SAT Reading can feel intimidating, but success does not require outside knowledge. Everything you need sits in the passage. That includes inference. Inference is not speculation. The correct answer is the one most likely true based on explicit evidence, plus a small step of logic.
On the digital SAT, inference shows up most often as a logical completion: a short passage ends with a blank, and you choose the sentence that best extends what came before. Here is the three-step system I use and the reasoning behind it.
Step 1: Read for clues, not vibes
Short passages tempt students to skim only the line before the blank. Do not. Read from the start and mark signals that control meaning.
- Cause and reason words such as “because,” “since”
- Contrast words such as “however,” “but”
- Trend and comparison language such as “more,” “fewer,” “increasing”
These anchors tell you exactly what the blank must do. Example patterns:
- “Because…” means the blank must supply the reason just established by earlier lines.
- “However…” warns you to balance two opposing ideas, often by location, condition, or context.
Step 2: Make a prediction before you look at choices
State, in your own words, what the blank should say. Keep it tied to the text.
- Robot handshake passage → the blank should link realistic feel to better human-robot interaction.
- Mountain biodiversity passage → the blank should tie colder air to the difficulty and cost of adaptation, resulting in fewer species at higher elevations.
- Salt-marsh crabs passage → the blank should capture that burrowing helps plants in the interior but harms them at edges.
- Sherlock Holmes copyright passage → the blank should show that losing copyright lowers costs and barriers, so more adaptations are likely.
A prediction keeps you from chasing tempting but unsupported options.
Step 3: Test choices against evidence and language
Eliminate any choice that fails your prediction or the passage’s logic.
- Prefer calibrated language such as “may,” “might,” “could.” Inference supports likelihood, not certainty.
- Be skeptical of extreme words such as “always,” “must,” “prove.”
- Reject choices that are on the topic but miss the task. If the blank must give a reason, an example or unrelated fact will not do.
Why students miss these and how to fix it
- Reading too little: The best clue often sits two sentences back. Read the whole item.
- Choosing “true-ish” facts: Correct answers must fit the author’s logic, not just the subject.
- Ignoring signals: Words like “because,” “however,” and “since” tell you the exact role of the blank.
Quick checklist for test day
- I read the full mini-passage.
- I underlined the key signal word.
- I wrote a 5–8 word prediction.
- I eliminated choices that do not match role, logic, or tone.
- I favored precise, non-extreme wording.
Inference questions reward careful readers who follow the breadcrumbs. Read for structure, predict with purpose, and choose the sentence that the passage itself demands.
