Command of Evidence: 3 Key SAT Writing Strategies

Questions that fall under the umbrella of the Command of Evidence SAT subscore appear on
both the Reading and Writing sections of the SAT. This article will focus exclusively on
Command of Evidence questions in the Writing section, including examples from practice
tests, answer explanations, and test-taking tips that are specific to these types of questions. Head
over to this article instead if you're looking for a detailed discussion of Command of Evidence
questions in the Reading section.

What Are Command of Evidence Questions? What Do They

Test?
Command of Evidence is one of the new subscores on the SAT. There are 18 total Command
of Evidence questions on the test (Reading and Writing together), eight of which will
appear on the Writing section. Your raw score out of 18 will be translated into a final subscore
out of 15.

Command of Evidence questions on the Writing section ask you to improve the ways
passages develop information and ideas. You might choose an answer that sharpens an
argumentative claim or adds a relevant supporting detail. The three types of Command of
Evidence questions that exist in the Writing section are the following (names of categories were
provided by me, not the College Board):

Type 1: Setting the Stage - Choose the right piece of evidence to include in the passage
to set up the information the author presents later.
Type 2: Logical Additions - Decide whether the author should add a given sentence to
the passage strengthen the argument (and why or why not) or choose the best sentence to
add out of four possibilities.
Type 3: Data Descriptions - Choose the best way to phrase the passage so that it
accurately reflects the data provided.

In the next section, Ill take you through example questions from each of these categories so
you can see exactly how to answer them on the test.

Examples of Command of Evidence Questions on Writing

In this section, I'll provide real examples and answer explanations for all three categories of
Command of Evidence questions.
Type 1: Setting the Stage

Heres an example of the first type of question. Youre asked to choose the phrase that most
effectively introduces information in the passage:

We have to decide whether the information flows well with the current phrasing or if leading
the way should be replaced with one of the other three phrases to make things clearer. Choice
B, being cleaned and restored, doesnt quite fit because it relates to the information
before that sentence, not the information that follows in the rest of the paragraph. Its also
superfluous because the author already stated that artists have been cleaning and restoring the
murals. It can be inferred that America Tropical is included in this.

Choice C, at risk of destruction, is also incorrect because the rest of the paragraph
mentions nothing about the mural being at risk of destruction. Its just talking about the
mural's new status as a tourist attraction. This is an irrelevant answer based on the evidence.
Choice D, awaiting its moment of appreciation, almost fits, but its still wrong. The mural
isnt AWAITING its moment of appreciation based on the last two sentences. Its already being
appreciated as a major tourist attraction.

Choice A, NO CHANGE, is the only answer that makes sense. The paragraph goes on to
support the claim that the mural is leading the way by discussing its status as the first restored
mural to become a prominent tourist destination and inspiration for cultural preservation.

Final Answer: A

Type 2: Logical Additions

For this question type, you have to decide whether the author should include a sentence in
the passage to reinforce his or her point OR decide which sentence out would make the
most sense in the passage. Ill give two question examples in this case because there are two
different formats that youll see for this type of question. Heres the first one (using the same part
of the passage that we looked at in the last subsection):
 This question requires a little more context
to find the right answer. First, read the passage with the suggested sentence inserted to get a
sense of whether or not it should be included (Ill wait). When you add the sentence, it feels like
an inappropriate interruption that diverts attention from the main focus of the paragraph. It
seems repetitive given that we already know the mural is considered a "powerful
work." This narrows our options down to the two no answers, C and D.

Is the information in the sentence already given earlier in the passage? Looking back, you can
see that it was (this question comes from new SAT sample practice test four if you want to read
the whole passage), so C is a possibility. What about D? Well, if the information was in the
passage at one point, then the claim IS supported by the passage, so D has to be wrong.

Final Answer: C

Heres another example of the same type of question formatted slightly differently:
This time, we have to pick the best sentence out of four choices to insert into the paragraph. As it
says in the question, we're looking for the sentence that best supports the authors claim that
theres nothing wrong with nonorganic food.

