Preparing for the SAT: Critical Reading |
Preparing for the SAT: Critical Reading
If you are like most high school students, it is likely the mathematics section of the SAT that causes you concern. Many find the writing and critical reading sections to be the easiest. With that said, it does not mean you should not review and study for these portions of the test. For this article, we will focus on the SAT critical reading. What does this portion of the timed test involve and how can you prepare?
The SAT critical reading section is home to two types of questions. Both of these are multiple-choice questions. They involve sentence completion and passage-based reading. There are only 19 questions for sentence completion and they test your understanding of sentence structure and vocabulary. There are 48 questions for passage-based reading. These test your understanding of what you read.
When taking the critical reading portion of the test, start with the first question and work your way down. In the mathematics section, some people recommended answering the easiest questions first. On the Official SAT website, the College Board states that the questions get harder as the test progresses with sentence completions. For that reason, do not jump around.
When on the critical reading section of the SAT, you will get multiple-choice questions. These questions are usually one sentence. In that sentence, you will find two blank spots. You need to fill in each blank spot with the best words. The multiple-choice answer with those right words is the correct answer. When taking this portion of the test, review each of your options. Start with A, B, C, and so forth. Try each word in the sentence. You can automatically eliminate those that are wrong, leaving the correct answer.
As for the reading passages, many students mistakenly believe they must have knowledge on the subject. This is not the case. You are not tested on your knowledge, but rather the understanding of what you read. The answers to each passage-based reading question are in the passage. Some passages have line numbers, meaning sentence five is labeled with a (5). The questions may direct you to a specific portion of the passage, but read the entire passage first. It can influence your answers.
As with sentence completions, the Official SAT website, does not recommended jumping around in the passage-based reading section. You will get different passages to read, but each passage has multiple questions pertaining to it. Jumping around can slow you down and cause confusion. Work on one passage and its questions at a time.
With passage-based reading, you are tested on three different areas. They are understanding what you read, extended reasoning of what you read, and vocabulary understanding. The SAT wants to make sure you understand what you read, that you can further elaborate if needed, and that you know your vocabulary words.
The easiest way to prepare for the SAT is to study relevant vocabulary words. You learned these words in your freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years of high school. If you saved your old vocabulary books, review them. Vocabulary lists are also found in many printed study guides, such as the Barron's SAT book. Review this list and make flash cards.
Since you are still in high school English and doing writing assignments, you should already know the importance of sentence structure. What you should focus on instead is your reading comprehension. If you are known for quickly skimming a paragraph and not remembering what you read, work on improving this. Take it slow and steady. Focus more on comprehension than quick reading. The more you practice, the easier it will get overtime.
Word Count 603
|
5 Easy Ways to Do Well On the SAT Subject Tests The SAT Reasoning Test, formerly known as the SAT ... read more
5 Easy Ways to Prepare for the SAT Are you scheduled to take the SAT test in a month or ... read more
5 Reasons to Take a SAT Subject Test If you see college in your future, you likely see the SAT ... read more
5 Simple Ways to Prepare for the SAT Whether you are a parent who wants to ensure your child is ... read more
5 Reasons to Buy the Official SAT Printed Study Guide Are you preparing for the SAT? If so, you may ... read more
How to Find an SAT Test Prep Course If you are planning to take the SAT Reasoning Test in the ... read more
How to Prepare for the SAT English Sections When taking the SAT Reasoning Test, you will see that the test ... read more
How to Use the Barron's SAT Book to Study If you are gearing up to take the SAT Reasoning Test, ... read more
Parents: Cheap Ways to Prepare Your Child for the SAT If you are a parent, you want your child to ... read more
Preparing for the SAT: Critical Reading If you are like most high school students, it is likely the mathematics section ... read more
Preparing for the SAT: Frequently Asked Questions If you are preparing to take the SAT, you may have many questions. ... read more
Preparing for the SAT: Helpful Study Tips If you want to further your education and attend college, you will likely ... read more
Preparing for the SAT: Mathematics For most high school students, they are either good at math or not. If you ... read more
Preparing for the SAT: What Sections to Focus On If you want to prepare for the SAT, you are in ... read more
Preparing for the SAT Writing Section If you are preparing for the SAT, you will want to examine each component ... read more
Pros and Cons of Online SAT Prep Courses If you are gearing up to take the SAT test soon, you ... read more
SAT Subject Tests: Frequently Asked Questions If you are getting ready to apply to colleges, you may also be getting ... read more
Taking the SAT: Day Before Preparation Tips If you are gearing up to take the SAT, you may be feeling ... read more
Taking the SAT: Day of Preparation Tips If college is in your future, you should take the SAT exam. If ... read more
Taking the SAT: Tips to Pass the Test If you are gearing up to take the SAT, you may be ... read more
The SAT Essay: Preparation Tips When taking the SAT test, you will find three different sections. These sections are critical ... read more
The SAT: What to Bring and What to Leave at Home If you are gearing up to take the SAT, ... read more
The SAT: When to Schedule Your Tests If you want to attend college, you may be interested in taking the ... read more
Why the SAT Is Important Here is the scenario: You are a junior or senior in high school. You want ... read more
Why You Should Take Practice SAT Tests When it comes to studying for the SAT, many test takers hit the ... read more
|
|
|
Disclaimer:
The Publisher has strived to be as accurate and complete as possible in
the creation of this website, notwithstanding the fact that he does not
warrant or represent at any time that the contents within are accurate
due to the rapidly changing nature of the Internet.
This site
is a common sense guide to Preparing for the SAT: Critical Reading. In practical advice websites,
like anything else in life, there are no guarantees of income made.
Readers are cautioned to reply on their own judgment about their
individual circumstances to act accordingly.
This site
is not intended for use as a source of legal, business, accounting or
financial advice. All readers are advised to seek services of competent
professionals in legal, business, accounting, and finance field.
Any
perceived slights of specific people or organizations are unintentional.
|