Information and Ideas questions test one core skill: can you separate what the text actually supports from what sounds plausible but is not proven? On the Digital SAT, these questions appear throughout both modules and make up a large part of the Reading and Writing section.
This domain is built around four recurring tasks:
- Identify a text's central idea.
- Find the evidence that best supports a claim.
- Interpret quantitative data accurately.
- Draw careful inferences without overreaching.
If you master those four tasks, your score ceiling rises quickly because this domain appears so often.
1. Central Ideas and Details
Central-idea questions look simple, but they trap students who focus on one interesting sentence instead of the passage's overall point.
What central-idea questions really test
You need to identify the main claim or organizing point of the short passage. Supporting details matter, but only as evidence for that main point.
A strong central-idea answer:
- matches the whole passage, not one sentence.
- captures the passage's scope and tone.
- avoids overstatement.
A weak central-idea answer usually does one of these:
- zooms in on a detail and misses the broader point.
- adds outside information not in text.
- makes the claim too extreme.
Distinguishing main idea from details
Think of main idea as umbrella and details as spokes.
- Main idea: what the author wants you to take away.
- Details: facts, examples, quotes, or data used to support that takeaway.
If an answer repeats a detail but does not represent the full passage, it is probably wrong.
Summarizing without adding outside information
This domain punishes background-knowledge drift. Even if you know the topic from class, use only what the passage states or strongly implies.
When summarizing, ask:
- Did I include only text-supported ideas?
- Did I avoid introducing a new claim?
- Is my summary broad enough to cover the full passage?
Strategy: The "So What?" Test
After reading, ask yourself:
"So what is the author's point?"
Write your answer in one sentence. Then compare choices. The correct choice should be the closest paraphrase of your sentence.
Practice Passage 1 (Literary)
Practice Passage 1: Central idea (literary)
In her first collection, poet Amara Lin wrote mostly about city life, often using clipped lines and abrupt transitions. In her later work, however, she turns toward longer meditative forms and rural imagery. Though some critics framed this shift as a rejection of her earlier style, Lin has said she views both periods as connected attempts to capture "how attention changes with place." The stylistic differences, then, reflect continuity of purpose rather than artistic reversal.
Which choice best states the central idea of the text?
A) Lin's later poetry is objectively superior to her early work.
B) Lin changed settings and style, but her underlying artistic aim remained consistent.
C) Critics consistently misunderstood Lin's poems because they ignored line length.
D) Rural imagery is more effective than urban imagery in contemporary poetry.
Correct answer: B
Why: The passage contrasts style changes with a continuing purpose. The final sentence explicitly says the changes reflect continuity, not reversal.
Why not A: The passage never ranks quality.
Why not C: "Consistently" is too strong, and line length is not the sole issue.
Why not D: The passage never claims one imagery type is better.
Practice Passage 2 (Scientific)
Practice Passage 2: Central idea (scientific)
Marine biologists once thought certain reef fish relied only on visual landmarks to return to nesting sites. A recent tagging study, however, found that many fish still navigated accurately after temporary visual disruption. The researchers propose that chemical gradients in surrounding water may provide an additional orientation cue. While the results do not eliminate the role of vision, they indicate that reef navigation likely depends on multiple sensory systems.
Which choice best states the central idea of the text?
A) Visual landmarks play no role in reef fish navigation.
B) Chemical gradients are the only reliable orientation cue for reef fish.
C) New evidence suggests reef fish navigation is multi-sensory rather than purely visual.
D) Tagging studies are always more accurate than laboratory studies.
Correct answer: C
Why: The text explicitly says results do not eliminate vision but suggest multiple systems. That is exactly choice C.
Why not A/B: Both are extreme "only/no" claims contradicted by the passage.
Why not D: The passage makes no methodological ranking of all study types.
Strategy tip: If the passage includes qualifiers like "likely," "may," "suggests," your correct answer should usually preserve that cautious tone.
2. Command of Evidence — Textual
Textual command-of-evidence questions ask which option is best supported by the words in the passage.
Common forms
You may see stems like:
- "Which choice best supports the claim...?"
- "Which choice most strongly suggests...?"
- "According to the text, which statement is best supported?"
The correct answer must be directly anchored in the passage.
What counts as valid support
Strong support can be:
- a direct statement in text.
- a straightforward paraphrase of stated information.
- a modest inference clearly tied to wording.
Weak support usually:
- relies on outside knowledge.
