Craft and structure

Measures the comprehension, vocabulary, analysis, synthesis, and reasoning skills and knowledge needed to understand and use high-utility words and phrases in context, evaluate texts rhetorically, and make connections between topically related texts.

Words in context

These questions test vocabulary and whether it makes sense to insert a word in a particular context. Sometimes, the SAT likes to add in additional and irrelevant information, but keep in mind the entire excerpt should be read so that key details and context is not missed. Keep a lookout for singular words that may alter the meaning or purpose of the text, and allow that to form the basis on which you select your answer choice.

Strategies:

Context First: Read the sentence and surrounding sentences to identify the meaning before looking at the choices.
Elimination: Remove options that don’t fit the tone or meaning of the sentence.
Positive/Negative Tone: Identify whether the word should have a positive or negative connotation based on the passage.

Worked example

The clause before the blank explains that the collection comes from a spoken-word poet, suggesting the art form includes performance. The clause after the blank explains that the language within the collection has "the same pleasant musical quality" when printed, suggeesting that the collection has musical quality itself. The only word choice that connects to this is the word "melodic". Hence, answer choice C is correct.

A more detailed answer choice justification can be found here.

Text structure and purpose

These questions test your understanding on the author's intent and how the text is organised. Look for explicit evidence when making judgements. Again, singular words may, in some cases, completely change the purpose of the text, so make sure to read slowly and carefully in order to not miss any details.

Strategies:

Identify Purpose: Look for why the author included a particular paragraph or sentence.
Structural Clues: Look for transition words (e.g., "however," "therefore") to understand flow and relationships.
Paragraph Roles: Understand whether a paragraph provides evidence, counterarguments, or conclusions.

Worked example

The paragraph is set up in a way that sets up the context for a character, followed by a description of that character. It can be identified that the entirety of the paragraph after the underlined portion is part of a description of the character. The underlined sentence is a statement about the character. Seeing as the sentences after the underlined portion are evidence for the claim, it must be setting up the character description. Hence, answer choice A is correct.

A more detailed answer choice justification can be found here.

Cross-text connections

These questions text your proficiency at matching arguments and connections between different texts. Look for explicit evidence when making judgements. A lot of times, the SAT trips you up by providing texts in a familiar subject, allowing you to subconsiously introduce your own knowledge. This is not the best way of approaching these questions, as connections must be clearly inferred or explicitly stated in the texts.

Strategies:

Compare Main Ideas: Focus on the overarching argument or purpose of each text.
Evidence Matching: Identify key lines or data that support similarities or differences between texts.

Worked example

Text 1 is set up to introduce a theory that diversity in ecological growth is determined by the number of species living in the habitats at earlier times. However, Text 2 introduces a study that proves there was little difference in the diversity when altering the number of species living in the habitat. Seeing as there isn't a strong correlation between the claim and the study, the claim is not supported. However, the data doesn't seem to reject the theory entirely. Hence, answer choice C is correct.

A more detailed answer choice justification can be found here.

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