SAT Central Ideas and Details
Find the main idea, or a specific detail the passage actually supports.
How to score it
- The main idea must cover every sentence — not just the catchy one.
- For detail questions, the answer is anchored in the text; eliminate anything you can't point to.
- Beware answers that are true in the real world but never stated here.
Common traps
- Too narrow — captures one sentence, not the whole.
- True of an adjacent entity in the passage, not the one asked about.
- Plausibly true in reality, but unsupported by the text.
The 2 question types, with real examples
Main idea
“Which choice best states the main idea of the text?”
Historian Rebecca Tannenbaum's research on colonial New England challenges the assumption that accused witches were predominantly poor, marginalized women. By analyzing court records from multiple Massachusetts towns between 1638 and 1725, Tannenbaum found that many accused individuals came from middling or even wealthy families and held respected positions in their communities. This finding suggests that social tensions and personal conflicts, rather than economic status alone, played a more significant role in witchcraft accusations than previously thought.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
- ATannenbaum's analysis of court records reveals that witchcraft accusations in colonial New England were driven by factors beyond the economic marginalization of the accused.✓
- BBefore Tannenbaum's research, historians believed that all accused witches in colonial America were wealthy.
- CCourt records from Massachusetts towns show that some accused witches came from wealthy families.
- DSocial conflicts have always been the primary cause of criminal accusations throughout human history.
Choice A best captures the main idea by connecting Tannenbaum's findings about the diverse economic backgrounds of accused witches to the broader conclusion about what drove accusations. The text emphasizes how this research challenges previous assumptions and points to social tensions as key factors.
Supporting detail
“According to the text, which statement is true about ___?”
Musicologist Samuel Floyd has examined the influence of African musical traditions on jazz development in early twentieth-century America. He argues that techniques such as call-and-response patterns and rhythmic improvisation, which were central to West African music, were preserved and adapted by enslaved people and their descendants. These elements became foundational to jazz, shaping both its structure and performance style. Floyd contends that recognizing these African roots is essential to understanding jazz as a cultural form.
According to the text, what is true about jazz?
- AIt represents the pinnacle of American musical achievement.
- BIt developed in early twentieth-century America.
- CIt originated entirely from European classical music traditions.
- DIt incorporates musical techniques that were preserved from African traditions.✓
The text explains that techniques such as call-and-response and rhythmic improvisation from West African music were preserved by enslaved people and became foundational to jazz, confirming that jazz incorporates techniques preserved from African traditions.
Want to try the hard ones? 25 hard Central Ideas and Details questions with full explanations — free, no account needed.
Drill Central Ideas and Details — free trial→