HiSET Reading Practice Test

When statistics appear in a passage, you check reliability by looking at the source, date, sample size, and whether the data are represented accurately and fairly. The source tells you who collected or funded the data and whether they have credibility or potential bias. The date matters because data can become outdated and may not reflect current conditions. The sample size matters because a small or unrepresentative sample may not represent the whole group. How the data are represented matters a lot—charts, graphs, and summaries should be accurate, not distorted by misleading scales, selective reporting, or missing context.

The other options don’t help assess reliability: the color of a chart background has no impact on accuracy; the number of figures alone doesn’t indicate trustworthiness; and the author’s hobby is irrelevant to the data’s reliability.