Study Smart Tutors SAT Curriculum Overview and Samples

STUDY SMART TUTORS: SAT PROGRAMS OVERVIEW 2025

Study Smart Tutors provides dynamic, research-based SAT prep programs that balance content mastery with test-taking strategy—built to support diverse learners and deliver measurable outcomes. Study Smart Tutors offers SAT prep programs in four tiers—Primer, Fundamentals, Essentials (most popular) and The Complete Guide—designed to accommodate various school schedules, budgets, and student needs. Each program blends high- quality content with actionable strategy, helping students improve performance through both knowledge and insight.

SAT Prep Programs:

Hours:

Description:

Short-term prep sessions focused on specific topics, test strategies, or skill refreshers—ideal for workshops or targeted bootcamps. Foundational instruction covering key areas of the SAT—great for students seeking structured support without full program intensity. Well-rounded prep with instruction across all major SAT domains—designed for students looking for in- depth, skills-based practice. Extensive prep program offering full coverage of SAT content and strategies—ideal for students seeking a complete readiness experience.

Primer

2–7

Fundamentals

8-15

Essentials

16-25

The Complete Guide

26+

PRIMER PROGRAM IN-DEPTH (2–7 HOURS) SAT PROGRAMS OVERVIEW

Overview: A short-format SAT prep option ideal for quick workshops, drop-in sessions, or skill-specific bootcamps. Designed to build awareness, spark interest, and provide foundational strategies in a limited time. Materials Included: Select units from the Study Smart Tutors Official Study Guide to the Digital SAT Condensed SAT workbook-aligned instructional slides Sample scope & sequence for 1–3 sessions (1–2 hours each) Key Features: Focused on essential test-taking strategies and high-impact skills Can be delivered as standalone sessions (e.g., SAT Strategy Crash Course, Desmos Intro, Pacing & Mindset) Highly flexible for use in advisory, after-school, or family engagement settings Emphasizes motivation and confidence-building for first-time test- takers

Great Fit For: Districts launching SAT awareness campaigns After-school clubs or parent-student SAT events Programs needing a quick, low-lift intro to the SAT

FUNDAMENTALS PROGRAM IN-DEPTH (8–15 HOURS) SAT PROGRAMS OVERVIEW

Overview: A flexible, modular program designed for targeted SAT support—ideal for tight timelines or as a supplement to broader academic interventions. Materials Included: Study Smart Tutors Official Study Guide to the Digital SAT – Fundamentals SAT workbook-aligned instructional slides Suggested scope & sequence for 6 × 2-hour sessions

Key Features: Can be delivered as standalone workshops (e.g., SAT Strategy, Desmos Bootcamp, Reading Mastery) Customizable to focus on English, Math, or both Emphasizes strategic thinking: identifying patterns, eliminating wrong answers, and effective time management Introduces Desmos tools for SAT Math problem-solving Delivered using engaging slide decks and short-form practice materials

Great Fit For: After-school or Saturday academies Districts with limited instructional hours Programs aiming to build SAT confidence and familiarity

ESSENTIALS PROGRAM IN-DEPTH (16–25 HOURS) SAT PROGRAMS OVERVIEW

Overview: Our most popular and widely adopted offering. This 10-session course blends instruction, practice, and test-taking strategy in a highly scaffolded format. Materials Included: Study Smart Tutors Official Study Guide to the Digital SAT – Essentials SAT workbook-aligned instructional slides Suggested scope & sequence for 10 × 2-hour sessions

Key Features: Covers ~90% of SAT-tested knowledge/skills across English and Math Combines content mastery with strategic approaches (e.g., answer trap recognition) 200+ rigor-aligned practice questions integrated throughout Strong emphasis on Desmos integration for Math Infused with relevant examples and student- centered design Supports both virtual and in-person delivery

Great Fit For: Programs with consistent access to students Partners seeking measurable performance improvements Cohorts preparing for a specific SAT test date

Overview: Our most in-depth offering, designed to cover 100% of the College Board’s SAT knowledge and skill domains. Ideal for intensive instruction models or year-long electives. Materials Included: Study Smart Tutors Official Study Guide to the Digital SAT – Comprehensive THE COMPLETE GUIDE PROGRAM IN-DEPTH (26–30+ HOURS) SAT PROGRAMS OVERVIEW Covers 100% of SAT domains, including advanced content 300+ rigor-aligned practice questions woven into lessons Deep-dive modules on: Critical Reading & Inference Grammar Mechanics Algebra, Geometry, and Data Analysis Supports both extended in-school programming and summer intensives Ideal for building long-term SAT readiness Great Fit For: Programs with extended instructional time Districts offering SAT electives or semester-long prep Cohorts preparing for multiple SAT test dates Why Choose Study Smart Tutors? Aligned with College Board SAT content domains Culturally responsive and accessible for diverse learners Engaging, flexible, and adaptable for both virtual and in-person use Created by experienced educators with deep knowledge of student learning needs CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION: info@studysmarttutors.com Expanded SAT workbook-aligned instructional slides Suggested scope & sequence for 15 × 2-hour sessions Key Features:

