As we said earlier, the reading passages on the SAT usually fit into one of five categories: science, art, literary criticism, history or historical criticism, and fiction or nonfiction narrative. Every SAT has at least one passage on science and one narrative. The other two passages on each test can come from any of the five categories. On rare occasions, ETS chooses a passage that doesn’t really fit into any of the five categories. If that happens on a test you’re taking, don’t worry—these passages don’t test any skills that are different from those tested by the five categories with which you will soon be familiar.

We can give you some idea about the content you can expect within each passage type and what kinds of questions are usually asked about each. Note, however, that when we say that the questions about a certain type of passage usually focus on one thing, we are not saying that you’ll never be asked anything else about that type of passage. For example, though the questions about fiction or nonfiction narratives often focus on the writer’s technique, that doesn’t mean that you can’t be asked about the writer’s intentions.

Science passages range from discussions or debates about science to descriptions of historical scientific events. Students tend to be a little frightened by these passages simply because they cover science, and students think that they have to do a lot of studying to understand science and scientific topics. Do not be intimidated by these passages. No SAT passage will ever require advanced scientific knowledge. The scientific claims these passages make are always general. For example, one thesis in a scientific passage might be “genetics affect decisions about where people build their cities.” In those instances when the test wants you to understand scientific arguments, the actual science will be fairly simple. If the passage uses a technical term, it will define that term for you, so don’t panic when you see a word or words you don’t immediately recognize. Look at the surrounding sentences, and find the term’s explanation.

There may be some passages that do discuss more advanced science, but in those instances the passages will focus on the history of a discovery rather than on the science behind the discovery. In these passages, the science is rather unimportant compared to the history or the argument that the writer is making about the history. Questions about science passages will focus on how well you understand the arguments that have been made, on specific information, and on your ability to comprehend words in context. There will be at least one science passage on every SAT.

The content of fiction or nonfiction narratives is not so easy to pinpoint. Often a narrative will focus on a description of a particular person. You will have to intuit information from that description. Sometimes the narratives describe a coming-of-age anecdote or an important experience. As you read these narratives, you should think about why the author is choosing to write what he or she is writing. Why does the writer choose the metaphors used in the passage? What is the tone? Why are some details explored and others barely acknowledged? The writers of these narratives make artistic choices to mold an overall sense of their stories. Pay attention to these aspects of the passage as you read. The questions will likely ask you about them.

The questions for fiction or nonfiction narratives tend to cover quite a bit, with emphasis on words in context, understanding arguments or points, the writer’s technique, and both implied and explicit information.

The history passages are either passages taken from history—such as a historical address about an event or situation in society—or passages in which historians write about and interpret history. In either case, these passages usually contain a lot of argumentation, with the use of examples or facts as support. Often, the writer will refer to other writers or thinkers, either to agree with or to refute what the other writer has said.

Questions about history passages focus on your ability to understand the arguments being made, your understanding of specific and implied information, and, to some extent, your comprehension of words in context.

Like the history passages, literary-criticism articles are also quite heavy on argument. In these passages, a critic or writer discusses a particular book or writer, a literary movement or trend, or some literary idea. As you read these passages, you should make sure that you understand the arguments the writer is making about the subject in question. You probably don’t have to worry very much about the subject itself. For example, if the passage is on Robinson Crusoe, you will see questions such as, “How does the writer of the passage feel about Crusoe’s religious conversion?” You will not see questions like, “At what point in the book does Robinson Crusoe begin to dedicate himself completely to God?”

Questions following literary-criticism passages focus mostly on your ability to understand the arguments being made and your comprehension of words in context.

Art passages discuss specific pieces of art (painting, architecture, or music) or particular artists. The passages might involve the artist speaking about his or her own work, the artist speaking about his field in general, a critic discussing a specific work or artist, or a description of some controversy in the art world. Like history and literary-criticism passages, art passages are often centered on arguments, since they are often about interpreting or explaining the subject they address.

Questions on art passages focus on your ability to understand arguments, specific information, and words in context.