32 = 38 12 4
D) x2 + x + 34 = 32 + 3 + 34 = 9 + 3 + 34 = 46
Plug in x = 3
x3 – x2 – 32x + 60 = 33 – 32 – 32(3) + 60
= 27 – 9 – 96 + 60 = –18
Therefore, K(3 – 2) = –18 and K = –18
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
1 6
READING
Which of the following is equivalent to Which of the following is equivalent to

c(3c + 6) – 5c ? m 6m 4
?
A) –c + 6 –2 + 6 = 4 2 3m 1
B) 3c2 – c 3(2)2 –2 = 10
A)
2m 2(2) 4 2
C) 3c2 + c 3(2)2 +2 = 14 = = =
6m + 2 6(2) + 2 14 7
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
D) 3c2 + 6c 3(2)2 + 6(2) = 24

c=2 2m2 - 4m
B) = 2(22 ) − 4(2)
2(3(2) + 6) – 5(2) = = 0
2 2
2(6 + 6) – 10 =
2(12) – 10 = 6m2 - 4 6(2)2 − 4 20 10
C) = = =
24 – 10 = 14 6m + 2 6(2) + 2 14 7
4 6m2 - 4m 6(2)2 − 4(2) 16 8
MATH
Which of the following expressions is equivalent to

D) = = =
6m + 2 6(2) + 2 14 7
1
a=4 m=2
2a 2 ?
2 6(2) 4 12 4 8
1
1
1
2( 4 )2 = = 1 =
A) =2 a4 4=
4
2 2 2 3(2) + 1 6+1 7
2(2) = 2 7
B) a 2 = 4 2
In football, a player’s statistic for offensive yards
is the sum of his rushing yards and his receiving
( )
1
1
C) 2a 4 = 2 4 4 = 2 2 yards in a game. Ali is the running back on a
football team. He averages 60 yards rushing and 20
yards receiving per game during the regular season.
D) 2a = 2(4) = 8 During playoff games, Ali’s rushing yards are 12%
greater on average than his rushing yards in regular
season games. Which of the following represents
Ali’s total number of offensive yards if he plays in p
playoff games?
A) 0.12(60p + 20) = 0.12(60(2) + 20) = 16.8
B) 1.12(60p) + 20 = 1.12(60)(2) + 20 = 154.4
C) 1.12(60p + 20p) = 1.12[(60)(2) + 20(2)] = 179.2
D) 1.12(60p) + 20p = 1.12(60)(2) + 20(2) = 174.4
yards in each playoff game

60 + (60 x .12) = 60 + 7.2 = 67.2 yards rushing
+ 20 yards receiving
87.2 yards
p=2
87.2 x 2 = 174.4
CONTINUE
12 17
READING
Which of the following is equivalent to Weights of Nine Models of Hammer
(y + 8)(2y3 + y – 5) ? y=2 Sold by Manufacturer X
A) 2y4 + 16y3 + y2 – 3y – 40 (2 + 8)(2(2) + 2 – 5)
3
Model number Weight, in ounces
B) 2y4 + 16y3 + y2 + 3y – 40
(10)(2(8) – 3)
(10)(16 – 3) = 130 1 6
C) 18y4 + y2 + 3y – 40 2 8
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
D) 19y + 8y – 40
3
3 10
A) 2(2) + 16(2) + (2) – 3(2) – 40 = 118
4 3 2
4 13
B) 2(2)4 + 16(2)3 + (2)2 + 3(2) – 40 = 130 5 16
C) 18(2)4 + (2)2 + 3(2) – 40 = 258 6 19
D) 19(2)3 + 8(2) – 40 = 128 7 23
8 27
14
MATH
9 30
The power in watts, P, that is generated by a certain
electric circuit depends on the current in amperes, For a homework assignment, Shapour is given the
i, and can be modeled by the equation P = 20(i – 3)2 table above and asked to write a function relating
+ 180, where i > 3. Which of the following gives the the weight of a hammer in ounces, W(m), to the
value of i in terms of P ? model number of the hammer, m. If the function
i=5 Shapour writes is W(m) = 3m + 1, for which of the
A) i 3 2 5(P 180) P = 20(5 – 3)2 + 180 following ranges of model numbers is his function
= 20(22) + 180 = 80 + valid?
5 180 A) 1 through 3
B) i 3 2 = 260
P 180 B) 4 through 6
C) 7 through 9
1 P 180 D) The function is valid for all models.
C) i 3
2 5
when m = 1; w(m) = 6; w(1) = 3(1) + 1 = 4
1 P 180 eliminate (A) and (D)
D) i 3 when m = 4; w(m) = 13; w(4) = 3(4) + 1 = 13
2 5
that works so (B) is correct
(A) 5 = 3 + 2 5(260 − 180) (B) 5 = 3 + 2 5

260 − 180
5 = 3 + 2 5(80)
5=3+2 5
5 = 3 + 2 400
80
5 = 3 + 2(20) not true
5=3+2 1 not true
1 260 − 180
16
(C) 5 = 3 +
2 5 1 260 − 180
(D) 5 = –3 +
1 80 2 5
5=3+
2 5 1 80
1 5 = –3 +
2 5
5=3+ 16
2 1
5 = –3 + (4) not true
1 2
5 = 3 + (4)
2
5=3+2 CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
19 24
READING
The graph below shows the percentage of American Lemon Tree Fruit Weight
households that owned landline telephones from
2000 to 2006. 6.5
Percentage of American Households
with Landline Telephones 6.0
90
WRITING AND
Weight in ounces
LANGUAGE
80
% of Households
70 5.5
60
50
40 5.0
30
20
10 4.5
0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
MATH
Year
4.0
55 60 65 70 75 80 85
If t = 0 refers to the year 2000 in the graph above, Days
which of the following equations could describe the
percentage of American households with landline The scatterplot above shows the weight, in ounces,
telephones, P, as a function of time in years, t, from of the fruits on a certain lemon tree from days 55
2000 to 2006? t = 1, P = 80
to 80 after flowering. If w = weight and d = days,
A) P(t) = –5t + 85 = –5(1) + 85 = 80 which of the following could be the equation of the
B) P(t) = 5t + 85 = 5(1) + 85 = 90 line of best fit to the data represented, as shown on
the graph?
C) P(t) = –5t – 85 = –5(1) – 85 = –90
A) w = 0.075d
D) P(t) = 5t – 85 = 5(1) – 85 = –80
B) w = 0.08125d – 0.375
C) w = 0.5d + 55
Plug in d = 60, w = 4.5
D) w = 1.5d + 80 only (A) and (B) work;
eliminate (C) and (D).
Plug in d = 80, w = 6.0
20 (B) doesn’t work.
If the expression x2 + 10x + 15 can be factored into
(x + 4)(x + 5) + Z, what is Z in terms of x ?
A) –x = –2 27
B) x + 5 = 2 + 5 = 7 Which of the following is the result of dividing
2x2 – 11x – 20 by 2x + 3 ?
C) x – 5 = 2 – 5 = –3
D) x – 9 = 2 – 9 = –7 8 8 8 22
A) x 4 =2−4− = −2 − = −
2x 3 2(2) + 3 7 7
x=2
22 + 10(2) + 15 = (2 + 4)(2 + 5) + Z 32 32 32 46
B) x 4 =2−4− = −2 − =−
4 + 20 + 15 = 6(7) + Z 2x 3 2(2) + 3 7 7
39 = 42 + Z 1 1 1 34
Z = –3 C) x 7 =27 = 5 =
2x 3 2(2) + 3 7 7
41 41 41 76
D) x 7 =2−7− = −5 − =−
2x 3 2(2) + 3 7 7
x=2 CONTINUE
| 2(2) − 11(2) − 20 2
34
356 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
=−
2(2) + 3 7
28 32
READING
Pyramid Q has a rectangular base and a volume of An after-school sewing club has 120 yards of fabric
96 cubic inches. Pyramid R has a rectangular base to divide equally among the members of the club.
that is one-half the base area of pyramid Q and When two more students join the club at the last
a height that is 3 times the height of pyramid Q. minute, each member gets 5 fewer yards of fabric
What is the volume of pyramid R? to work with. How many members were in the club
1
A) 64 Reference box says V = lwh, but lw = base, before the two additional students joined?
WRITING AND
3
LANGUAGE
1
B) 144 so V = Bh.
3
1 Plug and Play!
C) 288 Plug in volume of pyramid Q, so 96 = Bh. 6
3 If 6 members start,
D) 432 Multiply by 3 to get 288 = Bh, then plug in
each member gets
numbers that work, like B = 144 and h = 2.
120
Find dimensions of pyramid R: = 20 yards
B = 144 ÷ 2 = 72 and h = 2 × 3 = 6 6
1
MATH
Find volume of pyramid R: V = Bh, so Add 2 more members for 8
1 3
V = (72)(6) = 144. Each member gets
3 120 = 15
29
8
The graph below shows the partial trajectory of a
projectile thrown from an elevated platform. So started with 6 members
Partial Trajectory of a Projectile

Vertical Distance (in feet)
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5
x=1 Horizontal Distance (in feet)
y = 30
If y represents vertical distance and x represents
horizontal distance, then which of the following
equations could represent the trajectory of the
projectile shown above?
A) y = –5x2 + 20x + 15 = –5(1)2 + 20(1) + 15 = 30
B) y = 5x2 + 20x – 15= 5(1)2 + 20(1) – 15 = 10
C) y = –5x2 – 20x – 15= –5(1)2 – 20(1) – 15 = –40
D) y = 5x2 + 20x + 15= 5(1)2 + 20(1) + 15 = 40

PLUGGING IN
THE ANSWERS
The most dangerous phrase is

“We’ve always done it that way.”
–Grace Hopper
359
SAT MANUAL
READING
GOALS REVIEW
• Identify when Plugging In the Answers is possible

• Follow the steps of PITA to accurately and efficiently solve problems
• Explain why PITA is such a powerful technique
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Preview: When you’ve reviewed homework in the past, have you ever
noticed how you can figure out why the answer is the answer, even if you
got the question wrong in the first place? How much easier would it be to
MATH
know the answer first and then just figure out why it’s the answer?

PLUGGING IN THE ANSWERS
READING
PLUGGING IN THE ANSWERS (PITA)
When the question asks for a specific amount and the answer choices are presented
in numerical order, Plug In the Answers.
10. Which of the following is a possible solution to the equation

20 18
WRITING AND
- 2 ?
LANGUAGE
a -1 a 1
a
A) 4
20 18 20 18
B) 5 − = − =5−3=2
5 − 1 5 +1 4 6
C) 6
D) 7
MATH
PITA BASIC APPROACH
1. Label the answer choices—what do the answers represent?
2. If the question asks for the greatest or smallest value, start
there. Otherwise, start with one of the answers in the middle.
3. Use Bite-Sized Pieces to work the steps of the problem.
4. Eliminate answers that are too big or small.
5. When one of the answers works, STOP.
3 RTFQ! What do the

9. If 2 y , then which of the following is a possible value of 2 – y ?
2 y answer choices → 2 – y
2–y represent? What does
3
A) 3 A) = 3? that mean about y?
3
B) 3
C) 2 + 3 ( )
3 


3 
= 3
3
( 3) don't need it
D) 9 3=3 3
Try more straight- 3
forward #’s in (B) B) = 3 ? no
3
and (D) first. 3
D) = 9 ?no
9

SAT MANUAL
READING
By plugging in the answers, you can avoid doing time-consuming algebra and fall-
ing for trap answers.
Why can you eliminate x2 7x x

21. If 10 and x > 0, what is the value of ?
(A) immediately? x 6 6
6 x Equation
A) –5 negative
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
middle B) 2 722 − 7(72)

remaining C) 12 72 = 10; 780 = 10; too big
answer D) 24 even bigger! 6
MATH
2
y 1 x
3

y+4=x

Plug the points into the 4. Which of the following ordered pairs (x, y) is the solution to the system
simpler equation first. of equations above? 2nd equation 1st equation
(x, y) 2
A) (1, –3) –3 + 4 = 1; 1 = 1 − (–3) = 1 + 1; 2 = 2
3
B) (2, –6)
C) (5, 1)
D) (13, –21)
Don’t need to start
in middle with
ordered pairs.
8. What is the solution set to the equation a 5 7 3a 10 ?

a
With solution sets, A) {–3, –1, 2} 1. a = 2
start with any B) {–3, 2} 2 – 5 = –7 + 3(2) + 10
value. C) {–3}
–3 = –7 + 16
D) {2}
–3 = –7 + 4
–3 = –3
True, so eliminate (C)
2. a = –3
–3 – 5 = –7 + 3(−3) + 10
–8 = –7 + 1
–8 = –6; so a = –3 doesn’t work,
eliminate (A) and (B).

16. If 8x2 – 14x – 15 = 0, then which of the following is the least value of x ? When the question asks
READING
2 for the greatest number
5  −5   −5 
A) - 8   − 14   − 15 = 8 (6.25) + 35 − 15 = 70 or the maximum value,
2  2   2  plug in that answer
2 choice first.
3  −3   −3 
B) - 8   − 14   − 15 = 8 (0.5625) + 10.5 − 15 = 0
4  4   4 
WRITING AND
3
LANGUAGE
C)
4
5
D)
2
MATH
CLUES THAT YOU CAN USE PITA
• The question asks for a specific amount—“how much,” “how
many,” or “what is the value of…?”
• You get the urge to write your own equation.
• All the answer choices are numbers.
PITA often works for word problems too!
18. A car begins at rest 200 meters from the finish line of a straight Do NOT figure what
segment of track. If the car accelerates from rest at a constant rate of x should be until
4 meters per second each second, its distance from the finish line, x, is AFTER plugging t
given by the equation x = 200 – 2t2, where 0 ≤ t ≤ 10 seconds. After how into the equation.
many seconds has the car traveled 72 meters?
t x distance traveled
A) 2
B) 6 x = 200 – 2(6)2 = 128 200 – 128 = 72
C) 8
D) 12 Eliminate (D); doesn’t fit requirements
11. A preschool teacher gave out a total of 65 cookies to her class during
snack time. She allowed each of her 25 students to choose either 3 small
cookies or 2 large cookies. Assuming all the children in the class chose
one of these two options at snack time, how many of the students in her
class chose to have 3 small cookies?
students 3 small cookies Total small cookies Students 2 large cookies Total large cookies Total cookies
A) 10
B) 15 45 10 20 45 + 20 = 65
C) 18
D) 20

SAT MANUAL
READING
PLUGGING IN THE ANSWERS DRILL

Time: 8 minutes
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
4 6
If the expression n2 – 2n – 8 represents the net profit
4 2
on the sale of n units of a product, which of the
following values represents the number of units a 5 3a
sold for which the net profit equals 0 dollars?
MATH
n Given the equation above, what is the value of 3a ?

A) 2 3a a equation
A) 9
B) 4 42 – 2(4) – 8 = 16 – 8 – 8 = 0
C) 6
B) 3 1 −4 −2 −4 −2
= ; = ; true
D) 8 1 + 5 3(1) 6 3
C) 1
1
D)
3

7 15
READING
–5 < –2x + 4y 3
If 13 10 x , then x could equal which of the
x
Which of the following ordered pairs satisfies the following?
inequality above? x 3
(x, y) I. A) 0.2 (B) – 13 = 10(0.5)
0.5
I. (2, 3)
WRITING AND
B) 0.5 6 – 13 = 5
LANGUAGE
–5 < –2(2) + 4(3)
II. (4, 2) C) 0.6 –7 = 5
–5 < –4 + 12
III. (6, 1) –5 < 8 D) 1.5 3
True, eliminate (B) & (D) (A) – 13 = 10(0.2)
0.2
A) I only II. 15 – 13 = 2
B) III only –5 < –2(4) + 4(2) 2=2
C) I and II only –5 < –8 + 8
MATH
D) II and III only
–5 < 0 Teacher note:
True, eliminate (A) 25 New question for 7.0
The function g is defined as g(x) = –(x + 3)(x – 3).
The maximum value of function g occurs at which
value of x ? Could be any value, so try them all.
A) –3 A) –(–3 + 3)(–3 – 3) = –(0)(–6) = 0

11 B) 0
B) –(0 + 3)(0 – 3) = –(3)(–3) = 9
The Eiffel Tower was constructed for the Exposition C) 3
Universelle, a world’s fair held in Paris in 1889. Four
bigger than (A), so eliminate (A)
D) 9
years later, the first Ferris Wheel was constructed C) –(3 + 3)(3 – 3) = –(6)(0) = 0
for the World’s Columbian Exhibition in Chicago,
smaller than (B), so eliminate
Illinois. The combined total height of these two
structures was 1,248 feet. If the Eiffel Tower is 720 D) –(9 + 3)(9 – 3) = –(12)(6) = –72
feet taller than the Ferris Wheel was, how tall was smaller than (B), so eliminate
the Ferris Wheel?
Ferris wheel Eiffel Tower Total
A) 264
B) 528 1,248 1,776; too big
C) 678
D) 980

SAT MANUAL
Summary
• What are the advantages of Plugging In
the Answers?
Easier than setting up own equation.

______________________________________
Avoid errors.
______________________________________
• What are some clues that you can PITA?
The questions asks for a specific amount.

______________________________________
“How much,” “How many,” “What is the value of...”

______________________________________
You are tempted to write an equation

______________________________________
______________________________________
There are #s in the answers
• What are the steps for PITA?
(1) Label the answer choices What is the

______________________________________
question asking?
(2) Start with middle #
______________________________________
(3) Work the steps using Bite-Sized Pieces

______________________________________
(4) Eliminate answers that are too big or too small

______________________________________
(5) When an answer works, choose it!

______________________________________


PLUGGING IN
THE ANSWERS
PRACTICE
367
SAT MANUAL

READING
BASIC APPROACH
1. Label the answer choices.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
2. If the question asks for the greatest or smallest value, start there.
Otherwise, start with one of the answers in the middle.
3. Work the steps, using Bite-Sized Pieces.
4. Eliminate answers that are too big or small.
5. When one of the answers works—STOP.
MATH
2 4
2a 1 1 y = –x
If , what is the value of a ?
5a 1 3 y –6=x
2
2(−4 ) + 1 −7 1
A) –4 (A) = =
5(−4) − 1 −21 3 If (x, y) is a solution to the system of equations
B) –1
2(−1) + 1 −1 above, which of the following includes all possible
C) 3 (B ) =
5(−1) − 1 −6 values of x ?
D) 4 try x = 2; y = –2
A) x = {2, 3}
(–2)2 – 6 = 4 – 6 = –2
B) x = {2, –3} Eliminate (A) and (B)
C) x = {–2, 3} try x = 3; y = –3
D) x = {–2, –3} (–3) – 6 = 9 – 6 = 3 4
2
Teacher note:
3
Each week, the members of a debate team practice
for 3 hours over the weekend and 2 hours on each
weekday they meet. If the team practiced for a [total
of 31 hours during a three-week period,] on how
many weekdays did the members meet?
A) 5 For (B), if they met 8 weekdays, that’s
B) 8 2(8) = 16 hours on weekdays, plus the
weekend time of (3 hours)(3 weekends) =
C) 11
9 hours. Total time = 16 + 9 = 25; too
D) 14 small.
For (C), same 9 hours on weekends, plus

2(11) = 22 hours on weekdays, for 31 CONTINUE
hours total. That fits.
PLUGGING IN THE ANSWERS PRACTICE
Teacher note:
7 13
READING
If the function g is defined as g(x) = 2(–x – 1) – 2, If a2 = (2a – 9)2, which of the following includes all
for what value of x is g(x) = 2 ? possible values of a ?
A) –3 B) g(–1) = 2(–(–1) – 1) – 2 = 2(1 – 1) A) a = {–9, –3} try a = –9
B) a = {–9, 3} (–9) = (2(–9) – 9)
2 2
B) –1 – 2 = 2(0) – 2 = –2
81 = (–18 – 9) 2
C) 1 If you can’t tell if bigger or smaller num- C) a = {–3, 9}
81 = (–27)2 not true eliminate (A) and (B)
WRITING AND
ber is needed, pick a direction and go.
LANGUAGE
D) 3 D) a = {3, 9}
try a = – 3
A) g(–3) = 2(–(–3) – 1) – 2 = 2(3 – 1) (–3)2 = (2(–3) – 9)2
– 2 = 2(2) – 2 = 2 9 = (–6 – 9)2
9 = (–15)2 not true eliminate (C)
10 15
MATH
In her Physics class, Tori conducted a number of (ax + 2)(x – 5) = 2x2 – kx – 10
experiments to determine the correct equation to
describe the trajectory of a ball that was thrown Which of the following values for constants k and a
straight up from a height of four feet above the will make the equation above true?
ground with an initial velocity of 20 feet per second. A) a = 2; k = 2
If the height of the ball is given by the equation
h = 4 + 20t – 5t2, where h = height and t = time (in B) a = 3; k = 5
seconds), at which of the following values for t will C) a = 2; k = 8
the ball have the greatest height? D) a = 3; k = 8
A) t = 0 h = 4 + 20(0) – 5(0)2 = 4
B) t = 1 h = 4 + 20(1) – 5(1)2 = 4 + 20 – 5 = 19 ax2 – 5ax + 2x – 10 = 2x2 – kx – 10
C) t = 2 h = 4 + 20(2) – 5(2)2 = 4 + 40 – 20 = 24 ax2 must equal 2x2, so a = 2
Eliminate (B) and (D)
D) t = 3 h = 4 + 20(3) – 5(3)2 = 4 + 60 – 45 = 19
Check (A)
If a = 2, k = 2
the equation becomes
(2x + 2)(x – 5) = 2x2 – 2x – 10
2x2 – 10x + 2x – 10 = 2x2 – 2x – 10
2x2 – 8x – 10 = 2x2 – 2x – 10 not true, so
eliminate (A)
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
3 8
READING
If f(x) = x , what is one possible value of x for which

2
y+x>4
4 < f(x) < 21 ? y – 2x ≤ 5
x
A) –2
B) –3 4 < (–3)2 < 21; 4 < 9 < 21 Which of the following points in the xy-plane is in
the solution set of the systems of inequalities above?
C) –5 (x, y)
A) (1, 2) 2 + 1 > 4; not true
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
D) –7
B) (2, 2) 2 + 2 > 4; not true
C) (2, 3) 3 + 2 > 4; true
now try (2, 3) in the second equation
D) (3, 12) 3 – 2(2) £ 5
3 – 4 £ 5 also true
6
MATH
If (z – 4)2 – 121 = 0 and z > 0, what is the value of z ?

z
A) 7
13
B) 11 (11 – 4)2 – 121 = 49 – 121 = –72
1
C) 15 (15 – 4)2 – 121 = 121 – 121 = 0
7 6(5n) 3 37
D) 16
In the equation above, what is the value of n ?
n
A) 10 1
3
B) 25 7 + 6(5(25)) = 37
1
C) 43 3
7 + 6(125) = 37
D) 68
7 + 6(5) = 37
7 + 30 = 37
CONTINUE
PLUGGING IN THE ANSWERS PRACTICE
15 21
READING
If –5 + 17q ≤ –6(13q – 15), what is the greatest Santi and Vlado drove together from New York to
possible integer value of q ? New Orleans. Both drove the same amount of time,
q Start with q = 2 but Santi drove 75% as quickly as Vlado. If the drive
A) –1
B) 0
–5 + 17(2) £ –6(13(2) – 15) took a total of 24 hours and New Orleans is 1,304
29 £ –66 not true miles from New York, approximately how many
C) 1 miles did Santi drive?
eliminate (D)
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
D) 2 A) 326 (B) Santi drove 560 miles
Try q = 1 B) 560 Vlado drove 1304 – 560 = 744 miles
–5 + 17(1) £ –6(13(1) – 15) Each drove 12 hours
C) 744
12 £ 12 true 560
D) 978 Santi’s speed = » 46.67 mph
12
744
Vlado speed = » 62 mph
18 12
MATH
y = (x + 5)2 62 x 0.75 = 46.5 which is close to
–y = x – 1 46.67
27
In the solutions to the system of equations above,
what is the smallest value of x ? In dry conditions and with normal reaction
x
A) –8 times, the safe stopping distance d of a car can be
Start with the smallest # 1
calculated as d v 2 v , where v is the velocity of
B) –3 Plug x = –8 into the second 20
the car in miles per hour at the time the brakes are
equation to get
9 applied. Given a stopping distance of 59.8 feet for a
C) –y = –8 – 1
2
–y = –9 car traveling in dry conditions, what was the car’s
D) 5 y=9 velocity when the brakes were applied?
Plug both values into the 1st v
A) 13 (B)
equation to get 1 1
B) 20 d= (20)2 + 20 = (400) + 20
9 = (–8 + 5)2 20 20
9 = (–3)2 C) 26 = 20 + 20 = 40 too short
9=9 D) 46 eliminate (A) and (B)
19
Set S contains only consecutive odd integers. If 3 (C)
1 1
times the second integer is 11 more than the sum d= (26)2 + 26 = (676) + 26
20 20
of the third and fifth integers, what is the fourth
= 33.8 + 26 = 59.8 4
5th integer? 3rd 2nd 3(2nd) is 11 more than (3rd + 5th)?
25 A) 23 21 19 3(19) = 57 21 + 25 = 46 57 – 46 = 11
27 B) 25 23 21 3(21) = 63 23 + 27 = 50 63 – 50 = 13
C) 35
D) 46 not odd!

PLUGGING IN
VS. PITA DRILL
Teachers:
Go through this exercise in class, just covering
which strategy to use and the clues that indicate
that strategy. Then assign the questions for
homework.
373
SAT MANUAL
HOW TO SPOT IT
READING
On the test, here’s how you recognize opportunities to Plug In or Plug In the Answers:
Plugging In:
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
• variables in the answer choices
• variables defined in relation to one another in a question
• non-specified numbers in relation to one another (ratios, percents, etc.)
• missing information or the lack of a starting number

MATH
Plugging In the Answers:

• you feel the urge to set up an algebraic equation
• question asks for a specific amount or value (“What is the value of…,”
“How much…,” or “How many…”)
• numbers in the answer choices
Lemonade Stand Profit
Cups of lemonade sold Profit made

25 $5.00
50 $17.50
100 $42.50
200 $92.50
If x = 100, P(x) 3. The table above shows the profit Willa expects to make from her
lemonade stand. A linear function can be used to show the relationship
should be $42.50.
between the number of cups of lemonade she sells and the profit she
Plug in x = 100.
will make. Which of the following correctly determines Willa’s total
profit P(x), in dollars, from selling x cups of lemonade?
A) P(x) = 0.2x – 5.0 A) P(100) = 0.2(100) – 5.0 = 20 – 5 = 15 Eliminate
B) P(x) = 0.2x B) P(100) = 0.2(100) = 20 Eliminate
C) P(x) = 0.5x – 7.5 C) P(100) = 0.5(100) – 7.5 = 50 – 7.5 = 42.50 Keep
D) P(x) = 0.5x D) P(100) = 0.5(100) = 50 Eliminate
Plugging In
Plugging In or Plugging In the Answers? ______________________________
variable in the answer choices, chart with numbers

How do you know?_______________________________________________

PLUGGING IN VS. PITA DRILL
17. The function p is defined as p(x) = –(x – 2)2. The function p reaches its
READING
maximum value at what value of x ?
x p(x) Start with (B) but
A) 4 p(4) = –(4 – 2)2 = –(2)2 = –4
may be difficult
→ B) 2 p(2) = –(2 – 2)2 = –(0)2 = 0 to see if larger or
C) 0 p(0) = –(0 – 2)2 = –(–2)2 = –4 smaller number is
D) –2 p(–2) = –(–2 – 2)2 = –(–4)2 = –16 needed from there,
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Result with (B) is the greatest, so that’s the so try them all to
maximum of p(x). be sure.
PITA
numbers in answers, asks specific question (“value of x”)

How do you know?_______________________________________________
MATH
13. When t > 0, which of the following expressions is equivalent to the
2
7t 3 5t 3 7(23 ) 5(23 ) 7 (8) 5 (8)
t=2 expression − ? = − = − 7 −=
5(2) 7=
− 10 − 3
8 4 8 4 8 4
3t 3 3(23 ) 3(8)
A) − −= −= − 6 Eliminate
4 4 4
3
3t 3 3(2 ) 3(8)
B) − −= −= − 3 Keep
8 8 8
3t 3 3(23 ) 3(8)
C)
8
= = 3 Eliminate
8 8
3t 3 3(23 ) 3(8)
D) = = 6 Eliminate
4
4 4
Plugging In
variable in answer choices, “equivalent” expression

How do you know?_______________________________________________

SAT MANUAL
y > 5x – 3
READING
y ≤ –4x + 7
2. When the system of inequalities above is graphed in the xy-plane, point

D is a solution. Which of the following could be the coordinates of
point D ?
(x, y)
Work points in order, plug- A) (3, –7) A) –7 > 5(3) – 3 –7 > 12 Eliminate
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
ging into first inequality. If it B) (2, 9) B) 9 > 5(2) – 3 9 > 7 True, so try next inequality.
9 ≤ –4(2) + 7 9 ≤ –1 Eliminate
works, try in second inequal- C) 3 > 5(2) – 3 3 > 7 Eliminate
C) (2, 3)
ity. If not, eliminate and move D) Must be true, but check if you aren’t sure you did calculation
on to next point. D) (0, 4) correctly.
4 > 5(0) – 3 4 > –3 True
4 ≤ –4(0) + 7 4 ≤ 7 True
PITA
MATH
numbers in answers, asks specific question

How do you know?_______________________________________________
(“coordinates of point D”)
a5 a a5

a4 2 a4
14. Which of the following is the set of solutions for the equation above?
a
A) {1, 4} Plug in a number that appears in a few choices. Plug in a = 0.
0+5 0 0+5 5 5
B) {0, 4} + = − +0=
0−4 2 0−4 4 −4
C) {0, –5} True, so eliminate (A). Now compare remaining answers. If a = 4,
D) {0} some denominators will be 0. Eliminate (B), which includes 4. Now
try a = –5.
−5 + 5 −5 −5 + 5 0 −5 0 Can’t be true, so
+ = + =
−5 − 4 2 −5 − 4 −9 2 −9 eliminate (C).
PITA

How do you know?_______________________________________________
(“set of solutions”)

p2 + 6p – 16
READING
1. The expression above is equivalent to which of the following
expressions? p=2
A) (p + 3)(p + 3) – 25p 22 + 6(2) – 16 = 4 + 12 – 16 = 0
B) (p + 8)(p – 2) + 3p
WRITING AND
A) (2 + 3)(2 + 3) – 25(2) = (5)(5) – 50 = 25 – 50 = –25
LANGUAGE
C) (p + 3)(p + 3) – 25
D) (p + 8)(p – 2) + 3 B) (2 + 8)(2 – 2) + 3(2) = (10)(0) + 6 = 0 + 6 = 6
C) (2 + 3)(2 + 3) – 25 = (5)(5) – 25 = 25 – 25 = 0
D) (2 + 8)(2 – 2) + 3 = (10)(0) + 3 = 0 + 3 = 3
Plugging In
variable in the answer choices, “equivalent” expression

How do you know?_______________________________________________
MATH
8. Which value of b satisfies the equation 3 b 5 b 27 0 ?
b
A) 4
→ B) 9 B) 3 9 5 9 27 = 0
C) 16 3 4 36 = 0
3(2) 6 = 0 True
D) 21
PITA
numbers in answers, asks specific question (“value of b”)

How do you know?_______________________________________________
6. A bowling alley rents pairs of shoes to customers. The bowling alley Bowling alley brings
rents out each pair of shoes for $6, and each pair of shoes costs the in $6 but pays $2,
bowling alley $2 to sanitize upon return. The sanitizing machine costs so gets $4 per pair
$250 to rent each month. What is the least number of pairs of shoes the of shoes.
bowling alley must rent to customers each month to cover the cost of
the sanitizing machine?
least → A) 32 shoes times $4 per pair covers $250?
B) 42
A) 32 $128 no
B) probably too small still
C) 62
C) 62 $248 no
D) 63 D) must be right - only answer left
PITA

How do you know?_______________________________________________
(“least number of pairs of shoes”)

SAT MANUAL
27. Sally sold 50 toys at a garage sale. Some of the toys were sold for $3, and
READING
the rest were sold for $5. The total amount of money Sally earned was
$220. How much money did Sally earn from selling $5 toys?
A) $100 $ from $5 toys # of $5 toys # of $3 toys $ from $3 toys
A)
→ B) $150 150
B) $150 = 30 50 – 30 = 20 20(3) = $60
C) $175 5
Made 150 + 60 = $210 too small
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
D) $200 C) $175 175

50 – 35 = 15 15(3) = $45
= 35
5
Made 175 + 45 = $220
D)
PITA
numbers in answers, asks specific question (“how much

How do you know?_______________________________________________
money”)
MATH
28. An investor purchases stock from a music company. She initially

purchases $250 worth of stock. The investor notices that the value of
her stock triples every 4 years. Which of the following equations best
models the value, v, of the stocks m months after the initial investment?
m Stock triples every 4 years, so plug in a number of months equal
A) v = 250(3) 48 to 4 years. This is 48 months, so m = 48.
In 48 months, stock will triple, so value will be 250(3) =
m
750. v = 750.
B) v = 250(3) 4 48
= =
A) v 250(3) 48 250(3)1 = 750 Keep but check the rest.
48
m B) v 250
C) v 250 1 =

= (3) 4 250(3)12 = 250(531, 441) This is way too big.
4 48
C) v = 250(1 + ) = 250(1 + 12) = 250(13) = 3, 250
4
m
D) v 250 1 D) v = 250(1 + 48 ) = 250(1 + 1) = 250(2) = 500
48 48
Note: you can also use POE on (C) and (D) if you see that
these are linear and growth must be exponential.
Plugging In
variable in the answer choices

How do you know?_______________________________________________

READING
15. What are all values of b that satisfy the equation b 2 b ? Teacher note:
I. 1 b=1 these questions
II. 4 1 − 2 = 1 –1 = 1 usually have three
A) Neither I nor II (On SAT, square root is always positive.) options, but we
B) I only This is not true, so eliminate (B) and (D). have seen two like
Plug in b = 4 this before.
WRITING AND
C) II only
LANGUAGE
4 − 2 = 4 2 = 2 This is true, so
D) I and II
eliminate (A).
PITA
numbers in answers, asks specific question (“values of b”)

How do you know?_______________________________________________
MATH
6. When d ≠ 4, which of the following expressions is equivalent to the
d 4 Could plug in d = 5 to make denominator 1, but likely that more
3
expression ? than one answer will work.
d 4
d=6
A) d 2 – 8d + 16
(6 − 4)3 (2)3 8
1
= = =4
B) (6 − 4) 2 2
2
d 8d 16
A) 62 – 8(6) + 16 = 36 – 48 + 16 = 4
C) d – 4 Keep but check the rest.
1 1
D) d − 4 B) Reciprocal of previous answer, so it will be . Eliminate.
C) 6 – 4 = 2 Eliminate. 4
1
D) Reciprocal of previous answer, so it will be . Eliminate.
2
Plugging In
variable in the answer choices, “equivalent” expression

How do you know?_______________________________________________

SAT MANUAL
Note: students may want to call this PITA, as we are using
the answer graphs, but PITA is more about numbers in
answer choices, not just answers you can use.
2x + y ≥ 8
READING
y≤x–4
When given graphs and 16. If the system of inequalities above is graphed in the xy-plane, in which
equations/inequalities, plug of the following does the shaded region represent the solution to the
in points. Use points that system?
are in some graphs but not
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
others and avoid points on y y

either of the lines. Start A) 5 B) 5
easy with (0, 0).
First inequality becomes
2(0) + 0 ≥ 8, or 0 ≥ 8. x x
This is false, so eliminate –55 O 5 –5 O 5
answers where (0, 0) falls in
MATH
shaded region. Eliminate (A).

Now try (5, 5). –5 –5

y y
2(5) + 5 ≥ 8, or C) D)
5 5
10 + 5 ≥ 8. This is true, so
check the second inequality.
That becomes 5 ≤ 5 – 4,
or 5 ≤ 1. This is false, so x x
–5 O 5 –5 O 5
eliminate (B) which has
(5, 5) shaded.
Now try (6, 0) which is –5 –5
shaded in (C) but not (D).
2(6) + 0 ≥ 8, or
12 + 0 ≥ 8. This is true, Plugging In
so check the second
inequality. That becomes variable in the question, graphs in the answer choices
How do you know?_______________________________________________
0 ≤ 6 – 4, or 0 ≤ 2. This is
also true, so it must be (C).

TRANSLATING
AND MEANING
IN CONTEXT
First, learn the meaning of what you say,

and then speak.
– Epictetus
381
SAT MANUAL
READING
GOALS REVIEW
• Translate English into math

• Use translation, Bite-Sized Pieces, and POE to solve translation
questions
WRITING AND
• Create and solve equations and inequalities to answer Grid-In

LANGUAGE
questions
• Apply the Meaning in Context Basic Approach to solve Meaning in
Context questions
Preview: How often have you found yourself confused about a homework
MATH
question in school? You know that you know HOW to do the question, if you
could just figure out what the question was asking in the first
place. On the SAT, that happens a lot, so today we’ll talk about how to
translate English into math and interpret math in Word Problems.

TRANSLATING AND MEANING IN CONTEXT
READING
TRANSLATING AND WORD PROBLEMS
Plug-and-chug algebra questions don’t have much that needs to be translated. It
is only when you are faced with a Word Problem that you will have to use your
translating skills. Let’s review the Word Problem Basic Approach.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
WORD PROBLEM BASIC APPROACH
1. Read the Final Question—Read and underline the actual
question that is being asked.
2. Let the Answers Help—Look for clues on how to approach
the question and opportunities to use POE.
MATH
3. Work in Bite-Sized Pieces—Start with the most straight-
forward piece of information.
TRANSLATING 101
Many SAT problems require you to turn English into math. Let’s start by going
over some of the more common translations that you’ll need to know.
English Math Equivalent

what variable (x)
is, are, were, did, does =
more than >
less than <
at least ≥
no more than ≤
how much greater than subtract
of multiply
out of divide
per divide OR multiply
percent divide by 100
sum add
difference subtract
product multiply
quotient divide

SAT MANUAL
READING
Percentages
Many translation questions, especially those in Section 4, involve percentages, so
Teacher note: we’ll start there.
Moved percent
content from WP 5. A student has $60 and must purchase textbooks costing a total of $42.
101 and chapter in What percent of the $60 does the student spend on textbooks?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
6.0 to this lesson A) 70% x

and homework (60) = 42 60x = 4200
B) 60% 100
C) 51%

60x x = 70
D) 42%
= 42
100
MATH
Sometimes you’ll be asked about increasing or decreasing an amount by a percent.
3. A pair of boots costs $50 and a certain coat costs $150. If the cost of the
boots is increased by 20% and the cost of the coat is decreased by 30%,
what is the sum of their new costs?
20
A) $165 Boots: 50 x = $10; 50 + 10 = $60
100
B) $200
30
C) $225 Coat: $150 x = $45; 150 – 45 = $105
100
D) $265
105 + 60 = $165
English term Operation
increase by a percent multiply, then add
multiply, then
decrease by a percent
subtract
College Board can assume that you know a lot about how money works in the real
world. Think about what these terms mean in terms of percents—do you multiply
and then add or multiply and then subtract?
Real Life Percent Operation

Discounts multiply, then subtract
Delivery fees multiply, then add
Sales taxes multiply, then add
Income taxes multiply, then subtract
Interest multiply, then add

11. Danielle’s bank pays 6.5% interest annually on Certificates of Deposit
READING
(CDs). If she purchases a $25,000 CD from her bank, how much will
she have after one year?
A) $1,625.00
too small
B) $16,250.00
C) $25,006.50 6.5
$25,000 + ($25,000) =
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
D) $26,625.00 100
$25,000 + $1,625 = $26,625
You may also be asked to calculate the percent increase or decrease within a word
problem. Use the following formula.
MATH
Percent Change = Difference × 100
Original
31. In the 1990s, the park rangers at Yellowstone National Park implemented
a program aimed at increasing the dwindling coyote population in
Montana. If there were 20 coyotes in the park in 1995 and 70 in 1997,
by what percent did the coyote population increase in that time span?
(Disregard the percent sign when gridding your answer.)
2 5 0 70 20
Percent change = 100 = 250
20

SAT MANUAL
READING
DON’T GET LOST IN TRANSLATION

You will also be asked to translate word problems into equations or inequalities.
Work these in Bite-Sized Pieces, using POE after you figure out one piece of
information.
18. On a certain airline, the standard price for a one-way flight between
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Toronto and Ottawa (in either direction) is $179. However, for members
of the airline’s Frequent Flyer club, the price is $155. Membership in
the Frequent Flyer club costs $985 each year. Which of the following
inequalities can be solved to find f, the minimum number of flights
that one would need to take per year between Toronto and Ottawa to
save money with a Frequent Flyer club membership, assuming no other
benefits from the membership?
MATH
179 Money saved is 179 – 155 per

A) 985 < f flight;
155 eliminate (A) and (D). Cost of
B) 985 > (179 – 155)f membership is less than money
saved; eliminate (B).
C) 985 < (179 – 155)f
D) 985 – 179 > 155f
When you have systems of equations or inequalities in the answer choices, use
Bite-Sized Pieces, start with the most straightforward piece of information, and
use POE.
What’s the most 15. Nathalie is selling jewelry at a trade show. She has 30 necklaces and
straightforward place to 50 rings available for sale, and she wants to sell at least $1,000 worth
start translating? of jewelry to cover the costs of attending the trade show. Nathalie
sells necklaces for $25 each and rings for $15 each. If n represents the
number of necklaces sold and r represents the number of rings sold,
which of the following systems of inequalities represents this situation?
A) n + r ≥ 1,000
30 necklaces, so n ≤ 30, eliminate (C).
n ≤ 30
r ≤ 50 First inequality is different in
B) 25n + 15r ≥ 1,000 remaining answers. Cost of necklace is
n ≤ 30 $25, so 25n should be in answer; elimi-
r ≤ 50 nate (A) and (D).
C) 30n + 50r ≥ 1,000
n ≤ 25
r ≤ 15
D) 40(n + r) ≥ 1,000
n ≤ 30
r ≤ 50

READING
Sometimes you’ll need to translate and then simplify to determine the correct
answer.
21. At the beginning of a certain week, Bowley has 18 pages of reading What happens to the
to do for a certain class. Each day she reads 8 pages. Bowley’s teacher number of pages
Bowley has left to read
assigns 6 more pages of reading every day. Which of the following
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
each day?
equations best models the number of pages, p, that Bowley has
remaining to read for the class d days since the beginning of the week?
A) p = 18 – 2d
At beginning of week, p = 18. Each day,
Bowley reads 8 pages, so –8d pages.
B) p = 2d + 18
Each day her teacher adds 6 pages, so
8 +6d.
C) p = d + 18
MATH
7
Therefore, p = 18 –8d + 6d = 18 – 2d.
D) p = 18 – d
Finally, sometimes you’ll need to set up an equation or inequality and solve to

answer a Grid-In question.
19. Madiha is selling her homemade candles through an online store for $25
each. She charges 9% of the sales price for shipping and handling, but she
does not charge any tax. If Madiha wants to make at least $2,000 total from
candle sales and shipping and handling fees, what is the minimum number of
Teacher note:
candles that she must sell?
One candle:
7 4
9
$25 + ($25) = $25 + $2.25 = $27.25
100
For c candles:
$27.25c ≥ $2,000
c ≥ 73.39
Round up to 74

SAT MANUAL
READING
THE SEARCH FOR MEANING (IN CONTEXT)

Some SAT Math questions will ask what a number or expression means in the
context of a word problem. When asked to find meaning in context, use the fol-
lowing approach.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
MEANING IN CONTEXT BASIC APPROACH

1. Read the Final Question—Know what part of the equation or
expression the question is asking about.
2. Label the Expression—Start with the most straightforward
piece of information and translate using Bite-Sized Pieces.
MATH
Label what you can in the expression.

3. Use POE—Eliminate answer choices that don’t make sense
with the labels.
4. Plug and Play—Plug in numbers to determine if any remaining
answer choices don’t make sense.
5. Guess and Go—If you have more than one answer remaining,
pick one of the remaining answers and move on!
17. The total number of wolves, w, in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming

from 1995 to 2005 can be approximated using the equation
w = 71.3y + 48, where y is the number of years since 1995. Which
of the following is the best interpretation of the number 71.3 in the
context of the problem?
A) The average annual increase in the total number of wolves in Idaho,
Montana, and Wyoming from 1995 to 2005
B) The average total number of wolves in Idaho, Montana, and
Wyoming from 1995 to 2005
C) The number of years it took the total number of wolves in Idaho,
Montana, and Wyoming to increase by 48
D) The total number of wolves in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming in
1995 1. Need to know 71.3
2. Wolves = 71.3 (years) + 48
3. Associated with years, eliminate (B) and (D).
4. Plug in:
y = 0 w = 71.3(0) + 48 = 48
y = 1 w = 71.3(1) + 48 = 119.3
increase of 71.3; eliminate (C).
22. On an extrasolar planet, the height of a spherical object t seconds after
READING
it is launched straight up in the air is estimated using the function
H(t) = –2.1t2 + 35t + 96 for 0 ≤ t ≤ 19. What is the meaning of the Teacher note:
number 96 in this function?
A) The maximum height of the object
B) The height of the object 16 seconds after being launched
WRITING AND
C) The change in height for each second after launch
LANGUAGE
D) The height from which the object was launched
1. Need to know 96
2. Height = –2.1(seconds)2 + 35(seconds) + 96
MATH
3. Not associated with particular number of seconds, so
eliminate (B).
4. Plug in:
t = 0 H(0) = –2.1(0)2 + 35(0) + 96 = 96, so looks like (D):
height at 0 seconds or at time of launch
test (C)
t = 1 H(1) = –2.1(1)2 + 35(1) + 96 = 128.9
increase of 32.9; eliminate (C)
Also eliminate (A) as height was greater than 96 at one
point

SAT MANUAL
READING
TRANSLATING DRILL
Time: 8 Minutes
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
2 15
A teacher has 51 items to grade, divided into Olivia is earning money for summer camp by
p papers and q quizzes. It takes the teacher selling cookies. She earns a portion of the profits
12.4 minutes to grade a paper and 7.75 minutes from each box of cookies she sells, and if she sells
to grade a quiz. The teacher grades for a total of 100 boxes of cookies, her portion will be $72.80.
MATH
465 minutes. Which of the following systems of Summer camp costs $185.75, and Olivia’s parents
equations can be used to find the number of quizzes have promised to pay the difference between the
graded? cost of the camp and the amount Olivia earned by
A) 12.4p + 7.75q = 465 p + q = 51 selling boxes of cookies. Which of the following
p + q = 51 functions gives the cost, C, in dollars, that Olivia’s
Eliminate (C) and (D). parents will pay towards summer camp if Olivia
B) 7.75p + 12.4q = 465 sells b boxes of cookies?
p + q = 51 Paper is 12.4, so
12.4p; eliminate (B). A) C(b) = 185.75 – 7,280b
C) 12.4p + 7.75q = 51
p + q = 465 B) C(b) = 185.75 – 72.8b careful!
D) 7.75p + 12.4q = 51 C) C(b) = 185.75 – 0.728b
p + q = 465 D) C(b) = 185.75b
100 boxes =
$72.80
1 box = 0.728
So 0.728b.

9 26
READING
A 150 mL beaker of water is sitting in a room kept The cost of producing a certain number of units of
at a constant temperature and humidity. Each day Product A decreases until a certain point, at which
approximately 7.3 mL of water evaporates from the cost of producing more units of Product A
the beaker, and no water is added. Which of the increases due to storage and additional production
following functions best approximates the volume v, costs. The cost, C, in dollars, for producing x units
in mL, of water remaining in the beaker d days of Product A can be modeled by the equation
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
after the beginning of the experiment, where C = 0.07x2 – 456x + 750,000. What does the number
0 ≤ d ≤ 20.5 ? 750,000 represent in the equation?
A) v(d) = 150 + 7.3d Water evaporates, so A) The maximum cost, in dollars, of producing
subtract; eliminate (A) Product A
B) v(d) = 150 + 20.5d and (B).
C) v(d) = 150 – 20.5d B) The increase in cost, in dollars, for producing an
7.3 mL per day, so 7.3d additional x units of Product A
D) v(d) = 150 – 7.3d should be subtracted; C) The number of units of Product A that
MATH
eliminate (C).
minimizes the cost per unit
D) The fixed costs associated with production of
Product A regardless of the number of units
produced
1. RTFQ
12 2. Cost = 0.07(units)2 – 456(units) + 750,000
3. Nothing about units with 750,000; eliminate
A certain country experienced approximately (B) and (C).
linear growth in per capita gross domestic product 4. Plug in 0; cost = 750,000 on graph not max.
from 2000 to 2008. The function f, defined by Eliminate (A).
f(y) = hy + k, models the per capita gross domestic
35
product, in U.S. dollars, y years after 2000, where
0 ≤ y ≤ 8 and h and k are constants. What does A restaurant is ordering vegetables for the
k represent? upcoming week. Potatoes are shipped in 30-pound
A) The approximate increase in per capita gross bags and onions are shipped in 5-pound bags. If the
domestic product, in U.S. dollars, each year restaurant receives 1,800 pounds of potatoes and
from 2000 to 2008 onions and there are 25 more bags of potatoes than
bags of onions, how many pounds of onions are
B) The approximate per capita gross domestic received?
product, in U.S. dollars, in 2000
Translate:
C) The approximate per capita gross domestic 1 5 0
product, in U.S. dollars, in 2008 30 (potatoes) + 5 (onions) = 1,800
D) The approximate total increase in per capita pototoes = 25 + onions
gross domestic product, in U.S. dollars, from
2000 to 2008 Solve by substitution.
1. RTFQ 30(25 + onions) + 5(onions) = 1,800
2. per capita GDP = h(years) + k 750 + 30 onions + 5(onions) = 1,800
3. k not associated with years; eliminate 750 + 35 onions = 1,800
(A) and (D). –750 –750
35 onions = 1,050
4. Plug in: years = 0 35 35
Per capita GDP in 2000 = k onions = 30 bags × 5 = 150 lbs
Eliminate (C).

SAT MANUAL
Summary
• What is the formula for percent change?
difference
× 100
______________________________________
original
• What steps should you follow when asked
to identify a system of equations or
inequalities?
______________________________________
Use Bite-Sized Pieces
Start with most straightforward
______________________________________
piece of information
______________________________________
Use POE
• What are the steps to tackling Meaning in
Context questions?
1) Read the Final Question

______________________________________
2) Label the Expression

______________________________________
3) Use POE
______________________________________
4) Plug-and-Play
______________________________________
5) Guess and Go
______________________________________


TRANSLATING
AND MEANING IN
CONTEXT
PRACTICE
393
SAT MANUAL
TRANSLATING
READING
8 10
Nissa is selling advertising time on a radio A shipping company is delivering boxes of
show. She sells 45-second spots for $400 each chocolate that weigh 5 pounds each and boxes of
and 60-second spots for $500 each. For each pralines that weigh 9 pounds each. In total, the
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
hour of airtime, up to 15 minutes are allotted delivery truck is carrying 180 boxes that weigh a
for commercials, and Nissa hopes to sell at least total of 1,440 pounds. At the first stop, the driver
$8,000 worth of advertising time for each hour of delivers 40 boxes, reducing the total weight of the
airtime. Solving which of the following systems of packages on the truck by 15%. Solving which of the
inequalities yields the number of 45-second spots, following systems of equations yields the number of
x, and the number of 60-second spots, y, that Nissa boxes of chocolate, c, and boxes of pralines, p, that
can sell for one hour of airtime? remain on the truck after the first stop?
3 A) c + p = 140 180 – 40 = 140 boxes
MATH
A) x y 15 5c + 9p = 1,224
4 45 sec = x after first stop; eliminate
400x + 500y ≥ 8,000 B) c + p = 140 (C).
$400 per 45 sec; 5c + 9p = 1,440
3 so 400x. Eliminate c + p = 140; eliminate (D).
B) x y 15 (B) and (C). C) c + p = 180
4 Weight is less than 1,440;
5c + 9p = 1,224
500x + 400y ≥ 8,000 45 seconds = eliminate (B).
D) c + p = 1,224
5
C) x y 15
3 5c + 9p = 140
minute
4 4
500x + 400y ≥ 8,000 Eliminate (D).
D) 45x + 60y ≤ 15
400x + 500y ≥ 8,000
CONTINUE
TRANSLATING AND MEANING IN CONTEXT PRACTICE
MEANING IN CONTEXT
READING
17 8
At Dina’s Diner, an order of 2 bags of French fries In a hot dog eating competition, c contestants eat a
and 1 burger costs $5.80. An order of 1 bag of total of cx hot dogs. What does x represent?
French fries and 2 burgers costs $6.20. What is A) The number of contestants
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
the cost of an order of 3 bags of French fries and 3
B) The total number of hot dogs eaten
burgers, in dollars?
C) The median number of hot dogs eaten per
contestant
1 2 D) The average number of hot dogs eaten per
contestant
1. RTFQ
MATH
2. Contestants (x) = totaL # of hot dogs
3. Needs both contestants and hot dogs;
Total = average × number of things;
eliminate (C).
Translate:
Solve by 2(fries) + 1(burger) = 5.80
adding + 1(fries) + 2(burgers) = 6.20
3(fries) + 3(burgers) = 12.00
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL Teacher note: Q2, 4, 15, 21, 22, 28, and 29 are
percents questions from Word Problems Lesson
or Practice in 6.0
TRANSLATING
READING
2 15
If x is equal to 60% of 15% of 800, what is the value If 20 percent of a number N is 36, what is 0.2
of x ? percent of N ?
A) 7 60 15 Simplify A) 7.2 20
⋅ N = 36
WRITING AND
x = ⋅ ⋅ 8 00 if you can
LANGUAGE
B) 72 100 1 00 B) 1.8 100

do so 20N = 3600
C) 120 C) 0.72
accurately.
D) 280 6 ⋅ 15 ⋅ 8 D) 0.36 N = 180
x = = 72
10 0.2
(180) = 0.36
100
MATH
4 21
Greg has $1,985 dollars in his savings account. Each Giovani paid $55,000 for a new car. The amount
month, he gains 1% in interest. After 2 months, Giovani paid includes a 15 percent sales tax and
Greg deposits $800 into his account. Which is a 10 percent delivery fee, charged on the after-tax
closest to the amount of money in Greg’s savings amount. Which of the following best approximates
account after two months? the cost of Giovani’s car before the sales tax and
A) $1,987.54 1985(0.01) = 19.85 delivery fee?
A) $42,100 PITA, starting with (B)
B) $2,024.89
1985 + 19.85 = 2004.85 → B) $43,500
C) $2,804.85
C) $44,000
D) $2,824.89 2004.85(0.01) = 20.05
D) $47,800
car +15% tax +10% fee
2004.85 + 20.05 = $2024.90
$43,500 $50,025 $55,027.50
pretty close
2024.90 + 800 = $2824.90
7
A teacher is ordering lab kits for a chemistry course.
Each lab kit costs $18, and there is an additional
shipping charge of $12 per total order placed. The
professor estimates that there will be 15 to 20
students in the class, and each student will need
one lab kit. If only one order, costing a total of t
dollars, is placed for lab kits, which of the following
inequalities includes both the maximum and
minimum values of t, in dollars?
A) 189 £ t £ 318 Minimum cost
B) 270 £ t £ 360 15 students
C) 282 £ t £ 372 18 × 15 + 12 =
282
D) 350 £ t £ 600
so 282 ≤ t
CONTINUE
READING
22 28
A gaming company conducted a study to find out When a particular metal is heated to 600°C, its
what age groups preferred which types of games. tensile strength drops by 50%. For every 5°C its
The table below outlines the survey results. temperature rises after 600°C, the tensile strength
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
[decreases by 35%]. This metal has a tensile
First- strength of 280 MPa below 600°C and is used in the
Age Sports Adventure
Person Total
Group
Shooters
Games Games construction of industrial ovens. If the minimum
safe tensile strength of this material is 38 MPa, what
9- to 13-
year olds
16,000,000 9,000,000 25,000,000 50,000,000 is the maximum safe temperature of the oven, in
degrees Celsius? So it’s at 65% previous tensile
14- to 18-
year olds
48,000,000 13,000,000 31,000,000 82,000,000
A) 605 strength for every 5° increase
MATH
19- to 22- B) 610 Temp
38,000,000 27,000,000 19,000,000 84,000,000 Tensile Strength
year olds
C) 615 600 0.5(280) = 140
23- to 60-
8,000,000 3,000,000 10,000,000 21,000,000
year olds D) 620 605 0.65(140) = 91
610 0.65(91) = 59.15
After the initial survey, the gamers each play a game
of their choosing, which is one of the 3 types listed
615 0.65(59.15) » 38.45
in the table. If a follow-up survey of 170 of the 19- to 620 0.65(38.45) = 25
22-year olds reveals that 44 of them decided to play 29
an adventure game, which of the following is the best
approximation of the number of 19- to 22-year olds In January, a certain physicians’ group treated 180
who decided to play one of the other two game types? people for the flu. In February, that group treated
144 people for the flu. The group manager believes
A) 62,000,000 44
× 100 = 25.9% play adventure games that the percent decrease in the number of people
B) 63,000,000 170 treated for the flu by the group from [January to
100 – 25.9 = 74.1% play other games February] would be [half] of the percent decrease
C) 64,000,000
in the number of people treated for the flu by
D) 65,000,000 84,000,000 × 0.741 = 62,244,000
the group from [February to March]. Which of
the following is closest to the group manager’s
prediction for the number of people treated for the
Teacher note:
flu by the group in March?
A) 86 January to February
25
B) 108 180 144 36
A random group of 50 adults was asked to complete = 100 = 100 20%
a survey regarding the number of pets in their C) 115 180 180
households. No two adults surveyed came from D) 126 That 20% is half of the February to
the same household. [The number of households, March change.
h, with no pets is one fourth of the number of
households with multiple pets.] Which of the So, February to March = 40%
following equations represents this situation if 5 of 40
144 − ⋅ 144 = 144 − 57.6 = 86.4
the households have a single pet? 100
Translate sentence in brackets. 144 – 57.6 = 86.4
1
A) h 5 50 h = households
1
with no pets
4 That’s households with multiple Note: could also PITA after finding
B) 3h + 5 = 50 pets, so4there are 4h households that % change = 40%
C) 4h + 5 = 50 with multiple pets.
Total = h + 4h + 5 (single pet) = 50
D) 5h + 5 = 50 5h + 5 = 50
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
31 34
READING
Dr. Khan is combining a 20% acetic acid solution A baseball team has won 18 of the 30 games it has
with a 60% acetic acid solution. She wants to obtain played during the season. What is the least number
10 liters of a 40% acetic acid solution. How many of additional games the team must win in order to
liters of the 20% acetic acid solution does Dr. Khan raise its winning record above 75% ?
need to create the 40% acetic acid solution?
wins
WRITING AND
1 9 winning record =
LANGUAGE
Translate: total games

5
x = liters of 20%
y = liters of 60% x = additional wins (assuming
x + y = 10 all games are wins to meet
“least number” criteria)
0.2x + 0.6y = 0.4(10) 18 + x
> 0.75
30 + x
MATH
Solve: multiply first equation

by 6 and second by 10, then
subtract 18 + x > 0.75(30 + x)
6x + 6y = 60 18 + x > 22.5 + 0.75x
– (2x + 6y = 40) –18–0.75x –18 –0.75x
4x = 20
0.25x 4.5 ; x > 18; x = 19
x=5 >
0.25 0.25
CONTINUE
MEANING IN CONTEXT
READING
22 27
The cost of a cell-phone call using a certain carrier
M = (278 . 10 –23) . 0.968t is $0.20 per minute for the first 5 minutes, and $0.15
per minute for any time over 5 minutes. If the cost
WRITING AND
Scientists studying changes in the nucleus of
LANGUAGE
in dollars, C, of a call that lasts t minutes, where t is
an unstable atom noticed that the mass of the an integer greater than 5, can be represented by the
atom, in grams, at a given time declined at a rate equation C = 0.15x + 1, which of the following must
proportional to the mass of the atom at that time, be true?
such that the mass decreased by 3.2% of the present
A) x = t + 5 6 + 5 = 11
mass of the sample, per second. They further
found that the mass of the atom, M, is given by B) x = t 6
the equation above when t ³ 0, where t is time in C) x = t – 1 6 – 1 = 5
MATH
seconds. What does the quantity 278 . 10 –23 from D) x = t – 5 6 – 5 = 1
the expression above represent?
A) The mass in grams lost between t = 0 and t = 1
1. RTFQ
B) The mass in grams of the atom after t seconds
C) The initial mass in grams of the atom
2. Cost = 0.15x + 1
D) The mass in grams lost between t = 1 and t = 2 3. x has something to do with t, but doesn’t help
4. Plug-and-Play: make t = 6
1. RTFQ
so 0.20(5) = $1 for first 5 minutes
2. Mass = (2.78 ⋅ 10–23) ⋅ 0.968seconds
0.15(1) = 0.15 for last minute
3. Not directly associated with t; eliminate (A),
(B), and (D). Cost = 1.15 when t = 6
4. (If needed) Plug and Play: 1.15 = 0.15x + 1
–1 –1
seconds = 0 mass = 2.78 ⋅ 10–23 0.15 = 0.15x
seconds = 1 mass = 2.78 ⋅ 10–23 ⋅ 0.968; 1=x
Plug in to answers.
seconds = 2 mass = 2.78 ⋅ 10–23 ⋅ 0.9682;
eliminate (D).

