SAT Reading & Writing · Command of Evidence (quantitative)
An analyst concludes that the frequency increase may have contributed to higher ridership but does not by itself prove causation. Which…
A transit agency compared average weekday ridership before and after increasing peak-hour train frequency on one line.
| Month | Peak trains per hour | Average weekday riders |
|---|---|---|
| April | 8 | 41,200 |
| June | 12 | 48,900 |
An analyst concludes that the frequency increase may have contributed to higher ridership but does not by itself prove causation. Which choice most effectively uses the data to support the analyst’s conclusion?
| Month | Peak trains per hour | Average weekday riders |
|---|---|---|
| April | 8 | 41,200 |
| June | 12 | 48,900 |
An analyst concludes that the frequency increase may have contributed to higher ridership but does not by itself prove causation. Which choice most effectively uses the data to support the analyst’s conclusion?
Answer and explanation
Answer: A: Train frequency and ridership were both higher in June than in April, but the table does not rule out other changes between the two months.
The analyst's conclusion specifically avoids claiming certainty about causation, and A matches that caution: it notes both variables rose together while explicitly acknowledging the table cannot rule out other explanations. B invents a nonsensical unit conversion between riders and trains. C introduces an unsupported explanation for April's numbers that the passage never provides evidence for. D overstates the data into a firm causal claim the analyst's own conclusion explicitly avoids making.
More Command of Evidence (quantitative) questions
- Question 4The researchers claim that, in this study, retrieval practice improved later recall relative to…
- Question 5A school compared the percentage of students submitting an assignment on time before and after…
- Question 6A researcher claims that the intervention produced uniformly better performance. Which choice most…
- Question 30A gardener recorded the average height of the same variety of plant under two light conditions…
- Question 31A biologist argues that the restored wetland showed a larger increase in recorded species richness…
- Question 32A student claims that the shade cloth was associated with higher seedling survival. Which choice…
Learn the method behind questions like this one
The SAT Reading & Writing course teaches each tested skill through lessons, step-by-step solutions to sample problems, the complete study guide and full-length practice tests.