<p>Exposed to a wide range of contexts of passages, candidates who sit for the SAT are supposed to understand thoroughly for all passages ranged from science and appreciation of arts,history and culture to novels and anecdotes. </p>
<p>It is always easier to grasp the message of passages if you have prior knowledge of the topics they are discussing or be habituated to the writing style if you have read through many similar novels/anecdotes.</p>
<p>So here I would like to ask for people with CR 800: what is your reading habit?
Or anything you think is vital to help you finish CR with unparalleled performance??
e.g. decisive to choose answers and won't hesitate
(i always have bad habit of using elimination to sort out the real answers but turn out waste so much time to do so),eclectic(you can acquaint yourself with most passages with a rather short period of time without bewilderment),etc</p>
<p>The most important reading habit which got me an 800 on CR was a habit of reading. I had huge problems with my library’s checkout limit while in elementary and middle school, though I only read 2-3 books a month now because of my high school course load. 780 on my first test, 800 on my second, all without studying. </p>
<p>Okay, now, the answer to the question I think you actually asked: I read the passage quickly but closely and answer the questions while referring back to the passage if needed. I don’t go with my first instinct on ambiguous questions; I stare at the question and the passage for a while trying to figure out which bad answer is best.</p>
<p>but what you think is important to read quickly?</p>
<p>Are you asking whether or not it is important to read quickly? I don’t think so. I finished most of the sections in less than half the time because I am a fast reader, so I could have read much more slowly and still gotten the same score. </p>
<p>Try taking practice tests and see what works for you.</p>
<p>what i want to ask is what do you think is crucial in order to read quicker??
how can you finish the task using half of the time???</p>
<p>sigh,time is my real headache…
when i am forced to skim it so fast,i feel like my mind is bewildered by each single word/sentence without grasping the meaning of them.</p>
<p>how can you read passage with such an astonishing speed?</p>
<p>I don’t know if reading constantly is a requirement; surely it helps, but I don’t read that much, and I got an 800 CR (and it was the easiest section for me). I read a lot of articles and such online, though, so that could have helped. </p>
<p>Practicing with real SATs helped me the most. My strategy was to always eliminate the clearly-wrong choices and pick an answer quickly. There were 1-3 questions per test that I had to really think about (i.e. not choose an answer quickly). For those, I just re-read the cited text until I fully grasped the idea that was being tested. </p>
<p>Also, I wouldn’t say that I read very quickly. But I did use the strategy to mark the lines that the questions cited in the passage, and it turned out to be the best approach for me. I could read at a medium pace and answer the questions as I read through the passage.</p>
<p>Pratice, Practice, Practice! I found this helped me to recognize different types of ?'s. </p>
<p>While working on the CR section, I mark up the text so I can stay engaged. I also approach the text like it’s the most interesting thing - staying engaged really makes a difference in how you comprehend the passage.</p>
<p>I do read a lot - English has always been my favorite subject and I’m constantly reading. It definitely helps - but if you’re short on time, focus more on memorizing vocabulary and practice CR questions. When you have time, read articles, books - anything!</p>
<p>There are also a bunch of great guides on CC if you search “Critical Reading.”</p>
<p>Anthony, you have stated English is not your native language. Those who get 800 generally are native speakers, and do most if not all of their reading in English. How much of your reading is in english? Are you currently immersed in an English speaking environment?</p>
<p>The pace at which you can read English is going to be far slower than those earning an 800 because you are probably not completely fluent, and are not thinking in English. At some level, you may be translating (albeit very quickly) in your mind. Thus you have to translate the passage, plus the questions. If either is translated with slight errors, you are more likely to miss the questions.</p>
<p>For an internationa, to get an 800 you need to read in English as much as possible, to the point where you can read at a speed similar to when you read in your native language. These students read in half the time because the test is designed to allow average students to read almost everything.</p>
<p>re Philovitist:
what’s that? i haven’t heard it before…</p>
<p>re CTScoutmom:
what you said is the key…actually i have been starting honing my english proficiency in these 2 years…i can tell you that i was always afraid of reading texts 2 years ago and i could not even read easy texts at the moment. I have been immersed in English not for so long…but i think it is okay for my getting 650 in CR since,to be honest, i used to be crappy when it came to english…
i really adore those who outshine others gorgeously in terms of CR.
For me, CR 800 is a superb honour that will enrapture me,if not drive me crazy about it…</p>
<p>can the pundits of CR give the detailed flow of how to tackle it??
e.g.your mindset,skills that allow you to read quickly or grasp the thrust at a faster pace
or you can share books/articles/anything you think are insightful and deserve to read</p>
<p>I got an 800 on the critical reading and honestly, I don’t read that much. I’m sure reading more would help you, but I feel like with a good dose of common sense and crtical thinking/analysis skills, you can do fine.</p>
<p>I got an 800 first time w/out much prep. I read tons as a kid, and still do as much as possible. I studied several vocab lists, did a few practice tests. I just skim-read the passages quickly then go back and reread the necessary parts to answer the questions</p>
<p>As a young kid, I watched almost no TV and instead read all the time. If you didn’t do that, though, you still have hope. Just do a lot of practice tests and you should naturally get better at the test.</p>
<p>One problem I constantly have that keeps me from getting higher in CR is DEM SILLY MISTAKES. I mean with this past October test, I made 2 vocab mistakes and 1 reading mistake that I could have avoided. How do you manage to make sure each and every one of your answers is correct and not a mistake?</p>