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Lecture Notes 6

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Lecture Notes 6

Uploaded by

Ebad Ahmed
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Command of Evidence (Quantitative)

Command of Evidence (Quantitative)

What are "quantitative evidence" questions?

On the Reading and Writing section of your SAT, some questions will provide you with a graph or table that
presents information about an unfamiliar topic. The question will then offer some context for that information
and ask you to complete a sentence by effectively using data from the graph or table.

Quantitative evidence questions will look like this:

The share of the world’s population living in cities has increased dramatically since 1970, but this change has
not been uniform. France and Japan, for example, were already heavily urbanized in 1970, with 70% or more
of the population living in cities. The main contributors to the world’s urbanization since 1970 have been
countries like Algeria, whose population went from ______

Which choice most effectively uses data from the graph to complete the assertion?

A) less than 20% urban in 1970 to more than 50% urban in 2020.
B) less than 40% urban in 1970 to around 90% urban in 2020.
C) around 40% urban in 1970 to more than 70% urban in 2020.
D) around 50% urban in 1970 to around 90% urban in 2020.

Explanation:
This graph contains a lot of information, as does the paragraph. Let's simplify things by focusing on just the
sentence we've been asked to complete:

The main contributors to the world’s urbanization since 1970 have been countries like Algeria, whose
population went from ______

So while the graph offers information about several countries, we only need to find data about Algeria.
A quick glance at the choices shows that we're looking to compare the data for Algeria in two
years: 1970 and 2020.

The key to the graph shows us that Algeria's data is marked by a triangle and a solid line. According to the
graph:
• Algeria's urban population in 1970 looks to be around 40%
• Algeria's urban population in 2020 looks to be around 75%
Only choice C accurately reflects this data. Choice C is the answer.

SAT with Talal 1


Command of Evidence (Quantitative)
How should we think about quantitative evidence questions?

The challenges of answering quantitative evidence questions can be split into three parts. Let's look at each
challenge separately.

Understanding the argument


Every quantitative evidence question will provide more information than we need. One of the keys to
successfully answering these questions is knowing what data to look for, so we can avoid being distracted by
all the extra details and find the answer more quickly.

The way to do this is by carefully reading the prompt text. This paragraph will provide the context we need to
understand the data in the graph or table. This paragraph will also outline the argument that our quantitative
evidence must support.

This argument is the most important part of the question. Whichever data we use to complete the sentence
must provide evidence in support of that argument. In other words: it tells us what to look for.

Reading the data


The data provided in a quantitative evidence question can be presented in a variety of forms. The question
might include a bar graph, a line graph, a table, or any number of other formats that can be used to visually
represent data.

Luckily, you've almost certainly encountered all of these types of data visualizations in your math and science
courses. You can rely on this experience to help you accurately read graphs and tables on test day.

Remember, though: graphs and tables will include more data than you need, which will require you to sift
through and read around that extra information. If you're working quickly, or looking back and forth between
the question and the graph, your eyes can easily drift. Double check that you're looking in the right place and
at the right data.

Evaluating the choices


Quantitative evidence questions will offer two different types of incorrect choices alongside the correct
answer.
1. False statements*
These choices are false according to the information in the graph or table. They misread or misrepresent data.
2. True statements

These choices are true according to the information in the graph or table. They accurately represent data, but
they fail to provide direct evidence for the argument being made.

False statements are easy to eliminate. You can simply compare the claim in the choice to the data in the
graph. If those things disagree, you can eliminate that choice.

True statements, however, are trickier to handle. Instead of deciding if they're true or false, you'll need to
decide if they support the argument made in the paragraph. This is why the first challenge of "understanding
the argument" is so important.

*Note: If a question includes false statements among the choices, then all incorrect choices for that question
will be false.

How to approach quantitative evidence questions


To solve a quantitative evidence question, follow these steps:

Step 1: Skim the graph


You don't need to dig into the graph or table yet, as you don't know what data to look for. However, it can still
be useful to familiarize yourself with what the graph or table contains. You can read the title, the labels, the

SAT with Talal 2


Command of Evidence (Quantitative)
units, and the key. Those should give you a good idea of what the graph contains without taking up too much
of your time.

Step 2: Read the paragraph


The text should be your main focus. It will tell you what data to look for.

Sometimes, like in our example question, the text will explicitly direct you to a specific piece of information: a
certain time, place, or set of conditions that can be pinpointed within the graph or table. In these cases, you
can simply identify the correct information in the graph or table and/or test the choices against the provided
data.

Other times, the text will present a general argument, and you'll need to select data that backs up that
argument. In these cases, there may be multiple pieces of information that could potentially serve as evidence,
so you won't be able to just pull the correct data from the graph. The best thing to do here is to summarize the
argument being made in your own words. Then you can test that summary against each of the choices to see
which provides effective evidence.

Step 3: Validate the choices


As we identified earlier, quantitative evidence choices can contain both true statements and false statements.
Read the choices and check them against the information in the graph. Are the choices true or false?
• If they're false, eliminate the false choices.
• If they're true, proceed to step 4.

Step 4: Find the best evidence


Once you've validated the choices, you should have eliminated any statements that are false according to the
graph or table. This leaves you with choices that are true, but that may not provide effective evidence for the
argument in the text.
Take your summary of the argument and test it against each remaining choice. Only one choice will provide
direct support for that argument. You can select this choice with confidence.

Top Tips

Use your finger/cursor


When you're looking at a graph or table that contains multiple data points, your eyes can easily drift. Placing
your finger or your cursor directly on the information you're looking for can help you avoid silly mistakes due
to looking in the wrong place.

Check if the choices are true or false


Usually, when one incorrect choice makes a false statement, all the incorrect choices for that question will
make false statements. And when one incorrect choice is true, all the incorrect choices will be true.
Determining this early can be helpful, as it changes the nature of your task. If the choices are false, you can
easily eliminate your way to the correct answer. If the choices are true, you'll need to think more deeply about
the argument being made.

SAT with Talal 3

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