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SAT Statistical Claims Practice

Use the study design to decide whether a result supports association, causation, or a claim about a larger population.

Practice statistical claims in Dolphin SAT Try examples
12-18 min practice time 3 examples on page Problem Solving and Data Analysis
Practice time 12-18 min
On-page examples 3 examples
Best for Problem Solving and Data Analysis

What this tests

What to know for this SAT skill

Practice examples

Try a few SAT-style questions

Example 1 Easy

Researchers observe that students who sleep more tend to earn higher grades. Which conclusion is justified?

  1. More sleep definitely causes higher grades.
  2. Sleep and grades are associated in the observed group.
  3. Higher grades cause students to sleep.
  4. The study proves every student needs the same sleep.
Show answer and explanation

Answer: Sleep and grades are associated in the observed group.

An observational study can show association, but other variables prevent a definite causal conclusion.

Example 2 Medium

Participants are randomly assigned to receive either a new treatment or a placebo. The treatment group improves more. What can the random assignment help researchers conclude?

  1. The treatment caused the improvement in the participants studied.
  2. The treatment works for every person.
  3. The placebo caused the treatment.
  4. The groups were selected from every country.
Show answer and explanation

Answer: The treatment caused the improvement in the participants studied.

Random assignment helps balance other variables, supporting a causal conclusion for the participants in the experiment.

Example 3 Hard

A school surveys only students leaving the gym and finds that 82% exercise daily. Why should the school avoid applying this result to every student?

  1. The percentage is above 50%.
  2. The sample is likely biased toward students who exercise.
  3. Daily exercise cannot be measured.
  4. The school should survey fewer students.
Show answer and explanation

Answer: The sample is likely biased toward students who exercise.

Students leaving the gym are not representative of the full school population for a question about exercise.

Quick drills

Practice this skill from more angles

Drill 1

Distinguish observational studies from experiments

Pause before the answer choices, write the rule or setup you need, then check whether the question is asking for the value, the relationship, or the best-supported conclusion.

Drill 2

Decide when a study can support a causal claim

Pause before the answer choices, write the rule or setup you need, then check whether the question is asking for the value, the relationship, or the best-supported conclusion.

Drill 3

Decide when results can generalize to a population

Pause before the answer choices, write the rule or setup you need, then check whether the question is asking for the value, the relationship, or the best-supported conclusion.

Drill 4

Identify confounding variables and selection bias

Pause before the answer choices, write the rule or setup you need, then check whether the question is asking for the value, the relationship, or the best-supported conclusion.

Avoid these traps

Common mistakes on this skill

Turning association into causation

A relationship between two variables does not prove that changing one variable causes the other to change.

Confusing random selection and random assignment

Random selection supports generalization; random assignment supports causal comparisons between treatments.

Ignoring who was actually studied

A conclusion cannot automatically extend beyond the population represented by the sample.

Study plan

How to practice this skill in Dolphin

  1. Identify whether researchers only observed variables or assigned a treatment.
  2. Check whether participants were randomly selected from a population.
  3. Check whether participants were randomly assigned to groups.
  4. Match the strength of the conclusion to what the design can support.
Practice statistical claims in Dolphin SAT

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FAQ

Questions about SAT Statistical Claims Practice

What is the difference between association and causation?

Association means two variables move together. Causation means changing one variable directly produces a change in the other.

Why is random assignment important?

It helps make treatment groups comparable, reducing the effect of confounding variables and supporting causal conclusions.

Why is random selection important?

It helps a sample represent the larger population, making generalization more defensible.