SAT Reading and Writing: Mastering Information and Ideas

Central Idea

The main point of a text: what the author most wants the reader to understand after reading.

Topic

The general subject of a passage, which is broader and less specific than the central idea.

Detail

A specific piece of information in a text, such as an example, statistic, definition, observation, or result.

Purpose

Why the author included something or what a specific part of the text is doing, such as illustrating, challenging, or providing context.

Scope

The range an answer covers; a correct answer matches the full passage without being too broad or too narrow.

Inference

A conclusion that must be true or is most strongly supported by the text, even if it is not stated directly.

Textual Necessity

The SAT proof standard for inference questions: the best conclusion must be supported by specific parts of the text.

Overreach

An answer choice that goes beyond what the passage supports by adding stronger, broader, or extra claims.

Author Attitude Inference

A conclusion about the author's opinion or stance, drawn from tone, evaluative language, and concessions.

Cause-Effect Inference

A conclusion about what likely caused something, based on the passage's explanation of cause and effect.

Comparison Inference

A conclusion drawn from how two ideas, methods, or approaches differ and what those differences imply.

Quantitative Evidence

Numerical information from a table, graph, chart, or statistic that is used to support or evaluate a claim.

Units

The measurement labels attached to data, such as percent, dollars, minutes, or participants.

Raw Totals

Simple counts or total amounts, which should not be confused with rates, percentages, or proportions.

Rates

Comparisons such as percentages or proportions that are often more useful than raw counts when a claim is about likelihood or frequency.

Absolute Change

The amount a value changes, calculated as new minus old.

Percent Change

The size of a change relative to the starting value, calculated as (new - old) / old * 100%.

Percentage Points

The arithmetic difference between two percentages, such as a change from 20% to 30% being an increase of 10 percentage points.

Correlation

A relationship in which two variables move together, but one does not necessarily cause the other.

Causation

A relationship in which one factor produces a change in another; this requires stronger evidence than correlation.

Textual Evidence

Specific words, phrases, or lines from a passage that support an idea, interpretation, or answer choice.

Support

A textual evidence task in which you choose the quotation or paraphrase that most directly backs up a claim.

Consistency

A textual evidence task in which you identify the statement that the passage most clearly supports.

Paraphrase

A restatement of the text that must preserve its meaning, tone, and logic without distortion.

Qualifiers

Limiting words such as "some," "may," "often," or "cannot" that narrow or soften a claim.