<p>While I'm practicing for the critical reading, I time myself but always exceed by 2 to 3 minutes. The reason i continue after the 25th minute is because I have everything in my mind about the passage(s) but I'm just answering those last two questions. I usually don't spend too much time on the SC, for example, if there's 8 SC questions, I finish them in around 3 maybe 3.5 minutes. I either answer all of them or leave maybe 1 or 2 blank but still finish in around 3 minutes. This way, I score around 650's. Has anyone else had this problem? What should I do to finish before 25 minutes is up? I use Noitaraperp's way of attacking the CR questions. </p>
<p>Practice more. That’s the only way to improve on timing if you like the reading strategy you’re using for the passages. If you haven’t done all the BB and BB2 questions, then make sure you finish them. If you have, then dig up some other practice questions (e.g. the older, 10 Real SAT series, or a friend’s QAS). </p>
<p>It’s fine if you’re starting out to give yourself extra time, but as your test date gets closer, make sure you are timing yourself STRICTLY so you don’t run out of time. I’d even say time yourself for 23 minutes to account for test day anxiety.</p>
<p>I disagree. It’s better to force oneself to do more in the time limit (slowly increasing how much you get done) than it is to slowly lessen the time limit.</p>
<p>It is your way of going through the passages (annotating the passage based on what you read in the questions) that causes you to run out of time. Although it worked well for Noitaraperp, it is very time inefficient. I followed that method for my first SAT and received an abysmal 630 on the CR. For my next SAT, I switched to reading one paragraph at time and then immediately referring to the questions corresponding to what I had just read. I scored an 800 on the CR simply by adjusting my method - not by learning additional vocab or reading complex material. I now finish the CR sections in 12-15 minutes rather than the 30 I needed when following the method you are using now. Good luck!</p>
<p>“I disagree. It’s better to force oneself to do more in the time limit (slowly increasing how much you get done) than it is to slowly lessen the time limit.”</p>
<p>Actually, it’s fine to do entire sections UNTIMED to begin with. Timing is a completely separate aspect from learning how to answer the questions. First you learn, then you get your timing down. Trying to do both at the same time is inefficient.</p>
<p>And let’s take your method as an example. Say you have a section of passages, and you are just starting out. You complete only half of the passages by 25 minutes. What do you do with the rest? Do it untimed? Don’t do it at all? Either way, you’re going to have material left over.</p>
<p>For the extreme case you paint, TriumphPrep, you’re right. However, oblivi0n is already familiar with “how to answer the questions” and should now be more disciplined in his time management.</p>