What is covered in the Digital SAT Reading and Writing Module?
Technically, the Reading and Writing section is new to the SAT. However, in reality, it has a lot in common with Evidence-Based Reading and Writing on the old SAT. In this article, we’ll go over what exactly the digital SAT Reading and Writing section is and what question types it includes.
What Is the Reading and Writing Section of the Digital SAT?
On the paper SAT, there is a Reading section and a Writing and Language section. The Reading section features passages and SAT reading comprehension questions, while the Writing and Language section features passages and questions focused on grammar, syntax, and writing skills. Together, these two sections make up the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW).
What Types Of Reading And Writing Questions Does The Digital SAT Ask?
There are 54 questions on the digital SAT Reading and Writing Section and 54 short passages divided into 2 Modules (Module 1 and Module 2) Each reading and writing question has its short passage (or pair of passages). Module 2 can have hard difficulty-level questions or easy/medium difficulty-level questions depending on the performance of Module 1.
The passages are between 25 and 150 words long and cover a wide range of topics from literature, history, social studies, humanities, and science. 54 questions have been divided into 4 main domains.
Craft and Structure (13-15 questions)
Determine the meaning of high-utility academic words and phrases in context, evaluate texts rhetorically, and make supportable connections between multiple related texts.
Information and Ideas (12-14 questions)
Use, locate, interpret, and evaluate information from various texts and infographics.
Standard English Conventions (11-15 questions)
Use editing skills and knowledge to make texts conform to core conventions of Standard English sentence structure, usage, and punctuation.
Expression of Ideas (8-12 questions)
Use revision skills and knowledge to improve the effectiveness of written expression to accomplish specified rhetorical goals.
Study Tips For The Digital SAT Reading and Writing Sections
- Effective Passage Skimming:
- Learn to skim passages quickly to grasp the main idea and structure.
- Focus on key elements such as the main argument, supporting details, and author’s tone.
- Active Reading Techniques:
- Engage actively with the text by underlining key points, making marginal notes, and summarizing paragraphs.
- Pay attention to the author’s purpose, argument, and rhetorical devices used.
- Answering Questions Strategically:
- Read each question carefully, paying attention to keywords and context.
- Use the information provided in the passage to support your answer choices.
- Eliminate obviously incorrect answer choices to increase your chances of selecting the correct one.
- Brush Up on Grammar Basics:
- Review common grammar rules, such as subject-verb agreement, pronoun usage, and parallelism.
- Familiarize yourself with punctuation rules, including commas, semicolons, and dashes.
- Practice Identifying Errors:
- Work on identifying errors in sample passages, focusing on common grammatical mistakes and sentence structure issues.
- Pay attention to word choice and clarity of expression.
- Mastering Sentence Revision:
- Practice revising sentences to improve clarity, coherence, and conciseness.
- Look for opportunities to rephrase awkward or redundant phrases and eliminate wordiness.
Practice online the timed test and practice questions.
Since the Digital SAT is an online test it’s important to practice the questions using the online resources. On average, you will have around 1 minute to answer each question. So practicing the timed questions, section or full length is very important. There are few online resources available where students can practice. Some of the sites also provide detailed interactive analysis. With the Socrato Digital SAT application you will get a similar experience as the real test and also provides a detailed diagnostic interactive report.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the new digital SAT has been quite the redesign from the old paper and pencil version. This new test brings with it some changes for both educators and students alike, so it is important to be well-informed and fully understand what it is you will be facing on test day so that you can maximize your outcomes and achieve your utmost potential.