SOLVING
101
A good foundation in the fundamentals is

key to improving your math score. In this
chapter, you’ll review the terms and rules
you will need for the SAT.
401
SAT MANUAL
READING
ORDER OF OPERATIONS
Write in the math operations for these terms. If you get stuck, check the glossary
at the end of this chapter.
Term Definition
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Sum result of addition
Difference result of subtraction
Product result of multiplication

MATH
Quotient result of division
What is the order of operations?

Parentheses; exponents; multiplication and division; addition and
subtraction
_______________________________________________________________________________
What’s one famous saying to help you remember the order of operations?
Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally

_______________________________________________________________________________
Absolute Value
What does the absolute value sign do to a number?
Makes a negative number become positive (nonnegative stay the same)

_______________________________________________________________________________
3+5=8
1. −3 + −5 = _________________________________________________________
2. 4 7 __4 – 7 = –3
________________________________________________________
–2 + 3 = 1
3. − −2 + −3 =________________________________________________________
|–3| = 3
4. −8 + 5 = ___________________________________________________________
Now, define absolute value.
Term Definition
Absolute Value Distance from zero on the number line

SOLVING 101
READING
Rational Numbers (and Their Irrational Friends)
5 1
or
10 2
1. Write 0.5 as a fraction.________________________________________________
3
1
2. Write 3 as a fraction.__________________________________________________
WRITING AND
3. For the number 0.83, what digit is coming next?_______________________
LANGUAGE
57
4. For the number 0.57, what digits are coming next?_____________________
no
5. For p, do the digits follow a pattern?___________________________________
6. For no
2 , do the digits follow a pattern?________________________________
MATH
A rational number is any number that can be written as a
fraction; that includes integers and repeating decimals.
We ♥ Our Calculators In Section 4, you can use

On your calculator, you should be able to convert a decimal into a fraction if the your calculator to convert
decimals to fractions.
number is rational. If you don’t know how to do it, dig up the guide that came
with your calculator, search for it online, or ask your math teacher. Use your cal-
culator to turn the following into fractions (if possible).
3
7. Type .375 into your calculator._______________________________________
8
1
6
8. Type .1666666666666 (until end of screen). __________________________
3.1415...
9. Type π.______________________________________________________________
.1572751
10. Type .1572751._______________________________________________________
Irrational numbers are like irrational people: you never know

what they’re going to do next.

SAT MANUAL
READING
MANIPULATING EQUATIONS
Solving for a variable is a key skill you can expect to see the SAT test you on
directly. But solving for an unknown (i.e., variable) is at the heart of many word
problems too.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Linear Equations
SOLVING AN EQUATION
Isolate the variable.
• Get the variable on one side of the equals sign and the
MATH
numbers on the other.

• Add, subtract, divide, or multiply both sides of the
equation to gather like terms.
Treat both sides equally.
• Perform the same operations on both sides of the equation.
Solve for x in each of these equations.
1. 6 x + 3 = 15 6x = 12; x = 2
3x
+ 9 = 33
3x
2. = 24; 3x = 96; x = 32
4 4
3. 3( x + 5) = 23 3x + 15 = 23; 3x = 8; x = 8
3
4. 12( x − 4 ) = 36 x – 4 = 3; x = 7
5. 2( x − 7 ) = 6 x + 10 x – 7 = 3x + 5; –2x = 12; x = –6
2x 2x
6. −5=9 = 14; x = 28
4 4
7. 4( x − 5) + x = 25 4x – 20 + x = 25; 5x = 45; x = 9

SOLVING 101
READING
Inequalities
Solving an inequality is just like solving an equation. There’s just one more rule to
follow.
If you multiply or divide both sides by a negative
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
number, flip the inequality sign.
1. 3 x − 8 < 12 + 5 x –2x < 20

x > –10
MATH
2. 7 x − 5 < 13 + 4 x 3x < 18
x<6
7 − 2x 7 – 2x < – 15
3. < −5
3 –2x < –22
x > 11
Systems of Equations
Double your fun! If there are two variables and two equations, stack them. Add or
subtract to make one variable cancel out.
3x + 2 y = 7
− ( 2 x + 2 y = 9)
x = −2
SOLVING A SYSTEM OF EQUATIONS

• Pay attention to which variable to isolate.
• Add or subtract to eliminate the other variable.
• Multiply by a constant if necessary.

SAT MANUAL
READING
Use this method of stacking and solving to find the value for x, then solve for y.
1. 2 x + 3 y = 25 and 3 x − 3 y = 25
2x + 3y = 25 2(10) + 3y = 25
+ 3x – 3y = 25 20 + 3y = 25
WRITING AND
5x = 50 3y = 5
LANGUAGE
x = 10
y= 5
3
2. − x − y = −2 and 2 x − y = −11
MATH
–x – y = –2 –(–3) – y = –2
– [2x – y = –11] 3 – y = –2
–3x = 9 –y = –5
x = –3 y=5
3. 2 x + 4 y = 32 and 4 x + 2 y = 34
2x + 4y = 32 2(6) + 4y = 32
– [8x + 4y = 68] 12 + 4y = 32
–6x = –36 4y = 20
x = 6 y=5
On many systems of equations questions on the SAT, PITA may be faster and
more accurate. If the question asks for values of x, y, or both (rather than some-
thing weird like x – y), then use PITA.

SOLVING 101
Teacher note: revised some of these for clarity for 7.0
READING
GLOSSARY
The following list contains useful math terms for the SAT. The ones covered in
the previous chapter will be the most important to improving your score, but the
others here are good to know as well. A few topics, such as exponents and imagi-
nary numbers, will be explored more in later chapters.
Absolute Value: The distance a number is from zero on the number line
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Consecutive: Numbers that follow one another from smallest to largest or
largest to smallest (The numbers 2, 3, and 4 are consecutive integers, while
2, 4, and 6 are consecutive even integers.)
Decimal: A way of expressing a fraction in which numbers are divided by ten,
one hundred, one thousand, and other powers of ten
Denominator: The bottom number in a fraction
MATH
Difference: The result of subtraction
Digit: A whole number 0 through 9 that is part of a larger number
(The number 12 contains the digits 1 and 2.)
Distinct: Different
Divisible: When an integer can be divided by another integer evenly, with no
fraction or decimal left over (The number 12 is divisible by 3.)
Even number: An integer that is divisible by 2
Exponent/Power: A number that indicates how many times to multiply a base
number or variable by itself (The number 24, where 2 is the base and 4 is the
exponent, becomes 2 × 2 × 2 × 2.)
Factors: Numbers that a given number is divisible by (The number 4 is a factor
of 24.)
Fraction: A way of expressing the division of numbers by stacking one over the
other
Greatest Common Factor: The largest number that divides into two other
numbers (The greatest common factor of 30 and 42 is 6.)
Imaginary number: The square root of a negative number
Integers: Commonly known as whole numbers, or all real numbers that are
not decimals or fractions (The numbers 0, 10, and –1,000 are integers.)
Irrational number: A number that can be expressed as a decimal but cannot be
expressed as a fraction
Least Common Multiple: The smallest common multiple of two numbers
(The least common multiple of 30 and 40 is 120.)
Multiples: Numbers that are divisible by a given number (The number 24 is a
multiple of 4.)

SAT MANUAL
Negative numbers: All real values less than zero

READING
Numerator: The top number in a fraction

Odd number: An integer that is NOT divisible by 2
Order of Operations: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division
from left to right, Addition and Subtraction from left to right (PEMDAS)
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Positive numbers: All real values greater than zero

Prime number: A number that has only two factors, 1 and itself (Some
examples of prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, and 79. The number 1 is not
a prime number.)
Product: The result of multiplication
Quotient: The result of division
MATH
Real: All positive and negative numbers, zero, fractions, decimals, and
irrational numbers
Radical: A term to express the sign
Rational: A number that can be expressed as a fraction
Reciprocal: The inverse of a fraction—flip the numerator and denominator
2 5 1
(The reciprocal of is , and the reciprocal of 5 is .)
5 2 5
Remainder: The number left over when a number is not divisible by another
number
Sum: The result of addition

SOLVING
(LINEAR)
The essence of mathematics is not to make simple

things complicated, but to make complicated things
simple.
–Stan Gudder
409
SAT MANUAL
READING
GOALS REVIEW
• Know when to solve for a variable or variables

• Solve for a variable or variables in equations
• Solve equations involving absolute value
WRITING AND
• Solve simultaneous equations and inequalities

LANGUAGE
Preview: You may have “that friend,” the one who never studies for anything
at all and still gets good grades, at least when the exam is an essay. She
or he sounds really smart in the essay, even if she or he doesn’t say any-
MATH
thing of substance. What might be drawbacks to this approach?

SOLVING (LINEAR)
READING
BEYOND PLUGGING IN
Plugging In and Plugging In the Answers are great tools for a wide variety of ques-
tions, as seen in the first two math chapters. But what do you do when Plugging
In isn’t an option or PITA seems too complicated or time-consuming?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Finding the Solution
If you can’t use Plugging In or PITA and need to solve for a variable, you need to
isolate that variable. We covered the basics of solving in Solving 101, so this chap-
ter will focus on some of the strange ways College Board might present solving
questions.
MATH
Isolate the variable. Perform the same operations
on both sides of the equation.
v = 13.5 + 1.25t
4. A particle travels in a straight line at a constant speed of Which do you prefer:

13.5 meters per second. When the particle begins a constant PITA or solving?
acceleration of 1.25 meters per second, the particle travels at
a velocity of v meters per second at time t seconds as shown
in the equation above. What is t when v is 58.3 ? It can be argued that
A) 13.50 PITA is just as good
B) 35.84 58.3 = 13.5 + 1.25t here, but solving will
C) 57.44
–13.5 –13.5 get you the right
44.8 = 1.25t answer immediately,
D) 86.38 1.25 1.25
whereas PITA may take
35.84 = t more than one set of
calculations. Try to
steer students to
solving (the point of
this lesson).

SAT MANUAL
6. Gibbs free energy, G, is a thermodynamic quantity that is equal to the

READING
enthalpy of a system minus the product of the entropy and the absolute
temperature. The equation G = U + PV – TS illustrates how internal energy
(U), pressure (P), volume (V), temperature (T), and entropy (S) are all used
to determine Gibbs free energy. Which of the following expressions best
describes how to find the absolute temperature, T, that is necessary for a given
system?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
G U PV Lots of ways to do this, but best to get T

A) T
S on the left side of the equations ASAP.
G U PV G = U + PV – TS
B) T + TS + TS
S G + TS = U + PV
–G –G
U PV G
MATH
C) T TS U + PV – G
S =
S S
U PV G
D) T U + PV – G
S T=
S
2. If 7y – 2 = 15, what is the value of 21y – 1 ? RTFQ!

A) 17 7y – 2 = 15
B) 31 +2 +2
7y = 17
C) 45 ×3 ×3
D) 50 21y = 51
–1 –1
21y – 1 = 50
You don’t always need to completely isolate the

variable to answer the question. RTFQ!
9z c
3z 2
3
Teacher note: 12. What is the value of constant c in the equation above if the equation has
[infinitely many solutions]?
New question for 7.0 A) 2 Start by getting rid of the fraction by multiplying both sides by 3.
3(3z – 2) = 9z – c
B) 3
9z – 6 = 9z – c
C) 6
Compare the two sides to see that c = 6 or solve for c.
D) 9
Subtract 9z from both sides to get –6 = –c, then multiply both
412 | © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC sides by –1 to get 6 = c.
SOLVING (LINEAR)
READING
INEQUALITIES
Working with inequalities is a lot like working with equations, in that you must
perform the same operations on both sides of the inequality. However, there is one
important difference.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
If you multiply or divide both sides by a negative num-
ber while working on an inequality, remember to flip
the inequality sign.
MATH
–10x + 4y > 40
6. Which of the following inequalities is equivalent to the inequality

above?
−10x + 4y 40
A) x – y > –4 >
−2 −2
B) x – y > –10
C) 5x – 2y < –20 5x – 2y < –20
D) –5x + 2y < 20
32. In a particular board game, silver pieces are worth 4 points and gold If the inequality is not
given to you, you may
pieces are worth 9 points. If Byron has between 125 and 135 points
have to write it out.
with s silver pieces and 10 gold pieces, what is one possible value of s ?
There’s more on this
skill in the Translating
chapter.
9 10 gold pieces = 90 points
s = silver pieces = 4s points
125 < 90 + 4s < 135
–90 –90 –90
35 4s 45
< <
4 4 4
8.75 < s < 11.25
10 and 11 work, too.

SAT MANUAL
READING
RATIONAL EQUATIONS
College Board also likes to test rational equations, which are equations made up of
fractions. Rational equations can often be solved by Plugging In and PITA. How-
ever, when this is too complicated, cross-multiplying is a good alternative.
Which is faster here— 2m m 3

8. If , what is the value of m ?
WRITING AND

LANGUAGE
PITA or cross-multiplying 5 12
and solving? 3
A) Cross-multiply:
19
1
12(2m) = 5(m + 3)
B) 24m = 5m + 15
3 –5m –5m
15 19m 15
C)
29
=
MATH
19 19
15 15
D) m=
19 19
Solving with pencil and paper can sometimes be faster

and more accurate than using a calculator.
Another way College Board may present solving with fractions may look like the
one below. To solve this one, first find a common denominator for the two frac-
tions using the Bowtie Method.
7 1 1 3
18. If y y , what is the value of y ?
9 6 8 8
42 − 9
7 1 33 11
1 1 / 9 −= =
9 6 54 18
11 4
= y
18 8
11 1
= y
18 2
22
=y
18
11
=y
9
Use the bowtie box on the following page to get
11
the left side of the equation equal to .
18
SOLVING (LINEAR)
READING
BOWTIE METHOD
1. Multiply diagonally up (opposing denominators and
numerators).
42 9
7 1
WRITING AND
-
LANGUAGE
9 6
2. Carry up the addition or subtraction sign.

42 - 9
7 1
-
9 6
MATH
3. Add or subtract across the top.
42 - 9
7 1 33
- =
9 6
4. Multiply across the bottom.

42 - 9
7 1 33
- =
9 6 54
5. Reduce, if necessary.
42 - 9
7 1 33 11
- = =
9 6 54 18
Now set that equal to the other side of the equation and solve for y!

SAT MANUAL
5
READING
34. For what value of y is the expression 3 5 undefined?

y−
4 8
Teacher note: 5 / 6
3 5
y − = 0
Question revised 4 8
for 7.0 5 5
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
+ +
8 8
3  5
8 y  =  8
4  8
6y = 5
5
y=
MATH
Rational expressions are undefined when the

denominator is equal to 0.

SOLVING (LINEAR)
ABSOLUTE VALUE
READING
Some questions will ask about an absolute value, which is the distance a value is
from 0 on the number line. For positive numbers and 0, the absolute value is equal
to the value of the number. For negative numbers, find the absolute value by drop-
ping the negative sign.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
2 = |n – 7|
17. The value of one solution to the equation above is 9. What is the value of the Remember to follow the
other solution? order of operations!
2 = n – 7 or –2 = n – 7
5 +7 +7 +7 +7
9 = n 5=n
MATH
If |x| = c, then x = c or x = –c.
2. Which of the following expressions could be equal to 1 for some value of a ? What must be true of
the absolute value of any
A) |a + 2| + 2 = 1 |a + 2| = –1 expression?
Absolute value is always
B) |a – 2| + 2 = 1 |a – 2| = –1 positive, so eliminate (A),
C) |2 – a| – 2 = 1 |2 – a| = 1 (B), and (D).
D) |2 – a| + 2 = 1 |2 – a| = –1

SAT MANUAL
READING
SIMULTANEOUS EQUATIONS
When given two equations with two variables, there are a number of approaches
for solving them. The way the equations are written and what the question is ask-
ing will determine whether you use elimination or substitution to solve.
4x – 5y = 15
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
2x – y = 9
Make sure to RTFQ! 5. In the system of equations shown above, what is the value of 3x – 3y ? Stack
A) 9 4x – 5y = 15 and add
B) 12 + 2x – y = 9
6x – 6y = 24 Divide by 2
C) 15 3x – 3y = 12
MATH
D) 24
2y + 9x = 8
–3x + y = –11
Note: Many ways to 8. What is the solution (x, y) to the system of equations shown above?
solve. Let students A) (–3, 7) Put equation variables in the same order, multiply
lead a way to solve B) (–2, 13) second equation by 3, then add.
via elimination.
C) (2, –5) 9x + 2y = 8
D) (3, 8) +[–9x + 3y = –33]
5y = –25
y = –5
Only (C) has y = –5.
Stack the equations up, then add or subtract. If you

need to solve for one variable, try to make the other
one disappear! Sometimes, you may need to
manipulate one of the equations first.

SOLVING (LINEAR)
y = 9(x – 2)
READING
y So 15x = y
15 =
x
2. If (x, y) is a solution to the system of equations above, what is the value What strategy can you
of x ? use when asked for a
specific value? Why is
WRITING AND
A) –45
LANGUAGE
Substitute: that not the best
B) –15 approach on this
15x = 9(x – 2) question?
C) –9 15x = 9x – 18
D) –3 –9x –9x
6x = –18
x = –3
MATH
On more complex questions, you need to use a method
other than stacking and solving. Sometimes
substitution is needed.

SAT MANUAL
SOLVING (LINEAR) DRILL

READING
Time: 8 minutes
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
4 17
x 1 3x + y = –13
If 4 2 , then which of the following is
y y x + y = –3
equivalent to x, in terms of y ?
MATH
Multiply equation by y: According to the system of equations above, what is

A) x = y + 6 the value of y ?
x   1
B) x =
6 y  − 4  = y 2 +  Multiply second equation
y y   y
2 by 3 and subtract:
C) x = 6y + 1 x – 4y = 2y + 1 3x + y = –13
+4y +4y –[3x + 3y = –9]
1 x = 6y + 1 –2y = –4
D) x = y –
6 y=2

SOLVING (LINEAR)
3 18
READING
If 7(x – y) = 2, what is the value of x – y ? If 2 ≥ 5p + 7, what is the greatest possible value of
5p – 7 ? RTFQ!
2 RTFQ! A) –1 2 ≥ 5p + 7
A)
7 B) –5 –7 –7
7( x − y ) 2 –5 ≥ 5p
B) 2
= C) –7 –7 –7
7 7
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
D) –12 –12 ≥ 5p – 7
7 2
C) x −y =
2 7
D) 7
29
MATH
Which of the following equations can be solved to
find the points that are a distance of 5 units away
from the point 2 on the number line?
5
A) |x – 5| = 2 |7 – 5| = 2; |–3 – 5| = 8
5 2 B) |x + 5| = 2 |7 + 5| = 12

3x 2 4 5x
C) |x – 2| = 5 |7 – 2| = 5; |–3 – 2| = 5
In the equation above, what is the value of x ? D) |x + 2| = 5 |7 + 2| = 9
24
A) – Cross-multiply: 5 units away = ±5
19
16 –5(4 – 5x) = 2(3x + 2) so 2 + 5 = 7 or 2 – 5 = –3
B) –
19 –20 + 25x = 6x + 4 Plug in x = 7 and x = –3
16 +20 – 6x – 6x + 20
C) 19x = 24
31
24 x = 24
D) 19
19

SAT MANUAL
Summary
• What is one essential math strategy you
can use when Plugging In and PITA are not
effective options?
Solve the problem

______________________________________
______________________________________
• What is the ultimate goal when solving for

a variable?
Isolate the variable

______________________________________
• When solving an inequality, what must

you remember to do when you multiply or
divide by a negative number?
______________________________________
Flip the inequality sign
• When do you use the Bowtie Method?
Adding or subtracting fractions

______________________________________
• What are two ways to solve simultaneous

equations without using a calculator?
Elimination
______________________________________
Substitution
______________________________________


SOLVING (LINEAR)
PRACTICE
423
SAT MANUAL Teacher note:
No Calculator section
Solving Equations has new questions 2, 14, and 16;

SOLVING EQUATIONS
READING
Solving Inequalities has new question 18
2 9
z + 8 + 4 – z – z = 3z – z + 3 The formula for acceleration can be expressed as
What is the value of z in the equation above? 1
d vt at 2 , where d is the distance traveled, v is
2
A) –9
WRITING AND
Combine like terms on each side the initial velocity, t is the time taken, and a is the
LANGUAGE
9 very carefully.
B) acceleration. Which of the following expresses a in
5
C) 3 12 – z = 2z + 3 terms of d, v, and t ?
D) 4 9 = 3z 2d 2v
A) a 1 2
t 2
t d = vt + at
3=z 2
d v
MATH
B) a –vt –vt
2t 2
2t 1 2
2(d – vt) = at (2)
2d 2v 2
C) a
3 t 2
t
2d 2vt at 2
− 2 = 2
The time it takes a car to accelerate from a complete D) a = 2dt2 – 2vt3 t2 t t
stop to a speed of 60 miles per hour is based on the 2d 2v
− =a
t2 t
velocity, V, in meters per second, the car’s average
power, P, in watts, and the mass of the car, m, in

3PT 14
kilograms. If V = , which of the following
m
gives the value of T, the time in seconds, in terms of 1 x
If = , which of the following is the value
4 2y
V, P, and m ? y
of ?
2
x
3V 2 m  3PT 
A) T = Cross-multiply to get 4x = 2y.
P (V ) = 
2
1
 m  A)
2
3V 2
Divide both sides by 2 to get 2x = y.
3PT B) 1
B) T = (m )V = 2
(m )
mP y
m C) 2 Divide both sides by x to get 2 = .
V 2m 3PT x
V 2P
C) T = = D) 4
3m 3P 3P
V 2m
V 2m
D) T = =T
3P 3P
CONTINUE
SOLVING (LINEAR) PRACTICE
SOLVING EQUATIONS SOLVING INEQUALITIES
READING
16 18
If a is the solution to the equation 6a – 9 = 12, what Karen is sending a job to a translation company
is the value of 2a – 3 ? and can spend no more than $700. The company
charges a $20 processing fee and $80 per page for
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
RTFQ! the translation. The company charges the full-page
4 amount even if the page is only partially filled.
Start by dividing by 3 to How many pages can she include in the job without
make 6a turn into 2a. going over budget?
Equation becomes Set up inequality with p for

2a – 3 = 4, and you’re 8 pages.
done!
MATH
80p + 20 ≤ 700
80p ≤ 680
p ≤ 8.5
The company would charge this

as 9 pages and make her over
budget, so round down to 8.
20
23 3 1
− < − c −2< −
4 4 2
What is one possible nonnegative integer solution to

the inequality above?
 23 3 1
−4  − <− c −2<− 
1  4 4 2
23 > 3c + 8 > 2
–8 –8 –8
15 3c 6
> >−
3 3 3
5 > c > –2
c = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
SOLVING RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS

READING
2 17
11 2 1
2 1
k1 2z 2 z 1
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
In the equation above, what is the value of k ? In the equation above, what is the value of z ?
A) –11 −11
(k + 1) = 2(k + 1)
13 k +1 1
B) -
2
C) –6 –11 = 2k + 2
–2 –2
MATH
9 13 2k
D) -
2 − =
2 2
13
− =k
2
15 Bowtie
5(x 2) 6 5x
2(z + 1) + 2z + 2

3x 11 3(2 x ) 2 1
+ =1
2z + 2 z +1
In the equation above, what is the value of x ?
2(z + 1) + 2z + 2
13 =1
A) - (2z + 2)(z + 1)
7
20
B) - (2z + 2) + (2z + 2)
37 =1
(2z + 2)(z + 1)
8
C)
7 2(2z + 2)
=1
20 (2z + 2)(z + 1)
D)
13
Simplify to get 2
(z + 1) = 1(z + 1)
5x − 10 + 6 5x 5x − 4 5x z +1
= then =
3x 11 − 6 + 3x 3x 5 + 3x .
Cross-multiply to get (5x – 4)(5 + 3x) = (3x)(5x), 2=z+1
which becomes –1 –1
1=z
25x + 15x2 – 20 – 12x = 15x2
15x2 + 13x – 20 = 15x2
13x – 20 = 0
13x = 20
20 CONTINUE
x =
13
SOLVING EQUATIONS
READING
3 34
The kinetic energy, KE, of an object can be
1 12 2
determined by the equation KE = mv 2 , where m (r - 2) 3r - 2(2r - 1)
2 5 3
WRITING AND
is the mass of the object and v is the velocity of the
LANGUAGE
In the equation above, what is the value of r ?
object. Which of the following gives the value of v,
in terms of KE and m ?
2
1
m (2)KE = mv2(2)
A) v = 2
2KE
2KE mv 2
MATH
KE =
B) v = m m
2m
2KE 2KE
C) v = = v2
m m
2KE
D) v =
m 2KE
=v
   
m 15  12 (r – 2) = 15  2 (3r – 2(2r – 1))
5  3 
36(r – 2) = 10[3r – 2(2r – 1)]

13 36r – 72 = 10[3r – 4r + 2]
36r – 72 = 10[–r + 2]
1 36r – 72 = –10r + 20
7 3w - 3w 1 +10r +72 +10r +72
4
46r 92
In the equation above, what is the value of w ? =
46 46
1 7 92
A) - 21w + – 3w = 1 =
r = 2
24 4 46
1
B) - 7
28 18w + =1
4
1 7 7
C) - – –
32
4 4
D)
3 3
18w −
28 4
=
18 18
3 1
=
w −= −
72 24
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
SOLVING INEQUALITIES
READING
6 33
If –3(j + 4) < 6, which of the following accurately
3 a3 a 1
expresses all possible values of j ? If − ≤ , what is the least possible
8 4 2
A) j < –6
WRITING AND
–3j – 12 < 6 integer value of a ?

LANGUAGE
B) j > –6 +12 +12

C) j < 2 −3 j −18
D) j > 2 < 1
−3 −3
j > –6
MATH
28
5 3
If - ≤ 3s – 2 ≤ - , which of the following
3 2
accurately expresses all possible values of –12s + 9 ?
 3 a + 3 a − 1
8 − ≤
A) –11 ≤ –12s + 9 ≤ −
31 8 4 2 
3
3 – 2(a + 3) ≤ 4(a – 1)
17
B) 5 ≤ –12s + 9 ≤
3 3 – 2a – 6 ≤ 4a – 4
+2a + 4 ≤ +2a + 4
20
C) 6 ≤ –12s + 9 ≤ 3 –2 ≤ 6a
3
1 6a
23 £
D) 7 ≤ –12s + 9 ≤ 6 6
3
1
£ a , so
 5 3 6
–4  − ≤ 3s – 2 ≤ − 
 3 2
a = 1 RTFQ!
20
3 ≥ –12s + 8 ≥ 6
+1 +1 +1
23
≥ –12s + 9 ≥ 7
3
23
7 ≤ –12s + 9 ≤
3
CONTINUE
SOLVING RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS
READING
10 35
x 1 6 1 3 2b
If , what is the value of ? If 2 , what is the value of b ?
x 5 x 2b b 3
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
A)
1 RTFQ! Not solving for x!
5 9 / 1 5
Cross-multiply to get 5(x + 1) = 6x,
5
B) which simplifies to 5x + 5 = 6x.
6
Subtract 5x from both sides to get
C) 5
5 = x.
MATH
D) 6 So, 1 = 1
x 5
Bowtie!
3(b – 3) + (2b)(2b)
3 2b
+ =2
2b b −3
 3(b − 3) + (2b )(2b ) 
  =2
 2b (b − 3) 
 3(b − 3) + (2b )(2b ) 

(2b )(b − 3)   = 2(2b )(b − 3)
 2b (b − 3) 
3b – 9 + 4b2 = 2(2b2 – 6b)

3b – 9 + 4b2 = 4b2 – 12b
+12b + 9 +12b + 9
15b = 9
9
b= This fits in the grid-in box, so
15 don’t reduce!
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Teacher note:
SIMULTANEOUS EQUATIONS
READING
Moved here from PI HW of 6.0

5 28
7w + 2z = 16 2
y ( x a)
5w = 2z + 8 3
1
y ( 4 x 7a )
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Based on the system of equations above, what is the 5

value of 12w ? RTFQ!
If a is a constant in the system of equations above,
A) 2 Rearrange, stack, add. and a ¹ 0, which of the following ordered pairs
B) 8 (x, y) is the solution to the system of equations, in
7w + 2z = 16
C) 16 terms of a ?
+ 5w – 2z = 8 1. Make a = 1 y = 2 (x + 1)
D) 24 12w = 24 y = − 1 (4x – 7) 3
1 x= − 1
A) a, 2a 5
MATH
2 2
2. Set right sides equal
1 1 2 (x + 1) = 1 (4x – 7)
B) a, a x = −
2 3 5
2
3. Solve for x:
C) (2a, a) x = 2 2   1 
15 (x + 1) = 15 − ( 4 x − 7 )
 3   5 
21
4y – 3x = 8 10(x + 1) = –3(4x – 7)
ax + 4 = 2y D) (4a, 6a) x = 4
10x + 10 = –12x + 21
+12x – 10 +12x – 10
If the system of equations above has infinitely many 22x = 11
solutions, what is the value of constant a ? 1
x= target
2
3 Infinitely many solutions = same 34
A) -
2 equations At a corner bakery, 6 croissants and 3 cups of coffee
costs $25.95. An order of 4 croissants and 6 cups of
3 Rearrange second to make it coffee costs $26.70. What is the cost of an order of 1
B)
2 look like first.
croissant and 1 cup of coffee? (Disregard the dollar
ax + 4 = 2y sign when gridding your answer.)
C) 1 –2y –4 –2y –4 6(croissants) + 3(coffee) = 25.95
4(croissants) + 6(coffee) = 26.70
–2y + ax = –4
5 . 5 0 Multiply first equation by 2 and subtract.
D) 2 Now multiply this by –2 to turn 12(croissants) + 6(coffee) = 51.90
–2y into 4y. –[4(croissants) + 6(coffee) = 26.70]
8(croissants ) 25.20 croissants = 3.15
–2[–2y + ax = –4] =
8 8
Plug into first equation and solve for coffee.
4y – 2ax = 8
6(3.15) + 3(coffee) = 25.95
18.90 + 3(coffee) = 25.95
So –2a = –3 –18.90 –18.90
a= 3 3(coffee ) 7.05
2 =
3 3
coffee = 2.35
croissant + coffee: 3.15 + 2.35 = 5.50

SOLVING
201
The Solving 101 chapter provided you with a

foundation in the linear fundamentals key to
improving your math score. In this chapter,
you’ll review the more advanced terms and rules
related to non-linear concepts you will need for
the following chapter.
431
SAT MANUAL
READING
QUADRATICS
Consider the following equation.
x + 12 = 7x
You may be able to solve this fairly easily, but what if the question were a bit
WRITING AND
harder?
LANGUAGE
x 2 + 12 = 7x
This is an example of a quadratic equation. Quadratic equations are equations

that can be put into the following form:
ax 2 + bx + c = 0
MATH
This type of equation appears frequently in the SAT Math sections. Fortunately, it
is one that you can learn to solve.
FACTORING
The first thing to do is move everything to one side of the equation so that 0 is on
the other side. In this equation, subtract 7x from both sides to get
x 2 – 7x + 12 = 0
Now, factor the left side. The three terms do not have any common factors, but
that’s not a problem. First, write down the following:
(x )(x )=0
The next thing to notice is the sign of the c term. If the c is positive, the signs in
the factors match each other and the sign of the b term. If, instead, the c term is
negative, the signs in the factors will be different. In this case, c is positive and b is
negative, so you can add the minus signs to each factor.
(x − )(x − )=0
Now, find two factors of 12 (the c term) that have a sum of 7 (the b term). The fac-
tors of 12 are 1 and 12, 2 and 6, and 3 and 4. Of these three pairs, only 3 and 4
have a sum of 7. Therefore, the factored equation is
(x – 3)(x – 4) = 0

SOLVING 201
READING
So how do you solve this equation? Remember that if a product equals 0, at least
one of the two factors must be 0. Set each factor equal to 0 and solve.
(x – 3) = 0 or (x – 4) = 0
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
x=3 or x=4
3 and 4 are the solutions, or roots, of the equation. With quadratic equations,
there may be (and often will be) two distinct solutions. Let’s look at another
example.
x2 + x – 6 = 0
MATH
This time, the sign of the c term is negative. Remember, when this happens, the
signs of the factors should be different, so write
(x + )(x − )=0
Because the signs are different, you also need two factors of 6 that have a differ-
ence of the b term, which in this case is 1. The factors of 6 are 1 and 6 or 2 and 3.
Because 2 and 3 have a difference of 1, these must be the factors. The larger
factor always gets the sign of the b term. Since b is positive, factor this as
(x + 3)(x – 2) = 0
Now just set each factor equal to 0 and solve. What are the solutions to this
equation?
FOIL
Sometimes, the SAT will give the factored form and ask for the expanded form. In
this case, use the FOIL method. FOIL stands for
First
Outer
Inner
Last

SAT MANUAL
READING
If you’re given the expression
(x + 5)(x – 2)
First, multiply the first terms

WRITING AND
(x + 5)(x – 2) = x2 …
LANGUAGE
Then, multiply the outer terms
(x + 5)(x – 2) = x2 – 2x …
Then, multiply the inner terms

MATH
(x + 5)(x – 2) = x 2 – 2x + 5x …
Then, multiply the last terms
(x + 5)(x – 2) = x2 – 2x + 5x – 10
Finally, combine like terms to get
(x + 5)(x – 2) = x2 + 3x – 10
On the SAT, it can also be helpful to memorize three common quadratics. They
show up often in difficult quadratic problems. You can always factor or FOIL, but
having these memorized can save time and energy on the test.
COMMON QUADRATICS
(x + y)2 = x 2 + 2xy + y2
(x − y)2 = x 2 − 2xy + y2
(x + y)(x – y) = x 2 – y2
If you come across a difficult quadratic question, look for one of these three
quadratics.

SOLVING 201
READING
QUADRATICS PRACTICE
Solve the following quadratic equations.
1. x 2 + 3x + 2 = 0 6. x 2 + 10x = 24
(x + 2)(x + 1) = 0 –24 –24
x2 + 10x – 24 = 0
x + 2 = 0; x + 1 = 0
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
x = –2; x = –1 (x + 12)(x – 2) = 0
x + 12 = 0; x – 2 = 0
x = –12; x = 2
2. x 2 – 6x + 5 = 0 7. 5x = 14 – x 2
MATH
(x – 5)(x – 1) = 0 –14 + x2 – 14 + x2
x2 + 5x – 14 = 0
x – 5 = 0; x – 1 = 0
x = 5; x = 1 (x + 7)(x – 2)
x + 7 = 0; x – 2 = 0
x = –7; x = 2
3. x 2 + 2x – 8 = 0 8. x(x + 6) = −9
(x + 4)(x – 2) = 0 x2 + 6x = –9
+9 +9
x + 4 = 0; x – 2 = 0 x2 + 6x + 9 = 0
x = –4; x = 2
(x + 3)(x + 3) = 0
x+3=0
x = –3
4. x 2 – 3x – 10 = 0 9. x 2 – 4 = 0
(x – 5)(x + 2) = 0 (x + 2)(x – 2) = 0
x – 5 = 0; x + 2 = 0 x + 2 = 0; x – 2 = 0
x = 5; x = –2 x = –2; x = 2
Cross-multiply
x(x – 8) = (4)(–4)
x −8 4
5. x 2 = 5x + 6 10. =− x2 – 8x = – 16
–5x – 6 –5x – 6 4 x +16 +16
x2 – 5x – 6 = 0 x2 – 8x + 16 = 0
(x – 6)(x + 1) = 0 (x – 4)(x – 4) = 0
x – 6 = 0; x + 1 = 0 x–4=0
x = 6; x = –1 x=4
SAT MANUAL
READING
EXPONENTS
Exponents are a shorthand way of indicating that a number (known as the base) is
multiplied by itself: the exponent tells you how many times. 73 = 7 × 7 × 7.
Put these exponent

WRITING AND
Whenever the bases are the same

LANGUAGE
rules all together

and the acronym is
MADSPM. • to multiply the quantities, keep the base and add the
ultiply
M ______________ exponents.
dd
A ______________ • to divide the quantities, keep the base and subtract the
ivide
D ______________
S ubtract
______________
exponents.
P ower
______________ • to raise the quantity to another power, multiply the
ultiply
M ______________ exponents.
MATH
If quantities with the same base and exponent are added or sub-
tracted, just add or subtract the coefficients and do nothing to the
base or exponent.
Basic Rules
5. (2 x )
2 3
1. ( x )( x ) = x2 + 3 = x5
2 3
= 23x2(3) = 8x6
x6 8x 3
2. = x6 – 2 = x4 6. = 2x3 – 2 = 2x
x2 4x 2
3. ( x ) = x = x
4 2
4(2) 8
7. 3 x + 5 x = 8x2
2 2
4. 2 x × 6 y = 12x2y3
2 3
8. 2 x + 4 y = 2x2 +4y3
2 3
Special Rules
Teacher note:
x5 x2 1
For 7.0, rearranged 1. 5
= x5 – 5 = x0 = 1
5. 0243 = 0 9. = x2 – 4 = x–2 = 2
x x 4
x
the order of Special 1
6. ( −2 ) = 4
2
2. x = 1
0
Rules and ques- 10. x −2 =
x2
tions on top of next
page to lead into 3. x1 = x 7. ( −2 ) = –8
3
2
new Negative expo- 1 1
4. 1
1, 276
= 1 8.   ==
nents section. 2 4

SOLVING 201
READING
11. 1
Any number to the exponent 0 is________________________________________
12. itself
Any number to the exponent 1 is________________________________________
13. 1 to any exponent is__1

___________________________________________________
WRITING AND
14. 0 to any exponent (besides 0) is__0________________________________________
LANGUAGE
15. positive
A negative number raised to an even exponent is_________________________
16. negative
A negative number raised to an odd exponent is__________________________
17. smaller
A fraction between 0 and 1 raised to a positive exponent gets_____________
MATH
18. reciprocal
A negative exponent means______________________________________________
Working with Negative Exponents

According to the MADSPM rules of exponents, when you are Dividing num-
bers with the same base, you Subtract the exponents. As you saw in the Special
Rules on the previous page, this will sometimes result in a negative exponent. A
number raised to a negative exponent can be written as a fraction with 1 in the
numerator and the base raised to a power in the denominator. Here are two ways of
approaching one exponent problem.
x2 xx x x 1 x2
4
2 x
24
x 2
x x x x x x x x x x x 4

1
This means that 2
x 2 . Therefore, another way to think about negative expo-
x
nents is that they are a way to write reciprocals. This will also work if the negative
exponent is in the denominator of a fraction.
x2 x2 1 x2 x3 23 x2 2 ( 3) 23

3
3
x2 x3 x x5 3
x x x5
x 1 x 1 1 x
When you see a negative exponent, make it positive and take the reciprocal. If the
negative exponent is in the denominator, it will move to the numerator, and vice
versa. Here’s another example with numbers instead of variables.
52 52 1 1 23 23 8
3
3
2
2
2 1 2 5 1 5 25

SAT MANUAL
READING
EXPONENTS PRACTICE
Simplify all of the following expressions.
57
1. 4
= 57 – 4 = 53 = 125 6. (3x4 + 2x3)x 2 = 3x4 + 2 + 2x3 + 2 = 3x6 + 2x5
5
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
MATH
x3x4 53 × 6 4 53 × 6 4
2. = x3 + 4 – 2 = x5 7. = = 53 – 2 × 64 – 2 = 5 × 62
x 2
25 × 6 2 52 × 6 2
= 5 x 36 = 180
7 2 × 75
3. (3x y z ) = 3 x
3 6 5 4
y z
4 3(4) 6(4) 5(4)
= 81x y z
12 24 20 8. = 72 + 5 – 4 = 73 = 343
74
15 x 5 y 3 5x 2
4. 53 – 33 = 125 – 27 = 98 9. = 5x y
5–3 3–5
= 5x y
2 –2
=
3x 3 y 5 y2
9x 3 y 4
5. = 3x3 – 1y4 – 2 = 3x2y2 10. a –4b –1d –3g 9 × d –2a 5c 6e –3 × b 3d 7fg –11 × e 4c –5b –1g 3d –1 =
3 xy 2
a–4 + 5b–1 + 3 – 1c6 – 5d–3 – 2 + 7 –1e–3 + 4fg9 – 11 + 3 =
abcdefg

SOLVING 201
Teacher note:
For 7.0, slight reorganization of rest of chapter with minor edits to content.
READING
ROOTS
In the same way that division is the opposite of multiplication and subtraction is
the opposite of addition, finding the root of a number is the opposite of raising a
number to an exponent. Therefore, you can use roots to solve equations involving
exponents. For instance, what is the value of x in this equation?
WRITING AND
x 2 = 81
LANGUAGE
What does the equation say? There is some number, x, that when multiplied by
itself is 81. What number multiplied by itself is 81? Both 92 and (–9)2 = 81.
This idea is related to finding the square root. The symbol, called a radical,
is used to represent square roots. So 81 is another way to write “the square root
MATH
of 81.” It is important to note that while either –9 or 9 might have been squared to
get 81, “the square root of 81” is defined as only the positive option, 9. If an SAT
question had –9 as a choice for the square root of 81, you would be marked incor-
rect for choosing it.
You may have noticed that some square roots are easy to figure out, like the square
root of 100, which is 10. Numbers with square roots that are whole numbers are
called perfect squares.
One way to find the square root of a number that is not a perfect square is by
breaking the number down into two factors, one of which is a perfect square.
Consider the following example.
75 = 25 × 3
Break up the square root into two square roots. Note that you can break apart
square roots only with multiplication and division.
75 = 25 × 3
Now, find the square root of 25.
75 = 5 × 3
Finally, write the 5 right next to the square root of 3 to represent the multiplication.
75 = 5 3
The square root is now in its most reduced form.

SAT MANUAL
READING
Rationalizing the Denominator

In order for a fraction to be in its simplest form, there cannot be a root in the
denominator (bottom) of the fraction. Let’s say that the final step after working a
problem is the following:
5
2
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
You aren’t allowed to leave that 2 in the denominator, so you need to get rid of
2
it. To do this, multiply by . Because any number divided by itself is 1, you
2
aren’t actually changing the value of your original fraction; you’re just playing
with its formatting. Then, just multiply across to get the simplified fraction.
MATH
5 2 5× 2 5 2
× = =
2 2 2× 2 2
Your new answer has the same value as the original, but it doesn’t have a root in
the denominator, so it’s in its simplest form.
6  3 6 3
= =2 3
3  3 
6
i. Can you simplify 3
? _______________________________________
3
Combining Roots
You can add or subtract square roots only when the numbers under the square root
sign are the same.
1. 4 x + 2 x = 6 x
2. 9 x − 3 x = 6 x
Multiplication and division are more flexible: different values can be combined
under the root.
3. ( x )( y ) = xy
x
=
x
4.
y y

SOLVING 201
READING
We ♥ Our Calculators
If a question on Section 4 of the SAT asks you to simplify exponents or roots with
numbers instead of variables, you can use your calculator. Just be careful with
those parentheses!
5. 4 12 × 2 3 = 8 =
36 8=
(6) 48
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
32 32
6. = = =
4 2
8 8
( ) = ( 25 3 + 4 3 ) = (5 ) = (7 3 )
2 2 2 2
7. 75 + 12 3 +2 3 = 49(3) = 147
1 1 1
8. ( 529 − 361 ) = (23 − 19

2
=)2
(=
4) 2 2
MATH

SAT MANUAL
READING
ROOTS PRACTICE
48 16 3
1. 100b 2 = 100 b = 10b
2
6. = = =
16 4
3 3
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
121 11
2. 3
125 = 5 7. =
13
MATH
169
64 8
c6 −4
= =4 c 6= =
c2 c
3.
4 2
8.
c4 =
63 x 4 y 3
4. 31 × 31 = 31 9. = 9x 2 y 2 = 3xy
7x2 y
36 6
x2 x 10. − = −
5. 2 = 49 7
y y

SOLVING 201
READING
Working with Fractional Exponents
Remember that mathematicians use exponents and roots as shortcuts to represent
repetitive multiplication and division. Well, sometimes you need to symbolize a
square root as an exponent. The way you do this is with a fractional exponent.
Consider the following example.
WRITING AND
1
LANGUAGE
92
1
Notice that the exponent in this case is . This is the way to symbolize a square
2 1
root, so the solution to this expression is 9 , or 3. What if you’re given 64 3 ? The
number on the bottom of the fractional exponent tells you what root you need.
MATH
Therefore,
1
64 3 = 3 64
Sometimes, you will see a fractional exponent with a number other than 1 in the
numerator, like this one:
3
42
3
This time, the fraction is a little more complicated. The exponent represents a
2
two-part calculation: the 3 represents the exponent by which the base, which in
this case is 4, is raised.
The 2 represents a square root, just like before. So the solution will look something
like the following.
3
42 = 43 = 64 = 8
For fractional exponents, you can choose to apply either the exponent or the root
first. This can also be written as ( 4 )=
3
2=
3
8.
i. How would you solve the expression = =35 3= × 32 × 3 3=

×3× 3 9 3
2
3 2 ? ________________________

SAT MANUAL
Teacher note: revised 1 and 9 with fractional exponents for 7.0

READING
FRACTIONAL EXPONENTS PRACTICE

Use MADSPM and the rules for negative and fractional exponents to rewrite the following expressions. Your answer
should not contain negative or fractional exponents.
1
1  12  3 3
1. (64d )
WRITING AND
4 2
= 64 × d 4 = 8d 2 6.  64  = 8 = 2
LANGUAGE
 
1 5
− 1 1 x
2. 81 = 2 81 = 9 7. x 2
= Can also be written as or 3
MATH
2
x5 x x x
3
−
2
 − 12  2  1  3
− −
 2   2 
3 3 6
3. 8 = =
83 3 2
=
64 4
3
8.  25  = 25 = 25 4 = (52 ) 4 = 5 4 =
 
3
5 = 53 = 5 5
2
1
1
25 2
4. 1
25 5
= = 1 9. ((3x −3 y 5 )−4 ) 2
125 3
3
125 5
1
−4  
2
= (3x −3 y 5 ) = (3x −3 y 5 )−2 = 3 −2 x −3( −2) y 5( −2)
x6
= 3 −2 x 6 y −10 =
9 y 10
1 1 1
5. (16x y ) = 16 (x )2 ( y )2 = 4 xy
2 6 2 2 6 3
2 2 2
10. (216x y ) 3 = 2162 (x 9 )3 ( y 6 )3 = 36 x 6 y 4
9 6 3

SOLVING
(NONLINEAR)
Mathematical science shows what is. It is the language

of unseen relations between things. But to use and
apply that language, we must be able fully to appreciate,
to feel, to seize the unseen, the unconscious.
—Ada Lovelace
445
SAT MANUAL
READING
GOALS REVIEW
• Successfully work with exponents and roots

• Solve quadratics through factoring
• Use the quadratic formula when factoring is difficult
WRITING AND
• Combine the rules of exponents to solve more difficult root and

LANGUAGE
exponent questions
• Solve questions related to exponential growth and decay
Preview: Have you ever had an experiment in biology class where you grew
MATH
some bacteria? Instead of seeing the same increase every day, you prob-
ably saw that each day the bacteria, doubled, tripled, or even more! We’re
going to see this and other nonlinear concepts in SAT math.

SOLVING (NONLINEAR)
READING
WORK YOUR QUAD(RATIC)S
Questions that ask for the specific factors of or solutions to quadratics can often be
solved with Plugging In and PITA. Harder questions may ask about some math-
ematical operation like the sum or product of those roots.
11. What is the sum of the distinct possible values of x for the equation When a quadratic is in
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
x2 + 3x – 10 = 0 ? (x + 5)(x – 2) = 0 OR a = 1; b = 3 the form ax2 + bx + c = 0:
A) –3 x+5=0 x–2=0 The sum of the solutions
x=–5 x=2 −b −3
B) –2 = = −3 b
a 1 equals - .
a
C) 3 –5 + 2 = –3
The product of the
D) 5 c
solutions equals .
a
MATH
Try to use Plugging In or PITA on quadratics.
When a quadratic is difficult to factor, remember
the quadratic formula:
-b ± b 2 - 4ac
x=
2a
Radicals in answers
do quadratic formula
4 2 1
12. What are the solutions for x if x 2 x ?
5 5
5 29 4 1 
A) x 5 x2 + 2x + = 0
4 4 5 5 
4x2 + 10x + 1 = 0
5 21
B) x
4 4 a = 4; b = 10; c = 1
21
C) x 1 −10 ± 102 − 4( 4)(1) −10 4 21
4 ±
2( 4) 8 8
5 21
D) x −5 2 21
4 4 ±
−10 ± 100 − 16 4 8
8
−5 21
±
4 4
−10 ± 84
8

SAT MANUAL
READING
More advanced questions on quadratics do not necessarily require the use of more
advanced math. Rather, they require trickier applications of the basics.
25x4 + 40x2y2 + 16y4

WRITING AND
5. Which of the following expressions is equivalent to the expression above?

LANGUAGE
Start by looking for per-

fect squares in the first A) (25x + 16y)4 25x4 = (5x2)2
and last terms.
B) (25x2 + 16y2)2 16y4 = (4y2)2
4
C) (5x + 4y)
(a + b)2 = a2 + 2ab + b2
D) (5x2 + 4y2)2
(5x2 + 4y2)2 = 25x4 + 40x2y2 + 16y4
MATH
(x + d)(x + e) = x2 + fx + 33
If you need to multiply 14. In the equation above, d, e, and f are positive constants. Which of the
the factors of a following are the possible integer values of f ?
quadratic, use FOIL. A) f = 0 or 1
Eliminate (C). 16.5 is not an integer.
B) f = 1 or 33 RTFQ!
C) f = 2 or 16.5 FOIL left side
D) f = 14 or 34 x2 + dx + ex + de = x2 + fx + 33
So dx + ex = fx and de = 33
d and e must multiply to 33, so 1 and 33 or
3 and 11.
If d = 1 and e = 33
Since dx + ex = fx,
1x + 33x = fx.
f = 34

SOLVING (NONLINEAR)
READING
EXPONENTS AND ROOTS
Many questions about exponents and roots can be solved with Plugging In and
PITA, especially when calculator use is allowed. However, sometimes that is not
an option, as in the following question.
10. If a5 = −4, what is the value of a15 ? Remember MADSPM!
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
A) −64
ultiply
M ______________
(a5)3 = a15 dd
A ______________
B) −12 ivide
D ______________
(–4)3 = a15 S ubtract
______________
C) 16
ower
P ______________
D) 60 –64 = a15 ultiply
M ______________
MATH
We went over negative and fractional exponents in Solving 201. College Board will
make things more difficult by combining these concepts.
c 3d −3
3
cd 2
15. Which of the following is an equivalent form of the expression above for all
positive values of c and d ?
1
A) c2d−5 3 −3 2
(c d )
1 =
2 3
7 13
(cd )
B) c6d 6
3 3
−
c d
2 2
7 1 2 =
c6 c d
3 3
C) 13
3 1 3 2
d6 − − −
c2 3
d 2 3
=
7
c6
D) 5
7
7 13
d6
− c 6
c d
6 6
= 13
d 6
With fractional exponents, the numerator is the

exponent, and the denominator is the root. You can apply either
one first to make the calculations easier. For negative expo-
nents, calculate the positive exponent, then take the reciprocal.

SAT MANUAL
READING
Teacher note: 16a

13. Which of the following is equivalent to the expression ?
64b
Question revised 2a
for 7.0 1 3b 16 = 24
A)
2 64 = 26
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
4 a 6b
1 (2 4 )a 2 4 a
B)
2 = =
6 b 6b
2 4 a − 6b
(2 ) 2
2a
C) 2 3b
D) 24a −6b
MATH

SOLVING (NONLINEAR)
READING
GROWTH AND DECAY
Another type of question related to exponents may ask about the exponential
growth or decay of some countable item, such as population or dollar value, over
time. If something is increasing or decreasing by a constant percent or multiplier
over a set period, use the exponential growth/decay formula.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
EXPONENTIAL GROWTH OR DECAY FORMULAS
When the growth is a percent of the total population, use
final amount = original amount (1 ± rate)number of changes.
When the growth is a multiple of the total population, use
final amount = original amount (multiplier)number of changes.
MATH
13. Ruwanthi’s car was worth $5,000 when she bought it. Over the next Knowing the formula
several years, the car’s value decreased by 10 percent per year. Which of will help you use POE.
the following functions gives the value, v, in dollars, of the car after n If calculator use were
years at this rate? allowed, what other
Exponential, eliminate (A). strategy could you use?
A) v(n) 5, 000 0.9n
Decay so parentheses < 1,
B) v(n) = 5, 000(0.9)n eliminate (D).
C) v(n) = 5, 000(0.1)n Rate = 0.1, so parentheses
(1 – 0.1) = 0.9
D) v(n) = 5, 000(1.1)n
36. A couple buys a certain home that is worth $120,000. A real estate
agent tells the couple that the value of the home will increase by 12%
per year for the next ten years. The real estate agent uses the equation
H = 120,000(k) y to model the value, H, of the home after y years. What
value should the real estate agent use for k ?
k = 1 + rate
1 . 1 2
rate is 12% or 0.12
So k is 1 + 0.12 = 1.12.

SAT MANUAL
READING
Some exponential growth or decay questions will ask you to adapt formulas for
different units of time.
B = 100(1.09) h
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
24. The equation above models the number of microbes, B, in a bacteria

sample h hours after observation begins. Of the following, which
equation models the number of microbes of bacteria in the sample m
minutes after observation begins?
A) B = 100(176) m The value in parentheses
should not change, as
there is no change to the
MATH
B) B = 100(1.0015) 60m
rate. Eliminate (A) and
C) B = 100(1.09) 60m = 100(1.09)60(60) (B). Now Plug In
60
m
D) B 100 1.09 60 = 100(1.09) 60
h = 1; m = 60
Original formula:
B = 100(1.09)1 = 109
27. In selecting a long-term investment, a stock broker predicts that the
value of a particular mutual fund will increase by 15% every ten years.
If the present value of the mutual fund is $20 per share, which of the
following expressions represents the stock broker’s prediction of the
value per share of the mutual fund y years from now?
10
y Rate = 1 + 0.15 = 1.15
A) 20 1.15 10 = 20(1.15) 10

Eliminate (C) and (D).
B) 20(1.15)10y = 20(1.15)10(10) Change every 10 years,
y y is years
C) 20 0.15 10
So if y = 10; 1 change
D) 20(0.15)10y
Plug In.

SOLVING (NONLINEAR)
READING
Some questions will test exponential growth or decay without directly referenc-
ing any formula. Use your knowledge of the formula to solve questions about the
parts of the scenario.
36. A town has a population of p people based on a 2020 census. According

to research conducted by the town council, the population of the city is
WRITING AND
Teacher note:
LANGUAGE
expected to increase by 4 percent per year. According to the estimate,
the expected population of the town in 2030 is 810. To the nearest Question revised
whole number, what is the value of p ? for 7.0
5 4 7 Final amount = original(1 ± rate)# of changes

810 = p(1 + 0.04)10
MATH
810 = p(1.04)10
810 1.48 p
=
1.48 1.48
p = 547.2, which rounds to 547

SAT MANUAL
Teacher note:
Rearranged answer order on Q14, 20, and 25 for 7.0
READING
SOLVING (NONLINEAR) DRILL

Time: 8 minutes
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
12 14
Which of the following is the product of all values If r and s are constants in the equation
of x that satisfy the equation 5x2 – 20x – 10 = 0 ? x2 – rx = –4s, then what are the values of x ?
A) –2
c
Product = r r 2 16s
MATH
B) −5 6 a A) x
2 2
C) 5 6 −10
= r r 2 16s
5 B) x
D) 2 2 2
= –2 r r 2 16s
C) x
2 2
r 2 16s
D) x r
2
x2 – rx + 4s = 0
a = 1; b = –r; c = 4s
−(−r ) ± (−r )2 − 4(1)(4s )

2(1)
r ± r 2 − 16s
2
r r 2 − 16s
±
2 2

SOLVING (NONLINEAR)
8 20
READING
A grocery store wishes to increase its number of Which of the following expressions is equivalent to
customers by p percent per month. The grocery 1
store currently has c customers. Which function x 9 y 27 3

3 ?
f best represents the number of customers the z x 3y 9
grocery store wishes to have m months from now?
z z
A)
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Exponential growth; x3 y9
A) f(m) = pm – c
eliminate (A) and (B) x3 y9
B)
z
B) f(m) = pm + c Original Amount = C;
x3 y9
Eliminate (D) C)
p
m z3
C) f (m) c 1
100
MATH
x 27 y 81
D)
m z9
c
D) f (m) p 1
100
25
3
c 4 = 2d 8
13
In the equation above, c and d are positive real
2
If x 6 x 66 5 , then what are the roots of the numbers. In terms of d, what is the value of c3 ?
equation? A) 2d6
3
B) 2d24 (c 4 )4 = c 3
( )
A) x = –7 and x = 13 2
x 2 − 6x − 66 = 52 C) 8d32
D) 16d32 (2d8)4 = c3
B) x = 7 and x = –13
x2 – 6x – 66 = 25 16d32 = c3
–25 –25
C) x = –7 and x = –13 x2 – 6x – 91 = 0
(x – 13)(x + 7) = 0
D) x = 7 and x = 13 x – 13 = 0; x + 7 = 0
x = 13; x = –7

SAT MANUAL
Summary
• What is the standard form of a quadratic
equation?
2
ax + bx + c = 0
________________________________________
• What is the quadratic formula?