- stretches one detail too far.
- changes degree ("may" becomes "proves").
Strategy: The "Point and Prove" Method
For each answer choice, ask:
"Can I point to specific words that prove this?"
If not, eliminate.
A practical process:
- Read question first.
- Return to key lines.
- Predict likely supported claim.
- Evaluate choices with proof standard.
Practice Passage 3 (Textual evidence)
Practice Passage 3: Which claim is best supported?
Archaeologists studying household pottery in the Valley of Ilen observed that decorative complexity rose sharply during periods of expanded river trade. Interestingly, this increase appeared not only in elite residences but also in smaller homes near market routes. The researchers caution that decoration alone cannot reveal exact household income, yet they argue that the pattern is consistent with wider circulation of stylistic influences during high-trade eras.
Which choice is best supported by the text?
A) Decorative pottery can be used to determine exact household income in the Valley of Ilen.
B) More complex decoration appeared broadly, including outside elite households, during high-trade periods.
C) River trade had no influence on household design choices.
D) Only market-route households adopted new pottery styles.
Correct answer: B
Why: The passage states complexity increased during expanded trade and appeared in both elite and smaller homes near market routes.
Why not A: Passage explicitly says decoration cannot determine exact income.
Why not C: Contradicted by "pattern is consistent with wider circulation of stylistic influences during high-trade eras."
Why not D: "Only" is too strong and unsupported.
Practice Passage 4 (Textual evidence)
Practice Passage 4: Most strongly suggests
When the city introduced dedicated late-night bus lanes, average travel times on the affected routes fell by 12 percent within three months. Survey responses from shift workers also reported greater schedule predictability, though the transit agency noted that rider satisfaction varied by neighborhood due to uneven stop spacing. Officials described the pilot as promising but emphasized that route-level redesign would be needed before citywide expansion.
Which choice does the text most strongly suggest?
A) The late-night bus-lane pilot produced measurable benefits but still requires targeted adjustments.
B) The pilot failed because rider satisfaction was not identical in every neighborhood.
C) The transit agency has already approved immediate citywide expansion.
D) Schedule predictability did not improve for shift workers.
Correct answer: A
Why: The text reports lower travel times and better predictability, while noting uneven satisfaction and need for redesign before expansion.
Why not B: "Failed" is inconsistent with "promising."
Why not C: Opposite of "before citywide expansion" requirement.
Why not D: Directly contradicted by survey report.
Strategy tip: In textual evidence questions, distrust absolute words ("always," "never," "only") unless the passage uses equally absolute language.
3. Command of Evidence — Quantitative
Quantitative command-of-evidence questions combine a short passage with a table, chart, or graph. These questions test whether you can connect claims to actual numbers.
What the SAT tests here
- reading titles, labels, and units correctly.
- identifying which claims are supported by data.
- matching verbal statements to numerical trends.
- avoiding overclaims (especially causation claims from correlation data).
Common traps
- Misreading units (thousands vs single units, percent vs counts).
- Looking at wrong row/column.
- Confusing increase in absolute values with increase in rate.
- Treating correlation as proof of causation.
- Using passage narrative instead of verifying with chart values.
Strategy: Read the data INDEPENDENTLY
- Read the passage.
- Read table/chart title, labels, and units carefully.
- Read the question.
- Check each answer against the data, not memory.
Practice Example 5 (Table-based evidence)
Practice Example 5: School energy-use table
A district report states that several schools reduced electricity use after installing automated lighting controls. The table summarizes annual electricity consumption.
| School | 2023 Use (MWh) | 2024 Use (MWh) | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northview | 1,240 | 1,085 | -12.5% |
| Brookside | 980 | 940 | -4.1% |
| East Ridge | 1,110 | 1,130 | +1.8% |
| Harbor Tech | 1,360 | 1,180 | -13.2% |
Which choice is best supported by the table?
A) Every listed school reduced electricity use from 2023 to 2024.
B) Harbor Tech had the largest percentage decrease among the listed schools.
C) Brookside used more electricity in 2024 than Northview did in 2024.
D) East Ridge's increase was larger in percentage terms than Harbor Tech's decrease.
Correct answer: B
Why: Harbor Tech shows -13.2%, the largest reduction magnitude among decreases.
Why not A: East Ridge increased (+1.8%).
Why not C: Brookside 2024 is 940 vs Northview 1085.
Why not D: +1.8% is much smaller than -13.2% in magnitude.
