<p>I've been trying to get my CR score up from a 570 (Bleh) and its not going too well. The sentence completions are fine, I consistently get all of them right but when i reach the passages everything goes down hill. </p>
<p>So i'd like to know what are your strategies for tackling the passages. I've been using different books and they see just to read the 1st paragraph slowly and speed thru the rest of the passage but that's not working for me</p>
<p>Like you, I also struggle with the critical reading section of the SAT, particularly with deciphering the content contained within the long passages. However, through practice and several guides I’ve come across, I’ve gathered tips that have personally helped me and will surely help you.</p>
<p>When it comes to reading the long passages, force yourself to be genuinely interested in the subject. You will be more likely to retain the material you read if you take a more optimistic approach to the passage. </p>
<p>Always begin with reading the italicized blurb and scan the questions for line references. Mark any specific words or lines the questions may be referring to on the passage itself. Additionally, you may also want to divide the passage into an arbitrary number of sections to allow you to focus on and absorb the content of each one at a time. I usually allot two or three paragraphs to each section. After you are done with a particular section, you should proceed to answer the line reference questions pertaining to that section.</p>
<p>As far as reading the passage goes, ideally, you’ll want to skim through the passage and slow down and carefully read the lines around any marked references from earlier. When you are done reading the whole passage and answering the line reference questions, you should answer the higher-order questions (i.e. those pertaining to overall tone, etc.).</p>
<p>Above all, always remember that every correct answer will be fully supported by the text. I’m guilty of this myself, but avoid reading into what the answer choices may say. Instead, assume each answer is wrong unless proven otherwise by the text.</p>
<p>THANK YOU!!! i just started using these tips and i’m already seeing some improvement, so i’m going to practice some more tests until it becomes second nature. Again thank you this is really helpful :D!!</p>