Friday, March 01, 2024

dSAT Reading and Writing Topics

This is the companion piece to a post I wrote earlier on dSAT Math Topics.

Questions in the Reading/Writing sections of the dSAT cover four broad topic areas: Craft and Structure, Information and Ideas, Standard English Conventions, and Expression of Ideas.

The entire Reading/Writing section is 64 minutes long with 54 multiple-choice questions.

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Modules

Two Reading/Writing modules:

Each module is 32 minutes long, with 27 questions (1:11 per question)

Organized by question type, with similar skills grouped together

Questions within each group are presented in order of increasing difficulty

Each question has its own short passage or pair of passages

Passages are between 20–150 words

Wide range of topics, including literary excerpts and poetry

May contain informational tables and graphs 

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Information and Ideas

12-14 questions, 26% of the section

Use information stated or implied in the passage (may include tables and graphs) to evaluate ideas in the text and draw conclusions.

Tasks:

Determine main idea and central details

Interpret details supporting the main idea

Use evidence from the text, graphs, and tables to support or respond to a claim

Draw reasonable inferences based on the passage

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Craft and Structure

13-15 questions, 28% of the section

Focuses on vocabulary (words in context), text structure and purpose, and cross-text connections.

Tasks:

Determine the primary purpose of the text

Evaluate text structure rhetorically and how the author chose to organize information

Select the best word to complete the text (fill-in the blank)

Compare/contrast two related texts

Make supportable connections between two related texts

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Expression of Ideas

8-12 questions, 20% of the section

Focuses on improving effectiveness of written expression. Test takers are asked to scrutinize topic development, accuracy, logic, cohesion, transitions, and language to improve, refine, and enhance the effectiveness and impact of a text and achieve specific rhetorical goals.

Tasks:

Analyze bullet points and choose the one that best combines information to achieve a certain goal

Identify the flow and structure of a passage

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Standard English Conventions

11-15 questions, 26% of the section

Use editing skills and knowledge to make texts conform to standard conventions of written English, emphasizing proper word usage, sentence structure and form, grammar, and punctuation.

Tasks:

Identify correct punctuation to join and separate sentences and clauses 

Find the best way to complete a sentence so that it follows conventions of standard written English (e.g. proper agreement, verb tense, etc.)

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