SAT Reading & WritingInformation & Ideas10 Questions~13 min

SAT Evidence-based Questions Questions — Practice with Answers

Practice SAT-style Evidence-based Questions questions from the Information & Ideas section of the SAT Reading & Writing module. Every question includes a detailed explanation — select an answer, check it immediately, and understand exactly why the correct answer is right.

10
Questions
13m
Est. Time
All
With Explanations
5E/3M/2H
Difficulty Mix
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What These SAT Evidence-based Questions Questions Cover

Topic Focus

Evidence-based Questions — a key area of the Information & Ideas section on the SAT.

Difficulty Range

5 Easy, 3 Medium, and 2 Hard questions — matching the real SAT distribution.

Instant Explanations

Every question includes a step-by-step explanation so you learn from every answer.

SAT Evidence-based Questions Practice Questions

10 Questions
0 / 10 answered
1Easy
Passage
A study followed 1,000 adults over ten years. Those who reported high levels of social connection — close friendships, family bonds, community involvement — were 50% less likely to die during the study period than those who reported low levels of social connection. The effect was independent of age, health status at the start of the study, and socioeconomic factors.

Based on the passage, which claim is most directly supported by the evidence presented?

2Easy
Passage
A researcher surveyed 200 college students. 75% reported that they used their smartphones while studying. Of those students, 80% said they felt their studying was still effective. However, controlled experiments measuring actual retention showed that students who used smartphones while studying retained 35% less information than those who did not.

Which conclusion is best supported by the evidence in the passage?

3Easy
Passage
An analysis of 200 cities found that cities with higher tree canopy coverage had average summer temperatures 3–5°C lower than comparable cities with lower canopy coverage. Trees reduce temperatures through both shading and evapotranspiration — the process by which water evaporates from leaves, cooling the surrounding air. The analysis controlled for city size, urban density, and geographic location.

What claim is most directly supported by this passage?

4Easy
Passage
In a clinical trial, 300 patients with mild depression were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a group that received cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a group that received antidepressant medication, and a control group that received neither treatment. After 12 weeks, CBT and medication groups showed equivalent improvement (both showing about 50% reduction in symptoms), while the control group showed a 20% improvement, likely attributable to the placebo effect.

What conclusion is best supported by the trial results?

5Easy
Passage
A wildlife biologist studying a national park found that in areas where wolves had been reintroduced, elk populations declined by 30%, vegetation recovery in riverside areas increased by 60%, and songbird populations increased by 40%. In areas without wolves, elk populations remained stable, while vegetation and songbird populations showed no significant change.

What conclusion do the data most directly support?

6Medium
Passage
A large randomized controlled trial (RCT) found that a new diabetes drug, when combined with lifestyle changes (diet and exercise), reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58% in high-risk individuals. Lifestyle changes alone (without the drug) reduced risk by 31%. The drug alone (without lifestyle changes) reduced risk by 19%. The trial has been criticized, however, because: (1) follow-up was only 18 months — insufficient to determine long-term effects; (2) participants were predominantly white Americans over 45, limiting generalizability; and (3) the study was partially funded by the drug's manufacturer.

Which conclusion is most appropriately drawn from both the findings AND the limitations of this study?

7Medium
Passage
Archaeologists excavating a site in coastal Peru found evidence suggesting the settlement existed around 3,000 BCE — making it one of the oldest known civilizations in the Americas. The site contained large architectural structures, irrigation canals, and evidence of organized food production. Notably absent from the site was any evidence of pottery or written language, leading the excavators to argue that the settlement represented a 'pristine' civilization that had developed complex social organization without these typically assumed prerequisites.

What would most weaken the archaeologists' argument that this is a 'pristine civilization' that developed without pottery or writing?

8Medium
Passage
A policy brief argues that expanding public preschool programs will narrow achievement gaps because several longitudinal studies have found that children who attend high-quality preschool enter kindergarten with stronger literacy and numeracy skills than peers who do not. Critics respond that many of those studies did not randomly assign children to preschool, so differences in family resources could explain both preschool attendance and later outcomes.

Which claim is the critics' response most intended to undermine?

9Hard
Passage
Economist Daron Acemoglu and colleagues have argued that inclusive political institutions — those that distribute power broadly and constrain elites — foster sustained economic growth because they protect property rights, encourage innovation, and prevent expropriation. Skeptics note that correlation between inclusive institutions and prosperity does not establish direction of causation: wealthy societies may afford more inclusive institutions, rather than inclusiveness generating wealth.

Which additional evidence would most strengthen Acemoglu's causal claim relative to the skeptics' alternative?

10Hard
Passage
In public health, the "precautionary principle" suggests that when an activity raises plausible threats of serious harm, policymakers should act to reduce risk even before full scientific certainty exists. Opponents argue that precaution can stall beneficial innovations, impose costs on consumers, and that "plausible threat" is too easily manipulated for political ends.

Which scenario most clearly exemplifies application of the precautionary principle as described?

How to Master SAT Evidence-based Questions

Understand the question type, not just the content

Every Evidence-based Questions question on the SAT follows predictable patterns. Once you recognize the pattern, you can apply a systematic approach — even on questions you haven't seen before.

Always use process of elimination first

On the SAT, there are three definitively wrong answers and one correct one. Training yourself to find the wrong answers often leads you to the right one more reliably than looking for what 'sounds right'.

Review every explanation, even when correct

Understanding why an answer is right is as important as getting it right. Many Evidence-based Questions questions have tricky wrong answers that students sometimes pick for the wrong reasons — even when they get it right.

Practice under time pressure once you understand the content

After you've learned the Evidence-based Questions concepts, set a timer. Each SAT Reading & Writing question should take roughly 1.2–1.5 minutes. Build speed after accuracy — never before.

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Common Mistakes on SAT Evidence-based Questions Questions

✗Not reading the full question

SAT Evidence-based Questions questions are precisely worded. Missing a single word like "NOT" or "EXCEPT" can flip the entire question. Re-read every question after selecting your answer.

✗Answering from memory instead of the text

Every Reading & Writing question has an answer in the passage. Never rely on outside knowledge — always go back to the text.

✗Rushing past the explanation

Students who skip reviewing explanations after correct answers miss the second layer of learning. Understanding why each wrong answer is wrong is what separates 700-scorers from 800-scorers.

✗Giving up on hard questions too fast

Hard Evidence-based Questions questions are hard by design — they're meant to take more time. A systematic approach (eliminate 2 wrong answers, then compare the remaining 2) works even when you're unsure.

More SAT Reading & Writing Practice

SAT Central Ideas and Main Purpose Questions
Reading Comprehension
SAT Supporting Details Questions
Reading Comprehension
SAT Textual Evidence Questions
Reading Comprehension
SAT Summarization Questions
Reading Comprehension
Central Ideas and Main Purpose Practice Test →Supporting Details Practice Test →Textual Evidence Practice Test →

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