27 original Reading & Writing questions in the digital test's own format and domain order. Answer them all, then submit once to see every answer explained.
Optional. The clock never submits for you — it just tells you where you are against the real pacing.
The documentary's narration is deliberately ______, presenting facts without music, dramatic pauses, or emotional commentary, in contrast to the sensationalized style common to the genre.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
D — restrained. Presenting facts without music, dramatic pauses, or emotional commentary, in contrast to sensationalized style, describes a controlled, understated approach. 'Restrained' fits; 'theatrical' describes the opposite style.
Critics initially dismissed the artist's use of found objects as ______, a cheap gimmick rather than a serious artistic technique; decades later, the same works are considered foundational to an entire movement.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
D — gimmicky. The phrase 'a cheap gimmick' directly restates and defines the blank, so the word describing the initial dismissive view should mean superficial or attention-seeking. 'Gimmicky' matches exactly.
The committee's final report was praised for its ______ tone, presenting both the successes and failures of the program with equal candor rather than downplaying its shortcomings.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A — candid. Presenting successes and failures with equal candor, rather than downplaying shortcomings, describes an honest, direct tone. 'Candid' fits; 'evasive' and 'flattering' both contradict this directness.
Unlike her predecessor, whose speeches relied on soaring rhetoric, the new senator's style is notably ______, favoring plain statistics and concrete examples over emotional appeals.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
D — pragmatic. Favoring plain statistics and concrete examples over emotional appeals is a practical, no-nonsense approach. 'Pragmatic' fits, while the other options describe overly dramatic or fanciful styles that contrast with the description.
The essay opens by acknowledging that international trade has lowered consumer prices on many goods, but the bulk of the essay focuses on documenting its effects on domestic manufacturing employment.
Which choice best describes the function of the first sentence in relation to the rest of the text?
C — It concedes a benefit before shifting focus to a related concern.. Conceding a benefit (lower prices) before pivoting to spend most of the essay on a concern (manufacturing employment) is a concession-then-shift structure, not the central thesis, an anecdote, or a disproven counterargument.
The op-ed begins with a specific account of a delayed ambulance response before spending the rest of the piece discussing which staffing changes are most likely to reduce emergency response times citywide.
Which choice best describes the function of the opening account?
A — It establishes a concrete, relatable stake in the problem that the rest of the piece will analyze.. A specific account at the start that establishes a relatable stake before the piece analyzes solutions is a scene-setting device, not the full argument, a retracted claim, or a counterargument to be refuted.
Text 1: Data scientist Wei Zhang argues that algorithmic hiring tools reduce human bias in the hiring process by evaluating candidates using consistent, predefined criteria. Text 2: Sociologist Aaliyah Johnson notes that algorithmic hiring tools are trained on historical hiring data, meaning they can inadvertently learn and perpetuate the same biases present in a company's past hiring decisions, even while appearing objective.
Which choice best describes Johnson's response to Zhang's argument?
D — She complicates Zhang's claim by identifying a mechanism through which bias could persist.. Johnson doesn't flatly reject the consistency benefit; she points out a specific mechanism (learning from biased historical data) by which the tool could still perpetuate bias—complicating, not simply endorsing or flatly opposing, Zhang's claim.
Text 1: Urban planner Delia Marchetti advocates for replacing a downtown surface parking lot with a public plaza, arguing it would increase pedestrian activity in the area. Text 2: Small business owner association representative Nathaniel Voss notes that many nearby shops depend on that specific lot for delivery truck access, meaning removing it could disrupt supply chains in ways that offset the pedestrian benefits Marchetti describes.
Which choice best describes how the information in Text 2 relates to the proposal described in Text 1?
C — It raises a practical logistical concern not addressed in Text 1's description of the proposal.. Voss's point about disrupted delivery access introduces a practical logistical concern that Marchetti's description (focused on pedestrian activity) does not mention—a new complication, not a confirmation or refutation of the proposal.
The Great Barrier Reef, despite its name, is not a single continuous structure but a system of nearly 3,000 individual reefs and hundreds of islands stretching over 1,400 miles along Australia's northeastern coast.