−b ± b 2 − 4 ac
x =
________________________________________
2a
• When solving a quadratic equation using
FOIL, what are the four steps?
irst
F_______________________________________
uter
O ______________________________________
nner
I _______________________________________
ast
L_______________________________________
• What are the basic rules for manipulating

exponents?
ultiply
M______________________________________
dd
A ______________________________________
ivide
D______________________________________
ubtract
S ______________________________________
ower
P ______________________________________
ultiply
M______________________________________
• What do the numerator and denominator

represent in fractional exponents?
numerator = power; denominator = root

________________________________________
• What do you do to manipulate negative

exponents?
Find the value for the positive exponent, then

________________________________________
take the reciprocal
• What formula do you use when a population
is increasing or decreasing by a percent
over time?
# of changes
final amount = original amount(1 ± rate)
________________________________________

SOLVING (NONLINEAR)
• What formula do you use when a population

is increasing or decreasing by a multiple
or fraction over time?
final amount = original amount(multiplier)# of changes

______________________________________


SOLVING
(NONLINEAR)
PRACTICE
459
SAT MANUAL
SOLVING QUADRATICS
READING
16 19
If t2 + 16t = 2t + 32, and t > 0, what is the value of t ? A right triangle with legs of lengths (x + 1) and
(2x – 2) has an area of 80. What is the length of the
shorter leg?
t2 + 16t = 2t + 32
WRITING AND
2
LANGUAGE
–2t –32 –2t –32

t2 + 14t – 32 = 0 bh
1 0 A=
2
(t + 16) (t –2) = 0
t + 16 = 0 t – 2 = 0
t = –16 t=2 (x + 1)(2x − 2)
80 =
2
MATH
160 = 2x2 – 2
+2 +2
162 2x 2
=
2 2
81 = x2
9=x
RTFQ! Shorter leg
9 + 1 = 10
CONTINUE
SOLVING (NONLINEAR) PRACTICE
EXPONENTS AND ROOTS
READING
5 18
Which of the following expressions is equivalent to If 3(4 s 3) 2s , what is the value of s ?
1
(3x 2 y 3 ) 2 ?
WRITING AND
3 / 2
LANGUAGE
( )
2
A)
1 1 3 3( 4s − 3) = (2s )2
9x 4 y 6 3 xy
2 2
=
3 3 3(4s – 3) = 4s2
1 2 xy 2
3
B) xy
9 12s – 9 = 4s2
–12s + 9 –12s + 9
3
0 = 4s2 – 12s + 9
MATH
C) xy 2 3
(2s – 3)(2s – 3) = 0
2s – 3 = 0
D) 9x4y6
2s = 3
3
s=
2
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
SOLVING QUADRATICS
READING
32 35
If x2 – 4x – 5 = 0, what is the sum of the possible
values of x ? (x a)(x 3) x 2 11ax k
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
−b In the equation above, a and k are constants. If the

4 sum =
a equation is true for all real values of x, what is the
value of k ?
−(−4)
= FOIL
1
9 / 1 0
x2 – 3x – ax + 3a =
=4 x2 – 11ax + k
MATH
x2 + (–3 – a)x + 3a =
x2 – 11ax + k
–3 – a = –11a
+a +a
−3 −10a
=
−10 −10
3
=a
10
k = 3a
3 9
k = 3  =
 10  10
CONTINUE
SOLVING RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS EXPONENTS AND ROOTS
READING
23 15
Which of the following is equivalent to (5a – 7)–2 ?
h2 5h 6
h2 9 2 1
WRITING AND
A)
LANGUAGE
h2 3 5a - 7 Reciprocal and
common quadratic
In the equation above, what is the value of h ? 1
B) 2 1
25a - 70a + 49
7 Factor fraction in (5a − 7 )2
A) − 1
3 numerator on left side. C) 2
1
25a - 35a + 49
B) − 3
25a − 70a + 49
2
(h + 3)(h + 2)
MATH
2
(h + 3)(h − 3) 2 D) 25a2 – 70a + 49
11 =
C) h +2 3
3
D)
9 (h + 2)  1  2
=
2
(h − 3)  h + 2  3
1 2
=
h −3 3
2(h – 3) = 3
2h – 6 = 3
2h = 9
9
h=
2
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
GROWTH AND DECAY

READING
6 23
Researchers are studying a tide pool that is home A radioactive element decays at a rate of 16% every
to 10 starfish. The population is monitored once three years. If a sample of that element contains 150g
per year. After several years of collecting data, in 2015, how many grams will remain after y years?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
researchers conclude that the population quintuples

y
every year. If t is the time in years, which equation A) 150(0.16) 3 Parenthesis = 1 – rate
for the population, S(t), best models their data? y = 1 – 0.16
A) S(t) = 50t B) 150(0.84) 3 = 0.84
Exponential
B) S(t) = 10(5)t Eliminate (A) and (C).
(“quintuples every year”) C) 150(0.16)y
C) S(t) = 50t
Change every 3 years, so
D) S(t) = 10 + 5t Eliminate (C) and (D) D) 150(0.84)y 1 change when y = 3;
MATH
Rate = 5, Eliminate (A) Eliminate (D).
15
Joy received a gift card to her favorite store that had
an initial value of $75. After she received it, the card
decreased in value by 4% for every month it was not
used. Unfortunately, she misplaced the card and
didn’t find it again until the value of the card was
$24.91. If n is the number of months the card was
unused, which of the following equations could be
used to solve for n ?
A) 24.91 = 75(1 + 0.04)n
Final value = 24.91;
B) 24.91 = 75(1 – 0.04)n Eliminate (C) and (D)
C) 75 = 24.91(1 + 0.04)n Decrease;
D) 75 = 24.91(1 – 0.04)n Eliminate (A)
CONTINUE
26
READING
Time (hours) Concentration (mg)
0 100
1 79.37
2 62.966
3 50
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
4 39.685
5 31.498
6 25
The half-life of a medication is the amount of time it

takes for the concentration of the drug in the body to
be reduced by one-half. Maddie took a 100-mg dose
MATH
of a particular medication and its concentration in
her body was measured every hour. The results are
shown in the table above. If c represents the drug’s
concentration in Maddie’s body and m represents
the time, in minutes, since she initially took the
medication, then which of the following equations
accurately expresses the drug’s half-life?
m 180
1 180  1  180
A) c 100 100   = 50
2 m 2
12 180
B) c 100 1 2
2 m 100   = 8.1 10 26
1 2
C) c 100 smaller
2 3 m
1
D) c 100 still smaller
2
Half concentration at 3 hours, so

3 x 60 = 180 minutes
Plug in c = 50; m = 180

ADVANCED
SOLVING
The infinite in mathematics is always unruly

unless it is properly treated.
—James Newman
467
SAT MANUAL
READING
GOALS REVIEW
• Use the discriminant to determine the number of solutions to a

quadratic
• Answer questions about the relationship between factors and roots of
WRITING AND
polynomials
LANGUAGE
• Factor or divide polynomials in more advanced ways

• Perform mathematical operations on imaginary and complex
numbers
Preview: Have you ever run into a question on a test in school that
really confused you at first? You know that the teacher is trying to ask
MATH
you something that you’ve learned in school, but it’s done in such a way as
to leave you baffled. On the SAT, you’ll see some questions that test your
solving skills in ways beyond what we’ve already looked at previously.

ADVANCED SOLVING
READING
MORE SOLVING (NONLINEAR)
In the Solving (Nonlinear) chapter, we looked at the most common ways that the
SAT tests concepts of polynomial equations. If you are aiming for a top score, you
will also want to know how to tackle these additional ideas that come up occasion-
ally on the test.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
MORE ABOUT THE SOLUTIONS TO A POLYNOMIAL
You may see questions that ask about the number of solutions instead of what the
actual solutions are. If it is a system of equations, you still have to solve it to find
how many solutions you get.
MATH
y = 3x – 3
y = −2x2 + 7x − 1
What’s the best method
13. The system of equations above has exactly how many solutions? to solve this system of
equations?
A) None set them equal
B) 1 3x – 3 = –2x2 + 7x – 1
C) 2
2x2 – 4x – 2 = 0
D) 3
2(x2 – 2x – 1) = 0 → hard to factor, so
If a question asks about the number of solutions to a quadratic, use the discrimi-
nant, which should look familiar as part of the quadratic formula.
For a quadratic in the form ax 2 + bx + c, where a, b, and c are a = 1; b = –2; c = –1

real numbers, the discriminant is D = b 2 – 4ac.
D = (–2)2 – 4(1)(–1)
• If the discriminant is positive, the quadratic has two real D=4+4=8
roots.
positive →
• If the discriminant equals zero, the quadratic has one real
root. 2 real roots
• If the discriminant is negative, the quadratic has no real
roots.

SAT MANUAL
14. If m is a variable and n is a constant, and 6m2 + 5m = n, then which of the

READING
following values for n would result in an equation with no real solutions?
Don’t calculate 6 1. PITA 2. D = b2 –4ac

A) n =
discriminant all the 5
A) 6m2 + 5m – 6
5 =0 A) D = 52 – 4(6) (− 65 ) → (+)
way. Just see if it B) n = 1
is negative. B) 6m2 + 5m – 1 = 0 B) D = 52 – 4(6)(–1) → (+)
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
5
C) n C) 6m2 + 5m + 5
6 =0 C) D = 52 – 4(6) ( 65 ) =
6 25 – 20 → (+)
6
6 D) 6m2 + 5m + 5 =0
D) n D) D = 52 – 4(6) ( 65 ) =
5
25 – ( 144
5 ) → (–)
When you are solving a polynomial for its roots or solutions, you factor the poly-
MATH
nomial and set each factor equal to zero. As a result, knowing the solutions or
roots of a polynomial also tells you the factors of the polynomial, and vice versa.
x g(x)
0 –1 where y = 0; x is an
intercept or a solution
1 0
3 5
4 6
6. Abby is using the polynomial function g(x) to model the data she records,
which is shown in the table above. Which of the following must be a factor of
g(x) ?
A) x + 1 x = 1 is a root/solution
B) x – 1 so (x – 1) is a factor,
C) x – 3 because if (x – 1) = 0, then x = 1
D) x – 4
For a given polynomial, if x = a is a solution or root, then

(x – a) is a factor.

ADVANCED SOLVING
px³ + qx² + rx + s = 0
READING
11. The percent increase of solar energy production in the United States
can be modeled by the equation above, in which p, q, r, and s are
rational number constants, and x is the number of months after
January of 1979. If the equation has factors of (x + 5), (x – 3), and
(x – 7), which of the following is a solution of the equation?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
A) 5 You don’t even need the equation. If you have fac-
B) –3 tors, set them equal to 0 and solve.
C) –5 (x + 5) = 0 (x – 3) = 0 (x – 7) = 0
D) –7 x = –5 x = 3 x=7
MATH
On the topic of factoring, the SAT will sometimes give you equations that are
third-degree or higher and thus harder to factor. When this happens, try to group
similar terms together to factor something out.
x³ – 9x² + 3x – 27 = 0
17. For the equation above, there is one real root at x = a. What is the value What can be factored
of a ? out of the terms x³ – 9x²?
What can be factored
Try grouping terms to factor out common ele- out of 3x – 27? What’s
9 ments. First two have x2, so left over?
x2(x – 9) + 3x – 27 = 0.
Last two have 3, so
x2(x – 9) + 3(x – 9) = 0.
Both parts have (x – 9), so factor it out to get
(x – 9)(x2 + 3) = 0.
If x – 9 = 0, x = 9 (other solutions are
imaginary).
You may even see a question that asks what combination of two different polyno-
mials can be factored by a certain binomial.
27. If h(x) = 3x3 + 18x2 + 15x, and j(x) = x2 + 6x + 5, then which of the Although Plugging In is
following functions is divisible by 3x + 1 ? possible on this one, it
could take a while and
A) t(x) = h(x) + 2j(x) A 3x can be factored out of h(x), which may result in more than
B) u(x) = 2h(x) + j(x) becomes h(x) = 3x(x + 6x + 5). The part
2
one answer that works.
in parentheses matches j(x), so if they
C) v(x) = 2h(x) + 2j(x) were added together, it would be
D) w(x) = 3h(x) + j(x) 3x(x + 6x + 5) + (x + 6x + 5) or
2 2
(3x + 1)(x + 6x + 5). So (3x + 1) is a

2
factor of h(x) + j(x) and it will also be a

factor of 2h(x) + 2j(x). © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC | 471
SAT MANUAL
Teacher note:
READING
Do the following with each

Hard SAT questions may expect you to do long division on polynomials in a way
type of class.
that makes Plugging In the Answers difficult. Let’s see if Plugging In can help on
High scoring—“real” way this one.
Medium scoring—PI way
Low scoring—skip it
26 16b2 4b 28
4b 2
cb 1 cb 1
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Since b is a variable, plug in an 15. In the equation above, b is a variable and c is a constant.
easy number like b = 1. 1
If b ≠ , then what is the value of c ?
26 −16(1 ) − 4(1) + 28
2
c
− 4(1) − 2 = To start doing it the “real” way…
c(1) − 1 c(1) − 1
A) −7
26 −16 − 4 + 28 26 -16b 2 ...
−4−2= B) −4 On left, = remainder, so = –4b – 2...
c−1 c−1 cb - 1 cb - 1
MATH
C) 4
26
−6=
8 -16b 2 -16b
c−1 c−1 D) 7 and = - 4b . = - 4b .
cb c
Get a common denominator by so c = 4
multiplying 6 by c − 1 .
c−1
26 6(c − 1) 8
− = If you know how to do advanced algebra like polynomial long
c−1 c−1 c−1
division, you can. But ask yourself if it will be faster and more
26 6c − 6 8
− = accurate to look for ways to Plug In or Plug In the Answers.
c−1 c−1 c−1
26 6c 6 8
=
c1 c1
The numerators must be equal,
so
One last polynomial concept that may come up is the polynomial remainder
26 – 6c + 6 = 8
theorem. It states that the remainder when polynomial f(x) is divided by a linear
32 – 6c = 8
polynomial x – a is equal to f(a).
–6c = –24
c=4
30. Which of the following must be true regarding d(x) if d(x) is a
polynomial and d(−9) = 1 ?
A) When d(x) is divided by x + 9, the remainder is 1.
B) x – 9 is a factor of d(x). d (x )
C) x + 9 is a factor of d(x). so –a = 9
x +9
D) x + 10 is a factor of d(x). a = –9
d(–9) = 1

ADVANCED SOLVING
READING
IMAGINARY NUMBERS CAN GET COMPLEX
Occasionally, a question will contain an i. This isn’t a variable but rather an imagi-
nary number—the result of taking an even root of a negative value.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
The imaginary number i = −1 .
Treat i just like a variable, except that i 2 = –1.
a + bi is a complex number, where a is real and bi is imaginary.
Many calculators have an i button and an a + bi mode, but
MATH
these concepts are more likely to appear on Section 3, where
calculator use is not allowed.
Sometimes, solving questions with i is as simple as substituting – 1 for i 2. Practice

that on the following questions.
4 – 2i + 2i – i2 = 4 – (–1) = 4_______________________
(2 + i)(2 – i) = ____________________________ +1=5
(3 + i)(3 + i) = 9 + 3i + 3i + i2 = 9 + 6i + (–1) = 8 + 6i
(3 + i)2 = _______________________________________________________
(7 – 2i) – (4i + 8i 2)
3. Which of the following complex numbers in the form a + bi is equivalent to

the expression above, for i = −1 ?
A) 15 – 6i 7 – 2i – 4i – 8i2
B) 1 + 2i
7 – 6i – 8(–1) = 7 + 8 – 6i = 15 – 6i
C) –1 – 2i
D) –15 + 6i

SAT MANUAL
READING
On hard questions, it may be necessary to multiply a fraction by the conjugate

of the denominator (switch the sign between terms) to make the i term in a
denominator disappear.
3i

3 i
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Remember—whatever 12. Which of the following complex numbers is equivalent to the above
you do to the denomina- expression? (Note: i = −1 )
tor must also be done to
the numerator. 4 3i (3 + i )(-3 - i )
A) − − =
5 5 (-3 + i )(-3 - i )
4 3i
B) -9 - 3i - 3i - i 2
MATH
Teacher note:
5 5 =
9 + 3i - 3i - i 2
4 3i
Not too likely to C) −
5 5 −9 − 6i − (−1)
show up on SAT, =
but here just in 4 3i 9 −(−1)
D) +
case. 5 5
-8 - 6i -8 6i
= -
10 10 10
4 3i
=- -
5 5

ADVANCED SOLVING
Summary
• For a quadratic, the discriminant is
D = b2 – 4ac
defined as _____________________________.
• What can you tell about the roots of a

quadratic based on the discriminant?
(+)D → 2 real roots;

______________________________________
0 = D → 1 real root;
______________________________________
(–) D → no real roots

______________________________________
• For a given polynomial, if x = a is a solution

or root, then (x – a) is a factor.
______
• How do you factor by grouping?
Find things to factor out of 2 or more

______________________________________
terms. See what can be factored out of

______________________________________
remaining terms. Combine like terms.

______________________________________
• What is the first step of polynomial long

division?
Divide leading term in numerator by

______________________________________
leading term in denominator.

______________________________________
• The polynomial remainder theorem states

x–a
that when f(x) is divided by ____________,
f(a)
the remainder is equal to ________________.
• The imaginary number i is equal to

-1
____________ –1
and i2 is equal to __________.


ADVANCED
SOLVING
PRACTICE
477
SAT MANUAL
SIMULTANEOUS EQUATIONS COMPLEX NUMBERS

READING
14 14
y = x2 + x – 10 If s, t, and v are real numbers and (s 2i)2 t vi ,
y = 3x – 2 which of the following must be equal to t ?
(Note: i 1 )
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
The equations above intersect each other at two A) s2 + 2

points. Which of the following is true about both
(s + 2i)(s + 2i) = t + vi
points of intersection? B) s2 – 2
s2 + 2si + 2si + 4i2 = t + vi
A) x > –3 Note to teachers— C) s2 + 4
s2 + 4si + 4(–1) = t + vi
B) x > –2 D) s2 – 4
this Q is kind of weird,so it’s here
C) y < 4 in Advanced Solving. s2 – 4 + 4si = t + vi
D) y > 5 x2 + x – 10 = 3x – 2 so s2 – 4 = t (both real)
MATH
x2 – 2x – 8 = 0 and 4s = v (both imaginary)
(x – 4)(x + 2) = 0
x – 4 = 0; x + 2 = 0
x = 4; x = –2
(A) is true.
CONTINUE
ADVANCED SOLVING PRACTICE
COMPLEX NUMBERS
READING
10 21
If x = 5i, and i2 = –1, what is the value of x3 ? If the product of a and b is a real number and
A) –5 i2 = –1, which of the following could be values for
x = 5i a and b ? a × b real?
WRITING AND
B) –125
LANGUAGE
x3 = (5i)3 A) a = 3i and b = 6 18i no
C) –125i
B) a = 3i and b = 4 12i = –12i
3 3
no
D) 125i x3 = 125i3
C) a = 2i and b = 4i4 8i5 = 8(–1)(–1)i no
i3 = i2 · i D) a = i and b = 4i 4i2 = 4(–1) yes
so x3 = 125(i2)(i) =
125(–1)(i) = –125i
MATH
Note to teachers—
For (B) and (C), you need to factor out i2
once or twice and replace each one with (–1).
Since those answers have an odd
number of i’s, one will still remain, so the
product is still imaginary. We actually haven’t
seen this tested yet, but it could happen.

CHARTS AND
DATA 101
Many questions on the SAT involve charts or

graphs of real-world data. This chapter will give
you the tools to dissect and analyze the variety of
figures you’ll see on the test.
481
SAT MANUAL
READING
SCATTERPLOTS
Graphs can present data in a variety of ways. In the scatterplot graph on this page,
each dot represents one data point. Sometimes, a line or curve “of best fit” will
be drawn to represent the equation that most closely matches the data. The term
scatterplot isn’t important, but the text on the graph is very important. Read
the titles of all graphs, look for a key if there is one, and notice the units before
WRITING AND
answering any questions.

LANGUAGE
When working with graphs, always read the title,

key or legend, variables, and units before work-
ing any questions.
MATH
Grams of Protein and Grams of Fiber

in Twelve Brands of Whole-Wheat Bread
8
7
6
Fiber (grams)
5
4
3
2
1
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Protein (grams)
1. protein (g)
What are the variable and units along the horizontal (x) axis? _____________
2. fiber (g)
What are the variable and units along the vertical (y) axis? ________________
5g
3. How much fiber is in the bread with 6 grams of protein? _______________
___
9g
4. How much protein is in the bread with 7 grams of fiber? __________________
5. According to the line of best fit, approximately how many grams of fiber
6.5 g
would be in the bread with 10 grams of protein? _________________
6. How many grams of protein are in the bread that is closest to the line of
4g
best fit? ___________________

CHARTS AND DATA 101
READING
BAR GRAPHS AND HISTOGRAMS
A bar graph is another way to represent data. Rather than giving points, a bar
graph represents the values with a bar. A histogram is just a bar graph in which
each bar represents a range of values rather than a specific value. The height or
the length of the bar corresponds to a value on the perpendicular axis. As with
scatterplots, read the title, key or legend, variables, and units before working any
WRITING AND
questions.
LANGUAGE
Unemployment Rate in the United States
12
10
% Unemployment
MATH
8
0
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Year
1. year
What is the variable along the horizontal (x) axis? ____________________
2. % unemployment
What is the variable along the vertical (y) axis? _______________________
3. about 3.9%
What is the lowest unemployment rate shown? __________
_____________
4. 2010
For what year was the unemployment rate the highest? ________________
5. What was the unemployment rate during the last year shown? about 9.2%
________
__

SAT MANUAL
READING
TWO-WAY TABLES
Two-way tables give counts for data according to two variables. Much like how the
previous graphics had one variable along the x-axis and one along the y-axis, two-
way tables have categories listed across the top and down the left side of the table.
Again, before answering any questions, read the headings and note the units.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Preferred Beverage by Gender
Coffee Tea Hot Chocolate Total

Men 923 254 89 1,266
Women 655 362 193 1,210
Total 1,578 616 282 2,476
MATH
1. Preferred beverage
What is the variable along the top of the table? _______________________
2. Gender ___________
What is the variable along the left side of the table? ________
3. What is the total number of people represented in the table? 2,476

___________
4. 616____________
What is the total number of people who preferred tea? _____
5. 1,210
How many women are represented in the table? ____________
__________
6. 89
How many men preferred hot chocolate? ____________
________________
7. 655
How many women preferred coffee? ____________
____________________

CHARTS AND DATA 101
READING
FREQUENCY TABLES
The SAT will sometimes provide data in a frequency table. The table provides a
shorthand for listing out many values. A frequency table has two columns: one
column contains the values and the other column contains the number of times
each value occurs—or its frequency. To answer a particular question, it may be
best to list out all of the values contained in the table.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
In order to conduct a tree survey, a forester divides a certain section
of a forest into 50-foot by 50-foot plots. The forester then counts the
number of holly trees within each plot. The findings are shown in the
frequency table below.
Number of Holly Trees Number of Plots

0 2
MATH
1 0
2 5
3 7
4 2
5 3
6 1
1. 20
How many total plots were surveyed? _______________________________
2. List the number of trees in each of these plots. ________________________
0, 0, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6
________________________________________________________________
3. 3
How many plots contain 5 holly trees? ______________________________
4. 15
How many total holly trees are in those plots? _______________________
5. 3
What is the most frequent number of holly trees in a plot? _____________
6. 6 ____
What is the greatest number of holly trees in any single plot? _______
7. 6
What is the range of the number of holly trees in the plots? ____________
8. How many total holly trees are in all the surveyed plots? _______________
0(2) + 1(0) + 2(5) + 3(7) + 4(2) + 5(3) + 6(1) = 60

_________________________________________________________________
60
=3
20
9. What is the average number of holly trees per plot? ___________________

SAT MANUAL
READING
LINE GRAPHS
Line graphs show the change in one variable per another variable. As with all fig-
ures, start with the title, key or legend, variables, and units before working the
questions.
y
WRITING AND
60
LANGUAGE
50
Population 2
Area (square inches)

40
30 Population 1
MATH
20
10
0 x
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Time (days)
1. time (days)
What are the variable and units along the horizontal (x) axis? _______
____
2. area (sq in)

What are the variable and units along the vertical (y) axis? _____________
3. 21 or so
What area does Population 1 cover at day 0? ___________________
______
4. 11 or so
What area does Population 2 cover at day 0? ___________________
______
5. On what day does the area of Population 1 equal the area of

30
Population 2? _______________________________

705.

CHARTS AND DATA 101
READING
STEM-AND-LEAF PLOTS
Once in a while, College Board may ask you about a stem-and-leaf plot or a box
plot (also known as a box-and-whisker plot). The good news is that these questions
are usually pretty straightforward if you understand the basic concepts.
Suppose that a class earned these quiz scores: 65, 70, 70, 78, 80, 81, 84, 86, 89, 89,
WRITING AND
93, 93, 93, 98, 100.
LANGUAGE
A stem-and-leaf plot would illustrate the data as follows:
6 5
7 0 0 8
8 0 1 4 6 9 9
MATH
9 3 3 3 8
10 0
BOX PLOTS
A box plot shows the data broken into quartiles. Using our fifteen quiz scores, the
box plot would be illustrated as follows:
65 78 86 93 100
Here is what all the parts of the box plot represent.
Box
Whisker Whisker
Min Lower Upper Max

Quartile Median Quartile
Q1 Q2 Q3

SAT MANUAL
READING
For the quiz scores, 86 is the median, and this is the line inside the box, also
known as the second quartile. The lower quartile and upper quartile are the medians
of the lower and upper halves of the data, respectively, and are represented by the
ends of the box.
Q1 Q2 Q3
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
65 78 86 93
The horizontal lines on a box plot, called the whiskers, extend to the lowest data
point on the left and the highest one on the right. Here, those points are 65 and
100, respectively.
MATH
Minimum Q1 Q2 Q3 Maximum
65 78 86 93 100
A box plot shows the spread of the data by the width of the whiskers or halves of
the box. Here, because the left whisker appears to be the longest, we know that
the data points in the lowest 25% are spread out the most. Also, the interquartile
range is the range of the middle 50%: Q3 – Q1, or the width of the box.
From a stem-and-leaf plot or a box plot, you can determine the median and range
of the set of data. It is also possible to calculate the mode and mean from a stem-
and-leaf plot and the interquartile range from a box plot. We’ll cover some of these
concepts in greater detail in the Word Problems chapter.
Note to teachers—
Stem-and-leaf and boxplots are pretty unlikely to
show up on the test, so don’t spend much time on
them.

CHARTS AND DATA 101
READING
WHAT MAKES A GOOD STUDY?
Some questions will ask for the most reasonable conclusion drawn from the data
of a study. Other questions will ask what factors may cause the results of the study
to be unreliable. There are a few terms that are helpful in tackling these questions.
Sample Size The number of experiments run or people
WRITING AND
surveyed. Generally, the larger the sample size
LANGUAGE
relative to the total population, the better.
Population Size The total number of people that the survey is
taken from. Be careful with predictions about
the population based on a sample, especially if
those predictions are strongly worded.
Unrepresentative sample or Some aspect of the survey or experiment is
biased sample flawed, so the results do not represent the popu-
MATH
lation. Look for factors such as where and when
the survey was given or who was asked to com-
plete the survey. If there’s a mismatch between
who was asked and who the conclusion is about,
the sample is unrepresentative.
Biased question The survey question is written such that one
response becomes more likely than another.
Causation Claiming that one thing was the cause of
another. Be suspicious of inferences that claim
causation; there are many possible issues that
prevent a study or survey from proving
causation.
Correlation Two events occurring in similar circumstances.
This does NOT prove causation (though it may
support causation).
Note to teachers—
There are usually one or two questions on this
topic each test, so make sure student
understand the basics of good study design.

CHARTS AND
DATA
Theories come and go, but fundamental data

always remains.
—Mary Leakey
491
SAT MANUAL
READING
GOALS REVIEW
• Identify the correct data needed to answer Charts and Graphs questions
• Determine the best graph to represent a situation
• Evaluate the results of a survey or experiment
WRITING AND
• Make accurate conclusions based on survey data

LANGUAGE
Preview: How would you present the data you collected in Chemistry to
your classmates? If you had to describe a time period in History, would you
just give a bunch of facts, or would you use a graphic of some sort? On the
SAT, many questions will require you to work with some graphical represen-
MATH
tation of data.

CHARTS AND DATA
READING
FINDING THE RIGHT DATA
As you saw in Charts and Data 101, some SAT questions will tell you exactly what
data to look for. However, other questions will require you to determine what data
the question is asking about.
Temperature versus Precipitation
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Average Annual Precipitation (inches)
70
60
warmest
50
40
30 coldest
MATH
20
10
0
20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Average Annual Temperature (degrees Fahrenheit)
14. The scatterplot above displays the average annual temperature in What points do you need
degrees Fahrenheit and the average annual precipitation in inches for from the scatterplot?
12 U.S. states. Approximately how many more inches of precipitation
fall in the warmest state than in the coldest state, on average?
A) 22 precip. in warmest state—55 inches
B) 33 in coldest state—22 inches
difference = 33 inches
C) 51
D) 55

SAT MANUAL
READING
MAKING PREDICTIONS
You may be asked to predict a value that is off the chart. Use your scantron as a
straightedge to ballpark the answer and then use POE.
Income Data for Selected Part-Time Employees at Coffee Planet

continue line of best fit to the right
WRITING AND
340 340
LANGUAGE
320 320
Paycheck Amount ($)

300
280
260
240
MATH
220
200
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Number of Hours Worked continue x-axis
to the right
Be sure to follow the line 11. The scatterplot above shows the income data for 24 selected part-time
of best fit! employees at Coffee Planet during a one-week period in March 2014.
If the trend in the relationship between the number of hours worked
and paycheck amount remains consistent with the data above for part-
time employees who worked more than 27 hours during the week in
question, which of the following would most likely be the paycheck
amount earned by an employee who worked 28 hours during that week?
A) $290
B) $300
C) $330 between 320 & 340
D) $380
Note to teachers—
lines of best fit are usually given on
scatterplot questions.

CHARTS AND DATA
READING
HARDER TWO-WAY TABLES
Harder questions involving two-way tables require reading carefully and identify-
ing the correct pieces of information from the table. Be sure to read (and under-
line) the final question and work in Bite-Sized Pieces!
Greenhouse Plant Inventory
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Spring Summer Fall Total
Blooming Blooming Blooming
Annual 6,700 2,500 1,200 10,400
Perennial 3,200 3,500 5,300 12,000
Total 9,900 6,000 6,500 22,400
MATH
18. A horticulturalist working in a greenhouse is planning when to move
plants from the production greenhouse to the store. The inventory of What numbers do you
need from the table?
plants in the production greenhouse is shown in the two-way table
above. What proportion of perennials are summer blooming?
5
A) Proportion:
32
25 summer-blooming perennials
B) =
224 all perennials
7 3,500 35 7
C)
24 = =
12,000 120 24
7
D)
12

SAT MANUAL
READING
REPRESENTING DATA
Some questions will ask you to determine the graph that best represents a word
problem. As always, work in Bite-Sized Pieces and use POE.
Right after school, how 15. Everett lives ten miles from school. He was driving home after class on
far is Everett from his a typical weekday afternoon when he suddenly realized that he had
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
house? What answers forgotten his calculator in his locker. He decided to return back to
can be eliminated at school and spent some time there talking to his Pre-Calculus teacher,
that point? whom he met in the hallway. After about twenty minutes at school,
Everett got back into his car and drove straight home. Which of the
following graphs best represents Everett’s afterschool activity?
A) Distance from home B)
Distance from home

15 15
MATH
10 10
(miles)
(miles)
5 5
0 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
Time Time
(minutes) (minutes)

C) D)
Distance from home

Distance from home
15 15
10 10
(miles)
(miles)
5 5
0 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
Time Time
(minutes) (minutes)
At t = 0, Everett is away from home—POE (B) &

(D), which start at d = 0.
A) shows his distance from home decreasing
a little, then increasing again back to where he
started (at school, 10 miles from home)
C) shows him going all the way to d = 0 (all the way
home), before heading back.
POE (C). It’s (A).

CHARTS AND DATA
READING
DRAWING CONCLUSIONS FROM DATA
As seen in Charts and Data 101, some questions will ask about problems with a
survey or experiment. Look for the size of the sample, the representativeness of the
sample (who was asked compared to whom the conclusion is about), and whether
the question itself was biased.
To get good
WRITING AND
results, ask a wide
LANGUAGE
12. A bicycling organization, hoping to determine how to encourage more range of people
people to ride bikes, surveyed its members on what motivates them w/varying feelings
to ride their bikes. A total of 249 members responded to the survey, about biking.
while the remaining members did not respond. Which of the following
factors most calls into question the organization’s ability to make a
reliable conclusion about how to encourage more people to ride bikes?
A) The group affiliation of the respondents —all those surveyed already ride bikes
MATH
B) The number of members who did not respond to the survey —data not given
C) The size of the survey sample —data not given
D) The method of distributing the survey —info not given
Other questions will ask for the best conclusion drawn from a survey or experi-
ment. Be suspicious of any answers that make absolute claims about a population
based on a sample or infer causation from correlation.
25. Seeking to determine the average amount of pizza eaten on a weekly

basis by people in his neighborhood, Darren visited his local pizzeria
every day for a week and asked the customers how much pizza they
consume each week. He found that they consumed an average of
2.7 slices of pizza per week. Which of the following statements must be
true?
A) The method of sampling is flawed and may generate a biased
estimate of the average (arithmetic mean) number of slices of pizza
eaten per person each week in the neighborhood. Only asked people already eating pizza; bias
for pizza
B) The method of sampling is not flawed and likely generated an
unbiased estimate of the average (arithmetic mean) number of
slices of pizza eaten per person each week in the neighborhood.
C) People in the neighborhood consume an average of 2.7 slices of
pizza per week. Can’t tell—only if those sampled are randomly chosen
representatives of the whole neighborhood
D) Residents of the neighborhood who didn’t visit the pizzeria
consumed less pizza than those who did.
No idea how much non-visitors consumed

SAT MANUAL
READING
MEANING IN CONTEXT FROM CHARTS AND GRAPHS

Some Charts and Graphs questions will ask for what some feature of the graph
means in context. Use a modified form of the Meaning in Context Basic
Approach for these questions.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
MEANING IN CONTEXT CHARTS APPROACH

1. Read the Final Question—Know what part of the chart or
graph the question is asking about.
2. Label the Figure—Start with the most straightforward
piece of information and use Bite-Sized Pieces. Label what
you can in the figure.
3. Use POE—Eliminate answer choices that don’t make sense
MATH
with the labels.

4. Plug and Play—Choose values from the figure to determine
whether any remaining answer choices don’t make sense.
5. Guess and Go—If you have more than one answer choice
remaining, pick one of the remaining answer choices and
move on!
v Car Value Based on Age

Value (in thousands of dollars)
12
(age = 0, value » llk)
10 •
•
11 - 0 11
Teacher note: • =
slope = -
8 • 0 - 20 20
•
Horizontal axis •
label changed 6
for 7.0 •
(age = 10, value = 5,500)
4
2 •
•
•
t
5 10 15 20 25
Age (years) (age = 20, value = 0)
17. The scatterplot above shows the age and value of ten cars
produced by a certain manufacturer. The line of best fit is also shown.
What does the slope of the line of best fit represent?
PI y = 10; v = 5.5 A) The estimated value, in thousands of dollars, of a car t years old
initial value = llk B) The estimated initial value of the car, in thousands of dollars
value = 0 @ age 20 C) The estimated age at which the car has a value of zero dollars
D) The estimated change in the car’s value, in thousands of dollars,
each year
CHARTS AND DATA
READING
For linear graphs that represent an amount over time,
• the slope represents the rate of change.
• the y-intercept represents the initial amount.
• the x-intercept represents the time at which the amount
WRITING AND
is 0.
LANGUAGE
q
Questions 13 and 14 refer to the following information.
f Depth of Flood Waters Over Time
MATH
(d = 0, f = 6) 6
Water depth (inches)
5
4
3
2
1
0 d
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Time (days) (d = 9, f = 0)
13. The graph above displays the depth of flood waters f, in inches, d days
after a certain hurricane. What does the f-intercept represent in the graph?
A) The depth of the flood waters after 9 days depth = 0 @ 9 days

B) The decrease in floodwater depth for each day that’s slope of line
C) The number of days until the flood waters subside that’s 9 days when d = 0
D) The initial depth of the flood waters
14. Which of the following represents the relationship between d and f ?
2 PI d = 6, so f = 2
2
A) d f 6 = - (2) 7
3 3 OR f on y-axis, so f = mx + b
2 2
B) f d 6 2 = - (6) + 6 3
3 3 POE (A)
C) f = –2d + 6 2 = –2(6) + 6 7
y-intercept = 6, POE (D)
D) f = 6d 2 = 6(6) 7 2
slope = - , POE (C)
3
p

SAT MANUAL
READING
CHARTS AND DATA DRILL

Time: 8 minutes
Use your POOD! Unless you’re aiming for a top score, don’t attempt every question! Calculators are permitted on all
questions in this drill.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
2 5
Age versus Capacity A school administrator conducted a survey to

determine whether students would be interested
1,400 in taking an elective class on graphic design. The
1,300
1,200 administrator surveyed 10 students out of a school
MATH
1,100 population of 2,195. Which of the following factors

1,000
900 most prevents the administrator from drawing a
Capacity (W)
800 reliable conclusion about students’ interest in the

700
600 class?
500 info not given
400 A) The grade level of students surveyed
300 B) The sample size of the survey
200 unrelated
100 C) The difficulty in hiring a graphic design teacher
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 D) The time of day the survey was given info not
Age (years) given
10
Becca created the scatterplot above to examine ⋅ 100 = 0.45% of school
the relationship between the age and capacity of
2195
8 appliances in her home. What is the capacity, in That’s a small sample!
watts, of the newest appliance?
A) 120
B) 250 “newest” = one with smallest
age, so left-most dot. At
C) 1,100 age = 1, W = 1,100 watts.
D) 1,400

CHARTS AND DATA
17 28
READING
A company wished to determine whether its
Tuition Cost per Credit Hour and investors were satisfied with the new CEO’s plans
Number of Students to reduce environmental harm. The company sent
Number of Students Enrolled
for Eleven Community Colleges in 2018 out a web survey to all investors who had provided
25,000 the company with their email addresses. According
20,000 to the survey, 43% of respondents reported that
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
they were satisfied with the plans. Based on this
15,000
information, which of the following must be true?
10,000
A) The sample size is too small to produce an
5,000 accurate determination of the percent of no info given
0 satisfied investors. didn’t survey all investors
$0 $50 $100 $150 $200 $250 $300
B) A total of 43% of investors are satisfied with the
Cost per Credit Hour ($)
new CEO’s plans to reduce environmental harm.
MATH
The scatterplot above displays data for eleven C) The survey is likely to result in an unbiased
community colleges along with a line of best fit. estimate of the percent of satisfied investors
For the community college with the lowest number because the sampling method is not flawed.
of students enrolled, what is the approximate D) The survey may result in a biased estimate of
difference between the actual number of students the percent of satisfied investors because the
and the number predicted by the line of best fit? sampling method is flawed.
A) 200 The lowest # of students is only surveyed those w/given
B) 5,000 the dot closest to the bottom. email addresses and no idea
C) 10,000 how many responded
Enrolled = 5,000
D) 15,000
Predicted = 15,000
Difference = 10,000

SAT MANUAL
35 37
READING
10
Location (cm)
Team Team Team Team Total

8 A B C D
0 Articles 1 0 4 3 8
6
1 Articles 11 17 20 8 56
2 Articles 19 7 3 19 48
WRITING AND
4
LANGUAGE
3 Articles 3 6 5 5 19
2
Time (s) 4 Articles 1 5 3 0 9
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Total 35 35 35 35 140
–2
Four teams—Team A, Team B, Team C, and
–4 Team D—worked on a particular day writing
MATH
articles for various websites. Each team had a total

–6
of 35 members, and each of those members wrote
–8 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 articles that day. What percent, to the
nearest tenth, of the members who wrote at least 3
articles were members of either Team B or Team
C? (Note: Disregard the % sign when gridding your
The movement of a tuned mass damper located at answer.)
the top of a 101-story building was measured during
a minor earthquake. The location of the tuned mass
damper, in centimeters from the resting location, is 6 7 . 9
graphed in time, in seconds, after the start of the
earthquake. How many times was the damper 3 or
−3 centimeters from the resting location after the
start of the earthquake?
Draw lines at 3 cm &

4 –3 cm.
4 points of intersection
B or C, 3 or 4 articles
all those w/3 or 4 articles
6 + 5 + 5 + 3 19
= = 0.67857
19 + 9 28
= 67.9%

CHARTS AND DATA
Summary
• When working with any type of graphic,
what four things should you look at before
working through the questions?
title
______________________________________
key or legend
______________________________________
variables
______________________________________
units
______________________________________
• When asked to find a point not on the

continue the line
graph, _____________________.
• When asked to determine the best graph

to represent a word problem, RTFQ
________,
use BSP
_________________, use POE
and ________________.
• What are the five steps to interpreting the

meaning of part of a graph in context?
Read the final question

______________________________________
Label the figure

______________________________________
Use POE
______________________________________
Plug-and-play
______________________________________
Guess and go
______________________________________
• What three things should you consider

when determining whether a survey or
experiment was done correctly?
sample size relative to population size

______________________________________
randomness of selected sample

______________________________________
question is not biased

______________________________________


CHARTS AND DATA
PRACTICE
505
SAT MANUAL
SCATTERPLOT GRAPHS
READING
q 18
Based on the line of best fit to the data represented,
Questions 18–20 refer to the following information. which of the following is the closest to the expected
miles per gallon, rounded to the nearest whole
WRITING AND
Fuel Efficiency by Vehicle Weight

LANGUAGE
number, of a minivan weighing 5,000 pounds?

40
(One ton is equal to 2,000 pounds.)
A) 6 1 ton x
=
35 B) 15 2,000 5, 000 lbs
C) 28
30 2,000 x = 5,000
D) 50
Q18
Miles per gallon
5
MATH
25 x= = 2.5
2
19
20
Based on the line of best fit to the data represented,
which of the following is the closest to the expected
15 miles per gallon of a vehicle weighing 1 ton?
A) 55.6 continue line—just over 40
10 B) 46.8
1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
C) 41.4
Weight (in Tons)
D) 37.0
The scatterplot above shows the fuel efficiency, in

miles per gallon, of a variety of vehicles weighing 20
between 1.5 and 4 tons. Based on the line of best fit to the data represented,
which of the following is the closest to the decrease
in the fuel efficiency of a vehicle per additional ton
of weight?
A) 0.67 at 2 tons, 32.5 mpg or so
B) 1.60 at 3 tons, 23 mpg or so
C) 3.67
32.5 – 23 » 9
D) 8.80
CONTINUE
CHARTS AND DATA PRACTICE
Teacher note:
Renumbered set for 7.0
q 22
READING
Based on the curve of best fit to the data
Questions 21–23 refer to the following information. represented, which of the following is the closest to
the average change in ramp length per second of
Marble Ramp Rolling Times roll time for the first 10 seconds?
Q21
A) 3.50
at 0 sec, length = 0
WRITING AND
100 B) 4.00
LANGUAGE
90 at 10 sec, length = 50
C) 4.25
Length (in centimeters)
80 50 cm
Q23 D) 5.00
70 = 5 cm/sec
60 10 sec
50
Q22
40
30
MATH
20
10 23
0
0 5 1011 12 13 14 15 Based on the curve of best fit to the data
Time (in seconds) represented, what is the difference between the
predicted time for the ramp that was 70 centimeters
in length and the actual observed time, in seconds?
A student is rolling a marble down ramps of A) 0.5 11.5 for the dot
varying lengths. The scatterplot above shows the B) 1.0
time, in seconds, it takes the marble to roll down 12.0 for the line
C) 10
each ramp. difference = 12 – 11.5 = 0.5
D) 12
21 p
Based on the curve of best fit to the data
represented, which of the following is the closest to
the expected length, in centimeters, of a ramp if a
marble took 15 seconds to roll down it?
A) 95.0
B) 105.0
just over 110
C) 112.5
D) 125.0
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
OTHER LINE GRAPHS

READING
7 22
g(x) Betsy Maggie’s and Glenn’s Distances

from Home During Jog
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
3500
Revenue earned ($)
3000
Distance in meters
h(x) Froz
2500
2000
Maggie
1500 Glenn
1000
MATH
500
Time (months) 0
0 3 6 9 12 15
Time in minutes
In the figure above, the revenues earned by two
different ice cream cake companies, Betsy Cakes Maggie and Glenn both leave from the same house
and Frozalicious, are denoted by the functions to go for a jog along a trail. Shortly after leaving,
g(x) and h(x), respectively. Which of the following Maggie realizes she forgot her iPod and returns
statements is true? home to find it before heading back out onto the
A) Betsy Cakes consistently earned more revenue same trail. The graph above shows how far each
than did Frozalicious. lines cross of them is from home for the first fifteen minutes
of their jogs. Which of the following statements is
B) Betsy Cakes initially earned more revenue than
supported by the information in the graph?
did Frozalicious but was eventually overtaken. opp
A) Maggie jogs faster than Glenn for approximately
C) Frozalicious consistently earned more revenue
the first 5 ½ minutes, but then Glenn jogs faster
than did Betsy Cakes. lines cross
for the remainder of the 15 minutes.
D) Frozalicious initially earned more revenue than not in first 5 min
B) Glenn is always in front of Maggie on the trail.
did Betsy Cakes but was eventually overtaken.
C) Maggie’s average speed for the fifteen minutes
is higher than Glenn’s average speed over the
15 minutes.
D) After 15 minutes, Maggie has run further from
home than Glenn. Glenn ends up at a greater
distance from home.
(A) & (C) are about speed.

Glenn overall Maggie
3,000 m 1,200 + 1, 200 + 2, 100

= 200 = 300
15 min 15 m
faster so it’s (C)
CONTINUE
BAR GRAPHS
READING
q 7
According to the data above, the number of
Questions 6–8 refer to the following information.
earthquakes measuring 5.0–5.9 magnitude in 2001
was approximately what percent of the number of
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
The bar graph below shows the number of earthquakes earthquakes measuring 4.0–4.9 magnitude in 2005?
measuring 4.0–4.9 and 5.0–5.9 on the Richter scale A) 12%
41
from the year 2000 to the year 2005. B) 14% ⋅ 100 = 11.88%
345
C) 16%
Earthquakes in the United States
D) 18%
600
536 541
Number of Earthquakes
MATH
500
400 8
345
300 281 290 284 If the total number of earthquakes of all
magnitudes in the years 2000–2005 was 18,210,
200 and the number of earthquakes measuring 4.0–5.9
100 63 63 magnitude in 2003 accounted for approximately
41 54 47 20% of all the earthquakes in that year, then the
25
0 number of earthquakes measuring something other
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
perce
Q7 Q7 than 4.0–5.9 magnitude in 2003 was approximately

Year
what percent of the total number of earthquakes of
Earthquakes Measuring all magnitudes in the years 2000–2005?
4.0–4.9 Magnitude
Earthquakes Measuring A) 8% 2003
5.0–5.9 Magnitude
B) 13%
541 + 54 = 595 of 4–5.9 mag.
C) 21% 20
D) 56%
595 = (all 2003)
100
6 so (all 2003) = 2,975 of
According to the data above, which of the following 4–5.9 mag.
most likely represents the number of earthquakes p
measuring 5.0–5.9 magnitude in 2006?
A) 44 So, of 2,975 earthquakes in 2003
B) 47
2,975 – 595 = 2,380 not 4–5.9 mag.
C) 56
D) No such prediction can be made on the basis of 2, 380
⋅ 100 = 13%
the data. 18, 210
no clear pattern or line of best
fit from year to year
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
Teacher note:
Switched order of 2 Two-Way Table
sets to be chronological
TWO-WAY TABLES
READING
q 7
Based on the table above, which of the following
Questions 5–7 refer to the following information. statements can be concluded?
A) At RG University, the amount of money
WRITING AND
The table below shows the relative scholarship amounts

LANGUAGE
awarded in scholarships to the sophomore class

awarded at RG University by class. The total amount
in 2012 was less than the amount awarded in
awarded in 2002 was $18 million, and the total amount
scholarships to the sophomore class in 2002.
awarded in 2012 was $26 million.
B) In 2012, the average scholarship amount
awarded to a senior at RG University was
Class 2002 2012 greater than the average scholarship amount
Freshmen 0.52 0.54 awarded to a sophomore at RG University.
MATH
Sophomores 0.25 0.18 C) At RG University, the junior class has the fewest
Juniors 0.04 0.06 number of students.
Seniors 0.19 0.22 D) At RG University, the freshmen class was
Total 1.00 1.00 awarded 50 percent more money in scholarships
in 2012 than in 2002.
p
5
How much money was the junior class awarded in
scholarships in 2002?
A) 2002: 0.25(18 million) = 4.5 million
A) $720,000 0.04(18 million) =
B) $1,560,000
2012: 0.18(26 million) = 4.68 million
$720,000
C) $3,420,000 B) No info about # of scholarships award-
ed, so we can’t tell average amount.
D) $4,500,000
C) No info about enrollment is given.
D) 2002: 0.52(18 million) = 9.36 million
2012: 0.54(26 million) = 14.04 million
9.36(1.5) = 14.04 3
6
How much more money, in dollars, was the senior
class awarded in scholarships in 2012 than in 2002?
A) 540,000
B) 780,000
C) 1,620,000 2012
D) 2,300,000
0.22(26 million) = 5,720,000
2002
0.19(18 million) = 3,420,000
difference = 5,720,000 – 3,420,000 = 2,300,000
CONTINUE
READING
q 12
Based on the data shown, which of the following
Questions 11–13 refer to the following information.
cities has the highest percentage of commuters who
rely on personal vehicles? Ballpark 1st
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
A survey company gathered data regarding people’s A) Washington, D.C. 5.6/8.5 67%
transportation habits in four major U.S. cities. The B) New York 2.4/7.7 less than 1
3
survey asked participants in each of these cities to
indicate whether they regularly used a personal C) Boston 5.2/7.5 70%
vehicle, public transportation, or neither to commute. D) San Francisco 4.1/7.9 about 21
Participants were not limited to one response and could
check both personal vehicle and public transportation.
The results are shown below.
MATH
Public
Personal Transport- Neither Total
Vehicle ation Responses
13
Washington, D.C. 5,687 3,134 1,232 8,505 How many people in Washington, D.C. responded
New York 2,476 5,738 1,459 7,789 that they regularly used both personal vehicles and
public transportation?
Boston 5,281 3,504 1,025 7,556
San Francisco 4,122 4,629 1,192 7,934
A) 916
B) 1,548
C) 2,493
D) 8,505
p
11 If you need to account for everyone in a
If an equal number of surveys were given in each of group, you can use this formula:
the four cities, which city had the lowest response
Total = G1 + G2 – Both + Neither
rate?
A) Washington, D.C. 8,505 = 5,687 + 3,134 – Both + 1,232
B) San Francisco 8,505 = 10,053 – Both
C) New York
the one with the Both = 1,548
D) Boston fewest total
responses
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
TRANSLATING FIGURES
READING
8 16
Emma takes a break at a rest-stop on the way Kyle is training for a marathon and runs daily to
home from a long vacation. Upon leaving the rest- build up his endurance. On a particular day, he
1) stop, she gradually accelerates until she reaches a leaves his house and runs at a constant rate for 2 1)
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
constant speed on the highway. A few miles down hours, and then returns home at twice the rate that 2)
the road, however, she encounters a bad traffic jam he ran for the first 2 hours. Which of the following
and fairly quickly has to slow down significantly. graphs could represent Kyle’s entire run?
After a few minutes driving slowly in the traffic
A) 14
2) jam, she is forced to stop completely. Which of the
Distance from home

12
following graphs could represent Emma’s journey, 1) 10
as described above?
(miles)
POE—rate 8
A) 6
MATH
2) 70 change
4
Speed (mph)
60 not at
POE—no 50 2
40
120 mins
speed = 0 0
30
60
0
0
0
0
20
40
80
0
0
20
12
14
16
18
10
10 Time (Minutes)
0 B)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 14
1)
Distance from home

Time 12
(minutes)
POE— 10
(miles)
B) 70 rate 8
Speed (mph)
60 6
50 change
not at 4
40
30 2
120 mins
20 0
10 60
0
0
0
0
20
40
80
0
0
unrelated
12
14
16
18
10
0 Time (Minutes)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Time C) 14
(minutes)
Distance from home
1) C) 2) 12
70 10
Speed (mph)
60 looks
(miles)
POE—no 8
50
accel at 40 good— 6
start 30 gets 4
20 home in 2
10 less time, 0
0 so going
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
60
0
0
0
0
20
40
80
0
0
12
14
16
18
10
Time faster Time (Minutes)

(minutes)
1) D) D) 14
50
Distance from home
Speed (mph)
40 2) 12
POE—no 30 10
20
(miles)
accel at POE— 8
start 10 6
0 does not
even get 4
2
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 home (back
Time to 0
(minutes)
60
0
0
0
0
D = 0)
20
40
80
0
0
12
14
16
18
10
Time (Minutes)
CONTINUE
JUSTIFYING CONCLUSIONS
READING
3 17 correlation is NOT causation
A newspaper advertisement for Alex’s Funeral Mark is researching the effects of high fructose corn
Home states the following: “A survey of clients of syrup on American obesity. He discovers that use of
Alex’s Funeral Home shows that 84% of clients high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) increased 1,000%
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
would use Alex’s Funeral Home in the future.” between 1970 and 1990 in the United States, and
Which of the following conclusions is most valid that BMI (body mass index) increased significantly
based on this advertisement? in the United States and worldwide over the same
A) Approximately 84% of respondents to the time period. Which of the following is the most
survey would use Alex’s Funeral Home in the reasonable conclusion that can be drawn from the
future. that’s what it says data? US only
B) Competitors to Alex’s Funeral Home have A) As HFCS consumption increased worldwide,
there was an increase in BMI worldwide.
MATH
a lower satisfaction rate than Alex’s Funeral
Home. no info given B) Increased consumption of HFCS causes nope
C) 16% of Alex’s Funeral Home’s clients were very increased BMI in American citizens.
can’t say about future
upset with the service they received. no info given C) As HFCS consumption continues to increase,
D) Alex’s Funeral Home is the best option for there will be a continued increase in BMI.
everyone’s funeral home needs. no info given D) Increased HFCS consumption occurred at the
same time as increased BMI among American
citizens during 1970–1990.
that’s what it says
21
A recent survey of a random sample of 200 high
school seniors in a town indicated that 143 of them
preferred cats and 57 preferred dogs. If there are
45,376 high school seniors in the town, which of the
following statements is most likely to be accurate?
A) Approximately 13,000 high school seniors in the
town will report that they prefer cats.
B) Approximately 18,000 high school seniors in the
C) Approximately 29,000 high school seniors in the
D) Approximately 32,000 high school seniors in the
143
⋅ 100 = 71.5% cats
200
71.5
⋅ 45, 376 = 32, 443.84
100
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
DATA COLLECTION METHODS

READING
7 23
A nationwide club of over 1 million members Danielle is conducting a survey of 500 people who
wishes to survey the opinions of its members love astronomy. She asks the participants to decide
on topics relevant to the club’s membership. It whether they think that manned or unmanned
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
is determined that directly surveying all of the space exploration will yield the most scientific
members of the club would be too costly. Which of value. The survey results appear in the following
the following alternative surveying methods would table.
result in the most accurate representation of the
club’s membership’s opinions? Profession of Manned Unmanned
Undecided
participants is better is better
A) Survey members who attend the club’s annual
meeting. Typical attendance at this meeting is Student 65 17 18
10,000 members. sample size, biased Engineer 91 50 34
MATH
B) Randomly select 10,000 members to send Artist 47 44 44

surveys to. better sample selection, less biased Politician x y 15
C) Place a link to an online survey on the club’s
website. no idea how big sample is, biased Upon reviewing the data, Danielle concludes
D) Survey members of the club’s executive that most people in the United States believe that
committee. biased, very small sample manned space exploration is more important
scientifically. Assuming all of the following
statements are true, which provides the best reason
to disregard Danielle’s conclusion?
no values given, just x & y
A) Of the politicians surveyed, the number who
prefer unmanned exploration is twice the
number who prefer manned exploration.
B) The survey participants are drawn from people
who have a vested interest in astronomy.
that’s true but not biggest problem
C) Danielle did not list values for the politicians
who prefer manned and unmanned exploration.
D) 14,000 people in another similar study
conducted said they preferred unmanned
exploration.
we don’t know anything about
sample or conditions in other
study

WORD
PROBLEMS 101
Even the simplest-looking word problems can be

deceptively tricky. A good review of some key
skills can leave you much better prepared to
tackle even the most difficult word problems.
515
SAT MANUAL
READING
PARTS & WHOLES

Fractions, decimals, percents, and ratios all give us relative values.
1. A friend tells you she has read half of her homework

assignment. Is that many or few pages?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
A. Many.
B. Few.
C. Who knows?
2. Another friend tells you he has done 100 pages of his

homework assignment. Is he almost done?
A. Yes.
MATH
B. No.
C. Who knows?
3. You tell your mother you’ve spent 2 hours on

homework. How many more hours are left to finish?
A. A ton.
B. None—it’s time to play some video games.
C. Who knows?
4. You tell your mother you’ve done 75% of your

homework. Does she know what portion you have left
to do?
A. Yes. 25% of it
B. No.
As you can see, statistics mean very little out of context. Unless you know the
total pages of homework assigned, you can’t evaluate whether “half” is impressive
(1,000 pages assigned) or pitiful (2 pages assigned). By the same logic, either 100
pages or 2 hours could be just the beginning or close to the end. Fractions and
percents, however, have one chief advantage: you always know what fraction/per-
centage is left.

WORD PROBLEMS 101
READING
Fractions & Decimals
Fractions and decimals are two different ways of expressing the same value of a
part
relationship.
whole
part 5
= 0.5 (five-tenths) = = 1
whole 10 2
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Decimals are fractions whose denominators are powers of ten and whose numera-
tors are expressed by digits placed to the right of the decimal point.
Calculators
MATH
On Section 4, use your calculator wisely. If a question uses decimals, stick with
decimals. If a question uses fractions, stick with fractions: use parentheses around
the fraction, and use your calculator to get the answer as a fraction.
Mixed Numbers 3
Questions on the SAT may use mixed numbers in word problems: 1 cups of
4
2 7 8
flour, 2 mile run, etc. You have to convert to an improper fraction  ,  ,
3 4 3
convert to a decimal (1.75, 2.667 ) , or know how to use your calculator to do so.
This is how to convert a mixed number to an improper fraction.
3 3 4 3 7
1 = 1+   = +   =
4 4 4 4 4
This is how to perform operations with mixed numbers.
1 7   1    7    24 1   16 7   25   23 
4 − 2 = 4 +    −  2 +    =  +  −  +  =   −  
6 8  6   8  6 6 8 8 6 8
Then you can use your calculator if it is allowed to get the answer or get a common
denominator of 24.
 25   4   23   3   100   69  31
    −     =  − =
6 4 8 3 24   24  24

SAT MANUAL
READING
Section 3 may have mixed numbers that you’ll need to convert by hand. Convert
the following, adding or subtracting to simplify as needed. Use your calculator to
check your answers.
1 1 15 1 16
WRITING AND
1. 5 = ____________________________________________________
5+ = + =
LANGUAGE
3 3 3 3 3
3 3 28 3 31
4+ = + =
2. 4 = ____________________________________________________
7 7 7 7 7
2 3 2 3 16 15 31 160 31 191
+ +1+ = 4 + + =4 + =
3. 3 + 1 = __3_______________________________________________
or
5 8 5 8 40 40 40 40 40 40
MATH
3 4 44 3   5 4  47 9 47(5) 9(11) 235 − 99 136

4. 4 −1 = ________________________________________________
+ −  +  = − = − = =
11 5  11 11   5 5  11 5 55 55 55 55
7 2  40 7   18 2  47 20 423 160 263

5. 5 − 2 = ________________________________________________
+ −  +  = − = − =
8 9  8 8  9 9 8 9 72 72 72
5 1 5 1 24 15 72 4 115
+ +3+ = + + + =
6. 1 + 3 = __1 _______________________________________________
8 6 8 6 24 24 24 24 24
2
7. Erin is baking cookies and needs 6 cups of flour to make two batches. If she
2 3
has 4 cups of flour in her pantry, then how many more cups of flour does
7
she need to make both batches of cookies?
1
A) 2 2 2
21 6 −4 =
8 3 7
B) 2
21
9  18 2   28 2 
C) 2  +  −  + =
21 3 3 7 7
13
D) 2
21 20 30
− =
3 7
140 90 50 8
− = =2
21 21 21 21

WORD PROBLEMS 101
READING
Ratios
part
Ratios are a way to express a relative relationship of numbers. Instead of a
whole
part
relationship, however, they show a relationship. Ratios will always be de-
part
fined as a ratio or described as a part-to-part relationship; other relationships are
WRITING AND
part
LANGUAGE
likely fractions. Ratios can be written as or as part:part. You can treat them
part
like fractions in your calculator—just divide the first part by the second.
W W M W
1. Marie lives with her mother, father, one sister, and five 5M
brothers. Everyone in her family is either a woman or a
man.
MATH
i. 3:6 or 1:2
What is the ratio of women to men in the family?___________
7:2
ii. What is the ratio of children to parents?__________________
iii. How many people are there in the family in total?__9_________

6 2
or
iv. What fraction of the family is men?______________________
9 3
Ratios are always given in their most reduced form. Sometimes a word problem
will make you use the ratio to figure out what the real values are. When things get
complicated, you can use a Ratio Box to keep track of all the information.
Ratio Box
Whenever you need to convert from a ratio in its most reduced form to real-life
numbers, there are two key steps.
• Always add the ratio numbers to get a whole. This is only

occasionally useful
• Find the multiple that connects a ratio number to its real- on the SAT.
life counterpart. All of the ratio numbers get multiplied by
this number to convert to real-life numbers.

