PSAT Critical Reading

Master the skills to understand, analyze, and interpret reading passages on the PSAT.

Advanced Topics

Evaluating Evidence and Arguments

Think Like a Detective

On the PSAT, you’ll see questions asking you to pick the best evidence for a conclusion. This means you need to judge whether the facts really support what the author is saying.

Steps to Evaluate

  • Identify the claim or argument.
  • Find the evidence provided (quotes, statistics, examples).
  • Decide if the evidence is strong and relevant.

Why It Matters

This skill helps you avoid being fooled by weak arguments—not just on tests, but in real life too!

Examples

  • An author claims video games improve learning and cites a scientific study—this is strong evidence.

  • A passage says, 'Everyone I know loves this book,' as evidence that it's great—this is weak evidence.

In a Nutshell

Judge whether the evidence in a passage truly backs up the author's claims.