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Reading: Information & Ideas
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SAT Reading — Information and Ideas Quick Reference
Core Concepts
Main Idea Questions
| Strategy | Detail |
| Read the full passage first | Never answer before reading everything |
| Identify: topic + author's point | Main idea = what the text is about + what it says about that |
| Eliminate too narrow | Answer only covers one sentence/detail |
| Eliminate too broad | Answer goes beyond what the text claims |
| Thesis location | Usually first or last sentence of short passages |
| Type | Strategy |
| Paired quote question | Find quote that directly proves the specific claim — topic isn't enough |
| Data question | Read title, axes, units; choose answer that accurately reads the data |
| Correlation ≠ causation | Never accept an answer claiming causation from a graph/table |
| Undermine question | You're looking for evidence AGAINST the claim — flip your search |
| Step | Action |
| 1 | Summarize Text 1 in your own words |
| 2 | Summarize Text 2 in your own words |
| 3 | Identify the relationship: agree / disagree / partially agree |
| 4 | Match the relationship to an answer |
- Agree: Both authors support the same position
- Disagree: One challenges the other's position
- Partially agree: One accepts part, complicates the rest
Common Exam Traps
- Main idea — too narrow: An answer true for one sentence isn't the main idea
- Evidence — right topic, wrong support: A quote about the same subject that doesn't actually prove the claim
- Data — causal claim from correlation: "X causes Y" when graph only shows X and Y move together
- Cross-text — overstated relationship: "Completely disagree" when authors only partially differ
- Cross-text — reversed: Answer correctly describes the relationship but gets the authors backward
- Cross-text — outside knowledge: Authors' professions or backgrounds don't determine what they believe; base answer on text only
Aligned to the College Board Digital SAT specifications.
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