SAT MANUAL
READING
When things get complicated, you can use a Ratio Box.
2. In Mr. Peterson’s class of 48 students, the ratio of boys to girls is 3:5.
Boys Girls Whole

WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
3 + 5 = 8 Ratio
× × ×
6 = 6 = 6 Multiply by
= = =
Actual
18 + 30 = 48 number
i. 30
How many girls are in the class?_________________________
MATH
18
ii. How many boys are in the class?________________________
18 3
or
iii. Boys make up what fractional part of the class?_____________
18 48 8 3
iv. If you answered above, what does that reduce to?________
48
8
13. In a parking lot, there are 3 cars for every 7 SUVs. If there are 150 cars
and SUVs parked in the lot, how many are SUVs?
A) 10
B) 15
cars SUVs whole
C) 86 3 7 10 ratio
D) 105 15 15 15 multiplier
45 105 150 actual

WORD PROBLEMS 101
*See defintions in the Glossary on
the following page.
READING
VOCABULARY
There are a few additional terms that can show up in word problems. Some of
these are key terms that indicate a specific topic or formula, while others are more
real-life terms that College Board expects you to know.
Term Definition
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Common or constant difference
Common or constant ratio
Direct variation
Financing
MATH
Gross revenue
Inverse variation
Mean
Median
Mode
Net profit
FORMULAS
Rarely will you need to call on these formulas; most times, you should apply com-
mon sense and PITA skills to solve. But in case you just want to know...
x1 y1
• Direct Variation: = or y = kx
x 2 y2
k
• Inverse Variation: x1 y1 = x 2 y2 or y =
x

SAT MANUAL
READING
GLOSSARY
Common or constant difference: A fixed amount added or subtracted to each
term in an arithmetic sequence to get the next term
Common or constant ratio: A fixed amount used to multiply or divide each
term in a geometric sequence to get the next term
WRITING AND
Direct variation: A proportion or a relationship between two variables in which

LANGUAGE
the ratio is constant

Financing: To borrow money for a purchase and pay it back with interest
Gross revenue: The amount of money made without subtracting any costs
Inverse variation: A relationship between variables in which the product is con-
stant
MATH
Mean: The average of a list of numbers

Median: The middle number in a sequential list of numbers. If there is an even
number of numbers in the list, the median is the average of the two middle
numbers.
Mode: The number that occurs most often in a list
Net profit: The amount of money left over after costs are subtracted from gross
revenue

WORD
PROBLEMS
If a hen and a half lay an egg and a half in a day

and a half, how long does it take a monkey with a
wooden leg to kick the seeds out of a dill pickle?
—Tom Robbins
523
SAT MANUAL
READING
GOALS REVIEW
• Consistently apply the Basic Approach to word problems

• Use the strategies of Plugging In, PITA, and POE to more efficiently
answer word problems
WRITING AND
• Understand and apply concepts of mean, median, mode, range, and

LANGUAGE
standard deviation
• Understand and apply concepts of rates, proportions, ratios, and
percentages
MATH
BASIC APPROACH REVIEW

1. __________________________________________________
2. Let the answers help

__________________________________________________
Work in bite-sized pieces

3. __________________________________________________
Preview: What is the better deal: going with cell phone company A or cell
phone company B? How much will you pay for those jeans that are on sale
for 20 percent off? On the SAT, you’ll be asked to apply your math skills to
real-world scenarios.

WORD PROBLEMS
READING
WORD PROBLEMS, PLUGGING IN, AND
Plugging In
WRITING AND
As you’ve already seen, Plugging In is often the most effective way to work a word
LANGUAGE
problem. Remember to look for variables or relationships between numbers.
12. Each state in the United States has r members of the House of
Representatives. The relationship between the number of Electoral Teacher note:
College votes, v, that each state has and the number of members it has New question number
in the House of Representatives is represented by the equation for 7.0
MATH
v – 2 = r. In 1840, Kentucky lost three Electoral College votes.
Which of the following accurately describes the change in the
number of members of the House of Representatives for Kentucky
in 1840?
A) The number increased by three. PI v = 10
B) The number remained the same. 10 – 2 = r = 8 members
C) The number decreased by two. lost 3 votes
so
D) The number decreased by three.
PI v = 7
7 – 2 = r = 5 members
Plugging In the Answers

If you find yourself tempted to write your own equation for a word problem and
there are numbers in the answer choices, ask yourself whether Plugging In the
Answers would be a better approach.
14. Faraz paid $48.00 before tax for a new coat that was marked 20 percent
off of its original price. What was the original price of the coat?
A) $38.40 must be more than $48 if $48 is the sale price
B) $57.60
20
→ C) $60.00 60 − = =
(60) 60 − 12 48 
100
D) $72.00

SAT MANUAL
READING
MEAN, MEDIAN, MODE, RANGE
Mean = Average
The average is the sum of the elements divided by the number of elements. If you’re
WRITING AND
given the average and the number of elements, you can find the total by multiply-
LANGUAGE
ing the average and the number of elements (T = AN).
25. Mei has an average score of 83 on five equally-weighed quizzes. The

teacher decides to remove the lowest quiz score for each student in the
class. Mei’s average for the four remaining quizzes is now 89. What was
Mei’s lowest quiz score before the teacher decided to remove that score?
MATH
A) 59
T = AN
B) 65
T = 83(5) = 415 T = 89(4) = 356
C) 70
D) 77
415 – 356 = 59
Median = Middle
The median is the middle number in an ordered list of numbers. If there is an even
number of elements in the list, the median is the average of the two numbers in
the middle.
19.
An element’s valence is a measure of the combining power of an
element. Valence is the number of electrons the element can displace or
combine with. The frequency table below shows the valence of the 108
elements with known valency.
Valence Number of elements
0 3
1 9 With an even
2 13 # of items,
the median
3 28 is the
4 20 average of
5 12 the middle
two #’s.
6 19
7 4
Based on the table, what is the median valence for these 108 elements?
A) 3 median = average of 54th and 55th #’s
B) 3.5 Valence of 0-2 covers 3 + 9 + 13 = 25 #’s
28 more have valence of 3, so 26th to 53rd have va-
C) 3.7 lence of 3, and 54th and 55th #’s are both 4
D) 4

WORD PROBLEMS
READING
Mode = Most and Range = Greatest Minus Least
The mode is the number that appears most often in a list of numbers. Range is the
difference between the greatest and least elements of a list of numbers.
Test Scores from First Practice Test

1 21 22 24 25 26
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
26 27 28 30 31 33
11. A class of 12 students took their first practice test. The scores earned
by the students are in the table above. Later, it is determined that the
student who scored a 1 used a pen instead of a pencil, making the
score invalid. If the score of 1 is removed from the data, which of the
following would change the most?
MATH
A) Mean Check easier ones first and POE
B) Median 1st median = 26 2nd median = 26 diff = 0
C) Mode 1st mode = 26 2nd mode = 26 diff = 0
1st range = 33 - 1 = 32 2nd range = 33 - 21 =
D) Range
12 diff = 20 POE (B) and (C)
You can calculate mean, but removing 1 # won’t
change it much. It’s (D).

SAT MANUAL
READING
Standard Deviation = Spread

Standard deviation is a measure of the spread of a group of numbers. The greater
the standard deviation of a list, the more spread apart the numbers are from the
average of the list. A list with a small standard deviation has numbers closely
grouped around the average.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
29. A game designer is determining whether to use 3 four-sided dice

(Option A), 2 six-sided dice (Option B), or 1 twelve-sided die
(Option C) in her science fiction adventure game. To determine the
differences among the three options, she created dot plots of the
number of ways to roll a certain total for each combination of dice.
Option A Option B Option C
Total Number Total Number Total Number
MATH
of ways to of ways to of ways to

roll roll roll
3 • 2 • 1 •
Range is straigtforward, 4 ••• 3 •• 2 •
so calculate that first. 5 •••••• 4 ••• 3 •
6 •••••••••• 5 •••• 4 •
7 •••••••••••• 6 ••••• 5 •
8 •••••••••••• 7 •••••• 6 •
9 •••••••••• 8 ••••• 7 •
10 •••••• 9 •••• 8 •
11 ••• 10 ••• 9 •
12 • 11 •• 10 •
12 • 11 •
12 •
rA = 12 - 3 = 9 rB = 12 - 2 = 10 rC = 12 - 1 = 11 POE (B)

If sA, sB, and sC are the standard deviations of Group A, Group B, and
Group C, respectively, and rA, r B, and rC are the ranges of Group A,
Group B, and Group C, respectively, which of the following contains
true statements about the standard deviations and ranges of the three
groups?
A) sA < sC Standard deviation is a measure of the
rA < rB < rC spread of data. In Group C, there is only 1
dot for each value, but that’s not true for
B) sC > sB
rC < rB < rA
Groups A and B. Therefore, SD of Group C
can’t be equal to SD of Group A or B. POE
C) sA = sC (C) and (D).
rA < rB < rC
D) sB = sC
rA < rB < rC

WORD PROBLEMS
READING
PROBABILITY = CHANCE
# of outcomes that fit requirements

Probability = �
total # of possible outtcomes
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Probability of a Single Outcome
q
MATH
Questions 8 and 9 refer to the following information.
Preferred Beverage by Gender

Coffee Tea Hot Chocolate Total
Men 923 254 89 1,266
Women 655 362 193 1,210
Total 1,578 616 282 2,476
The student union at a local college sent a survey to all members of the sophomore
class in order to learn more about the students’ preferences regarding hot drinks.
The students were asked to choose their top choice among three different beverage
options: coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. The respondents’ answers were counted and
are shown in the two-way table above.
8. According to the table, if a man from among these respondents were

chosen at random, what is the probability that he prefers coffee?
343
A)
1, 266
923 men who like coffee 923
B) =
2, 476 all men surveyed 1, 266
655
C)
1, 210
923
D)
1, 266

SAT MANUAL
READING
Probability of This OR That

For those questions that ask for the probability of either of two different outcomes
occurring, find the “number of outcomes that fit the requirements” for both situ-
ations. Then, add those together to get the numerator of the probability fraction.
The “total # of possible outcomes” is still the total number of people or things from
which you are choosing.
on previous page
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
↑
9. According to the table, if a sophomore from among these respondents
were chosen at random, what is the probability that the chosen person
is a man who prefers hot chocolate or a woman who prefers tea?
89
A)
1, 266
MATH
447
B)
1, 266
451 89 + 362 451

C) =
2, 476 2,476 2, 476
898
D)
2, 476

WORD PROBLEMS
READING
RATES AND UNIT CONVERSIONS
Rates are related to averages. Divide work or distance by time to find the rate. As
with an average, you can rearrange the formula to get a total; in this case, distance
or amount of work = rate × time (D = RT or W = RT ).
13. Claudia’s computer can download a 6-megabyte file in one second. If Make sure to use
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Claudia is shopping in an online music store and decides to purchase consistent units.
and download sixteen full-length music albums averaging 110
megabytes each, approximately how long, in minutes, would the
download process take?
A) 1 T = AN W = RT 293.3 sec
B) 5 T = 110(16) 1,760 = 6T = 4.8 mins.
Total = 1,760 MB Time = 293.3 60
MATH
C) 50
seconds
D) 300
RTFQ
PROPORTIONS
Unit conversion is related to proportional relationships—there are 12 inches in
every foot, 60 seconds in every minute. Proportions can be used to figure out
relationships, including between different rates and between a scale drawing and
reality.
14. Neb works an average of 35 hours a week over four days each week. Neb
would like to increase his weekly wage by $25. Assuming Neb makes an
average of $125 per day, which equation can Neb use to determine how many
more hours, h, he should work each week?
4 125 h 35
A) 25 Hours per day =
35 4
Amount per day = $125
B) 25
35125 h
4 so amount per hour =
C) 150
35125 h
$125 $125( 4)
4 =
35 35
D) 150
4 125 h 4
35
Wants $25, so
$125( 4 )
25 = ⋅h
35

SAT MANUAL
READING
Direct Variation
Direct variation means that as one variable increases, the other also increases.
When x and y vary directly, y = kx

x
or x 1 = 2 .
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
y1 y2
MATH
32. Newton-meters and foot-pounds are measures of torque. They are

directly proportional such that 8 newton-meters is equivalent to
5.90 foot-pounds. How much torque, in newton-meters, is 10.33 foot-
pounds, rounded to the nearest integer?
8 Nm x
1 4 =
5.9 fp 10.33 fp
Cross multiply:
5.9x = 82.64
x = 14.0067
rounds to 14

WORD PROBLEMS
READING
Inverse Variation
Inverse variation means that as one variable increases, the other decreases.
k
When x and y vary inversely, y =
x
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
or x1y1 = x2y 2.
MATH
32. The volume of hydrogen in a balloon varies inversely with the applied
pressure. At an applied pressure of 200 torrs, the volume of hydrogen
in the balloon is 3 cubic feet. What is the applied pressure, in torrs,
when the volume of hydrogen in the balloon is 40 cubic feet?
x1y1 = x2y2
1 5
200(3) = x(40)
600 40x
=
40 40
x = 15

SAT MANUAL
READING
RATIOS
Ratios relate one part to another part, not the part to the whole. To compare
ratios, divide the first number in the ratio by the second and compare the resulting
numbers. Even though calculator use is allowed, consider rounding ugly numbers
when possible to save time. Only calculate exact ratios when there are two or more
close answers.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Reported Favorite Movie Genre by Age Group
Age Action Comedy Drama Romance Thriller

15–25 30,432 18,835 6,984 5,395 9,926
26–35 35,967 16,923 34,451 20,916 20,510
36 –50 8,123 12,531 30,792 25,520 11,647
51–70 5,291 15,515 22,591 17,043 4,750
MATH
17. The movie-watching preferences of a randomly selected group of

Americans aged 15–70 are represented in the table above. Survey
participants were asked to choose their favorite genre of movie among
the following categories: Action, Comedy, Drama, Romance, and
Thriller. According to the data above, the ratio of moviegoers who
prefer Action to those who prefer Romance is greatest for which of the
following age categories?
A) 15–25
30432
B) 26–35 A) » 5.64
5395
C) 36–50 35967
B) » 1.72
D) 51–70 20916
C) more Romance than Action
will be less
D) more Romance than Action than 1

WORD PROBLEMS
READING
PERCENTAGES
Unlike ratios, percentages relate the part to the whole. We covered the basics of
percentages in the Translating chapter, so now let’s look at one that combines a
percent with an average.
24. Out of the 18 employees of the Toronto office of a certain company,
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
27.8 percent have at least two dogs. The average number of employees in
each office of this company is 18. If there are 30 offices in this company
and the Toronto office is representative of the offices in this company
with regards to dog ownership, which of the following best estimates
the number of employees of this company who have fewer than two
dogs?
T = AN
A) 150
MATH
B) 390 T = 18(30) = 540 employees
C) 540 27.8
D) 2,700 (540) = 150 with at least 2 dogs
100
540 – 150 = 390 with fewer than 2 dogs
Be careful of (A) and (C), which represent

other groups within the question. Always
make sure to RTFQ.

SAT MANUAL
READING
WORD PROBLEMS DRILL

Time: 8 minutes
All the questions in this drill are calculator permitted (though Word Problems appear on the non-calculator section
of the SAT as well!).
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
q 6
Questions 5 and 6 refer to the following information: The 2011 per capita income of a fifth country, New
Zealand, was $31,250. If this data is combined
MATH
The table below shows the yearly per capita income in

U.S. dollars of four countries in select years, based on with the data in the table, what was the average
data from the World Bank. (arithmetic mean) per capita income of all five
countries in 2011, rounded to the nearest whole
dollar?
Country 2007 2009 2011 2013
Afghanistan $374 $451 $614 $665 A) $19,126
Colombia $4,664 $5,105 $7,125 $7,831 B) $20,258
Denmark $58,501 $57,896 $61,304 $59,382 C) $25,323
Kenya $847 $930 $998 $1,246 D) $101,291
p
5
614 + 7 , 125 + 61, 304 + 998 + 31, 250
=
According to the data in the table above, the range 5
of Kenya’s per capita income from 2007 to 2013 was
how much less than the range of Colombia’s per $101, 291
= $20, 258.20
capita income from the same time period? 5
A) $399 RTFQ
B) $2,768
C) $3,167 RTFQ
D) $6,585
Range of Kenya: 1,246 – 847 = 399

Range of Colombia: 7,831 – 4,664 = 3,167
3,167 – 399 = 2,768

WORD PROBLEMS
15 20
READING
Annalee bicycles down a long, straight road at a Car Value Based on Years Since Manufacture
constant rate of 22 feet per second. How many 20
Value (in thousands

hours will it take Annalee to ride her bicycle for 18
16
30 miles at this rate? (5,280 feet = 1 mile)
of dollars)
14
12
WRITING AND
10
LANGUAGE
A) 0.5
8
B) 1 6
C) 1.5 4
2
D) 2 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Years since manufacture
1. Convert miles to feet: ↑ ↑ ↑
’09 ’11 ’13
MATH
1 mile 30
= The scatterplot above shows the value for a certain
5,280 ft x model of car based on its age. Which of the
following would be closest to the percent decrease
x = 158,400 ft. in the value of a car from 2011 to 2013 if that car
were manufactured in 2009 ?
2. Figure out how many seconds that takes.
A) 70% 2011 → 14k approx.
158,400 B) 60% 2013 → 9.5k approx.
= 7 , 200 seconds
22 C) 35% 14 k 9.5 k
100 » 32%
3. Convert seconds to hours. D) 20% 14 k
1 hour x
=
60 × 60 sec 7 , 200 sec
3,600x = 7,200
x = 2 hours
Teacher note: with ones like this that have

several conversions, the conversions can be done
in any order. So students may approach this
on a different path, but they will get the same
answer if their calculations are correct.

SAT MANUAL
q 38
READING
Questions 37 and 38 refer to the following A physicist is comparing the power flowing through
information.
two circuits. Both circuits have equal resistance.
V = IR The first circuit has a current of I, and the second
3I
circuit has a current of . What is the ratio of the
WRITING AND
P = I 2R 4
LANGUAGE
power of the second circuit to the power of the first
V2 circuit?
P=
R
The above equations relate voltage V, current I, 9 / 1 6

resistance R, and power P to one another. The first
MATH
is known as Ohm’s law, and the second and third

equations use the definition of power and Ohm’s Law to
relate power to V, I, and R.
37
A high school physics lab is testing 10 wires of

various resistances. Each wire is tested using a p
current of 5 units. If the 10 wires have resistances of
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, what is the probability P = I2R
that a wire tested at random will have a voltage of at
least 20 units? Plug in R = 2 and I = 4
V = IR 1st circuit 2nd circuit

7 / 1 0 V=5⋅1=5 2
 3 
= 5 ⋅ 2 = 10 2
P = (4) (2) P =    ( 4 ) (2)
= 5 ⋅ 3 = 15  4  
= 5 ⋅ 4 = 20 4 16 ⋅ 2 = 32 9 ⋅2 = 18
= 5 ⋅ 5 = 25 4
= 5 ⋅ 6 = 30 4 2nd : 1st 18 : 32 = 9 : 16
7 = 5 ⋅ 7 = 35 4
9
= 5 ⋅ 8 = 40 4 So or .562 or .563
= 5 ⋅ 9 = 45 4 16
= 5 ⋅ 10 = 50 4
7
10 or 0.7

WORD PROBLEMS
Summary
• What strategies are useful on word problems?
Plugging In
______________________________________
______________________________________
PITA
• What are the definitions of mean, median,
and mode?
total
mean = or T = AN
______________________________________
number of things
______________________________________
median = middle # in ordered list
mode = most common #
______________________________________
• What formula can you use to organize your

information on average questions?
T = AN
______________________________________
• What is the definition of range?
greatest # – least #
______________________________________
• What is the definition of standard

deviation?
the spread of the list of #

______________________________________
• What is the formula for probability?

# that fit requirements
______________________________________
total # of outcomes
• How do you find the probability of this
OR that?
# that fit THIS + # that fit THAT
______________________________________
total # of outcomes
• What two formulas can you use to organize
your information on rate questions?
______________________________________
D = RT
W = RT
______________________________________
• What are the formulas for direct and

inverse variation?
x1 x2
direct: =
______________________________________
y1 y2
inverse: x1 y1 = x2y2
______________________________________

SAT MANUAL
• What does a ratio represent?
relationship between 2 quantities

______________________________________


WORD PROBLEMS
PRACTICE
541
SAT MANUAL
MEAN, MEDIAN, MODE, AND RANGE

READING
q 13
Which cookie type had the greatest median number
Questions 13, 14, and 15 refer to the following
of cookies per student?
information.
A) Chocolate Chip (0, 16, 20, 22)
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Four students agreed to make cookies to sell at the B) Peanut Butter (0, 10, 16, 24)
homecoming game. The table below shows the number C) Oatmeal (0, 15, 15, 40)
of cookies made by each of the four students and the
D) Snickerdoodle (7, 11, 20, 32)
number of calories per cookie for each of the four
flavors of cookies sold. A) 20 + 16 = 18 C) 15
2
MATH
Chocolate Peanut Oatmeal Snicker-

Chip Butter doodle B) 16 + 10 = 13 D) 20 + 11 = 15.5
Calories per
130 140 100 120
2 2
cookie
14
Number of
cookies made by 22 16 0 32 How much greater is the mode of the number of
Adam oatmeal cookies made per student than the mean
Number of of the number of chocolate chip cookies made per
cookies made by 0 0 40 7 student?
Brett mode of oatmeal = 15
A) 0
Number of
cookies made by 20 10 15 11 B) 0.5 mean of chocolate chip:
Chuck C) 3
22 + 0 + 20 + 16
Number of
D) 12 = 14.5
cookies made by 16 24 15 20 4
Dave
15 – 14.5 = 0.5
15
What is the mean number of calories per cookie for
all of the cookies made by Chuck?
A) 14 20 × 130 = 2,600 c.c.
B) 121.8 10 × 140 = 1,400 p.b.
15 × 100 = 1,500 oat
C) 122.5 11 × 120 = 1,320 snick.
D) 1,705
56 cookies; 6,820 total cal.
p
6,820
= 121.8 cal/cookie
56
CONTINUE
WORD PROBLEMS PRACTICE
23 27
READING
11 8
12 1 4 4 7
13 0 1 2 11 27 43 63 76
14 0 3
15 1
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
The boxplot shown above displays the total
The stem-and-leaf plot shown above displays the snowfall, in inches, for thirteen cities last winter.
times of eleven contestants in a footrace, where each Which of the following statements must be true?
stem represents seconds and each leaf represents I. The mode is less than the mean.
tenths of a second. Which of the following can be II. The median is 43.
determined? III. The interquartile range is 36.
I. The mode
MATH
II. The median
A) I only
III. The mean
B) II only
A) I only
C) I and III only
B) II only
D) II and III only
C) II and III only
D) I, II, and III II. is true—POE (A) & (C)
III. 63 –27 = 36, so III. is true—POE (B)

List
118, 121, 124, 124, 127, 130, 131, 132,

140, 143, 151
mode = 124 so I. is true—POE (B) & (C)
median = 130 so II. is true—POE (A)
No need to find mean—only (D) is left
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
29 31
READING
A biology lab is growing mold spores in two Sales Totals Last Year Sales Totals This Year
different incubators: one in constant darkness and
10 $22,500 $36,000
one in constant light. There are 6 dishes of mold
spores in the dark incubator and 4 dishes of mold dishes $42,600 $12,650
spores in the light incubator. The dishes in the dark $31,450 $39,400
incubator contain a mean of 120 mold spores. If the $15,000 $29,400
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
mean for both incubators combined is 240 mold $28,000 $22,000

spores, what is the mean number of spores for the
dishes in the light incubator?
A manager conducts a review of his sales associates’
A) 180
performance each year. The manager has had
B) 360 the same five associates working for him for the
C) 420 past three years. For each associate, the manager
considers the number of sales made, the dollar
D) 540
MATH
amount of each sale, and the total dollar amount

of all sales. The total amounts of all sales for each
Together
of the five associates is shown in the table above.
T = AN T = 240(10) = 2400 The median of the total dollar amounts of all sales
for this year is how much greater than the range of
Dark Light the total dollar amounts of all sales for last year (in
dollars)? (Disregard the dollar sign when gridding
T = AN 2400 – 720 = your answer.)
T = 120(6) = 720 1680 = A(4)
A = 420 This year
1 8 0 0
Could also PITA, but it would get gross. 12,650
22,000
29,400 = median
36,000
39,400
Last year
Range:
42,600 – 15,000 =
27,600
Difference:
29,400 – 27,600 = 1,800
CONTINUE
PROBABILITY
READING
19 28
A survey was conducted among a randomly A consumer survey was performed in three cities to
chosen sample of full-time salaried workers about determine if people preferred a name brand product
satisfaction in their current jobs. The table below over a generic one. In Angleton, 40% of consumers
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
shows a summary of the survey results. preferred the name brand, in Bracketsville, 55%
of consumers preferred the name brand, and in
Calculopolis, 60% of consumers preferred the
Reported Job Satisfaction by Education Level
name brand. The total population of each of the
(in thousands)
three cities is 240,000 in Angleton, 360,000 in
Bracketsville, and 200,000 in Calculopolis. If a
Highest Level Satisfied Not No Total
consumer prefers the name brand, what is the
of Education Satisfied Response
probability that he lives in Bracketsville?
MATH
High School 17,880 12,053 2,575 32,508
Diploma A) 0.42
Bachelor’s 24,236 8,496 3,442 36,174 B) 0.45
Degree C) 0.48
Master’s 17,605 5,324 1,861 24,790 D) 0.55
Degree
Doctoral 12,210 2,081 972 15,263 Prefer name brand:
Degree
Total 71,931 27,954 8,850 108,735 0.4(240,000) = 96,000 Angleton
0.55(360,000) = 198,000 Brackets
0.6(200,000) = 120,000 Calc.
What is the probability that a randomly selected Total = 414,000
full-time salaried worker has a bachelor’s degree
as his or her highest level of education and is not Brackets pref. 198, 000
= = 0.478
satisfied with his or her job? all prefer 414 , 000
A) 0.032
8,496
B) 0.078 = 0.078
108, 735
C) 0.223
D) 0.235
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
RATES AND UNIT CONVERSION

READING
7 21
Rick, Shane, and Darryl work at a widget factory. Paolo is visiting Mexico and needs to fill his gas
The table below shows the number of hours they tank. Paolo finds that the daily exchange rate for his
each spent at the factory on a given day, the number currency is 30.77 Mexican pesos to the U.S. dollar.
WRITING AND
If the gas prices are 15.20 pesos per liter, and Paolo
LANGUAGE
of widgets they produced, and the number of

15-minute breaks they took while they were at the pays $1.80 per gallon at home, how much more, in
factory. Each man works at a constant rate. dollars, does it cost Paolo to completely fill his 14
gallon tank?
Widgets Hours Breaks (1 liter = 0.26 gallons)
Rick 28 4 2
Darryl 42 6 4 A) 0.70
MATH
Shane 27 5 2 B) 1.40
C) 6.90
If he works without a break, approximately how
D) 18.20
long will it take Rick to produce 14 widgets?
A) 1 hour and 30 minutes Convert pesos to dollars:
B) 1 hour and 45 minutes
1 dollar x dollars
C) 2 hours =
30.77 p 15.20 p
D) 2 hours and 15 minutes
Rick: 28 widgets in 4 hours with (2) 15-min 30.77x = 15.20
x = 0.494
breaks, so 28 widgets in 3.5 hours of work. To
make 14 widgets would take 1/2 that time, or So price of gas in Mexico is $0.494 per liter.
3.5
= 1.75 hours which is (B). Convert gallons to liters:
2
18 1 liter x liters
It took Adeline 20 minutes and 18 seconds to run a
=
0.26 g 14 g
5 kilometer race. If one kilometer is approximately
0.62 miles, what was Adeline’s approximate average 14 = 0.26x
speed, in miles per hour? x = 53.85 liters of gas to fill tank
A) 5 Convert 5 km to miles: Mexico: $0.494(53.85) = $26.60
B) 7 1 km 5 km
C) 9 = At home: $1.80(14) = $25.20
0.62 m x $26.60 – $25.20 = $1.40
D) 11
x = 5(0.62) = 3.1 miles
Convert minutes to hours:

18
20 + = 20.3 minutes
60
20.3
» 0.338 hours
60
D = RT 3.1 = R(0.338)
R = 9.16 mph
CONTINUE
30 32
READING
An engineer is designing a large steel pad to be A block of wood has a mass of 20 grams and is
installed on the deck of an aircraft carrier. Its total 4 cm wide, 3 cm thick, and 12 cm long. What is the
volume will be 18 yd3. A scale model made of the density of the block of wood, in g/cm3 ?
same material measuring 6 feet by 4.5 feet and 4 (Density = mass / volume)
inches thick weighs 75 lbs. If the steel costs $55/
lb, how much will the material for the full-sized
WRITING AND
Volume = 4 × 3 × 12 = 144
LANGUAGE
steel pad cost? 5 / 3 6 cm3
(1 yard = 3 feet, 1 foot = 12 inches)
20 5
Density = =
A) $12,375.00 144 36
B) $55,687.50
or .138 or .139
C) $82,500.00
MATH
D) $222,750.00
1. C
onvert 4 inches to feet to find volume in
cubic feet:
12 inches 4 inches
=
1 foot x
12x = 4 x = 1 foot
3
2. Model volume = 6 × 4.5 × 1 = 9 ft3
3
3. Convert yd3 to ft3:
One cubic yard = 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft = 27 ft3
Actual pad is 18 yd3 = 18(27) = 486 ft3
4. Find weight of pad:

9 ft 3 486 ft 3
=
75 lbs x
9x = 36,450
x = 4,050 lbs. × $55/lb. = $222,750
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
PROPORTIONS AND VARIATION

READING
6 14
The distance that Olivia walks is directly The time it takes a factory to produce x units of
proportional to the time she spends walking. Product A is inversely proportional to the number
Which of the following equations could show the of workers on the production line at a given time.
WRITING AND
relationship between D, the distance, in kilometers,

LANGUAGE
Last week, the factory employed 88 workers for

that she walks, and m, the time, in minutes, that she a total of 875 work hours to produce x units of
spends walking? Product A. If the factory is to produce x units of
A) D = 10 – m Distance proportional means Product A in 1,000 work hours this week, how
there is some type of frac- many workers must be on the line this week?
B) D = m – 10 tion, so its (D). A) 12 As minutes go up, workers go
OR B) 77 down. POE (D).
MATH
C) D = m + 10 C) 82
Plug in numbers to see what D) 88
Set up inverse variation equation
m happens.
D) D = with w for number of workers.
10
88(875) = w(1,000)
77,000 = 1,000w
w = 77
CONTINUE
There is not ALWAYS a pair of GIs at the end of S4, so we don’t make a
EXTENDED THINKING
READING
huge deal about them.
q 38
The student responsible for carrying the ballots
Questions 37 and 38 refer to the following down the hallway accidentally dropped the ballot
information. box, causing all 117 ballots to scatter all over the
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
floor. Assuming the information from Question 37
In a recent poll, the 117 students of Ocapo High School’s is true, what is the probability that the first ballot
senior class were given ballots and asked to vote for the student picks up will contain a vote for Dory but
the name of the school’s new mascot. Students were NOT for Randy?
allowed to vote for both, one, or neither of the two
finalists. The results of the ballots cast are shown in the Both Dory and Randy = 53
table below. . 1 2 8
So 68 – 53 = 15 for just Dory
MATH
Randy, the Loveable Dory, the Playful 15
Rottweiler Dragon
= .128
117
Yes 87 68
No 30 49
37
After the results came out, exactly 15 students p
revealed that they voted for neither Randy nor
Dory. Based on this information, how many votes
were cast only in favor of Randy?
If you need to account for

3 4 everyone in a group, you can
use this formula:
Total = G1 + G2 – Both +
Neither
117 = 87 + 68 – Both + 15
–53 = –Both
Both = 53
Just Randy = 87 – 53 = 34
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
q 38
READING
Upon further review, Daniel and Kelly realize that

Questions 37 and 38 refer to the following
they left out a third category: primetime dramas.
information.
They add the category and hours watched per week
per person to the table as seen below.
Kelly and Daniel are charting their TV watching habits
as part of an extra credit assignment for Health class. Sports Sitcoms Primetime
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
The students must compile their total number of hours Entertainment Dramas
watched in a given category weekly. They note two Kelly 3 hours 5 hours 4 hours
common categories between them, sitcoms and sports Daniel 7 hours 3 hours 2 hours
entertainment, and chart approximately how many
hours each week they each watch of those categories as
seen below. Given this new data, Daniel wants to make the
percent of his total time of sports entertainment
programming watched equal to the percent of the
MATH
Sports Entertainment Sitcoms

total time that Kelly spends watching primetime
Kelly 3 hours 5 hours dramas. How many additional hours of sitcoms
Daniel 7 hours 3 hours does Daniel need to watch to accomplish this goal?
4
9 = 33 1/3% of the time,
12
Kelly watches dramas
37 7 1
= 33 %
What is the difference between the percent of the 12 + x 3
total time that Daniel spends watching sports
entertainment and the percent of the total time 7 1
=
that Kelly spends watching sports entertainment? 12 + x 3
(Disregard the percent symbol when gridding your
answer.)
21 = 12 + x
x=9
Daniel = 7 = 70%
3 2 . 5 10
p
3
Kelly = = 37.5%
8
70 – 37.5 = 32.5%

FUNCTIONS
What underlies great science is what underlies

great art, whether it is visual or written, and that
is the ability to distinguish patterns out of chaos.
—Diana Gabaldon
551
SAT MANUAL
READING
GOALS REVIEW
• Interpret function notation in a variety of questions

• Interpret graphs and their values in the xy-plane
• Solve questions about multiple and compound functions
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Preview: How comfortable are you with technology? Do people come to

you when their computers start acting up? Or do you have to run to the
store whenever your phone isn’t working? Functions in math are a lot like
machines, but fear not – the rules for working with functions are more
straightforward than trying to fix your iPad.
MATH

FUNCTIONS
READING
FUNCTION BASICS
A function is a machine for producing ordered pairs. An x-value is put into the
function and the corresponding y-value comes out. This y-value is usually referred
to as f(x). The f in f(x) is not a variable; it’s just the name of the function.
1. If f (x) = x2 + 8x + 2, what is the value of f(3) ?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
A) 29 # in parentheses = x
B) 33 Just plug it in.
C) 35 f(3) = 32 + 8(3) + 2 =
D) 53
9 + 24 + 2 = 35
MATH
The x goes in the function machine, and the y comes
out, so f(x) = y.
College Board could also ask for the x-value that must be put into the function to
get a certain y-value out.
15. The function w is defined by w(x) = 6 + 3x . If 4 • w(z) = 96, what is the

value of z ?
4 · w(z) = 4[6 + 3z] = 96
A) 3
B) 6 24 + 12z = 96
C) 10 12z = 72
D) 78 z=6
or PITA
3
1
12. If f (x) = , what is one possible value of x for which What should you do
x when you see numbers
1 1 in the answer choices?
< f (x) < ?
216 64
x f(x)
3
A) 3 1 1
→ B) 4 B)   = need bigger denominator
4 64
C) 5 3
D) 6 C)  1  = 1
5 125

SAT MANUAL
READING
FUNCTIONS IRL
Functions may show up in the form of lengthy word problems as well.
What technique can you 3. Jack’s band charges by the performance. Jack’s share P, in dollars, for x
use with numbers in the performances is given by the function P(x) = 1,200x – 60. If Jack earned
answer choices? $4,740 one month playing with his band, how many performances did
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
the band give?

x
A) 3 P(x)
→ B) 4 1200(4) – 60 = 4800 – 60 = 4740 3
C) 5
D) 6
MATH
What technique can you 14. Catherine is filling her swimming pool. The water is currently at a level
use with variables in the of c inches, and the level of the water rises by i inches every r minutes.
question and answer * Which of the following functions represents the water level, in inches,
choices? after Catherine fills the pool for an additional m minutes?
i 2
A) f m c m 4 + 6   = 4 + 4 = 8
PI r 3
c = 4 inches; + i = 2 inches; r 3
B) f m c m 4 + 6   = 4 + 9 = 13
every r = 3 minutes i
2
if m = 6 → 4 + 2 + 2 = 8
r
C) f m c i 4+
3
2  = 4 + 1 = 5
m 6
D) f m c imr 4 + 2 · 6 · 3 = 4 + 36 = 40
For word problems containing functions, read care-

fully for key words, and look for ways to
Plug In or PITA.
* Students who are high-scorers may just “see”

that it is (A) w/o Plugging In. If so, go for it.

FUNCTIONS
READING
FUNCTION JUNCTION
Sometimes College Board will ask you to examine more than one function at a
time. Just apply the same rules that you would use for a single function, and you’ll
have the answer in no time.
WRITING AND
s(x) = 3x2 – 4
LANGUAGE
t(x) = 7 + s(x)
13. The functions s and t are defined above. What is the value of t(1) ?
A) 8 t(1) = 7 + s(1) = 7 + 3(1)2 – 4 Still just PI value in

B) 6 parentheses for x.
=7+3–4=6
MATH
C) 5
D) 2
x –4 –2 0 2 4
Look up values on
f(x) –1 1 3 5 7 chart.
g(x) –9 –6 –3 0 3
9. The table above shows some values of the functions f and g. For which value of
x is f(x) – g(x) = x ?
f(x) – g(x) = x?
A) –2
B) 0 3 – (–3) = 6 7
C) 2 5 – 0 = 57
D) 4 7 – 3 = 43

SAT MANUAL
READING
FUNKY FUNCTIONS
Some function questions can get a little tricky by combining factoring or other
algebra work into the question. Try using Plugging In combined with your knowl-
edge of functions to find the right answer.
p(x) = x3 – x2
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
q(x) = x3 + 3x2 – 4x
What strategy can q(x )

you use when you see
7. Which of the following expressions is equivalent to , for x > 1 ?
p(x )
variables in the answer 3+4 7
choices? A) x + 4 = 1. PI x=3
x 3 3
x − 4 3 - 4 -1 p(x) = 33 – 32 = 27 – 9 = 18
B) =
MATH
x
q(x) = 33 + 3(3)2 – 4(3)
3 3 = 27 + 27 – 12 = 42
C) x + 4 3+4=7
D) x – 4
q (3) 42 7
3 – 4 = –1 2. = =
p (3) 18 3
19. The function g is defined by g(m) = (m – 7)(m – 5)3. If g(p + 4) = 0, what is one
possible value of p ?
1 Plug in value in parentheses for x, or in this case,

for m.
g(p + 4) = (p + 4 – 7)(p + 4 – 5)3 = 0
g(p + 4) = (p – 3)(p – 1)3 = 0
p – 3 = 0 (p – 1)3 = 0
p = 3 p–1=0
p=1
1 and 3 are acceptable answers.

FUNCTIONS
READING
COMPOUND FUNCTIONS
A compound function is a combination of two or more functions in sequence. It’s
basically a function of a function—the output from the first function is the input
for the second function. Start with the innermost part and work your way out.
1 Work from the inside out

18. If f(x) = 5 – 2x and g x , what is the value of f(g(–2)) ?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
x2 on compound functions.
1
A) 1 1
81 =
g(-2) = 2
(-2) 4
B) 1
1 1
9 f (g (-2)) = f   = 5 - 2  
C) 4 4
5
MATH
9
D) 1 10 1 9
2 = 5= - - =
2 2 2 2
FUNCTIONS AND GRAPHS

Because functions yield ordered pairs in the xy-plane, many function questions
will involve graphing. Here are the basics of graphs of functions in the xy-plane.
3
Now adding graphs
1 to the mix.
O
x
–5 –3 –1 –1 1 3 5
–3
2. The figure above shows the graph of the function f. Which of the
following is closest to f (–3) ?
A) –2 Value in parentheses is x, so find x = 3 on graph &
ready the y-value.
B) –1
C) 1
D) 2
If the question gives a number inside the f(x)

parentheses, such as f(3), it means x = 3. From
there, see what y-value intersects the line at x = 3.

SAT MANUAL
READING
1
WRITING AND
O x
LANGUAGE
–3 –2 –1 –1 1 2 3
–2
–3
Remember: y = f(x) 4. The graph of y = h (x) is shown above. If h (x) = –1, which of the following is a
MATH
possible value of x ?
A) –2 Draw a line at y = –1. Where it overlaps the graph,

B) –0.5 look for x-values: between 0 and about 1.5. Only (C)
C) 0.5 works.
D) 2
If the question gives a value for f(x), such as

f(x) = 3, it means y = 3. From there, see what
x-value intersects the line y = 3.

FUNCTIONS
READING
GET THE FUNC OUT
Let’s look at some other ways the SAT tests functions and graphs.
y = g(x)
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Teacher note:
x
O
(–4, –1)
• • (0, –1)
MATH
•(–2, –3)
11. The parabola shown above in the xy-plane is the graph of function g. Try plugging points
Which of the following could be the equation of g(x) ? from the graph into the
function.
A) g(x) =
1
x 2 3
2 Answers are often written so that plugging in the point with 0 or the
2 vertex will give more than one true equation, so use (–4, –1) instead.
1 Plug in x = –4 and see which function equals –1.
x 2 3
2
B) g(x) =
2 1 1 1
= A) g(−4) = (−4 − 2)2 − 3 =
(−6)2 − 3 = (36) − 3 18 − 3 = 15 Eliminate.
2 2 2
C) g(x) = x 2
2
3 1 1 1
= B) g(4) 2= (4 2)2 3
2
=
(2)2 3 =
2
(4) 3 2 3 = 1 Keep for now.
1
x 2 3=
2
D) g(x) = C) g(4) (=
4 2)2 3 (2)2= 3 4= 3 1 Eliminate.
3
1 1 1
= D) g(−4) = (−4 − 2)2 − 3 =
(−6)2 − 3 = (36) − 3 12 − 3 = 9 Eliminate.
3 3 3
Only (B) works, so that’s the answer.

SAT MANUAL
READING
max y = c(x)
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
1
x
–6 O 1
MATH
15. In chemistry class, Cole models some experimental data in the

xy-plane using the function c shown above. For what value of x is the
value of c(x) at its maximum?
A) 5 maximum = greatest y-value
B) 1 here, that is y = 5, which happens at x = –6
C) –3
D) –6
If a question asks for the maximum of a function, look for the

greatest y-value on the graph.
If a question asks for the minimum of a function, look for the
smallest y-value on the graph.

FUNCTIONS
y y = f(x)
READING
• •
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
• x
O 1
x
17. If g (x) = f 1 and the graph of f(x) is shown in the figure above,
3
then what is the value of g (6) ?
MATH
1. PI # in parentheses for x
7
6 
g (6) = f  - 1 = f (2 - 1) = f (1)
3 
2. Now look up f(1) on graph,
at x = 1, y = 7.
h(x)
k(x)
15. The graphs of the functions h and k are shown in the xy-plane above.
For which of the following values of x does h(x) + k(x) = 0 ?
x
A) 1 h(x) + k(x) = 0?
3 + ?
B) 2
3 + 1.5 ish = 4.5 ish
C) 3
3 + –1.75 ish = 1.25 ish
D) 4
3 + –3 = 0

SAT MANUAL
READING
FUNCTIONS DRILL
Time: 8 minutes
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
5 7
On a recent hiking trip in the High Atlas For all values of x, if the function f(x) is defined as
Mountains, Mackenzie starts her trek one morning x
from a basecamp that is 2,000 feet above sea level. f(x) = , then which of the following is the value of
2
If she ascends an additional 300 feet from sea level
MATH
every hour, then which of the following functions f(2a – 4b) ?

Can PI for a & b or
accurately describes Mackenzie’s altitude, A, in feet,
A) a + 2b PI whole value in parentheses
as a function of her time, t, in hours?
for x
PI a−b
300 B) 2a - 4 b
A) h(t ) 2, 000 = 2,000 + 300
2 = 2,150 4
t=2 t f (2=
a - 4b ) =
2
So B) h(t) = 2,000 + 300t = 2,000 + 300(2) = 2,600 C) a – 4b
a – 2b
2, 000
C) h(t) = 300t – 2,000 = 300(2) – 2,000 = –1,400
+ 300 D) a – 2b
+ 300
D) h(t) = 2,000t + 300 = 2,000(2) + 300 = 4,300
2, 600

FUNCTIONS
8 28
READING
For function a, the value of a(1) = 4 and a(8) = 2, x 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
and for function b, the value of b(4) = 7 and b(1) = 8.
t(x) –2 0 2 4 6 8 10
What is the value of b(a(1)) ?
b(a(1)) = b(4) = 7 y
A) 2
B) 4 max
WRITING AND
C) 7
LANGUAGE
w(x)
D) 8
1
x
1
MATH
13
If f(x) = 3 – 4x, what is the value of the expression
–2f(–2) – 3f(–3) ?
A) –67 can use calc but be careful with The complete graph of the function w and a table
B) –37 parentheses of values for the function t are shown above. The
C) –17 maximum value of w is m. What is the value of t(m) ?
D) 37 –2f(–2) –3f(–3) =
–2[3 – 4(–2)] – 3[3 – 4(–3)] = A) 4 max value of w is at y = 5, so
B) 5 m=5
–2(3 + 8) –3(3 + 12) = C) 6
D) 7 t(5) = 6
–2(11) –3(15) =
–22 – 45 = –67
35
In the function f(x) = 3x2 + 4x – 7, for how many
integer values of x between –3 and 3 is f(x) ≤ 0 ?
A few options here—

4
1. PI
–2, –1, 0, 1, & 2 for x
f(x) = –3, –8, –7, 0 & 13
2. Sketch a graph.
3. Graph on calc.

SAT MANUAL
Summary
• x
Given a function, you put __________ in
y
and get _________ out.
• For word problems contain-

ing functions, read carefully for
_________________,
key words and look for ways
to ways to _______________________,
ballpark
__________________,
PI PITA
or ________________.
• For questions about the graphs of

y
functions, remember that f(x) = _________.
• What can you do if the graph contains a

labeled point?
_____________________________________
Plug in the point
• On compound function questions, work
from inside out

_____________________________________
• I have accomplished _________ of the

3 goals stated at the beginning of this
chapter.

FUNCTIONS
PRACTICE
565
SAT MANUAL
FUNCTIONS AND GRAPHS VOCABULARY

READING
Term Definition Examples/Draw It

Perpendicular meeting at a right angle see below – line C is ^ to lines A and B
Parallel 2 lines that never intersect see below – A and B are || B
A C
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Intersection (of lines) the point where 2 lines meet see below – points D and E
Bisect to divide into 2 equal parts A B C
O
Midpoint the point that bisects a line segment see above (Point B) in xy-plane,
Origin where x-axis and y-axis meet (0, 0) see below midpoint is:
 x1 + x2 y 1 + y2 
x-axis the horizontal axis in the xy-plane see below  2 , 2 
y-axis the vertical axis in the xy-plane see below
MATH
Slope rise y − y1
or 2
run x2 − x1
x-intercept where a graph crosses the x-axis; y = 0 see below

y-intercept where a graph crosses the y-axis; x = 0 see below
Constant a value in a function that does not change in y = c(x + 1), c is the constant
Function a set of ordered pairs in which each
x-value has only 1 y-value
y = f(x) the y-value that corresponds to a given
x-value
Interval the part of the graph in question –2 £ x £ 3
Symmetric looking the same on either side of a divid-
ing line
Reflection to flip part of the graph over line of point reflected over line y = x
symmetry
Rotation the turn part of the graph around the rotate clockwise 90°
origin
y-axis
line A
line B
D
E
parallel lines A & B never meet
and have same slope
O line C
x-axis
line C is perpendicular to
x-intercept lines A & B and its slope is the
negative reciprocal of their
y-intercept slopes
CONTINUE
FUNCTIONS PRACTICE
FUNCTION BASICS
READING
7 16
If f(x) = 3x + 1, what is one possible value of x for The function f is defined by f(x) = 2x – 7 for all
PITA
which 6 < f(x) < 22 ? values of x. What is the value of f(3) + f(5) ?
x
A) 3 f(3) = 3(3) + 1 = 9 + 1 = 10 3
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
B) 7 f(7) = 3(7) + 1 = 21 + 1 = 22 too big f(3) = 2(3) – 7 = 6 – 7 = –1
2
C) 9 f(5) = 2(5) – 7 = 10 – 7 = 3
D) 10 –1 + 3 = 2
MATH
11
x f(x)
–2 4
–1 0
Plug in
values from
0 –2 chart
1 –2
2 0
A function is plotted in the xy-plane. The function

passes through the points in the table above. Which
of these equations could represent the function?
A) f(x) = 2x + 8
B) f(x) = 2x2 – 2
C) f(x) = (x – 2)(x + 1)
D) f(x) = x2 – 3x + 2
x = –2 f(x) = 4
A) 2(–2) + 8 =8–4=4 3
B) 2(–2)2 – 2 =8–2=6 7
C) (–2 – 2)(–2 + 1) = (–4)(–1) = 4 3
D) (–2)2 – 3(–2) + 2 = 4 + 6 + 2 = 12 7
x = 0 f(x) = –2
A) 2(0) + 8 =0+8=7 7
C) (0 – 2)(0 + 1) =–2 3
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
FUNCTIONS IRL
READING
1 19
Priya is estimating how much candy she will collect P(x) = –ax + k
on Halloween. Priya’s total pieces of candy C, for
b blocks trick-or-treated is given by the function
The number of skaters at an outdoor skating rink
WRITING AND
C(b) = 8b + 15. If Priya collected 135 pieces of

LANGUAGE
candy, how many blocks did she trick-or-treat? can be modeled by the function above, where x is
A) 12 the average daily temperature in degrees Fahrenheit
PITA or
and a and k are constants. When the average daily
B) 15
solve: temperature is 15°, there are twice as many skaters
C) 16
8b + 15 = 135 as when the average daily temperature is 24°. What
D) 18 8b = 120 a
is the value of ?
b = 15 k
MATH
two values of x are given;

1 / 3 3 15 and 24
P(15) P(24)
9 –a(15) + k –a(24) + k
P(15) is twice P(24)
So,
–15a + k = 2(–24a + k)
42"
36" –15 a + k = –48a + 2k
+48a –k +48a –k
33a = k
If k = 1, a = 33, so
Figure I Figure II Figure III
n=4 n=6 a 1
=
Note: Figure not drawn to scale. k 33
The figures above show three stacks of identical

storage containers. Figure I illustrates how a
container stacks inside the one below it. Figure II
shows a stack of four containers with a height
of 36 inches, and Figure III shows a stack of six
containers with a height of 42 inches. Which of the
following functions gives the height in inches, f(n),
of a stack of n storage containers, for all n ≥ 1 ?
PI n = 4 A) f(n) = 3n + 12 3(4) + 12 = 12 + 12 = 24 7
f(n) = 36 B) f(n) = 3n + 24 3(4) + 24 = 12 + 24 = 36 3
C) f(n) = 3n + 27 3(4) + 27 = 12 + 27 = 39 7
D) f(n) = 6n + 12 6(4) + 12 = 24 + 12 = 36 3
PI n = 6; f(n) = 42
B) 3(6) + 24 = 18 + 24 = 42 3 CONTINUE
FUNCTIONS PRACTICE
READING
5 16
y y
5 6
WRITING AND
4
LANGUAGE
4
3
2 (1,2) 2
1
0 x 0 x
1 2 3 4 5 6
–1 2 4 6 8 10
–2 –2
MATH
–3
–4 –4
–5
–6
Which of the following equations best describes the

figure above? The parabola and vertical line intersect at
A) y = 2x + 1 straight line → POE x = 6. What is the y-coordinate of the point of
intersection?
B) y =
x 4 2 =
1 - 4 ; 2 1- 4 7
Plug in Find the point where the
(1,2) 1 1 1 2 parabola and vertical line
C) y = = x 2 = 1; 2 7
3 3 3 intersect. The point is just
D) y = 2=
x 2 2=
1; 2 23 above 6 on the horizontal
(x) axis. From there, draw a
line straight to the left until
you hit the vertical (y) axis.
It hits at 2, so that’s the
y-coordinate of the point of
intersection.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
FUNCTION BASICS
READING
3 34
If f is a linear function and f(3) = 7, which of the If f(x) = ax + b, where a and b are constants, and
following could be the definition of f ? if f(0) = 4 and f(2) = 6, for what value of x does
A) f(x) = –x + 10 f(3) = –3 + 10 = 7 3 f(x) = 10 ?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
B) f(x) = –x2 + 16 not linear

4 = a(0) + b
C) f(x) = x2 – 2 not linear 6
D) f(x) = 2x + 2 f(3) = 2(3) + 2 = 8 7 4=0+b
b = 4 → f(x) = ax + 4
f(2) = a(2) + 4 = 6
2a = 2
MATH
a = 1 → f(x) = x + 4
23
x + 4 = 10
If f(x) is a linear function such that f(2) = 2 and
9 x=6
f (5) = , which of the following is f(x) ?
2
5 1 x =2
A) f(x) = x+
6 3 5 1 6
(2) + = = 2 3
6 3 3
B) f(x) = x + 2
9 2 x =5
C) f(x) = x+
2 3 5 1 25 2 27 9 35
(5) + = + = = 3
D) f(x) = 5x + 6 6 3 6 6 6 2 If f(x) ≥ |x| + 10, then which of the following is the
LEAST possible value of f(x) ?
|x| can never be negative,

1 0 so smallest value is |x| = 0
Both points work in (A), so stop there. and f(x) = (0) + 10 = 10.
CONTINUE
FUNCTIONS PRACTICE
FUNCTIONS IRL
READING
PI
PI t = 5
H(t) = 60 x = 4 and look
8 29 for P(x) = 90
Sara drops a coin down a wishing well, which she The profit of a certain manufacturing company
knows to be 60 feet deep. She hears it hit the bottom can be expressed using the quadratic function
at t = 5 seconds after she dropped it. If the coin P(x), where P is the company’s profit, in thousands
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
passed the halfway mark at approximately t = 3.5 of dollars, and x is the number of units sold, in
seconds, which equation, as H(t), best represents the thousands. If the maximum profit of the company
distance, in feet, the coin travels as it drops? is $90,000 and occurs when 4,000 units are sold,
A) H(t) = –4.9t –4.9(5) = –24.5 7 which of the following equations could represent
P(x) ? x=4
B) H(t) = 28 – 2.55t 28 – 2.55(5) = 15.25 7
A) P(x) = –2x2 + 30x + 90 –2(4)2 + 30(4) + 90 = 178
C) H(t) = 2.55t – 14 2.55(5) – 14 = –1.25 7
B) P(x) = –5x2 + 40x + 10 –5(42) + 40(4) + 10 = 90
D) H(t) = 2.4t2 2.4(5)2 = 2.4(25) = 60 3
MATH
C) P(x) = –10x2 + 4,000x
D) P(x) = –15x2 + 90x + 4,000
Plug In!
18
During the month of July, the daily number of
visitors, V(x), to a library can be modeled by the
function V(x) = ax + k, where x is the average daily
temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit, and a and k are
constants. If the daily number of visitors decreases
as the average daily temperature rises, which of the
following must be true?
A) a < 0 Let k = 100
B) –1 < a < 1 V(x) = ax + 100
C) a = 0
Plug in 2 different values of x
D) a > 0 to see what happens for each
answer.
note, slope
can’t be 0 A) If x = 10 and a = –1
if V(x) is
changing V(10) = (–1)(10) + 100 = 90
If x = 20 and a = –1
V(20) = (–1)(20) + 100 = 80
Temp rose and # of visitors
decreased.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL

READING
7 10
y
4 y
3
WRITING AND
3
LANGUAGE
2
2
1 (2,1)
x
–5 –4 –3 –2 –1 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 1
–1
x
–2 –3 –2 –1 O 1 2 3
MATH
–3 –1
–4 PI a point w/o
zero in it –2
Which of the following equations is shown in the –3

graph above? x = 2 y=1
A) y = x2 – 3 22 – 3
=4–3=1 3 The graph of f(x) is shown above. What must be
B) y = x2 + 3 22 + 3
=4+3=7 7 true about f(x) ?
C) y = –x2 – 3 –(22) – 3 = –4 – 3 = – 7 A) f(x) has three solutions for which f(x) = 0.
not a D) y = e3x e6 » 403 7 B) f(0) has three values.
parabola
C) The minimum value of f(x) is −2.
Ways to solve
D) The maximum value of f(x) is 2.
1. Know transformation rules (in Advanced
Coordinate Geometray chapter)
A) graph of f(x) crosses the x-axis 3 times
2. Graph answers on calculator
B) in f(0), x = 0, which only crossed the line once at
3. Plug in points—likely the best way for most y=0
students
C) the graph goes down forever on the left side, so
there is no minimum.
D) the graph goes up forever on the right side, so
there is no maximum.
CONTINUE
FUNCTIONS PRACTICE
20
READING
y
6
6
44
22
–4 –3 –2 –1 x
O0 11 22 33 44
WRITING AND
–5 –4 –3 –2 –1 5
LANGUAGE
–2
–2
clearest point
–4
–4 is (0,0)
–6
–6
Which of the following equations best describes the

figure above?
MATH
2
x2 0
A) y= =
= − 3 −5 0 - - 5; 0 - 5 7
x 03
x3 03
B) y = =0 = ;0 03
5 5
C) y = x2 – 5x + 5 0 = 0 – 5(0) + 5; 0 = 5 7
2
la
bo
D) y = (x – 5)(x – 1) 0 = (0 – 5)(0 – 1); 0 = (–5)(–1) 7

ra
pa
la
bo
ra
pa
Could also graph and check

answers on calculator
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
COMPOUND FUNCTIONS
READING
17 33
For two functions, where f(x) = 4 – 2x and where If f(x) = 2x + 3 and g(x) = 3x, then what is f(g(2)) ?
2
g(x) = x , which of the following represents g(f(x)) ?
g(2) = 3(2) = 6
WRITING AND
1 5
LANGUAGE
4 g(4 – 2x) = f(g(2)) = f(6) = 2(6) + 3

A) 4 -
x
2 2 = 12 + 3 = 15
2
= =
4 - 2x 2(2 - x )
B) x + 2
1
x - x2 2 - x
C) 4
MATH
x
OR
1
D) 2 - x Plug in x = 3; f(3) = –2
g(–2) = –1
Plug x = 3 into answers to see
which one equals –1.
23
x f(x) x g(x)
–4 6 –6 2
–2 2 –2 –4
0 0 0 4
2 –2 4 4
4 –6 6 2
Two functions, f and g, are defined according to the

tables above. What is the value of g(f(2)) ?
A) –4 f(2) = –2
B) –2 g(–2) = –4
C) 2
D) 6

COORDINATE
GEOMETRY 101
Even though a graphing calculator can help with

many questions in the xy-plane, you won’t always be
able to use it. Gain a solid understanding of how to
answer these questions by completing this section
with only your pencil as a tool.
575
SAT MANUAL
READING
DRAWING LINES
Slope
WRITING AND
rise y 2 − y 1
LANGUAGE
=
run x 2 − x 1
MATH
Line #1
Plot these ordered pairs and draw a line to connect them.
(–4, –5) y
(–2, –1)
(1, 5)
(3, 9)
1. Use (1, 5) and (3, 9) to calculate the slope. (Which one is y1, and
which one is y2? It doesn’t matter! Just be consistent: Match the
x-coordinates in the same order.)
9−5 4
= = 2
3− 1 2
_____________________________________________________________
2. 3
At what y-value does the line cross the y-axis? _____________________
3. 0
What does x equal when the line crosses the y-axis? ________________

COORDINATE GEOMETRY 101
READING
Equation of a Line
There are many forms for the equation of a line, but the one you’ll likely see most
often on the SAT is the slope-intercept form.
Slope-intercept form
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
y = mx + b
slope
4. What does m represent?_______________________________________________
5. What does b represent?__y-intercept

______________________________________________
MATH
coordinates of a pt. on a line
6. What do x and y represent?____________________________________________
7. What is the slope-intercept form of Line 1?__y___________________________

= 2x + 3
Line #2
Plot these ordered pairs and draw a line to connect them.
y
(–6, 8)
(–2, 5)
(2, 2)
(6, –1)
1. Use two of the ordered pairs to calculate the slope of this line:
5−2 3
=−
___________________________________________________________
−2 − (2) 4
2. Use the slope and one of the ordered pairs to solve for the
3 3 3 4 3 7
y-intercept: _________________________________________________
2 = - (2) + b ; 2 = - + b ; b = 2 + = + =
4 2 2 2 2 2
3. Put them together to write the slope-intercept form of the line:
3 7
y =- x +
___________________________________________________________
4 2
SAT MANUAL
READING
Parallel and Perpendicular Lines

Plot the ordered pairs for each of these three lines, draw the three separate lines
on the facing page, label them, then calculate the slope for each. (Note that you
already have the y-intercept for each line—look at the third ordered pair in each
line.)
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Line #3 5-4 1
(–4, 2)
=
slope =
2-0 2
(–2, 3)
(0, 4) ← y-intercept
(2, 5)
(4, 6)
1
MATH
y= x+4
Slope-intercept form:_______________________________________________
2
Line #4
(–4, –8) -4 - (-5) -4 + 5 1
(–2, –7) slope = = =
(0, –6) ← y-intercept 4-2 2 2
(2, –5)
(4, –4)
1
y= x–6
2
Line #5
(–4, 10) 6-2 4
(–2, 6) =
slope = = -2
-2 - 0 -2
(0, 2) ← y-intercept
(2, –2)
(4, –6)
y = –2x + 2

READING
y
line 3
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
x
line 4
MATH
line 5
parallel
1. What is the relationship between Lines #3 and #4?________________
the same
2. What is the relationship between their slopes?____________________
perpendicular
3. What is the relationship between Lines #3 and #5?________________
negative reciprocals
4. What is the relationship between their slopes?____________________

SAT MANUAL
rare on SAT
READING
Reflections
One topic that is less likely but still possible to be tested is reflections of lines.
Sketch these three lines and label them 6, 7, and 8.
Line #6 y = 3x + 5
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Line #7 y = −3 x + 5
Line #8 y = −3 x − 5
MATH
y
line 7
line 6
line 8
y-axis
1. Line #7 is the reflection of Line #6 across which axis?______________
opposite sign
2. What happened to the slope?_________________________________
3. What happened to the y-intercept?__stayed the same

___________________________
x-axis
4. Line #8 is the reflection of Line #6 across which axis?______________
opposite sign
5. What happened to the slope?_________________________________
6. What happened to the y-intercept?__opposite sign

___________________________

WE ♥ OUR CALCULATORS
READING
Now that your drawing skills have reminded you why all these neat facts hold up, On Section 4, you can
you can use your calculator again. use your calculator to
graph lines in the xy-
plane, so practice those
skills now. No calculator?
No problem! PITA is also
Tables
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
a good option for these
Most graphing calculators are able to not only graph an equation in the xy-plane, questions.
but also create a table of values. Look up how to make tables using your specific
calculator.
11. In the standard coordinate plane, which of the following ordered pairs
falls on the line described by the equation 3y – x = 2 ?
MATH
A) (0, 1) Do it on your calculator or PI the points.
A) 3(1) – 0 = 2? NO 7
B) (–1, 1)
B) 3(1) – (–1) = 2? NO 7
 1 
C)  , 1  1
 3  C) 3(1) – = 2? NO 7
3
D) (–5, –1) D) 3(–1) – (–5) = –3 + 5 = 2 3
Intersections
Graphing calculators can also find the intersection of two lines. As above, look
up how to find the intersection between two lines on your specific calculator. You
might have to solve the equation for y before putting it into your calculator.
10. The lines y = 3x + 4 and y = 5x + 6 have one point in common. What

are the coordinates of that point?
A) (3, 4) Do it on your calculator, PI the points, or set
B) (2, –2) equations equal to solve.
C) (2, 2) 3x + 4 = 5x + 6
D) (–1, 1) –2 = 2x
x = –1
It’s (D)—no need to calculate y.

