The College Board has released a set of digital SAT sample questions, giving a valuable sneak peek at what to expect in the new exam. While Reading and Writing passages on the digital test will be substantially smaller than those on the current SAT, most of the questions remain essentially the same as students will still see questions testing the main idea, primary purpose, punctuation, and vocabulary, although the format of few questions will change very slightly.

In the sample set, the College Board introduced an entirely new question type: one in which the test-taker requires to review a fictitious set of student notes and answer a question about how to organize a response based on the notes.

For example, students might see a question like:

While organizing research for an upcoming assignment, a student took notes:

• Himari is a Japanese contemporary painter and performance artist.
• Her work has been exhibited in New York, Amsterdam, Paris, London, and many other places worldwide.
• Most of her works feature polka dots.
• Her installation I’m Here, but Nothing (2005-2013) was made up of a room that had a few furnishings and walls covered with 100’s of glowing polka dots.
• Her floating work Guidepost to the New Space (2018) featured a series of rounded, bright red “humps” covered in white polka dots.

The student’s aim is to reflect the similarity in both of the works. Which out of these best uses the information provided in the notes to accomplish this goal?

i) I’m Here, but Nothing incorporates polka dots on the walls of a room, and on the other hand Guidepost to the New Space uses polka dots on rounded shapes.

ii) Similar to Himari’s many other works, both I’m Here, but Nothing and Guidepost to the New Space include polka dots; I’m Here, but Nothing incorporates them on walls and Guidepost to the New Space on rounded “humps.”

iii) Himari’s work, which normally makes use of polka dots, has been exhibited in many locations worldwide.

iv) Himari exhibited I’m Here, but Nothing from 2005-2013 and Guidepost to the New Space in 2018.

So, how should one approach these questions?

Focusing on the goal provided in the question prompt will be really important. In this case, you’re asked to select the answer that reflects the similarity in both works, so do check whether each answer does this.

Note that while choice i) mentions that both works incorporate polka dots, it uses the phrase “on the other hand”—a phrase that reflects a contrast instead of similarity—to link the content of both works. Thus, choice i) can be eliminated.

Choice ii) emphasizes that both works use polka dots, thus reflecting a similarity, so keep choice ii).

Note that choice iii) contains a true statement, as the notes do indicate that Himari’s work has been displayed worldwide, but the answer choice doesn’t fulfill the goal provided in the question itself; it doesn’t reflect the similarity between both the works and therefore isn’t the correct answer.

Choice iv) similarly contains a true statement but doesn’t indicate how both the works are similar and thus isn’t the correct answer.

The correct answer is choice ii).

As you practice these questions, just remember to look for the answer that most literally accomplishes the goal provided, and you’ll find that only one answer works!

How to Prepare for the Reading and Writing Section?

Here is how you can start preparing:

• Reading: Start by reading about a variety of humanities and science topics. Begin with the Economists, New Scientists, New York Times, and Washington Post. You should begin reading the editorials right away. Learn about current geopolitical and environmental issues. Pay attention to becoming a more informed reader in general. Try cultivating opinions instead of being a passive receiver of facts.
• Writing and Language: Punctuations and Grammar rules are not likely to be phased out of standardized tests anytime soon.

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