SAT Prep – SAT Expression of Ideas

SAT Reading and Writing Section Basics

The SAT is an established part of completing high school and applying to college, and in order to remain current, the test is revised every few years. The latest revision occurred in 2023 (2024 for students in the United States) when the test transitioned from a paper-and-pencil exam to a digital one taken on a laptop, tablet, or school-managed Chromebook. The digital SAT consists of two sections: Reading and Writing, and Math. There are 54 questions on the Reading and Writing section, and test-takers have 64 minutes to complete this section. As a digital exam, the SAT is now computer adaptive and because of this, the Reading and Writing section is divided into two modules. On the first module, students receive a mixture of easy, medium, and difficult questions, and how they perform on the first module determines the questions they receive on the second. If a student performs well on the first module, they receive more challenging questions on their second module. If, however, a student struggles on the first module, he or she will receive less challenging questions on the second module.

The Reading and Writing section of the SAT consists of a series of reading passages that students must revise through answering multiple-choice questions and correcting mistakes or weaknesses. While previous versions of the SAT required students to write an essay, this is not required on the digital SAT, as the College Board assesses reading and writing knowledge through the presented passages and the questions that follow them. Each passage contains approximately 25-150 words, and unlike previous versions of the exam, there is now only one question per passage. Passage topics are varied and include but are not limited to the humanities, career issues, history, science, and social students, which means text-takers can expect to encounter one or more passages focusing on each topic. Several passages also include informational graphics such as charts, graphs, and tables that must be taken into consideration when reading the passage and answering the given question. 

Based on information made readily available by the College Board, questions on the Reading and Writing section of the SAT are broken down into four broad categories, or content domains:

  1. Craft and Structure
  2. Information and Ideas
  3. Standard English Conventions
  4. Expression of Ideas

We examine Expression of Ideas questions in detail below.

Expression of Ideas Content Domain

Expression of Ideas questions ask students to demonstrate their revision knowledge and skills by improving the effectiveness of written expression in accordance with provided rhetorical goals. These questions make up roughly 20% of all questions on the Reading and Writing section of the SAT. Additionally, according to the College Board, these types of questions also assess two specific subskills:

  1. Rhetorical Synthesis
  2. Transitions

Rhetorical Synthesis Questions

When it comes to Rhetorical Synthesis questions, students are given several bulleted notes containing information that relates to an unfamiliar topic. These bullet points are followed by a question that asks students to use information from the notes to achieve a specific goal. These types of questions will appear similar to the following:

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:

  • The novel “The Scarlet Letter” was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850.
  • “The Scarlet Letter” focuses on issues of hypocrisy, equality between men and women, sin, suffering among the powerless, and guilt.
  • Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts.
  • The novel “David Copperfield” was written by Charles Dickens in 1850.
  • “David Copperfield” addresses issues such as equality between men and women in marriage, the suffering of the weak and powerless, and the inherent unreliability of using wealth and class as measures of value.
  • “David Copperfield” is known as Charles Dickens’ most autobiographical novel.

Q: The student wants to emphasize the similarity between the two novels. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A) The novels “David Copperfield” and “The Scarlet Letter” were both written in 1850.

B) Nathaniel Hawthorn and Charles Dickens were both respected authors in the 1850’s, although Hawthorne was born in America and Dickens was born in England.

C) Novels written by Charles Dickens and Nathaniel Hawthorn in 1850 explored important social issues of the times, including equality between men and women and the suffering of the powerless.

D) In “David Copperfield, unlike in “The Scarlet Letter,” the main character grows, learns, and ultimately achieves a happy ending.

The correct answer is C. While choice A is technically correct, it only emphasizes a single point of similarity, while choice C provides a much more comprehensive answer because it uses more of the provided information from the bulleted list. Choice B does not strictly focus on the similarity between the two novels, as it specifically mentions a difference between the authors. And choice D again points out a difference between the two novels, not a similarity as was specified in the instructions.

Rhetorical questions can be challenging due to how much information is presented, requiring students to sift through several sentences to determine what is ultimately important. Test-takers should be careful to read the prompt closely, as it will specify the goal that will be achieved through the correct answer. The goal may be to emphasize a similarity or difference, to introduce a study and its associated findings, or to provide an explanation and example of a specific idea. Only one of the answer options will achieve this specified goal. It is important to make sure that the selected answer option accomplishes the identified goal while also accurately representing the information presented in the bulleted list. 