SAT MANUAL
READING
FUN FACTS ABOUT COORDINATE GEOMETRY
Transformations
Translation
• A translation moves a figure without rotation or reflection; basically,
WRITING AND
it just slides around. This is the type of transformation most likely to

LANGUAGE
show up on the SAT. Just in case, though, below are some other types
you may see.
Rotation
• Rotation means turning an object about a single point, which is
called the center of rotation. For example, a second hand on a clock is
rotating every second, and its center of rotation is the middle of the
MATH
clock.
Reflection
• To reflect an object means to create its mirror image across a line of
reflection.
• Lines reflected across the x-axis have slopes that are negatives of each
other and also y-intercepts that are negatives of each other.
• Lines reflected across the y-axis have the same y-intercept, but their
slopes are negatives of each other.
Symmetry
• A figure has reflective symmetry if it looks the same after a reflection.
Such a figure reflects across a line of symmetry.
• A figure has rotational symmetry if it can be rotated and still look the
same. Such a figure is rotated around a point of symmetry.

READING
COORDINATE GEOMETRY FORMULAS
Distances
• Distance: d = ( x1 − x2 )2 + ( y1 − y2 )2
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
x + x 2 y1 + y2 
• Midpoint:  1 ,
 2 2 
Lines
y2 − y1
• Slope:
MATH
x 2 − x1
• Slope-intercept form: y = mx + b
• Standard form: Ax + By = C
Circles
• Circle centered at (0, 0): x 2 + y 2 = r 2
Circle centered at (h, k): ( x − h ) + ( y − k ) = r 2

2 2
•

COORDINATE
GEOMETRY
11:15 Restate my assumptions:

1. Mathematics is the language of nature.
2. Everything around us can be represented and
understood through numbers.
3. If you graph these numbers, patterns emerge.
Therefore: There are patterns everywhere in nature.
—Max Cohen in the film Pi
585
SAT MANUAL
READING
GOALS REVIEW
• Apply skills of graphing functions on the xy-plane to questions about

lines
• Interpret the meanings of graphs and their values and roots in the
WRITING AND
xy-plane
LANGUAGE
• Apply skills of graphing functions on the xy-plane to questions about

parabolas
Preview: In what ways • Understand how to use the different forms of linear and quadratic
can you describe your equations
location to someone
else? What ways
might be easiest to
MATH
use? What might be

the most precise way COORDINATE GEOMETRY
to describe your Now that you know all about functions in the xy-plane, let’s cover a few related
topics about coordinate geometry, which deals with graphing lines, functions, and
location? In math,
shapes in the xy-plane.
we often use the
coordinate system
to describe loca-
tion and change in
functions. LINES IN THE COORDINATE PLANE
We’ll start with finding and using the various properties of linear functions in the
xy-plane, including slope and intercepts, as well as how to interpret their real-life
applications.
SLOPE-INTERCEPT FORM
The equation of a line in the xy-plane can be written in slope-intercept form, which
is very useful for seeing how the line angles through the xy-plane and where it
crosses the y-axis.
Slope-Intercept Form of a Linear Equation: y = mx + b

• The slope of the line is m.
• The y-intercept of the line is b.
• The x and y are the coordinates of any point on the line.
Knowing the various forms of equations and being able to convert from
one to another is important on the SAT. Look for boxes like this to de-
scribe the different forms. Review each form with students.

COORDINATE GEOMETRY
Sometimes, it is necessary to calculate the slope of a line.
READING
y
8
Line m
6 36
WRITING AND
4, 5
LANGUAGE
5
- 4 , 3 4

2
–8 –6 –4 –2 2 4 6 8
x
–2
12
-8, - 5
MATH
–4
–6
–8
33. What is the slope of line m, shown in the xy-plane above?
Awkward points with fractions, but 1st &

4 / 5
3rd points have same denominator, so use
 12   36 
 −8, −  and  4 , − 
5 5 
36
- (- 125 ) 36
+ 125
slope = 5
= 5
4 - (-8) 4+8
48
48 1 4
= 5
= ⋅ = or 0.8
12 5 12 5
y2 - y1
Slope =
x 2 - x1

SAT MANUAL
18. In the xy-plane, line l passes through the points (2, 9) and (–4, 0).
READING
If line l crosses the y-axis at the point (0, k), what is the value of k ?
Use points to find slope
6 9-0 9 3
=
slope = =
2 - (-4) 6 2
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Plug slope and one point into y = mx + b form

to find equation.
3
9= (2) + b 9 = 3 + b b=6
2
(0, k) is the y-intercept, so k = b = 6, or you
can plug in x = 0 to find k.
MATH
Some questions ask about features of a graph that could be made from a table of
data.
16. Oliver is looking to rent an apartment for an indeterminate amount

of time and is choosing among three different apartments. The table
below shows the real estate fee, rent, and utilities costs for three
apartments below.
Apartment Real Estate Fee, F Rent, R Utilities, U

(dollars) (dollars per month) (dollars per month)
I 500 750 70
II 650 800 85
III 900 625 55
The total cost, C, of the real estate fee, rent, and utilities in terms of the
number of months, m, is given by C = F + (R + U)m. If the relationship
for total cost, C, and the number of months, m, for renting apartment
II is graphed in the xy-plane, what does the slope of the line represent?
A) The total monthly cost of utilities
B) The total monthly cost of the rent and utilities
C) The real estate fee
D) The total cost of the apartment
On the graph of this function, C = y and m = x.
In y = mx + b, slope m is multiplied by x, so here, slope is
(R + U), which is multiplied by months. R + U = rent + utilities, so
it’s (B).

COORDINATE GEOMETRY
READING
PARALLEL AND PERPENDICULAR LINES
Knowing the slope of a line is essential to determine whether that line is parallel or
perpendicular to a second line. Parallel lines have the same slope and no solutions,
while perpendicular lines have one solution and slopes that are negative reciprocals.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
(0, 4)
Line m
(–14, 0)
x
O (7, 0)
Line n
MATH
(0, k)
7. In the xy-plane above, line m is parallel to line n. What is the value

of k ? 4-0 4
=
slope = -
A) –14 0-7 7
B) –8
Line n: plug slope and (–14, 0) into y = mx + b to find the equation of the line.
C) –7
D) –4 ballpark! 0 =  − 4  (−14 ) + b
 
 7
0 = 8 + b; b = –8; k = y-intercept, so k = b = –8
Parallel lines have the same slope and no solutions.

SAT MANUAL
READING
College Board often makes the slope of a line harder to find by giving answer
choices that are not in slope-intercept form. Knowing how to calculate the slope
and y-intercept from an equation in standard form will save you from having to
convert it into slope-intercept form.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Most students
will know form from Standard Form of a Linear Equation: Ax + By = C
school but may not
know how to find A
• The slope of the line is - .
slope and intercept B
from this form.
C
• The y-intercept of the line is .
MATH
3x – 5y = 15
12. In the xy-plane, the graph of which of the following equations is

perpendicular to the graph of the equation shown above?
A) 3x + 15y = 5 A 3 3
B) 3x + 9y = 15 slope of =
line -= - =
B (-5) 5
C) 5x + 9y = 15
D) 5x + 3y = 15 5
⊥ slope is a negative reciprocal, so - .
3
Now check answer slopes.
Perpendicular lines have negative reciprocal slopes

and one solution.
3 5 5 5
A) − ≠− C) − ≠−
15 3 9 3
3 5 5 5
B) − ≠− D) − =−
9 3 3 3

COORDINATE GEOMETRY
READING
SIMULTANEOUS EQUATIONS—
INFINITE/NO SOLUTIONS
It is possible that two equations represent the same line and thus have infinitely
many solutions. Another possibility is that the two equations represent parallel
lines and thus have no solution.
WRITING AND
2x – cy = 9
LANGUAGE

5x – 9y = 11
8. In the system of equations above, c is a constant and x and y are variables. If

the system of equations has no solution, what is the value of c ?
81 no solution → parallel slopes.
MATH
A) −
11
A 5 5
18 = -= -
In 2nd line, slope =
B) − B (-9) 9
5
2 5
In 1st line,=slope -=
18 (-c ) 9
C)
5 Cross-multiply.
81 -5c -18
D)
11 =
-5 -5
18
c =
5

SAT MANUAL
READING
Questions on systems of equations with infinitely many solutions might sound

very different from questions on systems of equations with no solutions. However,
the two types of questions are actually very similar.
3x + 5y = 80
mx + ny = 20
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
19. The system of equations above has infinitely many solutions. If m and n are
m
constants, what is the value of ?
n
Infinite solutions → same line.
3 / 5
Could multiply second equation by 4, but when
MATH
slope of 2nd equation is reduced, it will match

slope of first equation.
A 3
Slope of first equation = - = -
B 5
A m
Slope of second equation = - = -
B n
3 m
- = -
5 n
m 3
= or 0.6
n 5
Whether a system of linear equations has infinitely many solu-

tions or no solution, the slopes of the equations are equal.

COORDINATE GEOMETRY
READING
CURVES IN THE COORDINATE PLANE
Sometimes, you will be dealing with non-linear graphs in the coordinate plane.
Often, simply plugging in a given point will help you find the answer.
33. In the xy-plane, function g is defined as g(x) = 2x2 + c, and the point (–3, 19)
lies on the graph of g. What is the value of constant c ?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
1 When given a point, plug it in.
x = –3; y = 19
19 = 2(–3)2 + c
19 = 18 + c
MATH
c=1
The graph of the previous function would form a parabola, a symmetrical,

U-shaped curve that represents a quadratic equation.
The standard form of a quadratic equation is y = ax 2 + bx + c.

SAT MANUAL
READING
Though you may be most familiar with the standard form of a quadratic, factored
and vertex forms are also important on the SAT.
10. Which of the following equations is an equivalent form of y = x2 – x – 20 for

which the solutions to the equation are shown as constants or coefficients?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
A) y = (x + 5)(x – 4) 1. Must be factored to show solutions

(see box below). POE (C) & (D).
B) y = (x – 5)(x + 4) 2. To choose between (A) & (B), use FOIL to
2 see which is equivalent to given equation.
C) y x
1 81
2 4 A) y = x2 – 4x + 5x – 20 = x2 + x – 20
MATH
2
1 81 B) y = x2 + 4x – 5x – 20 = x2 – x – 20
D) y x
2 4
Note to teachers—low-scorers can PI

instead of using FOIL.
The factored form of a quadratic equation is

y = a(x – m)(x – n), where m and n are
the x-intercepts of the parabola.
If a question asks for you to switch between different forms of an equation, use
POE. If you know the factored form of the equation, you know the roots. If you
know the roots of the equation, you know the factored form.

COORDINATE GEOMETRY
Note to teachers—low-scorers can PI instead of using FOIL.
g(x) = (x – 7)(x + 3) = x2 + 3x – 7x – 21 = x2 – 4x – 21
READING
27. Which of the following is an equivalent form of the function g above in
which the minimum value of g appears as a constant or coefficient?
A) g(x) = (x – 2)2 – 25 = x2 – 4x + 4 – 25 = x2 – 4x – 21 3
B) g(x) = (x + 2)2 – 9 1. Must be vertex form to show minimum
WRITING AND
(see box below). POE (C) & (D), which aren’t in
LANGUAGE
C) g(x) = x2 – 4x – 21
correct form.
D) g(x) = x2 – 21
2. To choose between (A) & (B), expand
original equation & ones in (A) & (B) to find
equivalent one.
The vertex form of a quadratic equation is y = a(x – h)2 + k,
MATH
where (h, k) is the vertex of the parabola.
• If a is positive, the parabola opens upward and
k represents the minimum value of the equation.
• If a is negative, the parabola opens downward and
k represents the maximum value of the equation.
• If the equation of a parabola is given in standard form,
b
then h = - . Use this for Q8.
2a
• If the equation of a parabola is given in factored form, then
h is equal to the average of the roots of the equation.
• Once the value of h is determined by any method, the value
of k can be determined using k = f(h). Use this for Q8.
f(x) = x2 – 12x + 9
8. What are the coordinates of the minimum value of function f ?

A) (6, –27) minimum = vertex = (h, k) and
B) (–6, –27)
b -12 12
C) (6, 27) h =- ,=
so h -= =6
2a 2(1) 2
D) (–6, 27)
POE (B) & (D)
k = f(h), so k = (6)2 – 12(6) + 9 = 36 – 72 + 9 = –27
POE (C).
Can also PITA

SAT MANUAL
READING
COORDINATE GEOMETRY DRILL

Time: 8 minutes
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
9 11
Line l can be modeled by the equation y = 5x – 9. y
If line m is parallel to line l, which of the following
8
could represent line m ?
A
slope = -
MATH
A) x + 5y = –2 6
B
B) –3x + 5y = 15 1 4
C) –5x + y = 11 A) -
5
2
D) 10x + 2y = 9
 -3  3
B) -  =
 5  5 O x
Line l, slope = 5 –4 –2 2 4
–2
Parallel lines have  -5 
C) -  =5
same slope.  1  –4
 10  –6
D) -   = - 5
2
–8
If the graph above describes the equation

y x k y x , what is the value of the constant
k?
PI point (1, –3)
A) –3 –3 + 1 = k(–3 – 1)
1 –2 = –4k
B) −
2 -2 -4k
=
1 -4 -4
C)
2
1
D) 3 k =
2

COORDINATE GEOMETRY
Teacher note:
Q27 slightly revised for 7.0
23 27
READING
y
y = k(x – 9)(x + 3)
In the quadratic equation above, k is a nonzero

a
constant. The graph of the equation in the xy-
plane is a parabola with vertex (a, b). Which of the 1
WRITING AND
following is equal to b ?
LANGUAGE
x
1
A) –48k = –48
B) –36k = –36
C) –27k = –27
D) –3k = –3 The graph of the linear function a(x) is shown in
the xy-plane above. The slope of the graph of linear
function b(x) is –3 times the slope of the graph of
MATH
PI k = 1 a(x). If b(x) passes through the point (0, 3), what is
the value of b(5) ?
y = (x – 9)(x + 3) = x2 + 3x – 9x – 27
A) –15 line a: pts (0, 1) & (3, 2)
= x2 – 6x – 27
B) –8
Slope of line a =
b  -6  C) –5
h =- = - =3
2a  2  D) –2
2-1 1
for vertex =
(h, k) 3-0 3
k = f(h) = (3)2 – 6(3) – 27
= 9 – 18 – 27 = –36 1
line b: slope = –3   = –1
3
Now plug k = 1 into answers. goes through (0, 3), so
3 = –1(0) + b
3=b
y= –1x + 3
b(5) = –1(5) + 3 = –5 + 3
= –2

SAT MANUAL
29 32
READING
Depth of Topsoil 10x − 5y = p

d
2x − y = 3
In the xy-plane, the equations above represent the

same line for some constant p. What is the value
5.0
WRITING AND
of p ?
LANGUAGE
Topsoil depth (cm)
Multiply 2nd equation by 5

1 5 to match 1st equation.
4.5
5(2x – y) = 3(5)
10x – 5y = 15
10x – 5y = p
MATH
4.0 t so p = 15
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Time (years)
Every year that a certain field is planted and

harvested, the land loses 0.1 cm of topsoil. Because
topsoil contains vital nutrients and microorganisms,
the depletion of topsoil is of great ecological
concern. The graph above displays the actual and
projected soil erosion in terms of the depth of
topsoil d over a period of t years, starting in 2010.
Which of the following represents the depth of the
topsoil in 2010?
A) The t-intercept
B) The d-intercept
C) The point (10, 4.2)
D) The slope of the line
Check answers and use POE.

A) The t-intercept is where d = 0. At d = 0,
t = 12, and that 12 years after 2010, or
2022. Eliminate (A).
B) The d-intercept is where t = 0. At t = 0,
date is 2010, and topsoil depth is 5.2. This
fits the graph. Keep it.
C) At t = 10, it’s 2020. Eliminate (C).
D) The slope is a function of depth over time,
so it can’t be a specific depth.

COORDINATE GEOMETRY
Summary
• For questions about the graphs of
functions, remember that f(x) = __________.
y
What can you do if the graph contains
a labeled point?
___________________________________
Plug in that point
• The y-intercept can be found using the
slope-intercept
________________________ form.
• What are three other names for the roots of

a function?
solutions
______________________________________
zeros
______________________________________
These topics are not covered
x-intercepts
______________________________________
explicitly in this chapter, but
At the root, y = ____.
0 solutions were covered in
To find the roots, you can Solving 201, so students
solve for x
___________________________________, should be able to get these.
graph on calculator
___________________________________,
plug in answers
or ________________________________.
• What is the formula for the slope of a line?

y2 - y1
slope =
______________________________________
x2 - x1
Parallel slopes are
___________________________________.
equal
Perpendicular slopes are
negative
___________________________________
reciprocals
___________________________________.
• What are the three forms of a quadratic

equation?
___________________________________,
standard
factored
___________________________________,
vertex
and __________________________________.
• Roots can be found using the

factored
________________ form.
• Maximum or minimum values can be

vertex
found using the ________________ form.


COORDINATE
GEOMETRY
PRACTICE
601
SAT MANUAL
ROOTS AND SOLUTIONS

READING
4 10
y y
WRITING AND
y = f(x)
LANGUAGE
(s, 0) (t, 0) (c, 0)

x x
O (–a, 0) O
MATH
(0, –b)
The figure above shows the graph in the xy-plane of The graph in the xy-plane of the function f is shown
f (x ) x 2 4 x 3 . What is the value of s ? above. Which of the following functions is f ?
A) 1 A) f(x) = (x – a)(x – b)
s & t are roots or solutions, so
B) 2 solve it or PITA (be careful w/PITA, B) f(x) = (x – a)(x + c)
C) 3 though, as the value of t is likely in C) f(x) = (x + a)(x – c)
D) 4
the answers. D) f(x) = (x + b)(x – c)
To solve: Two ways to solve this: forms of equations or PI. Do what

students want.
x2 – 4x + 3 = (x – 3)(x – 1)
x – 3 = 0; x – 1 = 0 Plugging In
x = 3; x = 1 Use point (c, 0), so x = c and f(x) = 0.
A) 0 = (c – a)(c – b) might be 0, who knows?
s = 1 and t = 3 B) 0 = (c – a)(c + c) might be 0, who knows?
C) 0 = (c + a)(c – c) 0 = (c + a)(0) true!
D) 0 = (c + b)(c – c) 0 = (c + b)(0) true!
Now try (–a, 0) in (C) and (D), so x = –a, f(x) = 0

C) 0 = (–a + a)(–a – c) 0 = (0)(–a – c) true!
D) 0 = (–a + b)(–a – c) might be 0, who knows?
Only (C) is definitely true.
Factored form of quadratic

If (x – a) is a factor, then a is a root.
Roots at –a and c, so (x – (–a)) and (x – c) are factors.
POE (B).
POE (A) & (D), which include b.
(x – (–a)) = (x + a) so it’s (C).
CONTINUE
COORDINATE GEOMETRY PRACTICE
SLOPE AND INTERCEPTS
READING
12 20
If b is a negative constant, which of the following Line l has a y-intercept of 2 and contains the
could be the graph of 3(y + 1) + 4x = – b + 3 in the points (a, a) and (2a, 12). If a is a positive
xy-plane? constant, what is the slope of line l ?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
y
A) y B)
Line l goes through
5 / 7 (0, 2), (a, a), and (2a, 12)
2-a 12 - a
x
x
=
slope =
0 - a 2a - a
MATH
2 - a 12 - a
=
-a a
y y
C) D) Cross-multiply:
–a(12 – a) = a(2 – a)
–12a + a2 = 2a – a2
x x
2a2 = 14a
2a = 14
a=7
0 - 7 -5 5
= =
16 -7 -7 7
y or 0.714
(6, 9)
Q12
(2, 3) PI b = –2
x
3y + 3 + 4x = –(–2) + 3
3y + 3 + 4x = 2 + 3
4x + 3y = 2
A 4
What is the slope of the line in the graph above? slope = - =-
B 3
9-3 6 3
6 / 4 =
slope = , , or 1.5 POE (B) & (D), which have positive slopes.
6-2 4 2
C 2
y − int = = , POE (A) which has negative
B 3
y-int.
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL

READING
3 8
Line p can be described by the equation y 3-0 3
–8x + 4y = 12. If line r is perpendicular to line p, =
slope = -
0-2 2
which of the following could be the graph of line r
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
in the xy-plane?
(0, 3)
A) y B) y
x
(2, 0)
x x
MATH
Line s is shown in the graph above. If line t is parallel

to line s, which of the following could be the equation
C) D) of line t ?
y y
A) 2x – 3y = 6
B) 3x – 2y = 2
x x C) 3x + 2y = 2
D) 2x + 3y = 12
A
slope = -
B
-2 2
A A) = 7
Line p slope = - -3 3
B
-(-8) -3 3
=2 B) = 7
4 -2 2
3 3
1 C) - =- 3
Line r slople = - 2 2
2
2
POE (A) & (B), which have positive D) - 7
slopes. 3
Between (C) & (D), slope of (D) is too

steep, so it’s (C).
CONTINUE
FORMS OF EQUATIONS
READING
9 18
The equation y = (3x – 3)(x – 3) represents a The profit that a smoothie bar makes can be
parabola in the xy-plane. The x- and y-coordinates expressed by the equation P = –3(x – 4)2 + 1,500,
of the vertex of this parabola appear as constants where x is the price per smoothie sold (in dollars).
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
or coefficients in which of the following equivalent What price, in dollars, should the smoothie bar
equations? charge its customers in order to maximize its
A) y = 3x2 – 12x + 9 standard form profits?
B) y = 3(x – 2)2 – 3
In vertex form,
C) y = 3x(x – 4) + 9 4 y = a(x – h)2 + k, if a is
D) y = 3(x2 – 4x) + 9 negative, k is the maximum,
MATH
and h is the x-value that
vertex form of a parabola: gives the maximum.
y = a(x – h)2 + k, where (h, k) is vertex. Here h = 4, so that’s the
price to charge.
Only (B) is in that form.
OR
greatest profit when
–3(x – 4)2 = 0
(x – 4)2 = 0
x–4=0
x=4
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
ROOTS AND SOLUTIONS

READING
4 24
2
The function g is defined by g (x ) x px 39 . If y
–13 is a root of g, what is the value of p ?
7
A) 3 root = solution for x
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
6
B) 9 0 = (–13)2 + p(–13) + 39
0 = 169 – 13p + 39 5
C) 13
13p = 208; p = 16 4
D) 16
OR 3
2
(x + 13) is a factor, so
g(x) = (x + 13)(x + 3) = x2 + 16x + 39 1
MATH
O x
9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Which of the following equations has x-intercepts
at (2, 0) and (5, 0) ? PI (2, 0) 10
The graph above has roots at approximately x =
A) y = x – 2x + 5
2
0 = 2 – 2(2) + 5 = 5
2 7
20
B) y = x – 7x + 10 0 = 22 – 7(2) + 10 = 0 3
2 and x = . Which of the following equations most
7
C) y = x2 + 2x – 5 0 = 22 + 2(2) – 5 = 3 closely represents the graph?
D) y = x2 + 7x – 10 0 = 22 + 7(2) – 10 = 8 PI
A) y x 2 4.3x 4.1
Only (B) works for (2, 0), so no need to
B) y x 2 1.7 x 2.9
( 107 , 0) or ( 207 , 0)
PI (5, 0).
OR C) y 2 x 2 1.7 x 2.8 OR factors are
Once (B) works for (2, 0), check (B) for D) y 2 x 2 4.1x 4.3 y = (x - 107 ), (x - 20
7 )
(5, 0). If that works, too, it’s (B).
from there, use FOIL
and POE.
33
The function f in the xy-plane is defined by
f(x) = (x – 8)(x + 17). What is the straight-line
distance between the x-intercepts of f ?
x-intercepts = solutions
2 5
x – 8 = 0 x + 17 = 0
x = 8 x = –17
8 – (–17) = 8 + 17 =25
CONTINUE
SLOPE AND INTERCEPTS
READING
5 27
Which of the following could be the graph of the y
Given y-intercept, so
3
equation y 6 x 3 in the xy-plane? rewrite answers in
2
y = mx + b form
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
A) B)
y y
 22 
(0, 3.14) 0,
 7 
8 
 , 0 
7
x
x x 22
−0
slope = 7
=
MATH
0 - 87
22
7 ⋅ (- 87 ) = - 228 = - 2.75
C) y D) y
Which of the following could be the equation of
line q, shown above in the xy-plane?
2y – 2 = –1.75x; 2y = –1.75x + 2;
A) 2(y – 1) = –1.75x y = 0.875x + 1
÷ 3 → 0.9y – 2.5 = –2.7x; 0.9y =
x x B) 3(0.9y – 2.5) = –8.1x –2.7x + 2.5; y = –3x + 0.833
C) 4(y – 4) = –11x ÷ 4 → y – 4 =-– 411 x ; y =-– 411 x + 4
D) 4(0.7y – 2.2) = –7.7x ÷ 4 → 0.7y – 2.2 = –1.925x;
0.7y = –1.925x + 2.2;
y = –2.75x + 3.14
3
rewrite as -6 x +
y = -3 33
2
A (-6) Line l contains the points (0, –2) and (5, 2). Line m
slope=
=- -= has the same slope as line l and a y-intercept of 2. If
B 3
point P on line m has the coordinates (5, y), what is
2 the value of y ?
6 2 2 − (-2) 4
=6⋅ = 4 Line l, slope = =
3 3 6 5-0 5
2 Line m has same slope & point
(0, 2) and (5, y)
POE (B) & (D) which have negative slopes.
y −2 4
2 So =
C -3 5-0 5
y − intercept = = = -3 ⋅ = - 2
B 3 3 5( y − 2) 4(5)
2 =
5 5
POE (C) which has positive y-intercept.
y–2=4
y=6
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL

READING
13 26
y
line f slope
y
2−0 2 1
= =
0 - (-6) 6 3
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
line g slope
–3
(0, 2)
x
x 9 
, - 2
(–6, 0)  2 
MATH
1. check if lines are ⊥

The graph above shows two perpendicular lines
Line f is shown in the xy-plane above. If line g is
perpendicular to line f, which of the following could in the xy-plane. If the lines intersect at the point
be the equation of line g ? 9
2 , 2 , which of the following could be the
A) 6x + 2y = 2 A
slope = - equations of the two lines?
B) x + 3y = 12 B 1
A) y = –2x + 7
–2 and 2
are
C) –2x + 6y = –12
A) - 6 = - 3 4y = 2x – 17 → y =
1
x-
17 ⊥ slopes
D) –6x + 3y = –3 2 2 4 1
B) y = 3x + 5 –3 and – 2
1 1
B) - 2y = –x + 20 → y = - x + 10 are not ⊥
3 2 1
C) y = 4x – 20 4 and - 4
1
4y = –x +20 → y = - x + 5 are ⊥ slopes
 2 1 4
C) - -  = D) y = –4x + 2 1
 6 3 1 1 –4 and 3
6y = 2x – 2 → y = x -
3 3 are not ⊥
 6
D) - -  = 2 2. Now Plug point into (A) & (C).
 3
9
A) –2 = –2   + 7
2
–2 = –9 + 7 3
try 2nd equation
9
4(–2) = 2   – 17 3
2
–8 = 9 – 17 it’s (A)
CONTINUE
FORMS OF EQUATIONS
READING
7 27
y = (x – 4)2 + 2
3
y = –x + 6 h(y ) -16 y 2 18 y
16
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
One of the solutions to the system of equations The height of a cannonball, h, y seconds after its
above is the vertex of the parabola. Which of the launch, is described by the function above. Which
following represents the coordinates of that point of of the following equivalent forms of the function
intersection? has the maximum height reached by the cannonball
A) (6, 0) vertex form: during its flight as a coefficient or constant?
B) (4, 2)
y = a(x – h)2 + k 3
C) (3, 3) A) h(y) = -16 y 2 + 18 y +
MATH
where (h, k) is vertex 16
D) (–4, 10)
so vertex is (4, 2) 1 19
B) h(y) = -16 y y -
16 16
1
C) h(y) =
16
16 y 119 -16 y
2
84 9
D) h(y) = - 16 y -
16 16
In vertex form y = a(x – h)2 + k, the
maximum is (h, k). Only (D) is close

84
to this form, if this term is
16
moved to the far right side of the
equation.

ADVANCED
COORDINATE
GEOMETRY
The power of mathematics is often to change one

thing into another, to change geometry
into language.
—Marcus du Sautoy
611
SAT MANUAL
READING
GOALS REVIEW
• Apply skills of graphing in the xy-plane to more unusual concepts

• Identify which quadrants will contain parts of a graph in the xy-plane
• Identify the graphs of functions of different degrees in the xy-plane
WRITING AND
• Know how to work with the equation of a circle in the xy-plane

LANGUAGE
• Understand how changes to an equation will change the graph in the

xy-plane
Preview: Have you seen the picture that looks like both an old woman and
a young woman at the same time? Or perhaps the picture that looks like
MATH
both a duck and a rabbit? There can be different ways of looking at the
same image. Similarly, there are different ways that coordinate geometry
can be tested on the SAT beyond what we’ve already covered.

ADVANCED COORDINATE GEOMETRY
These advanced concepts are for high-scorers only.
READING
MORE COORDINATE GEOMETRY
In the last chapter, you learned about the most common ways that the SAT tests
concepts in the xy-plane. If you are aiming for a top score, you will also want to be
familiar with these advanced ideas that come up once in a while on the test.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
MORE LINES IN THE COORDINATE PLANE
In Coordinate Geometry 101, you were given the formulas for distance and mid-
point in the xy-plane. Of course, College Board will find unique ways to test those
concepts.
MATH
y = |x − 2|
y=4
12. In the xy-plane, the equations above intersect at points C and D. What is
the distance between C and D ?
4 = |x – 2|
A) 4
B) 6 x – 2 = 4 x – 2 = –4
C) 8 x= 6 x = –2
D) 12 6 – (–2) = 6 + 2 = 8
8. In the xy-plane, the parabola with equation y = (x − 4)2 − 3 contains points A How can you use the
and B, which have the same y-coordinate. If point A has an x-coordinate of 1, vertex form to find the
what is the x-coordinate of point B ? midpoint of AB ?
vertex = (4, –3)
3 3 x=7
A) 1
B) 4
C) 6
D) 7
Or you can plug in x = 1, solve for y, put

that back into the equation, then solve
for the other value of x

SAT MANUAL
READING
Occasionally, a question on the SAT will refer to the quadrants of the xy-plane.
The x-axis and y-axis divide the coordinate plane into 4 parts. The one in the
upper right, where all x- and y-values are positive, is Quadrant I, then the remain-
ing quadrants are numbered going counterclockwise from there, as seen below.
y
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Sketch it!
II I
III IV
MATH
9. Line m has a positive y-intercept and a negative slope in the xy-plane.

Which of the following must be true?
A) The line passes through Quadrants I and II only.
B) The line passes through Quadrants I, II, and IV only.
C) The line passes through Quadrants II and III only.
D) The line passes through Quadrants I, III, and IV only.
The next question takes the quadrant concept and adds the idea of the graph of
a system of inequalities to it. Sketch the system of inequalities and shade in the
graph to determine where the solutions or overlap will lie.
1
26. If the system of inequalities y ≤ –3x + 2 and y < – x + 2 is graphed in
3
the xy-plane, which quadrants contain the solutions to the system?
A) All four quadrants contain solutions to the system.
B) Quadrants I and II only
C) Quadrants III and IV only
D) No quadrants contain any of the solutions to the system.
y Sketch it!
II I
x
1
III IV y<– x+2
3
y ≤ –3x + 2

READING
MORE CURVES IN THE COORDINATE PLANE
On the SAT, most of the non-linear graphs in the xy-plane are parabolas, but there
will be the occasional third- or fourth-degree function. It helps to know what
those look like.
x3 + 2 = 0; x3 = –2
WRITING AND
x = 3 -2 ; one solution
LANGUAGE
Third-degree polynomial with Fourth-degree polynomial with three
one real root distinct real roots
f (x) = x3 + 2 f (x) = x4 – 2x2
y y x4 – 2x2 = 0
4 4 x2(x2 – 2) = 0
MATH
x2 = 0 (x2 – 2) = 0
2 2
x = 0 and
(x + 2 )(x – 2 ) = 0
x
x –2 O 2
–2 O 2 x=– 2 x= 2
–2 Three solutions but

–2 bends at x = 0 because
x2 = 0
The function on the right above also has a “double root,” which means that the
graph touches the x-axis at just one point—(0, 0)—before bending away again in
the opposite direction. This means that the equation of the line will have the factor
that yields that value of x raised to an even exponent (in this case, the x is squared).

SAT MANUAL
READING
2
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
x
–1 –0.5 O 0.5 1
MATH
–1
13. Which of the following could be the equation of the graph above?
A) y = x2 − 1
B) y = x3 − x Knowing shape tells you it’s a 4th degree
C) y = x3 − x2 polynomial, so (D). If you forget, PI points or
D) y = x4 − x2 graph answer equations on calculator.

READING
CIRCLES IN THE COORDINATE PLANE
Like parabolas, circle equations in the xy-plane also have a standard form, and
College Board likes to ask questions about circles in non-standard form. Just as
with parabolas, knowing the parts of the standard form and how to manipulate
circle equations into different forms can be useful.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
The standard form of a circle is (x – h)2 + (y – k)2 = r 2,
where (h, k) is the center and r is the radius.
MATH
7. In the coordinate plane, if the point (1, 3) is on circle M, and circle M has a
radius of 4, which of the following equations could describe circle M ?
1. POE, r = 4, equation = 16
x 2 y 3
2 2
A) 16 3
x 1 y 1
2 2
B) 16 3
x 1 y 3
2 2
C) 4 7
x 5 y 3
2 2
D) 4 7
2. PI point
A) (1 – 2)2 + (3 + 3)2 = 16? NO
B) (1 – 1)2 + (3 + 1)2 = 16? YES

SAT MANUAL
20. Which of the following represents the center and the radius,
READING
respectively, of the circle described by the equation

x2 + y2 – 8x + 6y = –21 graphed in the coordinate plane?
A) Center: (–4, 3), Radius: 2 x2 – 8x + 16 + y2 + 6y + 9 =
B) Center: (–4, 3), Radius: 4 –21 + 16 + 9
C) Center: (4, –3), Radius: 2
WRITING AND
(x – 4)2 + (y + 3)2 = 4
LANGUAGE
D) Center: (4, –3), Radius: 4

center = (4, –3); r = 2
To convert a circle equation into the standard form,

complete the square.
MATH
1. Move any constants over to the right side of the

equation.
This is rare
but we have 2. If there is a coefficient on the squared terms,
seen it. factor it out of both sides of the equation.
3. Take half of the coefficient on the x-term (not
the x 2-term), square it, and add it to both sides
of the equation.
4. Convert the x 2-term, the x-term, and the
constant on the left to square form: (x – h)2.
5. Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the y-terms.
(x − 2)2 + (y − 5)2 = 36
27. Circle C lies in the xy-plane and has the equation above. Which of the
following points lies outside the circumference of Circle C ?
A) (7, 1) Sketch it and
B) (2, 5) ballpark center
C) (0, 0) (2, 5); r = 6
D) (−1, 5)
(D) (B)
center
A) is close to circle, but other (A)
answers are definitely inside it.
(C)

READING
TRANSFORMATION OF GRAPHS
Occasionally, a question will ask about a transformation of a graph. Graph trans- doesn’t come up
formation means the function has been changed in some way, either moved up, too often
down, or side-to-side, or sometimes even flipped over.
32. In the xy-plane, a parabola with the equation y = (x − 1)2 − 6 is
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
translated 9 units to the left, resulting in a parabola with the equation
y = (x + c)2 − 6. What is the value of c ?
MATH
9
1. vertex = (1, –6)

2. vertex = (–8, –6)
(x + c)2 = (x – (–8))2
(x + c)2 = (x + 8)2
c=8
In relation to f(x):
• f(x) + k is shifted upward k units in the xy-plane.
• f(x) – k is shifted downward k units in the xy-plane.
• f(x + k) is shifted to the left k units in the xy-plane.
• f(x – k) is shifted to the right k units in the xy-plane.
• –f(x) is flipped upside down over the x-axis.
• f(–x) is flipped left-right over the y-axis.

SAT MANUAL
h(x) = 3 – 3x
READING
15. The function h is defined by the equation above. Which of the following is the
graph of y = –h(x) in the xy-plane?
A) y B) y
What can you do when
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
an equation is provided
and you have graphs in
the answers?
x x
MATH
C) y D) y
x x
Plug some numbers into h(x) to get points, then translate this to –h(x).
If x = 0
h(0) = 3 – 1 = 2
–h(0) = –2, so point (0,–2) is on graph of –h(x). Eliminate (B) and (D).
If x = 1
h(1) = 3 – 3 = 0
–h(1) = –0 or 0
Point is (1, 0). Eliminate (C).

Summary
• In the xy-plane, Quadrant I is on the
upper right
__________________ corner, and the
remaining quadrants are numbered
counter clockwise
__________________________ from there.
• What is the standard form of a circle?
(x – h)2 + (y – k)2 = r2
_____________________________________
• How do you get a circle equation into

standard form?
_____________________________________
complete the square
• When a function undergoes a
transformation, remember to try
sketching it
____________________ POE
and to use _________.
• When dealing with descriptions of graphs

sketching it and
with no picture, try ____________________
using POE
______________________________.


ADVANCED
COORDINATE
GEOMETRY
PRACTICE
623
SAT MANUAL
CIRCLES
READING
5 14
y In (x – h)2 + (y – k)2 = r2, A circle graphed in the xy-plane has the equation
the center is (h, k) and x2 + y2 – 4x + 2y – 4 = 0. Which of the following
8
equivalent forms of the equation of the circle has
r = radius.
WRITING AND
7
LANGUAGE
the square of the radius as a coefficient or constant?

6
ere center is
H A) x2 + y2 – 4x + 2y – 1 = 3
5
4
(3, 3) & r = 3 B) y2 + 2y – 2 = 2 + 4x – x2
3 C) (x – 2)2 + (y + 1)2 – 4 = 5
2 D) (x – 2)2 + (y + 1)2 = 9 only one in correct form
1
0 x (x – h)2 + (y – k)2 = r2
MATH
–1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
–1
Which equation best represents the circle in the

figure above?
A) (x – 3) – (y – 3) = 3 wrong r2
B) (x – 3) + (y – 3) = 9 (x – 3) + (y + 3) not squared
C) (x – 3)2 – (y – 3)2 = 3 wrong r2
D) (x – 3)2 + (y – 3)2 = 9
CONTINUE
ADVANCED COORDINATE GEOMETRY PRACTICE
READING
3 12
y
6
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
5
MATH
0 x
–8 –7 –6 –5 –4 –3 –2 –1 0 1 2
–1
–2
The complete graphs of the functions m and n
are shown in the xy-plane above. Which of the
following could be equal to n(x) ? The graph above has roots at x = –5 and x = –2. If
A) m(x + 5) graph moved ↓ the function is shifted two units to the right on the
x-axis, what is the new equation of the parabola?
B) m(x – 5)
5 units, so need a – 5 A) y = x2 + 7x + 12
C) m(x) + 5 outside the parentheses B) y = x2 + 11x + 28
D) m(x) – 5
C) y = x2 + 3x – 2
D) y = x2 + 3x
new roots at x = –3 and x = 0

try (0, 0) in answers
A) 0 = 02 + 7(0) + 12 0 = 12 7
B) 0 = 02 + 11(0) + 28 0 = 28 7
C) 0 = 02 + 3(0) – 2 0 = –2 7
D) 0 = 02 + 3(0) 0=0 3
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
OTHER TOPICS
READING
17 19
y The parabola y = (x – 6)2 – 4 is graphed in the
xy-plane. If a triangle is formed by connecting
the vertex of the parabola with the 2 roots on the
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
x-axis, what is the area of the triangle?
vertex = (6,–4)
x
8
roots: 0 = (x – 6)2 – 4
4 = (x – 6)2
±2 = (x – 6)
x = 8 or 4
MATH
(4,0) (8,0)
The graph of f(x) is shown above in the xy-plane.
What is the y-intercept of the graph of f(x – 1) + 2 ?
take it one transformation (6,–4)

2 at a time
4
f(x – 1) means graph moves A = 1 bh
one unit right 4 2
A = 1 (4)(4)
2
A=8
+2 means graph moves up

2 units
y-intercept = 2
CONTINUE
CIRCLES
READING
25 28
The equation of a circle in the xy-plane is x + 4x +
2 A circle (not shown) has its center at the point
y2 – 10y = 20. Which of the following is an equation (–3, –2) and is tangent to the y-axis. Which of the
of the same circle? following points lies outside the circle?
WRITING AND
Sketch it
LANGUAGE
A) (–5, 1)
A) (x 2)2 ( y 5)2 10
B) (–4, –2)
2 2
B) (x 2) ( y 5) 49 C) (–2, 0)
(A)
2 2 D) (0, –2)
C) (x 4) ( y 10) 20
D) (x 4)2 ( y 10)2 400 (C)

(B)
MATH
x2 + 4x + 4 + y2 – 10y + 25 = 20 + 4 + 25 (D)
(–3, –2) radius = 3
(x + 2)2 + (y – 5)2 = 49
26
3x2 + 18x + 3y2 – 6y = 18
What is the radius of the circle in the xy-plane
described by the equation above?
A) 12
B) 108
C) 6
D) 4
It is rare to have coefficients on the

squared terms. If it happens, just factor
it out.
3(x 2 + 6 x + y 2 - 2 y ) 3 ⋅ 6
=
3 3
x2 + 6x + 9 + y2 – 2y + 1 = 6 + 9 + 1
(x + 3)2 + (y – 1)2 = 16
r2 = 16; r = 4
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
READING
9 15
y y
5
4
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
3
2
1
x
–5 –4 –3–2 –1 0 1 2 3 4
–1
1
–2
x
If the graph of y = f(x) is shown above, which of the 1
MATH
following could be the graph of y = f(x + 1) – 2 ?

A) y
5
4
f(x + 1) →
3 move left 1 unit
2
1 POE (C) & (D)
x vertex = (–1, –6)
–5 –4 –3–2 –1 0 1 2 3 4
–1 –2 →
y
B) move down
5
2 units The parabolic graph shown above is of a function of
4
the form f(x) = a(x + 1)2 + b.
3
2 POE (A)
1 Which of the following are the values of a and b,
x respectively?
–5 –4 –3–2 –1 0 1 2 3 4
–1 A) –2 and –6
–2 parabola has vertex at
B) –1 and 6
y y = –6 so b = –6
C) C) 1 and 6
5
4 D) 2 and –6
3
2 The graph opens up, so a is positive.
1
x If you forget, plug in pt (0, –4)
–5 –4 –3–2 –1 0 1 2 3 4
–1
–2 –4 = a(0 + 1)2 – 6
–4 = a – 6
D) y a=2
5
4
3
2
1
x
–5 –4 –3–2 –1 0 1 2 3 4
–1
–2 CONTINUE
OTHER TOPICS
READING
17 20
The maximum value for the polynomial function
t is 3. If the solutions of t are 4 and –2, which of y
the following could be the graph of y = t(x) in the
WRITING AND
xy-plane? Max = 3 → POE Roots at 4, –2 →
LANGUAGE
A) (C) & (D) y POE (B) which has
which have10 roots at –4 + 2 y = h(x)
no max.
5
1
x x
–20 –15 –10 –5 0 5 10 15 20 O1
–5
MATH
–10
The path of a particle relative to a sensor placed at

the origin is plotted in the xy-plane above. What is
B) the positive difference between the minimum value
y of h(x) and the maximum value of h(x) ?
10 A) 2 max at y = 7
5 B) 6 min at y = –1
C) 7 7 – (–1) = 7 + 1 = 8
x
–20 –15 –10 –5 0 5 10 15 20
D) 8 Sketch it—find intercepts
–5
0 = 12x – 2400
–10 35 2400 = 12x
y ≥ 4x x = 200
y ≤ 12x – 2400
y In the xy-plane, if a point with coordinates (m, n)
C)
10 lies in the solution set of the system of inequalities
above, what is the minimum possible value of n ?
5 y
x 1 2 0 0
–20 –15 –10 –5 0 5 10 15 20
–5 x
(200, 0)
–10
y = 4x
(0, –2400)
D) y Point of intersection will be min.
10 4x = 12x – 2400; 2400 = 8x
5 x = 300; want y-coord = 4(300) = 1200
x
–20 –15 –10 –5 0 5 10 15 20 Answers can be found on page 708.
–5
–10
PLANE
GEOMETRY 101
There are not many geometry questions on the SAT, but

the few you’ll see cover a wide range of topics. Use
your POOD and target score to determine how much
geometry you need to master for the SAT.
REFERENCE INFORMATION
l c 2x 60° x s 45° s 2
•
r h b
w 30° 45°
b a x 3 s
A = πr 2 A = lw c 2= a 2 + b 2
C = 2 πr A = 1 bh Special Right Triangles
Reference Information
•r h
h r h
h
w r w
l
4 3
V = lwh V = πr h2
V= 3 πr 1 1
V = 3 π r2h V = 3 wh
The number of degrees of arc in a circle is 360.

The number of radians of arc in a circle is 2p.
The sum of the measures in degrees of the angles of a triangle is 180.
631
SAT MANUAL
READING
FORMULAS OF BASIC SHAPES

College Board is kind enough to provide a reference box with the basic geometry
facts and formulas at the start of each Math section. Although you can always flip
back to it as needed, you can save time if you already know these facts by heart.
Try to work the following questions without using the information provided on
the previous page.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Area
Figure Formula
Square A = s2
MATH
Rectangle A=l·w
Parallelogram A=b·h
Triangle A = 21 bh
(b)
B C
(h) 8
A 5 D
1. What is the area of the shaded region of rectangle ABCD ?

1 1
A=
bh = A = (5)(8) = 20
2 2
_______________________________________________________________
L M
5 cm
4 cm (h)
O 9 cm N
(b)
2. The dimensions of parallelogram LMNO, shown above, are given in
centimeters. What is the area, in square centimeters, of parallelogram
LMNO ?
A = b · h = (9)(4) = 36
_______________________________________________________________

PLANE GEOMETRY 101
READING
Perimeter
How do you get the perimeter of any figure with sides?
Add up all the sides

_______________________________________________________________
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Circles
It’s easier to think of the formulas for circles together.
Area Circumference
A = πr2 C = πd or 2πr
MATH
3. What is the area of a circle with a circumference of 14p ?
C = 2πr = 14π r = 7 A = πr = π(7) = 49π 2

_______________________________________________________________
2
Volume
Figure Formula
Cube V = s3
Rectangular solid V=l·w·h
Cylinder V = πr2h
4. The volume of a cube is 64 cubic inches. What is the length, in inches,

of one edge of the cube?
V = s = 64 s = 4
3
_______________________________________________________________

SAT MANUAL
READING
Geometry IRL
There are only so many real-world concepts the SAT can apply a geometric for-
mula to. So when you’re stuck on a word problem, it’s very helpful to associate the
geometric formula to the real-life concept. Even the units can provide a clue.
Match perimeter/circumference, area, or volume to the following terms and

WRITING AND
concepts.
LANGUAGE
Real Life Geometry
Tile Area
Tire revolution Circumference
MATH
Fences Perimeter
Cubic feet Volume
m2 Area
Carpet Area
Ribbon Perimeter
Water Volume
Square centimeters Area
Brick Area
in3 Volume
Snow Volume
5. A rectangular dance floor has a tightly stretched rope running around its
edge. If the dance floor measures 20 feet by 30 feet, what is the length, in feet,
of the rope?
P = 2l + 2w = 2(20) + 2(30) = 40 + 60 = 100

__________________________________________________________________________

PLANE GEOMETRY 101
READING
ANGLES
The SAT will test the measure of degrees in given shapes. Fill in the chart below
with the measure, in degrees, of each angle and shape.
Figure Degrees
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Right Angle 90°
Straight Line 180°
Triangle 180°
Quadrilateral 360°
MATH
Circle 360°
A B
90 PI y = 20
70 xº 20
yº
C
6. In the figure above, if AC is perpendicular to BC, which of the following

represents the value of x, in terms of y ?
A) 180 + y 180 + 20 = 200 7

B) 180 – y 180 – 20 = 160 7
C) 90 – y 90 – 20 = 70 3
D) 45 + y 45 + 20 = 65 7
100º
100°
yº
xº
7. In the figure above, what is the value of x + y ?

x + y + 100 = 180
__________________________________________________________________________
–100 –100
x + y = 80

SAT MANUAL
READING
Parallel Lines and Angles
When a line intersects two parallel lines

• Two kinds of angles are formed: big angles and small
angles.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
• Each big angle is equal to the other big angles.

• Each small angle is equal to the other small angles.
• Any big angle plus any small angle is 180°.
C
MATH
45°
A
45°
B
d
8. In the figure above, two parallel lines, line A and line B, intersect line C. What
is the measure of angle d ?
d + 45 = 180 d = 135
__________________________________________________________________________
a 160°
p
160°
q
b
r
9. In the figure above, lines p and q are parallel. Line r intersects both p and q, as
shown. What is the sum of the measures of angle a and angle b ?
160 + a = 180 a = 20; b = 20 a + b = 40

__________________________________________________________________________

PLANE GEOMETRY 101
READING
RIGHT TRIANGLES
If you know two sides of a right triangle, you can find the third side using the
Pythagorean Theorem.
WRITING AND
Pythagorean Theorem: a 2 + b 2 = c 2
LANGUAGE
(where c is the hypotenuse)
Fill in the third side of each triangle listed below. Pay close attention to the famous
Pythagorean Triples—the ones that are all integers. College Board loves to use
MATH
those in questions, so recognizing them immediately can save you time. For the
others, either leave your answer unsimplified under the root, or use your calculator
and leave it as a decimal.
a b c
1 3 10
3 4 5
5 12 13
6 8 10
7 24 25
2 2 3 4
5 5 5 2
6 7 85
3 3 3 6
4 2 4 2 8

SAT MANUAL
READING
Special Right Triangles

Special right triangles are unique in that we know the measurement of every angle
and every side without using trigonometry. You may have spotted them in some
of the triangles in the previous chart. If you can spot them and memorize the
relationships, you’ll save yourself some time. But if you can’t, vocabulary and the
Pythagorean Theorem will come to the rescue.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
45 o
o
30
x x 2 x 3 2x
o
45 o 60
MATH
x x
a. 45°:45°:90°
The measure of each angle in an isosceles right triangle:_________________
b. 60°
The measure of each angle in an equilateral triangle:___________________
c. turn
How would you find the height of an equilateral triangle?_______________
it into a 30°:60°:90° triangle

___________________________________________________________

PLANE GEOMETRY 101
READING
B
4 4
45° 45°
A C
4 2
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
10. In the right isosceles triangle above, what is the length of AC ?
4 2
__________________________________________________________________________
B
30° 10
MATH
5 3
60° C
A
D 5
11. What is the length of BD in equilateral triangle ABC, shown above?
5 3
__________________________________________________________________________

SAT MANUAL
READING
CIRCLES
If you know just one thing about a circle, you know everything. Just organize the
information in a CArd chart.
Circumference Area radius diameter

WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
d
pd or 2pr pr 2 2r
2
C A r d
MATH
8π 16π 4 8
10π 25π 5 10
12π 36p 6 12
4p 4π 2 4
18p 81π 9 18
24π 144p 12 24
14π 49π 7 14
6π 9p 3 6
2π π 1 2
16π 64π 8 16
20p 100π 10 20

PLANE GEOMETRY 101
READING
VOCABULARY
Sometimes, the key to getting a question right is knowing the geometry vocabu-
lary. Know your basic terms and the ones below, and you’ll be in good shape. The
definitions for these vocabulary words can be found in the Glossary at the end of
this chapter.
WRITING AND
Term Definition
LANGUAGE
Arc any part of the circumference of a circle
Area the size of a surface
Bisect to cut in half
Chord any line segment connecting 2 pts on the edge of a circle
Circumference the distance around outside of a circle
MATH
Circumscribed surrounded by a circle
Collinear lying on the same line
Congruent equal in size
Diagonal (of a polygon) line segment connecting nonadjacent vertices

the distance on a line that connects 2 pts on a circle, pass-
Diameter ing thru center
Edge (of a 3-D figure) line segment that connects 2 vertices
Equilateral triangle all sides are equal and each angle measures 60°
Face (of a 3-D figure) any of the individual surfaces of a solid object
one shape within another so that their boundaries touch
Inscribed but do not intersect
Isosceles triangle triangle with two equal sides
Parallel two distinct lines that do not intersect
Perimeter the total distance around the edge of a 2-D object
Perpendicular at a 90°angle
Plane flat surface extending in all directions
Polygon closed figure with three or more sides
Quadrilateral four-sided figure

the distance from the center to any pt. on the edge of a
Radius circle
Regular polygon figure with all equal sides and angles
any part of an area formed by two radii and the outside of
Sector the circle
Similar equal angles and proportional sides
Surface area the sum of the areas of each face of a figure

line that intersects circle at 1 pt on circumference, forming
Tangent right angle with radius extending from center to point
corner point; for angles its where 2 lines meet; for figures it
Vertex/Vertices where 2 adjacent sides meet

SAT MANUAL
READING
FUN FACTS ABOUT FIGURES

Read and review the following facts you need to know about plane geometry. Put
an “x” next to any rule(s) that you don’t know, and ask your teacher about them.
Angle Facts
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
• 90°
There are __________ in a right angle.
• opposite each other are
When two straight lines intersect, angles __________
equal.
• 180°
There are __________ in a straight line.
• perpendicular
Two lines are ___________________ when they meet at a 90° angle.
• ⊥
The sign for perpendicular is __________ .
• Bisect means to cut exactly in half.
__________
MATH
• 180°
There are __________ in a triangle.
• 180°
There are __________ in any four-sided figure.
Triangle Facts
In any triangle
longest side is opposite the largest angle.
• The __________
shortest side is opposite the smallest angle.
• The __________
180°
• All angles add up to __________.
1
bh
• Area = ____________________
2
height
• The __________ is the perpendicular distance from the base to the
opposite vertex.
Perimeter
• __________________ is the sum of the sides.
sum
• The third side of any triangle is always less than the __________ and
difference
greater than the ____________________ of the other two sides.
In an isosceles triangle
sides
• Two __________ are equal.
angles opposite the equal __________
• The two __________ sides are also equal.
In an equilateral triangle
• All three __________
sides are equal.
60°
• All angles are each equal to __________.

PLANE GEOMETRY 101
READING
Four-Sided Figure Facts
In a quadrilateral
360°
• All four angles add up to __________.
In a parallelogram
parallel and equal.
• Opposite sides are __________
WRITING AND
equal
• Opposite angles are __________.
LANGUAGE
supplementary (add up to 180°).
• Adjacent angles are _______________
base x height
• Area = ____________________
perpendicular distance from the base to the
• The height is the _______________
opposite side.
__________
In a rhombus
parallel
• Opposite sides are __________.
MATH
equal
• Opposite angles are __________.
supplementary (add up to 180°).
• Adjacent angles are _______________
equal
• All 4 sides are __________.
base x height
• Area = ____________________
perpendicular distance from the base to the
• The height is the _______________
opposite side.
__________
perpendicular
• The diagonals are _______________.
In a rectangle
• Rectangles are special parallelograms; thus, any fact about parallelo-
grams also applies to rectangles.
90°
• All 4 angles are each equal to __________.
length x width
• Area = ____________________
2(length) + 2(width)
• Perimeter = ______________________________
equal
• The diagonals are __________.
In a square
• Squares are special rectangles; thus, any fact about rectangles also
applies to squares.
equal
• All 4 sides are __________.
(side)2
• Area = __________
4(side)
• Perimeter = __________
perpendicular
• The diagonals are _______________.
Circle Facts
Circle
• There are __________
360° in a circle.
Radius (r)
center to any point on the edge of the
• The distance from the __________
circle
radii
• All __________ in a circle are equal.

