Passage-based Reading (PbR) questions are part of the SAT's Critical Reading sections.  These question types are designed to test your ability to read and analyze different passages.  Here are the instructions for PbR questions that you'll find on the test.  Learn these instructions beforehand so you can spend all your test time answering the questions.

To attack PbR questions, we need to understand what makes them difficult:

• The passages are often boring.  Really boring.  This makes it hard to focus on the details of the passage (like the argument or organization).

• After they try to bore you into spacing out, the test-writers feed you detailed questions about the author's argument or organization of ideas.

• Your time is limited.

To combat mind-numbingly boring passages and annoyingly detailed questions, you've got two tools:

1. how you read 
2. what you write
   

Keep the test-writers in mind -- they want to trick you into assuming something that is not directly supported by the passage. The correct answer choice will contain only details that the passage states explicity or information that can be inferred from the passage.

PbR questions generally ask for certain details about the passage:

• general argument/idea (what the author's point is)

• literary technique (how the author chooses to make his/her points)

• vocabulary in context (what words the author uses to describe his/her points)
  

• tone or attitude (how does the author feel about his/her topic?)
  

• specific statement (what the author is saying at a particular point in the passage)