STUDY SMART TUTORS SAT ESSENTIALS PACING GUIDE

This guide outlines the recommended pacing and sequencing for our most common program, which consists of ten 2-hour sessions. Of the 120 minutes available per session, 100 minutes have been dedicated to instruction (note that, depending on the session, ELA and Math have not been equally divided in terms of the time allotted). The other 20 minutes are set aside for classroom logistics, a mid-session break, and a bit of a buffer—just in case an extra 5 to 10 minutes are necessary to complete a portion of the session’s agenda. The times for each lesson serve only as guidelines rather than strict requirements. Teachers are encouraged to use their discretion and adjust each lesson to the needs of their students. PREFACE:

SAT CONTENT DOMAINS

Reading/Writing

Math

Craft & Structure: 28% Information & Ideas: 26% Standard English Conventions: 26% Expression of Ideas: 20%

Algebra: 35% Advanced Math: 35% Problem Solving & Data Analysis: 15% Geometry & Trigonometry: 15%

Page Number

Deck Number Slide Number

Time (Minutes)

Session

Topics/Tasks

Introductions:

1-1

To the course To the Digital SAT

Math:

Avoiding Distractors Algebra Alternative: PIYON

20 60

138 144

3-21 3-60

Reading:

2-23

Craft & Structure:

Words in Context

3-173

Math:

156

Algebra Alternative: PITA

Reading:

15 45

23 25

2-93 2-105

Best Practices: CARE Craft & Structure: Purpose

Structure Function Connections

Math:

3-319

165

Desmos

Reading:

2-151

Information & Ideas: Main Ideas Details

Math:

Algebra:

Linear Equations & Functions Lines

25 25

174 181

3-357 3-430

Reading:

3-430

Information & Ideas: Inferences Independent Practice

Command of Evidence

20 45

58 189

2-253 3-504

Math:

Algebra:

Linear Systems

Writing

2-276

Standard English Conventions: Subject-Verb Agreement

Math:

Advanced Math: Exponents Quadratics

45 15

199 205

3-596 3-727

Time (Minutes)

Page Number

Deck Number Slide Number

Session

Topics/Tasks

Writing

Standard English Conventions: Verb Tense & Aspect Verb Finiteness

75 80

2-357 2-405

Math:

Advanced Math:

Quadratics (cont’d) Parabolas

NA 214

3-806

Writing

Standard English Conventions: Plurals vs Possessives Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

2-457 2-500

85 90

20 20

Math:

Advanced Math:

NA 222 224

Parabolas (cont’d) 5 Systems Exponential Growth & Decay 6

3-889 3-928

2-544

Writing

Standard English Conventions: Boundaries Problem Solving & Data Analysis: Ratios, Proportions, and Units Percentages Center & Spread Probability 7 Scatterplots 8

Math:

227

3-971

Writing:

Expression of Ideas: Transitions

117 123

2-698 2-737

20 25

Rhetorical Synthesis

Math:

Geometry Angles

246

3-1183

Triangles (Right & Similar) Perimeter, Area, Volume

Trigonometry

3-1308

260

SOHCAHTOA 9

info@studysmarttutors.com https://studysmarttutors.com/ Contact us to learn more:

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION A Smart Start

DIGITAL SAT READING & WRITING About SAT Reading & Writing

Reading: Craft & Structure Reading: Information & Ideas Writing: Form, Sense, Structure

32 57 89

Writing: Boundaries Writing: Transitions

111

Writing: Rhetorical Synthesis

117

DIGITAL SAT MATH About SAT Math Algebra Alternatives Introduction to Desmos

129 138 158 168 194 220 238

Algebra

Advanced Math

Problem Solving & Data Analysis

Geometry & Trigonometry

APPENDICES

256 264

ANSWERS

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INTRODUCTION

DIGITAL SAT

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A SMART START

Welcome to the start of your SAT mastery! It might sound a bit counterintuitive, but the best place to start is to ask yourself what you want in the end.

What do you want on the SAT?

Many students say nebulous things like, “I want a good score.”

“a high score” “to not fail” “1600” “whatever”

But what is good ? What is high ? What is failing ? 1 Those goals are not specific and thus not smart goals. Now, 1600 is not nebulous at all—it’s very specific. But is it a smart goal? Well, that depends.

Whatever is actually a great goal! 2 You’re destined to succeed!

Anyway … to be successful at anything requires a plan. The SAT is no different. That’s why we recommend the SMART goals framework.

S pecific M easurable A chievable R elevant T ime-bound

Now, let’s apply this framework to your SAT preparation with an example.

S pecific

I want a 1400. 

“What’s wrong with that? That’s specific.” “Not specific enough.”

Specifically (pun intended), the question you need to answer is not what score do you want; it’s how many points do you need to get the score that you want? Do you need 100 points? 200? Let’s say it’s 200. Is it an even split? 100 more points in Math and 100 more points in Reading/Writing? When it comes to the SAT, your specific goal should be the score improvement , not the actual score.

“I want 80 points in Math and 70 points in Reading/Writing.” ✓

1 You can’t “fail” the SAT (at least not in the traditional sense). 2 This is known as sarcasm .

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M easurable

This is really two parts: 1) Is your goal measurable? 2) If so, how will you measure it?

