3 Simple SAT Reading Tips to Get a Perfect Score
If you’re applying for colleges in the US, chances are you have to take the SAT or another standardised test like the ACT. Each test attracts over 1.5 million candidates a year to try their luck batting for the Ivy League.
Here are some of our best SAT Reading comprehension tips for acing the SAT Reading section.
Tip #1: Find your passage-reading strategy
Try to decide on a good strategy for reading passages before the SAT Reading test day. This will save you from wasting time and from the burden of choice.
The strategy you select depends on your strengths. Here are a few SAT Reading strategies for you to consider:
1. Read the passage in full
Stronger students will score top marks in the SAT Reading test by speed reading. Speed reading is a form of reading which emphasizes both speed and comprehension.
2. Skim the passage first
You get a sense of the main ideas of the SAT Reading passage without wasting too much time reading it closely. To skim, read the introduction, conclusion, and the first and last sentences of each body paragraph. This is the recommended technique our expert SAT tutors recommend for most students.
3. Skip straight to the SAT Reading questions
This method essentially involves skipping the passage altogether. Since the SAT Reading test provides line numbers, reading the passage in full may not be necessary.
Tip #2: Keep your strengths close, but your mistakes closer
While revising for the SAT Reading test, you must take time to understand each mistake you make on practice questions, why you made it, and how you will avoid it in the future.
Mistakes in the SAT usually fall into one of four categories:
Content weakness
Time pressure
An issue with question comprehension
Careless errors
Once you finish taking a practice SAT Reading test, catalog all your mistakes by category and see if you can find any patterns. Thoroughly reflect on every mistake and come up with alternative questions and answers along the same lines. This is a surefire way to see a dramatic improvement in your SAT Reading score.
Tip #3: Connotation and Context
Look for words that show a positive or negative connotation in the part of the passage that the question references. This can help you eliminate answers in the tougher questions of the SAT Reading section.
Likewise, don’t forget the context. Don’t just look at the exact line referenced in the question; the surrounding lines are just as important.
Need more SAT Reading support?
We hope you found these SAT Reading tips helpful. If you wish to succeed in SAT Reading, no tip is as valuable as enrolling in private SAT Reading tuition.
At BartyED, we offer both in-person and online customised SAT support programs designed to help learners score highly and gain admission to top US universities.
What does a BartyED SAT Reading tutoring program look like?
Our SAT Reading tutoring program is customized to the individual learner based on the strengths and weaknesses flagged in the initial assessment session.
Our SAT tutors are highly experienced in drilling exam technique, reading comprehension, grammar rules, and basic writing competency. After enrolling in our SAT Reading classes, students have noted impressive, lasting gains in their overall results.
BartyED tutors plan revision exercises for students to complete independently every day. This is done alongside a comprehensive instruction of the conventions of proper English, such as verb conjugation, semicolons, and parallel structures.
Contact a BartyED expert SAT tutor today, at 2882 1017 or email us at enquiries@bartyed.com.