Directions: Each SAT Writing passage is followed by 11 questions. Read the passage and select the answer to each question that is most effective in improving the quality of the writing or in making the passage conform to the standard conventions of English.
Questions 1–11 are based on the following passage.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides information about education and training requirements for hundreds of occupations. The BLS uses a system to assign categories for entry-level education, work experience in a related occupation, and typical on-the-job training to each occupation for which BLS publishes projections data. 1 The assignments allow BLS to group occupations in order to create estimates of the outlook for occupations with various types of education and training needs. This classification system 2 were first used with the 2010–20 projections and replaced an earlier system that 3 was used between 1995 and 2008. 4 The two systems are not comparable.
BLS assigns occupations to a designation within three categories: 5 typical entry-level education, work experience in a related occupation, and typical on-the-job training. The categories and assignments within each are as follows:
Typical education needed for entry — represents the typical education level most workers need to enter an occupation. The assignments for this category are the following:
• Doctoral or professional degree
• 6 Masters degree, Bachelors degree, or Associates degree
• Postsecondary non-degree award
• Some college, no degree
• High school diploma or equivalent
• No formal educational credential
Work experience in a related occupation — indicates 7 if work experience in a related occupation are commonly considered necessary by employers for entry into the occupation, and are a commonly accepted substitute for formal types of training. The assignments for this category are the following:
• 5 years or more
• Less than 5 years
• None
Typical on-the-job training — indicates the typical on-the-job training needed to attain competency in the skills needed in the occupation. The assignments for this category are the following:
• Internship/residency
• Apprenticeship
• Long-term on-the-job training: more than 12 months
• Moderate-term on the job training: more than 1 month 8 and also up to 12 months
• Short-term on-the-job training: 1 month or less
• None
In some cases, assigning education and training categories can be straightforward. Some occupations, such as physicians and lawyers, are governed by federal and state regulations that give clear guidelines, regarding the education or training required for a given occupation. 9 Similarly, the choice of categories is less clear. BLS economists determine the typical path to entry for an occupation and apply it across all three categories.
The education categories in the table presented here reflect only the highest level of education attained. 10 They do not take into account completion of training programs in the form of apprenticeships and other on-the-job training, which may also influence earnings and unemployment rates.
Adapted from US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Educational Attainment Data
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Question 1 |
NO CHANGE | |
The BLS allows the assignments to group occupations and to create estimates of the outlook for occupations with various types of education and training needs. | |
The BLS groups occupations using these assignments in order to create estimates of the outlook for occupations with various types of education and training needs. | |
In order to create estimates of the outlook for occupations with various types of education and training needs, BLS uses the assignments to group occupations. |
Question 2 |
NO CHANGE | |
had been first used | |
were used first | |
was first used |
Question 3 |
NO CHANGE | |
were | |
is | |
are |
Question 4 |
NO CHANGE | |
The Labor Bureau does not frequently change its classification system, but when it does, there has always been a significant need for the change. | |
Grouping occupations is important in order to give analysts the ability to make sense of such a large amount of data. | |
DELETE the underlined portion. |
Question 5 |
NO CHANGE | |
typical entry-level education, related-occupation work experience, and typical on-the-job training | |
entry-level education that is typical, work experience in a related occupation, and typical on-the-job training | |
entry-level typical education, occupationally related work experience, and on-the-job training that is typical |
Question 6 |
NO CHANGE | |
Masters’ degree, Bachelors’ degree, or Associates’ degree | |
Master’s degree, Bachelor’s degree, or Associate’s degree | |
Masters’, Bachelors’, or Associates’ degrees |
Question 7 |
NO CHANGE | |
whether or not work experience in a related occupation is commonly considered necessary by employers for entry into the occupation, or commonly are a | |
whether or not work experience in a related occupation is commonly considered necessary by employers for entry into the occupation, or commonly are a | |
if work experience in a related occupation is commonly considered necessary by employers for entry into the occupation, or is a commonly |
Question 8 |
NO CHANGE | |
and up to 12 months | |
and also up to 12 months or a year | |
or up to 12 months or a year |
Question 9 |
NO CHANGE | |
For instance | |
In other cases | |
Furthermore |
Question 10 |
Kept, because it provides additional information about the graphic provided that is necessary for its interpretation. | |
Kept, because it provides significant details about how the BLS categorizes its data. | |
Deleted, because it doesn’t give specific examples of how the education data is gathered and organized. | |
Deleted, because it does not relate to any other part of the passage. |
Question 11 |
More doctors were employed in 2014 than individuals with only a high school diploma. | |
People with an associate’s degree had a median income that was less than half that of people with a professional degree in 2014. | |
Among individuals 25 years old and under, people with some college but no degree had a higher rate of unemployment than people with bachelor’s degrees. | |
Individuals with a high school diploma were less unemployed than individuals with some college but no degree. |
List |
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