<p>I'm having some difficulty breaking that last barrier; my score has been hovering around the low 700s. I am taking the SATs for the last time in October and would like to know if you have any tips for bringing my Critical Reading score to 750+. My current strategy involves reading the short passages then answering their respective questions. For the long passages, I read the questions first and then answer by going back to the passage. I plan on completing all the CR sections in the 2008 PR book and the CB blue book (2nd time). </p>
<p>If you want to get into the 750-800 range, I strongly suggest you change your approach to the long passages. It’s essential that you have a solid understanding of the passage both in its details and as a whole, and you’re not going to get the full picture if you’re only reading the parts that relate directly to the questions [assuming I’m interpreting what you said correctly].</p>
<p>Okay, so I got a 710 CR first time, and then a 750. Pretty much I ran through SAT review books like crazy, since vocab wasn’t my problem. What I do is read the passage (scan it), and then read the questions, and depending on where that question is relating to, I read that part of the passage in greater depth. A good tip that I found always works is that if you can’t find the answer to a question in the part of the passage it refers to, look directly before or after. The answer’s somewhere in the passage.</p>
<p>I was a little unsure of what you meant in your first post – if you mean just skimming over the questions before you read, that’s fine. If you mean only reading the parts of the passage that pertain directly to the questions (i.e. only reading the referenced lines), I would discourage that.</p>
<p>112358, I think the topic creator means reading a paragraph, going to the questions that pertain to it, then starting reading the passage again.</p>
<p>I used to read the entire passage then answer questions, but I tried answering questions while I read (I mark in the passage where each line refrence is, then read until I hit around there, answer the question, proceed reading, then I hit another mark and I answer, etc.). After a few weeks of doing this, I’ve jumped from a 680 to 760 Now for those darn vocab >_<</p>
<p>Mao - do you think your change of strategy was the sole reason for your increase in score? I’m also around a 680 and would love to get up to 760! I just quickly glanced at the questions, marked up the lines, read the entire passage, then go to the questions and then re-read parts.</p>
<p>It was definitely my change in strategy that boosted my score. After all, if you take the test the same way every time, there really is no reason to expect that it will go up!</p>
<p>My old strategy was:
Read the entire passage, try to absorb it, then start to answer the questions. I reread the line refrences, then if I get the answer, I choose that; if I don’t get an answer, I convince myself which one is more right, and I pick it.</p>
<p>My new strategy (based 99% off of Noita’s. Big thanks if you’re reading this!):
Go through the questions, look at line/paragraph/sentence refrences (sometimes, it will say “in the first paragraph” or “in the first sentence”), then underline the words/phrases, and then I bracket the sentences/paragraphs. Unlike Noita, I’m not a big fan of writing in the margins (for example, “tone,” “suggests,” etc.) I find that those words don’t help, because they aren’t descriptive enough, and I don’t have enough time to write something descriptive haha. </p>
<p>I start to read, and then, when I get to the line marks, I stop where it’s comfortable, then answer the questions. I’m lucky in that I don’t lose my absorbation in the passage, so yay :D. And most importantly, I think, instead of convincing myself which answer is more RIGHT, I convince myself which one is more WRONG. It’s a lot easier that way, suprisingly.</p>
<p>Hopefully, I wasn’t just simply lucky and what I said is actually good xD</p>
<p>I wouldn’t recommend reading the questions before the passage unless you’re dealing with a short passage (1-2 questions on it). Reading the questions beforehand will just overload your short term memory and take up unnecessary time.</p>
<p>when I took the SAT in HS, I was in the same boat (mid/low 700’s on CR the first time, wanting higher 700’s second time). So the 2nd time I took the SAT I, I used a book called Barrons 2400 to prepare for CR. I modified their method a little though. </p>
<p>short passages:
skim the questions
read the passage w/ the Q’s in mind. Be ware of key words in Q’s. </p>
<p>long passages:
very very fast skim the Q’s to note key words, line refs (i.e. numbers like… lines 22-23).
Go back to the passage and underline the lines tested in Q’s. Circle key words if any pop out to you.</p>
<p>note: steps 1 and 2 should take at most 30 seconds after practice. Remember in these steps you are NOT reading the whole question!! you’re just reading for key prases in " " and for NUMBERS. </p>
<p>Once you mark up your passage, go on to the next step. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>read the passage. Stop when you get to a sentence or two past something you circled or underlined. Now go back and answer the questions related to those parts you marked in the passage. </p></li>
<li><p>After you read the whole passage, answer the Big Idea questions. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>The end result of the CR approach: a mix of Barrons 2400 and Princeton Review strategy. </p>
<p>Go ahead and try it. It gets better with practice. The key to CR is PRACTICE a lot!! =) Try to do at least 3 long passages a day + 2 or 3 short passages a day. If your day is free (ie no school, no work, no other activities) you can do even more practice. </p>
<p>In response to Jamesford: I agree. Don’t actually READ the questions before, just skim the question (and not the choices).</p>
<p>I like to take CB’s tests all together (i.e. do all 9 sections, as if it were an actual test). So what should I use each day just for critical reading sections? Perhaps, this is wrong, but I’ve heard that no company has been able to do a good job of modeling the actual CR section.</p>
<p>Thanks for the tips! Oddly enough, I did find the above article right after I posted this thread. I’m testing out the methods listed in the article and will try out all of your recommendations too. It’s just so frustrating because I can’t get past that barrier. </p>
<p>Any advice on how to tackle the tone questions and “interpret the author’s meaning” questions?</p>
<p>^I try to notice those questions before I read the passage so I can look for little hints as I read. Usually there’s pretty explicit evidence somewhere – it’s just hard to find.</p>
<p>How much did you improve after you converted to the new strategy? My current method of CR is exactly like your old strategy. I am really distressed about CR because it’s my only weakness. I still don’t really get the concept of “the more wrong” answer. Can anyone explain this to me?</p>
<p>Trust me, the strategy quoted in the link above truly is the “holy grail” of the CR section. Many test prep courses also teach it because once you define the area (line #), it’s just a matter of analyzing and reading carefully. It eliminates 99% of errors people tend to make by analyzing a different part of the passage or getting confused or just getting bored.</p>
<p>I used to score in the high 600’s, but when I started using that and learned more vocab, I shot straight into the 750+ range and even got an 800 once. </p>
<p>REALLY helps, but takes some getting used to. (I don’t write notes, though; I just mark off the line numbers, etc.)</p>
<p>How long did it take you by practicing to boost that much? This will be the last SAT goal I’ll ever make because after my CR is in that range, I’ll be good enough to take it.</p>
Now for those darn vocab >_<</p>
I just quickly glanced at the questions, marked up the lines, read the entire passage, then go to the questions and then re-read parts.</p>