SAT Reading Tips: How I Answered All 52 Reading Questions in 8 MINUTES

How to Improve Your SAT Reading Speed and Score

Step 1: Change Your Reading Strategy

1. Instead of rushing through passages, spend around 6 to 8 minutes reading each passage thoroughly.
2. Allocate 1 to 2 minutes to answer the questions related to that passage.
3. By focusing on understanding the passages, you can improve your speed and accuracy.

Step 2: Limit Referring Back to the Passage

1. Only refer back to the passage when a question explicitly asks you to do so.
2. Avoid constantly flipping back to the passage for every question.
3. Save time by recalling where in the passage you saw the evidence (beginning, middle, or end) instead of checking each answer choice.

Step 3: Approach Line-based Questions Efficiently

1. For questions like "which line best supports the answer to the previous question," avoid crossing out each answer choice.
2. Think about the location of the evidence in the passage (beginning, middle, or end) to determine the correct answer.
3. Minimize time wastage and improve efficiency in answering line-based questions.

Step 4: Handling Contextual Definition Questions

1. Avoid choosing primary definition answers for words in context.
2. Eliminate primary definition choices immediately and focus on secondary definitions.
3. Substitute the answer choice back into the sentence to ensure it fits the context correctly.

Step 5: Tackle Science and History Passages

1. Dedicate more time to reading science and history passages due to their complexity.
2. Focus on understanding the dense language and concepts presented in these passages.
3. Practice reading these passages slowly to grasp the content effectively.

Step 6: Managing Question Challenges

1. If you get stuck on a question, mark it with a star, make an educated guess, and move on.
2. Avoid dwelling on challenging questions as it can impact your timing and confidence.
3. Maintain a steady pace to build confidence and prevent second-guessing your answers.

By following these steps and strategies, you can improve your SAT reading speed and score significantly. Remember to practice these techniques to enhance your performance on the reading section of the SAT exam.