According to the text, what does the Great Barrier Reef actually consist of, despite its singular name?
C — A system of nearly 3,000 individual reefs and hundreds of islands.. The text directly states the reef is 'not a single continuous structure but a system of nearly 3,000 individual reefs and hundreds of islands'—matching choice C; the other options contradict the text.
Dolphins use a form of biological sonar called echolocation, emitting clicks that bounce off nearby objects and return as echoes; by analyzing the timing and pattern of these echoes, dolphins can determine an object's size, shape, and even its internal density.
According to the text, what can dolphins determine by analyzing the timing and pattern of echoes from their clicks?
A — An object's size, shape, and internal density.. The text directly states dolphins 'can determine an object's size, shape, and even its internal density' through echo analysis—this is stated explicitly, unlike the other unsupported options.
An entomologist proposes that a particular species of ladybug reduces its foraging range in fields with high levels of a specific fungicide, which may explain declining ladybug populations near treated farmland.
Which finding would most directly support the entomologist's proposal?
D — In a field study, ladybugs in fields with high fungicide levels foraged over significantly smaller areas than ladybugs in fields with minimal fungicide use.. This field study directly tests foraging-range reduction (the claim's mechanism) as a function of fungicide exposure, precisely matching the claim; the other options do not test foraging range or causally isolate the fungicide's effect.
A linguist argues that children who regularly hear two languages spoken interchangeably at home develop stronger skills at inferring word meaning from context by age seven than children raised in single-language households.
Which finding would most directly support the linguist's argument?
D — In assessments of context-based word inference, seven-year-olds from households with interchangeable bilingual speech scored higher than seven-year-olds from single-language households.. The claim is specifically about context-based word inference skill compared between household types; a direct assessment comparing this skill between the two groups is the most direct support. The other choices measure unrelated or different outcomes.
A researcher measured average focus-test scores for students who reported different amounts of screen-free time before bed:
| 0 min | 62 points |
|---|---|
| 15–30 min | 71 points |
| 30–60 min | 83 points |
| Over 60 min | 77 points |
A researcher claims that focus scores increase continuously the more screen-free time a student has before bed.
Does the data support the researcher's claim?
C — No, because scores rise from 0 minutes up to 30–60 minutes, but then fall for students with over 60 minutes.. Scores rise from 62 to 71 to 83, but then drop to 77 for the over-60-minutes group—not a continuous increase. Choice C correctly identifies this non-monotonic pattern, disproving the 'continuously' claim, even though choice D is technically true in isolation.
A researcher recorded average monthly temperature and the number of reported air conditioner repair calls in a city across four months:
| May | 68°F, 22 calls |
|---|---|
| June | 78°F, 61 calls |
| July | 89°F, 140 calls |
| August | 91°F, 158 calls |
A repair company claims that repair calls are strongly associated with temperature, with higher temperatures linked to more calls.
Does the data support the repair company's claim?
D — Yes, because months with higher temperatures generally also had more repair calls.. As temperature rises from May (68°F) to August (91°F), calls also rise (22→61→140→158), showing a consistent positive association, supporting the claim. Choice B misstates August as having the lowest temperature when it had the highest.
When a popular music streaming app temporarily removed its offline-download feature, subscriptions to a competing app with offline capability rose noticeably, but overall subscriptions to the original app remained roughly stable once the feature was restored a month later.
Which choice most logically completes the text?
D — many users who switched to the competing app for offline access returned once the original app restored the feature.. Subscriptions to the original app returning to stable levels once the feature was restored suggests users who had switched away returned once the missing feature came back, supporting choice D.
The recipe calls for three ingredients: flour, sugar, and butter, however, many bakers add a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor.
Which choice fixes the sentence boundary error?
B — butter; however, many. 'However' here connects two independent clauses and needs a semicolon (or period) before it, with a comma after. Choice B correctly uses a semicolon before 'however' and a comma after it, fixing the comma splice in the original.
The architect's final blueprint, revised multiple times over two years was finally approved by the city planning board.
Which choice fixes the punctuation error?
