Daily Drill: SAT® Command of Evidence Data Analysis Practice Question

Also Great Practice for ACT® Science

Today’s Daily Drill is a mock SAT® Command of Evidence - Data Analysis question. It follows the digital SAT® format¹ but is also great preparation for ACT® Science.

For effective time management on test day, you should aim to answer this question correctly in a maximum of 90 seconds.

Daily study of Walker Prep’s proven strategies and insightful answer explanations is a great way to improve your SAT® score. To gain access to all Daily Drill answer explanations and strategy briefs, become a premium subscriber.

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Free SAT® Practice Question (mock)

To investigate the impact of environmental stress on spatial navigation abilities, researchers used optogenetic stimulation to activate photosensitive proteins in the retinal ganglion cells of genetically modified mouse strains. The mice were tested in both Barnes mazes (simple circular platforms with peripheral escape holes) and Morris water mazes (complex spatial tasks requiring triangulation of visual cues), with researchers manipulating light intensity through targeted laser stimulation of ChR2 channels. The researchers concluded that the effect of bright lighting on maze completion time varied by both maze type and mouse strain.

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

A) For simple mazes, bright lighting led to longer completion times in all mouse strains, whereas for complex mazes, bright lighting led to longer completion times only in A/J and BALB/c mice.

B) Compared with BALB/c mice, C57BL/6 mice spent less time on bright-lit simple mazes but more time on bright-lit complex mazes.

C) Bright lighting led to longer completion times in complex mazes for three mouse strains (BALB/c, C57BL/6, and DBA/2), whereas it led to shorter completion times in complex mazes for one mouse strain (A/J).

D) A/J mice averaged 12.3 seconds in simple mazes under normal light and 18.4 seconds in complex mazes under normal light.

(Answer Explanations and Strategy Brief Below.)

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Answer Explanations and Strategy Brief