Central Ideas and Inferences

How the SAT Tests Reading Comprehension

The digital SAT uses short, single-passage questions — each passage is roughly 100–150 words followed by one question. Information and Ideas makes up about 26% of the R&W section, appearing as approximately 8–10 questions per module.

Central Idea Questions

These ask: "Which choice best states the main idea of the text?"

Strategy:

1. Read the entire passage before looking at choices
2. Summarize the passage in your own words in one sentence
3. Find the choice that matches your summary

What makes a wrong answer wrong:

Distractor Type	How to Spot It
Too narrow	Focuses on one detail, ignoring the broader point
Too broad	Makes a claim the passage doesn't fully support
Off-topic	Mentions something related but not discussed in the passage
Opposite	Contradicts the passage's main point

Inference Questions

These ask: "Based on the text, which choice is most strongly supported?" or "What can most reasonably be inferred?"

Critical rule: A valid inference must be directly supported by the text. On the SAT, "inference" does NOT mean "educated guess" — it means a conclusion that logically follows from stated information.

Strategy:

1. For each answer choice, ask: "Can I point to a specific sentence or phrase that supports this?"
2. If you cannot identify textual support, eliminate the choice
3. The correct answer is always the most conservative claim the text supports

Detail vs. Inference

Question Type	What It Asks	How to Answer
Detail	"According to the text..."	Find the exact statement in the passage
Inference	"Based on the text, it can be inferred..."	Find a claim that logically follows from stated facts
Central idea	"The main idea of the text is..."	Synthesize the entire passage into one overarching point

SAT trap: Choices that are true in general knowledge but not supported by THIS specific passage. Always answer based on the passage alone.