Central Ideas questions ask for the main point of a passage. Details questions ask what the passage directly states. Both reward reading what's actually on the page — not what's plausible in the real world.
Main idea = the claim every sentence supports. If a choice is true of only one sentence, it's a detail, not the central idea.
How to win these
- For central ideas: after reading, say the point in your own words, then find the choice closest to it.
- Too narrow (only part of the passage) and too broad (bigger than the passage) are the two classic wrong-answer shapes.
- For details: the answer is a paraphrase of something explicitly stated. If you can't point to the line, it's wrong.
Trap: A choice that's factually true and on-topic but never stated in the passage. On the SAT, "true in reality" ≠ "supported by the text."
Worked examples
How do you tell a main idea from a detail?
- Read the passage and say the point in your own words before looking at the choices.
- Ask of each choice: does EVERY sentence support this? If it only covers one sentence, it's a detail, not the main idea.
- Watch for choices that are too narrow (one detail) or too broad (bigger than the passage).
- For detail questions, you must be able to point to the exact line. If you can't, it's wrong — even if it sounds true.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Choosing an answer that is true in the real world but never stated in the passage. Only what's on the page counts.
- Picking a detail that appears in the text but doesn't capture the whole point.
- Falling for extreme wording — 'always,' 'never,' 'only,' 'all' — which passages rarely support.
- Answering from memory after reading. Go back and confirm against the text.