Franklin Yard SAT Reading & Writing Guide

How the Test is Organized

Each Reading & Writing module has 27 questions in 32 minutes. You'll complete two modules, with the second adapting to your performance on the first.

Questions appear in clusters by skill type, roughly in this order:

Order Category What It Tests
1 Words in Context Fill in the blank with the right word
2 Purpose and Structure Main purpose, function, structure
3 Cross-Text Connections How do two passages relate?
4 Ideas and Details Main idea, textual support
5 Command of Evidence Which quote/data supports or weakens this claim?
6 Inference What logically follows from this?
7 Standard English Conventions Punctuation, verb agreement, etc. (not covered in this guide)
8 Transitions Which word connects these ideas?
9 Rhetorical Synthesis Use these bullet points to accomplish X goal

Note: Within each cluster, questions go from easiest to hardest. Then difficulty resets when you hit a new cluster. So a hard Words in Context question might be harder than an easy Ideas, Purpose, Structure question that comes right after it.

Time Management

  1. Find an order that works for you — Some people go straight through; others prefer to knock out certain question types first. There's no objectively best order, despite what you may have heard. Practice and figure out what you're most comfortable with.

  2. Skip when you're stuck, not when you're working — If you're making progress (eliminating answers, understanding the passage), keep going. If you've read it twice and have no idea, flag it and move on.

  3. Don't panic after a hard question — You'll have quicker questions later that balance it out. Don't speed up to "catch up" — that causes careless errors.

  4. Leave a few minutes at the end — Revisit flagged questions and double-check any you were unsure about.