<p>How can I improve my SAT reading scores? I took it in june and got 2 vocab incorrect and 5 reading comprehension questions incorrect-- to give me a 700. How can I bring it up to an 800?</p>
<p>Missing 2 in SC can happen to anyone. It’s just 2 bad guesses.</p>
<p>Improving in the RC section should probably be your focus. You have to analyze the questions you are missing and figure out why you are missing them. What word or phrase in the wrong answer choice made you pick it? And why did you eliminate the right answer choice? Was it faulty reasoning on your part or tricky answers on the test makers part? It’s hard to give you specific strategies without seeing exactly what you are missing.</p>
<p>Can you narrow down the types of passages that are causing you problems? I hate the humanities passages and know that they are my weakness. </p>
<p>Finally, are you “prephrasing” an answer to the question before you look at the answer choices. This is a powerful strategy that will help you eliminate wrong answers.</p>
<p>hey, thanks for replying. At times, I do not prephase… it kind of depends on my mood haha
umm… when I took the test in June, I had trouble with the long paired passage. It was (i think) something about hiding books from kids that have inappropriate content… I think I got all of the RC wrong from that passage… b/c all of the other ones were really easy.</p>
<p>Hmm. I have some thoughts. Taking my kids to the doctor 2 hours away. I’ll get back with you tonight if no one else does!</p>
<p>ok thanks!</p>
<p>Okay, I lied. I’ll get to this tomorrow. My brain is fried from a 10 hour day with 2 nine month olds who did not nap (someday you may understand). But I’ll get back here, I promise.</p>
<p>dont worry man! Take ur time :)</p>
<p>A lot of the passage based reading is approaching the passage in the right way. I was scoring like 600-650 but after reading the “How to Attack the SAT Critical Reading Section Effectively” and the Grammatix section on reading (the pdf of grammatix is floating around the interwebs), I was able to get to the point where I was only missing 0-3 questions total with a new targeted approach.</p>
<p>Do you usually have problems with the long paired passages? </p>
<p>I am assuming you read passage 1, answer P1 questions, read P2, answer P2 questions, and then answer questions about both, right? I take this one step further and read the passage that is easiest first. I can tell by reading the italicized blurb and glancing at the passages which one is easiest. By reading the easier one first, it gives me a good idea about what the second passage is going to say and provides a good base for answering questions. In my experience, in paired passages, there is always at least one passage that is really easy to read compared to the long single passages. </p>
<p>The questions themselves in paired passages are designed to confuse you. The answers are often right about the OTHER passage but not right about the passage in question. I think the long paired passages are the most important passages to notate; jot brief notes about each paragraph as you move through them. This keeps you from falling victim to the answer traps. Prephrasing also plays a key role. By answering the question in your head, you can avoid those answers about the other passage. </p>
<p>And with all PBR questions, avoid answers that use the exact same language as the passage. The right answer uses synonyms. For example if the text uses the phrase “ferocious antagonism,” the wrong answer will likely use either “ferocious,”“antagonism,” or “ferocious antagonism.” The right answer will use synonyms like “savage opposition,” or “merciless dissension.” Finally, avoid those answers that use extreme words like “never,” “only,” and “always.” It’s much easier to defend an answer choice that uses “some” than an answer that uses “most.” Other extreme words include adjectives like “hostile,” “dismayed,” and “absurd.” And in my experience, “nostalgic” has never been a correct answer. If you look at the actual definition, it becomes an extreme word.</p>
<p>Hope that helps!</p>
<p>Thanks alot guys! I’ll be trying out the tips soon!</p>