SSAT Reading Comprehension
The SSAT Reading section consists of several short passages that you will read and answer questions about. These passages are both fiction and nonfiction, and you will encounter stories, poems, short stories, and persuasive pieces. You will be asked to identify main ideas and supporting details, use context clues to find a word’s meaning, and come to conclusions about purpose and tone.
Fast Facts
- Fourth section of the SSAT
- Elementary: 30 minutes with 28 questions
- 7 reading passages with 4 questions each
- Middle and Upper Levels: 40 minutes with 40 questions
- Passages range in length from 250 to 350 words
- Elementary: 30 minutes with 28 questions
- Reading passages come from:
- Literary fiction
- Humanities (biography, art, poetry)
- Science (anthropology, astronomy, medicine)
- Social Studies (history, sociology, economics)
- Questions related to the passages ask students to:
- Recognize the main idea
- Locate details
- Make inferences
- Derive the meaning of a word or phrase using context
- Determine authorial intent
- Determine authorial attitude and tone
- Understand and evaluate arguments and opinions
- Make predictions based on information in the passage
Question Types
Students need to read a short passage before they answer questions based on the contents of the passage that they just read. There are several question types that students will see in the Reading Comprehension section. You can find some example questions below:
Inference
- Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the third paragraph?
- The story about the cookie sheet (lines 12-17) best illustrates the idea that:
Main Idea
- The poem primarily describes which of the following?
- What does the passage mainly discuss?
Organization/Logic
- Anecdotes from the author’s childhood are primarily used to:
- In the poem, the author does all of the following EXCEPT
Supporting Idea
- Which statement best summarizes the main idea of the last paragraph (lines 28-35)?
- According to the passage, star forts:
Tone/Style/Figurative Language
- This passage would be most likely to appear in a(n) _____?
- The author’s tone when describing recommended food quantity is best described as:
Vocabulary
- The word hydrophobic in line 9 most nearly means:
- In the context of the passage, “deference” (line 13) most nearly means:
Test-Taking Strategies
Locate Supporting Evidence. Every answer can be found within the passage. Approach reading comprehension like solving a mystery—identify the key clues that lead you to the correct answer.
Predict Your Answer. Before looking at the answer choices, try to determine the answer on your own. This approach helps you avoid being misled by incorrect options.
Identify the Main Idea. Take notes and highlight crucial information as you read. Summarizing sections as you go will help you save time and improve comprehension.
Check out additional reading comprehension strategies.
Interested in learning about the other sections of the SSAT? Check out our section-specific blog posts!
