Free NSW Selective Practice Test

18 selective-standard questions across Thinking Skills, Mathematical Reasoning and Reading, plus a Writing task. Every question has a full worked answer at the end. Sit it in one quiet 40-minute block for the best practice.

Section 1: Reading

Read the passage, then answer questions 1 to 6.

The boat rocked gently as Aunt Preethi killed the engine. Around them, Jervis Bay had become invisible, the night so thick that Jianna could barely make out her own hands. She gripped the aluminium ladder and stared down at water that looked, for all the world, like a hole in the universe. 'Ready?' Aunt Preethi murmured, already pulling on her fins. Jianna had been told what to expect. She had watched the video twice on her aunt's laptop: the microscopic creatures called dinoflagellates, which produced light when disturbed, so that anything moving through the water trailed a ghostly blue-green glow. Scientific explanation in hand, she slipped from the ladder into water so cold it knocked the breath from her chest. For a moment there was only the cold and the dark. Then her first kick sent a bloom of light cascading from her ankle, soft and electric at once, as though the sea floor had swallowed the Milky Way and was slowly releasing it. She reached out with one hand, and each finger drew its own brief comet. Aunt Preethi surfaced beside her, mask pushed up onto her forehead. She was grinning in a way Jianna had not seen since her aunt's field work in the Philippines, a grin that had nothing to do with politeness or explanation and everything to do with wonder. Jianna understood, then, why her aunt had driven four hours from Sydney, why she still kept that same chipped coffee mug from her first research vessel, why she had spent fifteen years studying something that most people could not even see in daylight. They floated there without speaking, each small movement answered by light, until the cold finally drove them back to the boat.

Q1. The passage suggests that Jianna's initial hesitation before entering the water is caused mainly by

A) the complete darkness making the water look like an empty void beneath her

B) her uncertainty about whether the scientific explanation she had been given was accurate

C) her fear of the cold temperature that she knew would hit her when she entered

D) her worry about being too far from the boat if she needed help

Q2. The writer includes the detail about Aunt Preethi's 'chipped coffee mug from her first research vessel' primarily to

A) show that Aunt Preethi is too busy for material comforts and rarely replaces old equipment

B) create an image of hardship to contrast with the luxury of visiting Jervis Bay

C) establish that Aunt Preethi's commitment to her work is longstanding and deeply personal

D) provide evidence that scientific researchers are underpaid compared to other careers

Q3. When Jianna sees her aunt's grin, what does the passage imply about Aunt Preethi's usual manner?

A) She tends to be impatient with people who are not scientists

B) She is ordinarily composed and measured, not given to open displays of emotion

C) She is usually cheerful and enthusiastic but rarely shows wonder

D) She rarely smiles because she spends most of her time alone on research vessels

Q4. In context, the word 'cascading' (paragraph four) most nearly means that the light

A) appeared suddenly in one concentrated spot around her ankle

B) burned brightly before fading to complete darkness within a second

C) made a loud rushing sound as it spread outward through the water

D) spread in a flowing, tumbling wave downward and outward from the movement

Q5. The passage implies that before this night, Jianna's understanding of her aunt's work was

A) purely intellectual, lacking the felt sense of what drove her aunt to pursue it

B) dismissive, as she had never believed the bioluminescence phenomenon was real

C) complete, since she had already seen bioluminescence during a previous visit

D) shaped largely by her aunt's stories of dangerous fieldwork in difficult conditions

Q6. The central idea that the passage develops through the experience of bioluminescence is that

A) scientific study requires sacrifices that most people are unwilling to make

B) the ocean contains phenomena that even trained scientists cannot fully explain

C) direct experience of a phenomenon can reveal what factual knowledge alone cannot

D) close family relationships are strengthened most powerfully through shared adventure

Section 2: Thinking Skills

Q7. Four Year 6 students at a school in Wollongong each compete in a different event at the athletics carnival. The students are Jianna, Ahmed, Soraya and Tane, and the four events are swimming, cycling, athletics and rowing (one event per student). Their teacher Ms Lin notes: - Ahmed competes in swimming. - Tane does not compete in rowing or athletics. - Jianna does not compete in swimming or cycling. - Soraya does not compete in swimming or athletics. Which event does Tane compete in?

A) Tane competes in the swimming event.

B) Tane competes in the rowing event.

C) Tane competes in the athletics event.

D) Tane competes in the cycling event.

