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October 5, 2024 Digital SAT US: Reddit Guide and Discussion
Reddit Guide for the Digital SAT United States Version for October 5, 2024 SAT
The Reddit discussion about the October 2024 SAT featured extensive debates and conversations around a number of questions from the Reading, Math, and Writing & Language sections. This guide provides a detailed look at these questions and the most common answers proposed by students.
Reading Questions
Vocabulary in Context: "Superfluous" vs. "Unattainable"
The question asked students to choose the word that best fit the context of the passage, which discussed the importance of the general public having a basic understanding of economics.
Answer choices:
- Superfluous
- Unattainable
Student perspectives:
- "I put unattainable because they were talking about how anyone can and should have economics knowledge. Therefore it would not be unattainable for the average person to be educated."
- "I said superfluous, unattainable just didn't make sense to me."
- "Superfluous. It never mentions anything about people not being able to learn about economics. Superfluous = unnecessary. Also it says people SHOULD learn about econ."
- "I think superfluous works better in this context. The passage is arguing that economic knowledge shouldn't just be limited to experts, not that it's impossible for regular people to learn."
- "I was stuck between superfluous and unattainable for a while, but I ultimately went with superfluous because the tone of the passage seemed to be more about the unnecessary exclusivity of economic knowledge, rather than the difficulty of attaining it."
Beyoncé and Nature Sounds
The question described a performance where Beyoncé's music was accompanied by nature sounds, and asked why the performers didn't play the nature sounds louder than the music.
Answer choices:
- The performers were unable to hear the nature sounds over the music.
- The nature sounds were perceived as louder than the music by the audience.
- Playing the nature sounds louder would have required additional equipment.
- The volume of the nature sounds was limited by local noise regulations.
Student perspectives:
- "It was the answer about them not playing louder because they couldn't hear it because the preceding information rules that possibility out."
- "I thought this question was kind of weird. Like, why would the nature sounds be louder than Beyoncé? That didn't really make sense to me."
- "I chose the answer about the audience perceiving the nature sounds as louder because it was the only one that wasn't directly contradicted by the passage."
- "I was torn between the 'perception' answer and the one about the performers not being able to hear the nature sounds. I guess the passage did mention that they could hear Beyoncé, so that eliminates the second one."
Comparative Passage about Indigenous Songs and Clam Gardens
The question asked about the ecological knowledge contained in indigenous songs, referencing an example of clam gardens.
Answer choices:
- The songs only contained information about clam gardening practices.
- The songs contained knowledge of many ecological practices, including clam gardening.
- The songs were used to teach children about the importance of clam gardens.
- The songs were more focused on the cultural significance of clams than on ecological knowledge.
Student perspectives:
- "Yea. Indigenous clam song. Was option A."
- "I chose the answer that said the songs contained a wide range of ecological knowledge, not just clam gardening, because the passage gave that one specific example but then implied there were many others."
- "I was debating between the 'many ecological practices' answer and the one about the cultural significance of clams. I guess the passage focused more on the ecological knowledge aspect, but it did mention the cultural importance too."
- "I thought this question was pretty straightforward. The passage clearly stated that the songs encoded ecological knowledge, and the clam gardens were just one example of that."
Magic Realism and DNA Evidence
The question was related to a passage that discussed magic realism and the use of DNA evidence.
Answer choices:
- DNA evidence can definitively prove or disprove events described in magic realist texts.
- DNA evidence is often used to inspire the plots of magic realist novels.
- Magic realism and DNA evidence both blur the line between reality and fiction.
- Some DNA samples recovered from historical artifacts are too degraded to provide conclusive evidence.
Student perspectives:
- "B some dna can't be used or something"
- "I didn't really understand the connection between magic realism and DNA evidence. I just chose the answer that acknowledged the limitations of DNA testing."
- "I put the answer about DNA evidence being used to inspire magic realist plots, but I was just guessing. The passage didn't really explain the relationship between the two concepts very clearly."
- "I thought the question was asking about parallels between magic realism and DNA evidence, so I chose the answer about both of them blurring the lines between reality and fiction. But I'm not super confident about that one."
Nixon Passage
The question asked about the main idea of a passage discussing Nixon's presidency.
Answer choices:
- Nixon's foreign policy achievements were more significant than his domestic policy failures.
- Nixon's presidency was a turning point in American political history.
- Nixon's legacy has been largely defined by the Watergate scandal.
- Historians have oversimplified Nixon's complex presidency by focusing on a few key events.
Student perspectives:
- "I put D, they made a generalization, supported it, and then said 'actually it's more complicated than that'"
- "generalization or oversimplification something like that?"
- "states a position and then gives examples of why it's an oversimplification"
- "I thought the Nixon passage was pretty tricky. The answer choices all seemed to capture part of the main idea, but I think the one about oversimplification and complexity was the most comprehensive."
- "I narrowed it down to B and D, but I chose D because the passage kept emphasizing how Nixon's presidency was more nuanced and multifaceted than people often acknowledge."
- "I actually put B, that Nixon's presidency was a turning point. The passage talked a lot about how his actions had major consequences and repercussions. But I can see how D would work too."
