Mixed Deck — All STAT Topics Flashcards

A table lists the number of books read per month by five people: 2, 5, 3, 5, 5. What is the mode?

Answer: 5

The value 5 appears three times, more than any other value, making it the mode.

An author describes a scientist as someone who 'pursued truth with monastic devotion.' The word 'monastic' is used to suggest the scientist was:

Answer: dedicated and self-denying in their pursuit of knowledge.

'Monastic' evokes the disciplined, self-sacrificing lifestyle of monks, here applied metaphorically to the scientist's extreme dedication.

The STAT Written English test assesses which two primary writing competencies?

Answer: Quality of written expression and mechanics of writing

The written component scores candidates on the quality of their arguments/expression and their command of standard English mechanics.

A passage ends with a question rather than a statement of conclusion. The effect of this technique is most likely to:

Answer: leave the reader with something to reflect on and resist providing a neat resolution.

Ending with a question is a deliberate rhetorical choice that invites continued engagement and signals that the issue is complex enough to resist easy conclusions.

Passage: 'This policy has been in place for 50 years, so it must be effective.' This argument relies primarily on:

Answer: An appeal to tradition

The argument assumes something is good or correct simply because it has existed for a long time, which is an appeal to tradition.

A community group is arguing against the construction of a new factory. Their spokesperson states: 'Our opponent claims this factory will bring a few jobs. What they really want is to pave over all our green spaces, pollute our air, and leave a toxic legacy for our children.' Which argumentative fallacy is most clearly demonstrated in this statement?

Answer: Straw Man

The spokesperson is using a 'Straw Man' fallacy. They are misrepresenting the opponent's argument (which is about jobs) by exaggerating it into a much more extreme and easily attackable position (paving green spaces, polluting air, etc.). This tactic avoids engaging with the actual, more moderate, argument presented by the factory's proponents.

A table lists monthly expenses: Rent $1,200, Food $400, Transport $150, Entertainment $250, Savings $500. What fraction of total expenses is spent on food and entertainment combined?

Answer: 1/4

Total = $2,500; Food + Entertainment = $650; 650/2,500 = 13/50, which simplifies to approximately 1/4 (0.26).

A line graph shows a city's temperature rising from 5°C in January to 35°C in July, then returning to 5°C in December. Which statement is most accurate?

Answer: The temperature change is approximately symmetric around July

The description of rising from January to July and falling back to 5°C by December describes a roughly symmetric pattern.

A senator argues against a new tax reform bill by pointing out that its author was once convicted of tax fraud. This is an example of:

Answer: Ad hominem, attacking the person rather than the policy

The author's past does not logically determine whether the bill's content is good or bad policy — this is an ad hominem.

A STAT personal perspective essay is scored partly on 'development of ideas.' Which of the following responses demonstrates the weakest development?

Answer: A paragraph that names three examples in three consecutive sentences without elaborating on any of them

Listing examples without elaboration signals surface-level thinking; development requires explaining how each piece of evidence supports the argument.

A pictograph uses car icons where each icon represents 500 cars sold. Brand A shows 6 icons, Brand B shows 4.5 icons. How many more cars did Brand A sell than Brand B?

Answer: 750

Brand A: 6 × 500 = 3,000; Brand B: 4.5 × 500 = 2,250; difference = 3,000 − 2,250 = 750.

A researcher claims that eating chocolate improves memory. Which study design best tests this claim?

Answer: Randomly assign participants to a chocolate group and a placebo group, measuring memory blindly

A randomized controlled trial with blinding eliminates bias and isolates the effect of chocolate on memory.

A table shows that a town's population grew from 45,000 in 2010 to 54,000 in 2020. What was the percentage increase?

Answer: 20%

(54,000 − 45,000) ÷ 45,000 × 100 = 9,000 ÷ 45,000 × 100 = 20%.

A report claims: 'Countries with stricter gun laws have lower gun death rates.' A reader responds: 'But Switzerland has loose laws and low deaths.' This response is best characterized as:

Answer: A cherry-picked counterexample that may not represent the broader trend.

Selecting one exception to challenge a pattern derived from many countries is cherry-picking and does not disprove the general trend.

The stacked area chart below illustrates the quarterly sales (in units) for a company's three main products (Product A, Product B, Product C) over the course of a year. *Graph Description: A stacked area chart for one year, with Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 on the x-axis. The y-axis is 'Units Sold'. In Q1, the total is 1000 (A=500, B=300, C=200). In Q2, the total is 1200 (A=400, B=500, C=300). In Q3, the total is 1100 (A=300, B=400, C=400). In Q4, the total is 1500 (A=300, B=500, C=700).* Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the chart?

Answer: The proportion of total sales from Product C increased each quarter.

Let's check the proportion of Product C sales: Q1 is 200/1000=20%; Q2 is 300/1200=25%; Q3 is 400/1100≈36%; Q4 is 700/1500≈47%. The proportion of total sales from Product C clearly increased each quarter. Option A is incorrect as sales of Product A were flat from Q3 to Q4. Option B is incorrect as total sales were highest in Q4 (1500 units). Option C is incorrect because summing the units for the year (A=1500, B=1700, C=1600) shows Product B was the bestseller, but the statement implies this was true in every quarter, which is not the case.

A stacked bar chart shows three product sales over two years. In Year 1, Product A = 200, B = 150, C = 100 (total 450). In Year 2, Product A = 180, B = 200, C = 120 (total 500). Which product showed the greatest percentage increase?

Answer: Product B

Product B increased from 150 to 200, a 33.3% increase — greater than C's 20% and A's negative change.

Read the following passage: 'Employee burnout is a significant issue. Companies that have introduced mental health days report lower staff turnover. These companies also note that productivity remains stable, or even improves. Therefore, to enhance employee retention and maintain productivity, companies should consider implementing a policy of offering dedicated mental health days.' Which of the following best expresses the main conclusion of the passage?

Answer: Companies ought to adopt a policy of providing mental health days.

The main conclusion is the central claim or recommendation the author is trying to prove. The first three statements are premises or pieces of evidence (the problem, a supporting fact, another supporting fact) used to build the argument. The final sentence, which offers a direct recommendation based on that evidence, is the main conclusion of the passage.

In a group of 80 tourists, 50 speak Spanish, 35 speak French, and 20 speak both Spanish and French. How many tourists in the group speak neither Spanish nor French?

Answer: 15

To find the number who speak at least one language, we add the number who speak Spanish and the number who speak French, then subtract the number who speak both (to avoid double-counting). Total speaking at least one language = 50 (Spanish) + 35 (French) - 20 (Both) = 65. The number who speak neither is the total number of tourists minus this amount: 80 - 65 = 15.

Read the following passage and answer the question. *The city, for the first time in its long history, was quiet. A gentle melancholy descended upon the cobblestone streets, which had for centuries echoed with the cacophony of vendors, the rumble of carts, and the incessant chatter of its inhabitants. Now, only the whisper of the wind dared to disturb the silence. This quiet was not one of peace, but of absence. It was a hollow sound, a testament to what had been lost. The vibrant tapestry of life had been unravelled, leaving behind a monochrome landscape of memory and regret.* Which of the following best describes the mood of the passage?

Answer: Somber and mournful

The passage uses words like 'melancholy,' 'absence,' 'hollow sound,' 'lost,' and 'regret' to create a sad and mournful atmosphere. The quiet is described not as peaceful, but as a sign of loss, which points to a somber mood.

How many questions are included in the Multiple Choice section of the STAT?

Answer: 70 questions

The STAT Multiple Choice section contains exactly 70 questions covering both verbal and quantitative reasoning.