PSAT Reading and Writing Practice Test: Practice Test 4

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the overall structure of the text?

Biostatisticians warn that correlations in health data can be misleading when important variables are omitted. For example, a study might find that people who carry lighters have higher lung-cancer rates, even though the real driver is smoking. The point is not that data analysis is futile, but that causal claims require careful design and interpretation. Randomized trials can help, though they are not always ethical or feasible. Researchers therefore combine multiple approaches to approximate causal inference responsibly.

Notes on renewable energy in Iceland:\n\n• About 85 percent of Iceland’s total energy supply comes from domestically produced renewables.\n• Geothermal sources provide heating for roughly 90 percent of homes.\n• Hydroelectric power dominates electricity generation.

Which choice best unifies the information into one sentence?

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

Marine biologists observed that certain coral species can survive brief spikes in water temperature by expelling symbiotic algae and later reacquiring them, a process that sometimes prevents immediate death.   repeated heat events within a single season can leave the corals with too little time to recover, increasing the likelihood of disease and long-term reef decline.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

The novelist invited Marisol and me to review the early chapters before she sent the manuscript to her editor. She asked that   focus on whether the narrator’s voice stayed consistent from scene to scene.

A museum tracked visitor time spent in two exhibits. Exhibit X had interactive screens plus printed labels; Exhibit Y had only printed labels. Over a month, visitors spent a median of 14 minutes in X and 9 minutes in Y. Yet exit surveys show visitors rated their understanding of the topic similarly for both exhibits, and docents reported that visitors asked more questions in Y. The museum did not change the topics or the number of artifacts displayed. From this, it can most reasonably be inferred that the interactive screens  .

Which choice most logically completes the text?

In a 2022 article on urban ecology, researcher Lina Chen argues that in large North American cities, planting diverse native flowering species along road medians reduces summer surface temperatures primarily by increasing evapotranspiration (not by shading), with the strongest effects during midday heat. Which finding, if true, would most directly support Chen’s hypothesis?

Researchers tested four fertilizers on tomato plants and recorded average yield per plant (Figure 1). In a summary, they claim Fertilizer C produced the highest average yield, exceeding Fertilizer A by  . Which choice most effectively uses data from the bar graph to complete the text?

A study analyzed the composition of municipal solid waste in two cities, Northtown and Southville, in 2022. In Northtown, paper products constituted 28% of the waste, food waste 22%, plastics 15%, and other materials 35%. In Southville, the waste consisted of 31% food waste, 24% paper products, 14% plastics, and 31% other materials. The study's authors suggest that cities with higher proportions of food waste may benefit more from municipal composting programs.

Which statement accurately uses data from the text to support the authors' suggestion?

A labor economist compared median hourly wages in 2015 and 2025 for four occupations. The economist claims that the occupation with the greatest absolute wage increase over the period was  . Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the text?

Which choice completes the sentence with the correct punctuation?

The theater troupe traveled to three cities last summer: Chicago, Illinois; Madison, Wisconsin;   and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:

• In 1903, the Wright brothers achieved powered, controlled flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
• Their aircraft used wing-warping to control roll and a movable rudder for coordinated turns.
• The 1905 Wright Flyer III could make sustained, practical flights with improved control.
• The brothers refined their designs through repeated glider tests and wind-tunnel experiments.
• Kitty Hawk was chosen for its steady winds and soft sand for landings.
• Patent disputes later shaped early aviation business competition in the United States. The student wants to describe how the Wright brothers developed improved flight control through testing and design changes. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Neuroscientist Dana Iversen argues that in adults, short bouts of moderate aerobic exercise improve performance on working-memory tasks mainly by increasing cerebral blood flow during the hour after exercise, rather than by long-term changes in brain structure. Which finding, if true, would most directly support Iversen’s argument?​​

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

The committee on campus safety, after months of meetings and feedback from students, proposed several changes to nighttime lighting. The committee   planning to present the final recommendations to the administration next week.