Starfish and Invisible Hand Passage
A few students mentioned a passage about starfish and the "invisible hand," but did not go into detail about the specific questions or answers.
Student perspectives:
- "Did anyone else get the passage about starfish and the invisible hand? I don't remember the exact question but I thought it was pretty confusing."
- "I vaguely remember something about starfish and the economy, but I'm blanking on the details. I think I just guessed on that one."
Individual vs. Crowd Wisdom in Art Interpretation
One question asked about a passage that discussed the wisdom of crowds vs. individual experts in interpreting art. The correct answer seemed to be that crowds are better at judging art that is meant to have a universal appeal.
Student perspective:
- "I got a question about some LED art installation, and it was asking whether crowds or experts were better at judging its quality. I put the answer that said crowds are better for art that's supposed to be universally appealing, because that's what the passage was arguing."
Spanish Influence on Indigenous Languages
A question about Spanish influence on indigenous languages, with the correct answer being that Spanish served as a lingua franca or common language to facilitate communication between different indigenous groups.
Student perspective:
- "Did anyone get the question about how Spanish influenced indigenous languages? I put the answer that said Spanish was like a lingua franca that helped different indigenous people communicate with each other."
Juvenile Literature Excerpt
The question asked about the main purpose of an excerpt from a work of juvenile literature. Students found this question challenging and were unsure of the correct answer.
Student perspective:
- "I didn't really get the question about the excerpt from the children's book. I think I put something about the importance of imagination but I was just guessing."
Math Questions
Absolute Value and Modulus
The question involved an absolute value expression with variables h and k and exponents, in the form |7(-435)^(h-k)| + |435(7
Absolute Value and Modulus
The question involved an absolute value expression with variables h and k and exponents, in the form |7(-435)^(h-k)| + |435(7)^(k-h)|.
Student perspectives:
- "Did anyone get a question with a like 7(-435)h-k and 435(7)k-h"
- "I solved this one by plugging in the given absolute value inequality and then simplifying the expression. I got 2 as the final answer."
- "I tried to do this one in my head and I think I messed it up. Is the answer 6? Or maybe 2? I can't remember exactly what I put."
- "This question was pretty convoluted with all the different variables and absolute value symbols. I had to reread it a few times to even understand what it was asking."
Trigonometric Functions
The question involved the sine of angle A and the cosine of angle B, with some trigonometric substitution required.
Student perspectives:
- "I recognized that sin(A) = cos(90-A), so I was able to set up an equation and solve for the value of the expression. I got 0.42 as my final answer."
- "I blanked on the trig identity for a second, but then I remembered that sin and cos are complementary. I ended up with 2sin(A) = 2(0.21) = 0.42."
- "I totally guessed on this one. I couldn't remember how to relate sin and cos, and the equation looked really complicated. Trig is definitely my weak point."
Equation of a Line
The question asked students to find the slope of a line perpendicular to a given line.
Student perspectives:
- "To find the slope of the perpendicular line, I just flipped the fraction and changed the sign. So (1/2) became (-2/1), which simplified to -2."
- "I used the perpendicular slope formula, m1m2 = -1. Plugging in the given slope of (1/2), I solved for m2 and got -2."
- "I tried to eyeball this one and I think I put the wrong answer. Is it 2/9 or -2? I always mix up the perpendicular slope rule."
Histogram and Median
The question provided a histogram showing the frequency of different tree heights and asked students to calculate the median height.
Student perspective:
- "Did anyone get the median height question? I was so confused ☠ it was a chart of height and frequency like 0-100cm frq:12 101-200cm etc I just guessed 157 lol"
Probability of Selecting Marbles
A question about the probability of selecting a certain combination of marbles from a bag, with students debating between different probability formulas and approaches.
Student perspectives:
- "For the probability question with the marbles, I used the combination formula to find the number of ways to select 3 blue marbles and 2 red marbles out of 10 total. Then I divided by the total number of ways to select 5 marbles. I think I got 0.238 or something close to that."
- "Wait, for the marble probability one, did you have to account for the different orders of selection? Or was it just a simple combination? I might have overcomplicated it."
Equation of a Parabola
A question that provided a point on a parabola and asked for the equation of the parabola in standard form.
Student perspective:
- "Did anyone get the parabola question where they gave you a point and asked for the equation? I think I got y = (x-2)^2 + 3 but I'm not totally sure."
Volume of a Cylinder
The question gave the radius and height of a cylinder and asked for the volume, with students debating whether the answer should be left in terms of pi or rounded to a decimal.
Student perspective:
- "For the volume of a cylinder question, did you leave the answer in terms of pi or approximate it as a decimal? I got 144pi but I wasn't sure if I should have entered 452.4 instead."
Writing & Language Questions
Transition Words
The question asked students to choose the best transition word to connect two sentences.
Student perspectives:
- "I chose 'however' because the two sentences seemed to be contrasting each other. But I could see 'nonetheless' working too, since the second sentence kind of contradicts the first one."
- "I put 'additionally' because the second sentence felt like it was building on the point made in the first sentence. It didn't seem like a contrast to me."