The answer to the first question is easy: obviously, it’s measurable. The answer to the second question is easy too (sort of): take practice tests. But not just one and not just one right after the other. You need to take several tests and learn from each one. You must practice deliberate practice. Deliberate practice is focused, structured training aimed at improving specific weaknesses through repetition, feedback, and refinement. It’s about working smarter , not just harder. It’s a systematic, effortful, goal-directed training regimen designed to push your boundaries and improve specific elements of your performance.

“The man who does things makes many mistakes, but he never makes the biggest mistake of all—doing nothing.” — Benjamin Franklin

“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” — John Dewey

How many practice tests, you ask? How often? Use the following planner:

PLANNER

Today’s Date: Date of Practice SAT 1: Date of Practice SAT 2: Date of Practice SAT 3: Date of the official SAT:

“You want me to take three practice tests?” “Actually, we recommend four to six.” “What?! Why so many?” “Because practice makes possible.” “Don’t you mean perfect?” “No. POSSIBLE.”

A chievable

This is really two parts as well: 1) Can you do it? 2) If not, why not? What can make it achievable?

Let’s say you want a 400-point increase: 200 in Reading/Writing and 200 in Math. Is this achievable? You tell me! How bad do you want it?

“Don’t you mean, ‘How badly’”? “Touché!”

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Be honest—when you saw three practice tests in the planner, your immediate reaction was probably something like, “Maybe … I’ll do one. And, that’s a maybe.”

“Doesn’t sound like you want it BADLY at all!”

While we won’t speculate on the likelihood of a 400-point increase, we will speculate that such an increase is unlikely without a lot of practice tests and some help 3 . Fortunately, you have this book and this class. But that’s just the start. Start planning for the finish!

Relevant

In terms of the SAT, students often just arbitrarily quote scores.

“I want a 1400.” “Why?” “Because it’s a good score.” “For which school?”

Did you know that less than 5% of colleges have an average SAT score of 1400? So unless you’re applying to one of them, maybe you don’t need that high of a score. And if you are applying to one of them, then you definitely need a SMART plan!

Time-Bound

Every plan needs a beginning and an end. What’s yours? When it comes to the SAT, most students do NOT give themselves enough time.

“But I’m so good at cramming.” “Cram the SAT??? Have you been paying attention?!” “This requires a plan, not a cram!”

While we won’t speculate on the right amount of time, we will pontificate that it’s probably longer than you think.

In his book Outliers , author and journalist Malcolm Gladwell once posited that it took at least 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert at something. Whether he literally meant 10,000 hours is up for debate, but the 10,000-hour rule as it became to be known was widely criticized. 4 First of all, when it comes to practicing, it’s not just about quantity; it’s also about quality. It’s about deliberate practice—the kind of practice designed to improve your abilities.

3 In addition to this book, there’s tutorials on Khan Academy and YouTube. 4 Gladwell later clarified that the rule was never meant to be a rigid formula but rather a way to highlight the importance of practice in achieving expertise. He acknowledged that other factors like talent and opportunity also play significant roles, and the 10,000-hour figure was more illustrative than definitive.

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Remember: you can practice being bad at something too! 5

Secondly, there are other factors that contribute to achieving and sustaining expertise— one of which is genetics: some people are just innately talented at certain things. Pablo Picasso was a better draftsman at the age of seven than most adults who were artists too. Was that because he had been drawing for 10,000 hours? Obviously not. He was just born an artist.

So if it’s not 10,000 hours, is there an exact number? Some other estimates of the number are as low as 2,000 hours and as high as 25,000 hours.

“2,000 hours is low???” “Depends on what we’re talking about. How many hours do you spend on your phone, annually?” 6

The point is to give yourself enough time to grow—enough time to learn from your mistakes until you no longer make them.

“An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.” — Niels Bohr

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” — Michael Jordan

5 This is known as maladaptive practice: when repeated practice that reinforces incorrect techniques, habits, or understanding actually make you worse over time—not better. Maladaptive practice can lead to automating errors: when you repeat a flawed process so many times that the error becomes automatic. 6 Recent data shows teenagers spend an average of 2,200 hours on their phones per year. IF YOU SPENT 2,200 HOURS A YEAR ON ACADEMICS, YOU’D BE A SCHOLAR!

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READING & WRITING SECTION

DIGITAL SAT

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SAT READING & WRITING

The Reading & Writing section measures literacy skills, focusing on comprehension, analysis, rhetoric, and language use to assess a student's ability to understand, interpret, and improve a variety of texts.

READING & WRITING FACT SHEET

Scores

From 200 to 800

“Experimental Questions”

Structure

Two modules 27 questions per module 32 minutes per module Approximately 72 seconds

There will be 2 questions per module that will not count toward your score. The College Board is experimenting with these questions (and using you to do it).

Duration

Time Per Question Words Per Passage

From 25 to 150 words

Domains

i. Craft & Structure (13-15 questions) ii. Information & Ideas (12-14 questions) iii. Standard English Conventions (11-15 questions) iv. Expression of Ideas (8-12 questions) Note: Questions will appear in the above sequence, meaning Craft & Structure questions appear first, Information & Ideas questions appear next, etc.

