Bluebook SAT Test SAT Full Practice Simulation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: [MATH] If the ratio of boys to girls in a class is 3:4 and there are 28 students total, how many boys are in the class?
- 12 (Correct answer)
- 16
- 14
- 21
Correct answer: 12
Total parts = 7. Boys = (3/7) × 28 = 12.
The ratio 3:4 means for every 3 boys there are 4 girls, making 7 parts total. With 28 students: each part = 28÷7 = 4 students. Boys = 3 parts × 4 = 12. Girls = 4 parts × 4 = 16. Check: 12+16 = 28 ✓ and 12:16 = 3:4 ✓. Ratio problems on the SAT often involve finding the total parts first.
Question 2: [READING] A passage describes a species that thrives in disturbed habitats and quickly colonizes cleared land. The author calls this species an 'ecological opportunist.' Based on context, what does this term most likely mean?
- An organism that exploits changed conditions to expand its range (Correct answer)
- A species that causes environmental damage intentionally
- An organism that cannot survive in stable ecosystems
- A predator that hunts other species opportunistically
Correct answer: An organism that exploits changed conditions to expand its range
The context clues 'thrives in disturbed habitats' and 'quickly colonizes cleared land' indicate the species takes advantage of environmental changes.
Vocabulary in context is a major SAT Reading skill. 'Ecological opportunist' is explained by the context: 'thrives in disturbed habitats' and 'quickly colonizes cleared land.' An opportunist takes advantage of opportunities as they arise. In ecology, this means the species exploits changed conditions (like cleared land) to expand — it seizes the opportunity created by disturbance. Option B (intentional damage) incorrectly implies intent. Options C and D don't align with 'thrives' and 'quickly colonizes.'
Question 3: [WRITING] Which version of the sentence is most concise and clear? 'The reason why the experiment failed was because of the fact that the temperature was too high.'
- The experiment failed because the temperature was too high. (Correct answer)
- The reason the experiment failed was because the temperature was too high.
- Due to the temperature being too high, the experiment was resulted in failure.
- The experiment was a failure due to the temperature being excessively elevated.
Correct answer: The experiment failed because the temperature was too high.
'The reason why...was because' is redundant. The cleanest version directly states cause and effect.
The original sentence contains several redundancies: 'the reason why' + 'because' (both signal cause), 'because of the fact that' (wordy for 'because'). The most concise version eliminates all redundancy: 'The experiment failed because the temperature was too high.' Option B still has 'The reason...because' (redundant). Option C is grammatically awkward ('was resulted'). Option D uses wordy phrases ('excessively elevated'). SAT Writing tests conciseness — prefer the shortest, clearest option.
Question 4: [MATH] The average of 6 numbers is 15. If one number is removed and the new average is 14, what was the removed number?
- 20 (Correct answer)
- 15
- 25
- 9
Correct answer: 20
Original sum = 90. New sum (5 numbers) = 70. Removed number = 90 - 70 = 20.
Original: 6 numbers with average 15 → sum = 6×15 = 90. After removing one number: 5 numbers with average 14 → sum = 5×14 = 70. The removed number = 90-70 = 20. Check: if the average was 15 and the removed number (20) was above average, the new average should be lower than 15. New average = 14 < 15 ✓. This logic confirms our answer.
Question 5: [READING] An author writing about ancient Rome uses only primary sources (letters, inscriptions, coins) rather than modern historians. What is the most likely reason for this approach?
- To provide firsthand accounts from the period being studied (Correct answer)
- To avoid the complexity of academic language
- Because modern historians are unreliable
- To make the book shorter and easier to read
Correct answer: To provide firsthand accounts from the period being studied
Primary sources provide direct, firsthand evidence from the period under study, offering unmediated historical perspective.
Primary sources are original materials from the period being studied — they provide firsthand accounts without the interpretation or mediation of later historians. An author choosing only primary sources likely wants to let the ancient Romans 'speak for themselves,' providing direct evidence. Option B is incorrect because primary sources (Latin texts) can be complex. Option C is an extreme claim not supported by the premise. Option D is unlikely as primary sources often require extensive explanation. The key value of primary sources is their firsthand, contemporaneous nature.
Question 6: [WRITING] Choose the correct form: 'Between you and _____, the answers seemed too simple.'
- me (Correct answer)
- I
- myself
- us
Correct answer: me
'Between' is a preposition; prepositions take object pronouns. 'Me' is the object form of 'I.'
'Between' is a preposition, and prepositions must be followed by object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them), not subject pronouns (I, he, she, we, they). 'Between you and me' is correct. 'Between you and I' is a hypercorrection — a common error where speakers use 'I' thinking it sounds more formal, but it violates grammatical rules. 'Myself' is reflexive and should only be used when the subject and object are the same person. 'Us' would change the meaning.
Question 7: [MATH] A car travels 240 miles in 4 hours, then 180 miles in 3 hours. What is the car's average speed for the entire trip?
- 60 mph (Correct answer)
- 62.5 mph
- 57.5 mph
- 65 mph
Correct answer: 60 mph
Total distance = 420 miles. Total time = 7 hours. Average speed = 420/7 = 60 mph.
Average speed = total distance / total time. Total distance = 240+180 = 420 miles. Total time = 4+3 = 7 hours. Average speed = 420/7 = 60 mph. Important: don't average the two speeds (60 mph and 60 mph here) without weighting by time — both segments happen to have the same speed (60 mph each), confirming the overall average. If the speeds had differed, you would still use the total distance/total time formula.
Question 8: [MIXED] A research paper claims that students who eat breakfast score higher on standardized tests. The study surveyed 1,000 high school students. Which limitation is most significant?
- The study is observational and cannot establish causation (Correct answer)
- The study included too many students
- The study was conducted in only one school
- The students were asked about test scores
Correct answer: The study is observational and cannot establish causation
Since the study is observational (not experimental), it can show correlation but cannot prove that breakfast causes higher scores.
The most significant limitation of an observational survey study is that it cannot establish causation. Students who eat breakfast may differ from those who don't in many ways (family income, sleep habits, overall health consciousness) — any of these could be the real cause of higher scores. To establish causation, a randomized controlled experiment (randomly assigning students to breakfast/no-breakfast groups) would be needed. Options B, C, and D are less critical limitations. 1,000 students is a reasonable sample, and the other issues are less fundamental than the observational design limitation.
Bluebook SAT Test SAT Full Practice Simulation 2
[MATH] If the ratio of boys to girls in a class is 3:4 and there are 28 students total, how many boys are in the class?