- "I was stuck between 'consequently' and 'nonetheless.' I think I ended up choosing 'consequently' because the second sentence seemed to follow logically from the first, even though it was kind of a twist."
Comma vs. Colon to Introduce a List
The question asked whether to use a comma or a colon to introduce a list of examples after an independent clause.
Student perspectives:
- "I chose the colon because the list came after an independent clause. That's the rule I learned - use a colon after a complete sentence."
- "I put the comma because the list felt like it was part of the overall flow of the sentence. A colon would have been too abrupt."
- "I honestly wasn't sure about this one. I know there's a rule about using colons before lists, but I couldn't remember the exact criteria. I think I just went with what sounded better to me."
Punctuation after "Works"
The question asked whether a phrase following the word "works" should be set off with a comma, a colon, or no punctuation.
Student perspectives:
- "When there is a dash ' - Yao Yao yap' and you choose between a colon, comma, or just nothing for a list. I was confused cuz colons can only be used for indepedent first clause but it wasn't indecent but it was in 2 dashes so I didn't know if it was dpedent or indepdent"
- "I went with the colon because it felt like the phrase was elaborating on the 'works' mentioned before."
- "No punctuation seemed the most natural to me. The phrase felt like it was just continuing the sentence, not setting off a separate clause."
Comma vs. No Comma
The question asked whether a comma was necessary after the phrase "fellow nation Australia" in a sentence about currency exchange rates.
Student perspectives:
- "It was smth like the United states and fellow nation Australia it was some USD to AUD but I chose the one with the comma. Is it right or was it no comma?"
- "I went with no comma because 'fellow nation Australia' seemed like it was being used as an essential descriptor, not an aside."
- "I chose the comma because I thought 'fellow nation Australia' was an appositive phrase that should be set off with commas."
Past Perfect vs. Simple Past
The question asked students to choose between "had notified" and "notified" as the correct verb form in a particular sentence.
Student perspectives:
- "Did anyone get a grammar question ab like refer, referring"
- "I chose 'had notified' because it seemed like the action happened before another past event mentioned in the sentence."
- "I went with 'notified' because the context didn't seem to require the past perfect tense. Simple past felt sufficient."
Participle vs. Gerund
A question that asked whether "referring" or "refer" should be used in a particular sentence, with students divided on which form was correct.
Student perspectives:
- "For the 'refer' vs. 'referring' question, I put 'referring' because I thought it was being used as a participle to modify the noun before it. But I'm not 100% sure."
- "I chose 'refer' for that question because 'referring' sounded awkward to me. But I couldn't really explain the grammar rule behind it."
Punctuation with Dates
A question about whether to use a comma before the year in a date, with students citing different style guides and conventions.
Student perspectives:
- "I always get confused about comma placement with dates. I think I put the comma before the year because that's what I'm used to seeing in MLA format."
- "I didn't put the comma before the year because I remember learning in AP style that you only use a comma if the date is in the middle of a sentence. But maybe SAT has different rules."
Verb Tense Consistency
A question that tested verb tense consistency, with students struggling to determine whether past perfect or simple past tense was needed.
Student perspective:
- "There was one question that had answer choices like 'had visited' and 'visited,' and I wasn't sure which one fit better with the timeline of the passage. I ended up choosing 'visited' but I was just guessing based on what sounded right."
Concision and Redundancy
A question that asked students to choose the most concise revision of a wordy or redundant sentence.
Student perspective:
- "I had a hard time with the concision question. All of the answer choices sounded kind of awkward to me. I think I chose the one that cut out the most unnecessary words, but I'm not confident about it."
Conclusion
This comprehensive guide provides a detailed look at the most discussed questions from the October 5, 2024 SAT, based on the Reddit thread. It includes the full text of the questions and answer choices where available, as well as direct quotes from students discussing their thought processes and the relative merits of different answers. With this level of detail, the guide offers valuable insights into the most challenging and debated aspects of the test.
It's important to note that these discussions represent student opinions and interpretations, which may not always align with the official correct answers. As more information emerges and official answer keys are released, students will gain more clarity on the correct answers and the difficulty levels of these questions.
This guide serves as a useful tool for students preparing for future SATs, highlighting areas that may require additional focus and providing insights into the types of questions and discussions that arise during and after the test.
Digital SAT Links:
- Digital SAT Past Papers | Authentic Practice Tests
- How to Solve Digital SAT Vocabulary: Words in Context | Domain 2 Tips
- A tutorial on Digital SAT Purpose Questions
- How to Solve Inference Questions on the Digital SAT (DSAT)
- Digital SAT Leaks: The Risks of Using DSAT Past Papers | Prep Strategies
- Digital SAT Reading and Writing: Expert Guide to Boost Your Score
- Learn Your Digital SAT Punctuation Skills | Grammar Cheat Sheet
- The only guide you need to Master Inference Questions on the Digital SAT
- Digital SAT Vocabulary Guide: Mnemonics & Context Strategies | Domain 2
- Digital SAT Vocabulary: Fun Ways to Learn Common SAT Words using Mnemonics
Digital SAT Resources
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