SAT Command of Evidence study notes

Evidence questions are about fit, not just topic. Imagine the claim as a target: the best evidence measures the exact outcome and points in the right direction. When the claim proposes a cause, look for a result that would be expected if that cause were operating.

Worked example

A researcher claims that a shade canopy lowers playground surface temperature. Which result helps most: the canopy’s color, or a midday reading 6°C lower beneath it than in a comparable unshaded area?

The paired temperature readings directly measure the outcome. The canopy’s color describes the object but does not show that the surface became cooler.

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