Ready for the next installment of tips for the SAT [info:'sat-critical-reading' Critical Reading section]? Hope you are, because today we’re covering tips for answering specific information questions! These are among the easiest questions on the SAT as you don’t have to interperate any information. However, there are a number of little errors you can make that will cost you marks; follow these tips to ensure you don’t become a victim!
- Don’t answer the wrong question. While specific information questions can be straightforward, sometimes the writers will provide you with negative phrases to try and trick you. For example: Which of the following was not a number 1 Beatles hit?* or Which of the following was a number 1 Beatles hit? See the difference? Make sure you know if you’re looking to circle the right answer, or pick the wrong answer out.
- Don’t waste time looking for the wrong sentence. Sometimes, specific information questions will refer to a specific line in the passage. For example: “Which of the follow factors is said to be the major influence behind Picaso’s blue period (65-72)?” You can see that there is a specific reference to lines 65-72 – so look for the information you need in those lines.
- Don’t assume the text will always match the answers identically. No, you aren’t being asked to interpret the text, but remember, sometimes words or phrases with the same meaning could be used in the answer. For example, if the text states that Bach had no interest in popular composers of his time, and the question asks you to identify who did not influence Bach’s music, the answer could include the phrase his contemporary composers because contemporary and ‘of his time’ share the same meaning.
- Don’t psych yourself out. These are the easy questions, you take the specific information from the passage and find the answer. The SAT writers are not trying to play mind games with you….well….usually not in this section. Don’t let your paranoia get the best of you.
Read the full article: Don’t Lose Marks on These Stupid Mistakes!
Related Articles
- » GMAT Question of the Day (Jan 13): Coordinate Geometry and Sentence Correction
- » GMAT Question of the Day (Feb 17): Mixture Problem and Critical Reasoning
- » MBA News Roundup – GMAT in India, Social Media in Business, and Making Up for a Low GPA
- » How to Make Educated Guesses on Quant
- » Spirit of Innovation Challenge: Enter by 11/29/11