What to expect from the SAT reading section

With the next available SAT testing date fast approaching (January 23rd), students taking the exam should be well underway in their preparation and study. To help your child maximize his or her score, let’s breakdown some keys to success when it comes to reading comprehension:

• First and foremost, it’s important to remember that every question on the SAT is worth an equal amount. As such, your child should be aware that spending an irregular amount of time on even one single question can put them at a disadvantage. If a question keeps tripping you up, don’t panic and come back to it later if time remains (students get 70 minutes total to complete the reading section).
• Sentence completion is the first subsection of reading comprehension that your child will address. Students are asked to read a sentence and complete the missing word or set of words from five options (A-E). Within this section, answers increase in difficulty from easy, medium and hard as your child moves along. Considering that each question has the same value, make sure to not over commit your time to the harder questions toward the end and stay focused on correctly answering the easy to medium options first. Here’s a sample question similar to what your child will encounter:

By choosing to start his own business, John’s ______________ spirit was made evident to those around him.

A) Superficial B) Entrepreneurial C) Dismissive D) Existential E) Genial

While option “E” may look enticing, remember that the questions are asking you to select the best fit answer. In this case, option “B” is correct within the context of the sentence.

• Next, we come to passage-based reading. Unlike sentence completion, the questions in this section do not increase in difficulty as you go along. It’s important to look ahead and understand how many questions pertain to a single passage of reading. For passages that correspond to only one question, it’s ok to maintain a quicker pace when reading. For those with 2 or more questions, be sure to do a thorough read. In general, the questions will ask students to reflect upon things like the author’s tone, description of characters, major themes and differences between paragraphs within a single passage. When deciding on a correct answer, it’s often helpful to focus first on what is incorrect. This helps eliminate 2-3 answers right off the bat and efficiently increases your odds for success. Finally, remind your child that jumping from one passage to another is not an effective strategy. Maintaining your focus and train of thought on a single passage at a time will keep students from feeling overwhelmed and disorganized.

Finally, if your child is experiencing test-related anxiety, they’re certainly not alone. Just remember, while standardized testing is an important factor in the admissions process, your child’s SAT scores are not a reflection of overall intelligence, aptitude or an ability to succeed in college and beyond. For students struggling to improve their scores, check out some test-optional schools along the way!