112 questionsShowing 1–56

Information & Ideas practice questions

Central ideas, supporting detail, inference, and reading evidence from a short text or a data description. The answer must be supported by the passage rather than merely consistent with it.

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1Central ideas and detailsFoundation
Biologist Amina Rahman recorded the number of native bee species in small urban gardens. Gardens with several kinds of flowering plants supported more bee species than gardens planted with only lawn grass. Which choice best states the central idea?
- ARahman studied only gardens outside cities.
- BPlant diversity in urban gardens can support greater bee diversity.
- CUrban gardens cannot support native bees.
- DLawn grass is the preferred food source for all bee species.
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: Plant diversity in urban gardens can support greater bee diversity.
The finding compares diverse flowering gardens with lawn-only gardens and reports more bee species in the diverse gardens. The other choices contradict or add claims not supported by the passage.
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2InferencesFoundation
A museum kept its reading room open two evenings each week. After the change, attendance records showed that many visitors used the room after standard work hours. Which inference is best supported by the records?
- AEvery visitor works a standard daytime schedule.
- BEvening hours made the reading room more accessible to some visitors.
- CAttendance fell after the new hours began.
- DThe museum should close the reading room during the day.
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Answer: Evening hours made the reading room more accessible to some visitors.
Use after standard work hours supports the modest inference that later access helped some people. The records do not establish every visitor's schedule or require any other change in hours.
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3Command of evidenceStandard
A student claims that adding shaded seating could encourage people to remain longer in a public plaza. Which finding would most directly support that claim?
- ASeveral nearby streets have recently been repaved.
- BThe plaza is located beside a bus stop.
- CVisitors who sat in shaded areas spent more time in the plaza than visitors who sat in unshaded areas.
- DThe plaza has been open for more than twenty years.
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: Visitors who sat in shaded areas spent more time in the plaza than visitors who sat in unshaded areas.
This evidence compares shaded and unshaded seating directly on the outcome in the claim: how long people remain. The other facts may be true but do not test the claim.
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4Data interpretationStandard
A library tracked completed reading logs in one month: grades 3-4 completed 48 logs, grades 5-6 completed 61, and grades 7-8 completed 39. Which statement is supported by the data?
- AGrades 5-6 completed the most logs of the three groups.
- BThe library offered the same number of books to each group.
- CGrades 7-8 read more books than grades 5-6.
- DEvery student in grades 5-6 completed a log.
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Answer: Grades 5-6 completed the most logs of the three groups.
Sixty-one is greater than 48 and 39. The data report completed logs only, so they do not justify claims about individual students, books read, or books offered.
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5Relationships between textsStandard
Text 1 argues that neighborhood trees can lower summer surface temperatures. Text 2 reports that tree-canopy projects are most effective when local residents help choose planting locations. How would the authors of Text 2 most likely respond to Text 1?
- AThey would reject the claim that trees affect temperature.
- BThey would agree with the benefit and add a condition for effective projects.
- CThey would claim only private gardens should contain trees.
- DThey would say temperature data are never useful.
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Answer: They would agree with the benefit and add a condition for effective projects.
Text 2 does not dispute the cooling benefit. It adds guidance about involving residents when deciding where projects should occur.
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6Central ideas and detailsStandard
In a profile of a ceramic artist, the writer notes that the artist tests dozens of glaze mixtures before choosing one for a collection. This detail mainly emphasizes the artist's
- Acareful experimental process.
- Breliance on accidental results.
- Cinterest in collecting antiques.
- Dpreference for working alone.
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Answer: careful experimental process.
Testing many mixtures before selecting one demonstrates systematic experimentation. Nothing in the detail establishes the other characterizations.
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7InferencesStandard
A city pilot program placed repair stations along a popular bicycle route. In surveys, riders said they valued being able to make small repairs without ending a trip. What conclusion is most reasonable?
- AAll riders can repair every kind of bicycle problem.
- BThe city should ban car traffic on every street.
- CThe route is unsafe for bicycles.
- DRepair stations can reduce one practical barrier to cycling trips.
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Answer: Repair stations can reduce one practical barrier to cycling trips.
The riders describe small repairs as helping them continue a trip. That supports a limited conclusion about removing a practical obstacle, not the broader claims in the other choices.
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8Command of evidenceStandard
A researcher argues that students remember new vocabulary better when they encounter words in several contexts. Which result would most strongly support the argument?
