SAT® Data Analysis Making Your Head Spin?
Learn my simple "trick" for cutting through the complexity
In a recent tutoring session, I watched a 95th percentile student throw up her hands in defeat when facing a Command of Evidence Question with a data table. Despite her exceptional reading skills, she was completely overwhelmed by all the numbers, percentages, and categories. "There's just too much information!" she exclaimed.
I don’t blame her. By design, Command of Evidence Questions often present a daunting array of “moving parts.” You can imagine how relieved she was when I showed her a simple approach that transformed this intimidating question from 'I give up' to 'I've got this!'
Here’s the “trick”: When tackling Command of Evidence Questions involving comparative claims, first identify the basic comparison before diving headfirst into the sea of details. The correct answer must address both sides of the comparison.
Think of it this way: imagine that someone claimed "red cars are faster than blue cars" and then tried to prove this by stating: “red cars are extremely fast!” Would they have succeeded in supporting their claim? No. Even assuming red cars are indeed extremely fast, blue cars might be even faster. Thus, they couldn't possibly support their claim without providing evidence about both red AND blue cars.
Remember: comparative claims require comparative evidence.
Today’s Free SAT® Practice Question
Some sports scientists predict that while total weekly training hours may remain unchanged, concentrating training into fewer but more intense sessions could affect athletes' adaptation responses. University researcher Dr. Mark Smith and colleagues simulated how immediate and delayed adaptation responses would change if this training modification were implemented. Smith and colleagues concluded that concentrating training into fewer more intense sessions would trigger increased adaptation responses, but that these increases in adaptation are highly sensitive to the baseline intensity of an athlete's current training schedule.
Which choice best describes data from the table that support Smith and colleagues' conclusion?
A) If baseline training is moderately intense, adaptations will increase 0.3% for immediate and 0.8% for delayed responses, whereas recovery scores will increase 10.5% if baseline training is evenly spread.
B) If baseline training is moderately intense, adaptation responses will increase only slightly, whereas they will increase 8.5% for immediate and 7.6% for delayed responses if baseline training is evenly spread.
C) If baseline training is moderately intense, recovery scores will increase 5.2%, while adaptations will increase 0.3% for immediate and 0.8% for delayed responses.
D) If baseline training is moderately intense, adaptation responses will decline slightly, whereas they will increase 10.5% for immediate and 8.5% for delayed responses if baseline training is evenly spread.
(Answer Explanations and Strategy Guide Below)
🔍 QUICK TIP: Today’s practice question is a doozy, so I’m going to help you out with not just one but three pro tips:
For complex Command of Evidence Questions with comparative claims, first identify both sides of the basic comparison in the claim (e.g, both red and blue cars). Each side must be represented in the correct answer.
Once you’ve eliminated any answers missing one or both sides of the basic comparison, check the answer choices to make sure they provide the correct result (e.g., that red cars are faster).
If more than one answer survives those first two rounds of elimination, check them against the data.
Good luck!
(P.S. If you’re looking for guidance from a proven SAT® prep expert, you’ll find it here.)