<p>I have a huge problem with CR. I took the SAT (not sure if it was real or mock; pretty sure it was real) in seventh grade and got a 1650 with CR being my lowest score at 550. </p>
<p>Now, I'm going into eleventh grade and took a mock SAT. My CR is 560, and my score was 1800. I'm not here to complain about my scores. I'd like to improve.</p>
<p>I've never used a prep book for the SAT. I'm taking the SAT in January, so I don't have much time to prepare. I've ordered Direct Hits, Dr. Chung, and Barron's Writing Workbook. I plan to start the Blue Book around October.</p>
<p>I'm aiming for a 2300. I know I don't have much time, but I'm a hard worker. Another question: The only courses that I take are Honors/AP courses. English has always been a weak point, but I still get straight A's. Why is my score only 560?</p>
<p>Summary(for those too lazy to read):
* Very hard time with CR (scored 560), yet I manage a 4.0 GPA with all Honors/AP courses
* HOW CAN I IMPROVE? I take the SAT in January, and I'm aiming for 2300. I'm also a hard worker.
* Is it possible to improve from 1800 to 2300 in fewer than six months?
* Besides the blue book, what other books are there to improve? Currently I'm using:
- Math: Dr Chung (I consistently score around 710's - aiming for 790 - 800)
- Writing: Barron's Writing Workbook
- CR: Direct Hits, looking for HELP WITH PASSAGES!</p>
<p>Critical reading has always been my weakest subject. However, I have been taking SAT prep classes and learned a few things that could improve my score on CR. Ultimately, the best way to improve critical reading is to READ. Try NY times articles or actual SAT articles, just read a few per day. Other thing is, when you read an SAT article, especially the long ones, you have to know what you’re looking for. There are actually types of articles that you are tested on that have similar formats. Articles that present directly, anticipated objection articles, etc. Using structured reading, you can know what to skim through and what you should focus on when reading different types of articles. For example, focus on the sentences that follow ‘however / thus / in conclusion’ for they are likely to be asked in the question. But those are not the only things you focus on. </p>
<p>Those are just a few tips and tricks, I really recommend getting guidebooks like the princeton review, or better yet, get an SAT tutor. They tend to help a lot ;).</p>
<p>For passage reading, there are no “tips and tricks” to getting a higher score. The most important thing is staying focused. Answer the specific questions that have line numbers first because (most of the time), you can get away with answering those without having read the entire passage.</p>
<pre><code> There are a few tips and tricks. You just listed a couple yourself. It is important to stay focused, then again, it should be common sense. You also said that answer the specific questions that have line numbers first, that is also a trick. However, You should read the whole paragraph that includes the indicated lines because a lot of times the answer for the question has to do with, not just about the parentheses, but also what the author says
</code></pre>
<p>about it. Yes, sometimes all you have to do is read the indicated lines, but you can only get away so long. No need to risk losing points on the “easy” questions if you’re only going to be taking the test a few times.</p>
<p>I forgot to mention… I’m taking SAT prep classes, but they aren’t helping at all. I’m going for one on one tutoring, but they aren’t really giving me tips that I don’t already know about.</p>
<p>I guess the only thing I need is practice, but I don’t want to use all the blue book tests. Does anyone know if they blue book tests are different from the tests online collegeboard tests?</p>
<p>Practice, practice, practice. Do like 30+ practice tests and you will eventually get the gist of it. Try skimming the questions for line references first and quickly mark those lines on the passages to prepare yourself as you read through.</p>