Choice A has nothing to do with the authors point, and, in fact, could serve as part of a
counterargument (organic foods are more tightly regulated, so theyre safer for consumers!). We
can rule out this one.

Choice B could also be a part of a counterargument - organic food is regulated to eliminate

artificial ingredients! That's not helping the authors case. Get rid of choice B too.
Choice C makes sense because it explains how the already small risks associated with ingesting
pesticides can easily be eliminated just by washing or peeling nonorganic fruits and vegetables
before eating them. This takes the authors argument further and reinforces the main point of the
paragraph.

Choice D is incorrect because its talking about the widespread use of pesticides, and the
author is looking to deemphasize the impact of pesticide use. This answer can be eliminated, and
were left with Choice C!

Final Answer: C

Type 3: Data Descriptions

The final type of evidence question on the Writing section will ask you to look at data and
make sure it lines up with the information in the passage. Heres an example:
This question is simple if you read carefully, but its easy to get confused if youre
rushing. I actually read the passage incorrectly at first and thought the answer key had made a
mistake! This question is careless mistake central.

Lets look at the choices. In the original version of the passage, the descriptions of where
each term is used do not correspond to the information on the map. The passage says that
soda is the term most commonly used in the middle and western regions of the US while the
map shows that pop is most common in these regions. The first term in the passage should
be pop if all the other information is kept the same, so the answer is either B or C. The
original passage goes on to say that pop is most common in southern states, which we know to
be false. According to the map, its actually coke. The only answer that starts with pop
and coke is choice C, so thats the one we want!

Final Answer: C

Tips for Answering Command of Evidence Questions on

SAT Writing
Here are a few key Command of Evidence tips for when you come across these types of
questions in the Writing section.

Tip #1: Plug in the Answer

If youre given several different options for the appropriate phrase to insert, start reading one or
two sentences before the question number shows up in the paragraph. Read through that part
of the paragraph in its modified form, and then continue reading for a sentence or two
afterward to see if it really makes sense in the flow of the passage (and based on the facts
presented in the paragraph).

Command of evidence questions never take place in a vacuum, so its critical to read the
surrounding text to make sure you have the right answer. Plugging in the potential answer and
reading it through carefully is the best way to assess the viability of your choice.

Tip #2: Find Direct Support

The whole point of these questions is to test your ability to pick out answers that make the most
sense based on the information in the passage. For every choice you make, you should be able
to find part of the passage (or figure) that directly supports your answer. This is a good way
to double-check that you didnt make any unfounded assumptions (or reading mistakes) to arrive
at your answer.
Tip #3: Read Carefully

The Writing section requires strict attention to detail, so try not to rush, and double-check
your answers by reading them over again in the context of the passage. Pay attention to the
tone and flow of the passage as a whole. There are a few questions where youll need to refer
to evidence earlier in the passage to confirm your answers, like the question we did in the
Logical Additions category. The sentence didnt make sense because it repeated information that
was already stated earlier in the passage.

Working methodically on these questions will prevent you from missing out on details or
switching parts of the question around by accident. If you come across a data interpretation
question, you should be completely sure of what the graph or chart is telling you before
answering the question. Some of the SAT's data representations are more nuanced than you
might expect.

You must become one with the data. It's the only way.

Conclusion
Command of Evidence is a subscore category on the SAT that spans across the Reading and
Writing sections. Command of Evidence questions show up in the Writing section of the SAT in
several different forms. The three varieties I've identified are:

Setting the Stage (questions that ask you to choose the best phrase to insert to make
information flow logically)
Logical Additions (questions where you have to decide whether it makes sense to add
something to the passage or not)
Data Descriptions (questions that refer to charts or graphs and ask you to ensure that the
information in the passage matches up with the data provided)

A few tips for answering these types of questions are:

Tip #1: Plug in the Answer

Tip #2: Find Direct Support
Tip #3: Read the Passage Carefully
For Command of Evidence questions, finding the right answer is all about attention to detail and
strong reading comprehension skills. Be sure to practice reading passages and paying attention to
context so you can make the correct choices based on the evidence at hand.