Citing Evidence | The Complete SAT Course - Class 10 PDF Download

What's on the test?

In the Reading Test of the official SAT, you can expect to encounter 10 questions that require you to provide specific evidence from the passage. This type of question is the most common one you will come across.
Typically, specific evidence questions will follow another question, such as an implicit information or point of view question. These follow-up questions will always be formatted in the same way:

• "Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?"

Each choice will include a quotation from the text along with line numbers indicating where it can be found in the passage. Your task is to determine which lines most directly support the answer to the previous question. In other words, you need to identify the choice that answers the previous question.
At other times, evidence questions may appear on their own, without a preceding question:

• "Which of the following statements in the passage best supports the claim that _____?"

In these cases, your task remains the same, but you already know which claim the evidence needs to support. 

Common errors

Common errors in incorrect choices for citing evidence questions can be attributed to the following:

• Nearby lines: In some cases, the answer choices may include sets of lines that are located close to each other in the passage. Since these lines discuss similar ideas, it can be tempting to assume they provide the necessary evidence. However, only one choice will directly support the answer to the question.
• Faulty pairs: When citing evidence questions are based on previous questions, mistakes can occur when the referenced lines contain ideas similar to the incorrect choices from the previous question. It's important to note that simply matching ideas between choices does not guarantee their correctness; the chosen evidence must actually answer the initial question.

Tips and strategies

Here are some rephrased tips for answering citing evidence questions:

•  Answer paired questions together: When dealing with paired citing evidence questions, it's crucial to answer both questions correctly. Failing to answer the first question correctly often leads to missing the second question as well. Remember that the answer to the first question is provided by one of the choices in the second question.
• Simplify the question by rephrasing it: For standalone citing evidence questions, rephrasing the question using your own words can help you better understand and tackle it. Break down the question and identify the key components to focus on.
• Let the choices guide you: Once you have a clear understanding of what you're looking for, go through each choice one by one. Restate your version of the claim or question, and then examine the corresponding text indicated by each choice. Compare the text to your version and determine the best match. Repeat this process until you find the most suitable answer.

Remember, taking a systematic approach and carefully analyzing the choices will lead you to the correct answer in citing evidence questions.