<p>No! I'm not going ANY FASTER! And I am using the Xiggi method! WHy can't I go faster? :( I'm very upset about this! Does anyone have any time saving tips?</p>
<p>Which section are you slow in? If it's math, then you have to practice a lot. If it's Critical Reading, you zip through the Sentence Completions and focus primarily on the passage based questions.</p>
<p>I'm slow in EVERYTHING except writing.</p>
<p>And I like to think that I'm zipping through sentence completion. I am not slow on those. I'm slow on the passages.</p>
<p>You've got to relax when you're reading. Assume that you're in some sort of closed room when doing the problems. If you get some sort of nervous shock/rush, take a deep breath. As for math, slowness means that you aren't used to the question types. You should be able to read a question and immediately come up with some sort of "plan" to solve the problem.</p>
<p>For most of them I immediately have a plan, but for some of them I honestly don't know HOW to do it and I can't find anything to help me. That must be part of the reason why I always missing atleast 2 questions per section. And maybe the way I go about problems takes too long, but I don't know. Its only the math part where you do the gridding is the one where I actually have time left over. The other ones, I 'm lucky to finish in time.</p>
<p>For the reading, I don't get tense or anything. I don't know why it takes me so long. I do my strategies, but I'm just not fast enough and I don' tknow how to improve by october!! :(</p>
<p>At this rate, I'm never going to be NMF. The best I can do so far is that one for black people! Yes, I can still win money, but I could do better! I am not satisified at all.</p>
<p>You need to practice with math. With math, it's a matter of finding a shortcut, an alternative method, working backwards...You get my drift. When you practice, try to find the shortest, most accurate procedure. Usually, if you end up practicing a lot, the same types of questions repeat on the PSAT's/SAT's, so you'll already have some type of familiarity with the question and procedure. It'll be super easy then. </p>
<p>For critical reading, you have to read the passage with such intense focus and like zeningchen said, be relaxed. Honestly, when I score 750+ on CR, I'm in a zen state of mind, entirely enraptured by the passages (hey, some of the passages are really interesting!) when I read them. Don't let your eyes just sweep the words. Absorb it. Usually, at the end, you'll have a clear grasp of what the author's saying and you don't have to reread it and struggle to find answers.</p>
<p>Cryptic, I liked your description of how to read the passages. After a year of AP Lit, I finally mastered that technique. It's hard for most people though.</p>
<p>For CR just read the question, go to the selected text and voila you will shave crucial minutes off ur time.</p>
<p>Willmington,</p>
<p>Reading the questions before reading the passage is counter-productive most of the time. It only works when you have questions that refer back to a specific line in the text. For general questions, though, you absolutely need to read the passage first to develop a solid understanding.</p>
<p>I usually ran out of time or cut it very close on all of my Critical Reading sections of practice tests. It was mostly because I am a slow reader. But on test day, I was really into the passages, like in Cryptic's description, and I finished every CR section with a few minutes to spare and read over the couple I had left blank or marked for uncertainty. It was amazing. I was truly understanding the passages dor the first time. For practice tests, I never got higher than 700 for CR. I ended up getting a 770 Reading (3 wrong), but I am pretty sure all of my mistakes were on sentence completions. Maybe the same thing will happen to you.
But the weird thing is, I had trouble with the Math section of the SAT for the first time also. I actually ran out of time on the last math section, when in practice I had always finished 5 minutes early. It was the hardest math section I have ever experienced, and I made a stupid mistake and forgot what "origin symmetry" was somehow. I ended up getting the same score as I did for Reading, when I have always been math-oriented. Of course I hadn't really practiced much SAT math because I had thought I was a shoe-in. Back to the drawing boards it is.</p>
<p>I am taking a Speed Reading class this summer. If the reason you aren't finishing CR sections is that you read slowly like me, then you might want to try one.
Goodluck!</p>
<p>Flipsta, that's awesome to hear about the speed reading course. I have some online software and it got my skim speed to 1000+ wpm. However, I would definitely say my comprehension is nowhere near that (for SAT comprehension, probably about a growing 200-400 wpm).</p>
<p>Flipsta_G, could you give us some tips from the Speed reading Class?</p>
<p>I read the questions and go to the line reference. I don't answer the questions wrong unless its about tone or something because I honeslty don't know how to answer questions about tone and not even you CCers are helping me :( Well, one problem I know I have is that I tend to reread questions. Is that normal? I'm going to try to stop, but I'm very afraid that I won't understand something.</p>
<p>But I still am too slow. I've tried to take a speed reading course. I'm faster than I used to be, but apparently, its not fast enough. I'm very upset. I hope that maybe I'll marry a rich man so I don't HAVE to try and be smart anymore.</p>
<p>Elisa, its basically that you need to read words in GROUPS (not just one word at a time). Your eye fixation (how long you look at a group of words) needs to speed up and the number of word groups you read per line need to lessen.</p>
<p>So far in my speed reading class (1 class), we learned to use "Long-Smooth Underline." Basically you line 3 fingers together in a strait line with your hand slightly cupped, and underline the lines of textas you are reading them. Try to push your speed by moving your hand a little faster and having your eyes keep up. Don't pick up your hand at the end of each line, but rather lightly drag it to the next line.</p>
<p>Remember when Cryptic mentioned: "Honestly, when I score 750+ on CR, I'm in a 'zen state of mind,' entirely enraptured by the passages (hey, some of the passages are really interesting!) when I read them." </p>
<p>maybe refering to this book or maybe not...
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0618574883/qid=1122876828/sr=8-12/ref=pd_bbs_sbs_12/002-2709925-4077637?v=glance&s=books&n=507846%5B/url%5D">http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0618574883/qid=1122876828/sr=8-12/ref=pd_bbs_sbs_12/002-2709925-4077637?v=glance&s=books&n=507846</a></p>
<p>THey taught me that at this speed reading course I did when I was younger. I REALLY DON'T like that because, hell no I am not going to be running my arms all over the page when I'm reading freakin' Harry Potter. So I stopped doing it. I did slow down a little bit, but I would have rather slowed down than be tired of actually reading! Now, I think I'm back to an 'okay' speed. People in my class can still read faster than me.</p>
<p>Know Thyself</p>
<p>wth? O_o...</p>
<p>only you can know what method works best for you, try a few out and see which saves time .</p>