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Command of Evidence: Textual

Information and Ideas · ~26% of Reading & Writing

50+ free practice questions, every answer explained.

SAT Prep  /  Practice  /  Command of Evidence: Textual

What it tests

Command of Evidence (Textual) describes a claim, hypothesis or argument and asks which quotation, finding or example would most directly support it, illustrate it, or weaken it. The passage sets up the claim; the choices are the candidate evidence.

How to approach it

Restate, in one sentence, exactly what has to be proven — including any qualifier like "in cities", "before 1900", "for adults only". Then test each choice against that sentence alone. Evidence that is true, interesting and about the right topic still fails if it does not bear on the specific claim, and "weaken" questions are lost almost entirely by candidates who answer them as "support" questions.

The mistake that costs the most points

Grading the choices on how impressive they sound rather than on what they prove. Read the question stem twice: support, illustrate, and weaken are three different jobs, and the strongest-sounding choice is often the answer to the one you were not asked.

What a Command of Evidence: Textual question looks like

A nutritionist argues that offering fruit as a free side option at fast-food restaurants leads customers to order fewer fried side dishes overall, not just to add fruit alongside their existing order.

Which finding would most directly support the nutritionist's argument?

  1. A A study found that customers' awareness of nutrition labeling improved after a public campaign.
  2. B A study found that after fruit was offered free, orders of fried side dishes dropped by 15% at the restaurants studied.
  3. C A survey found that most customers said they liked the taste of the fruit offered.
  4. D A study found that fruit sales increased sharply at the restaurants after the change.

Answer: B. The claim is specifically about fried side orders decreasing, not just fruit orders increasing. A finding showing fried side orders actually dropped directly supports this specific substitution effect; the other choices address unrelated measures.

Command of Evidence: Textual drills

50+ questions across 8 drills. Each drill is answered as a set — you see every explanation at once, at the end.

Drills 4–8 continue from the end of drill 3 — each drill links to the next.

Also in Information and Ideas

Reading comprehension proper: main ideas, stated details, evidence that supports or weakens a claim, and conclusions the text forces.

Command of Evidence: Textual FAQ

What does the Command of Evidence: Textual question type test on the Digital SAT?

Command of Evidence (Textual) describes a claim, hypothesis or argument and asks which quotation, finding or example would most directly support it, illustrate it, or weaken it. The passage sets up the claim; the choices are the candidate evidence.

How should I approach Command of Evidence: Textual questions?

Restate, in one sentence, exactly what has to be proven — including any qualifier like "in cities", "before 1900", "for adults only". Then test each choice against that sentence alone. Evidence that is true, interesting and about the right topic still fails if it does not bear on the specific claim, and "weaken" questions are lost almost entirely by candidates who answer them as "support" questions.

How many Command of Evidence: Textual questions are on the SAT?

Command of Evidence: Textual sits in the Information and Ideas domain, which is ~26% of the Reading & Writing section — roughly 12–14 of its 54 questions. The College Board publishes weights by domain, not by individual skill, so an exact per-skill count is not something anyone can promise you.

Are these real SAT questions?

No. Every question is original, written to the College Board's published Digital SAT Reading & Writing specification. No retired or copyrighted College Board material appears anywhere on this site.

How much free Command of Evidence: Textual practice is here?

50+ questions across 8 drills, all free, no account needed, every answer explained.