Average SAT Math Scores by Regional Districts, Spring 2023 The Northeast district averaged 528 points, while the Southeast recorded 492...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Average SAT Math Scores by Regional Districts, Spring 2023
The Northeast district averaged 528 points, while the Southeast recorded 492 points. Midwest schools achieved 515 points, and the West region scored 541 points. Based on this regional performance data, students in which area achieved the strongest average SAT Math results?
Which choice most effectively uses data from the passage to answer the question?
Northeast
West
Southeast
Midwest
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Average SAT Math Scores by Regional Districts, Spring 2023" |
|
| "The Northeast district averaged 528 points, while the Southeast recorded 492 points." |
|
| "Midwest schools achieved 515 points, and the West region scored 541 points." |
|
| "Based on this regional performance data, students in which area achieved the strongest average SAT Math results?" |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The passage presents SAT Math score data for four regional districts and asks which region achieved the highest average scores.
Argument Flow: The passage provides a straightforward presentation of data with a title establishing context, specific numerical scores for four different regions, and then poses a question asking which region performed best based on this data.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Looking at the data, we have four regions with their scores:
- Northeast: 528 points
- Southeast: 492 points
- Midwest: 515 points
- West: 541 points
- The correct answer must identify the region with the highest score. Comparing these numbers, West region scored 541 points, which is higher than all other regions listed. This is a straightforward numerical comparison.
Northeast
Northeast
✗ Incorrect
- Northeast scored 528 points, which is the second-highest score but not the highest among the four regions.
West
West
✓ Correct
- West region scored 541 points, which is the highest score among all four regions and directly answers the question about which area achieved the strongest results.
Southeast
Southeast
✗ Incorrect
- Southeast recorded 492 points, which is the lowest score among all regions, representing the weakest performance, not the strongest.
Midwest
Midwest
✗ Incorrect
- Midwest achieved 515 points, which ranks third among the four regions and is lower than both Northeast and West.