Q8. Aroha runs a nut stall at a market in Newcastle. She sells small bags weighing 50 g each and large bags weighing 200 g each. At the end of the morning she has sold exactly 12 bags and a total of 1,500 g of nuts. How many large bags did Aroha sell?

A) Aroha sold 3 large bags of mixed nuts.

B) Aroha sold 6 large bags of mixed nuts.

C) Aroha sold 4 large bags of mixed nuts.

D) Aroha sold 8 large bags of mixed nuts.

Q9. A notice on the gym door at a primary school in Canberra reads: 'If a student joins the gym class, they must wear non-marking shoes.' Two classmates discuss what this rule means: - Otto says: 'So if I am wearing non-marking shoes, I may join the gym class.' - Lior says: 'So if I am not wearing non-marking shoes, I cannot join the gym class.' Whose reasoning is correct?

A) Only Otto has drawn the right conclusion here.

B) Only Lior has drawn the right conclusion here.

C) Both Otto and Lior have drawn the right conclusion.

D) Neither Otto nor Lior has drawn the right conclusion.

Q10. Four students at a school in Geelong finish a cross-country run in different positions from 1st to 4th (1st is the fastest). The students are Bilal, Lior, Mia and Elena. The coach records: - Bilal did not finish first. - Lior finished exactly one place ahead of Mia. - Elena finished last. - Bilal did not finish second. Who finished first?

A) Lior finished first in the cross-country run.

B) Mia finished first in the cross-country run.

C) Bilal finished first in the cross-country run.

D) Elena finished first in the cross-country run.

Q11. Mia argues at a class discussion in Hobart: 'Our class started using a new spelling program three months ago. Since then, our test results have improved. The spelling program must be the reason our results got better.' Which choice best identifies the main flaw in Mia's reasoning?

A) Mia has not measured how much extra time each student spends practising spelling outside school hours.

B) The argument would be stronger if Mia compared her class results against a class not using the new program.

C) Mia should have asked students whether they found the new program more engaging than the old approach.

D) Mia assumes the program caused the improvement, but the test results might have risen for unrelated reasons.

Q12. Jianna is preparing for a maths competition in Sydney and finds this number sequence on a practice paper: 3, 4, 7, 12, 19, ... What is the next number in the sequence?

A) The next number in the sequence is 24.

B) The next number in the sequence is 26.

C) The next number in the sequence is 28.

D) The next number in the sequence is 30.

Section 3: Mathematical Reasoning

No calculator.

Q13. Jianna is running a food stall at her school fete in Wollongong. On Friday, the stall sells 2 fruit juices and 3 muffins for a total of $13.50. On Saturday, at exactly the same prices, the stall sells 4 fruit juices and 1 muffin for a total of $14.50. Consider these three statements about the prices: Statement 1: A fruit juice costs $3.00. Statement 2: A muffin costs $2.00. Statement 3: Two fruit juices and two muffins together cost $11.00. Which statements are correct?

A) Statement 1 only

B) Statements 1 and 3 only

C) Statements 1 and 2 only

D) All three statements

E) Statement 3 only

Q14. Ines bakes some cookies for a community morning tea in Newcastle. She gives one third of her cookies to her neighbour as a gift. She then eats 4 cookies herself. Her friend later arrives and gives her 10 more cookies. When Ines counts her cookies at the end, she has 30 cookies. How many cookies did Ines bake at the start?

A) 36

B) 30

C) 40

D) 48

E) 45

Q15. Dimitri is preparing trail mix bags for the school camp in Orange. He mixes almonds, cashews, and peanuts in the ratio 2:3:5. Each bag has a total mass of 600 grams. Dimitri decides to take all the cashews from one bag and share them equally among his 6 teammates. How many grams of cashews does each teammate receive?

A) 60 grams

B) 30 grams

C) 180 grams

D) 20 grams

E) 90 grams

Q16. Wiremu is planning a courtyard garden in Tamworth. The courtyard is shaped like a large rectangle with a smaller rectangular section cut out from one corner, forming an L-shape. The full large rectangle would measure 10 metres long and 7 metres wide. The cut-out section measures 4 metres long and 3 metres wide. Wiremu wants to lay paving stones across the entire L-shaped courtyard. He needs to know the total area to order the right amount of paving. What is the total area of the L-shaped courtyard?

