Sat practice Test #8 Answer Explanations

Choice B is the best answer. After describing problems that could 
arise from the failure to report null results, the passage shifts in the 
last paragraph to a potential solution to such problems: “A registry for 
data generated by all experiments would address these problems, the 
authors argue.” The paragraph goes on to imply that a registry could 
solve such problems by deterring the suppression of null results.
Choice A is incorrect because the last paragraph proposes a “registry 
for data” rather than a future research project. Choice C is incorrect 
because the summary of the results of Malhotra’s study occurs in 
the fifth paragraph, not in the last. Choice D is incorrect because the 
last paragraph of the passage does not mention reexamining results 
already obtained in social science trials.
QUESTION 19
Choice C is the best answer. The far left bar of the graph pertains to 
social science studies that produced strong results. This bar shows 
that approximately 20 percent (or two full increments of 10 percent) of 
such studies were published in a top journal.
Choice A is incorrect because the graph shows that approximately 
5 percent of social science studies that produced strong results were 
unwritten, rather than over 50 percent. Choice B is incorrect because 
the graph shows that about 30 percent of social science studies that 
produced strong results were unpublished but written, rather than 
50 percent. Choice D is incorrect because the graph shows that slightly 
over 40 percent of social science studies that produced strong results 
were published in a non-top journal, rather than almost 80 percent.

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QUESTION 20
Choice A is the best answer. The middle bar of the graph pertains to 
social science studies that produced mixed results. The top 50 percent 
of this bar represents studies that were published. The bottom 
50 percent of this bar represents studies that were either unpublished 
or went unwritten. Since each of the two categories accounts for 
50 percent of the total, it can be said that studies with mixed results 
were just as likely to be published as they were to be left either 
unpublished or unwritten.
Choice B is incorrect because the graph indicates that roughly 
42 percent of social science studies produced strong results and 
roughly 22 percent produced null results; together, these two 
percentages far exceed the 36 percent accounted for by studies that 
produced mixed results. Choice C is incorrect because the graph 
shows that roughly 12 percent of studies that produced mixed 
results were published in top journals, well less than the percentage 
published in non-top journals (approximately 38 percent). Choice D 
is incorrect because the graph indicates that studies that produced 
strong results accounted for approximately 42 percent of all studies, 
while those that produced mixed results only accounted for around 
36 percent of all studies.
QUESTION 21