Practice Example 6 (Table-based evidence with rates)
Practice Example 6: Reading growth by study group
A literacy program tracked average reading score gains over 10 weeks.
| Group | Avg Starting Score | Avg Ending Score | Avg Gain | Avg Weekly Study Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group A | 62 | 74 | 12 | 3.0 hr |
| Group B | 63 | 79 | 16 | 4.5 hr |
| Group C | 61 | 70 | 9 | 2.0 hr |
| Group D | 64 | 78 | 14 | 5.5 hr |
Which statement is best supported by the table?
A) Group D had the largest score gain because it had the highest weekly study time.
B) Group B had the highest ending score and the largest gain among the groups shown.
C) Group C studied the least and therefore cannot improve in future programs.
D) A one-hour increase in weekly study time always leads to exactly the same score gain increase.
Correct answer: B
Why: Group B's ending score is 79 (highest) and gain is 16 (largest).
Why not A: Causation language ("because") is unsupported by table alone.
Why not C: Predictive claim is unsupported and too absolute.
Why not D: Table does not show a constant linear relationship with exact one-hour increments.
Strategy tip: For quantitative items, compute quick differences yourself even if the passage summarizes trends. Summary language can hide key exceptions.
4. Inferences
Inference questions ask what is most reasonably concluded from the text. The answer is not directly quoted, but it must be strongly supported.
What counts as valid inference
A valid SAT inference is:
- logically implied by specific passage evidence.
- moderate in scope.
- consistent with author tone.
An invalid inference is often:
- possible but weakly supported.
- too broad or extreme.
- based on outside assumptions.
Signal stem
Look for wording like:
- "Based on the text, it can most reasonably be inferred that..."
- "The text most strongly suggests that..."
Strategy: The Goldilocks Rule
- Too extreme -> wrong.
- Too vague -> wrong.
- Just right (specific + supported) -> correct.
A useful routine:
- Find strongest evidence lines.
- Rephrase implication in your own words.
- Pick the choice closest to that implication.
Practice Passage 7 (Inference)
Practice Passage 7: Inference from historical commentary
In letters written during the archive project, curator Elise Tran repeatedly praises the volunteers' persistence but also notes that early catalog entries required substantial revision. In later letters, however, she reports that revisions became less frequent as volunteers adopted a shared indexing guide. Tran's final update credits "process consistency" as the project's turning point.
Based on the text, what can most reasonably be inferred?
A) The volunteers were initially unwilling to follow any editorial standards.
B) Implementing common procedures improved the efficiency and quality of cataloging work.
C) Tran believed persistence was irrelevant to project success.
D) The archive project ended earlier than originally planned.
Correct answer: B
Why: The passage links fewer revisions to adoption of shared guide and calls process consistency the turning point.
Why not A: "Unwilling" is unsupported.
Why not C: Passage praises persistence repeatedly.
Why not D: No timeline comparison is provided.
Practice Passage 8 (Inference)
Practice Passage 8: Inference from policy analysis
A city pilot allowed neighborhood libraries to extend weekend hours while keeping weekday schedules unchanged. Attendance records showed modest overall growth, but branch-level reports indicated the largest increases occurred in districts with limited evening transit options. The policy review recommends maintaining flexible weekend staffing in those districts even if citywide expansion is delayed.
Based on the text, which inference is most reasonable?
A) Weekend-hour flexibility may be especially valuable where weekday access is constrained by transportation limits.
B) Weekend-hour expansion should be cancelled because citywide growth was only modest.
C) Weekday schedules are never important for library attendance.
D) The pilot proved that every district needs identical operating hours.
Correct answer: A
Why: The text notes strongest gains in transit-limited districts and recommends continued flexibility there.
Why not B: The review recommends targeted continuation, not cancellation.
Why not C: "Never" is too absolute and unsupported.
Why not D: Passage emphasizes district differences.
Strategy tip: Inference answers often differ only in intensity. Prefer the moderate claim that is clearly grounded in passage language.
Common Traps for Information and Ideas
1) Real-world true, text-unsupported
An answer may be generally true in life but not supported by the passage. SAT scoring cares about text evidence only.
2) Detail masquerading as main idea
A choice may quote one sentence accurately but miss the passage's core point.
3) Extreme language inflation
Choices swap cautious words ("suggests") for extreme words ("proves"). That usually makes them wrong.
4) Partial-data mistake
In data questions, a claim may be true for one category but false for the category actually asked.
