Question 161·200 Super-Hard SAT Reading Questions·Expression of Ideas
Some universities attempt to curb academic dishonesty by increasing surveillance during exams. ______ others redesign assessments to emphasize open-ended problems and oral explanations, approaches that are harder to cheat on and more aligned with the courses' learning goals.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, always read the sentence (or pair of sentences) without the transition first and decide the logical relationship between the ideas: contrast, cause-and-effect, example, addition, or sequence. Once you know the relationship, quickly label each option by the type of connection it usually signals and eliminate any that don’t match, even if they “sound good.” This meaning-first approach prevents you from being tricked by transitions that are grammatically fine but logically wrong.
Hints
Focus on the words around the blank
Look carefully at how the sentence begins ("Some universities...") and how the next part starts ("others redesign assessments..."). What is the relationship between "some" and "others"?
Decide the type of connection
Ask yourself: Is the second approach a result of the first, an example of the first, very similar to the first, or a different alternative way to address the same problem?
Match meaning, not sound
Think about what each transition word usually signals (cause, similarity, example, or contrast/alternative), and pick the one that fits the relationship you identified.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what each part of the sentence is saying
First part: "Some universities attempt to curb academic dishonesty by increasing surveillance during exams." This describes one method some universities use.
Second part: "others redesign assessments to emphasize open-ended problems and oral explanations, approaches that are harder to cheat on and more aligned with the courses' learning goals." This describes a different method used by other universities.
Identify the relationship between the two methods
Compare the two approaches:
- Approach 1: more surveillance.
- Approach 2: redesigning assessments to be open-ended and oral.
These are alternative strategies to solve the same problem (academic dishonesty), not causes of each other, not examples of each other, and not similar in style. The blank must show that the second group is using a different, alternative approach from the first group.
Match each option to the type of relationship it expresses
Think about what each transition usually means:
- "Consequently," = as a result (cause and effect).
- "Similarly," = in the same way (showing similarity).
- "For example," = giving an example of a general idea.
- One option signals contrast or an alternative (a different choice instead of the first one).
Only the option that shows contrast/alternative will logically connect "Some universities..." with "others redesign...".
Choose the transition that signals an alternative
Because the sentence contrasts what some universities do with what others do instead, the best transition is "Instead,", which clearly shows that the second group is using a different, alternative strategy.