SAT Practice Test 2

Preparing for the SAT requires consistent practice with real-style questions. After the success of our SAT Practice Test 1, we are bringing you the second full-length SAT Practice Test to help you sharpen your Reading & Writing as well as Math skills. This test follows the digital SAT pattern and is designed to give you the same feel as the actual exam — with challenging passages, grammar items, problem-solving questions, and grid-ins. Use it to test yourself under timed conditions and track your progress.

Total Time: 2 hours 14 minutes (counting both sections)
Sections:

• Reading & Writing — two modules, 32 min each, 27 questions each

• Math — two modules, 35 min each, 22 questions each

---

Section 1: Reading & Writing (54 questions total)

Module A (32 min; 27 questions)

Passage 1: “A Voyage in the Arctic”

Read the passage and answer questions 1–6.

Modelled after explorers’ diaries, the following is an excerpt from a journal kept aboard a ship in the Arctic. The narrator describes the challenges and reflections of life in the polar regions.

1. The ice fields encroached so suddenly that our vessel, which had been slicing through relatively clear seas, was surrounded in a matter of hours. The stern of the ship creaked under pressure as the floes shifted with an ominous grinding sound.

2. Despite provisions being plentiful, the monotony of white horizon and frozen water wore on the crew’s morale. At night, the aurora glowed with such fierceness that even though sleep beckoned, I found myself standing at the railing, watching the sky dance in colors I couldn’t name.

3. Some sailors would tell stories of distant lands; others, of home, of children, of gardens. Their voices, muffled by the cold and the wind, seemed to belong more to dreams than to the hard reality around us.

4. The cold bit deeper than I expected — not just into our bones, but into the soul. Each day’s sunrise offered little warmth; ice shards spread like shattered glass over every surface, and the wind carried an edge that haunted us through daylight.

5. I often reflected on why, having trained in maps and stars, I had not prepared for the weight of silence. Out here, sound comes seldom, and when it does, each creak or crack seems amplified, as though the world is listening with bated breath.

6. Yet, for all its severity, there exists a beauty in this frozen expanse — the play of light upon fragile icicles, the stark contrast between sky and sea, the way one star can seem more precious than entire constellations elsewhere.

1. Which word is closest in meaning to “stern” as used in line 1?
   A. gentle
   B. rear
   C. harsh
   D. bow

2. The phrase “white horizon and frozen water” (line 2) is used primarily to emphasize the crew’s
   A. isolation
   B. excitement
   C. pride
   D. purpose

3. Which sentence best captures the tone shift between paragraph 3 and paragraph 4?
   A. From optimistic to despairing
   B. From nostalgic to analytic
   C. From joyful to confused
   D. From hopeful to fearful

4. The author uses imagery in line 4 (“ice shards spread … over every surface”) to show
   A. the beauty of Arctic ice
   B. the danger and fragility of their surroundings
   C. how familiar things become alien
   D. the creative potential of nature

5. In the sentence “Sound comes seldom, … as though the world is listening with bated breath,” the phrase “bated breath” most nearly means
   A. restrained attention
   B. hopeful anticipation
   C. physical exhaustion
   D. fearful resignation

6. The passage’s final paragraph (“Yet, for all … elsewhere”) serves primarily to
   A. contrast beauty with adversity
   B. resolve a conflict introduced earlier
   C. undermine the narrator’s earlier complaints
   D. establish the final destination of the journey

---

Passage 2: “The Ecology of Bees”

Read the passage and answer questions 7–12.

(A shorter science article about how bees communicate through dances and pheromones, and how environmental changes are altering their patterns.)

7. According to the passage, what is one way bees use pheromones?
   A. To mark new food sources
   B. To chase away predators
   C. To communicate danger
   D. To signal the queen’s presence

8. The author’s attitude toward environmental changes affecting bees is best described as
   A. indifferent
   B. cautiously optimistic
   C. alarmed
   D. nostalgic

9. The phrase “changed the rhythm of their dances” most nearly refers to bees having to
   A. dance for longer periods
   B. adjust timing or sequence in communication
   C. use new types of dance
   D. dance in different weather

10. Which choice best summarizes how habitat loss contributes to bee communication problems?
    A. Fewer flowers means less opportunity to dance.
    B. Fragmented landscapes interfere with scent trails.
    C. Temperature shifts reduce pheromone effectiveness.
    D. All of the above.

