SAT Math · Problem-Solving & Data Analysis

Evaluating Statistical Claims on the Digital SATWhat it tests, how to approach it, and where students get trapped

Judging what a study design supports: random sampling vs. random assignment, causation vs. correlation, and generalizability.

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Evaluating Statistical Claims in Our Question Bank

21

Total questions

8

Easy

8

Medium

5

Hard

These counts cover the full Grind1600 bank. On the Free plan you get the first 5 easy, 5 medium, and 5 hard questions in Problem-Solving & Data Analysis.

What the SAT Actually Tests

These questions describe how a study was run and ask what conclusion the design supports. The two levers are random selection (lets you generalize to the population) and random assignment to treatment groups (lets you claim cause and effect). Each is independent of the other.

Build the two-question habit: Were subjects randomly selected? If not, conclusions don't generalize beyond the participants. Were treatments randomly assigned? If not, the study can show association but never causation. An observational study — however large — cannot support a causal claim; only a randomized experiment can.

Original Evaluating Statistical Claims Practice Questions

These fixed public samples come from Grind1600's original question bank. Choose an answer and check your reasoning before reading the explanation.

Question 1easy
To determine the mean number of pets per household in a neighborhood, Marcus surveyed 15 families at a veterinary clinic. For the 15 families surveyed, the mean number of pets was 3.2. Which of the following statements must be true?
Question 2medium
A polling agency surveyed 500 adults selected at random from a large city and asked, 'Are you satisfied with the public transportation system?' Of those surveyed, 62 percent said yes. Based on the results, which of the following statements must be true? I. Of all adults in the city, 62 percent are satisfied with the public transportation system. II. If another 500 adults selected at random from the city were surveyed, 62 percent of them would say yes. III. If 500 adults from a different city were surveyed, 62 percent would say yes.

Traps to Avoid

  • Accepting a cause-and-effect conclusion from an observational study because the sample was large.
  • Conflating random selection with random assignment — they justify different conclusions.
  • Generalizing volunteer-based results to the whole population.

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More Problem-Solving & Data Analysis Skills

Ratios, Rates & Units

Setting up proportions, converting units, and reasoning with rates — the most common word-problem machinery on the SAT Math section.

Percentages

Percent change, percent of a quantity, reverse-percentage problems, and multi-step percent scenarios like tax-plus-discount.

Data Distributions & Measures of Center

Mean, median, mode, range, and standard deviation — and how outliers or skew change them — read from lists, tables, and frequency plots.

Scatterplots & Two-Variable Data

Reading scatterplots, lines of best fit, interpreting slope in context, and distinguishing linear from exponential association.

Probability

One-event and conditional probability, usually read out of two-way frequency tables — the key is identifying the correct restricted group.

Inference & Margin of Error

What sample results let you conclude about a population, how margin of error works, and why sample size changes confidence.

Continue With Problem-Solving & Data Analysis Practice

Practice is sorted by domain and difficulty. On the Free plan you get the first 5 questions of each difficulty in Problem-Solving & Data Analysis. Pro opens every question in the bank.

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Last reviewed August 29, 2026 · Grind1600 Editorial Team