A) 46 square metres

B) 50 square metres

C) 54 square metres

D) 58 square metres

E) 62 square metres

Q17. Sione is travelling from Newcastle to Sydney for a school excursion. His bus departs Newcastle at 8:45 am. The scheduled journey time is 2 hours and 35 minutes. However, due to heavy traffic on the motorway, the bus arrives in Sydney 20 minutes later than scheduled. At what time does Sione's bus actually arrive in Sydney?

A) 11:00 am

B) 11:20 am

C) 11:40 am

D) 11:35 am

E) 11:30 am

Q18. Yara is taking part in a school fitness challenge in Bathurst. She records the number of steps she walks each day for 5 days. The mean number of steps across all 5 days is 7,600. On the first four days she records 6,800 steps, 8,400 steps, 7,200 steps, and 9,000 steps. How many steps does Yara walk on Day 5?

A) 7,600 steps

B) 6,400 steps

C) 6,600 steps

D) 5,600 steps

E) 8,400 steps

Section 4: Writing

You have 30 minutes. Plan, write and check a response to the prompt below. The markers are looking for a clear, well-structured piece with vivid detail and accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar.

"The door had not been opened in years."

Write a narrative that begins or ends with the sentence above. Take your reader to one specific moment and make them feel what your character feels.

How to mark it

The NSW Selective writing task is marked against two independent criteria sets. Use this guide to mark your own response honestly, or have a parent mark it.

Set A: Content, Form, Organisation and Style

Ideas: a clear, specific situation, not a vague or rushed one. One moment told well beats a whole adventure told quickly.
Structure: a recognisable beginning, middle and end, with paragraphs that each do a job.
Vocabulary and style: precise word choices and sentence variety. Show feelings through detail ("her hands would not stop shaking") rather than naming them ("she was scared").
Engagement: a turning point or a moment of change that gives the piece a point.

Set B: Technical Accuracy

Spelling: accurate, including harder words attempted.
Punctuation: correct sentence punctuation, commas, and dialogue punctuation if used.
Grammar: consistent tense, subject-verb agreement, complete sentences.

Top tips

Spend the first 3 to 4 minutes planning. A 30-minute piece with a plan beats a 30-minute piece without one.
Anchor the story in one specific moment, not a whole day or trip.
Leave 3 minutes at the end to re-read and fix spelling and punctuation. Set B marks are the easiest to win back.
Do not try to use big words you are unsure of. A correct simple word beats a misused complex one.

Answers and Worked Solutions

Reading

Q1. Answer: A

The passage describes Jianna gripping the ladder and staring at water that 'looked, for all the world, like a hole in the universe.' This image of a void, combined with being unable to see her own hands, shows it is the absolute darkness that makes her hesitate. Option B is contradicted by the text: she had watched the video twice and held the 'scientific explanation in hand,' suggesting she trusted it. Option C references the cold, which does hit her after she enters, but the hesitation occurs before she goes in. Option D is entirely unsupported by any detail in the passage. Answer: A

Q2. Answer: C

The chipped mug appears in a list of clues through which Jianna finally understands her aunt's dedication: the four-hour drive, the fifteen years of study, and the kept mug all signal that this work is not casual but a sustained passion. Option A misreads the detail as forgetfulness rather than attachment. Option B imports an idea of luxury versus hardship that the passage does not develop. Option D introduces an economic argument that has no basis in the text. Answer: C

Q3. Answer: B

The passage describes the grin as one Jianna had 'not seen since her aunt's field work in the Philippines,' suggesting it is rare. It is also defined against 'politeness or explanation,' implying her normal grin is a social or professional performance rather than genuine unguarded feeling. This points to an aunt who is usually composed and measured. Option A is unsupported: the passage shows no impatience toward Jianna. Option C contradicts the idea that the grin is rare. Option D exaggerates and speculates beyond what the text provides. Answer: B

Q4. Answer: D

Cascading describes fluid motion, often a waterfall or spill, that flows downward or outward in waves. In context, the light erupts from Jianna's kick and spreads outward from that point of disturbance, which matches a flowing, tumbling movement rather than a single concentrated flash. Option A contradicts 'cascading' by implying the light stayed in one spot. Option B focuses on duration but ignores the motion implied by the word. Option C imports sound, which plays no role in the image. Answer: D

Q5. Answer: A

The passage says Jianna 'understood, then,' implying a new understanding arrived only in that moment in the water. She had watched the videos and held 'scientific explanation in hand,' so she had intellectual knowledge. What was missing was the experience that explains her aunt's passion: the wonder of it. This gap between knowing the facts and understanding the feeling is precisely what the night snorkel bridges. Option B is contradicted by her trust in the scientific explanation. Option C is contradicted by the word 'then,' which marks the understanding as new. Option D is unsupported as the passage never mentions stories of danger. Answer: A