5) Causation jump
If the data show association only, choices claiming direct cause are usually unsupported.
5 Additional Practice Problems, Quick Reference, and Tips
Quick Reference
- Central idea: main point of whole passage.
- Textual evidence: answer must be anchored in specific words.
- Quantitative evidence: verify with labels, units, and values.
- Inference: supported implication, not speculation.
Fast elimination cues:
- extreme words without extreme text support.
- outside-information claims.
- detail-only answers for main-idea questions.
- causation claims from correlation data.
Extra Tips
- Annotate with short tags:
claim,evidence,contrast,result. - For data items, write unit next to every number you use.
- Re-read the final sentence of the passage; many central ideas are signaled there.
- For cross-checking, ask whether your answer would still hold if one detail were removed. Main ideas should survive detail changes.
- If two choices seem plausible, pick the one with narrower, directly provable wording.
Additional Practice Problems
Problem 1 (Central idea)
Passage:
Although the initial rollout of autonomous warehouse carts produced frequent routing errors, engineers found that most errors came from inconsistent shelf-label metadata rather than sensor failure. After the metadata was standardized, routing accuracy improved sharply, and downtime declined. The project team now argues that data hygiene, not hardware replacement, should be the first priority in future upgrades.
Which choice best states the central idea?
A) Sensor hardware in autonomous carts is fundamentally unreliable.
B) Standardizing data inputs was key to improving cart performance.
C) Warehouse automation should be abandoned in favor of manual systems.
D) Routing errors are unavoidable in large facilities.
Problem 2 (Textual evidence)
Passage:
In interviews, first-year teachers reported that lesson-planning templates reduced preparation time but said the templates were most useful when paired with peer feedback sessions. Schools that adopted templates without scheduled collaboration saw smaller gains in teacher retention.
Which choice is best supported by the text?
A) Templates alone guaranteed major retention gains in every school.
B) Collaboration appears to strengthen the benefit of planning templates.
C) Peer feedback increased retention even where no templates were used.
D) Teachers preferred creating lessons without any planning structures.
Problem 3 (Quantitative evidence)
A district compared completion rates for an optional online module:
| School | Assigned Students | Completed Module | Completion Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 200 | 150 | 75% |
| B | 120 | 96 | 80% |
| C | 300 | 210 | 70% |
| D | 180 | 126 | 70% |
Which statement is best supported by the table?
A) School A had the highest completion rate.
B) Schools C and D had equal completion rates.
C) School C had fewer completions than School B.
D) School B had more completed modules than School A.
Problem 4 (Inference)
Passage:
A regional museum digitized its exhibit labels in three languages and tracked visitor behavior for six months. Total attendance changed little, but average time spent in galleries increased, especially among first-time visitors. Staff surveys also reported more frequent visitor questions tied to label content.
Which inference is most reasonable?
A) Multilingual labels likely improved visitor engagement more than attendance volume.
B) Multilingual labels reduced the quality of exhibitions.
C) Attendance would have doubled if labels were offered in five languages.
D) Returning visitors disliked the updated labels.
Problem 5 (Textual + inference blend)
Passage:
When the city replaced fixed bus schedules with demand-responsive dispatch in two suburbs, average wait times fell during off-peak hours but rose slightly during morning rush periods. Transportation planners concluded that the model is promising for low-density intervals but requires hybrid scheduling in peak windows.
Which choice best reflects the passage's view?
A) Demand-responsive dispatch is effective in all contexts and should fully replace fixed schedules.
B) The pilot failed because wait times increased at some times of day.
C) A mixed approach may capture benefits while addressing peak-period limits.
D) Fixed schedules are always superior to dispatch models.
Answers and Explanations
Problem 1: B
The passage attributes improvements to standardized metadata and recommends data hygiene first.
Problem 2: B
Text says templates were most useful when paired with peer feedback; smaller gains occurred without collaboration.
Problem 3: B
Table shows C = 70% and D = 70%, equal rates.
Problem 4: A
Attendance stayed about flat, but time spent increased, implying stronger engagement rather than volume growth.
Problem 5: C
The passage explicitly supports demand-responsive use in some periods and hybrid scheduling in peak times.
Information and Ideas rewards disciplined reading. The more you anchor answers to exact evidence and measured claims, the more consistent your accuracy becomes. Build the habit of proving every answer choice, and this domain turns from unpredictable to highly trainable.