ADAPTIVE TESTING

Testing someone on an impossible task isn’t really an effective test. An effective test is designed to measure how good someone is at something within certain limits. Some tests (like the SAT) are designed to measure the upper limits of how good someone is at something. Since everyone’s upper limits are obviously different, the SAT will try to adapt to your limits. How will it do that? Here’s a very simplistic way of understanding how the SAT’s adaptive model works.

Try this easy question … correct! Try this easy question … correct!

Try this medium question … correct! Try this medium question … correct! Try this hard question … incorrect. Try this hard question … incorrect. Hmm … okay, let’s go back to easy and medium questions.

More specifically, the SAT uses a two-stage adaptive model. In Module 1, you’ll encounter a mix of easy, medium, and hard questions, with an overall average difficulty level set at medium. After you complete Module 1, the SAT adapts based on your performance. Depending on how well you did, you’ll then be routed to either a more challenging Module 2 or an easier Module 2. A common question students ask is about the threshold for reaching the “harder” module. Essentially, they want to know: How many questions do I need to get right to be routed to the hard module? At Study Smart Tutors, we believe this question misses the point. First of all, each SAT is different, so there is no fixed number that guarantees

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access to the hard module. While our analyses offer a reasonable estimate of what that threshold might be, we’re not going to tell you. Why? Even if you knew the number, so what? Let’s say the threshold is 11 7 . Would you focus only on getting 11 questions right? That’s not a smart strategy, and we are Study Smart Tutors, and you are a Study Smart Student. Just try your best on every question.

TEXT COMPLEXITY

Not all passages are created equal. If you’ve ever taken a SAT before, you already know this. Just as there are easy, medium, and hard questions, there are easy, medium, and hard passages. That’s called text complexity. The passages on the SAT are each assigned to one of the following complexity bands.

Band 1 Band 2 Band 3

Grades 6 to 8 Grades 9 to 11 Grades 12 to 14 8

Of course, the SAT won’t preface a passage with “This will be hard” or “This will be easy.” And just because the passage is hard doesn’t necessarily mean that its corresponding question is hard too. Just try your best on every passage and every question.

GUESSING

You’ve probably heard this advice before: If you don’t know the answer to a question on the SAT, always guess—never leave anything blank. This is true because there is no “guessing penalty” on the SAT, but that is not entirely accurate either. Before explaining why, let’s distinguish between two types of guessing: • Blind guessing: When a student chooses an answer at random. • Informed guessing: When a student chooses the answer most likely to be correct based on the available information and some level of reasoning. On the SAT, you will want to employ informed guessing. But whether you employ blind guessing or informed guessing, some educators just dislike multiple-choice tests because there’s always a chance that a student can answer a question correctly by just blindly guessing! In fact, some teachers refer to multiple-choice tests as multiple-guess tests. For example:

What molecule exhibits a Jahn-Teller distortion in its ground state geometry?

If you’re reading this book, you’re probably not a chemist or Jahn or Teller, which means you have no chance of answering this question correctly: 0%.

7 It is not 11. 8 What are grades 13 and 14? When the College Board refers to grades 13 and 14, it’s using these designations to categorize students who are taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses, which are designed to be equivalent to college-level courses.

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Which of the following molecules exhibits a Jahn-Teller distortion in its ground state geometry?

A) SF 6 B) BArF 4 - C) H 2 O D) CuC 12

But for the question with answer choices, you at least have a chance of answering this question correctly: 25%.

IRT (Item Response Theory) aims to remove blind guessing from benefiting students on multiple-choice tests. What is IRT? It’s what the SAT uses. IRT on the SAT? But IDK IRT! OMG! Don’t panic; it’s really not that big of a deal. Here’s what you need to know.

IRT assesses the likelihood that a student is guessing by incorporating a “guessing parameter” (often denoted as c ) in its model. The c -parameter represents the probability that a student will correctly answer a question by guessing. IRT also assesses the likelihood that a student is guessing by examining the student’s response patterns.

c -parameter

1−𝑐 1+𝑒 −𝑎(𝜃−𝑏)

𝑃(correct) = 𝑐 +

To make sense of all of this, let’s look at a very simple example. Let’s imagine the SAT was just twelve questions 9 and compare how two different students performed.

Student 1

Student 2

Question’s Number

Question’s Difficulty

Student’s Answer

Question’s Number

Question’s Difficulty

Student’s Answer

Outcome

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Easy Easy Easy

B A A D B C A B C A D B

Correct Correct Incorrect Correct Incorrect Correct Correct Incorrect Incorrect Correct Incorrect Incorrect

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Easy Easy Easy

B D A D B C C B A A A A

Correct Incorrect Incorrect Correct Incorrect Correct Incorrect Incorrect Correct Correct Incorrect Correct

Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium

Hard Hard Hard

10 11 12

Really Hard

Both students missed six questions, but Student 1 would likely receive a slightly higher score. Why? Well, Student 2 got lucky: take a look at those last four questions where Student 2 just answered A every time. It just so happens that A was the correct answer for three of them! Even more suspiciously, Student 2 only answered 33% of the “easy” questions correctly, yet somehow managed to get 75% of the “hard” questions right? No way. That’s like saying …

1−𝑐 1+𝑒 −𝑎(𝜃−𝑏)

“ 𝑃(correct) = 𝑐 +

: I got this.”