Q6. Answer: C

The structural arc of the passage moves Jianna from having an explanation (the video, the briefing) to having an experience, and it is the experience that delivers understanding: 'Jianna understood, then, why her aunt had driven four hours...' The word 'then' marks the moment that the felt encounter unlocks meaning the facts could not. Option A is a plausible reading of Aunt Preethi's dedication but is a narrower point the passage does not foreground. Option B contradicts the passage's tone, which presents the science as accurate and wondrous rather than mysterious or incomplete. Option D focuses on the family bond but the passage centres the revelation on understanding the work, not the relationship itself. Answer: C

Thinking Skills

Q7. Answer: D

Step 1: Ahmed competes in swimming (clue 1). Swimming is now taken. Step 2: Tane does not compete in rowing or athletics (clue 2), and cannot compete in swimming because Ahmed has it. The only remaining event for Tane is cycling. Step 3: With swimming (Ahmed) and cycling (Tane) taken, Jianna cannot compete in swimming or cycling (clue 3), so Jianna competes in rowing or athletics. Soraya cannot compete in swimming or athletics (clue 4), so Soraya must compete in rowing. That forces Jianna into athletics. Verified unique: Ahmed=swimming, Tane=cycling, Jianna=athletics, Soraya=rowing. No alternative survives because Tane's two exclusions (not rowing, not athletics) plus Ahmed holding swimming leave only cycling for Tane. Option A claims Tane competes in swimming, but swimming is taken by Ahmed (clue 1), so Tane cannot swim. Option B claims Tane competes in rowing, but clue 2 directly rules out rowing for Tane. Option C claims Tane competes in athletics, but clue 2 directly rules out athletics for Tane. Answer: D

Q8. Answer: B

Step 1: Let L be the number of large bags and S be the number of small bags. Two equations: S + L = 12 (total bags) 50S + 200L = 1,500 (total grams) Step 2: From the first equation, S = 12 - L. Substitute into the second: 50(12 - L) + 200L = 1,500 600 - 50L + 200L = 1,500 150L = 900 L = 6 Step 3: Check: 6 large bags and 6 small bags = 12 bags total. Mass = 6 x 200 + 6 x 50 = 1,200 + 300 = 1,500 g. Correct. Option A (3): results from accidentally treating the small bag as 100 g instead of 50 g, giving 100 x (12-L) + 200L = 1,500, so 100L = 300, L = 3. Option C (4): results from a calculation slip, such as subtracting the wrong value mid-working. Option D (8): results from dividing the total mass by the large bag weight alone (1,500 / 200 = 7.5, rounded up to 8), ignoring the small bags. Answer: B

Q9. Answer: B

The rule states: joins gym class (A) implies must wear non-marking shoes (B). Written as A → B. The CONTRAPOSITIVE of A → B is: not B → not A. That is, not wearing non-marking shoes implies cannot join the gym class. This is always a valid logical move. Lior states exactly the contrapositive: 'If I am not wearing non-marking shoes, I cannot join the gym class.' Lior is correct. Otto states the CONVERSE: B → A, meaning wearing the shoes allows joining. The converse of a rule is not guaranteed to be true. The rule only tells us what students who join must do; it does not say that wearing the shoes is enough on its own to be admitted. Otto commits a converse error (affirming the consequent). Option A is wrong because Otto's reasoning relies on the converse, which does not follow from the original rule. Option C is wrong because Otto's reasoning is flawed, so both cannot be correct together. Option D is wrong because Lior correctly applies the contrapositive. Answer: B

Q10. Answer: A

Step 1: Elena finished last (4th) from clue 3. Step 2: Bilal did not finish 1st or 2nd (clues 1 and 4), and 4th is taken by Elena, so Bilal must have finished 3rd. Step 3: Positions 1st and 2nd remain for Lior and Mia. Clue 2 says Lior finished exactly one place ahead of Mia. Since 'ahead' means a smaller place number, Lior=1st and Mia=2nd satisfies this (1 place difference). The only other pair option would need Lior in a place lower than 2nd, but 3rd and 4th are already taken. So Lior=1st and Mia=2nd. Verified unique: Lior=1st, Mia=2nd, Bilal=3rd, Elena=4th. No alternative survives because Bilal's two exclusions force Bilal to 3rd, and the Lior-ahead-of-Mia constraint then pins Lior to 1st. Option B is wrong because Mia finished 2nd, not 1st. Option C is wrong because clues 1 and 4 rule out 1st and 2nd for Bilal. Option D is wrong because Elena finished last (4th), not first. Answer: A