SAT MANUAL
READING
Diameter (d)
• The distance of a line that connects two points on the edge of the circle,
center
passing through the __________
• The longest __________
chord in a circle.
• Equals twice the radius
__________.
WRITING AND
Chord
LANGUAGE
line segment connecting two points on the edge of a circle

• Any _______________
diameter
• The longest chord is called the _______________.
Circumference (C)
distance around the outside of the circle
• The __________
• C = 2πr or πd
__________
MATH
Arc
• circumference
Any part of the _______________
• proportional to the size of the interior angle.
The length of an arc is _______________
Area
• boundaries
The amount of space within the _______________ of the circle
• πr2
A = __________
Sector
area
• Any part of the __________ radii
formed by two __________ and the out-
side of the circle
proportional to the size of the interior angle.
• The area of a sector is _______________
Line Facts
Lines
• A line has no width and extends infinitely in both directions.
• Any line measures __________.
180°
• A line that contains points A and B is called AB (line AB).
• If a figure on the SAT looks like a straight line, and that line looks
like it contains a point, it does.
Line segments
endpoints
• A line segment is a part of a line and has two _______________.
180°
• The degree measure of a line segment is __________.
• A line segment which has endpoints of A and B is written as AB.
Perpendicular
90°
• Two lines that intersect in a __________ angle are perpendicular and
their __________
slopes are negative reciprocals.

PLANE GEOMETRY 101
READING
PLANE GEOMETRY FORMULAS
Here’s a list of all the plane geometry formulas that could show up on the SAT. If
you are aiming for a Math score above 700, memorize the formulas for perimeter/
circumference, area, and volume for basic shapes. Remember, though the SAT
provides many of these formulas, knowing them well can save time on the test.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Circles
• Area: A = pr 2
• Circumference: C = 2pr = pd
• Arc length: r q, where (q) is the central angle in radians
• An inscribed angle in a circle has half the measure of the central
angle with the same endpoints on the circumference of the circle.
MATH
Triangles
1
• Area: A = bh
2
• Perimeter: P = sum of the sides
• Pythagorean Theorem: a 2 + b 2 = c 2
SOHCAHTOA
opposite
• sin(q) =
hypotenuse
adjacent
• cos(q) =
hypotenuse
opposite
• tan(q) =
adjacent
Quadrilaterals
Parallelograms
• Area: A = bh
Rhombus
• Area: A = bh

SAT MANUAL
READING
Trapezoids
1
• Area: A = h (b1 + b2 )
2
Rectangles
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
• Area: A = lw
• Perimeter: P = 2(l + w )
Squares
• Area: A = s2
• Perimeter: P = 4s
MATH
Polygons
• Sum of angles in an n-sided polygon: (n − 2 )180
• Angle measure of each angle in a regular n-sided polygon:

(n − 2)180
n
3-D Figures
• Surface area of a rectangular solid: S = 2 (lw + lh + wh )
• Surface area of a cube: S = 6s2
• Surface area of a right circular cylinder: S = 2π r 2 + 2π rh
• Surface area of a sphere: S = 4pr 2
• Volume of a cube: V = s3
• Volume of a rectangular solid: V = lwh
• Volume of a right circular cylinder: V = pr 2h
4π r 3
• Volume of a sphere: V =
3

PLANE GEOMETRY 101
READING
GLOSSARY
Arc: Any part of the circumference of a circle
Area: The size of a surface, or the amount of space inside the boundary of a 2-D
shape
Bisect: To cut in half
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Chord: Any line segment connecting two points on the edge of a circle
Circumference: The distance around the outside of a circle, or the circle’s perimeter
Circumscribed: Surrounded by a circle as small as possible
Collinear: Lying on the same line
MATH
Congruent: Equal in size
Diagonal (of a polygon): A line segment connecting non-adjacent vertices
Diameter: The distance of a line that connects two points on the edge of a circle,
passing through the center
Edge (of a 3-D figure): A line segment that joins two vertices on the boundary
or where faces meet
Equilateral triangle: All sides are equal and each angle measures 60°
Face (of a 3-D figure): Any of the individual surfaces of a solid object
Inscribed: An angle in a circle with its vertex on the circumference or more
generally, one shape within another so that their boundaries touch but do
not intersect
Isosceles triangle: A triangle with two equal sides
Parallel: Two distinct lines that do not intersect
Perimeter: The total distance around the edge of a 2-D figure

Perpendicular: At a 90° angle
Plane: A flat surface extending in all directions
Polygon: A closed figure with three or more sides
Quadrilateral A four-sided figure
Radius: The distance from the center to any point on the edge of a circle
Regular polygon A figure with all equal sides and angles
Sector: Any part of the area formed by two radii and the outside of the circle

SAT MANUAL
Similar: Equal angles and proportional sides

READING
Surface area: The sum of areas of each face of a figure

Tangent: A line that intersects a circle at one point on the circumference, form-
ing a right angle with the radius that extends from the center to that point
Vertex/Vertices: A corner point. For angles, it’s where two lines meet. For
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
figures, it’s where two adjacent sides meet.

MATH

PLANE
GEOMETRY
I guess a sock is also a geometric shape—

technically—but I don’t know what you’d call it.
A socktagon?
—Stephen King
l c 2x 60° x s 45° s 2
•
r h b
w 30° 45°
b a x 3 s
A = πr 2 A = lw c 2= a 2 + b 2
•r h
h r h
h
w r w
l
4 3
V = lwh V = πr h2
V= 3 πr 1 1
V = 3 π r2h V = 3 wh

649
SAT MANUAL
READING
GOALS REVIEW
• Use the Geometry Basic Approach on all geometry problems

• Solve questions related to lines and angles within shapes
• Solve questions related to triangles and circles
WRITING AND
• Solve questions related to overlapping shapes

LANGUAGE
• Solve questions related to volume
Preview: Let’s say you wanted to rearrange the furniture in your room.
Do you just try to visualize where to put the couch and TV? Or do you sit
MATH
down and draw a picture? What is easier? As we’ll see in Geometry, working
problems on the page is much easier than in your head.

PLANE GEOMETRY
READING
GEOMETRY
As with many other questions in the Math sections of the SAT, keeping the
information organized and having a plan of attack will help with the geometry
questions.
Go over
WRITING AND
GEOMETRY BASIC APPROACH
LANGUAGE
Basic Approach
1. Draw a figure if one is not provided.
1) draw figure
2. Label all information from the question on the figure.
2) label figure
3. Write the complete formula on the paper.
MATH
Go over vocabulary
Let’s start by practicing the first step—draw your own figure based on the
following descriptions.
1. An equilateral triangle 2. An isosceles right triangle
3. A rectangular solid 4. A cylinder
5. A sector of a circle 6. A parallelogram
OR

SAT MANUAL
READING
Now practice applying the Basic Approach to the following geometry ques-
tion about a quadrilateral.
19. In a given quadrilateral, opposite sides are parallel and equal. If the
height of the quadrilateral were multiplied by 2 and the width of the
WRITING AND
quadrilateral were halved, how would the area of the quadrilateral be

LANGUAGE
affected?
A) The area would be doubled.
B) The area would remain the same.
C) The area would be divided by 2.
D) The area would be divided by 4.
MATH
Apply the first three steps of the Basic Approach to all geometry problems.
However, if you get STUCK…
1. draw it—as seen on previous page, it could be a rectangle,

which is probably more straightforward
2. label it—no numbers are given, so plug in
3. write formulas
2
4
2 4
A = lw = 4 ⋅ 2 = 8 A = lw = 4 ⋅ 2 = 8
Areas are equal.

PLANE GEOMETRY
READING
GEOMETRY BALLPARKING
As long as the diagram doesn’t say, “Note: Figure not drawn to scale.” below it,
you can Ballpark to eliminate incorrect answers. Answers that don’t agree with the
figure cannot be correct.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
a° Figures are drawn to
M a° a° O scale unless there
is a note that says
otherwise.
L P
MATH
16. What is the value of a in the figure above?
A) 120 a° is greater than 90°
B) 110
Eliminate (C) & (D).
C) 90
D) 60 Don’tsolve this, but if any students want
the right answer, it’s (A).

SAT MANUAL
READING
LINES AND ANGLES

Many geometry questions about lines will be about parallel or perpendicular lines.
Questions about angles are often about congruent angles, right angles, or two
angles that add up to 90°.
WRITING AND
When parallel lines are intersected by the same line, two kinds
LANGUAGE
of angles are created—BIG and small.

• BIG angles = BIG angles
• small angles = small angles
• BIG + small = 180 degrees
MATH
1
x°
120 (big angle)
Label all
information from
110 y°
the question on
70 the figure.
60 z 2
(small z°
angle)
Label the information on 7. In the figure above, line 1 is parallel to line 2, x = 120° and y = 110°. What is
the figure. the measure of z, in degrees?
A) 10 ballpark! Angle opposite y is 180 – 110 = 70

B) 30
C) 50 180° in a triangle, so
D) 70
60 + 70 + z = 180
130 + z = 180
z = 50

PLANE GEOMETRY
READING
TRIANGLES
Triangle questions on the SAT will cover some of these same ideas about lines and
angles, and other topics such as trigonometry, similarity, and more.
C
Label the figure.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
?
145° 110° 70 70
A B E D
16. In the figure above, points A, B, D, and E lie on the same line and
MATH
BE = CE = CD. What is the measure, in degrees, of ∠DCE ? (Disregard the
degree symbol when gridding your answer.)
Lots of extra info here, so focus on what

4 0 question is asking for and how to get it.
Angle opposite 110 = 180 – 110 = 70
∠CED = ∠CDE = 70
70 + 70 + ∠DCE = 180
140 + ∠DCE = 80
∠DCE = 40

SAT MANUAL
READING
SPECIAL RIGHT TRIANGLES

Although there are all sorts of triangles, College Board does like to test particular
ones often, such as 30:60:90 and 45:45:90 triangles. Although the relationships of
the sides in these triangles are in the reference box, you can save time by knowing
them well before the test.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
SPECIAL RIGHT TRIANGLES
45°
60° s 2
2x s
x
MATH
30° 45°
s
x 3
W 5 Z 5 Y
60° 60°
Label the figure.
? 30 30
17. In ∆WXY above, what is the length of WX ?
A) 2.5 ballpark! side opposite 30° angle = x
B) 5 2 so x = 5
C) 5 3 side opposite 90° angle = 2x

D) 10 so WX = 2(5) = 10

PLANE GEOMETRY
READING
SIMILAR TRIANGLES
Two triangles are similar if the three angles in the first triangle are the same as the
three angles in the second triangle. Similar means “same shape, different size.”
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
The corresponding sides of two similar triangles are
proportional in length.
MATH
37°
T
Label the figure.
53
53° 37
Q S
18. In the figure above, triangle QRS is divided into two smaller
triangles, as shown. Which of the following pairs of sides has the same
ratio as QT : ST ?
ST “Ratios” means they are probably similar, but find

A)
RT missing angles to verify this.
ST Same angles, so similar.
B)
RS
QT:ST is side b/w 53 + 90:side b/w 37 + 90
RT
C)
ST Find same sides on RST
RS
D) side b/w 53 + 90 is ST
RT
side b/w 37 + 90 is RT
ST
So QT:ST = ST:RT or
RT
*You can also redraw triangles to better see cor-

responding sides.

SAT MANUAL
READING
PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM
You are likely quite familiar with this method of finding the third side of a right
triangle given two other sides. College Board loves to use the Pythagorean triples
such as the 3:4:5, the 6:8:10, and the 5:12:13 triangle, often along with other con-
cepts, so look out for them.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Pythagorean Theorem: a 2 + b 2 = c 2, where c is the hypotenuse
H
MATH
1. To better see the

Triangles both have same proportions, redraw
13
top angle and right angle the figure.
in lower left corner, so third
angles are also equal and G I 2. Label the figure.
5
triangles are similar.
F J
Look for Pythagorean

triples!
35. In the figure above, GI is parallel to FJ and IJ = 13. What is the length
of FH ? H
H
2 4 12 13 26
G 5 I
F J
FHJ is twice GHI,

so FH = 2(GH) = 2(12) = 24
1
2

PLANE GEOMETRY
READING
TRIGONOMETRY
The SAT might test you on Trig! Knowing the basic definitions of sine, cosine, and
tangent will be helpful in solving some questions about right triangles.
SOHCAHTOA
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
opposite adjacent opposite
sin = cos = tan =

hypotenuse hypotenuse adjacent
MATH
B
b°
2 Label the figure
hyp opp a 1
X
a° adj a
A x° =b
C
Use Pythagorean 3
or 30:60:90 to
get AC = 3
w° =a
W Y
1
8. In the figure above, if sin a = and b = x, what is the value of sin x ?
2
1
A) If x = b, then w = a and triangles are similar.
2
Sin, cos, & tan are ratios, so similar triangles have
3
B) same ratios because they are proportional.
2
3 sin x = sin b = 3
C)
3 2
D) 3

SAT MANUAL
READING
On the No-Calculator section, College Board may ask about the relationship
between sine and cosine of the complementary angles of a right triangle. Use the
formulas below to solve these questions on the test.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
sin x = cos(90° – x) and cos x = sin(90° – x)
E
MATH
m° n°
D F
Note: Figure not drawn to scale.
What strategy can you 21. In triangle DEF shown above, the cosine of ∠D is equal to the sine of
use when the question ∠F, m = 3a + 18, and n = 8a – 5 for some constant a. What is the value
asks for a specific value? of a ? m n cos(m°) = sin(n°)?
A) 15.2
PITA
→ B) 7.0 3(7) + 18 = 39 8(7) – 5 = 51 cos(39) = sin(90 – 39)
= sin(51) 3
C) 4.6
D) 3.0
You can also use calculator to check if cos(39) = sin(51).

Make sure it is in degree mode.

PLANE GEOMETRY
READING
RADIANS AND DEGREES
Radians and degrees are different ways of measuring angles. Your calculator has
both modes, so make sure to use the right mode when calculating anything.
Sometimes, College Board will ask you to convert degrees to radians or vice versa.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
To convert radians to degrees, set up a proportion:
radians
=
180 degrees
7π
11. If an angle measures radians, what is the measure of the angle, in
10
MATH
degrees?
Teacher note:
A) 88.2
Set up proportion:
Question revised
B) 126 7π for 7.0
π
C) 234 = 10
D) 257.1 180 x
Cross-multiply:
 7π 
πx = 180  
 10 
πx = 18 (7 π)
πx = 126π
Divide both sides by π.

x = 126

SAT MANUAL
READING
CIRCLES
Central angles of circles may also be measured in radians. Aside from basic circle
questions about circumference and area, College Board may ask about a slice of a
circle (a sector) or a part of the circumference (an arc) formed by the central angle.
W
WRITING AND
X
LANGUAGE
Label the figure.

5 π Y
4 5
O
MATH

To find an arc length of a
circle in radians, use
s = r θ, where s is the arc 10. The figure above shows a circle with center O. The central angle described by
length, r is the
radius, and θ is the  measures π radians. If the circle has a radius of 5, what is the length of
WXY
central angle. 4

WXY ?
A) 3π See sidebar for a handy trick for this spe-

4
B) p
cific situation: s = rq, so
To find the area of a
1  π  5π
sector, use A = r 2 arc = 5   = .
2
θ, where r is the radius C) 5π 4 4
4 But, in other circle sector situations, you’ll
and θ is the central
D) 3π need to use these proportions.
angle in radians. If these 2
formulas are too difficult
to remember, just set up
a proportion. Arcs and sectors are proportional to the central angle of a circle.
part central angle arc length sector area

= = =
whole 360° 2r r 2
Check it out on the next question.

PLANE GEOMETRY
READING
OVERLAPPING SHAPES
When given one shape inside another, use the information given about the first
shape to determine the necessary information about the second shape.
S
?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
R T
10p Label the figure
6
O
MATH
35. In the circle above with center O, the area of the sector formed by Tangent → forms a
RO, TO, and minor arc RT  is 10p. Line segments RS and ST intersect 90° angle.
at point S as shown and are tangent to the circle at points R and T,
respectively. If the length of RO = 6, what is the measurement of angle
RST ?
Use info about circle to get info about

8 0 quadrilateral.
Set up proportion to find ∠ROT
ROT 10
=
360 area
Write the formulas
area = pr = p(6) = 36p
2 2
ROT 10
so =
360 36
ROT(36) 360(10)
=
36 36
∠ROT = 100
Quadrilateral ORST has 360°; so
90 + 90 + 100 + ∠RST = 360
∠RST = 80°

SAT MANUAL
trickier overlapping shape—POOD?
Label figure. To see triangles more clearly, redraw one and label it.
8
P
READING
8Q U8
8R T 8
S
8
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
A three-sided figure has 30. The figure above shows a regular hexagon inscribed within a larger
180° and a four-sided regular hexagon, such that each vertex of the smaller inscribed hexagon
figure has 360°. For is the midpoint of a side of the large hexagon. Each side of the larger
each additional side, add external hexagon is 8 inches. What is the combined area of the 6 triangles
another 180°.
formed in the figure above, rounded to the nearest tenth?
A) 6.9
Labeled points divide sides in
half. Top ∠ = 120, small ∠’s =
5-sides = 540° B) 41.6 120 30° each. Height cuts it into two
4 4
MATH
C) 83.1 2 30:60:90 ’s.

6-sides = 720°
D) 166.3 30 30
“regular” means all
P U 1 1
2 3 2 3 =A = bh = ( 4 3 )(2) 4 3
∠’s are equal,so 2 2
each ∠ is 6’s = 6( 4 3 ) = 24 3 » 41.6
VOLUME
720 Volume measures shapes in three dimensions rather than two dimensions, but the
= 120° Geometry Basic Approach still applies. Try using it on these volume questions.
6
10. A solid cube made of gold with a volume of 64 cm3 was melted and
recast into a solid cylinder with a radius of 4 cm. If there was no loss or
addition of material during the process, which of the following is closest
1. Draw it
to the height of the resulting cylinder?
pr h = 64
2
2. Label it A) 1.27 cm 4
p(42)h = 64
B) 2.0 cm h
3. Formulas 64
C) 2.54 cm V = 64 cm3 h= » 1.27
16π
D) 4.0 cm V = 64 cm3
V = pr2h
Plug in when given 34. A child owns a set of building blocks shaped as rectangular pyramids,
a range of possible each with a base width of 5 inches and a base length of 5 inches. If the
values instead of a height of the pyramids varies between 5.5 inches and 5.75 inches, what
specific one. is one possible volume, rounded to the nearest cubic inch, of a building
block in this set? PI h = 5.6
1. Draw it 1
* V= lwh h
4 7 3
2. Label it 5
1 5
3. Formulas V = (5)(5)(5.6)
3
V = 46.66 in.3; round to 47
*other acceptable answers are 46 & 48.

PLANE GEOMETRY
READING
MEANING IN CONTEXT FOR GEOMETRY
Some geometry questions will ask for what some part of a formula means in con-
text. Use a modified form of the meaning-in-context approach for these questions.
MEANING IN CONTEXT GEOMETRY APPROACH
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
1. Read the Final Question
2. Label the Formula or Figure
3. Use POE
4. Plug and Play
5. Guess and Go
MATH
1
w height
2
w length
2w
width
1
SA 2 w 2 2w 2 w 2
2
25. For the rectangular box shown above, where w is the width of the base
of the box, the given formula can be used to determine the total surface
area of the box. What must the expression 4w2 represent?
A) The area of the base of the box
B) The sum of the areas of the top and base of the box
C) The sum of the areas of the front and back of the box
D) The sum of the areas of all four vertical faces of the box
The quantity 4w2 does not appear in the formula as written.

Check out answers & use POE.
A) area of base = l ⋅ w = (2w)(w) = 2w2; not 4w2 so POE
B) area of top = base = 2w2, so sum = 2w2 + 2w2 = 4w2 3
Guess & go or check out (C) & (D)
C) area of front = 2w ( 21 w ) = w2, area of back = w2, sum = 2w2, POE

D) too big

SAT MANUAL
READING
PLANE GEOMETRY DRILL

Time: 8 minutes
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
8 10
The volume of a cylinder is 54π cm3. If the height of
A E H the cylinder is twice the radius, what is the height?
B
x y A) 3 cm
MATH
B) 6 cm
C) 9 cm 2r
D) 12 cm r
I
I
y x D
G F V = pr2h
C
54p = (p)(r2)(2r)
54 π 2r 3 π
=
2π 2π
In the figure above, AB || CD. Which of the
following must be true?
27 = r3
A) ÐAEI = ÐBHI angles off 2 diff. lines
B) DEIH ~ DFIG 3
27 = 3 r 3
C) EF ^ GH not necessarily
D) ÐEIG = ÐEIH angles off 2 diff. lines r=3
The question asks for the height, which is
Similar ’s have equal angles. 2r = 2(3) = 6.
Because AB  CD, ∠EHI = ∠IGF and ∠HEI PITA is also a good option for this question.
= ∠IFG

PLANE GEOMETRY
13 27
READING
In a circle with center P (not shown), points Q, R,
and S lie on the circumference. If PR = 7 and
ÐQPS = 45°, then what is the area of the minor A B
PI 2 2
sector PQS ? Q R D
120
S x=2
49 π 7 45 2
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
A) 7
8 P
B) 49 π C
4
C) 14p A = pr = p(7 ) = 49p
2 2
In the circle with center D shown above, DABC is

45 x
D) 49p = equilateral and is inscribed in the circle. If AD = x,
MATH
360 49π then which of the following represents the length of
 , in terms of x ?
BC
360x = 45(49p); 360x = 2205p
πx 2π π
A) =
49π 6 6 3
x =
8 2 πx 4 π
B)
20 3 3
While flying a kite with a string of length 90 feet, 4 π 2π
πx2
Lauren found that the wind kept her kite in the air C) =
at an average angle measure of 60° relative to the
6 6 3
ground, but she was dissatisfied with how high the 2π x 2 8π
kite flew. She tried a different kite with a string of D)
3 3
length 120 feet, and the wind continued to keep
her new kite in the air at an average angle measure C = 2pr = 2p(2) = 4p
of 60° relative to the ground. How much higher (in
vertical feet) did Lauren’s second kite fly than her 120 x
first kite flew? =
360 4 π
A) 15.00
B) 25.98 90 ft height 360x = 480p
C) 77.94 45 3
4
D) 103.92
60° x = π
45 3
30:60:90, h = 45 3
120 height
60 3
60°
60
difference in height = 60 3 − 45 3 = 15 3 ≈ 25.98

SAT MANUAL
32
READING
B
C
y° 100° In parallelograms, opposite angles are equal
140 and small angle + big angle = 180°.
x° 40
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
A D
In parallelogram ABCD above, x = 40° and

ÐDBC = 100°. What is the value of 2y ?
MATH
y + 100 = 140
8 0 y = 40
2y = 80

PLANE GEOMETRY
Summary
• What three steps should you follow for all
geometry questions?
1) Draw a figure if none is provided

______________________________________
2) Label all information on figure

______________________________________
3) Write down the complete formula

______________________________________
• What can you do if you get stuck on a

geometry question?
try to ballpark if its drawn to scale

______________________________________
• What two kinds of angles are created when

two parallel lines are both intersected
by another line, and how are those angles
related?
big and small

______________________________________
big + small = 180°

______________________________________
• What two special right triangles appear

often on the SAT?
30:60:90 and 45:45:90

______________________________________
• What is relationship of the sides of those

special right triangles?
30:60:90 is x: x 3 :2x
______________________________________
45:45:90 is x: x: x 2
______________________________________
• In what situation can two triangles be

described as similar?
they have the same angles

______________________________________
• What is true of similar triangles?
they are proportional

______________________________________
• What are the three Pythagorean triples

that are commonly tested on the SAT?
3:4:5
______________________________________
______________________________________
6:8:10
5:12:13
______________________________________

SAT MANUAL
• What are the three key definitions in the

mnemonic SOHCAHTOA?
opp
sin =
______________________________________
hyp adj
cos =
______________________________________
opp hyp
tan =
______________________________________
adj
• What is the formula that describes the
relationship between the sine and cosine of
complementary angles in a right triangle?
sin x = cos(90 – x) and cos x = sin(90 – x)

______________________________________
• What is the formula you need to con-

vert back and forth between radians and
degrees?
π radians
=
180 degrees
______________________________________
• What formulas can you use to express the

proportional relationship between the
various aspects of a circle?
central arc sector
= =
360 2r r 2
______________________________________
• What can you do when an SAT question

gives you overlapping or 3-D shapes?
use info about 1st shape to get info on

______________________________________
2nd shape
• What are the five steps to determining the
meaning of expressions in the context of
geometry questions?

______________________________________
Label the formula or figure

______________________________________
Use POE
______________________________________
Plug-and-Play
______________________________________
Guess-and-Go
______________________________________


PLANE
GEOMETRY
PRACTICE
l c 2x 60° x s 45° s 2
•
r h b
w 30° 45°
b a x 3 s
A = πr 2 A = lw c 2= a 2 + b 2
•r h
h r h
h
w r w
l
4 3
V = lwh V = π r 2h V= 3 πr 1 1
V = 3 π r2h V = 3 wh

671
SAT MANUAL
LINES AND ANGLES

READING
6 12
G F
C
A I J B
WRITING AND
c b
LANGUAGE
B D
a
? K
a
C L c M D
b
75°
A E
F
E H
MATH
In the figure above, ÐCAE measures 75°, and AE is In the figure above, if AB || CD, then which of the
parallel to BD. What is the measure of ÐCDF ? following must be true?
A) 15° A) ÐAIG @ ÐBJF
B) 75° ballpark! B) ÐCLK + ÐELM = 180°
C) 90° C) DIJK ~ DMLK D's have = angles,
D) EF ^ GH so similar
D) 105°
Real way: ∠CBD = 75 and ∠BDF = 90

because lines are  14
75 + 90 + ∠CDB = 180 y°
∠CDB = 15 z°
x°
∠CDF = 15 + 90 = 105
95
95
45° 40°
In the figure above, what is x + y + z ?
A) 95°
B) 265° 95 + x + y + z = 360 3
C) 290° x + y + z = 265
D) 360°
CONTINUE
PLANE GEOMETRY PRACTICE
SIMILAR TRIANGLES
READING
9 19
9 G
D E C Redraw:
H
WRITING AND
m
LANGUAGE
x I m°
3H 8
8
C
m°
2 A 4 B G I
A B Note: Figure not drawn to scale.

3
MATH
In the figure above, AB || DE. What is the length of In ∆ABC above, AB = 4, BC = 3, and ∠BAC = m.
AE ? In ∆GHI above, HI = 8 and ∠GHI = m. What is the
length of GH ?
A) 4 x 2
=
B) 6 9 3
4 5
C) 8 1 0 =
3x = 18 8 (GH )
D) 10
x=6
40 = 4(GH)
AE = 2 + 6 = 8
(GH) = 10
15
H
×7
e°
B
e° 14 21
2 3
d° f° d° f°
A C G I
integer must be multiple of 7
If the length of AC is an integer, then what is one
possible value of GI ?
A) 7 violates 3rd side rule*
B) 15 not multiple of 7
C) 28
D) 35 violates 3rd side rule*
*3rd side rule—must be less than sum &

greater than difference of other 2 sides CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM TRIGONOMETRY

READING
2 5
A right triangle (not shown) has legs of lengths 7
and 8. Which of the following is the length of the C
hypotenuse?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
A) 15
7
B) 9
C) 113 8
D) 15 3rd side rule 72 + 82 = c2 26 cm

hyp opp
49 + 64 = c2
MATH
c2 = 113
c = 113
4
A B
DABC (not shown) is a right triangle with side 10 cm
lengths that are consecutive integers. What are the adj
lengths of the two legs? In the figure above, what is the measure of sin A ?
A) 2, 3 22 + 32 = 42? NO
5 opp
B) 3, 4 32 + 42 = 52? YES A) Cos A sin =
13 hyp
C) 3, 5 not consecutive
D) 4, 5 12
B)
13 So BC
26
5
C)
12
It’s a 5:12:13D
13
D)
12 times 2, so BC = 24
(can use Pythagorean
Theorem, too)
24 12
=
sinA =
26 13
CONTINUE
12 17
READING

L E
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
5 13
12
M 6 N
MATH
In the figure above, if MN = 6, and tan ÐMLN =
12 D F
, what is the length of LN ? 12 cm
5
O 12 3
A) 6.5 =
tan = In DDEF above, the measure of sin E is . What is
5
A 5 the length of side EF ?
B) 12
C) 13 MN
tan ∠MLN = O DF
D) 26 LM 2 0 S= =
ballpark H EF
So value given for MN ≠ value 3 12
from tan. When they don’t match, =
5 x
mark actual lengths on outside &
trig ratios on inside of triangle. 3x = 60
Trig ratio gives 5:12:13D but x = 20

that’s two times actual
measurement of MN.
13
So LN = = 6.5.
2
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
RADIANS AND DEGREES

READING
9 16
If cos (60°) = x, which of the following is also
π
equivalent to x ? An angle measures radians. What is the measure
2
A) sin (30°) Cos(60°) = sin (90° – 60°)
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
of the angle in degrees?

B) sin (60°)
= sin (30°)
C) sin (120°)
π π
D) sin (180°) 9 0 = 2
180 x
π
p(x) = 180   = 90p
2
x = 90
MATH
15

Which of the following is equal to sin ?
7
5
A) sin
14
5
B) cos
14

C) sin
7

D) cos
7
π π π
sin   = cos  - 
7 2 7 
π π 7π 2 π 5 π
= - = -
2 7 14 14 14
π  5π 
sin   = cos  
7  14 
CONTINUE
CIRCLES
READING
9 15
A
A
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
B
60
B
O O
MATH
In the circle above, O is the center and the
circumference is x. What is the length of minor arc If the circle above has area x, ÐAOB is 60°, and O is
AB the center of the circle, what is the length of minor
arc AB
x
A) 90 arc Let r = 2 so x = pr2 = 4p
3 =
360 x A) πx
x
C = 2pr = 4p
B) 3
4 90x 360(arc ) 60 arc
= πx =
360 360 B) arc:
x 2 360 4 π
C)
5 360(arc) = 240p
x C) πx
x arc =
D) 4 2
6 arc = π
D) 2 πx
3
OR PI, but could get weird w/pi in
there. See next Q for how to PI on A) π( 4 π) 4 π2 2 π
= =
similar one. 3 3 3
π( 4 π) 4 π2 2 π
B) = = =π
2 2 2
C) π=
( 4 π) =
4 π2 2 π
D) 2 =
π( 4 π) 2=
4 π2 2(2π) = 4π
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
OVERLAPPING SHAPES
READING
8 10
If a square has an area of x, then, in terms of x, what
B is the circumference of the largest circle that can be
30 30:60:90 inscribed in the square?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
2 3 2
4 A) p x π 4 = 2π
60
2π r=1
B) π x
60 O
2 3 =π 2
4 O 2 2
30 4 60 C) px2 p(42) = 16p
C 2 PI
B 30 πx 4π
D) =π s=2
MATH
2 3 4 4
In the figure above, ÐBOC is 120° and the radius of
A = s2 = 4 = x
the circle with center O is 4. What is the length of
BC ? C = 2pr = 2p
A) 2 3
B) 3 3 BC = 2 3 + 2 3 = 4 3
C) 4 3
D) 8 ballpark
CONTINUE
VOLUME
READING
11 14

A rectangular solid has a width of x inches, a length
of 2x inches, and a height of x2 inches. If a piece
6:8:10 triangle with a volume of 4 cubic inches is removed from the
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
solid, what is the resulting volume of the solid, in
10 terms of x ?
8
A) x(3 + x) – 4 3(3 + 3) – 4 = 3(6) – 4 = 14
B) 3x – 4
2
3(32) – 4 = 3(9) – 4 = 23
6 C) 4(x2 – 1) 4(32 – 1) = 3(9 – 1) = 32
D) 2(x4 – 2) 2(34 – 2) = 2(81 – 2) = 158
PI
MATH
In the cone shown above, the radius of the base is 6 x = 3, width = 3, length = 6, height = 9
15 V = 3 × 6 × 9 = 162; 162 – 4 = 158
and the slant height is 10. What is the volume of the
cone?
A) 20π 1 2 Three spherical balls with radius r are contained
Vol = pr h in a rectangular box. Two of the balls are each
B) 96π 3
touching 5 sides of the rectangular box and the
1
C) 120π V= p(62)(8) middle ball. The middle ball also touches four sides
3 of the rectangular box. What is the volume of the
D) 200π
1 space between the balls and the rectangular box?
V = p(36)(8)
3 A) r3(3 – 4p)
V = 96p PI could get weird w/o
B) 4r2(14 – p)
calculator
C) 4r3(6 – p)
D) 12r2(r – p)
2r
r r r
2r
6r
V = l ⋅ w ⋅ h = (6r)(2r)(2r) = 24r3
4 3
V = pr
3
4
V30 = 3( pr3) = 4pr3
3
space = 24r3 – 4pr3
or 4r3 (6 – p)
CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
LINES AND ANGLES

READING
4 33
C D
x°
115° x
m
WRITING AND
40° 65
LANGUAGE
x°
l 70° x
A B
In the figure above, if line l is parallel to line m,
what is the value of x ?
In the figure above, AB @ AC and AB || CD. What is
MATH
A) 115° ballpark
the value of x ? (Disregard the degree symbol when
B) 75° 40 + 65 + x = 180 gridding your answer.)
C) 65° 105 + x = 180
D) 40°
x = 75 70 + x + x = 180
5 5 70 + 2x = 180
2x = 110
x = 55
24
G I F
K
A x x B
y y 180
C D
E J
H
In the figure above, AB || CD and IJ bisects ÐEKH.

Which of the following is equal to 4y, in terms of
x?
A) 360 – 4x 2x + 2y = 180
B) 180 – 3x
2y = 180 – 2x
4y = 360 – 4x
C) 360 + 4x
D) 180 + 2x Also, could PI but a bit
tricky.
CONTINUE
SIMILAR TRIANGLES
READING
9 36
Y A
B
a°
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
b° C 13 5:12:13D
a° 12
b°
X Z
A 26
24 5
D E
Based on the two triangles shown above, which of
MATH
the following statements MUST be true?
A) BC = XZ
AB XY doesn’t line up correct sides
B) =
BC YZ
B C
C) DABC @ DXZY
10
AB YZ In the figure above, DE || BC, the length of DE = 5,
D) = and the length of AE = 13. If DE bisects AB, what is
AC XY
the perimeter of DABC ?
same angles → similar but
not necessarily congruent DABC is DADE times 2.
6 0
P = 24 + 10 + 26 = 60
18
20
h
?
5 5 5
Samuel is building a slide as shown above. If the

supports are 5 meters apart and the slide is 20
meters long, approximately how tall, in meters, is
the first support? find h of slide
A) 4.4
152 + h2 = 202
B) 5.0 225 + h2 = 400
C) 6.7 h2 = 400 – 225 = 175
D) 13.2 ballpark h = 175 ≈ 13.23
Set up proportion:
5 x
=
15 13.23 CONTINUE
15x = 66.15; x = 4.4 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC | 681
SAT MANUAL
PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM
READING
1 14
In a right triangle, the two shorter sides are 7 cm 10:24:26D B
and 11 cm long. What is the length of the longest
6
side, in cm? or use Pyth. Th.
WRITING AND
26 C
LANGUAGE
A) 18 10
72
c 8
B) 7
A 6:8:10D
C) 77 24 D
11
D) 170
72 + 112 = c2 1
In the figure above, CD = AD. What is the
MATH
49 + 121 = c2 3
170 = c2 perimeter of quadrilateral ABCD ?
c = 170 A) 32
1
B) 64 CD = (24) = 8
3
C) 74
P = 26 + 6 + 8 + 24 = 64
D) 144
CONTINUE
TRIGONOMETRY
READING
7 20
WRITING AND
hyp 2
LANGUAGE
1 adj A
C B
1
In DABC above, the measure of cos A is . What is
2
MATH
the measure of sin A ?
1 A 1 12 + BC2 = 22
A) cos= =
2 H 2 1 + BC2 = 4 x
B)
3 BC = 32
opp
2 O BC BC = 3
= =
sin
3 H 2
C) 3
3
POE (C) sinA =
2 60°
D) 2
6m
adj
17
A surveyor wants to calculate the shortest distance
across a river. She begins directly across the river
can also use
from a tree on the opposite riverbank, then walks
30:60:90 6 meters along the riverbank on her side of the
triangle river. From there, she measures a 60° angle between
proportions hyp 43 feet opp the path she walked and her new sight line to the
tree. What is the distance from the tree to the point
at which the surveyor started, to the nearest tenth
of a meter?
60° A) 5.2 ballpark
B) 8.5 opp + adj → use tan
The figure above shows a ladder leaned against a C) 10.4 x
wall so that the top of the ladder touches the top of D) 12
tan 60 =
6
the wall. The ladder is placed so that the base is at
a 60° angle to the ground. If the wall is 43 feet tall,
x = 6(tan 60)
what is the length of the ladder, to the nearest foot?
A) 25 ballpark! x » 10.4*
B) 50 opp + hyp → use sin
43 Can also use 30:60:90 triangle
C) 75 sin60 = proportions
h
D) 85
h(sin 60) = 43
43
h= » 49.65* (make sure calc is CONTINUE
sin 60
in degree mode) © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC | 683
SAT MANUAL
RADIANS AND DEGREES

READING
6 21
π
y 6
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
30
2
a° b° 3
X Y Z
60
x
MATH
In the figure above, a + b = 180. What is the 1

measure, in radians, of ÐXYZ ?
In the figure above, the measure of angle y is equal
A) 2π
π radians. Which of the following is equal to
3π
π radians to
B)
= 6
2 180 degrees sin x ?
C) π so 180° = p radians
A)
1 π π
2
= 6
π 180 y
D)
2 B) 1
py = 180  π 
C) 2 6
D)
3 py = 30p
2
y = 30; x = 60
17
An angle measures 1 radian. What is the measure Now PI base = 1
of the angle in degrees?
O 3
sin =
x =
A) 180
π 1 H 2
=
π 180 x
360
B) x(p) = 180
π
180
C) 180 x =
π
D) 360
CONTINUE
CIRCLES
READING
9 36
A
B D
A
WRITING AND
3
LANGUAGE
y
O O
165
? 66p
C
B
In the figure above, AB and CD pass through the
MATH
5π center of the circle. If the total area is 144π and the
In the circle above, y = and the length of AO is 3. shaded area is 66π, what is the measure of ÐBOC,
6
If y is the radian measure of a central angle, what is in degrees? (Disregard the degree symbol when
? gridding your answer.)
the length of minor arc AB
A) 5π s = rq 66π 11
18 1 5 =
 5π  144 π 24
5π arc = 3  
B) 6  11
2 (360) = 165
24
15π 5π
C) 8π = 180 – 165 = 15
3 6 2
15π
D)
4
21
O
45
C
3p
D
In the figure above, O is the center of the circle, the
 is 3π, and ÐCOD is 45°.
length of minor arc CD
What is the area of the shaded region?
A) 9π 45 3π A = pr2 = 144p
= 45 x
B) 18π 360 2πr =
C) 27π 90πr 1, 080π 360 144 π
=
D) 36π 90π 90π 360x = 6,480p
r = 12 x = 18p CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
OVERLAPPING SHAPES
READING
22 24
A cylinder (not shown) has circular faces with
circumferences of 8π. The height of the cylinder is
equal to the radius of its circular faces. What is the P
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
volume of the cylinder? 60

A) 8π
C = 8p O 60°
B) 16π 60
Q
C) 32π h=r
D) 64π r
C = 2pr = 8p If the area of the circle above is 9π and OP and OQ

MATH
are both radii, what is the area of the shaded region?

r = 4; h = 4
A) 9π − 6 3 60 sector

V = pr h
2 =
B) 6π − 9 3 360 9π
= p(42)(4) = 64p
6π − 9 3 540p = 360(sector)
C)
4 sector = 3π
9π − 6 3 2
D)
4
O
A = pr2 = 9p; r2 = 9; r = 3
3 30 3 1 1 3 
A = bh = (3)(  2 3 )
3 
2
3
2 2
60
Q P 9 3
3
A =
2
3 4
Ashaded = sector – 
3 9 3
=
2 4
6 9 3 6 9 3
= =
4 4 4
CONTINUE
VOLUME
READING
27 28
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
4
The pyramid above has a regular hexagonal base. If
MATH
the lengths of the edges of the hexagonal base are In the figure above, a cube is inscribed in a sphere
equal to 3, and the height of the pyramid is 4, what with a volume of 36π. What is the length of one
is the volume of the pyramid? edge of the cube?
(Note: The volume of a pyramid is given by the 2 Sphere

1 A)
equation V = Bh, where B is the area of the base 2
3 4 3
and h is the height as measured from the center of B) 2 3 V= pr
3
the base to the apex.) 4
C) 4 3 36p = pr3
3
45 3 given height so find area of base 4
A) D) 12 3 36 = r3
2 3 3 3
B) 18 3 3
3 27 = r → r = 3; d = 6
3
27 3 3 3 diameter of sphere = diagonal of cube

C)
2
Cube
D) 5 interior angles add up to 720
diagonal → use super-Pythagorean*
720
= 120 for each angle, so
6 a2 + b2 + c2 = d2
interior = 6 equilateral triangles.
here a = b = c = side of cube
Area of 1 triangle: s2 + s2 + s2 = 62
3 30
1 1 3s2 = 36
bh = (3)  3 3 
3
A= 2
3
s2 = 12
2 2 2  60
9 3 3 3
s= 2 3
= 2 2
4
27 3
×6→B = *Note to teachers—there is only a
2 very small chance this will come up on
1 1  27 3  the test.
V = Bh =  ( 4) = 18 3
3 3  2  CONTINUE
SAT MANUAL
29
READING
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
1 2
The figure above shows a semi-cylindrical plastic

cover used to hide an electrical cord run along
MATH
a wall. The plastic cover has a groove cut out of

its base in the shape of a rectangular solid. The
diameter of the semi-cylindrical plastic cover is
8 cm, while the groove is 1 cm high and 2 cm wide.
The cover and the groove cut out of it are both
10 cm in length. The plastic has a density of
1.25 grams per cubic centimeter. What is the mass
of the plastic cover, with the groove cut out, to the
nearest gram? (Density is mass divided by volume.)
A) 289 Volume of semi-cylinder
B) 315
πr 2h π( 4 2 )(10)
C) 482 =V =
2 2
D) 603
160π
= = 80π
2
Volume of groove
V = l⋅ w ⋅ h = (1)(2)(10) = 20
Volume of cover
80p – 20 » 231.27
Mass
m
D =
v
m
1.25 =
231.27
m = 289

ANSWER
KEY
689
SAT MANUAL
READING
Passage 3: Songbirds
Basic Approach Practice 22. B
23. B
24. A
VIC Questions 25. C
1. B 26. D
2. D 27. D
3. A 28. A
4. B 29. B
5. C 30. C
6. C 31. B
Passage 1: Ethan Frome Passage 4: Tsunamis

1. C 32. C
2. B 33. A
3. A 34. C
4. D 35. B
5. B 36. D
6. A 37. A
7. B 38. B
8. C 39. B
9. D 40. D
10. C 41. D
Passage 2: Monuments Men Passage 5: Spider Tweets

11. A 42. D
12. C 43. D
13. B 44. D
14. A 45. A
15. D 46. C
16. D 47. C
17. A 48. A
18. C 49. B
19. B 50. C
20. B 51. B
21. C 52. B

ANSWER KEY
Mastering POE Practice Passage 4: Wilson/Lodge Dual

Passage
Passage 1: Ms Ice Sandwich 32. A
1. B 33. B
2. A 34. A
3. D 35. B
4. A 36. A
5. C 37. B
6. B 38. C
7. D 39. B
8. C 40. D
9. A 41. C
10. D
Passage 5: What Makes a Pun Funny

Passage 2: Susan B. Anthony 42. B
11. C 43. D
12. A 44. D
13. D 45. D
14. B 46. B
15. A 47. A
16. C 48. B
17. B 49. A
18. D 50. C
19. A 51. C
20. A 52. B
21. D
Passage 3: Secret Lives of the Brain Challenging Question Types

22. C
23. C
Practice
24. D
25. C Passage 1: Citing Textual Evidence
26. A 21. A
27. A 22. B
28. C 23. C
29. C 24. D
30. B 25. C
31. D 26. B
27. A
28. B
29. C
30. A
31. D

SAT MANUAL
Passage 2: The Outsiders WRITING AND LANGUAGE

1. A
2. A
3. C
4. B Words Part I Practice
5. B
6. D
7. B Transitions
8. C 1. D
9. D 2. A
10. C 3. B
4. D
5. C
Passage 3: Nonviolence 6. A
32. B 7. C
33. A 8. C
34. B 9. B
35. C 10. A
36. D 11. D
37. B 12. B
38. D 13. A
39. C 14. C
40. A 15. B
41. C 16. C
17. D
18. A
Passage 4: Plate Tectonics 19. D
42. A 20. D
43. C 21. A
44. B 22. C
45. D 23. B
46. D 24. C
47. B
48. D
49. C Verbs
50. A 1. A
51. B 2. C
52. B 3. C
4. B
5. A
6. B
7. C
8. D
9. B
10. B
11. D
12. C

ANSWER KEY
13. D 7. D
14. B 8. B
15. C 9. C
16. A 10. A
17. B 11. B
18. D 12. B
19. D 13. C
20. B 14. A
21. C 15. C
22. D 16. D
23. D 17. A
24. D 18. A
19. C
20. B
Pronouns 21. D
1. C 22. B
2. D 23. A
3. C 24. C
4. B
5. A
6. C Concision
7. D 1. D
8. D 2. B
9. C 3. D
10. C 4. D
11. B 5. B
12. A 6. C
13. D 7. B
14. A 8. A
15. C 9. D
16. D 10. A
17. B 11. B
18. C 12. D
19. A 13. A
20. B 14. D
21. A 15. B
22. C 16. B
23. B 17. D
24. C 18. B
19. C
20. D
Precision 21. C
1. A 22. D
2. B 23. D
3. B 24. D
4. C
5. C
6. D

SAT MANUAL
Questions Practice Adding and Deleting

1. A
2. C
Purpose 3. D
1. D 4. A
2. B 5. A
3. D 6. B
4. B 7. C
5. C 8. D
6. A 9. C
7. A 10. D
8. D 11. B
9. C 12. C
10. A
11. C
12. A Order
13. D 1. C
14. D 2. D
15. B 3. D
16. A 4. C
17. C 5. D
18. B 6. C
19. A 7. D
20. C 8. C
21. B 9. D
22. B 10. B
23. A 11. A
24. D 12. B
Words in Disguise Combining Sentences

1. C 1. C
2. A 2. C
3. A 3. A
4. B 4. D
5. C 5. B
6. A 6. A
7. B 7. A
8. D 8. B
9. A 9. D
10. B 10. C
11. B 11. B
12. A 12. D

ANSWER KEY
Charts and Graphs Commas

1. A 1. A, Rule #3
2. D 2. C, Rule #4
3. C 3. D
4. D 4. A, Rule #4
5. D 5. C
6. C 6. B, Rule #3
7. C 7. C
8. A 8. B, Rule #1
9. A 9. D, Rule #4
10. C 10. D
11. D 11. B, Rule #1
12. B 12. D, Rule #3
13. A, Rule #4
14. D, Rule #4
15. B
Punctuation Practice 16. A, Rule #4
Stop, Go, and Half-Stop Apostrophes

1. A 1. D
2. D 2. D
3. D 3. C
4. A 4. B
5. C 5. A
6. B 6. D
7. C 7. C
8. D 8. B
9. A 9. A
10. B 10. C
11. A 11. D
12. C 12. B
13. A 13. B
14. C 14. C
15. A 15. A
16. A 16. D
17. D 17. B
18. C 18. A
19. D 19. B
20. A 20. D
21. D 21. C
22. C 22. B
23. B 23. C
24. D 24. A

SAT MANUAL
Words Part II Practice 19. A

20. C
21. D
Complete Sentences 22. D
1. D 23. A
2. C 24. C
3. A
4. D
5. C Parallelism
6. B 1. C
7. C 2. C
8. A 3. B
9. B 4. C
10. D 5. A
11. B 6. B
12. D 7. D
13. B 8. B
14. A 9. D
15. C 10. D
16. D 11. D
17. A 12. A
18. A 13. D
19. B 14. C
20. D 15. B
21. C 16. D
22. B 17. C
23. C 18. D
24. A 19. B
20. D
21. D
Idioms, Homophones, and Slang 22. A
1. C 23. C
2. C 24. A
3. D
4. D
5. B Modifiers
6. C 1. C
7. A 2. A
8. B 3. D
9. B 4. B
10. C 5. B
11. D 6. C
12. C 7. B
13. A 8. C
14. B 9. C
15. B 10. D
16. B 11. A
17. C 12. A
18. B

ANSWER KEY
Grammar 101 9. building could save
10. people are

Transitions
Which one is correct: 11. jury must decide
page 284: #2
page 286: #1
Pronouns
1. takes
What comes next? 2. take
1. contradiction 3. thinks
2. example
3. conclusion
4. additional point Pronoun Agreement
5. additional point 1. they want: writers, plural
6. additional point 2. it has: College Board, singular
7. additional point or example
8. contradiction
9. conclusion Relative Pronouns
10. contradiction Which one, page 292: #1
11. contradiction, additional point,
or conclusion
12. conclusion Verb Tense
13. additional point or example 1. am
14. contradiction 2. will take
15. conclusion 3. have read
4. had taken
5. sent
Prepositions
1. is: one, singular
2. have: students, plural
Subject/Verb Drill
1. name is
2. dude abides
3. you build, he will come
4. I thought, I was, they pull
5. stuff is, dreams are
6. liver pairs
7. children make
8. they are storming

SAT MANUAL
Full-Length Practice Passages

Passage 1: What Actually is an Actuary? Passage 4: A Plethora of Senses
1. C 34. B
2. B 35. C
3. D 36. D
4. D 37. B
5. B 38. C
6. D 39. B
7. A 40. C
8. C 41. A
9. D 42. D
10. A 43. B
11. D 44. C
Passage 2: The Science of Self-Talk Passage 5: The Ethics of Photojournalism

12. B 1. B
13. C 2. C
14. D 3. D
15. B 4. C
16. D 5. D
17. C 6. C
18. D 7. B
19. C 8. B
20. B 9. A
21. A 10. A
22. C 11. C
Passage 3: The Rise of Urban Art Passage 6: The Legacy of Watergate

23. B 12. B
24. C 13. C
25. A 14. D
26. B 15. C
27. A 16. D
28. C 17. B
29. D 18. C
30. D 19. A
31. D 20. B
32. C 21. B
33. A 22. D

ANSWER KEY
Passage 7: The Pros and Cons of Urban Farming Calculator

23. C 1. C
24. D 4. A
25. B 6. D
26. D 7. D
27. B 12. B
28. A 14. C
29. C 17. B
30. B 19. A
31. D 20. C
32. C 24. A
33. A 27. C
28. B
Passage 8: Do You See What I See? 29. A
34. C 32. 6
35. D
36. B
37. A
38. C Plugging In the Answers
39. A
40. C
Practice
41. C
42. A No Calculator
43. B 2. A
44. A 3. C
4. C
7. A
10. C
13. D
MATH 15. C
Calculator
Plugging In Practice 3. B
6. C
8. C
No Calculator 13. B
3. C 15. C
5. A 18. A
6. C 19. A
8. C 21. B
9. D 27. C
10. A
11. C
13. B
1
19. or 0.25
4

SAT MANUAL
Plugging In vs. PITA Drill Solving 101

3. C (Plugging In) Order of Operations
17. B (Plugging In the Answers) Sum: The result of addition
13. B (Plugging In)
2. D (Plugging In the Answers) Difference: The result of subtraction
14. D (Plugging In the Answers) Product: The result of multiplication
1. C (Plugging In)
8. B (Plugging In the Answers) Quotient: The result of division
6. D (Plugging In the Answers)
27. C (Plugging In the Answers) The Order of Operations: Parentheses; Exponents;
28. A (Plugging In) Multiplication and Division; Addition and
15. C (Plugging In the Answers) Subtraction
6. A (Plugging In) Famous Saying: PEMDAS or Please Excuse My
16. C (Plugging In) Dear Aunt Sally
Absolute Value
Translating and Meaning in Absolute Value makes a number positive if it is
negative
Context Practice
1. 8
No Calculator 2. −3
Translating 3. 1
8. A 4. 3
10. A
17. 12 Absolute Value: The distance from zero on the
number line
Meaning in Context
8. D Rational Numbers (And Their Irrational
Friends)
1
Calculator 1.
Translating 2
3
2. B 2.
4. D 1
7. C 3. 3
15. D 4. 57
21. B
22. A 5. No
25. D 6. No
28. C 3
7.
29. A 8
31. 5 1
8.
34. 19 6
9. 3.14159…
Meaning in Context 10. .1572751
22. C
27. D

ANSWER KEY
Manipulating Equations Calculator

Linear Equations Solving Equations
1. 2 3. C
2. 32 13. A
34. 2
8
3.
3 Solving Inequalities
4. 7 6. B
5. −6 28. D
6. 28 33. 1
7. 9
Solving Rational Expressions
Inequalities 10. A
1. x > −10
3
2. x < 6 35. or .6
3. x > 11 5
Simultaneous Equations
System of Equations 5. D
21. B
5
1. x = 10, y = 28. B
3 34. 5.5
2. x = −3, y = 5
3. x = 6, y = 5
Solving 201
Solving (Linear) Practice Quadratics

1. −2, −1
2. 1, 5
No Calculator 3. −4, 2
Solving Equations 4. −2, 5
2. C 5. −1, 6
3. D 6. −12, 2
9. A 7. −7, 2
14. C 8. −3
16. 4 9. −2, 2
10. 4
Solving Inequalities
18. 8
20. 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 Exponents
Basic Rules
Solving Rational Expressions 1. x5
2. B 2. x4
15. D 3. x8
17. 1 4. 12x 2y3
5. 8x6
6. 2x
7. 8x 2
8. 2x 2 + 4y3

SAT MANUAL
Special Rules Combining Roots

1. 1 1. 6 x
2. 1
3. x 2. 6 x
4. 1 3. xy
5. 0
x
6. 4 4.
7. −8 y
5. 48
1
8. 6. 2
4 7. 147
1
9. x−2 or 8. 2
x2
1
10. Roots Practice
x2 1. 10b
11. 1 2. 5
12. that number 3. 4
13. 1 4. 31
14. 0
x
15. positive 5.
16. negative y
17. smaller 6. 4
18. make the exponent positive then take
11
the reciprocal 7.
13
Exponents Practice 8. c
1. 53 = 125 9. 3xy
6
2. x5 10. −
7
3. 81x12y24z20
Fractional Exponents
4. 125 – 27 = 98
5. 3x 2y2 i. 9 3
6. 3x6 + 2x5
Fractional Exponents Practice
7. 5 × 62 = 5 × 36 = 180
1. 8d2
8. 73 = 343 2. 9
5x 2 3. 4
9. 5x 2y−2 or
y2 4. 1
10. abcdefg 5. 4xy3
6. 2
1
7.
Roots x5
Rationalizing the Denominator
i. 2 3 8. 125 or 5 5
x6
9.
9 y 10
10. 36x6y4

ANSWER KEY
Solving (Nonlinear) Practice Charts and Data 101

Scatterplots
1. Protein (grams)
No Calculator 2. Fiber (grams)
Solving Quadratics 3. 5
16. 2 4. 9
19. 10 5. 6.5
6. 4
Exponents and Roots Bar Graphs and Histograms
5. C 1. Year
3 2. % Unemployment
18. or 1.5 3. 3.9%
2
4. 2010
5. 9.2%
Calculator
Solving Quadratics Two-Way Tables
32. 4 1. Preferred beverage
2. Gender
9
35. or .9 3. 2,476
10 4. 616
Solving Rational Expressions 5. 1,210
23. D 6. 89
7. 655
Exponents and Roots
15. B Frequency Tables
1. 20
Growth and Decay 2. 0, 0, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4,
6. B 4, 5, 5, 5, 6
15. B 3. 3
23. B 4. 15
26. A 5. 3
6. 6
7. 6
8. 60
Advanced Solving Practice 9. 3
Line Graphs
No Calculator 1. Time (days)
Simultaneous Equations 2. Average (square inches)
14. A 3. 21
4. 11
Complex Numbers 5. 30
14. D
Calculator
Complex Numbers
10. C
21. D

SAT MANUAL
Charts and Data Practice Word Problems 101

Scatterplot Graphs Parts & Wholes
18. C 1. C
19. C 2. C
20. D 3. C
21. C 4. A
22. D
23. A Mixed Numbers
16
Other Line Graphs 1.
7. D 3
22. C
31
2.
Bar Graphs 7
6. D
191
7. A 3.
8. B 40
136
Two-Way Tables 4.
5. A 55
6. D
263
7. D 5.
11. D 72
12. C
115
13. B 6.
24
Translating Figures 7. B
8. B
16. C Ratios
1. i. 3:6 or 1:2
Justifying Conclusions ii. 7:2
3. A
iii. 9
17. D 6 2
21. D iv. or
9 3
Data Collection Methods 2. i. 30
7. B ii. 18
23. B 18 3
iii. or
48 8
3
iv.
8
13. D

ANSWER KEY
Word Problems Practice

Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
13. A
14. B
15. B
23. D
27. D
29. C
31. 1800
Probability
19. B
28. C
Rates and Unit Conversion

7. B
18. C
21. B
30. D
5
32. , .138, or .139
36
Proportions and Variation
6. D
14. B
Extended Thinking
37. 34
5
38. or .128
39
37. 32.5
38. 9

SAT MANUAL
Functions Practice
Term Definition Examples/Draw It

Perpendicular meeting at a right angle see below – line C is ^ to lines A and B
Parallel 2 lines that “never” intersect see below – A and B are || B
A C
Intersection (of lines) the point where 2 lines meet see below – points D and E
Bisect the divide into 2 equal parts A B C
O
Midpoint the point that bisects a line segment see above (Point B) in xy-plane,
Origin where x-axis and y-axis meet (0, 0) see below midpoint is
 x1 + x2 y 1 + y2 
x-axis the horizontal axis in the xy-plane see below  2 , 2 
y-axis the vertical axis in the xy-plane see below
Slope rise y − y1
or 2
run x2 − x1
x-intercept where a graph crosses the x-axis; y see below

=0
y-intercept where a graph crosses the y-axis; x see below
=0
Constant a value in a function that does not in y = c(x + 1), c is the constant
change
Function a set of ordered pairs in which each
x-value has only 1 y-value
y = f(x) the y-value that corresponds to a
given x-value
Interval the part of the graph in question –2 £ x £ 3
Symmetric looking the same on either side of a
dividing line
Reflection to flip part of the graph over line of point reflected over line y = x
symmetry
Rotation the turn part of the graph around the rotate clockwise 90°
origin
y-axis
line A
line B
D parallel lines A & B never meet

E and have same slope
O line C line C is perpendicular to

x-axis lines A & B and its slope is the
x-intercept negative reciprocal of their
slopes
y-intercept

ANSWER KEY
No Calculator Coordinate Geometry 101

Function Basics
7. A
11. C Slope
16. 2 Line #1
1. 2
Functions IRL 2. 3
1. B 3. 0
9. B 4. slope
1 5. y-intercept
19. or .030 6. any ordered pair on the line
33
7. y = 2x + 3
Functions and Graphs
5. D Line #2
16. 2
3
1. −
4
Calculator 2.
7
Function Basics 2
3. A 3 7
3. y = − x +
23. A 4 2
34. 6
35. 10 Line #3
Functions IRL 1
y= x+4
8. D 2
18. A
29. B Line #4
Functions and Graphs 1

y= x −6
7. A 2
10. A
20. B Line #5
y = −2x + 2
Compound Functions
17. D Lines #3, 4, and 5
23. A 1. parallel
33. 15 2. same
3. perpendicular
4. negative reciprocals
Lines #6, 7, and 8

1. y
2. opposite sign
3. same
4. x
5. opposite sign
6. opposite sign

SAT MANUAL
We ¤ Our Calculators Forms of Equations

Tables 7. B
11. D 27. D
Intersections
10. D
Advanced Coordinate Geometry
Practice
Coordinate Geometry Practice
No Calculator
Circles
No Calculator 5. D
Roots and Solutions 14. D
4. A
10. C Transformation of Graphs
3. D
Slope and Intercepts 12. D
12. C 17. 2
6 3
16. , or 1.5 Other Topics
4 2 19. 8
5
20. or .714
7
Parallel and Perpendicular Lines Calculator
3. C Circles
8. C 25. B
26. D
Forms of Equations 28. A
9. B
18. 4 Transformation of Graphs
9. B
15. D
Calculator
Roots and Solutions Other Topics
4. D 17. A
9. B 20. D
24. A 35. 1200
33. 25
Slope and Intercepts

5. A
27. D
33. 6
Parallel and Perpendicular Lines

13. A
26. A

ANSWER KEY
Parallel Lines and Angles

Plane Geometry 101 8. 135°
9. 40°
Formulas of Basic Shapes Right Triangles

Area
Square: A = s2
a b c
Rectangle: A = lw
Parallelogram: A = bh 1 3 10
1
Triangle: A = bh
2 3 4 5
1. 20
2. 36 5 12 13
6 8 10
Perimeter: Add up all the sides
7 24 25
Circles
Area: A = πr 2 2 4
2 3
Circumference: C = πd or 2πr
3. 49π 5 5 5 2
Volume
6 7 85
Cube: V = s3
Rectangular Solid: V = lwh 3 6
3 3
Cylinder: V = πr 2h
4. 4 4 2 4 2 8
Geometry IRL
Tile: Area
Tire revolution: Circumference Special Right Triangles
Fences: Perimeter a. 45°:45°:90°
Cubic feet: Volume b. 60°
m2: Area c. Turn it into a 30°:60°:90° triangle
Carpet: Area 10. 4 2
Ribbon: Perimeter
Water: Volume 11. 5 3
Square centimeters: Area
Brick: Area
in3: Volume
Snow: Volume
5. 100
Angles
Right Angle: 90°
Straight Line: 180°
Triangle: 180°
Quadrilateral: 360°
Circle: 360°
6. C
7. 80

SAT MANUAL
Circles
• The height is the perpendicular distance
from the base to the opposite vertex.
C A r d • Perimeter is the sum of the sides.
• The third side of any triangle is always
8p 16p 4 8
less than the sum and greater than the
10p 25p 5 10 difference of the other two sides.
12p 36p 6 12 In an isosceles triangle

• Two sides are equal.
4p 4p 2 4
• The two angles opposite the equal sides
18p 81p 9 18 are also equal.
24p 144p 12 24 In an equilateral triangle

• All three sides are equal.
14p 49p 7 14
• All angles are each equal to 60°.
6p 9p 3 6
Four-Sided Figure Facts
2p p 1 2
In a quadrilateral
16p 64p 8 16
• All four angles add up to 360°.
20p 100p 10 20
In a parallelogram
• Opposite sides are parallel and equal.
• Opposite angles are equal.
Fun Facts About Figures • Adjacent angles are supplementary (add
Angle Facts up to 180°).
• Area = base × height = bh
• There are 90° in a right angle. • The height is the perpendicular distance
• When two straight lines intersect, from the base to the opposite side.
angles opposite each other are equal.
• There are 180° in a straight line. In a rhombus
• Two lines are perpendicular when they • Opposite sides are parallel.
meet at a 90° angle. • Opposite angles are equal.
• The sign for perpendicular is ⊥ . • Adjacent angles are supplementary (add
• Bisect means to cut exactly in half. up to 180°).
• There are 180° in a triangle. • All 4 sides are equal.
• There are 360° in any four-sided figure. • Area = base × height = bh
• The height is the perpendicular distance
Triangle Facts from the base to the opposite side.
• The diagonals are perpendicular.
In any triangle
• The longest side is opposite the largest In a rectangle
angle. • Rectangles are special parallelograms;
• The shortest side is opposite the smallest thus, any fact about parallelograms also
angle. applies to rectangles.
• All angles add up to 180°. • All 4 angles are each equal to 90°.
• Area = length × width = lw
1 1
• Area = (base × height) = bh • Perimeter = 2(length) + 2(width) =
2 2 2l + 2w

ANSWER KEY
• The diagonals are equal. Area

• The amount of space within the bound-
In a square aries of the circle
• Squares are special rectangles; thus, any • A = pr 2
fact about rectangles also applies to
squares. Sector
• All 4 sides are equal. • Any part of the area formed by two
• Area = (side)2 = s2 radii and the outside of the circle
• Perimeter = 4(side) = 4s • The area of a sector is proportional to
• The diagonals are perpendicular. the size of the interior angle.
Circle Facts Line Facts
Circle Lines
• There are 360° in a circle. • A line has no width and extends infi-
nitely in both directions.
Radius (r) • Any line measures 180°.
• The distance from the center to any • A line that
contains points A and B is
point on the edge of the circle called AB (line AB).
• All radii in a circle are equal. • If a figure on the SAT looks like a
straight line, and that line looks like it
Diameter (d) contains a point, it does.
• The distance of a line that connects two
points on the edge of the circle, passing Line segments
through the center • A line segment is a part of a line and
• The longest chord in a circle has two endpoints.
• Equals twice the radius • The degree measure of a line segment is
180°.
Chord • A line segment, which has endpoints of
• Any line segment connecting two A and B, is written as AB .
points on the edge of a circle
• The longest chord is called the diameter.
Perpendicular
Circumference (C) • Two lines that intersect in a 90° angle
• The distance around the outside of the are perpendicular and their slopes are
circle negative reciprocals.
• C = 2pr = pd
Arc
• Any part of the circumference
• The length of an arc is proportional to
the size of the interior angle.