“ Area of a triangle = 1 2

𝑏ℎ : No can do.”

9 You wish!

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So, what’s the upshot of all of this? Don’t blindly guess. Use the process of elimination. Out of the four answer choices, you should be able to eliminate at least one of them—hopefully two. Just try your best on every question.

STRIKETHROUGH

When eliminating an answer, use the strikethrough button!

DISTRACTORS

On a multiple-choice test, the wrong answer choices aren’t called wrongs, they’re called distractors. A distractor is a plausible 10 but incorrect answer designed to potentially mislead students. In the SAT Reading & Writing section, each wrong answer choice is a distractor that represents a mistake a student might reasonably make due to faulty reasoning or unsupported assumptions. For example:

Because she always works harder than anyone else in her 4 th grade class, the teacher considers my younger sister to be the most student in the class.

A) intelligent B) rewarding C) diligent D) calculating E) metallic

First of all: metallic ??? Is the younger sister a robot in the 4 th grade? The SAT would never have something like that as an answer because it’s not a distractor. No one would be misled by E; it’s implausible. However, a few of the other answer choices do seem plausible, at least at first glance. That’s a distractor’s job: to draw you away from the correct answer and confuse you. Look at the definition of distract . distract 1. to draw or direct (as in one’s mind or attention) to a different object or direction 2. to stir up or confuse with conflicting motives or emotions Basically, they’re scams. Life is full of them, and so is the SAT. And just like in life, the best way to avoid getting scammed is to be informed and employ best practices. After you successfully complete this book, you will have accomplished both.

The answer is C) diligent 11 , by the way. And diligent is what you need to be when it comes to the SAT . (Hey! That rhymed.)

BEST PRACTICES: Consider the answers before you choose an answer.

Some students choose an answer choice before fully considering it or fully considering any of the other answer choices.

consider

to think carefully about

10 Having an appearance of truth or reason; believable 11 Constant in effort to accomplish something

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Because she always works harder than anyone else in her 4 th grade class, the teacher considers my younger sister to be the most student in the class.

A) intelligent B) rewarding C) diligent D) calculating E) metallic

For example, answer choice A) intelligent makes sense, right? Not so fast. Think about it carefully. The sentence doesn’t say she has an IQ of 141 12 , is at a 12 th grade reading level, or can do multi-variable calculus while walking backward. It says she works harder than anyone else . When you consider the context, she may or may not be smart, but she’s definitely diligent.

In the pages that follow, we’ll explore strategies to help you consider the answer choices thoughtfully—so you never get scammed 13 by the SAT.

12 A genius-level IQ 13 What do you think the “S” in SAT stands for? (Actually, it doesn’t stand for anything.)

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DOMAIN: CRAFT & STRUCTURE

• Students will use comprehension, vocabulary, analysis, synthesis, and reasoning skills to use and determine the meaning of high-utility academic words 14 and phrases in context, evaluate texts rhetorically, and make supportable connections between multiple topically related texts. • There are approximately 13 to 15 Craft & Structure questions on the SAT. • There are three, what the College Board calls, skill/knowledge testing points 15 in this domain: 1) Words in Context; 2) Text Structure & Purpose; 3) Cross-Text Connections.

Testing Point: Words in Context

• Tests a student’s ability to use and determine the meaning of words and phrases in the contexts in which they appear. • There are approximately 9 to 12 Words in Context questions on the SAT.

WHAT IS CONTEXT?

Webster’s 16 defines context as:

the parts of a discourse 17 that surround a word or passage and can throw light on its meaning.

In a way, almost all of the questions you will answer on SAT Reading could be thought of as words in context. For example,

1. The SAT is

Annoying! Gross! Horrible! Painful! Relaxing!

Relaxing??? Well, it could be relaxing given the right context.

2. The SAT is relaxing, leaving me in a state of unmatched tranquility—sometimes even utter bliss—because its questions boost activity in my prefrontal cortex with a concomitant hippocampal regulation of my stress hormones.

Here, the SAT is indeed relaxing! There is plenty of context to prove it.

14 In certain nerdy circles, words are categorized into three tiers: Tier 1 (Basic), Tier 2 (High-frequency), and Tier 3 (Domain-specific). Tier 2 words are defined as words that are commonly used across various academic disciplines but are not necessarily common in everyday conversations, often carrying multiple or subtle meanings. 15 Think of these as question types. 16 This has nothing to do with the internet. It is a dictionary. 17 Think of discourse as a discussion about something. For the SAT, this would be a written discussion.

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3. According to the passage, why does the author find the SAT relaxing?

A) Because it causes a rush of adrenaline, leading to feelings of exhilaration. B) Because it prompts deep meditative breathing, which calms the mind and body. C) Because it engages areas of the brain involved with the regulation of emotions. D) Because it may facilitate an increased probability of gaining admission to college.