Q11. Answer: D

Mia observes that test results improved after the spelling program started, then concludes that the program caused the improvement. This is a post-hoc reasoning error (after this, therefore because of this). Just because two things occur in sequence does not mean one caused the other. Results might have risen because the class had a new teacher, students matured in their reading habits, or the test format changed. Option D names this flaw precisely: Mia treats the timing of events as proof of cause, without ruling out other explanations. Option A raises a missing-data point about home practice time. Even if Mia collected that data, the core reasoning flaw (assuming sequence equals cause) would still remain in her argument. Option B suggests a useful comparison group. While that comparison would help test the claim, the main flaw is the logical leap Mia has already made, not the absence of comparison data. Option C asks about student engagement. Engagement is a separate question from whether the program caused the score improvement. It does not address the reasoning error. Answer: D

Q12. Answer: C

Step 1: Find the differences between consecutive terms. 4 - 3 = 1 7 - 4 = 3 12 - 7 = 5 19 - 12 = 7 Step 2: The differences form their own pattern: 1, 3, 5, 7. These are consecutive odd numbers, increasing by 2 each time. Step 3: The next difference must be 9. So the next term is 19 + 9 = 28. Option A (24): results from adding 5 again, repeating the third difference instead of continuing the pattern of differences. Option B (26): results from adding 7 again, repeating the most recent difference rather than increasing it by 2. Option D (30): results from adding 11, increasing the difference by 4 instead of 2, or treating the differences as doubling. Answer: C

Mathematical Reasoning

Q13. Answer: B

Let j be the cost of one fruit juice and m the cost of one muffin (in dollars). Step 1: Write the two equations from the given information. 2j + 3m = 13.50 ... (equation 1) 4j + m = 14.50 ... (equation 2) Step 2: From equation 2, express m in terms of j. m = 14.50 - 4j Step 3: Substitute into equation 1. 2j + 3(14.50 - 4j) = 13.50 2j + 43.50 - 12j = 13.50 -10j = -30 j = 3.00 Step 4: Find m. m = 14.50 - 4(3.00) = 14.50 - 12.00 = 2.50 Now check each statement. Statement 1: A fruit juice costs $3.00. TRUE (j = 3.00). Statement 2: A muffin costs $2.00. FALSE. A muffin costs $2.50, not $2.00. Statement 3: Two juices and two muffins = 2(3.00) + 2(2.50) = 6.00 + 5.00 = $11.00. TRUE. Only Statements 1 and 3 are correct, so the answer is Option B. Option A (Statement 1 only): correct that Statement 2 is false, but wrongly rejects Statement 3, perhaps by computing 2(3.00) + 2(2.00) = 10.00 using the wrong muffin price. Option C (Statements 1 and 2 only): accepts Statement 2 as true by mistakenly solving for m = 2.00, perhaps from arithmetic slip in step 4. Option D (All three): accepts Statement 2 despite the balance equations giving m = 2.50. The fifth option (Statement 3 only) wrongly rejects the true Statement 1. Answer: B

Q14. Answer: A

Work backwards through each event in reverse order. Step 1: Reverse the friend's gift. Before receiving 10 cookies, Ines had 30 - 10 = 20 cookies. Step 2: Reverse eating 4 cookies. Before eating 4, Ines had 20 + 4 = 24 cookies. Step 3: Reverse giving one third to the neighbour. After giving one third away, Ines kept two thirds. So 24 represents two thirds of the original amount. Original = 24 divided by (2/3) = 24 x (3/2) = 36 cookies. Check (forwards): 36, give away 1/3 (12), left with 24. Eat 4, left with 20. Receive 10, end with 30. Correct. Option A (36): correct. Option B (30): student used the final count as the answer without working backwards at all. Option C (40): student reversed the gift and eating steps correctly to reach 24, but then multiplied by 5/3 instead of 3/2, confusing the reciprocal of two thirds. Option D (48): student reversed the gift and eating steps correctly to reach 24, but then doubled instead of multiplying by 3/2, treating the one-third given away as one half. Answer: A

