Evidence-Based Passages for the SAT Exam

Common failure modes

These are the patterns that cause most candidates to lose marks on this topic. Recognising them in advance is half the work.

• !Reading only Passage 1 and ignoring how it relates to Passage 2 or the table
• !Selecting an answer that is supported by one source but contradicted by the other
• !Misinterpreting quantitative data in a table — picking the wrong row or column
• !Confusing the authors' views with each other in passages presenting contrasting perspectives

Study tips

• 1For paired passages, read both before looking at any question. Identify the relationship: do they agree, disagree, one extends the other, or one provides evidence for the other?
• 2For text-plus-table questions, read the claim in the text first, then check the table to see which data point directly supports or illustrates the claim.
• 3Annotate each passage with a one-word label: 'agrees,' 'disagrees,' or 'adds detail.' This prevents confusion when the question asks what one author would say about the other.
• 4Practice paired passages specifically in official College Board Digital SAT practice materials — the format is distinct from old paper SAT paired passages.

Sample SAT Evidence-Based Passages questions

These sample items mirror the format and difficulty of real SAT questions. Practice with thousands more on the free Koydo question bank.

1. 1

   Passage 1 argues that urban green spaces reduce stress. Passage 2 presents data showing lower cortisol levels in urban residents near parks. What relationship do the passages have?

   • APassage 2 contradicts Passage 1
   • BPassage 2 provides quantitative evidence supporting Passage 1Correct
   • CPassage 2 is unrelated to Passage 1
   • DPassage 1 summarises the findings of Passage 2
   Why this answer?

   Passage 1 makes a theoretical claim (green spaces reduce stress); Passage 2 offers empirical data (lower cortisol near parks) that supports the claim. This is a 'evidence supports claim' relationship.

2. 2

   A question asks: 'Based on both passages, which conclusion is best supported?' The student should:

   • AChoose the conclusion supported by the longer passage
   • BChoose the conclusion that neither contradicts nor is absent from either passageCorrect
   • CIgnore whichever passage seems less authoritative
   • DSelect the most extreme conclusion offered by either passage
   Why this answer?

   For cross-passage synthesis questions, the correct answer must be consistent with both sources. An answer that is true in one passage but false in the other is a distracter. The safest strategy is to eliminate any answer that either passage contradicts.