Information & Ideas
Comprehension, inference, and command of evidence — including questions where a table or graph supports a claim.
Approach
- Base every answer strictly on the passage or the data — no outside knowledge.
- For command-of-evidence, match the specific claim to the exact data point that proves it.
- For inference, the answer must be directly supported, not just possible.
Common traps
- Data misreads: the wrong row/column, a reversed trend, or an unsupported comparison.
- 'Could be true' choices when the question needs 'must be true'.
Craft & Structure
Words in context, the purpose/structure of text, and connections across two passages.
Approach
- For words-in-context, plug each choice back in and test the sentence's logic — ignore the word's most common meaning.
- Ask what a sentence or paragraph is doing (introduce, contrast, illustrate), not just what it says.
- For paired texts, pin down each author's point before comparing them.
Common traps
- Picking a word's everyday definition instead of the meaning the context demands.
- Confusing a text's structure/purpose with its content.
Expression of Ideas
Rhetorical synthesis (using notes to meet a goal) and choosing the most logical transition.
Approach
- For transitions, name the relationship between the two ideas (contrast, cause, example) first, then pick the matching word.
- For synthesis, re-read the stated GOAL and use only the given bullet notes.
Common traps
- A transition that reads smoothly but signals the wrong logical relationship.
- Synthesis choices that are accurate but don't accomplish the stated goal.
Standard English Conventions
Grammar, usage, and punctuation — sentence boundaries, agreement, and punctuating clauses and lists.
Approach
- Check subject–verb and pronoun agreement, verb tense, and modifier placement.
- Watch sentence boundaries: comma splices and run-ons are the most tested error.
- Read the sentence with each option inserted — the correct one is grammatical, not just smooth.
Common traps
- Choosing what 'sounds right' over what is grammatically correct.
- A comma where a semicolon or period is required between independent clauses.