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SAT Reading and Writing 2023 past questions and answers

This 2023 SAT Reading and Writing set has 27 practice questions. Try these 5 free sample questions, tap a question to reveal the answer and explanation. Then practise the whole 2023 set with instant marking.

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Sample SAT Reading and Writing 2023 questions

1. At first, the conservators treated the faint blue marks on the ceramic bowl as stains. Under magnification, however, they found that the marks formed a deliberate pattern beneath the glaze. The discovery changed the team’s plan: instead of removing the marks, they began documenting them as part of the bowl’s design. In this context, what does “deliberate” most nearly mean?
  1. Carefully hidden
  2. Intentional
  3. Recently added
  4. Technically difficult

Answer: B. Intentional

Because the marks formed a pattern and were part of the design, “deliberate” means intentional.

2. Many cities promote green roofs for their cooling effect, but a roof’s value can extend beyond temperature control. In a survey of buildings in three districts, researchers found that roofs with native plants supported more pollinating insects than nearby conventional roofs. The researchers caution that their survey cannot establish whether green roofs increase insect populations citywide. Still, they argue that the findings justify including habitat value in future roof-planning decisions. What is the main purpose of the text?
  1. To argue that green roofs should replace all conventional roofs
  2. To explain why native plants need cooler temperatures
  3. To compare insect populations across several cities
  4. To describe a possible ecological benefit of green roofs while noting a limitation of the evidence

Answer: D. To describe a possible ecological benefit of green roofs while noting a limitation of the evidence

The text reports a local association between planted roofs and insects but explicitly limits what the survey can prove.

3. Text 1: Historian Mara Lin argues that a set of 1890s factory photographs was intended mainly to document machinery; workers appear only incidentally, so the images reveal little about labor conditions. Text 2: Archivist Theo Bell agrees that the photographs were made to record equipment but notes that workers’ positions, tools, and interactions recur across the collection. He suggests that these details can provide evidence about how labor was organized. Based on the texts, how would Bell most likely respond to Lin’s claim?
  1. He would argue that the photographs can reveal labor practices even if documenting workers was not their original purpose.
  2. He would agree that the photographs were staged to criticize factory owners.
  3. He would claim that the photographs were made primarily to portray individual workers.
  4. He would maintain that the photographs contain no useful evidence about factory work.

Answer: A. He would argue that the photographs can reveal labor practices even if documenting workers was not their original purpose.

Bell accepts the equipment-documentation purpose but argues that recurring visual details can still reveal labor organization.

4. The first version of the museum’s audio guide followed a strict chronology, moving from the oldest object to the newest. Visitors often struggled to connect objects made centuries apart but serving similar purposes. The revised guide groups objects by function, placing, for example, a medieval water clock beside a modern kitchen timer. This arrangement makes the exhibit’s central comparison more apparent. In this context, what does “apparent” most nearly mean?
  1. Questionable
  2. Historically accurate
  3. Clear
  4. Surprising

Answer: C. Clear

The new grouping helps visitors recognize the comparison, so “apparent” means clear.

5. A team studying urban trees expected that maples near busy roads would have the highest leaf damage. The data instead showed that trees in paved courtyards had the most damage, even when traffic was light. The team then measured soil moisture and found it was lower in those courtyards. Although the researchers have not shown that dry soil caused the damage, they propose testing irrigation as a way to investigate the relationship. How does the text develop its discussion?
  1. It presents a widely accepted explanation and then rejects the data that support it.
  2. It describes an unexpected finding and then identifies a possible factor for further study.
  3. It outlines a new irrigation method and then explains why it failed.
  4. It compares two tree species and recommends replacing one with the other.

Answer: B. It describes an unexpected finding and then identifies a possible factor for further study.

The researchers find more damage than expected in courtyards and propose soil moisture as a factor to test.

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