Can You Ace This SAT Practice Test?


Jonnathan Chadwick

7 Min Quiz

For every 10 tweets Jeremy tweets (T), he receives 2 comments (C). Which of the following equations can be used to calculate Jeremy's comments?

For every 10 tweets, Jeremy receives 2 comments, which means each comment is equal to five tweets. In order to calculate the number of comments (C) on Jeremy's tweets, you just need to divide the total number of tweets (T) by five.


Instead of explaining the issue head-on, Jake alluded to the problem. What does "alluded" mean?

Allude is a verb that means to indirectly mention something. If you hint at or suggest something without directly mentioning it, it's an allusion. An illusion is a deceptive appearance, and to elude something means to avoid it.


How many degrees make up the arc of a circle?

A full circle is 360 degrees in arc, meaning a semi-circle is 180 degrees in arc. A diameter is a straight line that connects opposite points on a circle and passes directly through the middle. The radius is half of the diameter.


Sara's entire playlist was filled with rap, bluegrass, classical and jazz music. Which of the following words best describes her playlist?

Eclectic is an adjective that describes something influenced by a wide range of sources. Eccentric is something that is weird or unconventional. The words are often incorrectly used interchangeably. Erratic describes an irregular or unconventional pattern, and ecstatic means feeling overjoyed.


Church officials ________ the _______ would be restored in time for the ceremony.

Ensure is a verb that means to promise something and is commonly mistaken for insure, which means to protect s with something financial guarantee. An altar is a piece of furniture often used is ceremonies. To alter something means to change it.


If (x-1)/5 = b, and b = 5, then what does x equal?

If (x-1)/5 = b, and b = 5, then x = 26. The no-calculator math section of the SAT is filled with multiple-choice questions like this that can easily be solved by the process of elimination. If you don't know the math, you can just plug in the options until you find the right one.


The memorial was conceived by the city's mayor late one night. What does the word "conceived" mean?

Like many words in English, the word "conceive" has multiple meanings. In this instance, it means to imagine, devise or plan. The other popular meaning of the word is to become pregnant, which doesn't make sense in this example.


What is the total sum of all angles in a triangle?

Every triangle consists of three angles that must equal 180 degrees. It's impossible for a triangle's angles to not equal 180 degrees. This comes in handy when you need to solve geometry questions without a calculator.


The paintings looked identical, but the brush strokes on the first painting ran north to south, while the strokes on the second painting ran south to north. This difference can be described as?

Nuance is most used as a noun that defines a subtle difference. The same word or sentence can have entirely different meanings based on nuance alone. Nuance is the difference between a criminal threat and a joke.


The easy hike became ________ when the hikers realized the upcoming path was ________ with deadly mosquitoes.

Treacherous is an adjective with a couple of meanings, but in this sentence, it describes conditions that have become more dangerous because of hidden or unforeseen dangers. Teem is a verb that means to heavily swarm.


Woodstock producers had to decide whether to build a stage for performers or build a fence to stop people entering for free. Which of the following words best describes this situation?

A dilemma is a situation where one must choose between two undesirable choices. Woodstock producers misjudged everything and had to decide whether to build a stage or a fence. They decided on the stage and ended up losing a ton of money because a lot of people walked in for free.


The search and rescue mission went from hopeful to dire once the sun began to set. What does the word "dire" mean?

Dire is an adjective that can be used as an antonym for the word hopeful, but it also can be used to describe an urgent, threatening or dangerous situation. A search mission becomes urgent as the sun begins to set.


If (a/b) = 2, what does (4b)/a = ?

The easiest way to solve this question is to input simple numbers to work with. In this case, we can use the number 10 for "a" and 5 for "b." We can see that (10/5) = 2, and (4 x 5) = 20, and 20/10 = 2. Do this again with different numbers (ex. a = 20, b = 10) to confirm your answer.


What is the formula to find the volume of a rectangular box?

The largest part of the SAT's math section doesn't allow a calculator, so knowing basic formulas is essential. To find the volume of a rectangular box, you need to solve for the width times the height times the length. The formula for volume changes based on an object's shape.


The decorators were given instructions to decorate ________, but when the homeowners found the home ________, they demanded a refund.

Sparingly is an adverb that means to dole out in a restricted or limited manner. Decorators given instruction to decorate sparingly should probably employ some minimalism decor. An unadorned house, however, is a house that has no decorations at all.


"In an attempt to feel as clean as possible, he decided to look for some clean socks." Which of the following changes should be made to the sentence?

No change needs to be made in this sentence. The SAT tests will test you on grammar rules, but will not ask you to define any grammar rules, so you'll need to know how to use them in practice. Fragments, run-ons and comma splices will all be tested.


The recent fluctuation in the stock market scared investors away. What does "fluctuation" mean?

The word fluctuate means to rise and fall irregularly. A stock market that is wildly fluctuating is an unstable market and investors may be wary to enter. On the other hand, an unstable market is opportune for big gains, so some investors may dive in headfirst.


Allison posted x Instagram posts an hour for 3 hours, and Jake posted y Instagram posts an hour for 5 hours. Which formula can be used to find the total number of Instagram posts between Allison and Jake?

If you want to find the number of Instagram posts posted by Allison, you need to multiply x by 3 (3x). To find the total for Jake, you need to multiply y by 5 (5y). Then to find the total, you need to add both of the products (3x + 5y).


Jason got $500 every time he posted a sponsored image on social media. Which of the following words best describes Jason's situation?

Lucrative is an adjective that describes a situation that produces a lot of profit. If Jason can earn $500 to post a picture, and it costs $0 for him to post the picture, he makes a profit of $500 for every picture he posts, which is very profitable, or lucrative.


