7 Tips to boost your SAT reading score

Your score on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing part of the SAT is calculated using the results of the reading test. (Word and Language Test results account for the remaining half.) 

The Reading Test is crucial because of this breakdown, but it is manageable. The only thing you need to know is how to approach each reading passage; there are no formulae or comma rules to memorise. 

With the help of these crucial reading techniques below, prepare for a high SAT reading score:

1. Invest less time on reading passages 

The most frequent issue that students studying for the SAT encounter is that they run out of time when completing passages before they can even read all of the questions. The primary cause of this issue is that students read passages more attentively than necessary since their English teachers in school have taught them to do so. 

But since each section on the SAT is subject to 10 questions and nearly ever comprises more than 80 lines, questions rarely focus on a single line in particular and instead discuss the passage’s overall theme or the author’s tone. 

Do not strive to grasp every line; instead, read the material to absorb the main points and then underline the sections you believe should be the focus of your questions. Try to complete the section in three minutes. And then answer the questions once you’ve read the passage. 

Another strategy to solve these passages is to read the questions first. This will help you understand what to search for in the paragraph and will prevent you from having to read it twice in order to get the answers.

It is advisable to skip a question and move on if you cannot answer it in 30 seconds. Sticking with it will simply make you less motivated and take time away from answering other questions. 

During your SAT reading preparation, you should experiment to see which approach is most effective for you.

2. Understanding of How to Get Rid of Wrong Answers 

Even if you don’t know the answers to the questions, the multiple-choice format of the SATs really makes it simpler for you to respond if you use your brain a bit. 

The conventional wisdom is that there is only one correct response, which everyone should be aware of, yet there can only be one answer that is 100% correct, leaving the other three options—which are occasionally extremely obvious—to be 100% incorrect. 

Each and every incorrect response might be disregarded for one of several reasons. One of these would often have no connection to the issue at all, while others would be either too broad or too particular.

Each and every incorrect response might be disregarded for one of several reasons. One of these would often have no connection to the issue at all, while others would be either too broad or too particular. 

Your chances of getting the right answer rise with each question you confidently rule out, and even if you have no idea how to respond, some elimination and educated guesswork will nearly always provide the correct response. You can eliminate and guess to find the answers to the questions without any concern now that the penalty for incorrect replies has been eliminated.

3. Identify your reading weaknesses and strengthen them

Many talents that we may truly envisage are evaluated in the reading passages. These skills include: 

• The passage’s primary goal 
• Contextual vocabulary 
• Data interpretation  
• Speculation 
• Examining Several Texts 

Each of these abilities necessitates a unique approach to SAT reading practice. Even if one is skilled at predicting the passage’s basic goal, they may struggle to comprehend the evidence. Instead of wasting time on things you already know, one should aim to pinpoint their areas of weakness and strengthen those areas so that they are no longer weak. Examine the patterns in your errors and work to correct them. Practice the problems on which you frequently err.

4. Identify question types

I think being prepared is key to performing well on the reading part. Being well-prepared for all possible question types will give you a great deal of confidence while responding to questions on the test. The surprises in the exam are frequently what make us anxious, don’t you think? 

You will be well on your way to passing the reading section if you are fully aware of, ready for, and knowledgeable about the question types and the approaches to taking them. 

Let’s talk about a few question types that can be found on the SAT Reading portion and how to approach them:

Primary Goal Questions

You must comprehend the passage’s main idea or general goal in order to answer questions like these. Answering all other questions by repeatedly citing the paragraph will help you gain a better comprehension of the passage’s general objective, hence it is strongly advised that you address such questions last.

Below are the tips to answer such questions:

~ The opening and end of a piece frequently express its main points. So be sure to read these places thoroughly. 

~ In addition, each reading section will  include a blurb, which is a brief introduction that is bolded and includes information about the author, title, and context for the piece. You may get a fair notion of the passage’s main goal by reading the blurb. 

~ Keep in mind that the response to this question needs to capture the main idea or theme of the entire passage. Therefore, the information covered for the most part of the passage must be the solution.

Factual questions

Factual inquiries are easily identified by phrases like “according to the passage,” “as defined in the passage,” or “as depicted in the paragraph.” Such questions merely ask you to comprehend the information provided in the passage and respond appropriately. Such inquiries are easy pickings, thus you cannot afford to answer them incorrectly, I believe.

Below are the tips to answer such questions:

~  The “word-match strategy” is used in   the replies to these questions. You’ll see that the correct response frequently employs the same terms as the paragraph. The right response could also make use of synonyms for the passage’s language.

Inferential inquiries 

When the questions contain phrases like “suggest,” “infer,” “imply,” or “most likely,” keep in mind that you are being asked to draw an inference, which is a covert conclusion. These questions might be challenging since they need you to infer answers from the passage rather than straight from it. 

Techniques for answering inferential questions: 

~ Try to guess the answer before considering your choices. 

~ Make an effort to draw logical conclusions from the passage’s facts.

Informational graph questions 

These inquiries entail extrapolating facts from the passage’s accompanying graph, chart, or table. While some of these questions may merely need you to gather data from the graphs themselves, others may require you to make connections between the data in the text and the graph before selecting the appropriate response. 

These are the simple questions, so they won’t take much time or effort to answer. 

There will be instructional visuals in 2 of the 5 sections, and there will be a maximum of 2 questions about the images in those passages.

Use information from the passage just for questions that expressly ask you to, in order to solve informational graph problems. 

~ If the question states, “based on the data in the table,” then you must restrict your replies to the information provided in the table. In such circumstances, avoid using any information from the text.

Also Read – SAT Preparation: How to Prepare for SAT in 2023

5. Utilize Study Resources 

The most crucial thing that may improve your SAT reading score is study materials. The SAT passages were carefully crafted to gauge your ability. Even if you have given the proper answer, thoroughly consider the reasons behind each one as you work through the study materials. 

If you noted the incorrect response, make a note of the justification for the correct response as well as your error. This will assist you in identifying your areas of weakness. Relying on top-notch realistic reading materials might be really beneficial if you want to raise your SAT score.

Choose your reading materials carefully because a lot of them are of extremely low quality. Select those that are designed exclusively for SAT preparation. Check the evaluations of the sources you choose for your reading materials, and if they are unfavourable, attempt to steer clear of them.

6. Improve your vocabulary 

Students typically find the SAT vocabulary to be the issue that causes them the greatest confusion. How many words should be learned and how much time may be spent on them without being wasted is unclear. And if you think you can learn all 2,000 SAT vocabulary terms that are available online, you need to stop right there. The SAT equivalent of studying French words is knowing all of the vocabulary. What you must do is as follows.

You must first locate a vocabulary list of high-frequency words used on SATs; these can be found on a number of free websites. 

Create flash cards, then study them using the waterfall method. By grouping your flashcards into Know Its and Struggled groups, you can read through each group until you are familiar with every single one using the waterfall method. 

Try to comprehend the context in which they are used and make an educated guess as to what they mean. By doing this, you can eliminate all of the incorrect answers and arrive at the correct solution.

7. Regularly take practise tests 

By taking practice exams, you may evaluate your weaknesses and any small errors that you might have missed when practising for the SAT reading section. These tests will also assist you in effectively managing your time by revealing the areas where you squander the most time. Simply said, they are a fantastic tool for self-analysis, and as an added benefit, taking practice exams gets you so comfortable with the material that they reduce your tension on test day.

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