- AStudents preferred shorter vocabulary lists.
- BTeachers assigned vocabulary on different days of the week.
- CStudents who read and used new words in discussion recalled more words later than students who only copied definitions.
- DStudents used notebooks in several colors.
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: Students who read and used new words in discussion recalled more words later than students who only copied definitions.
The result compares multiple contexts with a single-context approach and measures later recall, exactly the relationship described by the argument.
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9Data interpretationFoundation
An after-school club reported the following attendance for four meetings: 18, 22, 22, and 25 students. Which statement is accurate?
- AThe final meeting had the highest attendance.
- BAttendance was highest at the first meeting.
- CAttendance never changed across the meetings.
- DExactly 25 different students attended all four meetings.
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Answer: The final meeting had the highest attendance.
Among the four reported values, 25 is the largest and belongs to the final meeting. The data do not identify individual students or show that attendance stayed constant.
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10Relationships between textsStandard
A historian writes that photographs can reveal details about daily life that official records omit. An archivist replies that photographs still require context because captions and dates can be incomplete. The archivist's response mainly
- Adenies that photographs can ever be useful.
- Brepeats the historian's claim without adding to it.
- Cchanges the topic from history to science.
- Dqualifies the historian's point by identifying a limit.
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Answer: qualifies the historian's point by identifying a limit.
The archivist accepts that photographs can be informative while explaining why they must be interpreted carefully. That is a qualification, not a rejection.
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11SynthesisStandard
Notes for an article state that a wetland restoration began in 2019, native plants were added in 2020, and bird surveys recorded 14 more species by 2023. Which sentence most effectively summarizes the notes?
- ABird surveys are always more reliable than plant surveys.
- BThe wetland had exactly 14 bird species before restoration began.
- CWetlands are difficult to restore because native plants grow slowly.
- DA restoration begun in 2019 added native plants the next year and was followed by an increase in recorded bird species by 2023.
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: A restoration begun in 2019 added native plants the next year and was followed by an increase in recorded bird species by 2023.
This choice accurately joins the timing and the reported result without inventing a cause, a comparison of survey methods, or a starting species count.
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12Central ideas and detailsFoundation
A city council replaced several parking spaces near a busy market with covered bicycle racks. Over the following year, vendors reported that weekday foot traffic rose while total sales stayed roughly the same. Which choice best states the central idea of the text?
- AVendors organized to oppose the removal of the parking spaces.
- BThe change caused market sales to fall sharply.
- CBicycle racks cost less to install than parking spaces do.
- DThe change altered how people arrived at the market without changing overall sales.
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: The change altered how people arrived at the market without changing overall sales.
The text reports one thing that changed (how people arrived, shown by foot traffic) and one that did not (total sales). The other choices add claims about opposition, cost, or falling sales that the text does not make.
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13InferencesStandard
A museum began labeling its exhibits in two languages. Over the next year, attendance from nearby neighborhoods where the second language is widely spoken rose by about a third, while the museum's overall attendance was unchanged. Which choice is best supported by the text?
- AThe bilingual labels likely made the exhibits more accessible to some nearby residents.
- BThe museum intends to add labels in a third language.
- COverall attendance fell because visitors disliked the new labels.
- DMost of the museum's visitors read only the second language.
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Answer: The bilingual labels likely made the exhibits more accessible to some nearby residents.
A rise concentrated in neighborhoods that speak the added language points to accessibility. The text states overall attendance was unchanged, rules out nothing about most visitors, and says nothing about future plans.
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14Command of evidenceStandard
A researcher claims that community repair workshops reduce the number of small appliances households throw away. Which finding, if true, would most strongly support the claim?
- AHouseholds that attended a workshop discarded fewer appliances the following year than similar households that did not attend.
- BWorkshops were most popular in neighborhoods with many apartment buildings.
- CAttendees said they enjoyed the workshops and would return.
- DThe workshops were funded by a grant from a local foundation.
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: Households that attended a workshop discarded fewer appliances the following year than similar households that did not attend.
Support for a claim about an effect requires a comparison between households that attended and comparable ones that did not. Popularity, enjoyment, and funding say nothing about how many appliances were discarded.
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15Data interpretationFoundation
A school recorded the number of salads chosen at lunch during one week: Monday 120, Tuesday 95, Wednesday 140, Thursday 110, Friday 85. Which statement is supported by the data?
- AThe number of salads chosen rose every day of the week.
- BThe week's total was fewer than 500 salads.
- CFewer than 100 salads were chosen on three of the days.
- DMore salads were chosen on Wednesday than on any other day.
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Answer: More salads were chosen on Wednesday than on any other day.
Wednesday's 140 is the largest value. The counts do not rise every day, only two days fall below 100, and the total is 550.
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16Relationships between textsStandard
Text 1 reports that offering free transit passes raised ridership in one mid-sized city. Text 2 notes that in a second city, free passes raised ridership only on routes where buses already ran at least every fifteen minutes. How does Text 2 relate to Text 1?
- AIt identifies a condition that may limit when Text 1's result holds.
- BIt repeats Text 1's finding using a different city as an example.
- CIt argues that transit passes should not be offered free of charge.
- DIt contradicts Text 1 by showing that free passes never raise ridership.
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Answer: It identifies a condition that may limit when Text 1's result holds.
Text 2 does not deny the effect; it reports that the effect appeared only where service was frequent, which narrows the conditions under which Text 1's result applies.
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17Central ideas and detailsStandard
In an essay about the restoration of an old pipe organ, the writer spends most of the piece describing how the restorers photographed, numbered, and measured each pipe before removing it, and devotes a single closing sentence to the instrument's first concert. What does this proportion most suggest about the writer's focus?
- AThe writer considers the organ less important than the building around it.
- BThe writer believes the first concert was poorly attended.
- CThe writer is more interested in the method of the restoration than in its result.
- DThe writer thinks the restoration should not have been attempted.
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Answer: The writer is more interested in the method of the restoration than in its result.
Space is the evidence here: the process receives most of the essay and the outcome one sentence. The other choices introduce judgments the text does not make.
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18InferencesChallenge
A bakery began posting the day's remaining stock on a screen near its door each afternoon. Over the next six months, the amount of unsold bread discarded at closing fell, and the bakery did not reduce how much it baked. Which choice is best supported by the text?
- AThe screen eliminated the bakery's operating costs.
- BThe bakery began baking noticeably less bread than before.
- CAfternoon customers likely shifted their purchases toward items the bakery had in surplus.
- DMost of the bakery's customers arrive in the morning.
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Answer: Afternoon customers likely shifted their purchases toward items the bakery had in surplus.
Less waste with unchanged production means more of what was left over was sold, and the screen is the only stated change. The text explicitly rules out baking less, and says nothing about total costs or morning traffic.
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19Command of evidenceStandard
A student argues that lengthening the passing period between classes reduces lateness. Which finding, if true, would most weaken the argument?
- ALengthening passing periods shortened each class by two minutes.
- BLateness is recorded differently at different schools.
- CSchools that lengthened their passing periods reported the same rate of lateness as before the change.
- DStudents said they preferred the longer passing periods.
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Answer: Schools that lengthened their passing periods reported the same rate of lateness as before the change.
The argument predicts less lateness, so evidence that lateness did not change directly opposes it. Preference, class length, and record-keeping differences do not tell us whether lateness fell.
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20Data interpretationStandard
A survey asked 400 residents which park feature they used most: walking paths 180, playground 96, sports courts 84, garden 40. Which statement is supported by the data?
- AThe garden and the playground together were chosen more often than the walking paths.
- BThe sports courts were the least frequently chosen feature.
- CMore than half of the residents chose the playground.
- DWalking paths were chosen by more residents than the playground and garden combined.
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Answer: Walking paths were chosen by more residents than the playground and garden combined.
Walking paths drew 180, while the playground and garden together drew 96 + 40 = 136. The garden, not the sports courts, was chosen least, and the playground's 96 is far below half of 400.
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21Relationships between textsStandard
Text 1 argues that handwritten notes aid recall because writing is slower and forces a student to summarize. Text 2 reports that students who typed their notes but were instructed to summarize rather than transcribe recalled as much as students who wrote by hand. What does Text 2 most strongly imply about Text 1?
- ATyping notes is always more effective than writing them by hand.
- BThe benefit Text 1 attributes to handwriting may come instead from summarizing.
- CText 1's study was conducted with too few students.
- DNeither typing nor handwriting has any effect on recall.
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Answer: The benefit Text 1 attributes to handwriting may come instead from summarizing.
Text 2 holds summarizing constant across both methods and finds equal recall, which points to summarizing rather than the writing method as the active ingredient. It does not claim typing is superior or that recall is unaffected.
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22SynthesisStandard
Notes: A neighborhood association planted 60 street trees in 2020, and 54 were alive in 2024. A nearby association planted 45 trees the same year, and 27 were alive in 2024. The first association watered new trees weekly for two summers. The student wants to emphasize the difference in survival between the two groups. Which choice best uses the notes?
- AStreet trees planted in 2020 were still standing in 2024.
- BOf the trees planted in 2020, 54 of 60 survived where volunteers watered weekly, compared with 27 of 45 where they did not.
- COne association watered its new trees weekly for two summers.
- DTwo neighborhood associations planted street trees in 2020.
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Answer: Of the trees planted in 2020, 54 of 60 survived where volunteers watered weekly, compared with 27 of 45 where they did not.
Only this choice states both survival figures side by side, which is what emphasizing a difference requires. The others report a single fact and invite no comparison.
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23Command of evidenceChallenge
A team argues that placing benches along a hospital corridor helps recovering patients walk further. Which finding, if true, would most weaken the argument?
- ASome patients said the benches made the corridor feel more welcoming.
- BPatients on corridors with benches walked the same total distance as patients on corridors without them.
- CCorridors with benches were slightly narrower than those without.
- DThe benches were installed during a hospital renovation.
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: Patients on corridors with benches walked the same total distance as patients on corridors without them.
The argument predicts greater walking distance. A comparison showing no difference in distance opposes it directly, whereas installation timing, patient comfort, and corridor width leave the prediction untested.
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24InferencesStandard
A publisher released two editions of the same novel: one with the author's original ending and one with a revised ending. Readers who bought the revised edition were more likely to buy the author's next book, though the two groups rated the novel equally. Which choice is best supported?
- AThe author wrote the revised ending in response to reader complaints.
- BReaders preferred the revised ending to the original.
- CThe original edition sold more copies than the revised one.
- DSomething other than overall enjoyment influenced whether readers returned for the next book.
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Answer: Something other than overall enjoyment influenced whether readers returned for the next book.
Equal ratings rule out overall enjoyment as the explanation, yet the groups differed in repeat purchases, so some other factor is at work. The remaining choices assert preferences, sales, or motives the text does not report.
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25Data interpretationStandard
A cycling group logged rides over four months: March 62, April 88, May 84, June 110. Which statement is supported by the data?
- AThe four-month total was above 400.
- BApril and May together exceeded the other two months combined.
- CThe number of rides increased every month.
- DJune had more rides than March and May individually.
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Answer: June had more rides than March and May individually.
June's 110 exceeds both March's 62 and May's 84. Rides fell from April to May, April and May total 172 against 172 for March and June, and the four-month total is 344.
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26Central ideas and detailsFoundation
A cooperative bakery lets each member set the price of the bread they bake. Members report that prices have converged over time even though no rule requires it. Which choice best states the central idea?
- ABread at the cooperative costs less than at other bakeries.
- BMembers disagree about how bread should be priced.
- CThe bakery introduced a pricing rule that members follow.
- DPrices settled into a common range through the members' own choices rather than through a rule.
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Answer: Prices settled into a common range through the members' own choices rather than through a rule.
The text emphasises convergence in the absence of a requirement. The other choices contradict the stated absence of a rule or add comparisons and disputes the text does not mention.
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27Central ideas and detailsStandard
A regional airline replaced its printed timetables with a mobile application. Bookings made more than a month in advance rose, while total bookings were unchanged and calls to the booking line fell by half. Which choice best states the central idea?
- AMobile applications are cheaper for airlines than printed timetables.
- BThe change shifted when and how passengers booked without changing how many did.
- CPassengers booked more flights once the application launched.
- DThe airline lost passengers who preferred printed timetables.
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Answer: The change shifted when and how passengers booked without changing how many did.
Two things moved — timing and channel — and one did not: the total. The other options assert losses, costs, or growth the text explicitly rules out or never mentions.
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28Command of evidenceStandard
An educator claims that reading aloud to children before age four improves their later vocabulary. Which finding would most strongly support the claim?
- ABooks aimed at under-fours use a wider vocabulary than television programmes.
- BReading aloud has been recommended by educators for many decades.
- CChildren read to daily before age four had larger vocabularies at age eight than otherwise similar children who were not.
- DParents who read aloud reported enjoying the time with their children.
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Answer: Children read to daily before age four had larger vocabularies at age eight than otherwise similar children who were not.
The claim is about a later outcome, so support must compare that outcome between children who were and were not read to. Parental enjoyment, book vocabulary, and the age of the recommendation measure something else.
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29InferencesChallenge
An orchestra moved its Friday concerts from 8 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Attendance rose among people living more than twenty miles away and was unchanged among those living closer. Which choice is best supported?
- APeople living nearby prefer later concerts.
- BTicket prices fell when the start time moved.
- CThe later finish had been a barrier for some people travelling a longer distance.
- DThe orchestra's programming improved after the change.
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Answer: The later finish had been a barrier for some people travelling a longer distance.
The rise is concentrated among distant attendees, for whom an earlier finish matters most; the unchanged local figure gives no reason to infer a local preference. Programming and prices are not mentioned.
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30Data interpretationFoundation
A shelter recorded adoptions by season: spring 88, summer 124, autumn 96, winter 72. Which statement is supported by the data?
- ASummer adoptions exceeded winter adoptions by more than 50.
- BTotal adoptions were fewer than 350.
- CAdoptions rose steadily through the year.
- DAutumn was the second lowest season.
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Answer: Summer adoptions exceeded winter adoptions by more than 50.
Summer's 124 exceeds winter's 72 by 52. Adoptions did not rise steadily, autumn's 96 is the second highest rather than second lowest, and the total is 380.
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31Relationships between textsStandard
Text 1 argues that museums should display objects with minimal labelling so visitors look closely. Text 2 reports that visitors given no contextual information spent less time with objects, not more. Text 2 primarily
- Arestates Text 1's position in more measured language.
- Bagrees with Text 1 and adds a supporting example.
- Cargues that museums should close their collections to the public.
- Doffers evidence against the mechanism Text 1 relies on.
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Answer: offers evidence against the mechanism Text 1 relies on.
Text 1 assumes that less labelling produces closer looking; Text 2 reports the opposite outcome, which undercuts the mechanism rather than supporting or restating it.
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32SynthesisStandard
Notes: A repair cafe opened in 2021. Volunteers fixed 410 items in its first year and 980 in 2024. About 70 percent of items brought in are repaired successfully. The student wants to emphasise the growth in the cafe's activity. Which choice best uses the notes?
- AAbout 70 percent of the items brought to the repair cafe are successfully repaired.
- BVolunteers at the repair cafe fixed 410 items in 2021 and 980 in 2024.
- CThe repair cafe has been open since 2021.
- DVolunteers at the repair cafe fixed 980 items in 2024.
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Answer: Volunteers at the repair cafe fixed 410 items in 2021 and 980 in 2024.
Growth is a change over time, so the choice must carry both figures. The success rate, the opening year, and a single year's total each state one fact and show no change.
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33Central ideas and detailsStandard
A publisher offered two editions of a reference book: a printed volume and a subscription to the same text online. Libraries bought the printed volume at four times the rate of the subscription, and librarians surveyed said the printed volume was easier to lend to several readers in one day. Which choice best states the central idea?
- ALibrarians dislike reading text on screens.
- BThe online subscription was more expensive than the printed volume.
- CA practical difference in how the two formats circulate, rather than a preference for print, explains the buying pattern.
- DPrinted reference books contain more information than online editions.
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Answer: A practical difference in how the two formats circulate, rather than a preference for print, explains the buying pattern.
The text pairs the buying pattern with a stated reason about lending, which is a practical constraint rather than a taste. Price, screen preference, and content are never mentioned.
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34Command of evidenceChallenge
A researcher claims that installing bird-safe glass reduces collisions at office buildings. Which finding would most strongly support the claim?
- AArchitects surveyed said they would recommend the glass.
- BBuildings that installed the glass recorded fewer collisions afterwards than comparable buildings that did not.
- CCollisions are most common during migration season.
- DBird-safe glass has been available for more than a decade.
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Answer: Buildings that installed the glass recorded fewer collisions afterwards than comparable buildings that did not.
A claim about an effect needs a comparison between buildings with and without the change. Availability, professional opinion, and seasonality say nothing about whether the glass reduced anything.
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35InferencesStandard
A bakery moved its opening time from 7 a.m. to 6 a.m. Sales in the first hour were small, but total daily sales rose by about a tenth, and the bakery reported selling out of bread less often. Which choice is best supported?
- AThe bakery began producing considerably more bread.