Transitions Questions

Transitions questions require students to select the most logical word or phrase to connect information within a short passage. Transitions connect sentences in ways that make it clear to a reader exactly how those sentences are related as part of holding an idea or ideas together. Relationships between ideas tend to require the use of one of the following types of transitions:

  • If the sentences express the same underlying idea, students should consider an agreement transition such as “similarly.”
  • If the sentences identify a disagreement or contrast, students should consider a disagreement transition such as “however.”
  • If the sentences are organized by time or position, students should consider a sequence transition such as “previously.”
  • If the second sentence elaborates on the first sentence, students should consider an addition transition such as “furthermore.”
  • If the second sentence provides an example, students should consider an exemplification transition such as “for instance.”
  • If the second sentence is caused by or a result of the first sentence, students should consider using a cause-and-effect transition such as “therefore.”

Transitions questions will appear similar to the following:

Famous German composer Ludwig van Beethoven first began losing his hearing around the age of 28; _______ he composed one of his most famous works, the Ninth Symphony, in his fifties when he was profoundly deaf.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A) moreover

B) as a result

C) consequently

D) however

The correct answer is D, as none of the other answer options make logical sense when attempting to connect the two sentences.

With regards to Transitions questions, students should read the provided text very carefully and then attempt to summarize it in their own words to determine the relationship between the given sentences. This can help identify the relationship between the passage’s idea or ideas, making it clearer how best to connect them. Only one of the answer choices will feature a transition that matches the identified relationship. Plugging different answer options into the blank can also help with the process of elimination if more than option appears to be a possible answer.

SAT Reading and Writing Section Score

When the SAT transitioned to a digital exam, the College Board took the opportunity to streamline test scores. This was done to make score interpretation and usage easier among students, parents, and academic professionals. Those who take the digital SAT receive a total of three reported scores:

  1. SAT Total Score
  2. Reading and Writing Section Score
  3. Math Section Score

The SAT Total Score falls on a scale ranging from 400-1600. The Reading and Writing section score falls on a scale ranging from 200-800, as does the Math section score. While previous versions of the SAT reported subscores and other combinations of scores, these have been removed following the transition to a computerized version of the exam.

Purpose of the SAT Reading and Writing Section

The digital SAT Reading and Writing section was intentionally revised to mimic the editing process students are expected to demonstrate on college-level writing assignments. Since each test question is based on the preceding reading passage, a strong performance no longer depends on rote memorization, which was a criticism of prior versions of the SAT. Reading and Writing questions ask students to improve the quality of writing in a given passage through clarifying ideas, arranging information in a more logical sequence, utilizing more precise words, and making corrective changes to grammar and punctuation. If a passage includes an informational graphic, test-takers must consider this material when attempting to identify errors and improve the accuracy and clarity of a passage. 

Types of Questions and Answers on the SAT Reading and Writing Section

Every question on the Reading and Writing section of the SAT is multiple-choice and includes four possible answer choices. Answer choices can vary greatly in terms of how plausible they are, but test-takers will certainly encounter choices that are incredibly similar to one another (for example, the only difference between three answer choices may be the placement of a single comma). 

Certain questions may include an option to do nothing and leave the word, phrase, or passage unchanged. Other questions focus on whether a particular sentence should be deleted due to the repetition of words or the cloudiness of a main point. Some questions ask test-takers to identify the most logical place to insert additional information or to choose the most effective way to word a certain idea. There may also be questions that require students to combine sentences, unify passages, restate primary claims, include supporting evidence, or conform to specific stylistic patterns with regard to sentence structure or rhetorical technique.

Preparing for SAT Reading and Writing Questions

While there are several ways to prepare for the Reading and Writing section of the SAT, one of the most effective is taking practice tests to become familiar with the different question types, as well as how questions are asked. Monitoring progress through setting and achieving study goals is most effective when done as part of a test prep program, whether that means enrolling in a group course or working one-on-one with a private tutor. One of the best ways for students to effectively manage their time on the SAT is to quickly identify the type of Reading and Writing question they are being asked, as once they know what they are being asked, they can implement a problem-solving strategy to quickly arrive at the correct answer.