4. Which choice most logically completes the text?

The SAT is relaxing because

A) taking it is much like going to the dentist for a tooth extraction. B) while taking it my blood pressure rises to 180/100 18 . C) the questions are portals to strange, new worlds.

D) it leaves me in a state of unmatched tranquility—sometimes even utter bliss—because its questions boost activity in my prefrontal cortex with a concomitant hippocampal regulation of my stress hormones.

The SAT is not discipline-specific. You will not be tested on your knowledge of specific subjects. All of the information needed to answer the questions is in the text ... or in the context.

The answers should be obvious because of the context. Think of context as where the answer lives—the source of the answer. Your job is to find the source and use it.

WORDS IN CONTEXT

Because Tony Williams, an instrumental member of Davis’s Second Great Quintet and leader of his own trio Lifetime, paved the way for other artists who, like him, blended elements of jazz with rock and funk, he is considered a of jazz fusion.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? 19

A) beneficiary B) composer C) progenitor D) Soloist

BEST PRACTICES: USE C.A.R.E.

REMEMBER The SAT intentionally uses distractors, which reduce the likelihood of a student simply guessing the correct answer. Think of them as clickbait or, in this case, SAT-bait .

• C over Read the question and the passage but not the answer choices yet 20 . Looking at the answer choices first may prejudice your judgment and leave you defenseless against tempting distractors.

18 This is bad. 19 Every Words in Context question will begin with this question stem. However, for the remainder of this chapter, we will not be including the stem for most of the questions, though it is implied. 20 Although you could literally cover them, the important thing here is to just not look at them yet.

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• A nticipate

to realize beforehand to foretell on the basis of observation or reason

Based on the context (an observation or reason), anticipate a likely word or words for the blank. A good anticipation is a word or group of words that captures the meaning of the word in the blank (not necessarily the actual word itself). Also be on the lookout for transitions : these words can influence the nature of your anticipation. For now, we can put transitions into two general categories: corresponding and contrast . Here are some examples.

CORRESPONDING

CONTRAST

accordingly because : [the colon] furthermore in fact similarly since therefore

although but conversely despite however nevertheless while yet

She is a consummate expert and performed . Although she is a consummate expert, her performance was

In the first sentence above, we want our anticipation to correspond with the context clue, which is she is a consummate expert . But in the second sentence, we want our anticipation to contrast with the context clue.

BEST PRACTICES: Use the highlighter!

When taking the SAT in Bluebook 21 , you will see an icon that looks like a highlighter. It will be labeled Highlights & Notes . Click it and highlight 22 the context clues in the sentence.

A) beneficiary

B) composer

C) Progenitor

D) Soloist

Tony Williams is considered a … ? 23

21 This is not an actual book that is blue but rather the College Board’s testing application. Students use Bluebook to take the digital SAT. 22 The highlighter has different colors too. Or, if you prefer, you may underline instead of highlight text. 23 Don’t look here! Anticipate an answer. Take an informed guess.

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• R eveal: After anticipating an answer, now look at the answer choices.

• E liminate: Remove answers that don’t match your anticipation first .

A) beneficiary

B) composer

C) progenitor

D) Soloist

You should have anticipated something that captured the idea of a person who paved the way for later people . Whatever your anticipation was, it likely wasn’t B or D; eliminate them (the “E” in C.A.R.E.). If you don’t know what either of the remaining words mean, just take your best guess—you’ve got a 50-50 chance 24 .

progenitor

BEST PRACTICES Do not fear words that you don’t know. That’s the Ambiguity Effect: a cognitive bias where people avoid an uncertain option and instead choose a more familiar option, even if the uncertain option could lead to a better outcome.

1. 2.

a biologically related ancestor

a person or thing that first indicates a direction, originates something

a paver of the way 25

DISTRACTORS

As mentioned earlier, a distractor is an answer choice intended to trap, decoy, or lure. Distractors are all over the SAT, but they can be especially tempting on Words in Context questions. For example, in the question above, if you chose composer or soloist , you took the bait. How do you know that Tony Williams was a composer or a soloist? There’s no evidence in the passage to substantiate either 26 .

substantiate

to establish by proof or evidence

The presence of distractors in the answer choices is why we start with C in C.A.R.E. Focusing solely on the passage allows you to form a clear and informed idea of what the answer could be, free from potentially misleading ideas in the answer choices that might cloud your judgment. Even worse, when you scan the answer choices before analyzing the passage, you may unconsciously begin to rationalize or justify a wrong answer!

“Well, this could work.” “No. You’re trying to make it work.”

24 Always try to narrow the possibilities to two answer choices, giving yourself a 50-50 chance. 25 Just kidding. This is not an official definition of progenitor . 26 Let’s say you know for a fact that Tony Williams was indeed both a composer and soloist. They are still both wrong because the answer must be derived from the passage and not from what you just happen to know.

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“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

“Any idea what this means?” “Um … I hate poetry.”

“It’s not a poem! It’s a proverb about how taking a few steps to prevent a problem is much better than taking a lot of steps to fix it.”