SAT MANUAL
Plane Geometry Practice Calculator

Lines and Angles
4. B
No Calculator 24. A
Lines and Angles 33. 55
6. D
12. C Similar Triangles
14. B 9. D
18. A
Similar Triangles 36. 60
9. C
15. C Pythagorean Theorem
19. 10 1. D
14. B
Pythagorean Theorem
2. C Trigonometry
4. B 7. B
17. B
Trigonometry 20. C
5. B
12. A Radians and Degrees
17. 20 6. C
17. A
Radians and Degrees 21. D
9. A
15. B Circles
16. 90 9. B
21. B
Circles 36. 15
9. B
15. A Overlapping Shapes
22. D
Overlapping Shapes 24. C
8. C
10. A Volume
27. B
Volume 28. B
11. B 29. A
14. D
15. C

PACING
REVIEWS
Teachers:
This section includes pacing review for tests 2 and 3, for
additional tests, and for the real SAT. The content of each review
is very similar, and all rely on the scoring information and pacing
estimates on the next few pages. Make sure students know these
are just estimates; the scale can and does change slightly from
test to test.
Find time to do at least the review for test 2 in class. It can help
to do it shortly after test 1 while the memory of the test is
fresh, but at least do it right before Test 2. Subsequent reviews
can be done by the students on their own or in class if need be. If
students do the review on their own, have them do it right after
each test they take.
These reviews are great topics to cover in individual meetings,
tutoring sessions, or office hours.
713
SAT MANUAL
PACING CHARTS
W&L Scale Score
10 15 20 25 30 35 40
10 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
15 250 300 350 400 450 500 550
Reading 20 300 350 400 450 500 550 600
Scale 25 350 400 450 500 550 600 650
Score 30 400 450 500 550 600 650 700
35 450 500 550 600 650 700 750
40 500 550 600 650 700 750 800
For a Reading You need about For a Writing and You need about
Test Score of: this many Language Test this many
Correct Answers: Score of: Correct Answers:
10 <3 10 3
12 5 12 5
14 7 14 8
16 10 16 10
18 14 18 13
20 18 20 16
22 21 22 19
24 26 24 22
26 29 26 25
28 33 28 28
30 37 30 31
32 41 32 34
34 44 34 37
36 47 36 40
38 50 38 42
40 52 40 44

PACING REVIEWS
Math Pacing Chart

Answer this many questions
Section 3: Section 4:
No Calculator Yes Calculator
To get: You need 15 30 8 Total #
(scaled to earn: questions 5 questions questions questions of questions
score) (raw points) MC Grid-Ins MC Grid-Ins to attempt
350 12 5 1 9 1 16
400 16 7 2 11 2 22
450 20 9 2 13 3 27
500 26 10 2 18 3 33
550 32 11 2 21 5 39
600 39 12 3 24 6 45
650 44 13 4 26 7 50
700 50 14 5 29 8 56
750 54 15 5 30 8 58
800 58 15 5 30 8 58

SAT MANUAL
PACING REVIEW FOR PRACTICE TEST #2

Before you attempt your second practice test, review your previous test to look for areas of strength and weakness
and revisit the pacing strategies that we discussed in the introduction chapters. Use the score report from your first
practice test to complete the following:
Your scores from your first practice test:
Reading: ________ out of 40 Writing and Language: ________ out of 40 Math: ________ out of 800
Charts on previous pages use Reading and W&L out of 40 and Math out of 800, so we did the same here.
Section Analysis for the First Practice Test
Reading Test
How did you do with pacing? Circle one:
Finished with over 3 minutes left Finished just about on time Ran out of time
How many Reading questions did you miss in all? ________
If you struggled with pacing on the Reading Test, would skipping one of the passages or skipping 1–2 hard questions
on each passage improve your score? The answer here may be “no” if they are high scoring and must do the same number of
questions but with greater accuracy.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
What was your most accurate passage type on the test? This is a good type of passage to start with on your next test.
Literature Social Studies / History Science

Answers here will vary. May be better off
giving even more time to a passage they did
If you could do this test over again, in what order would you do the passages? pretty well on or giving more time to a pas-
sage they largely skipped but see in review
that it would have been easy.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Of the categories with 3 or more questions, which 3 categories were your greatest strengths?
______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________
We picked categories “with 3 or more questions” so they aren’t focusing too much on their performance on a category that
usually only has a question or two. They are better off focusing on categories that are tested often. However, not too many
categories on the score report have this many questions. They may want to combine categories (e.g. end-of-sentence punc-
tuation + within-sentence punctuation) to really see where the biggest payoff is.
In what 3 categories did you miss the most questions?
______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________
Review the explanations for the questions you missed. How many of those questions do you feel you fully under-
stand and should have gotten right? ________

PACING REVIEWS
Make them be specific! If they say, “Pace myself
better,” how do they plan to do that?
Write down two things you plan to do differently on the Reading section of the next practice test:
1.______________________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________________________
Writing and Language Test

Would you have been better off skipping a few of the time-consuming questions? If so, which ones?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Of the categories with 3 or more questions, which 3 were your greatest strengths?
______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________
How many questions did you miss on Words Part 1 topics (transitions, verbs and subject-verb agreement, pronouns,
precision, and concision)? ________
How many editor questions did you miss (the ones that ask a question)? ________
How many punctuation questions did you miss? ________
How many Writing and Language questions did you miss in all? ________
Write down two things you plan to do differently on the Writing and Language section of the next practice test:
1. ______________________________________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________________________________
Math Test
How did you do with pacing on the No Calculator section? Circle one:
How did you do with pacing on the Calculator section? Circle one:
How many Math questions did you miss in all? ________

SAT MANUAL
Ask students what adjustments they

Did you miss more multiple-choice questions or more grid-in questions?
think they should make based on this.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________
______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________
Review the explanations for the questions you missed. How many were careless errors (you used the correct method
but got the wrong answer due to misreading or making a simple math mistake)? ________
How many did you miss but feel you could have gotten right? This could mean you have learned a new strategy for
the question or otherwise have the skills to do it but did not solve the problem correctly or skipped it. ________
How can you avoid making these mistakes next time?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
How many questions did you miss because you didn’t know how to do them?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
It is more important to focus time on the questions they missed but feel they could have gotten right than those they missed
because they didn’t know how to do them, especially if the ones in the latter category are not tested often. Tell them, “Get
great at what you’re already good at before you worry about what you aren’t good at.”
Which errors are easier to fix: careless errors or those due to lack of knowledge of a concept? ________________
Which questions did you spend time on but now realize you should have skipped and used your LOTD?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Write down two things you plan to do differently on the Math sections of the next practice test:
1. ______________________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________________________
Overall Goals
Your score goals for the second practice test:
A reasonable score improvement goal is about 100 overall points from one test to
the next. They can spread that evenly over the three areas or put more emphasis on
the area they think will be easiest to improve for the subsequent test.

PACING REVIEWS
Use the pacing charts on pages 714–715 to determine how many questions to attempt on each test.
Reading: Are you planning to complete a certain number of questions from each passage or are you planning to
complete a certain number of passages?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
I will attempt ________ of questions per passage OR I will attempt ________ passages.
Writing and Language: Your goal should always be to finish the Writing and Language test.
I will attempt a total of ________ questions to reach my pacing goal.
Dividing this number across the 4 passages, I will attempt ________ questions per passage.
Math: Make sure to focus on the easy and medium questions first, whether those are multiple-choice questions or
grid-ins.
In the No Calculator section, I will attempt a total of ________ multiple-choice questions and ________ grid-in
questions to reach my pacing goal.
In the Calculator section, I will attempt a total of ________ multiple-choice questions and ________ grid-in questions
to reach my pacing goal.
Remember that you have not yet covered all strategies and ques-
tion types in class. On your first pass, attempt questions that you
know you can do quickly and with good accuracy. If you have time
for a second pass, attempt questions that will take longer or that
you aren’t as accurate with. Your goals for pacing and the types
of questions you will answer on this test will probably be differ-
ent from those you will attempt on subsequent tests.

SAT MANUAL
PACING REVIEW FOR PRACTICE TEST #3

Before you attempt your third practice test, review your previous test to look for areas of strength and weakness and
revisit the pacing strategies that we discussed in the introduction chapters. Use the score report from your most re-
cent test to complete the following:
Your scores from your second practice test:
Section Analysis for the Second Practice Test
Reading Test
on each passage improve your score?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
What was your most accurate passage type on the last test? This is a good type of passage to start with on your next
test.
If you could do this test over again, in what order would you do the passages?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________
______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

PACING REVIEWS
1.______________________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________
1. ______________________________________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________________________________
Math Test

SAT MANUAL
_______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________
______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________
How many did you miss but feel you should have gotten right? This could mean you forgot to use a strategy you
learned in class or otherwise have the skills to do it but did not solve the problem correctly or skipped it. ________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Which questions did you spend time on but now realize you should have skipped and used your LOTD? ______
_______________________________________________________________________________________
1. ______________________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________________________
Overall Goals
Your score goals for the third practice test:
Which topics that were recently covered in class will you focus on for the third practice test?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
This last question and the ones at the top of the next page weren’t in the pacing review for
test 2, but now they are things students should start to think about.

PACING REVIEWS
Which topics from earlier in the course do you need to review based on your performance on the second practice test?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
To review those topics, what resources will you use? Circle one or more.
Class recording Advantage Session
Office hours (if offered) Princeton Review Practice Tests book
Supplemental tests Homework section from SAT Manual
Ask instructor for advice
_______________________________________________________________________________________
grid-ins.
On your first pass, attempt questions that you know you can do
quickly and with good accuracy. If you have time for a second
pass, attempt questions that will take longer or that you aren’t as
accurate with. Use your LOTD for any questions you do not plan
to work on.
This note is also different from the one in the pacing review for test 2, as
students should have a better idea of how to use POOD along with pacing.
The following reviews for additional tests and the real SAT are very similar
to this pacing review for test 3.
SAT MANUAL
PACING REVIEW FOR ADDITIONAL PRACTICE TESTS

Before you attempt your next practice test, review your previous test to look for areas of strength and weakness and
revisit the pacing strategies that we discussed in the introduction chapters. Use the score report from your most re-
cent test to complete the following:
Your scores from your most recent practice test:
Section Analysis for the Most Recent Practice Test
Reading Test
_______________________________________________________________________________________
test.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________
______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

PACING REVIEWS
1.______________________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________
1. ______________________________________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________________________________
Math Test

SAT MANUAL
_______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________
______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Which questions did you spend time on but now realize you should have skipped and used your LOTD?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
1. ______________________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________________________
Overall Goals
Your score goals for the next practice test:
Which topics that were recently covered in class will you focus on for the next practice test?
_______________________________________________________________________________________

PACING REVIEWS
Which topics from earlier in the course do you need to review based on your performance on the previous practice
test?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
grid-ins.
to work on.

SAT MANUAL
PACING REVIEW FOR THE REAL SAT

You’ve made it through the course and your SAT is fast approaching. Let’s revisit your pacing strategy one more time
to maximize your score on the real SAT. Use the score report from your most recent test to complete the following:
Your goals for the real SAT:
Section Analysis for the Last Practice Test
Reading Test
_______________________________________________________________________________________
test.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________
______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

PACING REVIEWS
1.______________________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________
1. ______________________________________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________________________________
Math Test

SAT MANUAL
_______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________
______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Which questions did you spend time on but now realize you should have skipped and used your LOTD? ______
_______________________________________________________________________________________
1. ______________________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________________________
Overall Goals
Your score goals for the real SAT:
Which topics that were recently covered in class will you focus on for the real SAT?
_______________________________________________________________________________________

PACING REVIEWS
Which topics from earlier in the course do you need to review based on your performance on your most recent
practice test?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
grid-ins.
to work on. Never revisit a question you have worked through to
completion; changed answers are almost always incorrect.

SUPPLEMENTAL
CONTENT
1
READING
SUPPLEMENT
The Reading supplemental content focuses on three

of the more notable question types on the new
DSAT - dual texts, text completions (referred to as
Conclusions questions in future publications,) and
poetry-based problems. The optimal place to teach
ALL of the supplemental Reading content is in the
Challenging Question Types chapter, since it lost the
most content due to the change. The blackline notes
for each question type will explain where to use this
content and how we adapt the Manual 7.0 for each
type accordingly for the first example of each ques-
tion type.
Ideally, do at least 2 Multiple Texts examples, 1-2
Text Completions, and 1 Poetry example before con-
sidering whether to teach the remaining questions in
each set or assign them as drills.
If you find your class nervous about the DSAT, feel
free to teach one example from each of three ques-
tion types earlier in the course, but not before the
Frederick Douglass passage in the Master the POE
lesson, as the focus needs to be on using the Basic
Approach and knowing the POE traps before refining
with individual question strengths and weaknesses.
3
READING SUPPLEMENT
Teach this content in

READING
place of the Dual

DUAL TEXTS
Dual texts are not new for the Digital SAT, but they will be tested differently than
Passages discussion
they were on previous versions of the test. Now that all texts are shorter, the same
on page 96. is true for dual texts. Like other verbal passages, the dual texts will only be associ-
ated with one question.
WRITING AND
The approach for a question based on dual texts is as follows:

LANGUAGE
Note the revised Dual

Texts approach— it’s
a little more specific 1. Read and understand the question.
than it was previ- 2. Read Text 1 and highlight the idea or viewpoint referenced in the question.
ously since it’s now 3. Read Text 2 and highlight the main idea or viewpoint towards the same
information from Text 1.
just about one single
4. Use POE and eliminate answers that are inconsistent with one or both
question.
texts.
MATH
1 Mark for Review

Step 2: Read and
understand the ques- Text 1
tion. Students should
say that it’s looking After weeks of contentious public and private debate, a small cluster of
astronomers has voted to demote Pluto from its planetary status. Rejecting an
for what the New expansive definition proposed by a special committee, the astronomers of the
Horizon scientists International Astronomical Union (IAU) defined a planet as: a celestial body
think of the IAU’s that orbits around the sun; has sufficient mass to become round; and has
definition. “cleared the neighborhood of its orbit.”
Step 3: Have students Text 2

read both texts. When the International Astronomical Union (IAU) defined “planet” back in
2006, they landed on this: a celestial body orbiting our Sun with enough mass
Step 4: Have them to make it round in shape and to clear its own orbit of other objects. That
find and underline the means that any newly discovered “planet” outside of our solar system isn’t
definition in Text 1 technically speaking a planet, but an exoplanet. The New Horizons scientists
and the New Horizon take issue with that. They also think that requiring a planet to clear its orbit is
unreasonable, because it requires planets with wide orbits to be very large.
scientist’s thoughts
See the sidebar for the POE notes on this first sample question.
on the definition in
Based on the texts, how would the New Horizons scientists (Text 2) most likely
Text 2. Remind them describe the definition presented by the IAU in Text 1?
that they would be
highlighting these in A It may have support, but it is actually problematic in the restrictions it
the new exam. imposes.
Step 5: In these
B It can likely only be applied to the planets outside of our solar system.
blackline notes, under-
lines in the answers

point to the trap C It is mostly comprehensive, but it needs some slight adjustments to be
word or phrases that applicable to all planets.
make each answer

wrong, while the cor- D It is a well-reasoned definition in spite of the objections of a special
rect answer is left committee of astronomers.
blank. The correct
answer here is A.

READING SUPPLEMENT
2 Mark for Review
READING
Text 1 Sharp-eyed
The IAU has designated Pluto as the first of a new category of objects still students, and
searching for a name, with pluton rejected and plutonian—defined by the teachers of course,
dictionary as relating to Pluto or an inhabitant of the netherworld—struggling may notice that
for acceptance. The icy globe has been given, for now at least, the designation
Questions 1-4 come
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
“dwarf planet,” which is basically any round object that is not a planetary
satellite, and has failed to clean up its orbital path. rather directly
from Dual Passages
Text 2 drills in the Manual
while questions 5,
But categories do matter, and so do the definitions we use to arrive at those
categories. The fact that people (even experts like the scientists at NASA) go 7, and 8 are based
back and forth on what definitions we should use doesn’t make them less on similar topics
meaningful. It just means we’re still learning. That’s what science is all about: as other Manual
MATH
we have to be able to adjust our definitions to fit our understanding. And this passages. Students
whole Pluto business is a perfect example.
may ask if they’ll see
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the
multiple questions
discussion regarding Pluto’s designation in Text 1? on the same topic
extreme as they do here,
A It most likely only applies to specific circumstances such as Pluto’s. to which we should
reply that these are
only for the sake of
B It is critically important, yet some major implications of the designation
have been overlooked. could be true - no evidence that the IAU scientists in acclimating to the
Text 1 overlooked anything format of the exam
Text 2 thinks categorization is important and each text will
C It is difficult to justify the time spent on categorization despite the IAU’s
indeed be used for
eagerness to do so. could be true - the Text 1 doesn’t offer any positive indicator
of the IAU’s attitude towards the designation process only one question.
D It may seem trivial, but it is actually important for the evolution of

science.

READING SUPPLEMENT
3 Mark for Review

READING
Text 1
The only possible explanation for the absence of a proactive word to express
nonviolence is that not only the political establishments but the cultural and
intellectual establishments of all societies have viewed nonviolence as a
marginal point of view, a fanciful rejection of one of society’s key components,
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
a repudiation of something important but not a serious force in itself.
Text 2
If non-co-operation is taken up in earnest, it must bring about a cessation of

all other activities including the Reforms, but I decline to draw therefore the
corollary that it will set back the clock of progress. On the contrary, I consider
non-co-operation to be such a powerful and pure instrument, that if it is
enforced in an earnest spirit, it will be like seeking first the Kingdom of God
MATH
and everything else will follow as a matter of course. People will have then
realized their true power.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the
view of the establishments presented in Text 1?
author of Text 2 never
shares his experiences
A He would be skeptical of the view even though his own experiences have
thus far supported it.

B He would strongly disagree, as non-co-operation is a more influential idea
than the establishments believe.
right words, wrong extreme

C He would admit that non-co-operation is powerful only in certain cases,
meaning
such as religion.

D He would strongly agree but would clarify that non-co-operation can be a
the author of Text 2 serious force when combined with the Reforms.
would disagree
right words, wrong

meaning

READING SUPPLEMENT
4 Mark for Review
READING
Text 1
I have claimed in private conversations with English friends that it is

because of my incessant preaching of the gospel of nonviolence and my
having successfully demonstrated its practical utility that so far the forces of
violence, which are undoubtedly in existence in connection with the Khilafat
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
movement, have remained under complete control.
Text 2
Advocates of nonviolence—dangerous people—have been there throughout

history, questioning the greatness of Caesar and Napoleon and the Founding
Fathers and Roosevelt and Churchill. For every Crusades and Revolution and
Civil War there have always been those who argued, with great clarity, that
violence not only was immoral but that it was even a less effective means of
MATH
achieving laudable goals. The case can be made that it was not the American
Revolution that secured independence from Britain; it was not the Civil War
that freed the slaves; and World War II did not save the Jews.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely describe the
movement of nonviolence in Text 1?
right words, wrong meaning
A It seems promising, but it is somewhat ignorant and immoral upon
further examination.
Text 2 is positive towards nonviolence

B It likely would do more harm than good in attempting to achieve its goals.

C It is worthy of acknowledgement despite the emphasis placed on world
leaders and violent events such as wars.
Text 2 is positive towards nonviolence

D It is an interesting idea but is too dangerous to apply without significant
backing from world leaders.
opposite - Text 2 states that propo-

nents of nonviolence have questioned
the greatness of world leaders, not had
their backing

READING SUPPLEMENT
5 Mark for Review

READING
Text 1
Why did the League of Nations fail despite its potential as a deterrence to
armed conflict? Many historians have offered various causes, but one point
of consensus is that the League was undermined by its own membership.
Member nations Britain and France’s attempts to appease German dictator
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Adolf Hitler despite the League’s objections showed that countries preferred
their sovereignty over the League’s authority.
Text 2
In 1919, Henry Cabot Lodge delivered a speech calling for the United States
not to join the League of Nations in the wake of World War I. In the speech, he
noted that he was “as anxious as any human being can be to have the United
States render every possible service to the civilization and peace of mankind.”
MATH
To this end, he mentioned that the United States can best serve the world by
remaining uninvolved “in the interests and quarrels of other nations.”
Based on the texts, how would Lodge (Text 2) most likely describe the decisions
made by Britain and France in Text 1?
Text
2 is positive towards sovereign self-interest
A They are mostly flawed, but certain circumstances may cause them to be
the correct course of action.

B They are understandable courses of action, as nations may value their
own priorities over commitments to other nations.

C They seem reasonable but cannot be justified given the outcome of World
Text 2 is positive War I. right words, wrong meaning
towards sovereign

self-interest D They are inappropriate courses of action except when a country faces the
situation that Lodge describes.
Text 2 would almost always

consider the actions ap-
propriate, not just as an
exception

READING SUPPLEMENT
6 Mark for Review
READING
Text 1
In describing the 217 B.C.E. Battle of Raphia between Egypt and the Seleucid
Empire, the Greek historian Polybius noted that Egypt’s African war elephants
fled from the Seleucids’ much larger Asian war elephants early in the battle.
What has troubled most historians since then is that most African elephant
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
species are larger than their Asian counterparts, so how could Polybius’s
account be correct?
Text 2
Doctorial candidate Adam Brandt and his professor Adam Roca published
a 2014 paper that documented research done on the mitochondrial DNA
(mtDNA) of a group of diminutive African elephants in Eritrea, a country
whose land once served as an Egyptian trading post for war elephants. Brandt
MATH
and Roca have shown that the mtDNA of the modern-day Eritrean elephants
identifies them as African savannah elephants. Brandt and Roca noted that
the elephant group had remained isolated for the past 2,000 years and thus
show extremely low genetic diversity, accounting for their diminished stature.
Based on the texts, how would Brandt and Roca (Text 2) most likely describe
the account from Polybius presented in Text 1?
extreme the conclusions
A It may appear factual, but it can now only be called speculative after the
in Text 2 support
team’s paper.
the theory in Text
extreme 1, not cast doubt
B It would not have been proven correct without the data from the team’s on it
paper.

C It is quite possible, as modern research may have resolved a supposed
discrepancy.
the conclusions in
D It was reasonable at the time but now conflicts with the data provided in Text 2 support the
the team’s paper.
theory in Text 1,
not conflict with it

READING SUPPLEMENT
7 Mark for Review

READING
Text 1
Do subjects make different decisions when exposed to seemingly irrelevant

stimuli right before those decisions? A group of psychologists believes so
and has called this theory “priming.” While there are many different types of
priming, they all center on the idea that exposure to one stimulus influences a
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
response to a subsequent stimulus.
Text 2
In an open e-mail to his colleagues in September 2012, Dr. Daniel Kahneman

from Princeton University opined that ongoing failures to replicate the same
results achieved with prior priming studies make priming an area of notable
concern. Hoping to preserve the credibility of present and even future
psychologists, Dr. Kahneman called for the establishment of a board to review
MATH
these failures, encouraging all involved with the studies to open themselves
up to scrutiny so that their scientific integrity could be protected, even if
priming as a science could not be.
Based on the texts, how would Dr. Kahneman (Text 2) most likely respond to
the psychologists described in Text 1?

A He would inform them that their theory could only be proven true
Text 2 is negative through his review board. extreme and uses review board incorrectly
towards how priming

studies have been run B He would likely applaud them, as his e-mail only recommends minor
revisions to theory of priming.
extreme and Text
2 offers fairly wide too extreme and offensive towards the psychologists
scale changes to the C He would chastise them for their lack of integrity despite his own positive
feelings towards the theory.
review process

Text 2 is negative D He would caution them, as their theory has not been substantially verified
towards how priming through experimentation.
studies have been run

READING SUPPLEMENT
8 Mark for Review
READING
Text 1
The theory of plate tectonics states that the continental and oceanic plates
move continuously over the Earth’s surface and that earthquakes occur
largely at plate boundaries as the edges of plates come into contact with
each other. However, scientists have long had trouble explaining what
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
causes earthquakes that occur within continental interiors, far from plate
boundaries.
Text 2
At the University of Toronto, Philip Heron and his team used advanced
computer technology to assemble a map of ancient continental collisions.
They discovered “scarring” from these ancient collisions below the Earth’s
crust and that these deeply scarred structures may in fact be regions of new
MATH
tectonic activity. The team noted that since many of these ancient collisions
now lie scattered beneath our current landmasses, they may account for
some of the geological activity we observe on continental interiors.
Based on the texts, how would Heron and his team (Text 2) most likely describe
the theory presented in Text 1?
A A potential shortcoming of the theory may be partially addressed by the

team’s research.
extreme - no evidence this aspect is crucial

B One crucial aspect of the theory is solely Heron and his team’s
responsibility to verify.
extreme
extreme - just one part of the theory extreme - only one adjustment
C The entire theory must be substantially overhauled to better incorporate
needs to be made
current technology. could be true - Text 2 doesn’t state the theory must
now incorporate technology
extreme
D The theory is robust enough to explain the occurrence of all earthquakes
even without the team’s research.
untrue - the team’s research

not quite robust seems to resolve a discrepancy
enough - needs in the theory
adjustment
according to Text 2

READING SUPPLEMENT
READING
Teach this content TEXT COMPLETIONS

immediately follow-
ing Dual Texts.
1 Mark for Review
The involuntary reflex known as yawning was long believed to be a signal
sent by the brain that the body required more oxygen, hence a longer inhale
Step 2: Read and and exhale cycle was executed. Recently, however, this theory has come under
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
understand the fire after a group of researchers put test subjects in a low-oxygen, high-carbon
question. Students dioxide environment and did not observe any deviation in yawn frequency from
should say that it’s control subjects. These observations therefore imply that _______
looking for a good See the sidebar for the POE notes on this first sample question.
Which choice most logically completes the text?
conclusion based
on the previous A most of the interactions between the body and brain are mysterious and
sentences. require more experimentation.
MATH
Step 3: Have
students read the B it is more critical to understand deviations between test and control
groups than to understand body function.
paragraph.

Step 4: Students C the process of yawning most likely serves some other biological or social
should find and function besides oxygen replenishment.
underline the
indicated informa-
D many positive biological processes undertaken by the human body exist
tion related to the to counteract negative conditions.
paragraph’s main
claim(s). Remind
them that they
would highlight this 2 Mark for Review
on the DSAT. In the 1950s when first observed, quasars appeared star-like to astronomers. It
was soon discovered that quasars are not stars but the bright centers of young
Step 5: In these galaxies, or a galactic nucleus, so to speak. Astronomers claim that because
blackline notes, quasars are so far away from us, the light we observe from a quasar now is how
underlines in the its galaxy appeared shortly after the Big Bang some 13.8 billion years ago. These
astronomers therefore imply that _______
answers point to
the trap word or Which choice most logically completes the text?
phrases that make
each answer wrong, A an observed celestial object is likely further along in development than
while the correct can be observed.
answer is left blank.

The correct answer B research that has led to advances in astronomy has also led to ideological
here is C. hurdles for astronomers. could be true - no ideological hurdles are mentioned
extreme - only one phenomena discussed

C many celestial phenomena are difficult to describe using only Earth-based
measurements. right words, wrong meaning
it’s never stated which of these items is more critical

D it is more critical to correctly categorize celestial objects than to explore
the evolution of astronomy as a science.

READING SUPPLEMENT
3 Mark for Review
READING
Tryptophan is an amino acid perhaps most notable as the presumptive cause
of post-Thanksgiving sleepiness in the United States; its presence in turkey,
commonly consumed during the Thanksgiving meal, is said to cause lower
levels of energy in the body. However, dieticians are quick to point out that
cheddar cheese, which is consumed quite often in many cultures, also contains
tryptophan and yet has no connection to increased levels of fatigue. These
WRITING AND
dieticians therefore imply that _______
LANGUAGE
extreme - only two foods are discussed
A most foods provide some benefit when consumed moderately but are
detrimental when consumed exorbitantly. outside knowledge - not stated in
the passage
extreme - only one amino acid is discussed
B some amino acids behave abnormally in the human body from a dietary
MATH
perspective. no evidence any amino acid is behaving abnormally
it’s never stated which item here is less important

C it is less important to comprehend the effects of tryptophan than it is to
learn which foods contain it.
D some other element besides tryptophan may be the cause of fatigue in a

certain holiday meal.
4 Mark for Review

A desert is defined as a barren landscape where little precipitation occurs and
that is hostile to most species. Since the common perception of deserts is that
they must be extremely warm environments, the Sahara Desert in Africa, the
most famous desert, is assumed by many to be the largest as well. Geographers
note that the hot Sahara is actually only the third largest after the frigid Antarctic
and Arctic Deserts, in that order. In fact, each of these deserts is more than
4 million square kilometers bigger than the Sahara. These geographers
therefore imply that _______

could be true - no evidence for this is given in the text
A deserts likely have even more unique identifying characteristics that have
yet to be articulated.
B a condition commonly associated with a land type is not necessarily part

of that land type’s identity.
extreme - only three deserts are discussed

C most deserts are difficult for geographers to explore because of the harsh
conditions present. could be true - no mention of any difficulty with explora-
tion by geographers
it’s never stated which of these items is more critical
D it is more useful to rank deserts based on temperature than it is to rank
them based on size.

READING SUPPLEMENT
Teach this content

READING
POETRY
immediately after
Text Completions.
1 Mark for Review
“The Fire-Worshippers” is an early 1800s poem by Thomas Moore. In the poem,
the speaker describes her overt happiness followed by ponderous despair:
Step 2: Read and
_______
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
understand the See the sidebar for the POE notes on this first sample question.
question. Students Which quotation from “The Fire-Worshippers” most effectively illustrates the
should understand claim?
that the they are
looking for a claim A “How sweetly,” said the trembling maid, / Of her own gentle voice afraid,
they need to provide / So long had they in silence stood, / Looking upon that moonlight flood,—”
an example for.

MATH
B “Far from the cruel and the cold,— /Where the bright eyes of angels only
Step 3: Have stu- / Should come around us, to behold / A paradise so pure and lonely!”
dents read the
short text.
C “Now, too, the joy most like divine / Of all I ever dreamt or knew,” / “To see
Step 4: Students thee, hear thee, call thee mine,— / O misery! must I lose that too?”
should be instructed

that they would D “I never nursed a dear gazelle, / To glad me with its soft black eye, / “But
highlight the indi- when it came to know me well, / And love me, it was sure to die!”
cated text as the
claim they need to
find an example for in
2 Mark for Review
the answers.
“Has Summer Come Without the Rose?” is a late 1800s poem by Arthur
Step 5: Choice William Edgar O’Shaughnessy. In the poem, the narrator describes a contrast
A only focus on between serene appearance and his own perspective: ______
negative emotions.
Which quotation from “Has Summer Come Without the Rose?” most effectively
Choice B focuses
illustrates the claim?
mostly positive
emotions and gives A “Be false or fair above me; / Come back with any face, / Summer! – do I
no indication that care what you do? / You cannot change one place. –”
the speaker would
despair at the loneli-
B “The grass, the leaves, the earth, the dew, / The grave I make the spot, –
ness. Choice D offers / Here, where she used to love me, / Here, where she loves me not.”
a despairing thought
of the gazelle dying
C “Has summer come without the rose, / Or left the bird behind? / Is the
after coming to
blue changed above thee, / O world! Or am I blind?”
know the speaker,
but gives no support
for overt happiness. D “The skies seemed true above thee, / The rose true on the tree; / The bird
seemed true the summer through, / But all proved false to me.”
Choice C is correct.
A) the author offers his own opinion in this answer but does not actually describe any appearance as serene -
rather, he notes that no matter how the season appears, it won’t change the meaning one location has in the
author’s heart
B) the author shares his thoughts on a lost love in these lines but does not describe any appearance as serene
C) the author offers his own opinion in this answer but does not actually describe any appearance as serene - in
fact, it’s implied here that he does not find his surroundings or current emotions peaceful at all
READING SUPPLEMENT
READING ANSWER KEY
Dual Texts
1. A
2. D
3. B
4. C
5. B
6. C
7. D
8. A
Text Completions
1. C
2. A
3. D
4. B
Poetry
1. C
2. D

READING SUPPLEMENT
READING EXPLANATIONS
Dual Texts
1. A The question asks how New Horizons scientists from Text 2 would describe the definition
presented by the IAU in Text 1. Read the text carefully and highlight what can help understand
each of the relevant ideas. The IAU in Text 1 presents a definition that says a planet orbits
around the sun; has sufficient mass to become round; and has “cleared the neighborhood around its
orbit.” The New Horizons scientists in Text 2 take issue with that as any newly discovered “planet”
outside of our solar system would be called an exoplanet, not a planet. Also, they think that re-
quiring a planet to clear its orbit is unreasonable. This view goes against the definition in Text 1.
Choice (A) states that the view may have support, which it does from the IAU in Text 1, but
is problematic in the restrictions it imposes, which is consistent with Text 2. Keep (A). Choice
(B) misuses the phrase outside of our solar system, whereas the New Horizons scientists say the
definition would only apply within our solar system. Eliminate (B). Choice (C) states that the
definition is mostly comprehensive and only needs slight adjustments to apply to all planets, but
the New Horizons scientists have multiple issues with the definition and never indicate what
would make it applicable to all planets. Eliminate (C). Choice (D) states that the definition is
well-reasoned, but this also goes against the New Horizons scientists’ negative tone towards
the definition. This answer also misuses the “special committee” from Text 1, which had its
own definition rejected but is never stated as objecting to the current definition. Eliminate
(D). The correct answer is (A).
2. D The question asks how the author of Text 2 would respond to the discussion regarding Pluto’s
designation in Text 1. Read the text carefully and highlight what can help understand each of
the relevant ideas. Text 1 states that Pluto’s designation is still searching for a name, with some
options rejected or struggling for acceptance and that it’s being called a dwarf planet only for now.
Text 2 states that because we’re still learning about science, we have to be able to adjust our defi-
nitions to fit our understanding. Therefore, Text 2 would consider the discussion about Pluto’s
designation an important aspect of scientific learning, as it involves adjusting definitions.
Choice (A) states that the discussion only applies to certain circumstances, but this answer is
extreme as the author of Text 2 believes changing definitions is important for science in general,
not just for Pluto’s case. Eliminate (A). Choice B states that it is critically important but that
some major implications have been overlooked, but Text 2 never indicates that anything has
been overlooked in the discussion. Eliminate (B). Choice (C) states that it is difficult to justify
the time spent on the discussion, but Text 2 states the opposite, believing the discussions to be
important. Eliminate (C). Choice (D) states that it may seem trivial, but it is actually important
for the evolution of science. This is consistent with the highlighting from Text 2. Keep (D). The
correct answer is (D).

READING SUPPLEMENT
3. B The question asks how the author of Text 2 would respond to the view of the establishments
presented in Text 1. Read the text carefully and highlight what can help understand each
of the relevant ideas. The view of the establishments is that nonviolence is marginal and a
rejection of one of society’s key components but not a serious force in itself. Text 2 considers non-
co-operation, a synonymous term with nonviolence, to be such a powerful and pure instrument
that if it is enforced with an earnest spirit, it will be like seeking the Kingdom of God. Therefore, the
author of Text 2 would strongly disagree with the view of the establishments. Choice (A)
states that the author of Text 2 would be skeptical of the view, which is true, but his own ex-
periences are not discussed in Text 2, nor is it stated those experiences have thus far supported
the idea that nonviolence isn’t a serious force. Eliminate (A). Choice (B) states that he would
strongly disagree, which is true, as non-co-operation is more influential than the establishments
would believe, which is supported by Text 2 as well. Keep (B). Choice (C) states that the author
of Text 2 would admit that non-co-operation is only powerful in certain cases such as religion, but
this answer misrepresents the text by conflating how Kingdom of God was used with religion.
Additionally, only is too extreme. Eliminate (C). Choice (D) states that the author of Text 2
would strongly agree, but this is the opposite of the relationship between the two texts. This an-
swer also misuses the Reforms from Text 2, which states they would need to cease in order for
non-co-operation to work, not be combined with it. Eliminate (D). The correct answer is (B).
4. C The question asks how the author of Text 2 would describe the movement of non-co-operation
in Text 1. Read the text carefully and highlight what can help understand each of the relevant
ideas. Text 1 states that the movement is something a reformer should try even if people do not
respond to it. Text 2 states that there have always been those who argued, with great clarity, that
violence not only was immoral but that it was even a less effective means of achieving laudable
goals. The author of Text 2 therefore supports those who try to advance the movement of non-
co-operation or nonviolence. Choice (A) states that the movement is ignorant and immoral
upon further examination, which is the opposite of Text 2’s attitude towards the movement and
also misuses the word immoral. Eliminate (A). Choice (B) states that the movement would do
more harm than good while attempting to achieve its goals, which is also the opposite of Text 2’s
attitude towards the movement and misuses the word goals. Eliminate (B). Choice (C) states
that the movement is worthy of acknowledgment despite emphasis placed elsewhere, which is
consistent with the highlighting for Text 2. Keep (C). Choice (D) calls the movement too dan-
gerous, which misuses the word dangerous from Text 2 and is the opposite of Text 2’s attitude
toward non-co-operation. Eliminate (D). The correct answer is (C).
5. B The question asks how Lodge from Text 2 would describe the decisions made by Britain and
France in Text 1. Read the text carefully and highlight what can help understand each of the
relevant ideas. Text 1 states that the actions of Britain and France showed that they preferred
their sovereignty over the League’s authority. Lodge in Text 2 states that the United States can best
serve the world by remaining uninvolved “ in the interests and quarrels of other nations.” Therefore,
Lodge would support the idea that it may be best for countries to pursue their own self-interest

READING SUPPLEMENT
and not surrender their decision-making to some committee or agreement. Choice (A) states
that Lodge would view the decisions as mostly flawed, which is the opposite of his attitude
towards the ideas of sovereignty. Eliminate (A). Choice (B) states that Lodge would consider
the decisions understandable because nations may value their own priorities over commitments
to other nations. This is exactly what Lodge wants the United States to do, so keep (B). Choice
(C) states that the decisions seem reasonable but cannot be justified given the outcome of World
War I. This answer misuses World War I from Text 2 and is also the opposite of Lodge’s attitude
towards the decisions by Britain and France. Eliminate (C). Choice (D) states that the decisions
were inaccurate courses of action, which is the opposite of Lodge’s attitude towards the decisions of
Britain and France. Furthermore, Lodge never says it’s only in the situation that he describes that a
country is allowed to choose sovereignty. Eliminate (D). The correct answer is (B).
6. C The question asks how Brandt and Roca from Text 2 would describe the account from Poly-
bius in Text 1. Read the text carefully and highlight what can help understand each of the
relevant ideas. Text 1 states that Polybius noted that the African war elephants fled from the
much larger Asian war elephants. Brandt and Roca state that the African elephant group had
remained isolated for the past 2,000 years and thus show extremely low genetic diversity, account-
ing for their diminished stature. Therefore, Text 2 is showing how Polybius’s account could
be correct despite African elephants usually being larger than Asian elephants. Choice (A)
states that Polybius’s account may appear factual but can now only be called speculative, but
Brandt and Roca’s work supports Polybius’s account rather than questions it. Eliminate (A).
Choice B states that Polybius’s account would not have been proven correct without Brandt and
Roca’s work, but this is too extreme for two reasons: first, their work alone doesn’t prove Poly-
bius’s account, and second, it’s not stated that Polybius’s account would have gone unverified
otherwise. Eliminate (B). Choice (C) states that Polybius’s account is quite possible as Brandt
and Roca’s work may have resolved a supposed discrepancy: the discrepancy being the conflict-
ing size disparity between African and Asian elephants in Polybius’s account versus modern
day observations. Keep (C). Choice (D) states that Polybius’s account conflicts with the data
provided in the team’s paper, but his account is actually supported by the team’s paper. Elimi-
nate (D). The correct answer is (C).
7. D The question asks how Dr. Kahneman would respond to the psychologists described in Text 1.
Read the text carefully and highlight what can help understand each of the relevant ideas. In
Text 1, the group of psychologists believes that priming is a legitimate theory regarding stimuli
and decision-making. In Text 2, Dr. Kahneman believes that priming is an area of notable
concern as there have been ongoing failures to replicate previous results from priming studies.
Therefore, Dr. Kahneman is not as convinced of the legitimacy of priming studies as the psy-
chologists from Text 1 are. Choice (A) is too extreme as it says the theory could only be proven
true through Kahneman’s review board, but Kahneman never states that the review board
would be his nor does he states that its aim would be to prove anything true. Eliminate (A).
Choice (B) states that Dr. Kahneman would applaud the psychologists and only recommend

READING SUPPLEMENT
minor revisions to their theory, but this goes against the concern expressed in Text 2. Eliminate
(B). Choice (C) is too harsh of an answer and misuses the word integrity from Text 2. Further-
more, Kahneman does not have positive feelings towards the theory—he is concerned about the
theory. Eliminate (C). Choice (D) states that Kahneman would caution the psychologists as
their theory has not been substantially verified through experimentation, which is consistent with
the highlighting from Text 2. Keep (D). The correct answer is (D).
8. A The question asks how Heron and his team would describe the theory presented in Text 1.
Read the text carefully and highlight what can help understand each of the relevant ideas. The
plate tectonic theory in Text 1 states that earthquakes occur largely at plate boundaries but that
scientists have long had trouble explaining earthquakes that occur within continental interiors.
Philip Heron and his team in Text 2 noted the existence of ancient collisions that may in fact
be regions of new tectonic activity, which may account for some of the geological activity we observe
on continental interiors. Therefore, Heron and his team are providing an explanation for an
occurrence that the plate tectonic theory could not adequately explain. Choice (A) states that
a potential shortcoming of the plate tectonics theory may be partially addressed by the team’s
research. This is consistent with the relationship between the texts, so keep (A). Choice (B)
states that Heron and his team are solely responsible for verifying one crucial aspect of the plate
tectonics theory, but this answer is too extreme as Text 2 never indicates that any part of the
theory needs to be verified nor that only Heron and his team have the sole responsibility to do
so. Eliminate (B). Choice (C) states that the entire theory must be substantially overhauled, but
there is only one issue with the theory that Heron and his team provide an explanation for, so
their work supplements the theory rather than calls for it to be entirely revised. Eliminate (C).
Choice (D) states that the theory is robust enough to explain the occurrence of all earthquakes, but
this goes against the final sentence of Text 1 and the central conclusion reached by Heron and
his team in Text 2. Eliminate (D). The correct answer is (A).
Text Completions
1. C The question asks for an answer that most logically completes the text. Read the text carefully
and highlight what can help understand what should come next. The text states that a group
of researchers put test subjects in a low-oxygen, high-carbon dioxide environment and yet did not
observe any deviation in yawn frequency from control subjects. Choice (A) states that most of the
interactions between the body and brain are mysterious, but the text only discusses one such
interaction. Eliminate (A). Choice (B) states that it is more critical to understand deviations be-
tween test and control subjects than to understand body function, but the text does not make any
such comparison as to which is more critical. Eliminate (B). Choice (C) states that the process
of yawning most likely serves some other biological or social function besides oxygen replenishment.
This is consistent with the text, which supports that oxygen replenishment does not seem to
be why people yawn. Keep (C). Choice (D) states that many biological processes undertaken by
the human body exist to counteract negative conditions. While this is generally true in the real

READING SUPPLEMENT
world, it has no connection to the subject of the text, which only covers one experiment meant
to confirm or refute a commonly held belief regarding yawning. Eliminate (D). The correct
answer is (C).
2. A The question asks for an answer that most logically completes the text. Read the text carefully and
highlight what can help understand what should come next. The astronomers claim that the
light we observe from a quasar now is how its galaxy appeared shortly after the Big Bang some 13.8
billion years ago. Choice (A) states that an observed celestial object is likely further along in develop-
ment than can be observed, which is consistent with the text as we are only observing the young
galaxy as it would have appeared 13.8 billion years ago, which implies it looks different now from
what we are able to observe. Keep (A). Choice (B) states that advances in astronomy have also led
to ideological hurdles, but no such link is discussed in the text, nor are any particular hurdles
identified. Eliminate (B). Choice (C) states that many celestial phenomena are difficult to describe
using only Earth-based measurements, but it’s never stated in the text that using the concept of
years to describe the age of the universe is problematic in any way. Eliminate (C). Choice (D)
states that it is more critical to correctly categorize celestial objects than it is to explore the evolution
of astronomy as a science, but while both of these topics are mentioned in the text, the text never
states which is more critical. Eliminate (D). The correct answer is (A).
3. D The question asks for an answer that most logically completes the text. Read the text carefully
and highlight what can help understand what should come next. The text states that dieticians
are quick to point out that cheddar cheese, like turkey, also contains tryptophan and yet has no con-
nection to increased levels of fatigue. Choice (A) states that most foods provide benefits in mod-
eration but are detrimental when consumed exorbitantly. While this may be true of many foods
in the real world, the text makes no such claim and only discusses a single amino acid present
in two different foods. Eliminate (A). Choice (B) states that some amino acids behave abnormally
in the human body from a dietary perspective, but this answer misrepresents how amino acids and
dieticians are used in the text. Furthermore, the text never indicates that tryptophan is behaving
differently from what would be commonly expected. Eliminate (B). Choice (C) states that it is
less important to comprehend the effects of tryptophan than it is to learn which foods contain it, but
the text does not indicate which of these two is more important and instead attempts to explore
what besides tryptophan may lead to fatigue. Eliminate (C). Choice (D) states that some other
element besides tryptophan may be responsible for the fatigue after Thanksgiving dinner, which
is consistent with the text, which through the cheddar cheese example implies that tryptophan
alone is unlikely to be responsible for the fatigue. Keep (D). The correct answer is (D).
4. B The question asks for an answer that most logically completes the text. Read the text carefully
and highlight what can help understand what should come next. The text states that the
geographers note that the Sahara, a hot desert, is actually only the third largest after the frigid Ant-
arctic and Arctic deserts and then goes on to note how much larger than the Sahara each of the
frigid deserts is. Choice (A) states that deserts likely have more unique identifying characteristics
that have not been discovered yet, but the text does not support this and only deals with the
current characteristics that define a desert. Eliminate (A). Choice (B) states that a condition

READING SUPPLEMENT
commonly associated with a land type is not necessarily part of that land type’s identity. This is
consistent with the text, which states that a common perception of deserts is that they must be
extremely warm environments and yet the frigid Antarctic and Arctic Deserts are actually much
larger than the Sahara. This indicates that temperature is actually not part of the requirement
for a land type to be classified as a desert. Keep (B). Choice (C) states that most deserts are dif-
ficult for geographers to explore, and while this is likely true, the text does not address the explo-
ration of deserts, only their size order and definition. Eliminate (C). Choice (D) states that it
is more useful to rank deserts based on temperature rather than based on size, but the text never
states which ranking is more helpful. In addition, the text discounts temperature as a qualifier
for deserts entirely, making it less likely that the author of the text would prefer temperature
over size as a ranking method. Eliminate (D). The correct answer is (B).
Poetry
1. C The question asks for a quotation from the poem that would most effectively illustrate a claim.
Read the text carefully and highlight what can help understand the claim. The text states
that the speaker describes her overt happiness followed by ponderous despair. Choice (A) makes
several references to fear, not despair, by using the words afraid and trembling, and even more
important, the text does not include anything that could indicate happiness. Eliminate (A).
Choice (B) mentions the negative cruel and the cold and the positive paradise in the wrong
order. Furthermore, the speaker is not pondering, which is being thoughtful or contemplative,
her despair. Eliminate (B). Choice (C) has the speaker calling her joy most like divine and all
she ever dreamt or knew, then has her ask if she must lose that too. This is consistent with overt
happiness followed by ponderous despair. Keep (C). Choice (D) makes a reference to the emo-
tion of despair at the end, but nothing in the answer could be described as an overt happiness.
Eliminate (D). The correct answer is (C).
2. D The question asks for a quotation from the poem that would most effectively illustrate a claim.
Read the text carefully and highlight what can help understand the claim. The text states that
the narrator describes a contrast between serene appearance and his own perspective. Choice (A)
discusses the narrator’s opinion on the summer’s ability to affect his feelings towards a loca-
tion, but no contrast with any serene appearance is made. Eliminate (A). Choice (B) mentions
a location with which the narrator associates loss and describes some natural features of that
location, but the location is not referred to as serene and no contrast between that location
and the narrator’s viewpoint is made. Eliminate (B). Choice (C) has the narrator questioning
whether the summer scenery has not developed as normal or if his own view of that summer
scenery is skewed, but it does not indicate anything appearing serene. Eliminate (C). In (D),
the narrator notes how the skies, rose on the tree, and bird all seemed true, which can mean
appeared pure or serene, but they all proved false to him. This is consistent with the text, as the
serene appearance of the summer scene does contrast with the speaker’s more negative opinion
towards that scene following the loss he endured. Keep (D). The correct answer is (D).

WRITING
SUPPLEMENT
23
WRITING SUPPLEMENT
Teacher note: For online classes, always high-
light the key words related to the purpose in
the question, to model what students should
READING
QUESTIONS be doing. For in-person, write key words on the

board.
Teacher note: These

Rhetorical Synthesis
The Digital SAT will contain a new type of question called Rhetorical Synthesis.
are very similar to
WRITING AND
For these questions, you will be given a list of bullet points that are described as
LANGUAGE
the current “pur- being a student’s notes. After the notes, you’ll be asked to choose a sentence that
pose” questions fulfills a specific purpose. The sentence will likely combine information from
in terms of strat- two or more bullet points, and, most important, will fulfill the purpose stated in
egy and what you’re the question.
asked to do. Remind
students that the
passages will not be Highlight the purpose stated in the question, and eliminate
MATH
on the same topics any answer choice that does not fulfill that purpose.
on the real test, un-
like these. Each one
will be on a unique It’s important to note that these questions will not test you on punctuation or
topic—the home- grammar. Focus on evaluating how each answer relates to the purpose stated in
work for this lesson the question, and don’t worry about how the sentences are constructed. They will
is like that as well. all use correct punctuation and grammar, even if the sentences are not written the
way you would prefer.
1 Mark for Review

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
• Alfred Nobel established the Nobel Prizes.
• He was born in 1833 into a Swedish manufacturing family.
• H
is father had a background in construction but had started manufacturing
equipment for the Russian army when Alfred was young.
• B
y the time he was seventeen, he could speak five languages, and he excelled
in chemistry and engineering.
• A
fter traveling abroad and working in a Parisian chemistry lab for several
years, he returned to St. Petersburg in 1852 to help with the family business.
The student wants to emphasize Alfred Nobel’s achievements. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A Nobel was born in 1833 and spent time traveling abroad.



 B Nobel excelled in chemistry and worked in a Parisian chemistry lab.

not achievements C Nobel was a strong student when he was young and later established the
Nobel Prizes.

 D Nobel’s family was Swedish but lived in St. Petersburg at one time.


WRITING SUPPLEMENT
2 Mark for Review Teacher note: You/
READING
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: your students may
• D
uring his time in Paris, Alfred Nobel had been studying a new but highly notice that you can
volatile explosive, nitroglycerine. often get these
• H
e recognized the potential of the powerful explosive but wanted to make it without reading the
safer for commercial uses. bullet points. This is
WRITING AND
totally fine. Elimi-
LANGUAGE
• B
y 1863, the family business in Russia had shut down, and Alfred moved back
to Stockholm with his father and one of his brothers, where he focused on nate answers that
making nitroglycerine safer. don’t do what the
• A
tragic accident at his factory in 1864, in which several men were killed question is asking.
(including one of Alfred’s brothers), only reinforced his desire to tame We haven’t seen
nitroglycerine.
any wrong answers
The student wants to reveal Alfred’s objective and his motivation to work toward so far that mis-
interpret or mis-
MATH
that objective. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the
notes to accomplish this goal? state what’s in the
bullet points.
A Because nitroglycerin was highly volatile and had caused a tragic accident
that affected Alfred personally, he focused on making it safer.

B Alfred wanted to make nitroglycerine safer for commercial uses because doesn’t state his motivation
it was highly volatile.

C Since his family business in Russia had shut down, Alfred had a desire to doesn’t state his motivation
tame nitroglycerine.

D After Alfred’s family business in Russia had shut down and he moved
back to Stockholm, a tragic accident at his factory killed Alfred’s brother.
no objective

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
3 Mark for Review

READING

• O
ne of the ways in which Alfred Nobel succeeded in making explosives safer
was by inventing the detonator and the blasting cap.
• T
hese devices provide a small initial explosion that then sets off a larger,
secondary explosion.
WRITING AND
• H
e also experimented with mixing nitroglycerine with different substances to
LANGUAGE
improve its stability.

• H
e eventually was able to turn the explosive into a paste that could be shaped
into sticks, and thus dynamite was born.
• D
ynamite was far more stable than liquid nitroglycerine and was far more
powerful than gunpowder
• D
ynamite became widely used for large construction projects such as building
tunnels and canals.
MATH
The student wants to illustrate the progression of Alfred’s work to eventually

invent dynamite. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from
the notes to accomplish this goal?

A Alfred tried to make nitroglycerine more stable by inventing dynamite, a
no progression stick-shaped explosive more powerful than gunpowder which became
widely used for large construction projects.

no progression B Blasting caps and detonators made explosives safer, as did dynamite,
since it was far more stable than liquid nitroglycerine.

C Alfred invented dynamite by turning nitroglycerine into a paste that
could be shaped into sticks, and he also invented detonators and blasting
no progression caps, which were safer because they provided a small initial explosion
before the larger, secondary explosion.

shows progression, D In trying to make nitroglycerine more stable, Alfred invented detonators
and blasting caps, tried mixing nitroglycerine with other substances,
ends with dynamite
turned the explosive into a paste, then shaped that paste into sticks called
dynamite.

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
4 Mark for Review
READING
• I n 1888, Alfred Nobel’s brother Ludvig died, and many newspapers
mistakenly ran obituaries of Alfred instead.
• O
ne French newspaper referred to Alfred in its erroneous obituary as “the
merchant of death,” because he owned more than 90 armaments factories.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
• Despite this business focus, Alfred was a committed pacifist.
• He was horrified at the way the newspaper had memorialized him.
• H
e decided that he needed to do something to change the way people would
remember him.
• A
lfred rewrote his will in order to leave the majority of his fortune to
establish the Nobel Prize.
The student wants to emphasize how Alfred’s values led him to change his
MATH
reputation. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the
notes to accomplish this goal?
values
A As a pacifist, Alfred was horrified at being referred to as “the merchant of
death,” so he decided to establish the Nobel Prize.

B When Alfred’s brother Ludvig died, a French newspaper referred to
no mention of reputation
Alfred as “the merchant of death” even though he was a committed
pacifist. change

C Alfred left the majority of his fortune to establish the Nobel Prize after no mention of values or
newspapers mistakenly ran obituaries of him upon his brother Ludvig’s reputation
death.

D Deciding to change the way people would remember him, Alfred rewrote no mention of values
his will to leave the majority of his fortunate to establish the Nobel Prize.

