How to Attack the SAT Critical Reading Section Effectively

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
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<p>Many people have PMed me asking how I raised my CR score from 500 to 800 (I wrote this in a thread ages ago). I recently wrote an article to show to my junior friends.</p>

<p>EDIT.
The link removed (per TOS), but the OP asked to post the article. Stay tuned...
Moderator gcf101</p>

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<p>Good advice.</p>

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<p>I think this is the most important thing. The vast majority of people who struggle with CR don’t realize that it only takes one minor flaw to make a choice incorrect.</p>

<p>You may want to include Direct Hits among your vocab book recommendations, because analyses of past tests show that it’s the most effective book out there.</p>

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<p>wow! amazing article! can’t wait to try your tips :)</p>

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<p>Mod who edited out the link- you’re kinda screwing us over :)</p>

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<p>Nicely written article. My method for CR is pretty much the same, except I don’t annotate the sentences I mark up. This method does work, and I first read about it in Barron’s 2400. I haven’t had the same success as the author in using this method, but I improved from a PSAT CR 65 to SAT CR 740 (4 wrong).</p>

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<p>Can’t wait!!</p>

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<p>PLease ! please give us your strategies !!! im currently desperate for CR now :((</p>

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<p>Anyone have the article link?</p>

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<p>Google “How to Attack the SAT Critical Reading Section Effectively”. It is the eHow link, which is 2nd or 3rd.</p>

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<p>ill check the eHow since a mod took the article down for some reason… but im eagerly awaiting its repost in case they are different.</p>

<p>This may be answered in your article but Noitaraperp, I can see 500-800 improvement in passage reading, but how is it possible to score 800s semi-consistently in terms of VOCAB when u started at 500? unless, u solidly memorize 2000+ new words.</p>

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<p>my goodness, Noitaraperp are you ‘harvardbanana’? if so congrats on acceptance</p>

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<p>waiting on the link :(</p>

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<p>Noitaraperp: do u recommend circling each question per page before bubbling in for M and WR as well? And is it really “a big time saver”? Because I think it might slow me down since Im so used to writing each answer on a blank sheep when doing practice tests</p>

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<p>hmm do you guys reccommend looking at all the answer choices and seeing if they are ditortion, out of scope, extreme, or opposite? Cause thats what ive been doing so far and critical reading has been my worst section!</p>

<p>any advice will be greatly appreciated! :)</p>

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<p>I found the guide online through a simple search…Seems like an extraordinarily helpful and well-written guide. I’ll definitely try to incorporate some of the advice.</p>

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<p>Yes, I am harvardbanana.</p>

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<p>Yes I recommend circling the answer for each question on a two page spread before bubbling in on the answer sheet (not, however, the entire section!). It’s not a big time saver in terms of the actual difference in bubbling, but especially for critical reading, it helps you keep your focus on the passage (which is very important if you answer as you go!), so in that way it saves you a lot of time as you don’t break focus. When you do practice tests, I don’t think you should use a blank sheet - make it realistic and bubble in. That’s time there that you’re not accounting for.</p>

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<p>I don’t think you should first look through the answer choices and try to rigidly determine the different distinctions - it’s inefficient and a waste of time if you haven’t touched the passage yet. You can recognize those things as you go through the method which I have found very useful. Okay - this answer choice is clearly twisting the author’s words out of his original intention (well, how would you know unless you had read the author’s intention?). Out of scope should be easy to recognize since as a general question you have circled it for review after reading the entire passage. Extremes you can find as you go but it would be a time-consuming chore to search for them throughout the questions.</p>

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<p>I have a few questions here…How much practice did it take u to raise your score by 300?
I’m a sophomore and I’m practicing with SAT everyday but my c.r. score is still not high enough.
With all the Aps I’m taking, I don’t think I have enough time to practice SAT during the school year… and I’m worried because I wanted to be done with the SAT by the end of Junior year… </p>

<p>What should I Do</p>

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<p>@Noitaraperp I am convinced by and am following the method you’ve stated however there is a problem. It seems that I haven’t yet learnt the ‘real art’ of reading yet because i superced the time limit always in spite of having a good success rate. I know practice makes perfect but could you further give some tips about that art of reading? Thanks</p>

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<p>[Noitaraperp’s</a> Critical Reading Method: How to Attack the SAT Critical Reading Section Effectively](<a href=“http://criticalreadingmethod.blogspot.com/2012/03/how-to-attack-sat-critical-reading.html]Noitaraperp’s”>Noitaraperp's Critical Reading Method: How to Attack the SAT Critical Reading Section Effectively)</p>