That's exactly why we want you to C.A.R.E. about your approach to SAT Reading questions. It’s a preventative measure. The answer choices can unduly bias you in subtle ways. Remember: the wrong answers are called distractors for a reason! And the only way to prevent this bias—this distraction—is to NOT look at the answer choices first. Even if you just glance at the distractors, it’s often too late—the SAT has got you in its trap. You cannot help but “like” one choice more than the others. You cannot help but “prejudge” them.

Prejudgments —quick conclusions based on inadequate information or little reasoning

And, unfortunately, now when you analyze the passage, those prejudgments stay with you, leaving you susceptible to bias—specifically to conclusion bias.

Conclusion Bias —the tendency to evaluate information based on whether it aligns with an existing expectation or preference rather than objectively assessing the evidence

Essentially, you’re not looking at evidence to formulate an answer. You’re looking for evidence to validate your prejudgment—the answer that you were biased toward from the start.

AVOID THIS

DO THIS

B) composer

A) beneficiary C) progenitor

D) soloist

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CLAUSES

Having swum for miles, the baby shark was exhausted. (The underlined portion is a phrase .) Because it swam for miles, the baby shark was exhausted. (The underlined portion is a clause .)

Do you see the difference between the two underlined portions? One has neither a subject nor a verb. One has both.

Clause : A group of words that has a subject and a finite verb

“That sounds like a lot like the definition for a sentence.”

Yes, it does. But, if you recall, a sentence has three requirements. A clause only meets two of them—a subject and a finite verb. For example:

Although I hate the SAT .

This is a clause. It has a subject, I , and a finite verb, hate , but it’s clearly not a sentence: it’s not a complete thought (that’s the third requirement of a sentence). A clause that does not form a complete thought is called a dependent clause.

Dependent Clause : A clause that cannot stand alone as a sentence

Although I hate the SAT … what? This is a dependent clause. The SAT, which I hate, 93 … what? This is a relative clause.

Not Sentences Phrases Modifiers Dependent Clauses

“Go on. Complete your thought!”

“You giggle while taking it? “Is easily mastered after reading this book?”

Since a dependent clause cannot stand alone as a sentence, it needs something else to “stand on,” and that something else is an independent clause.

A sentence must have at least one independent clause.

Independent Clause : A clause that can stand alone as a sentence

Although I hate the SAT, I mastered it.

Although I hate the SAT: Dependent Clause (Not a sentence)

I mastered it.: Independent Clause (Sentence)

Although I hate the SAT, I mastered it . : Dependent Clause + Independent Clause

(Complex sentence)

93 A type of dependent clause that begins with a relative pronoun (such as who , which , that ).

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SENTENCES

 REWIND

A sentence is a group of words that must meet three requirements.

1. It must have a subject. 2. It must have a finite verb. 3. It must express a complete thought.

TYPES OF SENTENCES

• Simple Sentence : One Independent Clause I hate the SAT.

• Compound Sentence : Two (or more) Independent Clauses I hate the SAT, but I also understand its value.

• Complex Sentence : One (or more) Dependent Clause + One Independent Clause Although I hate the SAT, I understand its value. I understand the value of the SAT, though I still hate it. • Compound-Complex Sentence : One (or more) Dependent Clause + Two (or more) Independent Clauses Although I hate the SAT, I understand its value, and I will exploit it to my advantage. • Crazy-Convoluted-Compound-Complex Sentence 94 : One (or more) Dependent Clause + Two (or more) Independent Clauses + Modifying Phrases Although I am someone who finds standardized testing tedious and uninspiring and hates the SAT with an ardor like none other, I grudgingly understand its value as a tool for college admissions and, in my own uniquely strategic way, I will exploit it to my advantage. What these sentences are called is unimportant. What is important is to realize that, despite a sentence’s complexity, it will have a clear beginning and end. Your job is to find them. For example: Though Bill Bradley was born in Missouri, many of his successes were in or for New York and New Jersey he has seen success both on the hard floor and the Senate floor he originally gained fame as a basketball player, winning two NBA championships with the New York Knicks and a gold medal at the 1964 Olympics although he retired from basketball in 1977, he quickly transitioned to politics, serving as a senator from New Jersey from 1979 to 1997 and even running for the Democratic nomination for President in 2000.

The vertical lines here are boundaries : these boundaries indicate either the beginning or ending of a sentence—or both.

94 Just kidding (although any type of sentence can include modifiers).

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IMPROPER BOUNDARIES BETWEEN SENTENCES

“I love the SAT, I don’t understand why people hate it.”

What’s wrong with this compound sentence? A few things, actually.

1) It’s not a compound sentence. 95 2) It’s a run-on, specifically a comma splice. 3) Somebody loves the SAT. Run-on : A sentence that combines two or more independent clauses without proper punctuation between them.

A run-on is not defined as a long sentence. Some sentences can be hundreds of words long. One of the most famous long sentences in literature comes from Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time . The sentence is over 800 words long.

There are two types of run-ons:

Fused Sentence

•

I love the SAT I don’t understand why people hate it.

Notice the sentence I love the SAT and the sentence I don’t understand why people hate it are fused together with no punctuation: a boundary is needed.