Q15. Answer: B

Step 1: Find the total number of ratio parts. Almonds : Cashews : Peanuts = 2 : 3 : 5, so total parts = 2 + 3 + 5 = 10 parts. Step 2: Find the mass of one part. One part = 600 / 10 = 60 grams. Step 3: Find the total mass of cashews using the correct ratio value of 3. Cashews = 3 parts = 3 x 60 = 180 grams. Step 4: Divide the cashews equally among 6 teammates. Each teammate receives 180 / 6 = 30 grams. The correct answer is Option B. Option A (60 grams): student stopped after step 2 and reported one part (60 grams) as the answer, without identifying the cashew portion or sharing it among teammates. Option B (30 grams): correct. Three ratio parts of cashews give 180 grams, and 180 / 6 = 30 grams per teammate. Option C (180 grams): student correctly found the cashew total of 180 grams but forgot to divide it among the 6 teammates, reporting the full undivided cashew mass. Option D (20 grams): student mistakenly used the almond ratio value (2) instead of the cashew ratio value (3), computing 2 x 60 = 120 grams, then dividing 120 / 6 = 20 grams per person. Answer: B

Q16. Answer: D

Step 1: Find the area of the full large rectangle. Area = length x width = 10 x 7 = 70 square metres. Step 2: Find the area of the cut-out rectangular section. Area of cut-out = 4 x 3 = 12 square metres. Step 3: Subtract the cut-out area from the full rectangle. L-shape area = 70 - 12 = 58 square metres. Option A (46 square metres): student subtracted 4 x 6 = 24 instead of 4 x 3 = 12, doubling the cut-out width by mistake: 70 - 24 = 46. Option B (50 square metres): student used 5 as the cut-out width instead of 3, giving 4 x 5 = 20: 70 - 20 = 50. Option C (54 square metres): student squared the cut-out length instead of multiplying length by width, giving 4 x 4 = 16: 70 - 16 = 54. Option D (58 square metres): correct. The fifth option (62 square metres) comes from subtracting only the sum of the cut-out dimensions (4 + 3 = 7) rather than their product, giving 70 - 8 = 62. Answer: D

Q17. Answer: C

Step 1: Convert departure time to minutes after midnight to make addition straightforward. 8:45 am = 8 x 60 + 45 = 525 minutes after midnight. Step 2: Add the journey time. 2 hours 35 minutes = 2 x 60 + 35 = 155 minutes. Scheduled arrival = 525 + 155 = 680 minutes after midnight. 680 / 60 = 11 hours and 20 minutes, so scheduled arrival = 11:20 am. Step 3: Apply the 20-minute traffic delay. Actual arrival = 680 + 20 = 700 minutes after midnight. 700 / 60 = 11 hours and 40 minutes = 11:40 am. The correct answer is Option C (11:40 am). Option A (11:00 am): student misread the journey time as 2 hours 15 minutes instead of 2 hours 35 minutes, giving 8:45 + 2:15 = 11:00, and also forgot to add the 20-minute delay. Option B (11:20 am): student correctly found the scheduled arrival time of 11:20 am but forgot to add the 20-minute traffic delay. Option D (11:35 am): student found the correct scheduled arrival of 11:20 am but added only 15 minutes of delay instead of 20: 11:20 + 0:15 = 11:35. Answer: C

Q18. Answer: C

Step 1: Find the total number of steps needed across all 5 days. Total = mean x number of days = 7,600 x 5 = 38,000 steps. Step 2: Add up the steps from the four known days. 6,800 + 8,400 = 15,200 15,200 + 7,200 = 22,400 22,400 + 9,000 = 31,400 steps. Step 3: Subtract the known total from the required total to find Day 5. Day 5 = 38,000 - 31,400 = 6,600 steps. The correct answer is Option C. Option A (7,600 steps): student copied the mean directly as the answer for Day 5, without computing the required total or finding the missing value. Option B (6,400 steps): student correctly found the required total of 38,000 but made a small arithmetic slip when summing the four known days, arriving at 31,600 instead of 31,400, giving 38,000 - 31,600 = 6,400. Option C (6,600 steps): correct. The total across 5 days is 38,000 steps, the four known days sum to 31,400, and 38,000 - 31,400 = 6,600 steps for Day 5. Option D (5,600 steps): student misread 7,200 as 8,200 when adding the four known days, producing a sum of 32,400 instead of 31,400, and then computed 38,000 - 32,400 = 5,600. Answer: C

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