<p>In one of the prep books, they've recommended that one reads the questions before the passage. But what happens to me sometimes is, that I get too concerned with looking for the answers in the passage, and dont exactly focus on the passage itself. Sometimes, however, this strategy bodes great results!
it's all quite confusing,
any suggestions?</p>
<p>I did that and ended up with a lousy score on the SAT (680CR). Now, during practice tests, I read the passage beforehand and try to absorb the key points. My practice scores are now in the 700s :) </p>
<p>So yeah, read first, then go back and hunt for answers to the questions.</p>
<p>ashraf! 680 isnt fantastic, but it isnt lousy either!
thanks for the advice, i wasnt too in love with that strategy either!</p>
<p>for the short passages (10 liners or so) with a few (1-3) questions afterward, it helps to read the questions first, but for a long(er) passage, read the passage first and make sure you understand it. then go on to answer the questions. otherwise you'll have too many questions floating around in your head to concentrate on the right parts of the passage. </p>
<p>then again, CR was my only sub-700 score (790/790/670). i do have a disability though, so CR is very hard for me. that strategy definitely helped me. i think it came from the blue book.</p>
<p>never the read the questions first for the long passages! ITs a waste of time</p>
<p>I agree with everything said here. It just distracts me.</p>
<p>This has been discussed many times before and it really boils down to each individual. I personally read the questions first so I can get an idea of what to look for. However, if you're slow at reading, this method could potentially kill your score. Just do whatever method is easier for you.</p>
<p>I've never read the entire passage. I've just worked, reading specific line references (and the lines before and after), and leaving the "passage questions" until the end. It was a heck of a lot faster, and I'm a quick reader, too. It really keeps the focus on the question and exactly what the question is asking for.</p>
<p>800.</p>
<p>Um... I got a good score on verbal by reading the passage paragraph by paragraph. Pretty much, I broke them into chunks and answered Q's along the way so I don't forget details.</p>
<p>Considering that the Q's are chronological w/respect to the passages, this strategy was not too bad.</p>
<p>Ditto on 800.</p>