The types of passages mainly differ in length, but also in content. Therefore, the strategies for tackling them need to be different.
Types of Reading Passages
If you are preparing for the SAT in near future, chances are you've heard that the SAT has undergone some big changes as of March 2016. Most notably, the guessing penalty has been removed, which is in and of itself a major advantage for test takers. However, the test has also been brought more in line with what you actually learn in school/college. In this lesson, we'll learn how the SAT Reading Test now has four different fields from which passages may be drawn: literature, U.S. history, social science, and science.
Literature
Passages from this category show up less frequently on the SAT (thus, only one sample) and have a slightly different feel: they’re difficult not because of scientific terminology or historical references, but mainly because of antiquated language and totally unfamiliar subject matter (e.g. the descriptions below, or a character’s concerns about her upcoming marriage).
First things first, remember the golden rule of the new SAT Reading Test - don't try to apply any knowledge that you know from elsewhere. This test is about your ability to get information from what's in front of you - not from what you remember from American Literature in junior year.
Sample: The youngest man on board (barring the second mate), and untried as yet by a position of the fullest responsibility, I was willing to take the adequacy of others for granted. They simply had to be equal to their tasks, but I wondered how far I should turn out faithful to that ideal conception of one’s own personality every man sets up for himself secretly.
History
History passages give the SAT a chance to test your understanding of specific meaningful events or evolution of ideas over long periods of time. These are situations in which outside knowledge is (a) most likely to occur, especially for students in AP History courses, and (b) most detrimental: remember, only draw your answers from the material on the page.