SAT Critical Reading is a monster. It gobbles up most of a test taker's points, and it is arguably the most difficult part of the entire SAT. If the test gave passages on what people like to read in a reasonable amount of time, undoubtably, the scores would go up; but put them on a clock and switch out the reading with a passage on common hemming techniques in the 18th century, and the test-takers attitude becomes very different. Luckily, by following a few easy steps, you can outsmart the testmakers while not actually knowing everything about the subject.
Note: This method does not work for everyone. If this doesn't work for you, keep practicing and find out what does!
The Method
Extra Tips
Work in timed situations, but cut the time by 5-7 minutes to induce the pressure you will be feeling on test day. Also, stay focused! If you can, the payout is huge.
It sounds counter-intuitive, but when you get to the passage, the first thing you should do is not read it. Read the questions and start to mark up the passage. It sounds silly, but the SAT is a formulaic test; the questions are different every year, but the way they make them stays the same.
For line-number questions, BRACKET where the answer will be, but create a wider range (Plus or minus 3 lines)! For example, if the line number says the answer is in lines 7-10, the answer will (95% of the time) be in lines 4-13. When finished bracketing the section off, Label the bracket with both the question number and what the question is asking for . (Shorthand such as “Tone of statement” or "literary device used?”)
The other questions, non-line number questions, should be taken note of as well and written on the bottm of the page. For example, if two questions ask about main idea and tone, write the words "Main Idea" and "Tone" so when you are reading, you can look for key words that will help you answer the question later! *These questions come in a variety of forms, asking about things like tone, argument, main idea, narration perspective, etc. So be alert and ready for anything!*
If question number 1 and 3 are line number questions, but 2 is not, then the answer to 2 MUST BE in between where you found the answer to 1 and 3. REMEMBER, the SAT is ordered along with the passage, NOT by level of difficulty!
Step Two: Read the Passage and Begin to Answer
Start to read. Skim the passage, and when you get to a bracketed part, read the bracketed text quickly once and more analytically a second time . This will help you understand the passage better and help you easily find the answer to the questions you are looking for.
Answer the questions in the order you find the answer, but do not fill in your scantron just yet! Circle the answer in the packet and move on; bubbling 14-19 answers takes less than a minute and the circled answers will make the most important part of this process easier. Also, as you answer a question, check off that particular bracket, so you know you don't need to worry about it anymore!
Circle any you do not know and move on, but be sure to remember what they are asking for, because it may come up a little later in the passage!
Step Three: Most Importantly, Review!
All of your answers must be justified. The SAT can be taken with no background knowledge (a statement in the big blue book’s introduction, an important fact most skip over) so that means ALL ANSWERS WILL COME FROM THE PASSAGE. When you are finished answering, go back and look at your answers, and underline the part of the passage that justifies your answer. When you find something to justify it, you can almost be sure its right, but when you have no proof, guarantee it’s wrong.
For EXCEPT questions, do the same thing, but find all the choices that are mentioned in the passage and underline them. The remaining one will be your answer.
