Whenever I solve the critical reading section, I always spend at least 5 minutes reading the passages (especially the double passages) then spend another 7 minutes or so on the questions. I can’t think of a way to pace myself. Is there a way you can read the passages in 3 minutes max., no matter how long they are?
Thank you!
Practice with the practice tests from the blue book. Also, spend more time reading non-fiction articles and other sources that are similar to the passages on the SAT. Try to engage in the passage-it may be bland, but if you really devote yourself to the passage, you can read it much faster and effectively.
In my experience (I received an 800 CR score after figuring out what worked for me 
), if you thoroughly read and understand the passages, no matter how long it takes, you will have more success answering the questions. I know it seems like the obvious road to success through decreasing your reading time, but as long as you practice you’ll get your passage-reading time down to something manageable while still reading it thoroughly. Skimming the passage every time you need to answer a question ends up being far more time consuming than thoroughly reading it once.