10 original Command of Evidence: Quantitative questions, easiest first. Read a table or graph and pick the choice the data actually supports. Answer them all, then submit once to see every answer explained.
A researcher logged average task-completion scores for participants given differing amounts of background music volume:
| Silent | 60 |
|---|---|
| Low volume | 69 |
| Medium volume | 78 |
| High volume | 55 |
A workplace consultant states that scores rise without interruption as music volume rises.
Do the figures support the consultant's statement?
B — No, since scores climb from silent through medium volume, then drop for the high-volume group.. Scores climb 60→69→78, then fall to 55 at high volume—breaking the claim of an uninterrupted rise; choice D is technically true in isolation but doesn't address 'without interruption.'
A theater company tracked the share of season ticket holders who renewed, sorted by how many productions they attended in their first season:
| 1 production | 14% renewed |
|---|---|
| 2–3 productions | 38% renewed |
| 4–5 productions | 61% renewed |
| 6+ productions | 79% renewed |
Which statement best matches the pattern shown in the figures?
D — Renewal rate generally climbs as the number of productions attended climbs.. The renewal percentages climb steadily (14%→38%→61%→79%) as productions attended increase, a clear positive pattern matching choice D.
A gym tracked the percentage of members who renewed their annual membership, broken down by how many times per month they visited in their first year:
| 1–3 visits/month | 22% renewed |
|---|---|
| 4–7 visits/month | 51% renewed |
| 8–11 visits/month | 68% renewed |
| 12+ visits/month | 74% renewed |
Which choice best describes the relationship shown in the table?
B — Renewal rate generally increases as monthly visit frequency increases.. The renewal percentages rise steadily (22%→51%→68%→74%) as visit frequency increases, showing a clear positive relationship, matching choice B.
A researcher recorded average monthly humidity and the number of mold-related maintenance requests at an apartment complex across four months:
| March | 48% humidity, 6 requests |
|---|---|
| April | 55% humidity, 9 requests |
| May | 68% humidity, 14 requests |
| June | 74% humidity, 21 requests |
A building manager claims that mold-related requests are strongly associated with humidity, with higher humidity linked to more requests.
Does the data support the building manager's claim?
C — Yes, because months with higher humidity generally also had more mold-related requests.. As humidity rises from March (48%) to June (74%), the number of requests also rises (6→9→14→21), showing a consistent positive association, supporting the claim. Choice A misstates June as having the lowest humidity when it had the highest.
A city compared the number of streetlights repaired per month before and after switching to a new maintenance contractor:
| 3 months before switch | 40, 38, 44 repairs |
|---|---|
| 3 months after switch | 71, 68, 75 repairs |
A city official claims that the new contractor roughly doubled the monthly repair rate.
Does the data support the official's claim?
C — Yes, because the average monthly repairs after the switch (about 71) is roughly double the average before the switch (about 41).. The average before (40+38+44)/3 ≈ 41 and after (71+68+75)/3 ≈ 71, which is roughly, though not exactly, double—supporting the official's claim as a reasonable approximation.
A researcher compiled data on the average retail price of a solar-powered garden light over a decade:
| 2014 | $18.50 |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $13.20 |
| 2018 | $9.80 |
| 2020 | $7.10 |
| 2022 | $8.40 |
An industry analyst claims that solar garden light prices declined every single year covered by the data.
Does the data support the analyst's claim?
D — No, because the price increased between 2020 and 2022, so prices did not decline every year covered.. While overall price fell from 2014 to 2020, it rose from $7.10 to $8.40 between 2020 and 2022—an increase, which contradicts the claim that prices fell every single year. Choice A is a true fact but doesn't address the claim about every year.
A researcher compiled data on annual battery costs (per kilowatt-hour of storage) for electric vehicles over a decade:
| 2014 | $540/kWh |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $290/kWh |
| 2018 | $175/kWh |
| 2020 | $135/kWh |
| 2022 | $151/kWh |
An industry analyst claims that battery costs declined every single year covered by the data.
Does the data support the analyst's claim?
C — No, because the cost increased between 2020 and 2022, so costs did not decline every year covered.. While overall cost fell from 2014 to 2020, the price rose from $135 to $151 between 2020 and 2022—an increase, which contradicts the claim that costs fell every single year. Choice A is a true fact but doesn't address the claim about every year.
A market analyst tracked the average price of a mid-range smartphone model over five release cycles:
| Cycle 1 | $520 |
|---|---|
| Cycle 2 | $470 |
| Cycle 3 | $410 |
| Cycle 4 | $380 |
| Cycle 5 | $405 |
A commentator asserts that the phone's price fell with every successive release.
Do the figures support the commentator's assertion?
D — No, since price rose from Cycle 4 to Cycle 5, breaking the pattern of decline.. Although price fell overall from Cycle 1 to Cycle 4, it rose from $380 to $405 between Cycle 4 and Cycle 5, disproving the claim of decline 'with every successive release'; choice A is a true but insufficient observation given the claim's wording.
A survey asked city commuters which mode of transport they used most often, before and after a new subway line opened:
| Mode | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Car | 48% | 39% |
| Bus | 30% | 24% |
| Subway | 12% | 31% |
| Bike | 10% | 6% |
An urban planner argued that the new line drew riders primarily away from cars and buses.
Which choice best uses data from the table to support the planner's argument?
B — After the line opened, subway use rose from 12% to 31%, while car use fell 9 points and bus use fell 6 points—together most of the shift.. The planner claims the subway pulled riders mainly from cars and buses. Subway rose 19 points; car (-9) and bus (-6) together account for 15 of those points, far more than bike (-4). B shows this; the others are true statements that do not support the specific claim.
A city compared average monthly bus ridership and fare revenue before and after cutting the base fare by 25%:
| Before cut (avg. monthly) | 210,000 riders |
|---|---|
| After cut (avg. monthly) | 245,000 riders |
| Total fare revenue before | $420,000/month |
|---|---|
| Total fare revenue after | $392,000/month |
A transit advocate states that the fare cut increased both ridership and total revenue.
Do the figures support the advocate's statement?
D — No, since although ridership increased, total revenue actually decreased after the fare cut.. Ridership rose from 210,000 to 245,000, but revenue fell from $420,000 to $392,000—so while ridership increased, revenue did not, contradicting the claim that both increased.
Score:
Every question above is now marked up: the correct answer is highlighted, any wrong option you picked is flagged, and each explanation is open.
No. Every question here is original, written to the College Board's published Digital SAT Reading & Writing specification for the Command of Evidence: Quantitative skill. No retired or copyrighted College Board material appears anywhere on this site.
Command of Evidence (Quantitative) pairs a short passage with a table or graph and asks which choice most effectively uses that data to complete or support a stated claim. No arithmetic beyond comparison is required — it is a reading question about a data display, not a maths question.
Read the title, the axis labels, the units and the column headers before you read a single answer choice; most wrong answers survive only because the reader assumed what the numbers measured. Then find the specific comparison the claim needs, locate exactly those cells or points, and check each choice against them.
No, and deliberately so. This drill is 10 Command of Evidence: Quantitative questions back to back; a real Reading & Writing module is 27 questions in 32 minutes drawn from all eleven skills. Use a drill to fix one weakness, then take a full module to practice the real thing.
No. The SAT has no penalty for a wrong answer — a blank and a wrong guess both score zero — so answer every question, including the ones you have to guess.