C — years, was. 'Revised multiple times over two years' is a nonrestrictive phrase interrupting the sentence and needs a comma on both sides. The comma after 'blueprint,' is already present, so a matching comma is needed after 'years' before 'was.' Choice C supplies this.
The novelist's final work, unfinished at the time of her death was published posthumously by her longtime editor.
Which choice fixes the punctuation error?
A — death, was. 'Unfinished at the time of her death' is a nonrestrictive phrase interrupting the sentence and needs a comma on both sides. The comma after 'work,' is already present, so a matching comma is needed after 'death' before 'was.' Choice A supplies this.
The gallery's new exhibit features three artists, however, only one of them has previously shown work in the city.
Which choice fixes the sentence boundary error?
C — artists; however, only. 'However' here connects two independent clauses and needs a semicolon (or period) before it, with a comma after. Choice C correctly uses a semicolon before 'however' and a comma after it, fixing the comma splice in the original.
If the funding had arrived on schedule, the research team ______ able to complete the study before the grant expired.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
B — would have been. This is a past hypothetical conditional ('If the funding had arrived...'), which requires the conditional perfect 'would have been' in the main clause to correctly match the past-perfect 'had arrived' in the if-clause.
If the replacement generator had been delivered on time, the clinic ______ able to resume operations without any interruption.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
C — would have been. This is a past hypothetical conditional ('If the generator had been delivered...'), which requires the conditional perfect 'would have been' in the main clause to correctly match the past-perfect 'had been delivered' in the if-clause.
Every one of the proposed amendments to the bylaws ______ discussed at length during the meeting.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
B — was. 'Every one' is a singular subject, taking the singular past-tense verb 'was,' regardless of the plural noun 'amendments' within the prepositional phrase that follows it.
The play received poor reviews upon its original 1954 Broadway run. ______, it is now regarded as one of the most influential works of American theater.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
B — Today,. The sentence shifts from the play's reception 'upon its original run' to its status 'now'—a time-based contrast best signaled by 'Today,' which explicitly marks this shift to the present.
The city's new recycling program initially faced public skepticism. ______, participation rates have steadily climbed each year since its launch.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A — Since then,. The sentence describes a change over time from initial skepticism to steadily climbing participation—'Since then' correctly marks this temporal progression from the earlier state.
The play received largely negative reviews upon its original 1962 run. ______, it is now regarded as a pioneering work of experimental theater.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
D — Today,. The sentence shifts from the play's reception 'upon its original run' to its status 'now'—a time-based contrast best signaled by 'Today,' which explicitly marks this shift to the present.
A student has gathered the following notes about a public health intervention:
The student wants to describe where the calorie-labeling policy had its strongest measured effect. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
C — The effect of the calorie-labeling policy on calories ordered was strongest at fast-food chains and weaker at sit-down restaurants.. The specific goal is where the effect was strongest; choice C directly states this comparison (fast-food vs. sit-down). The other choices provide true but off-target details that don't answer the specific 'where' question.
A student has taken the following notes about an animal behavior study:
The student wants to highlight the most surprising result of the lab experiment. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
B — In a lab experiment involving a multi-step puzzle box, some crows solved it correctly on their very first attempt, without any trial and error.. The 'most surprising result' is solving a multi-step puzzle with zero trial and error on the first attempt; choice B states this specific, surprising finding directly. The other choices are either background or general statements, not the surprising result itself.
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 is original, written to the College Board's published Digital SAT Reading & Writing test specification. No retired or copyrighted College Board material appears anywhere on this site.
27 questions in 32 minutes — about 71 seconds per question. The full Reading & Writing section is two such modules, 54 questions in 64 minutes.
Craft and Structure 8, Information and Ideas 7, Standard English Conventions 7, Expression of Ideas 5 — 27 questions in total, matching the College Board's published domain weighting for one module and grouped in the order the digital test presents them.
No. On the real test your performance on the first Reading & Writing module decides whether the second module is the easier or harder version, and that choice affects your score. A static practice module cannot reproduce that, so treat this as one fixed module of mixed difficulty rather than a scored simulation.
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.