- BThe earlier opening changed how the day's baking was distributed rather than simply adding an hour of sales.
- CCustomers prefer bread bought early in the morning.
- DMost customers now arrive before 7 a.m.
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: The earlier opening changed how the day's baking was distributed rather than simply adding an hour of sales.
First-hour sales were small, so the extra hour cannot account for a tenth more sales; selling out less often points to redistribution across the day. The text does not report more baking or say when most customers arrive.
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36Data interpretationStandard
A theatre recorded ticket sales for four productions: 480, 610, 350, and 560. Which statement is supported by the data?
- AEvery production sold more than 400 tickets.
- BThe lowest-selling production sold fewer than half as many tickets as the highest.
- CSales rose with each successive production.
- DTwo of the four productions sold more than 500 tickets.
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Answer: Two of the four productions sold more than 500 tickets.
Only 610 and 560 exceed 500, which is two of the four. The 350 figure defeats the second choice, sales fell twice so they did not rise each time, and half of 610 is 305, which 350 exceeds.
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37Relationships between textsStandard
Text 1 argues that free museum entry increases the range of people who visit. Text 2 reports that after entry charges were removed at one museum, total visits rose sharply while the mix of postcodes represented was unchanged. Text 2 primarily
- Arestates Text 1 in more cautious language.
- Bconfirms Text 1 with a larger data set.
- Cchallenges the specific benefit Text 1 claims while confirming a different one.
- Dargues that museums should reintroduce entry charges.
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Answer: challenges the specific benefit Text 1 claims while confirming a different one.
Text 1's claim is about range, and Text 2 reports range unchanged while volume rose. It therefore undercuts the stated benefit and supports a different one, rather than confirming or restating.
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38SynthesisStandard
Notes: A footpath was resurfaced in 2022. Before resurfacing, 200 walkers used it weekly. After, 340 used it weekly. The path is 2 kilometres long. The student wants to emphasise the increase in use. Which choice best uses the notes?
- AWeekly use of the footpath rose from 200 walkers to 340 after it was resurfaced in 2022.
- BThe footpath was resurfaced because it was heavily used.
- CAbout 340 walkers use the footpath each week.
- DThe footpath, which is 2 kilometres long, was resurfaced in 2022.
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Answer: Weekly use of the footpath rose from 200 walkers to 340 after it was resurfaced in 2022.
An increase needs both figures. The others give a length, a single current figure, or a reason the notes do not contain.
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39Command of evidenceStandard
A student argues that later school start times improve attendance. Which finding would most weaken the argument?
- ATeachers had to rearrange their commutes.
- BStudents said they preferred the later start.
- CThe change was introduced in the middle of a term.
- DSchools that moved their start time later recorded the same attendance rate as before.
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Answer: Schools that moved their start time later recorded the same attendance rate as before.
The argument predicts better attendance, so evidence that attendance did not move opposes it directly. Preference, commuting, and timing leave the prediction untested.
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40InferencesChallenge
An orchestra published its rehearsal recordings online. Concert attendance was unchanged, but recording downloads were highest in the week before each concert and fell sharply afterwards. Which choice is best supported?
- AThe orchestra should stop publishing the recordings.
- BMost downloads came from people outside the city.
- CThe recordings were used mainly as preparation by people who were going to attend anyway.
- DThe recordings reduced concert attendance.
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Answer: The recordings were used mainly as preparation by people who were going to attend anyway.
A download pattern that peaks before each concert and collapses after it fits preparation rather than substitution, and attendance was unchanged. The text gives no locations and makes no recommendation.
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41Central ideas and detailsStandard
A hospital replaced its paper wayfinding signs with digital screens showing the same information. Staff reported being asked for directions just as often as before, though visitors said the screens looked clearer. Which choice best states the central idea?
- AVisitors ignored the new screens entirely.
- BA change that improved how the information looked did not change how well people found their way.
- CHospital staff prefer answering questions in person.
- DThe digital screens were harder to read than the paper signs.
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Answer: A change that improved how the information looked did not change how well people found their way.
Two findings are reported: clarity improved and requests for directions did not fall. The other choices contradict the stated clarity or add attitudes the text never mentions.
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42InferencesChallenge
A supermarket moved its bakery from the back of the store to just inside the entrance. Bread sales were unchanged, but sales of items stocked near the old bakery location fell by about a fifth. Which choice is best supported?
- AShoppers who previously walked to the back of the store were passing those items on the way.