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
Teacher note: These are pretty much the same
as on the current test, except they actually fall
under the Reading portion now. Students will
see these in the first half of the verbal only.
READING
Charts and Graphs

For chart and graph questions, you’ll typically be asked to choose an answer that
is consistent with the information from the chart and supports a statement from
or logically completes the text. It’s likely that most or all of the answer choices
will state information that is supported by the graph, so you’ll need to identify the
H
information in the text that the blank needs to support.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Verbal Charts and Graphs Basic Approach

1. Highlight the information from the text that the
correct answer needs to support.
2. Eliminate any answer choices with data that is not
supported by the chart.
MATH
3. Eliminate any answer choices that are not consistent

with the highlighted text.

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
5 Mark for Review
READING
Geographical Distribution of Peace Prize Laureates, 1901–2000
% %
100 100
5% 4%
15% 11%
9%
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
4%
80 32% 80
29%
26%
60 60
11%
74%
6%
MATH
40 45% 35% 40
6%
17%
20 20
22% 20%
18%
11%
0 0
1901–1925 1926–1950 1951–1975 1976–2000
Africa Latin America Eastern Europe International

Organizations
Asia North America Western Europe
The Nobel Peace Prize is perhaps the most famous of the five prizes that
Alfred Nobel’s will established. Alfred’s intention was for the prize to be
international: his will stated, “it is my express wish that in awarding the prizes
no consideration be given to the nationality of the candidates but that the most
worthy shall receive the prize, whether he be Scandinavian or not.” It took some
time, however, for the Peace Prize to address struggles for peace in all corners of
the world: __________
Which choice most effectively uses data from the graph to complete the claim?
A only 17% of the winners were from Western Europe in the last quarter of
the twentieth century.
unrelated
“took some time”

B it was not until the end of the twentieth century that the prize became
truly international.

C between 1901 and 2000, the number of North American winners unrelated
increased to a high of 32% and then decreased to just 6%.

D the percentage of International Organizations that have been awarded unrelated
the Nobel Peace Prize stayed mostly stable over the course of the
twentieth century.

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
READING
QUESTIONS DRILL
Time: 8 minutes
1 Mark for Review

WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
• D
espite his central role in modern thought, Socrates left few clues behind for
modern historians.
• T
he “Socratic problem,” as it is known, has perplexed historians and
philosophers for many centuries.
• S
ocrates himself wrote nothing that survives, and his biographical details are
sparse, even though information about others who lived during his time is
known.
MATH
• A
ll that we know about Socrates comes from three sources: the philosophical
writings of Plato and Xenophon and the plays of Aristophanes.
The student wants to explain why Socrates remains a mystery. Which choice
most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this
goal?

A The philosophical writings of Plato and Xenophon and the plays of
no mystery Aristophanes provide sparse biographical details about Socrates, who
has a central role in modern thought.

no “why” B Socrates left few clues behind for modern historians, who have been
perplexed about the lack of information for many centuries.

no “why” C Socrates, who has a central role in modern thought, is associated with the
“Socratic problem,” which has perplexed historians and philosophers for
many centuries.

D Historians and philosophers have been perplexed by Socrates because
nothing he wrote survives and only three sources provide information
about him, despite the fact that information about others who lived
during his time is known.

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
2 Mark for Review
READING
500 BCE 400 BCE 300 BCE 200 BCE 100 BCE
Alexander Scipio (Elder)

the Great Julius Caesar
356–323 236–184 100–44
Plato
WRITING AND
427–327
LANGUAGE
Augustus
Caesar
Socrates Aristotle
470–399 384–322 63bce–ce
Zeno Cicero
335–263 106–43
The Nation of Israel
Persian Domination Greek Domination Maccabean Rule Rome
Ezra
458–390 Book of Enoch Philo
Book of Daniel bce–ce
I Maccabees
MATH
It is generally agreed that Socrates was born in Athens in 470 or 469 BCE,
__________
Which choice most effectively uses data from the chart to complete the claim?
A approximately 400 years before the birth of the Roman emperor Augustus
Caesar.

B after Aristotle’s great philosophical discoveries.

C amid the era of Greek domination.

D around the time the Jewish Book of Enoch was written.

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
3 Mark for Review

READING

• Socrates married Xanthippe, with whom he had three sons.
• S
ocrates’s father cut stone for the Parthenon, and Socrates, having learned his
father’s trade, initially earned his living as a stonecutter.
• A
fter his retirement from stonecutting, Socrates began his life’s great work:
WRITING AND
discussing philosophy.
LANGUAGE
• T
he plays of Aristophanes suggest that Socrates was paid for his philosophical
teaching of the young, though Plato’s account of Socrates’s final words
disagrees with such an idea.
• R
egardless of whether he was paid, this teaching, and its supposed
“corruption of the young,” ultimately contributed to the philosopher’s death
sentence by an Athenian court.
MATH
The student wants to describe some major events in Socrates’s life in

chronological order. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information
from the notes to accomplish this goal?
not the major A Socrates married Xanthippe, had three sons, and then earned his living as
a stonecutter.
events

B After initially earning his living as a stonecutter, Socrates taught
philosophy to the young and was later sentenced to death by an Athenian
court.

C According to the plays of Aristophanes, Socrates was paid for his
no chronology philosophical teaching of the young, and he also earned his living as a
stonecutter.

not chronological D Socrates was sentenced to death by an Athenian court, married Xanthippe
and had three sons, and worked as a stonecutter and philosophy teacher.

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
4 Mark for Review
READING
• Socrates was a soldier in the Athenian army during three campaigns.
• H
e eventually played a role in government, most notably in the defense of
Athenian generals who abandoned their dead in the water to continue to
pursue the Spartan navy.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
• Political life at this time was in transition.
• T
he powerful Athenians had recently been defeated by the Spartans in the
Peloponnesian War.
• S
ocrates clashed with Athenian authorities over how the defeated province
should govern itself.
have to read for this one
The student wants to summarize the focus of the notes. Which choice most
MATH
A Socrates is most well-known for his contributions to philosophy. not mentioned

B When the Spartans defeated the Athenians in the Peloponnesian War,
there was a political transition. not focus

C Socrates makes a few appearances in the military and political history of
his era.

D Sometimes, people in government disagree about how a state should be too broad
run.

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
5 Mark for Review

READING

• For most of his life, Socrates was an average, if at times controversial, citizen.
• His most important contributions came later in life as a philosopher.
• H
is great contribution to the future of philosophy and instruction was the
Socratic method.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
• T
he method broke any problems down into a series of questions, or testable
hypotheses.
• T
hose discussing the topic would question it tirelessly, discarding hypotheses
that could not stand up to reasonable questioning.
• I t was from this method that Plato and Xenophon built their own
philosophies, and the Socratic method has provided the foundation for much
of Western academics.
MATH
The student wants to explain the significance of Socrates. Which choice most

A Socrates’s great contribution to the future of philosophy and instruction
was the Socratic method, which has provided the foundation for much of
Western academics.

no explanation of significance B Socrates was an average citizen for most of his life, and his most
important contributions came later in life.

no explanation of significance C The Socratic method broke any problems down into a series of questions,
or testable hypotheses, which would be discarded if they could not stand
up to reasonable questioning.

significance isn’t clear D Although Socrates was at times controversial, Plato and Xenophon built
their own philosophies from his method.

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
This should be assigned for homework
instead of the current Questions Prac-
tice. The only exception is the chart and
graph questions, as they should be pretty
READING
QUESTIONS PRACTICE similar, so they should be assigned as is
from the manual.
1 Mark for Review
• A
dietitian is a professional who advises people on the role nutrition plays in
WRITING AND
attaining medical goals and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
LANGUAGE
• Dietitians are regulated through registered licenses.
• A
dietitian must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or
university and must pass a registration exam in order to practice.
• A nutritionist advises people on food, nutrition, and health.
• A
ny person can claim to be a nutritionist without any education, training, or
professional license.
MATH
The student wants to emphasize a difference between dietitians and nutritionists.
Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to
accomplish this goal?

A A dietitian advises people on the role nutrition plays in attaining medical
not a difference
goals and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and a nutritionist advises
people on food, nutrition, and health.
contrast word, but

B Dietitians are regulated through registered licenses, while nutritionists
advise people on food, nutrition, and health. ideas don’t conflict
no nutritionist
C A dietitian is a professional and must have a bachelor’s degree from an
accredited college or university.
mentioned

D A dietitian must have a bachelor’s degree and pass a registration exam,
while a nutritionist may have no education, training, or professional
license.

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
2 Mark for Review

READING

• A superintendent functions as the leader of a school district.
• A district’s school board is composed of elected members of the community.
• T
he school board hires a superintendent to oversee all aspects of the school
district.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
• T
he superintendent is in charge of all decisions related to curriculum, staffing,
distribution and expenditure of funds, school safety, current and future
facility needs, and more.
• O
n a given day, a superintendent might observe schools and classrooms, meet
with state officials, make decisions related to the budget, or communicate
with the public.
The student wants to write about two ways superintendents deal with financial
MATH
issues. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to
 A A superintendent functions as the leader of a school district and is hired

 by the district to oversee all aspects of that district.


B Superintendents make decisions related to the district’s budget and are in
charge of the distribution and expenditure of funds.
no financial issues

C Superintendents are in charge of staffing decisions, so they might observe
 schools and classrooms.

D

The school board, which is composed of elected members of the
 community, hires the superintendent, who may communicate with the
public.

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
3 Mark for Review
READING
• B
iomedical engineers design and produce actual body parts in addition to
designing and constructing items to help the functioning of our bodies.
• T
his aspect of biomedical engineering is called tissue engineering and
involves the creation of human tissue.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
• T
he engineers work with stem cells and manually guide the growth of human
tissue and organs.
• T
his work has already successfully grown full jawbones, tracheas, and
urinary bladders.
• F
urther advances promise to save money, time, and lives by drastically
reducing the need for organ donations.
The student wants to explain how biomedical engineering can provide great
MATH
benefits. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes
to accomplish this goal?

A One aspect of biomedical engineering called tissue engineering involves
the creation of human tissue, which can save money, time, and lives by
drastically reducing the need for organ donations.

B Designing and producing actual body parts is known as tissue

engineering, and it is done through the use of stem cells.

C By working with stem cells and manually guiding the growth of human
tissue and organs, biomedical engineers have been able to successfully
grow full jawbones, tracheas, and urinary bladders.
 no clear “great
benefits”

D

Designing and constructing items to help the functioning of our bodies is
not the only function of biomedical engineers; they also create human
tissue through tissue engineering.


WRITING SUPPLEMENT
4 Mark for Review

READING

• Emotional states are closely tied to the physiology of the body.
• W
hen we are nervous, our hearts beat faster, our glands produce sweat, and
our voices tremble.
• T
hese sensations are usually only temporary, the results of a release of the
WRITING AND
hormone cortisol in response to a triggering stimulus.

LANGUAGE
• T
he release of other hormones—endorphins—into our systems promotes a
sense of well-being.
• B
ecause it is taxing for the body to maintain elevated levels of hormones for
long periods, both anxiety and happiness tend to be short-lived emotional
states.
The student wants to demonstrate a similarity between the two types of

MATH
hormones. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the
notes to accomplish this goal?

compares states, A Both anxiety and happiness, emotional states that are closely tied to the
not hormones physiology of the body, tend to be short-lived emotional states because it
is taxing for the body to maintain elevated levels of hormones for long
periods.

contrast B While cortisol relates to nervousness and is released in response to a
triggering stimulus, endorphins promote a sense of well-being.

only one hormone C Cortisol creates temporary sensations such as our hearts beating faster,
our glands producing sweat, and our voices trembling.

D Both cortisol and endorphins affect our emotional states: cortisol creates
nervous behaviors in response to a triggering stimulus, and endorphins
promote a sense of well-being.

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
5 Mark for Review
READING
• A
s a school superintendent, Dr. Goren works with teachers, coaches, students,
parents, and other administrators to accomplish the district’s goals.
• S
he is responsible for finding a way to address the needs of each group as
fully as possible without overextending the system’s resources.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
• To be an effective leader, she sometimes must make difficult decisions.
• S
he must then explain them well enough that everyone accepts and moves
forward with what must be done.
• D
r. Goren’s days are shaped by interactions with the many people who have a
stake in the district’s schools.
The student wants to express a potential consequence if Dr. Goren does not
succeed in her responsibilities. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
MATH
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A If Dr. Goren does not explain her decisions well enough, the many people
who have a stake in the district’s schools—such as teachers, coaches,
students, and parents—may not accept and move forward with the
decisions.

B Dr. Goren works with many people, such as teachers, coaches, students,
and parents, and must address the needs of each group as fully as
possible without overextending the system’s resources.
no mention of not
succeeding
C Because Dr. Goren’s days are shaped by interactions with teachers,
coaches, students, parents, and other administrators, she must address
their needs and make difficult decisions.

D If Dr. Goren is not an effective leader, she will not make difficult decisions
that are needed to accomplish the district’s goals.
not a consequence/ cause & effect

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
6 Mark for Review

READING

• Early human existence was shaped by the natural pattern of day and night.
• L
acking a means to artificially illuminate the darkness, humans were diurnal,
getting up with the sun and going to sleep when it set.
• O
nce the art of fire-making was established, humans were able to be far more
WRITING AND
active during the night.

LANGUAGE
• T
he innovations that so easily enable us now to do almost anything at any
hour were relatively slow to develop.
• W
e now have so much artificial light that scientists warn of the dangers of
“light pollution.”
The student wants to reveal how humans’ schedules have changed over time.
Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to
MATH
not over time A Early human existence was shaped by the natural pattern of day and
night, meaning that humans were diurnal.

B While early human existence was shaped by the natural pattern of day
and night, fire and artificial light allowed humans to be more active
during the night and do almost anything at any hour.

not over time C Although we can now easily do almost anything at any hour, scientists
warn of the dangers of “light pollution.”

change not clearly D Fire-making and other innovations have enabled us to do almost anything
stated at any hour, although they were relatively slow to develop.

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
7 Mark for Review
READING
• Fracking has become a key method of gas extraction in the United States.
• I t has enabled the extraction of some reserves that would otherwise have
remained inaccessible.
• A
long with horizontal drilling, fracking has been primarily responsible for
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
increases in the U.S. production of natural gas since 2005.
• T
hose increases have meant that the United States now produces nearly all of
the natural gas it uses.
• A
s a result, the United States is much less dependent on other countries to fill
its energy needs.
The student wants to highlight two benefits of fracking. Which choice most
MATH

A Fracking has become a key method of gas extraction in the United States
not a benefit
and has enabled the extraction of some reserves that would otherwise
have remained inaccessible.

B The United States now produces nearly all of the natural gas it uses only one benefit
because of increases in fracking, a key method of gas extraction.

C The United States is much less dependent on other countries to fill its only one benefit
energy needs since it now produces nearly all of the natural gas it uses.

D Fracking has enabled the extraction of some reserves that would
otherwise have remained inaccessible and has made the U.S. much less
dependent on other countries to fill its energy needs.

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
8 Mark for Review

READING

• A
polar vortex can have a significant effect on other areas of the globe when it
breaks into two or more vortices.
• A
break occurs when a shift in the jet stream causes a piece of the vortex to be
broken off from the main cyclone and diverted along the path of the polar jet
WRITING AND
stream.
LANGUAGE
• I n 1985, the United States suffered one of its worst weather events due to a
break in the Arctic polar vortex.
• A
wave of extreme cold swept through the United States, primarily in the East
Coast and Midwest regions.
• I n all, 129 deaths were attributed to the storm, over $2.3 billion in agricultural
losses were reported, and hundreds of homes were lost to wind damage.
MATH
The student wants to explain the cause of a destructive weather event. Which
choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish
this goal?
no destructive A When a polar vortex breaks into two or more vortices, it can cause a
event wave of extreme cold.

no cause B A weather event in 1985 caused 129 deaths, over $2.3 billion in
agricultural losses, and hundreds of home losses, primarily in the East
Coast and Midwest regions.

C In 1985, a piece of the Arctic polar vortex broke off from the main cyclone,
causing a wave of extreme cold that led to deaths, agricultural losses, and
wind damage to homes.

no mention of D A polar vortex can have a significant effect on other areas of the globe,
destruction like the Arctic polar vortex in 1985 for the East Coast and Midwest regions.

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
9 Mark for Review
READING
• T
he paths to becoming a professional epidemiologist can be as varied as the
populations and diseases studied.
• C
urrently, very few universities and colleges worldwide offer undergraduate
classes in epidemiology, let alone a bachelor’s degree.
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
• A
lthough a master’s in epidemiology is becoming more common, there are
still very few doctoral programs that offer a degree in the field.
• M
ost epidemiologists came to the profession via a background in clinical
medicine, public health, or both.
• A
fair number come from neither background and have instead been drawn
to the field through another focus altogether.
The student wants to describe the most common ways epidemiologists join the
MATH
field. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to
A Most epidemiologists have a background in clinical medicine, public

health, or both or join the field through another focus altogether.

B Undergraduate classes, bachelor’s degrees, and doctoral programs in not most common
epidemiology are ways that people become epidemiologists.

C Although very few universities and colleges offer undergraduate classes
in epidemiology, a master’s in epidemiology is becoming more common. not most common

D There are varied paths to becoming a professional epidemiologist, and
some have been drawn to the field through a focus other than clinical not most common
medicine or public health.

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
10 Mark for Review

READING

• Fracking, a method of gas extraction, has a major environmental impact.
• V
ast quantities of water are needed: the average water consumption has
surged from 5 million to almost 25 million gallons per well.
• O
nce the water has been injected into a well, only about half of the now-
WRITING AND
contaminated resource is recovered.

LANGUAGE
• The rest is lost and can filter into local water sources.
• T
he chemicals that leach into the public water system in the aftermath of
fracking have demonstrated harmful and long-term effects on the local
populations.
The student wants to summarize a major downside of fracking. Which choice

most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this
MATH
goal?
no downside A Fracking is a method of gas extraction that can require almost 25 million
gallons of water per well.

doesn’t summarize; B Fracking has a major environmental impact: it requires vast quantities of
water, and only about half of the now-contaminated resource is
leaves out key info
recovered after the water has been injected into a well.

no clear downside C A method of gas extraction, fracking involves injecting water into a
well—sometimes almost 25 million gallons per well, about half of which is
recovered.

D Vast quantities of water are needed for fracking, and the water that is lost
is contaminated and can cause harmful and long-term effects on the local
populations if the chemicals leach into the public water system.

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
Teacher note: Teach the Punctuation lesson as written, with the exception of showing the
VLT on scratch paper. Here, we have reformatted the punctuation questions so students can
see what they will look like. There is no change to the sentence or answer choices. Use the
instructional content from the manual along with these question replacements, as they will
help students see that they need to look at the answers to find the words for the VLT. Remind
READING
PUNCTUATION students that on the real test each one will have a unique topic.
Scratch paper example:

1 Mark for Review
The rules of punctuation can seem ___________ give different guidelines for the C C
same situations. confusing | different
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of
Standard English?
A confusing, different sources

B confusing, different sources,
MATH

C confusing. Different sources

D confusing different sources
2 Mark for Review

Looking at the history of punctuation can be ___________ of punctuation marks
commonly used today is much smaller than in the past.

Standard English?
A helpful, the number,

B helpful the number

C helpful, the number

D helpful: the number

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
3 Mark for Review

READING
Before the invention of the printing press in the ___________ were read only by
the educated and the wealthy.

Standard English?
WRITING AND
A
LANGUAGE
1400s, books

B 1400s—books

C 1400s; books

MATH
D 1400s. Books
4 Mark for Review

Only very wealthy people owned books because the ___________ of the books was
so great.

Standard English?
A cost,

B cost;

C cost

D cost:

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
5 Mark for Review
READING
These volumes had to be transcribed by ___________ they were often also
illustrated by hand.

Standard English?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
A hand and

B hand, and

C hand,
MATH
D hand, and,
6 Mark for Review

Most books prior to the 1400s were written in scriptura continua, which had no
spaces, no ___________ no punctuation marks.

Standard English?
A capitalization; and,

B capitalization,

C capitalization, and

D capitalization, and,

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
7 Mark for Review

READING
This is not to say that there was no punctuation before this time, however.
As early as the fifth century BCE, the Greeks sometimes used punctuation
___________ and tricolons, to help with the oral transmission of their texts.

Standard English?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
A marks, called dicolons

B marks (called dicolons)

C marks, called dicolons,
MATH

D marks called dicolons
8 Mark for Review

The ___________ told speakers the appropriate length of pauses.

Standard English?
A number of vertically-arranged dots

B number, of vertically-arranged dots,

C number, of vertically-arranged dots

D number of vertically-arranged dots,

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
9 Mark for Review
READING
Some other languages, such as early Chinese and Mayan, worked in pictograms
or ___________ at all.

Standard English?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
A syllables rather than individual letters, and thus, had no need for
punctuation,

B syllables, rather than individual letters and thus, had no need, for
punctuation,

C syllables rather than, individual letters and, thus, had no need for
MATH
punctuation,

D syllables rather than individual letters and thus had no need for
punctuation
10 Mark for Review

With the introduction of the printing press, authors and printers began to
standardize the ___________ regarding punctuation.

Standard English?
A language’s rules

B language’s rules’

C languages’ rule’s

D languages rules

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
11 Mark for Review

READING
These indicators eventually became the punctuation marks that we use today;
and ___________ words with such a vast group of readers.

Standard English?
WRITING AND
A
LANGUAGE
it’s because of these marks that writers can share their

B its because of these marks that writers can share there

C it’s because of these marks that writers can share they’re

MATH
D its because of these marks that writers can share they’re
Teacher note: the drill and homework

are to be done in the manual. Students
should practice doing the VLT in the
margin or on a separate paper, rather
than on top of the question.

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
WRITING AND LANGUAGE ANSWER KEY
Questions
1. C
2. A
3. D
4. A
5. B
Questions Drill
1. D
2. A
3. B
4. C
5. A
Questions Practice
1. D
2. B
3. A
4. D
5. A
6. B
7. D
8. C
9. A
10. D
Punctuation
1. C
2. D
3. A
4. C
5. B
6. C
7. A
8. A
9. D
10. A
11. A

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
WRITING AND LANGUAGE EXPLANATIONS
Questions
1. C The purpose stated in the question is to emphasize Alfred Nobel’s achievements. Eliminate (A)
because a year of birth isn’t an achievement, and traveling isn’t clearly connected to achieve-
ments. Keep (B) because excelled in chemistry could be an achievement. Keep (C) because both
strong student and establishing the Nobel Prizes are both achievements. Eliminate (D) because
Nobel’s geographical background is not related to achievements. Compare (B) and (C). In (C),
both items mentioned are achievements, while in (B), working in a chemistry lab is not neces-
sarily an achievement. Eliminate (B) as one part of the answer does not support the purpose
stated in the question. The correct answer is (C).
2. A The purpose stated in the question is to reveal Alfred’s objective and his motivation to work to-
ward that objective. Keep (A) because his objective was to focus on making [nitroglycerine] safer
and his motivation was a tragic accident that affected Alfred personally, and this answer uses the
word Because to draw a clear relationship between the motivation and the objective. Eliminate
(B) and (C) because they state the objective (make nitroglycerine safer or tame nitroglycerine) but
not the motivation behind it, which according to the notes was the accident. Eliminate (D)
because it discusses the accident but not how it motivated him to work toward the objective of
making nitroglycerine safer. The correct answer is (A).
3. D The purpose stated in the question is to illustrate the progression of Alfred’s work to eventually
invent dynamite. Eliminate (A) because it states that he invented dynamite but does not ex-
plain the progression of the work Alfred took to eventually do so. Eliminate (B) because it does
not discuss a timeline that would illustrate the progression of the work. Eliminate (C) because
while the ideas are on the right topic they are not in the correct order, so they don’t illustrate
the progression of the work. Keep (D) because it discusses what Alfred did chronologically to
eventually invent dynamite. The correct answer is (D).
4. A The purpose stated in the question is to emphasize how Alfred’s values led him to change his
reputation. Keep (A) because being a pacifist shows his values, and it states that he decided to
establish the Nobel Prize because he was horrified by how he was viewed. Eliminate (B) because
while it mentions his value of being a pacifist it does not mention how he tried to change his
reputation. Eliminate (C) because it does not mention his values or his reputation. Eliminate
(D) because it mentions how he tried to change his reputation but not how his values led him to
do so. The correct answer is (A).
5. B The question asks for the choice that uses data from the graph to complete the claim. First iden-
tify the claim: It took some time, however, for the Peace Prize to address struggles for peace in all
corners of the world. The correct answer should support this idea and use accurate data from

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
the graph. Eliminate (A) because it doesn’t relate to all corners of the world since it is only about
one region. Keep (B) because truly international relates to all corners of the world and not until
the end of the twentieth century matches with it took some time. Eliminate (C) because it focuses
on only one region, not all corners of the world. Eliminate (D) because the fact that this stayed
mostly stable doesn’t support the claim that it took some time. The correct answer is (B).
Questions Drill
1. D The purpose stated in the question is to explain why Socrates remains a mystery. Eliminate
(A) because the fact that these sources provide sparse biographical details does not necessarily
mean that Socrates remains a mystery, and his central role in modern thought is not relevant to
the purpose in the question. Eliminate (B) because it is vague, and there is more information
in the notes to support why Socrates remains a mystery. Eliminate (C) because it states that
Socrates has perplexed historians and philosophers but does not explain why this is the case, as
the question asks. Keep (D) because it explains why people have been perplexed by explaining
the limited information available about Socrates and further emphasizing why he remains a
mystery by stating that information about others who lived during his time is known. The correct
answer is (D).
2. A The question asks for the choice that uses data from the chart to complete the claim. First identi-
fy the claim: Socrates was born in Athens in 470 or 469 BCE. Keep (A) because the chart shows
that Augustus Caesar was born in 63 BCE, which is about 400 years to the right of (after) 470
BCE. Eliminate (B) because Aristotle lived after Socrates, since he appears to the right on the
timeline. Eliminate (C) because 470 BCE is the era of Persian domination, not Greek domi-
nation. Eliminate (D) because the Book of Enoch appears around 200 BCE, not close to 470
BCE. The correct answer is (A).
3. B The purpose stated in the question is to describe some major events in Socrates’s life in chronologi-
cal order. Eliminate (A) because these are not major events compared with some of the other
items mentioned in the notes. Keep (B) because it correctly follows chronological order and
includes Socrates’s life’s great work of discussing philosophy, which matches with major events.
Eliminate (C) because earned his living as a stonecutter came before philosophical teaching of the
young, so this answer is not in chronological order. Eliminate (D) because these events are not
in chronological order according to the notes. The correct answer is (B).
4. C The purpose stated in the question is to summarize the focus of the notes. Eliminate (A) because
Socrates’s contributions to philosophy aren’t mentioned in the notes. Eliminate (B) because the
notes focus on Socrates, and this answer doesn’t mention him. Keep (C) because the notes are
focused on Socrates and his relationship to the military and political history, since they mention
his role in government and time as a soldier. Eliminate (D) because it doesn’t mention Socrates,
who is the focus of the notes. The correct answer is (C).

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
5. A The purpose stated in the question is to explain the significance of Socrates. Keep (A) because
great contribution and the foundation for much of Western academics show Socrates’s significance.
Eliminate (B) because average citizen does not match with significance, and the second part of
the sentence is not specific about what his contributions were. Eliminate (C) because it tells
how the Socratic method works but not its significance. Eliminate (D) because controversial
does not have a clear connection to significance, and the fact that two other people build their
own philosophies from his method isn’t clearly explained as to its significance. The correct answer
is (A).
Questions Practice
1. D The purpose stated in the question is to emphasize a difference between dietitians and nutrition-
ists. Eliminate (A) because advising on the role nutrition plays in attaining medical goals and
advising on food, nutrition, and health are similarities, not differences. Eliminate (B) because
the licenses of one position do not contradict the type of advice given by another position;
these pieces of information are not clearly linked as being a difference between the two roles.
Eliminate (C) because this answer only mentions dietitians, not nutritionists, and the question
asked about a difference between the two. Keep (D) because it shows a difference, in that one
requires certification and one does not. The correct answer is (D).
2. B The purpose stated in the question is to write about two ways superintendents deal with finan-
cial issues. Eliminate (A) because it doesn’t mention financial issues. Keep (B) because budget
and funds are both related to financial issues. Eliminate (C) and (D) because they don’t men-
tion financial issues. The correct answer is (B).
3. A The purpose stated in the question is to explain how biomedical engineering can provide great
benefits. Keep (A) because it describes tissue engineering and provides the benefit of saving
money, time, and lives by drastically reducing the need for organ donations. Eliminate (B) because
it doesn’t mention a benefit. Eliminate (C) because there isn’t a clear explanation of how grow-
ing these tissues and organs can provide great benefits. Eliminate (D) because it doesn’t state a
clear benefit. The correct answer is (A).
4. D The purpose stated in the question is to demonstrate a similarity between the two types of hor-
mones. Eliminate (A) because it doesn’t mention the two types of hormones. Eliminate (B) be-
cause it focuses on a difference, not a similarity. Eliminate (C) because it only mentions one
hormone, not two. Keep (D) because it explains how both hormones affect our emotional states,
which is a similarity. The correct answer is (D).
5. A The purpose stated in the question is to express a potential consequence if Dr. Goren does not
succeed in her responsibilities. Keep (A) because it explains that people may not accept and move
forward with the decisions if Dr. Goren does not explain her decisions well enough, which is stated
in the notes as one of her responsibilities. Eliminate (B) and (C) because there is no potential

WRITING SUPPLEMENT
consequence mentioned. Eliminate (D) because the notes do not indicate that being an effective
leader is a requirement for making difficult decisions; it is the other way around. The correct
answer is (A).
6. B The purpose stated in the question is to reveal how humans’ schedules have changed over time.
Eliminate (A) because it only discusses early human existence, not a change over time. Keep (B)
because it draws a distinction between early human existence and how the innovations of fire
and artificial light allowed people to be more active during the night. Eliminate (C) because it
only discusses now and not changes over time. Eliminate (D) because it doesn’t clearly state
the change over time. The correct answer is (B).
7. D The purpose stated in the question is to highlight two benefits of fracking. Eliminate (A) and (B)
because being a key method of gas extraction is not in and of itself a benefit, so these answers
only provide one benefit. Eliminate (C) because it also only provides a single benefit. Keep (D)
because it provides two benefits: extracting reserves that would otherwise have remained inac-
cessible and making the U.S. much less dependent on other countries. The correct answer is (D).
8. C The purpose stated in the question is to explain the cause of a destructive weather event. Elimi-
nate (A) because it doesn’t mention a specific weather event. Eliminate (B) because it doesn’t
explain the cause of the event. Keep (C) because it describes a specific weather event and ex-
plains what caused the destruction. Eliminate (D) because the vortex having a significant effect
does not clearly state the cause of the event. The correct answer is (C).
9. A The purpose stated in the question is to describe the most common ways epidemiologists join the
field. Keep (A) because the notes say that Most epidemiologists and A fair number join the field
through these backgrounds. Eliminate (B) because the notes state that very few universities and
colleges offer undergraduate classes and very few doctoral programs exist for this field, so these are
not the most common ways people join the field. Eliminate (C) because the master’s degree is
more common but is still not stated to be the most common way people join the field. Eliminate
(D) because it doesn’t mention where most epidemiologists come from according to the notes.
The correct answer is (A).
10. D The purpose stated in the question is to summarize a major downside of fracking. Eliminate (A)
because this is one detail but does not summarize the information from the notes. Keep (B)
because the fact that vast quantities of water are needed and only about half is recovered could
be a major downside. Eliminate (C) because it does not clearly state that this is a downside.
Keep (D) because it accurately summarizes the notes and clearly implies that this is a major
downside. Compare (B) and (D). Choice (B) mentions an environmental impact, which is not
as strong as a major downside, and it leaves out the major problem of the effects of the contam-
inated water. Choice (D) is a better summary of the notes and more clearly indicates a major
downside. Eliminate (B). The correct answer is (D).

MATH
SUPPLEMENT
57
MATH SUPPLEMENT
READING
Teach margin of MARGIN OF ERROR

A margin of error gives a numerical range for random sampling errors in a survey
error on the bottom
or poll. It indicates how much the results might change if the poll were repeated or
of page 528 after if the entire population were asked instead of a random sample. For example, if a
Standard Deviation. survey shows that 70% of randomly sampled test-takers prefer the Digital SAT to
This topic is likely the paper-and-pencil SAT, and there is a margin of error of ±5%, that means it is
to appear once, at
WRITING AND
highly likely that between 65% and 75% of all test-takers prefer the Digital SAT.
LANGUAGE
most twice, on the

test. So teach the
concept and one or 1 Mark for Review
two examples and
A survey of 1,500 randomly sampled high school students asked whether
assign the rest of students like to listen to music while they do homework. A total of 570 students
the examples as answered “yes” to this question, and the researchers determined that the
homework. Ques- survey results have a margin of error of ±3%. Which of the following best
MATH
tions similar to #2, represents the range for the percentage of all students who like to listen to
music while doing their homework?
#3, and #7 have
appeared on College
Board sample tests. A 32–35%

B 35–41%

C 41–47%

D 47–53%
570
= 0=
.38 38%
1500
,
38 – 3 = 35%
38 + 3 = 41%
2 Mark for Review
The coniferous trees in a certain forest were examined to determine how
A) not what margin of many were pine trees. It was found that 34% of the coniferous trees were pine
error means trees. The margin of error of the examination was 2%. Which of the following
statements is the most accurate interpretation of this margin of error?
B) correct: both ends
of the range and says A There is a 2% chance that the findings of the study are incorrect.
“likely”

C) only lower range; B I t is likely that between 32% and 36% of the coniferous trees in the forest
study was about conifer- are pine trees.
ous trees, not all trees

C It is unlikely that fewer than 32% of the trees in the forest are pine trees.
D) only upper range;
study was about conifer-
ous trees, not all trees D No more than 36% of the trees in the forest are pine trees.

MATH SUPPLEMENT
3 Mark for Review
READING
A neighborhood has a population of 3,000 residents. At the beginning of the 110
fiscal year, 200 residents of the neighborhood were sampled about where to = 0=
.55 55%
200
increase spending: on park renovations or on cleaning sidewalks. The results
of the poll showed that 110 of the residents who were surveyed said more
funds should be spent on cleaning sidewalks. The margin of error for the Lower limit of range:
survey was ±7%. Based on these results, which of the following is a plausible 55 – 7 = 48%
WRITING AND
number of total residents who prefer funds be spent on cleaning sidewalks?
LANGUAGE
48
A 450 (3,000) = 1440
, :
100
not (A) or (B)
B 550
Upper limit of range:

C 1,325 55 + 7 = 62%
MATH
62
D 1,725 (3,000) = 1,860 :
100
only (D) in this range
4 Mark for Review

Out of the 2,500 members of the incoming class at a college, 100 are randomly
selected for a survey about whether they intend to live on campus. Of those
surveyed, 68 indicate that they intend to live on campus. If the margin of error
on the poll is ±8%, what is the range of students in the entire class who would
be expected to not intend to live on campus?
A 24–40

B 64–72

C 600–1,000

D 1,500–1,900
68
= 0= .68 68% intend to live on campus
100
100 – 68 = 32% do not intend to live on campus
Either lower or upper limit of range is enough.
24
Lower limit: 32 – 8 = 24% (2,500) = 600
100
40
Upper limit: 32 + 8 = 40% (2,500) = 1000
,
100
MATH SUPPLEMENT
5 Mark for Review

READING
An historical analysis determined that, at the beginning of the American

Revolution, 38% of the population of the colonies supported the revolution. The
margin of error for the analysis was 7%. Which of the following is the best
interpretation of the margin of error for this analysis?
WRITING AND
A o less than 31% of the population of the colonies supported the

N
LANGUAGE
revolution at the beginning of the American Revolution.

B o more than 45% of the population of the colonies supported the
N
revolution at the beginning of the American Revolution.

C The likelihood of the analysis being incorrect is 7%.
MATH

D he percentage of the population of the colonies that supported the
T
revolution at the beginning of the American Revolution was likely
between 31% and 45%.
A) only lower range; possible (if unlikely) to be < 31%

B) only upper range; possible (if unlikely) to be > 45%
C) not what margin of error means
D) correct: both ends of the range and says “likely”

MATH SUPPLEMENT
READING
ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS TOPICS There are two new
Some functions questions go beyond the basics, but three fundamental principles variations on how
always apply: the SAT tests func-
tions: multiplying a
1. The number in parenthesis is the x-value that goes into the function. function by a number
2. The output of the function is the y-value. and incorporating
WRITING AND
3. f(x) = y
LANGUAGE
change by a percent
into function ques-
tions. Teach at least
1 Mark for Review one example from
If f(x) = 6x + 2, what is the value of 3f(4) ? each group of three
questions in this
A 20 section as part of
MATH
Funky Functions
on page 556, before
B 26
Compound Func-

tions. Higher-scoring
C 74 students in particu-
lar should know how
to work these
D 78
question types.
f(4) = 6(4) + 2 = 26 Assign the rest of
the examples as
3f(4) = 3(26) = 78 homework. Don’t
assign these pages
without first cover-
ing Function Basics.
2 Mark for Review
Given the functions g(x) = 2x and h(x) = x + 4, what is the sum of g(5) and 2h(5)?
A 19

B 28

C 34

D 38
g(5) = 2(5) = 10
h(5) = 5 + 4 = 9
2h(5) = 2(9) = 18
g(5) + 2h(5) = 10 + 18 = 28

MATH SUPPLEMENT
3 Mark for Review

READING
f(x) = 2x – 3
1
g (x ) =
x
f(3) = 2(3) – 3 = 3 Given the functions above, what is the value of 2f(3) + 3g(3) ?
2f(3) = 2(3) = 6 10
WRITING AND
A
LANGUAGE
3
1
g(3) =
3
B 4
1
3g(3) 3 1
3

C 7
2f(3) + 3g(3) = 6 + 1 = 7
MATH
29
D
3
4 Mark for Review

The value of the function f(x) increases by 10% each time x increases by 1. If
f(2) = 100, what is the value of f(4)?
A 110

B 120

C 121

D 200
f(3) is a 10% increase from f(2)

10
f (3) 100 (100) 100 10 110
100
f(4) is a 10% increase from f(3)
10
f ( 4) 110 (110) 110 11 121
100

MATH SUPPLEMENT
5 Mark for Review
READING
The value of the function g(x) decreases by 25% each time x increases by 1. If
g(1) = 24, what is the value of g(3)?
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE
25
g(2) is a 25% decrease from g(1) g(2) 24 (24) 24 6 18
100
25 27
g(3) is a 25% decrease from g(2) g(3) 18 (18) 18 4.5 13.5 or
100 2
6 Mark for Review
MATH
x f(x)
0 200
2 140
4 98
6 68.6
Values of the function f are shown above. When x increases by 2, f(x) decreases
by p%. What is the value of p ?
A 30

B 43
C 60
D 70
difference
percent change 100
original
Plug in values from the table.

200 140
percent change 100
200
60
100 30%
200
PITA is also an option.

MATH SUPPLEMENT
Teach the unit circle on

READING
the top of page 660 as

THE UNIT CIRCLE
The Unit Circle is used to determine the values for trig functions.
a lead-in to Radians and
Degrees. The relation- Fill in the angle measurements in degrees and (x, y) coordinates for the circle
ship between radians below with a radius of 1.
and degrees is still
WRITING AND
being tested, so fo-

LANGUAGE

cus on that part of Angle 90° or 2
the unit circle. College Coordinates (0, 1)
Board announced that
it would test unit circle (–, +) (+, +)
trigonometry, but no S A
questions in the first II I
four sample tests were
MATH
like the ones in this

new section. Thus, the Angle 180° or p Angle 0° or 360° or 2p
information about trig Coordinates (–1, 0) Coordinates (1, 0)
functions and quad-
rants is low priority, and (–, –) (+, –)
the practice questions T C
can safely be assigned III IV
to high-scoring stu-
3
dents as homework. The Angle 270° or 2
sample tests do include Coordinates (0, –1)
several examples of
SOHCAHTOA, and Col-
lege Board has started Now complete the table below, using your calculator. Make sure you are in
using larger numbers “Degree” mode.
beyond the well-known
Pythagorean triples.
Angle Sine Cosine
90° 1 0
180° 0 –1
270° –1 0
0/360° 0 1
Sine and cosine are another way of expressing y and x in the

standard (x, y) coordinate plane.

MATH SUPPLEMENT
READING
Trig = Triangle
Do you think Pythagoras knew trig?
Fill in the values below, using decimals or roots.

30-60-90
1 1
WRITING AND
Angle Sine Cosine 2
LANGUAGE
1 3 3
30° 2 2 2
45-45-90
2 2
45° 1
2 2 2
2
3 1
60° 2
MATH
2 2
2
Quadrants
I & IV
In which quadrants is the x-coordinate positive?__________________________
II & III
In which quadrants is the x-coordinate negative?__________________________
I & II
In which quadrants is the y-coordinate positive?__________________________
III & IV
In which quadrants is the y-coordinate negative?__________________________
Is it true that All Students Take Calculus? Probably not, but it’s a great mnemonic
for remembering which trig function is positive in each of the four quadrants.
Quadrant I = All are positive Quadrant III = Tangent only positive
Quadrant II = Sine only positive Quadrant IV = Cosine only positive
Angle range means Quadrant I.
opposite
1 Mark for Review SOHCAHTOA: sine =
hypotenuse
5 Draw right triangle and label sides.
If 0˚ < θ < 90˚ and sin θ = , what is the value of tan θ ?
13
5:12:13 triangle, so adjacent side = 12
5
A
13
13
5
θ
5 12
B
12
opposite
12 SOHCAHTOA: tangent =
C adjacent
13 5
tangent =
12
12
D
5
MATH SUPPLEMENT
2 Mark for Review

READING
3
If 270° < θ < 360° and tan θ = − , what is the value of sin θ ?
4
WRITING AND
4
opposite
LANGUAGE
θ
Angle range means Quadrant IV. SOHCAHTOA: tangent =
5
3
adjacent
Draw right triangle and label sides. 3:4:5 triangle, so hypotenuse = 5
opposite Yes, the Digital SAT
SOHCAHTOA: sine =
hypotenuse 3 allows negatives in
In Quadrant IV, so sine is negative. sine or 0.6 the answer box!
5
MATH
3 Mark for Review

If the value of tan θ = –3.73, which quadrants could contain angle θ ?
A Quadrants I and III only

B Quadrants I and IV only

C Quadrants II and IV only

D Quadrant IV only
All Students Take Calculus =

All trig functions positive in QI
II I
Sine only positive in QII
S A
Tangent only positive in QIII
T C
Cosine only positive in QIV
III IV
Negative tangent means QII or QIV

MATH SUPPLEMENT
4 Mark for Review
READING
If cos θ = 0.15, which of the following could be true about θ ?
A 60º < θ < 90º

B 90º < θ < 120º
WRITING AND
LANGUAGE

C 180º < θ < 210º

D 330º < θ < 360º
Positive cosine means QI or QIV; eliminate (B) and (C) II I
MATH
Ballpark: cos 90° = 0 and cos 360° = 1 S A
T C
0.15 is close to 0, which is cos 90°, so pick (A)
III IV
5 Mark for Review
9
If < < and cos θ = − , what is the value of sin θ ?
2 41
40
A −
41
9
B −
41
9
C
41
40
D
41
Convert radians to degrees if necessary: π radians = 180º

Angle range means Quadrant II.
Sine will be positive; eliminate (A) and (B)
adjacent
SOHCAHTOA: cosine = 41
hypotenuse 40
Draw right triangle and label sides.
θ
Use Pythagorean Theorem: opposite = 40 9
opposite
SOHCAHTOA: sine =
hypotenuse
40
sine =
41

MATH SUPPLEMENT
ANSWER KEY
Margin of Error
1. B
2. B
3. D
4. C
5. D
Additional Functions Topics

1. D
2. B
3. C
4. C
27
5. 13.5 or
2
6. A
The Unit Circle

1. B
3
2. − or − 0.6
5
3. C
4. A
5. D

MATH SUPPLEMENT
MATH EXPLANATIONS
Margin of Error
1. B The question asks for a range based on survey results and a margin of error. A margin of
error expresses the amount of random sampling error in a survey’s results. Start by deter-
mining the percent of polled students who enjoy listening to music while doing homework:
570
= 0= .38 38% . Eliminate (A), (C), and (D) since they do not include this value. To
1, 500
check (B), calculate the range based on the margin of error. The margin of error is 3%, mean-
ing that results within a range of 3% above and 3% below the estimate are reasonable. Add
3% to and subtract 3% from the actual percent of 38% to get a range of 35–41%. The correct
answer is (B).
2. B The question asks for an interpretation of the margin of error in the context of a study. A mar-
gin of error expresses the amount of random sampling error in a survey’s results. The survey
provides an estimate of the percentage of coniferous trees in the forest that are pine trees. The
margin of error is 2%, meaning that results within a range of 2% above and 2% below the
estimate are reasonable. The study found that 34% of the coniferous trees were pine trees, so
the reasonable results for this study are between 32% and 36%. Choice (A) is a misunder-
standing of margin of error, which is not how likely the study is to be correct or incorrect
but how far off the results may be; eliminate (A). Choice (B) matches the range of reasonable
results, and it says the results were likely within the range, so keep (B). Eliminate (C) since it
only addresses the lower range of reasonable results. In addition, it refers to trees in the forest,
but the study results are about coniferous trees. The results of a specific subgroup cannot be
applied to the larger group. Eliminate (D) for the same reasons: it only addresses the upper
range, and it refers to all trees, not just the coniferous trees from the study. The correct answer
is (B).
3. D The question asks for a plausible value based on survey results and a margin of error. A mar-
gin of error expresses the amount of random sampling error in a survey’s results. Start by
determining the percent of polled residents who prefer funds be spent on cleaning sidewalks:
110
= 0= .55 55% . Now apply this percent to the entire population of the neighborhood.
200
Since 55% of the polled residents want funds to be spent on cleaning sidewalks, 55% of all
residents in the neighborhood can be expected to want funds to be spent on cleaning side-
55
walks. Take 55% of the entire neighborhood population to get (3, 000) = 1, 650 residents.
100
Eliminate (A) and (B) since they are not close to this value and do not represent a plausible

MATH SUPPLEMENT
number of people who want funds spent on cleaning sidewalks. Next, calculate the range
based on the margin of error. The margin of error is 7%, meaning that results within a range
of 7% above and 7% below the estimate are reasonable. Start with either the upper limit or
the lower limit of the range. To find the upper limit, add 7% to the actual percent of 55% to
get 62%. The question asks about residents, not percentages, so take 62% of the total popula-
62
tion to get a range of (3, 000) = 1, 860 . To find the lower limit, subtract 7% from 55% to
100
48
get 48%, then find 48% of the total population to get a lower limit of (3, 000) = 1, 440 .
100
The value in (C) is outside this range, so it is not a plausible number of residents who want
funds spent on cleaning sidewalks. Choice (D) contains a value between the upper and lower
limits of the range, so it is plausible. The correct answer is (D).
4. C The question asks for a range based on survey results and a margin of error. A margin of error
expresses the amount of random sampling error in a survey’s results. Start by determining the
68
percent of polled students who intend to live on campus: = 0= .68 68% . Read carefully:
100
the question asks about the students who do not intend to live on campus. If 68% intend to
live on campus, 100 – 68 = 32% do not intend to live on campus. Now apply this percent to
the entire population of the incoming class. Since 32% of the polled students do not intend
to live on campus, 32% of all students can be expected to not intend to live on campus. Take
32
32% of the entire incoming class to get (2, 500) = 800 students. Eliminate (A), (B), and
100
(D) since they do not include this value. To check (C), calculate either the upper or lower limit
of the range based on the margin of error. The margin of error is 8%, meaning that results
within a range of 8% above and 8% below the estimate are reasonable. Add 8% to the actual
percent of 32% to get an upper limit of 40%. The question asks about students, not percent-
40
ages, so take 40% of the total number of students to get (2, 500) = 1, 000 . Choice (C) has
100
this upper limit, so it must be correct. The lower limit would also work since 32% – 8% =
24
24% and (2, 500) = 600 . The correct answer is (C).
100
5. D The question asks for an interpretation of the margin of error in the context of a study. A
margin of error expresses the amount of random sampling error in a survey’s results. The
survey provides an estimate of the percentage of the colonies’ population that supported the
revolution. The margin of error is 7%, meaning that results within a range of 7% above and
7% below the estimate are reasonable. The study found that 38% of the population supported
the revolution, so the reasonable results for this study are between 31% and 45%. Eliminate
(A) since it only addresses the lower range of reasonable results. In addition, it is possible—

MATH SUPPLEMENT
although unlikely—that less than 31% of the entire population supported the revolution.
Eliminate (B) for the same reasons: it only addresses the upper range, and it is possible that
more than 45% of the entire population supported the revolution. Choice (C) is a misunder-
standing of margin of error, which is not how likely the study is to be correct or incorrect but
how far off the results may be; eliminate (C). Choice (D) matches the range of reasonable re-
sults, and it says the results were likely within the range, so keep (D). The correct answer is (D).
Additional Functions Topics

1. D The question asks for the value of a function with a coefficient. In function notation, the
number inside the parentheses is the x-value that goes into the function, and the value that
comes out of the function is the y-value, or the output. When there is a number in front of the
function, the output value is multiplied by that number. Plug x = 4 into the function to get
f(4) = 6(4) + 2. Simplify to get f(4) = 24 + 2, and then f(4) = 26. Multiply the output by 3 to
get 3f(4) = (3)(26) = 78. The correct answer is (D).
2. B The question asks for the value of an expression that has two functions with coefficients. In
function notation, the number inside the parentheses is the x-value that goes into the func-
tion, and the value that comes out of the function is the y-value, or the output. When there
is a number in front of the function, the output value is multiplied by that number. Plug
x = 5 into the g function to get g(5) = 2(5), or g(5) = 10. Plug x = 5 into the h function to get
h(5) = 5 + 4, or h(5) = 9. Multiply the output of the h function by 2 to get (2)(9) = 18. Thus,
2h(5) = 18. Now add the two results to get g(5) + 2h(5) = 10 + 18 = 28. The correct answer is
(B).
3. C The question asks for the value of an expression that has two functions with coefficients. In
function notation, the number inside the parentheses is the x-value that goes into the func-
tion, and the value that comes out of the function is the y-value, or the output. When there is
a number in front of the function, the output value is multiplied by that number. Plug x = 3
into the f function to get f(3) = 2(3) – 3. Simplify to get f(3) = 6 – 3, and then f(3) = 3. Mul-
tiply the output of the f function by 2 to get (2)(3) = 6. Thus, 2f(3) = 6. Plug x = 3 into the g
1 1
function to get g(3) = . Multiply the output of the g function by 3 to get (3)   = 1 . Thus,
3 3
3g(3) = 1. Now add the two results to get 2f(3) + 3g(3) = 6 + 1 = 7. The correct answer is (C).
4. C The question asks for the value of a function based on a percent increase. In function notation,
the number inside the parentheses is the x-value that goes into the function, and the value
that comes out of the function is the y-value. The question states that f(2) = 100 and that the

MATH SUPPLEMENT
value of the function increases by 10% each time x increases by 1. To find the value when x is
10
increased by 1, translate 10% into , then take the starting value of 100 and increase it by
100
10
10%: 100 + (100) = 100 + 10 = 110 . Thus, f(3) = 110. Now increase f(3) by 10% to get f(4):
100
10
110 + (110) = 110 + 11 = 121 . The correct answer is (C).
100
27
5. 13.5 or The question asks for the value of a function based on a percent decrease. In
2
function notation, the number inside the parentheses is the x-value that goes into the function,
and the value that comes out of the function is the y-value. The question states that g(1) = 24
and that the value of the function decreases by 25% each time x increases by 1. To find the value
25
when x is increased by 1, translate 25% into , then take the starting value of 24 and de-
100
25
crease it by 25%: 24 −
(24 ) = 24 − 6 = 18 . Thus, g(2) = 18. Now decrease g(2) by 25% to
100
25 27
find g(3): 18 − (18) = 18 − 4.5 = 13.5 . This can also be entered as . The correct answer
100 2
27
is 13.5 or .
2
6. A The question asks for the percent by which the value of a function decreases. In function
notation, the number inside the parentheses is the x-value that goes into the function, and
the value that comes out of the function is the y-value. To determine percent change, use
difference
the formula percent change = ×100 . According to the table, when x increases from
original
0 to 2, f(x) decreases from 200 to 140. Plug the values for f(x) into the percent change for-
200 − 140
mula to get percent change = × 100 . Simplify the right side of the equation to get
200
60 30
percent change = × 100 , then percent change = × 100 , and finally percent change =
200 100
30%. The correct answer is (A).

MATH SUPPLEMENT
The Unit Circle

1. B The question asks for the value of a trigonometric function. Use the geometry basic approach.
Start by drawing the xy-coordinate plane. Since angle q measures between 0° and 90°, the
angle is in Quadrant I. The SAT tests trigonometric functions in the context of right triangles,
so draw a right triangle in Quadrant I. Write out SOHCAHTOA to remember the trig func-
opposite 5
tions. The SOH part defines the sine as . The question states that the sine is , so
hypotenuse 13
the side opposite q has length 5 and the hypotenuse has length 13. Label the figure with this
information. The figure should look something like this:
13
5
θ
Either notice that this is a 5:12:13 triangle or use Pythagorean Theorem to find that the third
side has length 12; label the figure with this information. The question asks for the tangent,
opposite
and the TOA part of SOHCAHTOA defines the tangent as . The side opposite
adjacent 5
angle q has length 5, and the side adjacent to angle q has length 12, so tangent = . It is also
12
possible to solve with a calculator using the sin and tan buttons. Either way, the correct
–1
answer is (B).

MATH SUPPLEMENT
3
2. − or –0.6 The question asks for the value of a trigonometric function. Use the geometry
5
basic approach. Start by drawing the xy-coordinate plane. Since angle q measures between
270° and 360°, the angle is in Quadrant IV. The SAT tests trigonometric functions in the
context of right triangles, so draw a right triangle in Quadrant IV. Write out SOHCAHTOA
opposite
to remember the trig functions. The TOA part defines the tangent as . The question
adjacent
3
states that the tangent is − , so the side opposite q has length 3 and the side adjacent to q
4
has length 4. Label the figure with this information. The figure should look something like
this:
4
θ
3
Either notice that this is a 3:4:5 triangle or use Pythagorean Theorem to find that the
hypotenuse is 5; label the figure with this information. The question asks for the sine, and
opposite
the SOH part of SOHCAHTOA defines the sine as . The side opposite angle q
hypotenuse
has length 3, and the hypotenuse has length 5. To determine the sign, think of All Students
Take Calculus to remember that All trig functions are positive in Quadrant I, Sine is positive
in Quadrant II, Tangent is positive in Quadrant III, and Cosine is positive in Quadrant IV.
3
Since the triangle is in Quadrant IV, the sine must be negative. Thus, sine = − , which can
5
also be entered in decimal form as –0.6. It is also possible to solve with a calculator using the
3
tan–1 and sin buttons. Either way, the correct answer is − or –0.6.
5

MATH SUPPLEMENT
3. C The question asks for the quadrants that could contain an angle. First, draw an xy-coordi-
nate plane and label quadrants I–IV starting in the upper right and moving counterclockwise.
Next, think of All Students Take Calculus to remember that All trig functions are positive in
Quadrant I, Sine is positive in Quadrant II, Tangent is positive in Quadrant III, and Cosine is
positive in Quadrant IV. Label this information on the figure.
II I
S A
T C
III IV
The question states that the tangent is negative, so the angle could be in Quadrant II or Quad-
rant IV. The correct answer is (C).
4. A The question asks what could be true about an angle. The answer choices have degree ranges,
so determine which quadrant angle q is in. First, draw an xy-coordinate plane and label
quadrants I–IV starting in the upper right and moving counterclockwise. Next, think of All
Students Take Calculus to remember that All trig functions are positive in Quadrant I, Sine is
positive in Quadrant II, Tangent is positive in Quadrant III, and Cosine is positive in Quad-
rant IV. Label this information on the figure.
II I
S A
T C
III IV

MATH SUPPLEMENT
The question states that the cosine is positive, so the angle must be in Quadrant I or Quadrant
IV. Eliminate (B) since angles between 90° and 120° are in Quadrant II, and eliminate (C)
since angles between 180° and 210° are in Quadrant III. Use ballparking to choose between
(A) and (D). The Unit Circle shows that the cosine of a 90° angle is 0, the cosine of a 180°
angle is –1, the cosine of a 270° angle is 0, and the cosine of a 0° or 360° angle is 1. The
question states that cos q = 0.15, which is close to 0. The angle must be close to 90° or 270°.
Eliminate (D) since its range is too far from either 90° or 270°. It is also possible to use a
calculator to find cos–1(0.15) ≈ 81. However, this means that 81° and 360 – 81 = 279° are
both possible values of q, so it is important to identify the correct quadrant and check all four
answers. Either way, the correct answer is (A).
5. D The question asks for the value of a trigonometric function. Use the geometry basic approach.

Start by drawing the xy-coordinate plane. Since angle q measures between radians and π
2
radians, the degree measure is between 90 and 180 and the angle is in Quadrant II. Think
of All Students Take Calculus to remember that All trig functions are positive in Quadrant
I, Sine is positive in Quadrant II, Tangent is positive in Quadrant III, and Cosine is positive
in Quadrant IV. Since the triangle is in Quadrant II, the sine must be positive. Eliminate (A)
and (B) since they are negative, not positive. The SAT tests trigonometric functions in the
context of right triangles, so draw a right triangle in Quadrant II. Write out SOHCAHTOA
adjacent
to remember the trig functions. The CAH part defines the cosine as . The question
hypotenuse
9
states that the cosine is − , so the side adjacent to q has length 9 and the hypotenuse of the
41
triangle has length 41. Label the figure with this information. The figure should look some-
thing like this:
41
θ
9

MATH SUPPLEMENT
Use Pythagorean Theorem to find that the third side has length 40; label the figure with this
information. The question asks for the sine, and the SOH part of SOHCAHTOA defines the
opposite
sine as . The side opposite angle q has length 40, and the hypotenuse has length 41,
hypotenuse
40
so sine = . It is also possible to solve with a calculator using the cos–1 and sin buttons.
41
Either way, the correct answer is (D).

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SAT Manual 7.1 Teacher Edition

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SAT ®

Manual Version 7.1

SAT is a registered trademark of College Board.

Special thanks also to Sara Kuperstein and Cynthia Ward.

Writing and Language................................................................ 115

Math. ........................................................................................ 323

Answer Key............................................................................... 689

Pacing Reviews......................................................................... 713

Supplemental Content ............................................................. 732 (Page numbering restarts at 1)

INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS THE SAT AND

What DOES SAT stand for, anyway?

Small Liberal Large State

The SAT and YOU!

Once you’re prepared after this course

2 | © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC

STRUCTURE OF THE DIGITAL SAT

Reading and Writing

© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC | 3

How is the Digital SAT scored?

bracket you end up in

l ___ SECOND MODULE:

RW + Math = score out of 1600

RW out of 800, Math out of 800

What’s a good score?

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DIGITAL SAT STRATEGIES

you did some work but then got stuck

Why is it better to use LOTD instead of randomizing guesses?

Guarantee roughly ¼ of your guesses are correct. Easier and faster.

© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC | 5

Using Scratch Paper

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Math scratch paper:

A) g(–3) = 2(–(–3) – 1) – 2 = These math ques-

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HOW TO USE THIS COURSE TO NAIL

If you are serious about increasing your scores significantly,

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Give students some

_____________________________________________________________ Teachers: though

One math content goal:___________________________________________

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10 | © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC

While we read a novel, we are insane—

• The structure of the SAT Reading Test

The passages will fall into the following three categories.

12 | © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC

SAT Reading English Class

What Can Help?

4. Best Evidence Answers

Scoring and Pacing

EBRW (verbal) Score =

10 × (Reading Test Score + Writing and Language Test Score)

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Personal Order of Difficulty

SAME SCORE, DIFFERENT APPROACH.

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Keep Your Pencil Moving!

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This is NOT for

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• What four things can help you find the location of

Line References (in questions or answers)

Best Evidence Answers

A) g(–3) = 2(–(–3) – 1) – 2 = These math ques-