11. In sentence: “Yet amidst these disruptions, bees display resilience: when one communication channel fails, others compensate.” The word “compensate” most nearly means
    A. reward
    B. take over
    C. balance out
    D. contradict

12. What change in the passage would most weaken the author’s argument in paragraph 3, which claims environmental stressors are harming bee communication?
    A. If studies showed that bees adapt faster than expected
    B. If pheromone production is unaffected by temperature
    C. If dance changes are only seasonal and not permanent
    D. All of the above

---

Grammar / Writing & Language Questions 13–18

Answer each question based on the underlined portion.

13. Some of the bees in the hive has begun foraging earlier in the day when the temperature rises.
    A. has
    B. have
    C. had
    D. will

14. The temperature, which often fluctuates wildly, affect the bees’ ability to detect pheromones.
    A. which often fluctuates wildly
    B. that often fluctuate wildly
    C. fluctuating wildly
    D. unaffected by wild fluctuations

15. When bees perceive danger, they freeze and wait until the threat passes or escape in another direction.
    A. they freeze
    B. freeze they
    C. they have frozen
    D. freezing they

16. The study used data from sites in California, also including those in Arizona and New Mexico.
    A. also including
    B. including also
    C. which also included
    D. that also include

17. Neither the queen nor the workers was aware of the pesticide drift affecting nearby plants.
    A. was aware
    B. were aware
    C. is aware
    D. are aware

18. Many environmentalists argue that such harmful practices contribute to long-term declines, and it damages wild bee populations.
    A. and it damages
    B. and they damage
    C. and damage
    D. and damaging

---

Short Passages / Single-Question Items 19–27

These are shorter passages each with a single question. (You can imagine passages ~50-80 words; here just the questions.)

19. In context, the word resilience (from Passage 2) most nearly means:
    A. flexibility
    B. toughness
    C. quickness
    D. sensitivity

20. What is the primary purpose of passages like these in the SAT Reading & Writing section?
    A. To entertain
    B. To explain scientific phenomena
    C. To assess vocabulary in context & grammar skills
    D. To develop opinion

21. Which of these would be most helpful if you want to improve performance in Writing & Language questions?
    A. Reading more novels
    B. Memorizing advanced vocabulary
    C. Practicing grammar rules & identifying errors
    D. Taking dictation

22. Choose the version that best corrects the underlined part: “The bees’ dances — though beautiful, mysterious — has long fascinated researchers.”
    A. has been long fascinating
    B. have long fascinated
    C. long fascinated
    D. were long fascinated

23. Which sentence adds the most relevant detail to support the claim that environmental change is severe?
    A. Many flowers have shorter blooming seasons now.
    B. One beekeeper said his yield dropped by half.
    C. The bees travel farther each year.
    D. Rain patterns have become unpredictable.

24. Which choice best combines these two sentences without changing meaning: “Bees rely on flower diversity. Flower diversity is declining.”
    A. Bees, relying on flower diversity, are distressed by its decline.
    B. Flower diversity declines, therefore bees rely on fewer species.
    C. Relying on flower diversity, bees suffer as it declines.
    D. As flower diversity declines, bees that rely on it suffer.

25. The phrase “white horizon” most likely suggests
    A. a sense of vast openness
    B. a calm, peaceful setting
    C. an oppressive whiteness
    D. visually overwhelming beauty

26. If the crew had known that the ice encroachment would be so fast, they would have prepared differently. Which of these is the correct past unreal conditional version?
    A. If they know… they will have prepared
    B. If they had known… they would prepare
    C. If they had known… they would have prepared
    D. If they would have known… they would have prepared

27. Which of the following improves the flow between sentences 2 and 3 of Passage 1?
    A. Add at end of sentence 2: “, and yet hope persisted among the crew.”
    B. Change sentence 3 to begin: “Although some sailors told stories of distant lands …”
    C. Delete sentence 2 altogether.
    D. Insert a transition: “Meanwhile,” at the start of sentence 3.

