SAT® Topics
Don't just test. Master the content.
SAT Reading questions are approximately 54% of the verbal questions on the SAT. Here are the major types:
Craft and Structure
About 28% of the verbal questions, Craft and Structure questions are all about reading for the meaning of words and sentences and how those sentences work together in passages.
Words in Context
Learn to decipher vocabulary from context and how to effectively eliminate wrong answers.
Words in Context
This primary type of Words in Context question is essentially a fill-in-the-blank vocabulary question. Learn to find the definition in the sentence and match it to the correct answer. And when the vocab gets tough, learn how to still get the right answer.
Text Structure and Purpose
Learn how to analyze text structure and purpose, how different parts of a text work together to convey meaning and how to avoid those tricky wrong answers.
Function of Sentence
It's not just what a sentence means for Function of Sentence questions, but how the sentence fits in with the overall passage.. Read with purpose to see how the sentences relate to each other. Learn the genres, from arguments to stories, to discover the common right and wrong answers.
Main Purpose
Don't get caught up in the details for Main Purpose questions. Whether science or poetry, the wrong answers might have some details right but the test writers distort the purpose. Learn the strategies to get to the heart of the passage and avoid the traps.
Structure of Text
The start to Structure of Text is the sentence-by-sentence summary. Then learn how to use process-of-elimination until only the right answer is left standing.
Cross-Text Connections
Master the art of making connections and comparing ideas across multiple texts. Learn what sentences to focus on and how to tackle these longer questions.
Text 1/2
The question is king for Text 1/2 questions, so make sure you understand it before you even read the texts. All that matters is the relationship between arguments, and the test writers have a few tricks up their sleeves to push you towards wrong answers.
Information and Ideas
About 26% of the verbal questions, Information and Ideas questions test your ability to comprehend and analyze text. From identifying central ideas to making logical inferences, master the techniques to excel in these important SAT Reading questions.
Central Ideas and Details
Learn proven strategies to identify main themes and distinguish key supporting evidence in complex passages.
Specific Detail
Specific Detail questions are all about finding a detail in the text. Learn how to use the question to help you find this needle in a haystack, and don't get pricked by those evil wrong answers in the process.
Main Idea
To find the Main Idea, learn to filter the secondary points from the main one. Use the genre as a springboard to help you find what the passage is building towards, and be careful of those tempting distortions in the wrong answers.
Command of Evidence
Master techniques for analyzing both textual and data-based evidence, connecting evidence to conclusions effectively.
Choose Support
For Choose Support questions, a conclusion is given and you have to figure out what specific information would help the argument. Learn to identify the claim, and play a game of synonyms to find the correct answer.
Weaken Argument
Instead of supporting the argument, Weaken Argument questions ask you to poke holes in an argument. Learn how to find that contradictory claim, and always be on the lookout for strengthener answer choices.
Inferences
Enhance your ability to draw logical conclusions and make well-supported inferences from complex texts.
Complete Text
One of the most feared SAT types, Complete Text questions require you to understand the logic of an argument. Learn the types of common arguments on the test and their expected conclusions. Learn the inference game and max out your verbal score.