Are you looking to get a perfect score on the SAT® Reading Test? Here are some strategies to implement during practice exams, preparation, and on testing day.
Strategies For Practice Work
Implement these tips into your practice work to ensure you have effectively prepared for the Reading test.
Know Your Weaknesses
A great place to start when improving your SAT score is to find out your weak areas. This can be done by going over a score report and evaluating the question types you can improve the most. You should also monitor your time efficiency during practice tests to decipher whether your poor performance has to do with your skills or time management. Notice patterns in your performance, and spend time to improve your weakest areas.
Know Your Best Reading Strategy
When reading the passages in the Reading section, consider the several strategies available and practice each of them. Some students skim the passage, then read questions. Others find success in reading the questions first, then reading the passage. You may find that you are most successful in reading the entire passage in detail, then answering questions. Try each reading method during practice tests and see which one goes best. Using the scores from your practice tests, you can determine which reading strategy was most effective.
Evaluate Your Mistakes
Take some time to understand where you are making mistakes. Making note of why you missed a question and what you will change in the future can be crucial to improving your scores. Whether you misread a question and made a careless mistake, or did not know the definition of a word, you can learn from your errors. This takes practice. You can also benefit from UWorld’s SAT Prep Course, where performance tracking is available to pin down your mistakes and offer explanations for questions and answers.
Practice Time Efficiency
One more strategy for you to consider is monitoring your time efficiency. Doing so can allow for time to double-check your work. Perfecting this strategy can be even more effective if you note the questions you are unsure of as you work through practice tests. When you check your work, you can spend your time efficiently on problems that need more thought.
Strategies For Test Day
You can implement these key tips into your testing strategies. You can prepare by trying them during your practice tests, then use them later to streamline your work on the official exam.
Make Predictions Before Reading the Answer Choices
Instead of reading the question and immediately reading the options for answers, consider predicting what the correct answer is first and then move on to evaluate your choices. Coming up with your own answer before you encounter the options available can help you avoid the influence of wrong answers. Reading several wrong answers before making up your mind on a correct one can influence your thought process.
Eliminate Wrong Answers
Another strategy to consider is to eliminate wrong answers from the answer options. Do your best to practice determining the three incorrect options and eliminating them. Narrowing the choices down to the correct answer requires you to practice evaluating the answer options for their flaws. Eliminating wrong answers can be an excellent strategy for navigating questions where you think there could be more than one correct answer.
Read the Introductions
Passages in the Reading section are often introduced with an italicized paragraph or sentence that provides context for what you are about to read. Paying attention to this text can remove the guesswork in understanding the main point of the passage.
Implementing these strategies can be very effective in perfecting your Reading score. While aiming for a perfect score, remember that you will often experience highs and lows through your practice. You can continue to work on your weaknesses and practice the strategies that work for you through UWorld’s SAT Prep courses and practice exams. The performance tracking and detailed explanations can be especially helpful to your improving your score.
