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General Test Knowledge
Critical Reading
Critical Writing
Critical Math
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100
What are two items students should bring on test days?
What is: •Two No. 2 pencils with erasers •An approved calculator •Social security number (optional) •Email address (optional) •Current and valid school or government issued photo (for students not testing at their own school and home-schooled students only)
100
The practice of storytelling for entertainment and instruction was at one time so widespread that it was virtually ---- (A) rigorous (B) universal (C) elevating (D) uncommon (E) unknown
What is "UNIVERSAL"? (B)
100
Directions If there is an error, select the one marked portion that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If there is no error, select E. If one is interested(A) in learning(B) even more(C) about Zora Neale Hurston, you should(D) read Robert Hemenway's biography. No error.(E) (A) is interested (B) in learning (C) even more (D) you should (E) No error
What is "YOU SHOULD"(D) Explanation: The error in this sentence is (D): the pronoun "you" is not consistent with the pronoun "one" in the introductory clause. The pronoun "you" should be changed to "one." The correct sentence reads: If one is interested in learning even more about Zora Neale Hurston, one should read Robert Hemenway's biography.
100
If m and p are positive integers and left parenthesis m plus p right parenthesis cross times m is even, which of the following must be true? (A) If m is odd, then p is odd. (B) If m is odd, then p is even. (C) If m is even, then p is even. (D) If m is even, then p is odd. (E) m must be even.
What is "If m is odd, then p is odd"? (A) Explanation: If m is even, then the expression left parenthesis m plus p right parenthesis cross times m will always be even and it cannot be determined whether p is even or odd. This eliminates choices (C) and (D). If m is odd, then left parenthesis m plus p right parenthesis cross times m will be even only when m plus p is even and m plus p will be even only when p is odd. The correct answer is (A) since the truth of statement (A) also eliminates choices (B) and (E).
100
Because King Philip's desire to make Spain the dominant power in sixteenth-century Europe ran counter to Queen Elizabeth's insistence on autonomy for England, ------- was -------. (A) reconciliation . . assured (B) warfare . . avoidable (C) ruination . . impossible (D) conflict . . inevitable (E) diplomacy . . simple
What is "conflict . . inevitable"? (D)
200
What year should a students take the PSAT?
What is "JUNIOR YEAR"?
200
Although some think the terms "bug" and "insect" are ---- , the former term actually refers to ---- group of insects. (A) parallel . . an identical (B) precise . . an exact (C) interchangeable . . a particular (D) exclusive . . a separate (E) useful . . a useless
What is "interchangeable . . a particular"? (C)
200
Directions If there is an error, select the one marked portion that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If there is no error, select E. Sponsors of the Olympic Games who bought(A) advertising time on United States television includes(B) at least(C) a dozen international firms whose(D) names are familiar to American consumers. No error.(E) (A) who bought (B) includes (C) at least (D) whose (E) No error
What is "INCLUDES" (B) Explanation: This sentence illustrates a subject-verb agreement error. The subject, "Sponsors of the Olympic Games who bought advertising time on United States television," is plural; the word underlined at choice B should be "include," to match the number of the subject. The correct sentence reads: Sponsors of the Olympic Games who bought advertising time on United States television include at least a dozen international firms whose names are familiar to American consumers.
200
If a and b are integers greater than 100 such that a + b = 300, which of the following could be the exact ratio of a to b? (A) 9 to 1 (B) 5 to 2 (C) 5 to 3 (D) 4 to 1 (E) 3 to 2
What is "3 to 2"?(E) To solve this question, you need to look at the answer choices. For any of the answer choices to be the ratio of a to b, some multiple of the sum of the two numbers must evenly divide 300. Only choice (E) gives a correct ratio of a to b that satisfies all of the conditions in the problem. For (E), a = 180 and b = 120, and both integers are greater than 100.
200
SAT essay prompts are scored on a scale of __ to __.
What is "1 to 6"?
300
What is the highest possible SAT score?
What is "2400"?