Comma Splice

•

I love the SAT , I don’t understand why people hate it.

splice to join together by connecting ends

Notice the sentence I love the SAT and the sentence I don’t understand why people hate it are spliced together with only a comma: an improper boundary.

“What’s wrong with using a comma between two sentences? You have to pause between them. For example: I love the SAT—pause—It’s my favorite test.”

A comma is indeed a pause, but it’s not a long pause. Grammatically speaking, a comma is defined as a 2-second pause.

For example: “Yesterday [1-second, 2-seconds] , I didn’t get any sleep.”

But in the earlier example, a longer pause is needed: at least a 4-second pause. It therefore needs a period, which, grammatically speaking, is defined as a 4-second pause.

For example: “I love the SAT [1-second, 2-seconds, 3-seconds, 4-seconds] . It’s my favorite test.”

“Wait. So, I should actually count the number of seconds that I pause for commas and periods?”

95 Well, it could be if it were properly punctuated.

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POPPYCOCK! HOGWASH! BALDERDASH! 96

κόμμα Ironically, the comma was originally used as a pause. It was introduced by the Greek grammarian Aristophanes of Byzantium as part of a system of pauses of varying lengths during the oral recitation of written texts. The κόμμα was the shortest pause.

A COMMA IS NOT A PAUSE!

“Are you sure ? [1-second, 2-seconds, 3-seconds, 4-seconds] My teacher , [1-second, 2-seconds] Mrs. Krabappel , [1-second, 2-seconds] told me to think of them as pauses.”

While it’s convenient—and sometimes helpful—to think of commas or periods as pauses, you don’t necessarily have to pause. A comma signals a break—a grammatical break, not always a speaking break. Phonetically, pausing at commas and periods can definitely aid in speech, but it’s not required (though you might run out of breath if you don’t).

A comma is used to separate elements within a sentence (pausing is optional), clarifying meaning and preventing ambiguity 97 . Note: A comma is used to separate elements within a sentence, not separate sentences themselves. Never use a comma alone between two sentences.

Asyndeton A stylistic device in which conjunctions are omitted to create a dramatic effect. For example, after Julius Caesar took the SAT, he said, “I came, I saw, I conquered.”

PROPER BOUNDARIES BETWEEN SENTENCES

I love cruciferous vegetables they are a good source of indole-3-carbinol.

Is this one sentence or more than one? It looks like two sentences improperly fused together into one.

I love cruciferous vegetables they are a good source of indole-3-carbinol.

There are quite a few punctuation marks that could fix this fused sentence. For the SAT, you should be familiar with all of them.

PERIOD I love cruciferous vegetables . They are a good source of indole-3-carbinol.

•

SEMICOLON 98 I love cruciferous vegetables ; they are a good source of indole-3-carbinol.

•

For now, think of the semicolon as functioning similarly to a period. Therefore, if a period works, so will a semicolon.

The SAT stinks . It is stinky. ✓ The SAT stinks ; it is stinky. ✓

96 Dumb-Dumb-Dumb 97 Uncertainty of meaning or intention 98 Starting in 2013, the semicolon has come to represent hope, empathy, and support for anyone facing mental health challenges. See Project Semicolon for more information.

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COLON I love cruciferous vegetables : they are a good source of indole-3-carbinol.

•

There’s an important distinction to be made here. Though they look alike and sound alike, the colon and semicolon are not interchangeable. The semicolon has more in common with the period than it does with the colon. The semicolon literally means “half-colon.” Now it doesn't literally perform half of the functions of a colon, but it is less versatile. The colon, on the other hand, is very versatile in its usage, and it can be used to join independent clauses (among other uses that will be discussed later).

DASH I love cruciferous vegetables — they are a good source of indole-3-carbinol.

•

Like the colon, the dash is versatile in its usage. In fact, in many ways, the dash is very similar to the colon. Both can be used to join independent clauses.

“So, what’s the difference?”

While the colon and dash are not entirely interchangeable, for the SAT, you can think of them as basically interchangeable. Why a writer chooses one over the other is largely an issue of tone or style, neither of which the SAT tests.

To some grammarians, a dash is less formal but more expressive than a colon.

Bro, you did it—you scored 1600 on the SAT! ✓ Fellow, you have achieved something most laudable: you scored 1600 on the SAT. ✓

COMMA + CONJUNCTION I love cruciferous vegetables , and they are a good source of indole-3-carbinol. Ok, so you just love using commas—you just love pausing every chance you get. You can use a comma between sentences 99 if you add a coordinating conjunction, one of the FANBOYS, after the comma.

•

F or 100 , A nd, N or, B ut, O r, Y et, S o

Conjunction : A word that joins like grammatical structures

bread and butter The conjunction and is joining two nouns. so close yet so far The conjunction yet is joining two adverb phrases. take it or leave it The conjunction or is joining two verb phrases.

♫ Conjunction Junction ♫

“Conjunction junction, what’s your function? “Hooking up words and phrases and clauses.”

99 Specifically, compound sentences 100 For is more commonly used as preposition than as a conjunction. When used as a conjunction, for is similar in meaning to because or since . “I diligently prepared for the SAT, for I was determined to improve!”

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