When I take the SAT critical reading section I lose concentration and often myself not really holding on to information or thinking about other things. On math (800 practice test) and writing (750 practice test) I do better, but critical reading is my worst. Does anyone have any suggestions as how to fix my problem? I am not going to be taking medicine to improve my concentration, and I do not think active reading helps TREMENDOUSLY so I am kind of stuck.
Always identify the author’s main or implied message, and tone. Total comprehension other than that isn’t really needed, and you can usually find answers quick by skimming the passage to find the answer after reading the whole thing.
Read a lot, practice concentrating on reading, and then read a lot more–after all, CR passages require much more sustained attention than math or grammar problems. Building attention span takes practice.
Take adderall…just kidding! I’ve had this same problem in the past, but I am only incoming sophomore so I have plenty of time to work on it! I am just forcing myself to read long books this summer so I can develop the mental capacity to stay focused on standardized tests and for my English class assigned reading.
Man, I lose focus too. First time I took the SAT, I was so out of my own head that I left a page blank in CR and had to cancel my scores that day.
When I went to take it back the second time, I didn’t really think about CR. I just kind of read over the passages and bubbled in my answers casually; I ended up getting an 800.
Second time I took the SAT, same deal, didn’t really care for the SAT CR reading, guessed on some of the questions (because I would have had an 800 SS anyway) and ended up getting an 800 in CR again.
I think when you’re talking about ‘concentration’ what you’re really talking about is managing anxiety – being able to stay mentally limber under stress, which is one of the hardest things to do and something I personally struggle with.
This is going to sound kind of silly and counter-intuitive, but if you want to do well on CR, don’t worry about CR.
I kinda have the same problem too and at times I find myself readin the same line 5 times again and not comprehending it.
My D1 had the same problem. She was really an academic kid. One of the passages on the last section, after 4 hours, was INTERESTING and she got distracted reading it and the clock ran out.
She took the ACT and got a 35, so that solved the problem. I guess the ACT was more straightforward and boring. .
If it happens towards the end, the problem may be as simple as low blood sugar. Make sure you eat a good long-lasting breakfast before taking the big tests and take snack items to consume at breaks.