Critical Reading Strategy for the SAT

Here is our strategy article from SAT Prep Plan for the critical reading section of the SAT. Feedback is welcome.

Critical Reading Section Strategy Overview
Description:
The critical reading section of the SAT comprises 67 questions in total, broken into two categories:

sentence completion: 19 multiple-choice questions focusing on vocabulary and complex sentences
passage-based reading: 48 questions based on passages that may be fairly short (100 words) to moderately long (850 words), or two short passages that you must compare. Subject matter is drawn from all disciplines, ranging from humanities to the natural sciences
All the questions in this section test your ability for critical thinking – the ability to read a sentence or passage and demonstrate an understanding of what you have read.

Often the sentence completion questions rely on your understanding of the vocabulary used in the question, as well as your ability to determine the meaning of words you do not know by the context in which they are used. Regardless of how strong or weak you think your vocabulary skills are, it will be important to continuously improve your vocabulary skills, by reading (and looking up the definitions of words you do not know) and taking the time to study vocabulary lists.

Basic Strategies for the Critical Reading Section

Work on sentence completion questions first. These questions tend to be easier than the passage-based questions, and they are self-contained. After you complete all the sentence completion questions, you will know exactly how much time you have left for the passage-based questions.
As with all sections in the SAT, the sentence completion questions in the critical reading section become progressively difficult as you proceed through the section. Try to spend less time on the early questions, but be sure to read all questions carefully.
Sentence completion questions frequently test your vocabulary skills; when you see questions that use words you know, scan these quickly to see if you can save time with a fast, correct answer.
When reading a passage, make annotations in your test book to flag key words and main points.
Learning Resources
Review the CollegeBoard’s overview of the critical reading section

Advertisement

Explore posts in the same categories: education, SAT, testing