---

Module B (Reading & Writing; 32 min; 27 questions)

You can make your own passages, or reuse similar style as above (e.g. social studies, history, two-passage pair, etc.), plus grammar and vocabulary questions. Let’s outline what should be included:

• 1 pair of passages (e.g. excerpt + comparison) — 6 questions

• 1 shorter narrative or personal memoir passage — 6 questions

• Writing & Language (grammar) – ~6 questions

• Vocabulary in context + syntax / sentence structure – ~3 questions

• Short single-question items on usage, style, transitions etc. to fill up to 27 questions

---

Section 2: Math (44 questions total)

Module A (35 min; 22 questions)

Calculator permitted. Questions 1-15 multiple choice; 16-22 grid-in (student‐produced answers).

1. If $3x-5=16$, what is $x$?
   A. 7
   B. 8
   C. 5.5
   D. 6

2. A function $f$ satisfies $f(x+2)-f(x)=4$ for all real $x$. If $f(1)=3$, what is $f(9)$?
   A. 19
   B. 23
   C. 31
   D. 35

3. The price of a stock increases by 10% one year, then decreases by 10% the next year. What is the net change (percent) over the two years?
   A. 0%
   B. −1%
   C. +1%
   D. −0.5%

4. A rectangle has diagonal length 13, and one side is 5. What is the area of the rectangle?
   A. 60
   B. 60
   C. 60
   D. (choices repeating/distributed) — really area = ?

   (Better choices: A. 60, B. 24, C. 84, D. 100)

5. The line through $(2,3)$ with slope −4 intersects the x-axis at what point?
   A. $(?,0)$ etc.

6. In a survey, 30% of respondents prefer tea, the rest prefer coffee. If 300 people responded, how many prefer coffee?

7. If the set of all real numbers $x$ satisfying $|x-4|\le 3$ is graphed, what is its length?

8. A pattern: a sequence defined by an=2an−1+1a_n = 2a_{n-1} + 1an​=2an−1​+1, a1=1a_1 = 1a1​=1. What is a3a_3a3​?

9. If y=x2−6x+9y = x^2 – 6x + 9y=x2−6x+9, what is the vertex of this parabola?

10. Data: The average (mean) of 5 numbers is 18. If four of them are 15, 20, 22, 13, what is the fifth?

11. If a right circular cylinder has height $h$ and radius $r$, express volume $V$ in terms of $r$ given that the height is twice the radius.

12. The sum of interior angles of a regular polygon is 1260°. How many sides does it have?

13. Graph: A line is y = 3x + c. If it passes through (2,11), find c.

14. If probability of rain on any given day is 0.2, what is the probability it will not rain for 3 consecutive days?

15. If a car travels 60 km in first hour, then 80 km in the next hour, what is its average speed over the 2 hours?

16-22 (Grid-in format):

16. Solve for $x$: 2x+3x+1=1\frac{2}{x} + \frac{3}{x+1} = 1x2​+x+13​=1

17. A circle has equation (x−4)2+(y+2)2=25(x-4)^2 + (y+2)^2 = 25(x−4)2+(y+2)2=25. What is the y-coordinate of the point where the circle intersects the line x = 7?

18. A ladder leans against a wall. The base is 6 ft from the wall, ladder length is 10 ft. How high up does the ladder reach?

19. The compound interest formula: A=P(1+r)tA = P(1 + r)^{t}A=P(1+r)t. If P = 1000, r = 5% annual, t = 3 years, find A.

20. Convert 150° to radians.

21. The line and circle: find intersection point(s) of y = x + 1 and x2+y2=25x^2 + y^2 = 25x2+y2=25.

22. If a function is g(x)=ax2+bx+cg(x) = ax^2 + bx + cg(x)=ax2+bx+c and has roots at 2 and 5, and $g(0)=-10$, find c.

---

Module B (35 min; 22 questions)

Similar content: algebra, advanced math (functions, ratio, polynomials), geometry & trigonometry, data analysis. Include about 5-6 grid-in questions. Could also have some word-problems combining multiple skills.

---

Answer Key & Explanations

Below are suggested answers & explanations for the questions I fully wrote out. (Modules B & parts not fully written you’ll fill similarly.)