- BThe new bakery location is less convenient for shoppers.
- CThe items near the old location became more expensive.
- DShoppers stopped buying bread after the move.
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Answer: Shoppers who previously walked to the back of the store were passing those items on the way.
Bread sales held while nearby sales fell, which points to lost footfall rather than lost interest in bread. Prices and convenience are never mentioned.
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43Command of evidenceStandard
A researcher claims that captioned video helps students remember lecture content. Which finding would most strongly support the claim?
- AMost students said they preferred captions.
- BCaptions are required for accessibility in many institutions.
- CStudents who watched captioned lectures scored higher on a later recall test than similar students who watched uncaptioned ones.
- DCaptioning software has improved in accuracy.
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Answer: Students who watched captioned lectures scored higher on a later recall test than similar students who watched uncaptioned ones.
A claim about memory needs a comparison of recall between captioned and uncaptioned viewing. Preference, software quality and legal requirements measure something else entirely.
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44Data interpretationStandard
A cinema recorded attendance across four screenings: 88, 142, 96, and 74. Which statement is supported?
- AThe best-attended screening drew nearly twice as many people as the worst-attended one.
- BEvery screening drew more than 80 people.
- CThe four screenings drew more than 450 people in total.
- DAttendance rose with each successive screening.
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Answer: The best-attended screening drew nearly twice as many people as the worst-attended one.
The best-attended screening drew 142 and the worst 74, and 74 doubled is 148 — close enough that "nearly twice" holds. Attendance did not rise each time, the 74 figure defeats the third choice, and the four screenings total 400.
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45Relationships between textsStandard
Text 1 argues that shorter opening hours would save a museum money without reducing visits, since most arrive at midday. Text 2 reports that at a comparable museum, cutting the first opening hour reduced total visits by 4 percent, mostly among people arriving before work. Text 2 primarily
- Arestates Text 1's claim about midday arrivals.
- Bidentifies a group Text 1's reasoning leaves out.
- Cargues that museums should extend their opening hours.
- Dconfirms Text 1 using a comparable institution.
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Answer: identifies a group Text 1's reasoning leaves out.
Text 1 reasons from where most visitors are; Text 2 shows the minority at the edges is not zero. That is an omission, not a confirmation or a call to extend hours.
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46SynthesisStandard
Notes: A community choir formed in 2016. It had 18 members then and 74 now. It rehearses weekly. It has performed at 40 events. The student wants to emphasise the choir's growth in membership. Which choice best uses the notes?
- AThe choir currently has 74 members.
- BThe choir, formed in 2016, rehearses every week.
- CThe choir has grown from 18 members at its founding in 2016 to 74 today.
- DThe choir has performed at 40 events.
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Answer: The choir has grown from 18 members at its founding in 2016 to 74 today.
Growth is a change, so both membership figures must appear. A single current number shows size, not growth.
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47Command of evidenceChallenge
A council argues that its new recycling bins increased recycling rates. Which finding would most weaken the argument?
- ASome residents said the bins were difficult to move.
- BA regional recycling campaign ran across all neighbouring councils during the same period, and their rates rose by a similar amount.
- CThe new bins cost more than the old ones.
- DRecycling rates are measured by weight rather than volume.
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Answer: A regional recycling campaign ran across all neighbouring councils during the same period, and their rates rose by a similar amount.
A comparable rise without the bins shows the bins were not needed to produce it. Cost, handling and the unit of measurement leave the causal claim untouched.
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48InferencesStandard
A journal began publishing the reviewer comments alongside each accepted article. In the following two years, the number of submissions was unchanged, but the average time reviewers spent on a report rose by a third. Which choice is best supported?
- AThe change discouraged authors from submitting.
- BThe journal received better submissions after the change.
- CReviewers were paid more for their time.
- DReviewers wrote more carefully once their comments would be published.
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Answer: Reviewers wrote more carefully once their comments would be published.
Time spent per report rose while everything else stayed constant, and publication is the only change reported. Submission quality, payment and discouragement are not measured — indeed submissions were unchanged.
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49Central ideas and detailsStandard
A city introduced a deposit on drink containers. Litter surveys found far fewer containers on the streets, while the total weight of street litter was almost unchanged. Which choice best states the central idea?
- AThe scheme changed what the litter consisted of rather than how much of it there was.
- BThe deposit scheme failed to reduce litter of any kind.
- CResidents began littering more of other materials in protest.
