Before you tackle RP passages, items, and sets, you’ll need to be familiar with a few distinct concepts. Mountains of books have been written on the topics below; we’ve whittled them down to their essential SAT-related core. We’ve also played a little fast and loose with some concepts and names for the greater good of simplicity and usability.

RP concepts are not as discrete as mathematical concepts. Many of them blend into and depend upon one another. Don’t let this discourage you: the main point is just to become familiar with these concepts.