STAT Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield STAT facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. A data set of exam scores has a mean of 70 and a standard deviation of 10. If a student scores 90, how many standard deviations above the mean is this score? → 2
2. A test-taker wants to retake the STAT to improve their score. What is generally true about retaking the exam? → Test-takers may retake the STAT, but policies on reporting and use vary by institution
3. A solution turns red litmus paper blue. Which of the following is most consistent with this observation? → The solution contains excess OH⁻ ions
4. The narrator says: 'She had told herself this story so many times it had become indistinguishable from memory.' This sentence suggests that: → repeated self-narration can blur the line between fact and belief.
5. A line graph shows bacterial population doubling every 20 minutes. After 1 hour starting from 100 bacteria, what is the population? → 800
6. A frequency table shows: Score 1-10 has 5 students, 11-20 has 12 students, 21-30 has 8 students, 31-40 has 3 students. In which interval does the median fall? → 11-20
7. The scientist's findings were considered SEMINAL in the field. Which word best means 'seminal'? → Foundational
8. PAINTER : BRUSH :: WRITER : ? → Pen
9. Six people sit in a row. Alice must sit immediately to the left of Bob. How many valid arrangements are there? → 120
10. A passage states: 'Her apology was swift and smooth, which made it harder to believe.' What is the implied relationship between speed and sincerity here? → An apology that comes too readily may seem rehearsed or insincere.
11. A passage uses the phrase 'the silence was deafening' after a controversial announcement. This figure of speech conveys that: → the lack of response was itself a powerful and conspicuous reaction.
12. A policy brief concludes: 'Based on the evidence above, the committee recommends expanding the program.' The word 'recommends' signals that the statement is: → A prescriptive judgment based on the preceding evidence
13. In a passage, a character is described as 'never unkind, but rarely warm.' This phrase most precisely implies the character is: → civil and inoffensive but not emotionally generous.
14. A columnist writes: 'Either we allow unlimited immigration or our culture will disappear.' This argument commits which fallacy? → False dichotomy
15. A STAT writing prompt asks you to discuss 'both sides of the issue.' Which response structure would earn the highest marks? → Briefly mention both sides and then develop a reasoned position using evidence and logic
16. A public health report states: 'Among adults aged 18–44, vaccination rates rose from 34% to 61% over three years.' What is the percentage point increase? → 27 percentage points
17. Which of the following most strengthens the argument that a reading program improved literacy rates in a school district? → A comparable district without the program showed no improvement over the same period.
18. A bar chart shows five cities' average annual rainfall. City C's bar is twice the height of City A's bar. Which conclusion is valid? → City C receives twice the rainfall of City A
19. An author describes two characters: one who 'agonized over every choice' and one who 'never looked back.' These descriptions are most likely intended to: → establish a contrast between two different approaches to decision-making.
20. A philosopher states: 'We cannot trust the government's environmental data because the government funds environmental programs.' This argument is an example of: → A genetic fallacy
21. A reviewer dismisses a study on climate change because it was funded by an environmental group. This is an example of: → Ad hominem (circumstantial)
22. An infographic uses a broken y-axis starting at 80% rather than 0%. A critical reader should recognize this as: → A technique that can exaggerate the visual difference between values
23. Look at the pattern: △○△○○△○○○△. How many circles follow the 5th triangle? → 5
24. Which strategy best helps a writer avoid repeating the same vocabulary throughout a personal perspective essay? → Vary sentence-level phrasing by expressing the same concept from different angles
25. A histogram has bars of heights 3, 7, 12, 9, 4 for intervals 0-9, 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49. The distribution is best described as: → Approximately bell-shaped with a peak in the middle
26. Which word does NOT belong in the group: HYPOTHESIS, THEORY, CONJECTURE, PROOF, SPECULATION? → Proof
27. In a chart, the y-axis scale starts at 500 instead of 0. A bar appears twice as tall as another. What caution should a reader exercise? → The visual difference is exaggerated; the actual ratio may be much smaller than 2:1
28. In a passage about memory, the author states that memories are 'not records but reconstructions.' The key implication of this distinction is that: → every act of remembering involves some degree of interpretation or alteration.
29. A student writes: 'We must lower the voting age because young people deserve a voice.' What is the primary logical issue with this argument? → It assumes what needs to be proven — that lowering the age grants a meaningful voice.
30. Which factor most strongly predicts a student's score improvement after a structured STAT preparation program? → Consistent practice with timed tests followed by thorough error analysis