In a 2023 article on urban ecology, biologist Laila Chen argues that in dense city neighborhoods, planting native flowering species in small roadside strips increases local pollinator diversity primarily by extending the season of available nectar, not by increasing total green area. Which finding, if true, would most directly support Chen’s hypothesis?​​

The robotics club’s presentation focused on one key challenge: keeping the robot stable on uneven ground. The team tested several solutions  larger wheels, a lower center of gravity, and software that adjusts balance in real time. By the final trial run, the robot could climb a ramp without tipping.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

According to entomologist Dr. Yue Chen, the decline of firefly populations is often blamed on pesticide use, yet light pollution poses a greater threat to the insects’ survival. Fireflies rely on bioluminescent signals to find mates; excessive artificial lighting obscures these signals, leading to failed reproduction. Chen argues that mitigating night-time illumination in rural areas would bolster firefly numbers far more effectively than stricter pesticide regulations alone.

What main point does Dr. Chen make?

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the overall structure of the text?

Archaeologists once treated broken pottery as mere debris, useful mainly for dating layers of soil. More recently, researchers have argued that patterns of repair—such as drilled holes for mending—reveal how households valued and prolonged the use of everyday objects. In one coastal settlement, a high proportion of repaired cooking vessels suggests that clay was scarce or that trade disruptions made replacement difficult. Even so, repair marks can be ambiguous, since some holes may have been used to hang pots rather than to fix cracks. Careful comparison with wear patterns and residue analysis helps distinguish these possibilities.

Nutritionist Caleb Jordan argues that labeling foods as simply "good" or "bad" promotes unhealthy relationships with eating. He advocates for a more nuanced approach that focuses on overall dietary patterns and moderation, claiming that rigid categorizations often lead to guilt-driven binge cycles rather than lasting nutritional improvements.

Jordan’s primary assertion is that

The museum’s new exhibit explains how early photographers worked with fragile glass plates, and it includes a short video demonstration. Visitors often linger in the final room because the curator offers a clear takeaway  the earliest images required patience, careful chemistry, and steady hands.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the overall structure of the text?

Marine ecologists have long suspected that kelp forests serve as nurseries for many fish species. Surveys show that juvenile rockfish are far more abundant within dense kelp stands than in nearby barren seafloor areas. This distribution supports the idea that kelp provides both food and shelter from predators. However, abundance alone does not prove higher survival, since juveniles might simply be easier to detect in kelp. To address this, researchers pair surveys with tagging studies that track survival over time.

Read the following text, then answer the question:

In the 1840s, the photographer Anna Atkins used a process called cyanotype to make images of seaweed specimens. She placed the plants directly on light-sensitive paper and exposed them to sunlight, producing white silhouettes on a deep blue background. Although later photographers favored cameras and lenses, Atkins’s method suited her scientific purpose because it recorded fine edges without requiring drawing skill. Her book of these prints is sometimes described as an early photo-illustrated work, but its intent was meticulous documentation.

According to the text, how did Atkins create her cyanotype images?

A financial report shows annual revenue (in millions of dollars) for a startup from 2021 to 2024. The report states that revenue increased each year, and that the total increase from 2021 to 2024 was   million dollars. Which choice most effectively uses data from the line graph to complete the text?

Historian Petra Novak contends that the fall of the Han dynasty should be attributed more to fiscal mismanagement than to barbarian invasions. She points to records of escalating court expenditures and heavy taxation that provoked widespread peasant revolts, arguing these internal crises fatally weakened the state before external forces delivered the final blow.

Novak’s main claim is that

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the overall structure of the text?

Some art historians argue that Impressionism was revolutionary mainly because of its visible brushwork. Yet the movement’s innovations also depended on new commercial galleries that allowed artists to bypass official salons. This institutional shift changed how paintings reached audiences and how reputations were built. At the same time, critics in traditional academies continued to shape public taste by controlling prizes and commissions. Understanding Impressionism thus requires attention to both technique and the art market that sustained it.

Mina drafted an email to her classmates about the group project, and she wanted the message to sound firm but polite. She had already assigned tasks to two people, and she still needed someone to design the slides  she asked Jordan to take that role.