SAT Prep – Reading and Writing Question Domains

SAT Reading and Writing Question Categories

The SAT is composed of two sections: Reading and Writing, and Math. The Reading and Writing section consists of 54 questions presented across two modules. The first module includes 27 questions and features a mixture of easy, medium, and difficult questions. The second module also contains 27 questions, but the difficulty-level of the questions depends on how well a student performed on the first module—test-takers who performed well receive more challenging questions whereas test-takers who struggled receive less challenging questions. Students have a total of 64 minutes to complete the entire Reading and Writing section, which can be broken down to 32 minutes per module.

While previous versions of the SAT required students to write an essay, that is no longer necessary, as writing skills are evaluated through editing sentences or passages to improve the clarity of the written communication. The Reading and Writing section of the SAT consists entirely of 54 multiple-choice questions that require students to demonstrate comprehension of individual reading passages as well as paired passages. While earlier versions of the SAT had students read long passages and answer multiple questions about the same passage, now each passage is between 25-150 words and students are only asked one question per passage. The College Board has divided the requisite skills needed to perform well on this section into four categories:

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

One or more subskills may be included in each broader category, and we will consider them all below.

Information and Ideas

Questions in this category assess comprehension, analysis, and reasoning skills, as well as the ability to differentiate between what was stated and what was implied in texts and the accompanying informational graphics. Students are expected to locate, interpret, evaluate, and integrate information and ideas. The College Board lists three subskills associated with this category:

  1. Central Ideas and Details
  2. Command of Evidence (Textual, Quantitative)
  3. Inferences

Central Ideas and Details questions test a student’s ability to identify the central, or main, idea of a passage, as well as the supporting details that strengthen or support the central idea.

Command of Evidence questions evaluate skills such as determining the best evidence, interpreting data presented in graphics, drawing connections between text and graphics, and understanding the author’s use of evidence. 

Inferences questions require test-takers to distinguish between information that is directly stated in the passage and information that is inferred, or drawn, from the passage without being explicitly stated. Students must specifically assess an author's use of supporting evidence (or lack thereof) for arguments put forth in the provided passages.

Expression of Ideas

Questions in this category assess a student’s ability to use revision skills to improve the effectiveness of written expression in order to achieve a specified rhetorical goal, such as improving the clarity, style, and/or organization of the text. Students may be asked to add or remove details to strengthen a thesis, to rearrange sentences or paragraphs to improve passage structure and coherence, and to find the best word choices, tone, or style to support the passage while demonstrating an understanding of the author’s purpose. 

The College Board lists two subskills associated with this category:

  1. Rhetorical Synthesis
  2. Transitions

Rhetorical Synthesis questions are presented in the form of bulleted notes that contain related information about a particular topic. Students must effectively use relevant information from the notes to accomplish a particular goal, such as emphasizing a connection between two novels or highlighting similarities between two scientific experiments.

Transitions questions ask students to select the most logical transition word or phrase to connect information and/or ideas within a brief passage.

Standard English Conventions

Questions in this category assess a test-taker’s ability to edit texts so they conform to core conventions of standard English with regards to sentence structure, usage, and punctuation. The College Board lists two subskills associated with this category:

  1. Boundaries
  2. Form, Structure, and Sense

Boundaries questions deal with sentence structure and punctuation. Students may be asked to edit sentences to ensure there are no fragments and that every sentence is a complete sentence. They are also expected to demonstrate knowledge of common English language punctuation, including but not limited to commas, semicolons, colons, and dashes.

Form, Structure, and Sense questions require test-takers to demonstrate an understanding of grammar rules. Such questions focus on subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, verb forms, subject-modifier placements, as well as plural and possessive nouns.

Craft and Structure

Questions in this category assess a student’s ability to use comprehension, vocabulary, analysis, synthesis, and reasoning skills to determine the meaning of academic words and phrases in context. Test-takers are also asked to evaluate texts rhetorically and draw connections between topically related texts. The College Board lists three subskills associated with this category:

  1. Words in Context
  2. Text Structure and Purpose
  3. Cross-Text Connections

Words in Context questions require students to determine the meaning of a word using various clues presented in the text. The best answer will fit the sentence perfectly while also reinforcing the text’s overall meaning.

Text Structure and Purpose questions ask test-takers to analyze how an author organized information in a passage and why they chose a particular structure to fulfill their purpose.

Cross-Text Connections questions focus on comparing and contrasting two passages written about a similar topic, and students must identify where the authors’ hold similar or differing points of view.

Identifying Question Categories

While it would certainly be helpful, questions on the SAT Reading and Writing section are not labeled by category as they appear on the test. The good news is that determining which skill is being tested is often made quite clear by noting the specific wording of the questions. For example, students should look for keywords and phrases such as "main focus," "stance," or "asserts," all of which suggest they will be asked to analyze an argument. 

The more familiar students are with different types of SAT Reading and Writing questions, the more readily they will be able to identify what each question is asking of them when they take the exam. The best way to distinguish between different types of questions is to take as many practice SAT’s as possible while also working with a test prep professional, whether that be through group classes or one-on-one private tutoring. While the purpose of preparation is to quickly and correctly answer a given question, understanding the type of question being asked and what category it falls into can help students be more confident of what they are being asked to do and what information they should be looking for in order to select the best possible answer.