300
The advertised property, which ---- vast and unspoiled stretches, will undoubtedly ---- potential buyers who yearn for seclusion. (A) spans . . interfere with (B) abuts . . appeal to (C) overlooks . . infuriate (D) precludes . . assemble (E) erodes . . inspire
What is "abuts . . appeal to"? (B)
300
Directions In each of the following sentences, some part or all of the sentence is marked. Below each sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the marked portion. Select the answer that produces the most effective sentence, one that is clear and exact, without awkwardness or ambiguity. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English. Choose the answer that best expresses the meaning of the original sentence. Answer (A) is always the same as the underlined part. Choose answer (A) if you think the original sentence needs no revision. Hearing that the Statue of Liberty did not have a pedestal, *a campaign was begun by Joseph Pulitzer to raise money* for the construction of one. (A) a campaign was begun by Joseph Pulitzer to raise money (B) a campaign to raise money was initiated by Joseph Pulitzer (C) money was raised in a campaign by Joseph Pulitzer (D) Joseph Pulitzer began a campaign to raise money (E) Joseph Pulitzer had campaigned to raise money
What is "Joseph Pulitzer began a campaign to raise money"? (D) Explanation: This sentence contains an error of modification. The introductory clause, "Hearing that the Statue of Liberty did not have a pedestal," cannot modify "campaign": a campaign to raise money cannot hear things. As it is Joseph Pulitzer who did the hearing, choices D and E initially seem plausible. Choice E, however, unjustifiably uses the past perfect ("had campaigned"), leaving D as the only correct choice. The correct sentence reads: Hearing that the Statue of Liberty did not have a pedestal, Joseph Pulitzer began a campaign to raise money for the construction of one.
300
If y = (x + 3)2, then (-2x - 6)2 must equal which of the following? (A) -4y2 (B) -2y2 (C) -4y (D) 2y (E) 4y
What is "4y"? (E) Explanation: The expression (-2x - 6)2 can be rewritten as [-2(x + 3)]2, which equals 4(x + 3)2. Since y = (x + 3)2, it follows that (-2x - 6)2 = 4(x + 3)2 = 4y
300
There is no doubt that Larry is a genuine ------- : he excels at telling stories that fascinate his listeners. (A) braggart (B) dilettante (C) pilferer (D) prevaricator (E) raconteur
What is "raconteur"?(E)
400
What is the name of the website that provides a list of colleges that DO NOT require standardized testing?
What is "www.fairtest.org"?
400
The novel's protagonist, a pearl diver, naively expects that the buyers will compete among themselves to pay him the best price for his pearl, but instead they ---- to ---- him. (A) venture . . reward (B) pretend . . praise (C) conspire . . reimburse (D) refuse . . cheat (E) collude . . swindle
What is "collude . . swindle"? (E)
400
Directions In each of the following sentences, some part or all of the sentence is marked. Below each sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the marked portion. Select the answer that produces the most effective sentence, one that is clear and exact, without awkwardness or ambiguity. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English. Choose the answer that best expresses the meaning of the original sentence. Answer (A) is always the same as the marked part. Choose answer (A) if you think the original sentence needs no revision. One of the most common types of mistakes that inexperienced physicians make is misreading *symptoms, another that occurs* about as frequently is recommending inappropriate treatment. (A) symptoms, another that occurs (B) symptoms; another one that occurs (C) symptoms, the other, and it occurs (D) symptoms; another one which is occurring (E) symptoms and also occurring
What is "symptoms; another one that occurs"? (B) Explanation: This sentence illustrates a comma splice, the incorrect use of a comma to connect two complete sentences. Choice B correctly uses a semicolon to coordinate two independent clauses and form a compound sentence (while at the same time keeping verb tenses parallel). The correct sentence reads: One of the most common types of mistakes that inexperienced physicians make is misreading symptoms; another one that occurs about as frequently is recommending inappropriate treatment.
400
If xy = 2 and xy^2 = 8, what is the value of x? (A) 1 half (B) 2 (C) 4 (D) 8 (E) 16
What is "1/2"? (A) Explanation: Substituting xy = 2 into the equation xy^2 = 8, you will obtain (xy)y = 2y = 8, thus y = 4. To find x, substitute y = 4 into one of the two original equations to obtain x equals 1 half.
