SAT test writers do not write brand new questions for every test. Instead, they use a test authoring methodology based upon developing and then using standardized blueprints or templates. On live tests, they swap out specific variables – like vocabulary words, passage topics, and names – while keeping the underlying logic, difficulty level and distractor mechanisms the same.
SAT templates exist for all of test questions. I have identified a significant number of vocabulary in context templates that I call “clusters.” Let’s take a close look at three frequently used clusters:
