Advanced Strategies for Digital SAT Command of Evidence Questions, Part 1
Learn high-level strategies for tackling the most challenging Command of Evidence questions on the Reading & Writing section of the Digital SAT.
Command of Evidence and Causal Chains
What the College Board calls “Command of Evidence” questions, which I refer to as “Logical Operations,” often present a series of phenomena interlinked by cause and effect. These causal chains can make the reasoning in the passage more difficult to follow.
Command of evidence causal chains sometimes involve three or more steps that are not necessarily presented in their natural logical sequence, making them challenging to keep straight mentally. To manage this complexity, it’s helpful to jot down causal chains in a simplified outline or diagram form. However, like all strategies, this diagramming technique requires practice to be used effectively.
Below, I demonstrate how to create such diagrams, first with a short, simple passage, and then with a longer, more complex passage. Beneath those examples, you will find a link to two more sample passages and a causal chain diagramming exercise. Premium subscribers who complete the exercise can submit their practice diagrams to me for written feedback.