400
A special lottery is to be held to select the student who will live in the only deluxe room in a dormitory. There are 100 seniors, 150 juniors, and 200 sophomores who applied. Each senior's name is placed in the lottery 3 times; each junior's name, 2 times; and each sophomore's name, 1 time. What is the probability that a senior's name will be chosen? (A) 1/8 (B) 2/9 (C) 2/7 (D) 3/8 (E) 1 /2
What is "3/8"?(D) Explanation Difficulty: Hard To determine the probability that a senior's name will be chosen, you must determine the total number of seniors' names that are in the lottery and divide this number by the total number of names in the lottery. Since each senior's name is placed in the lottery 3 times, there are 3X 100 = 300 seniors' names. Likewise, there are 2X150 = 300 juniors' names and 1X200 = 200 sophomores' names in the lottery. The probability that a senior's name will be chosen is 300/(300 + 300 + 200) = 300/800 = 3/8.
500
Is there a point deduction for incorrect answers on the SAT? If so, what is the deduction?
What is "yes, 1/4 point deduction"?
500
A discerning publishing agent can ------- promising material from a mass of submissions, separating the good from the bad. (A) supplant (B) dramatize (C) finagle (D) winnow (E) overhaul
What is "WINNOW"? (D)
500
Directions In each of the following sentences, some part or all of the sentence is marked. Below each sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the marked portion. Select the answer that produces the most effective sentence, one that is clear and exact, without awkwardness or ambiguity. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English. Choose the answer that best expresses the meaning of the original sentence. Answer (A) is always the same as the underlined part. Choose answer (A) if you think the original sentence needs no revision. Raised in a large and noisy family, *it was only when I went away to college that I learned how refreshing solitude could be.* (A) it was only when I went away to college that I learned how refreshing solitude could be (B) when I went away to college I learned how refreshing solitude could be (C) going away to college taught me how refreshing solitude could be (D) I did not learn how refreshing solitude could be until I went away to college (E) refreshing solitude was unknown to me until I went away to college
What is "I did not learn how refreshing solitude could be until I went away to college"? (D) Explanation: Correcting the error in this sentence requires recognizing that the phrase "raised in a large and noisy family" modifies the speaker of the sentence. In choice D, where "I" is introduced, this connection made clearly and directly. The correct sentence reads: Raised in a large and noisy family, I did not learn how refreshing solitude could be until I went away to college.
500
If n is an odd integer, which of the following must be an odd integer? (A) n - 1 (B) n + 1 (C) 2n (D) 3n + 1 (E) 4n + 1
What is "4n + 1"?(E) Explanation: If n is an odd integer, both one more and one less than n will be even integers, eliminating choices (A) and (B). Any even multiple of n will be an even integer, eliminating choice (C). However, 4n is even, making 4n + 1 an odd integer. The answer to this problem is (E). Note that 3n + 1 is even if n is odd and it is odd if n is even. Since the question asks, "Which of the following MUST be an odd integer," (D) cannot be the correct answer.
500
If k is divisible by 2, 3, and 15, which of the following is also divisible by these numbers? (A) k + 5 (B) k + 15 (C) k + 20 (D) k + 30 (E) k + 45
What is "k+30" (D) Explanation Difficulty: Medium Since k is divisible by 2, 3, and 15, k must be a multiple of 30, as 30 is the least common multiple of 2, 3, and 15. Some multiples of 30 are 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120. If you add two multiples of 30, the sum will also be a multiple of 30. For example, 60 and 90 are multiples of 30 and their sum, 150, is also a multiple of 30. If you add a multiple of 30 to a number that is not a multiple of 30, the sum will not be a multiple of 30. For example, 60 is a multiple of 30 and 45 is not. Their sum, 105, is not a multiple of 30. The question asks which answer choice is divisible by 2, 3, and 15; that is, which answer choice is a multiple of 30. All the answer choices are in the form of "k plus a number." Only choice (D), k + 30, has k added to a multiple of 30. The sum of k and 30 is also a multiple of 30, so the correct answer is choice (D).