SAT Prep - Critical-Reading

Approximately 90% of the passages on the SAT are fact based passages, while only 10% of the passages are fiction passages.  Knowing whether a passage is Fact Based or Fiction Based is important because there are slightly different approaches to take with these different types of passages.  Questions for fact based passages tend to be more focused on the content of the passage- what the passage is about, and what the arguments are. Questions based on fiction passages tend to be more interested in the relationships between the characters, the way the characters interact, and the feelings that the characters have.  Some students tend to do better on fact based passages, while others excel at fiction passages.  Since the blurb (the italics at the beginning of the passage) usually tells you whether the passage is Fact Based or Fiction based, it doesn\'t take very much time to determine which is which.  You can then use this information and do the passages you are better at first.  

Fact based passages can be long passages or short passages.  They can be single passages or paired passages.  The important thing to remember about fact based passages is that they are based on facts.  They may be humanities passages, social studies passages, or natural science passages:

• Humanities passages address subjects including the law, literature, or the arts. 
• Social studies passages address subjects including history and relationships between cultures
• Natural sciences passages address subjects including astronomy, biology, chemistry and physics

When reading a fact based passage, you want to focus on:

• The main idea of the passage: What is this passage about
• The supporting points: What information does the author use to support his argument?
• The conclusion: What is the point of the passage? What is the argument the passage is trying to make
• The author\'s attitude: Does he like his subject or not like it? Does he agree with the authors he is quoting or disagree with them?