- DDrink containers make up most of a city's street litter.
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Answer: The scheme changed what the litter consisted of rather than how much of it there was.
One measure moved and the other did not, which is a change in composition. The scheme did reduce container litter, so it did not fail entirely, and nothing in the text suggests protest or gives containers' share of the total.
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50Command of evidenceStandard
A teacher argues that handing back marked work within two days improves later performance. Which finding would most strongly support the argument?
- AStudents said they preferred getting work back quickly.
- BMarking within two days is difficult for teachers with large classes.
- CMost schools aim to return work within a week.
- DClasses given work back within two days scored higher on later assessments than comparable classes given it back later.
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Answer: Classes given work back within two days scored higher on later assessments than comparable classes given it back later.
A claim about later performance needs a comparison of later performance between fast and slow return. Preference, workload and common practice measure something else.
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51InferencesChallenge
A museum began offering a printed floor plan at the entrance. Average visit length was unchanged, but the number of rooms an average visitor entered rose from four to seven. Which choice is best supported?
- AVisitors spent less time in each room they entered.
- BMost visitors had never been to the museum before.
- CThe floor plan made visits longer.
- DVisitors found the museum confusing before the change.
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Answer: Visitors spent less time in each room they entered.
The same total time spread over more rooms means less time per room; that follows arithmetically. Visit length is explicitly unchanged, and the text says nothing about confusion or about first-time visitors.
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52Data interpretationStandard
A bookshop recorded sales in four categories one month: fiction 310, history 145, science 190, and poetry 55. Which statement is supported by the data?
- ATotal sales were above 750.
- BHistory and science together outsold fiction.
- CEvery category sold more than 100 copies.
- DPoetry outsold history.
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Answer: History and science together outsold fiction.
History and science together sold 145 + 190 = 335, against fiction's 310. Poetry's 55 is the lowest figure, poetry itself falls below 100, and the four categories total 700.
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53Relationships between textsStandard
Text 1 argues that naming a street after a person is the cheapest form of public memorial. Text 2 reports that renaming a street costs residents and businesses an average of £400 each in changed documents and signage. Text 2 primarily
- Ashifts where the cost falls rather than denying that one exists.
- Brestates Text 1 in more precise language.
- Cconfirms Text 1 with a figure.
- Dargues that streets should never be renamed.
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Answer: shifts where the cost falls rather than denying that one exists.
Text 1 measures cost to the authority; Text 2 measures cost to residents. The disagreement is about whose cost counts, not about whether renaming is cheap in the abstract.
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54SynthesisStandard
Notes: A repair shop opened in 2019. It repaired 240 items in its first year and 1,100 in 2024. It employs four people. Around 15 percent of items brought in cannot be repaired. The student wants to emphasise the growth in the shop's workload. Which choice best uses the notes?
- AThe repair shop opened in 2019.
- BAbout 15 percent of items brought to the shop cannot be repaired.
- CRepairs rose from 240 in the shop's first year to 1,100 in 2024.
- DThe shop employs four people.
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Answer: Repairs rose from 240 in the shop's first year to 1,100 in 2024.
Growth in workload needs both figures. Staffing, failure rate and opening year are true and describe something else.
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55Command of evidenceChallenge
A council claims its new street lighting reduced night-time collisions. Which finding would most weaken the claim?
- ANight-time traffic volume on the lit streets fell by a third over the same period.
- BCollisions are recorded by the police rather than the council.
- CSome residents said the lights were too bright.
- DThe lights cost more to run than the old ones.
Show the answer and explanationHide the explanation
Answer: Night-time traffic volume on the lit streets fell by a third over the same period.
Fewer vehicles would produce fewer collisions whether or not the lighting helped, which supplies an alternative explanation. Running costs, brightness complaints and record-keeping leave the causal claim untouched.
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56InferencesStandard
A publisher moved its submission deadline from December to March. The number of manuscripts received was unchanged, but the proportion sent back for basic formatting errors fell by half. Which choice is best supported?
- AThe formatting requirements were made simpler.
- BDecember is a poor month for writing.
- CWriters used at least some of the extra time to prepare their submissions more carefully.
- DThe publisher received better manuscripts because fewer people submitted.
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Answer: Writers used at least some of the extra time to prepare their submissions more carefully.
The volume held steady while preparation quality improved, and the only reported change is the extra time. The second choice contradicts the unchanged count, and the requirements are not said to have changed.
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