SAT CRITICAL READING

PART 4

PASSAGE-BASED READING QUESTIONS

Tips on Handling
Passage-Based Reading Questions

TIP 4

Go Back to the Passage to Double-Check Your Answer Choices

When you tackle the questions, go back to the passage to verify the answers you chose. Do not rely on your memory alone; above all, do not ignore the passage and just answer questions on the basis of other things you’ve read. Remember: the questions are asking you about what this author has to say about the subject, not about what some other author you once read said about it in another book.

Use the line references in the questions to be sure you’ve gone back to the correct spot in the passage. Most reading passages on the SAT tend to be long. Fortunately, all the lines are numbered, and the questions often refer you to specific lines in the passage by number. It takes less time to locate a line number than to spot a word or phrase. Use the line numbers to orient yourself in the text.