Her ________ tweet about race and politics threatened to ________ violence across the country.

Controversial is an adjective that describes anything that is likely to cause disagreement. Comments or tweets about race or politics can turn controversial very quickly. To incite means to urge, encourage or stir up.


How do you find the area of a triangle?

In order to find the area of a triangle, you need to multiply the base times the height, and then multiply the product by 1/2. If you need to find the area of a rectangle, you simply multiply the length by the width.


Which of the following is a complete sentence?

A sentence needs a noun and a verb to correctly express a thought. Writing is a creative art and the best writing is known to break the rules, but that's only after the rules have been mastered. Writing complete sentences is one of the first rules to learn.


"The dog didn't run or bark or sit or stand or scratch or cry." What's wrong with that sentence?

There's nothing wrong with this sentence, although it can be written in a variety of different ways. It's not a run-on or a fragment even though it has very little punctuation and explains very little. Some of the conjunctions can be replaced with commas, but that's a stylistic preference.


Hypothetically, if one had wings, one could fly. What does the word "hypothetically" mean?

A hypothetical is an educated guess or a proposed explanation based on limited evidence. Animals and objects need wings to fly, so hypothetically, if a person had wings, they could fly. The testing and analysis of a hypothesis is called the scientific method.


Everybody calls Bob when they have computer problems because Bob knows how to fix every computer problem. When it comes to computers, one could say that Bob is?

Savvy is a noun, verb and adjective and it is used to describe or define knowledge and understanding. Someone who knows how to efficiently solve any computer problem can be described as someone who is really computer savvy.


Ashley said finishing the marathon was one of the most ________ feelings in her life, but since she had ________ her energy, all she wanted to do was sleep.

Exhilarating is an adjective that describes anything that is thrilling or ecstatic. To exhilarate someone is to thrill them or make them happy. Expend is a verb that means to use up or spend. Running a marathon can be exhilarating, but you'll need to expend a lot of energy to finish it.


Do you know how to find the area of a circle?

Finding the area of a circle is a bit trickier than your average four-sided shape. In order to do so, you need to first find the radius. Once you have the radius, which is half the diameter, you can square it and multiply it by pi, which is commonly written as 3.14.


Which of the following is not a prime number?

A prime number is a positive integer that can't be formed by multiplying two smaller positive integers. For example 2 x 2 = 4, so 4 is not prime, but you can't multiply two numbers to equal 5 unless you use the number 5 (ex. 5 x 1), so 5 is a prime number.


What is wrong with the following sentence: "The pizza in Naples is far better than New York City."

One of the easiest ways to write a confusing sentence is to neglect parallel structure. In this example, the sentence should read: "The pizza in Naples is far better than the pizza in New York City." The above example compares pizza in Naples to New York City as a whole.


When they arrived at the lake cabin, they saw spider webs everywhere, the ceiling was leaking, the floor was cracked and the entire structure was crumbling. Which of the following words best describes the lake cabin?

Squalid is an adjective that describes a dirty and filthy thing or place. A squalid building resembles a dilapidated warehouse. A squalid attempt to save your dignity is a morally dirty or filthy attempt.


The English professor asked the class for novel ways to analyze literature. What does the word "novel" mean?

Novel is an adjective that describes something new, unusual or interesting. It's also a noun that defines a full-length work of fiction. An English professor asking for novel ideas could be asking for new ideas or book ideas, depending on the context of the sentence.


When James asked his teacher why they couldn't have class on the roof, she responded by saying, "________, it's not ________."

To be frank means to be honest and direct. Feasible is an adjective that describes something that's practical and realistic. The teacher's response to James was, "Honestly, it's not practical." Both unfeasible and infeasible are words that mean the opposite of feasible.


Which of the following does not define the word "yield"?

Yield is a verb and noun that has many definitions. If you approach a yield sign while driving, you need to give up your right of way to an opposing lane of cars. Stocks can yield profits, and the amount of corn reaped during a season is called the yield.


Do you know how to find the volume of a pyramid or cone?

In order to find the volume of a cone or pyramid, you first need to find the area of the base. A cone has a circular base and a pyramid has a rectangular base, so you'll have to use the respective formula. Once you have that, you can multiply it by the height of the cone. Multiply that product by 1/3 to find the total area.


The balloon was filled with so much air it was at risk of popping at the slightest touch. Which of the following words can best describe the balloon?

Taut is an adjective that describes something that is outstretched or pulled tight. A balloon filled to the point of popping is a taut balloon. A piece of rope with no slack is taut. Taut can also be used to describe tight or concise writing.


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About This Quiz

The college admission test formally known as the Scholastic Aptitude Test has a storied history. It changed names several times (today it's called the SAT), and its scoring system has caused controversy for decades. It's caused so much controversy it's been changed once every four years since the millennium started. It even went from a 1600-point score to a 2400-point score back to a 1600-point score in a decade. But no matter what changes, it doesn't get any easier, and as far as the college hopeful is concerned, it's the Boogeyman.

It began in 1926 for a host of reasons that can be debated for eternity, but none of the theories will help you score higher on the test. To succeed in the SAT, you need to have your reading, writing, language and math down pat. The test is broken into four sections that consist of more than 150 questions ranging from multiple choice to free response, plus there's an optional essay section. It's 62% English and 38% math, but that doesn't mean you can skimp on your math studies. You'll need to know everything from geometry to algebra, and you'll have to answer 20 questions without a calculator. And that's just 25 minutes of the three-hour test.

Whether you've taken the SAT several times or haven't taken it at all, it never hurts to see how you do on one of America's most famous tests. Brush up on your high school knowledge and see if you can ace this SAT practice test.

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